The History of Rock and Roll in 100 Riffs:
HT: Stephen Altrogge
Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Amazon Daily Deal - Foo Fighters
If you're musical tastes are anything like mine, you'll probably want to pick this up. Foo Fighters Greatest Hits (17 songs) is only $3.99 today. If you're a rock fan, pretty much a given you either have this, or will think it's more than worth the $3.99.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, November 1, 2010
Music Video of the Week: Our Lady Peace
Taking me back to high school today...
Our Lady Peace - "Life"
Our Lady Peace - "Life"
Monday, September 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Music Recommendation: House of Heroes - Suburba
A while back, I reviewed the album, The End Is Not The End, by House of Heroes. I loved (and still love) that album, and the band has moved into my top 3 bands (even to #1 depending on the day). A couple weeks ago, HoH released their newest album, Suburba.After listening to the album for a couple weeks now, I'm loving it more and more. It's different than ...The End. That album was almost a concept album set around World War II, and touched on deep themes of life and death and other things war makes people think of. Suburba, while unified somewhat around themes of American suburbia, is much more upbeat, energetic, and showcases some extremely tight song-writing and musicianship.
My favorite songs include: Relentless, Love Is For The Middle Class, God Save The Foolish Kings, Somebody Knows, She Mighty Mighty, and the bonus track on Amazon, Galveston.
I would highly recommend this album for any rock fans, especially those of a pop/rock flavoring (it's only $5.99 still at Amazon). There are hints of all kinds of influences, among them Queen and other classic rock bands, but the album has a very fresh feel to it, a perfect end of summer album. I posted these a while back, but here are a couple videos to give you a taste of the album.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Music Video of the Week: House of Heroes
House of Heroes - "God Save The Foolish Kings"
The new album, Suburba, comes out tomorrow, but you can get it on Amazon MP3 right now, with a bonus track, for only $2.99. Trust me, this album is fantastic and to be able to get it for only $2.99 is ridiculous. Get it. Now. You won't regret it.
The new album, Suburba, comes out tomorrow, but you can get it on Amazon MP3 right now, with a bonus track, for only $2.99. Trust me, this album is fantastic and to be able to get it for only $2.99 is ridiculous. Get it. Now. You won't regret it.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Music Review: Newworldson - Newworldson
Genre: Pop/Rock/Funk/Blues/Reggae, etc.Label: Inpop
Release Date: February 23, 2010
Rating: 3/5
Having never been exposed to Newworldson’s first release, Salvation Station, I have no basis for comparison to that album. My introduction to the band, then, was the first song off their newest, self-titled album. That song, “You Set The Rhythm,” begins with this line: “I was unlucky in love / I didn’t know what a heart was / I felt it beating in my chest / But my best definition was a blood pump.”
Luckily, songs like “Listen to the Lord,” “There is a Way,” and “Total Eclipse” are much better in the lyrical department. Depth of lyrics is clearly not the main attraction with this band, however. Their unique combination of styles (rock, pop, funk, blues, even reggae and others) is fascinating. Some of the album didn’t really appeal to me stylistically, but there is a joy in thankfulness to the Lord that comes through clearly. In many ways, the album is a celebration of God’s goodness through the diversity of musical style.
This diversity makes it somewhat difficult to pinpoint musical references if, like me, you’ve never heard Newworldson. “There is a Way” sounded to me like I was listening to Jimmy Needham, who they’ve toured with. I very much enjoyed this song. Other songs, heavier on the funk/rock side, reminded me of a band a few years back called Hyper Static Union, although I think Newworldson sounds much more polished. Many of the other songs borrow bits and pieces of other styles and influences, meshing them together.
Other songs that stood out were “Jamaican Praise Melody,” with its island praise feel, and “O Lament,” which utilizes an extremely toned down drum beat with a subtle piano riff that sounds directly out of a movie soundtrack. Very interesting to hear these types of songs back to back. The diversity is nice, but it also kept the album from feeling completely cohesive to me. Some of the styles used weren’t that musical interesting to me, but many will seriously appreciate a Christian band branching out this much. Newworldson definitely doesn’t sound like your typical Christian band. For that, I commend them.
Due to that fact, I can see this album taking off for them, and I hope it does. I’m all for a band pushing the Christian music industry away from the same old styles and clichéd writing. This album definitely tries to do that. Overall, though, there just weren’t enough great songs to keep me overly interested throughout, despite the diversity. As I said, though, that might just be my tastes, so I recommend checking them out for yourself if you’re looking for something different.
*This album was provided for review by Inpop Records.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Music Review: TobyMac - Tonight
Genre: Pop/RockLabel: ForeFront
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Rating: 4/5
Fans of TobyMac won’t be disappointed with his newest release, Tonight. The album has everything you’ve come to expect from the former D.C. Talker and Jesus Freak: a ridiculously catchy mix of rock, pop, and hip/hop, some less than stellar lyrics in terms of depth, a clear desire for the Lord, and some cool cameos on some of the songs.
I’ve enjoyed TobyMac’s first 3 releases, and there’s been some growth musically from each to the next. For this one, though, I don’t feel like Toby really branched out that much. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. The music has such a professional feel to it, it becomes easy to take for granted how Toby can consistently produce such high quality, catchy music. That said, this feels like more of a continuation to me of what he did on Portable Sounds, which I did enjoy.
The album leads off with “Tonight,” which is vintage TobyMac. It mixes rock, hip/hop and pop perfectly and features John Cooper from Skillet. The autotune being used was a little different for me, but it wasn’t overly distracting. “Get Back Up” follows, which is the extremely catchy pop song on the album. My least favorite song on the album was easily “Funky Jesus Music,” which utilizes the phrase, “Gimme that juicy flow.” Seriously. It does.
Other highlights on the album were the first single, “City On Our Knees,” which still sounds to me like something OneRepublic could come out with and has fantastic lyrics. “Changed Forever” features Nirva Ready and her vocals compliment things perfectly. TruDog (Toby’s son) makes his obligatory appearance on “Loud and Clear (TruDog ’10), and this continues to be a fun part of each TobyMac album. “Wonderin” features Matt Thiessen of Relient K and sounds exactly like you’d expect a song from TobyMac and Relient K to sound.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the album musically. Toby continues to craft some of the most ridiculously catchy songs in CCM. He’s a true professional when it comes to production, and everything sounds crisp and clean. One thing I could have done without was the prevalent use of autotune on this album, but that’s just a pet peeve of mine. Others may enjoy its inclusion. Overall, TobyMac has delivered again, and the king of Christian pop isn’t going anywhere soon.
*This album was provided for review by ForeFront Records.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Music Review: Day of Fire - Losing All
Genre: RockLabel: Razor and Tie
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Rating: 4.5/5
I grew up on a lot of non-Christian music before I was a Christian. I was a big Metallica fan. I listened to Alice-in-Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Our Lady Peace, Nirvana, and later Finger Eleven and Buckcherry. I was a fan of some older rock as well – Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Skynyrd. I listened to the gamut, the Almond Brothers and Clapton to Black Sabbath, The Who to Megadeth, Guns N' Roses and White Zombie, among many others. When I became a Christian, I quickly looked for Christian counterparts to some of these bands, ones that would portray a better message (I still listen to a lot of same bands – I’m not saying they’re evil).
Although Christian music has come a long way in terms of production thanks to the money being made in it, true musicianship and song-writing capabilities are still not at the level of secular music, in my opinion. Especially in the rock genre, you can still hear a difference in the level of songs, even though the production has caught up.
Enter Day of Fire. Back in my earlier days, one of the bands I listened to was Full Devil Jacket, the band Josh Brown fronted before becoming a Christian and starting Day of Fire. While I enjoyed the band’s first 2 albums (“Cornerstone” is an amazing song), I hadn’t been quite as impressed as I was by Josh’s work with Full Devil Jacket. There was just a rawness missing. After a break that included new management and a new label, Day of Fire is back with Losing All, and it marks a return to why I enjoyed Brown’s earlier work more – this is simply a fantastic rock album.
From the energy of the opener “Light ‘Em up” and first single “Lately,” it’s clear that Josh has discovered how to balance his Christian faith with creating a rock album that lacks a distinctly “Christian” sound. Save some of the lyrical content, I have no trouble imagining some of these songs played on my local rock station. The quality and sophistication of song-writing is that good. The guitar riffs, drums and baselines are straight-up rock, mixing in just enough guitar solos to keep things interesting. Simply put, I haven’t enjoyed a “Christian” hard rock album this much in a long time.
Lest you think my suggestion they could be played on a normal rock station suggests they’ve toned down distinctly Christian thoughts, think again. The lyrics are nuanced and symbolic (like most good rock lyrics), but are powerful and, at times, profound. One song, in particular, that’s been haunting me is the album’s closer, “The Dark Hills.” Musically, the song is fantastic; utilizing a pulsating drum beat throughout that crescendos magnificently. When this is combined with the lyrical imagery, the results gave me chills.
Brown sings:
If anybody knew this ugliness inside meI think this album will likely go largely unappreciated. It’s not polished by overproduction. It has a very raw sound to it, both instrumentally and vocally. I picture hearing this music in a small club amidst smoke in the air. I have my doubts that feel will have large mass appeal in the Christian market. Hopefully, the album will connect with some non-Christians who will hear powerful pictures of grace like “The Dark Hills.” I would have listened to them back before I was a Christian, and I’ll definitely be listening to this album plenty now that I am.
Would they throw a stone, would they crucify me?
How heavy was the crown of thorns?
I wonder if I’m too far gone
They say Jesus walked the dark hills
He broke bread with beggars and thieves
If I cry out in this darkness, if I fall down on my knees
If he walks the dark hills, will he come for me?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Music Review: Creed - Full Circle
Genre: RockLabel: Wind-Up Records
Release Date: October 27, 2009
Rating: 3.5/5
Do you have that one band that happened to come along at just the right time in your life that they ended up having a huge impact on you? Their songs really connected with you in that moment, allowing them to take on meanings not necessarily there for others. Sure, you enjoyed the music, but it was about much more than the music itself for you.
For me, that band was Creed.
Ok, done with the snickering yet? No? Ok, go ahead, get it out.
You got a joke that involves the phrase “arms wide open?” Something about getting “higher?” Believe me; I agree a lot of the mocking is deserved by Mr. Stapp. But hear me out.
Creed’s My Own Prison, released back in 1997, was a fantastic album that a lot of people have never heard. Songs like “My Own Prison,” “What’s This Life For,” and “Torn” hit me like a ton of bricks. Stapp used to be able to write amazing lyrics that explored spiritual struggles piercingly. The subsequent Human Clay and Weathered were trashed by many critics despite the vast commercial success. I maintained a soft spot for the guys, but it was mostly sentimental, as I didn’t really connect with those albums.
Fast forward 6 years. Stapp released a pretty pathetic solo album, while the other three band members joined with Myles Kennedy to form Alter Bridge, which revealed some pretty stellar musicians had been backing Stapp all that time. Mark Tremonti’s guitar chops shone on AB’s two albums (One Day Remains and Blackbird). On top of that, Kennedy was a welcomed respite from Stapp’s self-importance and increasingly-annoying vocals. Not to mention he’s a much better singer.
Now, Tremonti, Scott Phillips (drums), and Brian Marshall (bass) have teamed back up with Stapp on Full Circle, Creed’s “comeback” album. The guys have clearly progressed as musicians and are given a little more room to shine this time by Stapp, but it’s just not enough to overcome Stapp’s bombastic tone and increasingly simplistic lyrics. The spiritual struggle apparently satisfied, Stapp is left with little poetic imagery to draw from.
Not that the album is without highlights. In fact, I’d say it’s their best album since MOP. “Overcome” is a solid opener that gives Tremonti plenty of room to shine on his solo. He’s given similar opportunities on “A Thousand Faces” and “The Song You Sing.” He doesn’t have the amount of freedom clearly there with AB, but his ability to write solid hard rock guitar riffs that fit within verses is also well done on this album. His technical skill is fantastic. Other favorites I had on the album were the second single “Rain,” “On My Sleeve,” “Full Circle,” and “Time.”
Musically, some of these songs would have fit well on an Alter Bridge album, and I really think the problem is Stapp’s voice. While he’s toned down his over-the-top style on some of the tunes, which I appreciate, I just would have loved to hear Kennedy singing them instead (the guys are going into the studio to complete Alter Bridge’s third album very soon as they intend to keep both bands going). I just can’t take some of the strained, pretentious vocalizations Stapp produces.
Bottom line is this: This is a very talented band of musicians that suffered a backlash from their own success. It doesn’t matter what they do now to some. There are lifetime condescending haters at this point. Stapp’s just annoying, and this album isn’t going to convince many people otherwise. This is a shame, because Mark Tremonti is one of the better rock guitarists of our generation (check out AB’s two albums and their live DVD – amazing).
If you liked Stapp before, you’ll probably find this album very good. If not, at least you’ll get to use some more of your jokes again.
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