Friday, October 17, 2008
New Music
I've encountered a few bands lately that are worth mentioning. I think I discovered them through Pitchfork.com, which is a great way to find new bands. The problem is that they write the worst reviews in the world. They're completely incomprehensible. And they compare the bands to even more obscure bands. That's great if you're familiar with every band in the world. What? You're not? Then the review eats it.
So here's a quick review of a few albums that hopefully doesn't require the Complete History of Music to interpret.
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Sounds like: Oasis/Radiohead combined with The Killers
Verdict: Completely rocks, but some of the songs take a little while to start rocking. Give it time.
Torche - Meanderthal
Sounds like: Black Sabbath or Soundgarden with a more masculine singer (and slightly less talent)
Verdict: Very heavy. If they released this album in the 90's, it would have gone to #1. Then the lead singer would have died of a heroin overdose and everybody today would say, "I wonder what would have happened to these guys if they released that album in 2008 and they didn't become a huge commercial success." I liked it from the get-go. Turn it up to 11
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Sounds like: Green Day, but not as punky (rumor is that it IS Green Day)
Verdict: Eh. I prefer Green Day, but they still write catchy hooks. It's basically a more watered-down version. And if there's one thing the world does NOT need, it's a watered-down version of Green Day. It's listenable, but I'm sure it'll be forgotten by this time next year.
So here's a quick review of a few albums that hopefully doesn't require the Complete History of Music to interpret.
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Sounds like: Oasis/Radiohead combined with The Killers
Verdict: Completely rocks, but some of the songs take a little while to start rocking. Give it time.
Torche - Meanderthal
Sounds like: Black Sabbath or Soundgarden with a more masculine singer (and slightly less talent)
Verdict: Very heavy. If they released this album in the 90's, it would have gone to #1. Then the lead singer would have died of a heroin overdose and everybody today would say, "I wonder what would have happened to these guys if they released that album in 2008 and they didn't become a huge commercial success." I liked it from the get-go. Turn it up to 11
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Sounds like: Green Day, but not as punky (rumor is that it IS Green Day)
Verdict: Eh. I prefer Green Day, but they still write catchy hooks. It's basically a more watered-down version. And if there's one thing the world does NOT need, it's a watered-down version of Green Day. It's listenable, but I'm sure it'll be forgotten by this time next year.
