tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60757912011-04-21T19:10:24.763-05:00Musings on music delivered when I dig myself out.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comBlogger1081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1160448780645967442006-10-09T21:41:00.000-05:002007-01-31T21:35:28.390-06:00

I think it's about time I close this port up for a while. I'm copying everything over to Little White Earbuds, where I've been writing fairly consistently. Join me over there?

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1150358774846344572006-06-15T02:52:00.001-05:002006-07-19T02:27:30.473-05:00

Matmos -- The Rose Has Teeth In the Mouth of the BeastMatador Records; 2006After birthdays and holidays, many groaning children are made to write thank you letters to those who fattened their wallets and/or piggy banks. With The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of the Beast, Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt of Matmos have attacked a similar project with grateful gusto. The album's ten tracks serve both as

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1148439083704932642006-05-23T21:42:00.000-05:002006-05-23T21:52:23.030-05:00

Liars -- Drum's Not DeadMute; 2006Three full-length albums into a solid career, Liars has proven to be predictably unpredictable. Stay with me here. The group first burst on to the burgeoning NYC post-punk revival scene in 2001. Its debut album, They Threw Us All In a Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top, firmly asserted Liars' talent with ambitious concept and execution. The next testament of the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1148437811816303172006-05-23T20:37:00.000-05:002006-05-24T00:19:44.903-05:00

Kelpie -- Hey Friends, It's KelpieBirthday Party Records; 2005When I hear Kelpie, the mental image I get is one of adults having way more fun a their kid brothers' birthday party than the kids: Mashing the buttons in the arcade, stuffing facefuls of cake at a time, and begging Mom for more quarters. This Lawrence, Kansas four-piece (at least at the time of recording) exude that much fun through

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1141954576630452732006-03-09T19:23:00.000-06:002006-03-09T19:37:47.916-06:00

Destroyer -- Destroyer's RubiesMerge Records; 2006For the last 11 years or so, Destroyer has been the musical alias of Canadian songwriter Dan Bejar. You might also recognize Bejar's nasal pipes from his work with The New Pornographers, whom he's written a handful of songs for and with. As Destroyer, and with the help of friends and associates, Bejar has released his seventh album, Destroyer's

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1141953726209249712006-03-09T19:16:00.000-06:002006-03-09T19:23:18.556-06:00

The Subways -- Young For EternityWEA; 2006Dear members of The Subways,What the hell happened? In 2004, you guys and gal soundly trumped the competition at Glastonbury Fest's "Best Unsigned Band" contest. Full of piss and vinegar (or Red Bull and vodka), your supposedly electrifying performance was enough to score a record deal and an absurd amount of hype. Whether or not one of your dads slipped

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1141953294078213552006-03-09T19:06:00.000-06:002006-03-09T19:16:18.683-06:00

Arctic Monkeys -- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm NotDomino Records; 2006The tale of the Arctic Monkeys' smash success is one that may elicit bitter epithets and flushed faces from veteran underground rockers. This four-pack of working class post-teens from Sheffield, England signed with Domino Records in 2004, only a year after picking up guitars for the first time. A year later, their

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1138339467048990292006-01-26T22:57:00.000-06:002006-03-09T19:07:04.390-06:00

The Strokes -- First Impressions of EarthRCA Records; 2006After The Strokes released Room On Fire, its follow-up to debut, Is This It?, audiences and critics alike politely smiled and scrunched up their noses. Room was very similar to its predecessor, and all the subtle refinements the band made were hastily overlooked. If the band's new record, First Impressions of Earth, is any indication, The

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1133250528428325192005-11-29T01:43:00.000-06:002005-11-30T17:13:27.960-06:00

Madonna -- Confessions on a Dance FloorWarner Brothers; 2005Before Ashlee, before Kelly, before Christina or Britney, there was the Material Girl. Becoming the queen of pop by deftly ignoring rules about content, context and sound, Madonna firmly planted herself as an icon of American pop music. And though her kung-fu grip on that sacred title has held strong for 20 years, the very performers

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1132546852720860062005-11-20T22:01:00.000-06:002005-11-20T22:21:35.710-06:00

We've all heard the stories about celebrities who think they're better than everyone else. The sense of accomplishment that comes with defeating the overwhelming odds against "making it" can be like a bicycle pump, inflating the ego with each further achievement. Not to say the famous are bad people for letting this happen, especially when we ourselves haven't a clue what we'd be like with a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1130995497973926432005-11-02T23:09:00.000-06:002005-11-14T01:32:38.953-06:00

Test Icicles -- For Screening Purposes OnlyDomino; 2005How do you feel about your eardrums? Would you prefer them battered and raw from breakdowns and shrieks, or lovingly kissed by melodic butterflies? How do you feel about referential transparency? Would you rather bands pay obvious homage to their influences, or are you a fan of subtle acknowledgment?"Well hey! What's the deal with all these

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1129863878561494882005-10-20T21:59:00.000-05:002006-05-27T17:41:47.323-05:00

In lieu of a real post, I'm just gonna say that I always knew he was into the crack grind.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1129787992645687402005-10-20T00:52:00.000-05:002005-10-24T00:43:14.256-05:00

OR Kelis's cover of The Pretenders' "Brass In Pocket"Is it strange that Scarlet Johansson and her pinky wig spring to mind when I hear this? While it's undecidedly hipster/not hipster of me to say so (fuck you, really), I can't deny it. Johansson has a naturally nice, yet untalented voice that does a reasonable job with the tune. But a Kelis version shouldn't be in even the same karaoke bar,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1129703799846125772005-10-19T01:30:00.000-05:002005-11-14T01:08:02.186-06:00

Espers -- The Weed TreeLocust Music; 2005Folk music is a genre that often gets the shaft from casual music listeners these days. As the genre that's existed since the dawn of music and one that was immensely popular in the 50s and 60s, it's hard to believe how few people care about it today. Besides Bob Dylan, most folk musicians are ignored so completely that their existence is more associated

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1129252683389967022005-10-13T20:09:00.000-05:002005-11-06T14:01:45.833-06:00

OR "Have It Like That," the first single from Skateboard P (Pharrell) feat. Gwen StefaniForget Nick Denton; Pharrell's head is its own solar system. If he had it his way, we'd all be planets and moons revolving around his strange take on genius. Maybe 'cuz he still looks like a kid (dude's like, 32?) he expects us to give him diamond-encrusted wowwy-pops. I used to be, like, thee Neptunes fan. My

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1128658448821140242005-10-06T23:09:00.000-05:002005-10-07T17:15:52.616-05:00

OR Death From Above 1979's "Black History Month (Josh Homme remix)When I hear that a rock guy's remixing another highly refixable rock band, I'm prone to listen (rock the rockist, ok). Josh Homme may be on a different plateau than your average rock dude (drug choices, drug choices), but he's still pulverizing ears with string-ed instruments. Homme's taking this seriously, though; no

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1128568498502634112005-10-05T22:11:00.000-05:002005-10-05T22:14:58.506-05:00

OR M.I.A.'s "Galang '05" & other "Galang" remixesNow I ain't sayin' she's a gold digger for making a new video or selling "Galang" to Scion or whoever. As someone sagely pointed out on ILM, these days being the cool music to like (or past tense, depending on how progressive and snobbish you'll admit to being) doesn't pay the bills. And yet, I'm still puzzled why "Galang" needs an update. Yeah, it

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1128476808267403102005-10-04T20:41:00.000-05:002005-10-05T17:18:15.423-05:00

Franz Ferdinand -- You Could Have It So Much BetterSony/Domino; 2005Like a green banana or a baby chick still damp from its eggshell prison-break, Franz Ferdinand is in a state of transition. Last year's spunky, self-titled debut offered up historically informed post-punk that inspired hundreds of pinstripe outfits. A little more than a year later, audiences have let the Franz get a little dusty

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1127531939051567562005-09-23T22:12:00.000-05:002005-10-09T17:31:12.006-05:00

The Click Five -- Greetings From Imrie HouseLava/Atlantic; 2005 Pardon my paranoia, but something about The Click Five doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps it's their hospital-clean sound, their boyish good looks, or that a handful of their songs were written by established musicians. Something doesn't add up. It's almost as if record label execs took the public's thirst for anything "indie" and

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1126377889798815802005-09-10T13:42:00.000-05:002005-09-10T13:44:49.806-05:00

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -- HowlRCA; 2005 It only takes the Black Rebel Motorcycle club 52 minutes to stomp, strum, and coo away any memory listeners have of their signature sound. While dumping all their Velvet Underground and Jesus & the Mary Chain albums at the local record shop, the trio must have stumbled into a fine collection of early country and folk music. Like ratty sponges the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1125960372770241672005-09-05T17:41:00.000-05:002005-10-09T17:31:43.303-05:00

Young Jeezy -- Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101Def Jam; 2005Street cred be damned -- Atlanta-based rapper Young Jeezy's story isn't wildly different from most other popular rappers (Jay-Z, 50 Cent, T.I., I see you!). From a young age, Jeezy made a career of selling "incalculable" amounts of drugs; that is, until his rap career finally became more lucrative. His lyrics sway precariously between

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1121978697240882742005-07-21T15:42:00.000-05:002005-07-21T17:14:34.910-05:00

I wasn't thinking there was much one could do to improve this track. The beat was straight ferocious -- everything was live and biting. Amerie was fucking impressed with her dudefriend and her single was going to let everyone for city blocks know it. Yeah, producer Rich Harrison copped the track's bombast from his last biggun' you probably heard ("Crazy in Love"), but who's to argue with more of

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1117575171914828132005-05-31T16:27:00.000-05:002005-05-31T16:33:44.086-05:00

Fischerspooner -- OdysseyCapitol; 2005Fischerspooner is a joke that is meant to be understood and appreciated for being a joke; and this is what makes them a serious group. Even if the band's carefully choreographed live shows are full of schtick, it's serious business for the performers.The one area of the Fischerspooner collective that is still ambiguous with regards to its "seriousness" is the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1117136677383721702005-05-26T14:39:00.000-05:002005-05-26T14:46:37.206-05:00

High on Fire -- Blessed Black WingsRelapse; 2005It's a real shame what passes for metal these days. Modern rock radio will have you believing that crying about your parents and that girl that got away is standard metal fare, so long as it's punctuated by "pained" screams and supposedly heavy melodies. High On Fire will have none of that. Fronted by Matt Pike, ex-singer and guitarist for doom

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1116614697057110072005-05-20T13:30:00.000-05:002005-08-07T13:14:57.376-05:00

Caribou -- The Milk of Human KindnessDomino; 2005In 2003, Dan Snaith was forced to change his musical moniker, Manitoba, when he was sued by the lead singer of the group The Dictators, "Handsome" Dick Manitoba. Apparently "Handsome" had recorded an album under the name Manitoba's Wild Kingdom 15 years ago and was worried there would be confusion. Inventive creature that he is, Snaith again looked

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1108394775833041122005-02-14T08:59:00.000-06:002005-02-14T14:22:47.063-06:00

First off, what a boring and relatively conservative awards show. It was pretty obvious that the superbowl would set this precedent, but I kept hope alive. Now my hope is checked into a narcotics rehab. Anyways, here are some of the notes I took while watching the 47th Grammys:7:03) Pirates are back in a big way in 2k5!7:10) I wonder who got Alex Kapranos and the rest of Franz Ferdinand Revlon

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1108102755966829962005-02-11T00:12:00.000-06:002005-03-02T22:57:33.620-06:00

Or "Dirty Harry," the debut single from second and as of yet untitled Gorillaz LPDo Gorillaz hibernate? What about lilly white artists and rock stars? Since the release of Gorillaz in 2001 and Blur's Think Tank two years later, nearly all of the "members" of Gorillaz have been noticeably absent from music in general. However, it seems like now the great silverback beasts have begun to emerge

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1107923532297241812005-02-09T01:05:00.000-06:002005-02-09T00:03:24.240-06:00

Eisley -- Room Noises Reprise Records; 2005 While it's probably unfair to boil a band down to a single word, I still think the best way to describe Eisley is to call them cute. From the moment the Dupree sisters (then 15, 13, and eight) picked up guitars and recruited their brother and boy next door Jonathan Wilson in 1997, being adorable has followed Eisley through their career. Eight years

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1107234901777990542005-02-01T01:12:00.000-06:002005-02-01T14:10:09.530-06:00

LCD Soundsystem -- LCD Soundsystem DFA/Capitol Records; 2005 As a member of the DFA he's a wizard whose magical manipulation of knobs and switches reinvents entire bands. As LCD Soundsystem he's a snake charmer, cranking out hypnotically danceable singles that beg, no, command hipsters to shake what they don't have. On the massively-hyped, much delayed, and eponymous full length debut of LCD

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1107149058555435942005-01-30T23:17:00.000-06:002005-01-31T23:11:52.063-06:00

Or Ciara's "Goodies," remixed by Richard X and featuring M.I.A. (from the "Goodies" single) The Lil' Jon-produced original was damn good. The tweaky beat that could have been "Freak-a-leak" as heard while scanning through ham radio frequencies was irresistible, and Ciara's breathy vocals and salacious delivery just sold it. Leave it to Richard X -- whose production helped to put Anniemal on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1106850293281911362005-01-27T13:19:00.000-06:002005-01-27T12:24:53.283-06:00

Or "Oh My Gosh," the new single from Basement Jaxx's upcoming greatest hits collection I know the feeling, and you probably do too. You're sitting there with your hipster best, trying to catch the eye of that cutie sitting one table away. Trying to make eyes at him without being caught or considered creepy. Finally he looks up and laser beams burst forth to connect you two and it's fucking

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1106768546058966742005-01-26T13:40:00.000-06:002005-01-26T13:42:26.060-06:00

Or "Little Sister," the debut single from the Queens of the Stone Age forthcoming album, Lullabies to Paralyze Josh Homme is a fucking badass. I've heard about the fights this guy gets into, and they usually end with his foe licking venue floor. His war of words with ex-bassist Nick Oliveri was nothing short of rough and tumble either, telling magazines that his friend was such a dumbass that

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1106629307452697352005-01-25T00:01:00.000-06:002005-01-25T00:00:25.303-06:00

The Game -- The Documentary Aftermath/G-Unit/Interscope; 2005 At first glance, the story of The Game's transition from street hustler to legend-endorsed rapper isn't all that unusual. Like his mentor 50 Cent, Game (known as Jayceon Taylor to his mom) is a product of a hard life on the streets that included gang banging, dope peddling, and being a veritable human target for his adversaries (a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1106549784778491982005-01-24T01:52:00.000-06:002005-01-24T13:09:26.006-06:00

Or "Hell Yes," the first single off Beck's forthcoming album, Guero During the chorus of "Hell Yes," Beck deadpans "I'm calling you out / I'm switching my place;" (I think those are the lyrics; I haven't been able to find confirmation) and if you've been paying attention to the wobbly instrumental, you already know what's going on. Guess who's back to making hip-flophouse music, motherfuckers!

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1104280971629709692004-12-28T17:55:00.000-06:002005-01-09T23:46:00.720-06:00

There are few musicians that I've had the pleasure of talking to that can hold a conversation as well as one Drew Daniel. One half of IDM twiddlers Matmos and the sole evil genius behind the Soft Pink Truth, Daniel talked about hardcore punk rock and yummy noises with me like we were just two dudes at the local gay bar. Despite the alluring prospect of simply shooting the shit with a genuinely

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1103846494423399082004-12-23T16:22:00.000-06:002004-12-24T00:53:29.760-06:00

01. LCD Soundsystem "Yeah" (Crass & Pretentious versions) [Easily the dance single of the year. James Murphy out does himself again, commanding hipsters to put their lofty ideals and camera-phones where their mouths and asses are. Featuring the catchiest clavinet line you'll hear all year, bombastic percussion breaks from the white Congo (uh, Brooklyn?), and splatters of acid squelches, "Yeah"

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1103039726967561172004-12-14T09:53:00.000-06:002004-12-14T09:55:26.966-06:00

Junkmedia.org is doing their year-end round up, which includes a list of the top 10 interviews from 2004. Two of mine are included, so check that out. Click here to peep that shit.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1102317116650145352004-12-06T01:09:00.000-06:002004-12-06T01:11:56.650-06:00

Content is going to be a bit slim here on Codebreaker for the next few weeks. Between final projects, final tests, and a hot boy that's leaving for Germany in a week, I don't know when I'm going to have time to write anything worthwhile. Not to mention that there aren't many good new singles bouncing around, or at least ones that haven't been covered to high heaven. Anyways, Codebreaker will

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1101967606471830312004-12-02T01:01:00.000-06:002004-12-02T00:42:19.243-06:00

Gwen Stefani -- Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Interscope; 2004 It's hard to write about the very talented Gwen Stefani without mentioning her likewise talented band, No Doubt. The group, which has morphed from ska-punk to reggae-tinged dance music, has been Stefani's vehicle to the bright lights and flashbulbs of stardom. But then you wonder: if Stefani were to jump ship to do her own thing, would

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1101802475948279372004-11-30T02:13:00.000-06:002004-11-30T02:16:33.176-06:00

Or "Birds Over Barges," the first track off the latest Isan album, Meet Next Life This probably sounds awful, but I'm really having to search deep down to find words to describe this song that don't come off as negative. See! It's difficult; difficult not because this song is so bad that I have to follow the principle of "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." No,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1101710817377067772004-11-29T01:43:00.000-06:002004-11-29T00:46:57.376-06:00

Or "Screwed (Alex G remix)," the debut single from Paris Hilton's as of yet untitled LP If Ashlee Simpson and Hilary Duff didn't have you convinced that computers do all the pop singing these days, this song might put you over the edge. In some fucked up way it makes sense that today's leading accidental porno star/socialite has an album coming out (Lindsay Lohan and the aforementioned Duffster

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1101198201405571222004-11-23T02:22:00.000-06:002004-11-23T02:23:21.406-06:00

Codebreaker will be taking a break from regular content until next week. Enjoy your holiday.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1101108517178863262004-11-22T01:22:00.000-06:002004-11-22T01:28:37.176-06:00

Or "Vietcaterpillar," from Black Moth Super Rainbow's debut LP, Start a People There are few bands I can think of that have as bad a name as Black Moth Super Rainbow. The word black is used in one of every five bands' names. Rainbow is a total buzzword. Moth... ok, moth I have nothing on. Last but not least, super means nothing these days unless we're talking Super Mario Brothers.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100760834766596042004-11-18T01:38:00.000-06:002005-03-24T14:24:54.070-06:00

"We Might as Well Be Strangers," from Keane's debut album, Hopes & FearsThere's a little part in me that says I probably shouldn't like this song nearly as much as I do. It's because Keane, like countless other groups of songwriters, take very general topic and writes about it in such a way that nearly any person can apply it to themselves. "Well, couldn't that be a positive trait?" Yeah, it

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100668208487409532004-11-16T23:04:00.000-06:002004-11-17T00:53:10.463-06:00

Eminem -- Encore Aftermath; 2004 Marshall Mathers appears to be a very conflicted man. Not like over whether to get Skittles or gummi worms (gummi worms, all the way), more like whether or not he wants to keep his day job as a rapper. After entertaining and offending the American public for five years, putting out four critically acclaimed records, and starring in a blockbuster movie about

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100589128205871602004-11-16T01:08:00.000-06:002004-11-16T01:13:19.526-06:00

Or "Numb/Encore" off the Collision Course EP, a collaboration between Jay-Z and Linkin Park Off the bat, I'm pretty tired of hearing mash-ups involving The Black Album. I've just had enough. What further irks me is that "Numb/Encore," a tripped up collaboration between the best and the worst, is endorsed by Hova himself (and I'm damn sure he heard The Grey Album.) This track stinks of greed

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100505838843853812004-11-15T01:22:00.000-06:002004-11-30T02:18:55.113-06:00

Or "Pain," the first single from Jimmy Eat World's newest LP, Futures I remember it like it was yesterday. For two consecutive summers I would bop along I-55 in my convertible Cavalier, my long blond hair flowing in the wind, singing at the top of my lungs, "IT JUST TAKES SOME TIME, LITTLE MUMBLE MUMBLE MUMBLE THE RHYME, EVERYTHING EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE!!" What's that? That wasn't me?

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100153836566969032004-11-11T01:06:00.000-06:002004-11-11T00:19:40.113-06:00

Death From Above 1979 -- You're A Woman, I'm a Machine Vice; 2004 You're A Woman, I'm a Machine, the new LP from Death From Above 1979, provides an excellent case against pigeon-holing. Many press outlets have been lazy in covering the duo, opting to slap the "noise-rock" label on their aesthetic. Yeah, their sound is rather skuzzy and yeah, it's pretty noisy; but to get caught in their grimy

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100068716276378152004-11-10T01:34:00.000-06:002004-11-10T19:25:13.666-06:00

Or the DFA remix of N.E.R.D.'s "She Wants to Move" The mere thought of the Neptunes and the DFA sitting around in a recording studio fucking around is probably enough to get a few hipsters to soil themselves. The music they would make would surely be sent from the hand of god or the dancing ass of satan. While it's highly unlikely that these two brain trusts have actually met, listening to the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1100050367459184222004-11-09T19:30:00.000-06:002004-11-09T19:32:47.460-06:00

Oophf!! Power outtages hinder posting but-good. Hot hot hot content returns tomorrow.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1099635979194177532004-11-05T01:13:00.000-06:002004-11-05T00:31:29.216-06:00

Or "Dreams to Spend," the first single from The Holy Fire Here's what I know of The Holy Fire: a) they're being produced by Flaming Lips bassist Michael Ivins b) major labels had been sniffing around and c) they've been given a ringing endorsement from Uncle Grambo. So I dove in. "Dreams to Spend" is a guitar rock song, plain and simple; and the guitars, they are nice. In fact, they're the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1099549431734923742004-11-03T23:53:00.000-06:002004-11-04T00:23:51.733-06:00

Or "I Believe In You," Kylie Minogue's new single featuring the Scissor Sisters The Scissor Sisters, much like Fischerspooner before them, seem like a good fit for Kylie. They both love electro, shoes, and pushing the envelope just a wee bit. But either they spent more time shopping for stage costumes or they clashed over which keyboard sounded more 80s; either way, "I Believe In You" is a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1099519730883202762004-11-03T16:07:00.000-06:002004-11-03T16:19:16.673-06:00

Now where did I leave that lube...

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1099291883101634352004-11-01T01:38:00.000-06:002004-11-01T00:53:58.120-06:00

Or "God Killed the Queen," the first single from Louis XIV and the first release from Ultragrrrl's Stolen Transmission label Because I haven't taken World History in quite some time, I looked up Louis XIV and found him to be a bloated, pompous wind-bag that did his part to ruin France during the 17th and 18th centuries. (See kids, music blogs can be educational too!) I wouldn't go so far as to

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1099082183636106922004-10-29T15:34:00.000-05:002004-11-01T01:00:47.420-06:00

Or Air's remix of "Home," from Depeche Mode's remix collection, Remixes 81-04 Air have really uh, underdone themselves here. "Home," a track from Depeche Mode's 1997 album Ultra, isn't the most impressive pallet to begin with; but you would think that Air might be able to cure the song of its rabid desire to be from the 80s. Not so. Instead, the French duo throws the track further back into

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098861060743964942004-10-27T02:05:00.000-05:002004-10-27T19:21:32.566-05:00

Or "You Are My Target Audience," from Bars' debut album, Introducing Because hardcore punk isn't viewed as the most challenging music to make (I'm a prime example) it comes as little surprise that many hardcore bands start other bands that take a totally different direction, Fall Out Boy being the first that springs to mind. Bars is a similar story. Containing members of Give Up the Ghost,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098771641021660292004-10-26T01:08:00.000-05:002004-11-09T22:29:31.176-06:00

Or "Lua" and "Take It Easy," the two simultaneously released singles from the new Bright Eyes albums, I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. I'm trying in vain to figure out what the recent fascination is with putting out double albums, or in the case of emo cutie/scapegoat Conor Oberst (and Nelly!), putting out two different albums on the same day. With Oberst I'm

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098742164530073502004-10-25T16:28:00.000-05:002004-11-07T14:35:47.580-06:00

[originally for Junkmedia.org] It was probably the best night in October to go out to dance your ass off. The weather was temperate and the venue perfect (big ups to the Logan Square Auditorium!). The missing link was music, so who better to fill that role than Q and Not U? The band, who has recently released their third LP Power is the soundtrack to Election Night Fever, was ready to get

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098430847962941882004-10-22T02:38:00.000-05:002004-10-22T02:44:11.483-05:00

Or "Supernaturally," a track off the new LP The Lyre Of Orpheus, from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Let me throw this out on the table before I really get into it: I don't really know a whole lot about Nick Cave. In fact I've only heard one of his records previous to this and own only a baby's handful of mp3s. It might not mean much to a hardcore Cave fan that a relative newb is really, really

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098341572658978482004-10-21T01:43:00.000-05:002004-12-14T12:56:17.303-06:00

Or "They'll Soon Discover," The Shins' contribution to The Spongebob Squarepants Movie soundtrack Talk about a set of high expectations. The Shins are in a rough spot; they've released two pristine albums to a deservedly large deal of praise, been featured on multiple television shows, and described as a band that would "change your life" by the movie Garden State (instead of NME,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098248474006211512004-10-19T23:54:00.000-05:002004-10-20T00:07:14.863-05:00

Duran Duran -- Astronaut Epic; 2004 When thinking about the recently revamped Duran Duran, I think it's appropriate to quote LL Cool J: "Don't call it a comeback." Much like Prince's glorious and much-lauded "return" to music, it's important to point out that Duran Duran hasn't gone anywhere. Since the release of their first record in 1981, the band has put out albums more or less

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098170233689710012004-10-19T01:37:00.000-05:002004-10-19T04:00:24.083-05:00

Or "Massive Cure," a track from She Like Electric, the debut album from Smoosh Call me jaded or heartless, but for me a lot of times hearing children perform music is torture. Yes, I understand that they're just learning and that their parents think it's adorable (my parents sure did "love" hearing me play the flute), but it doesn't make me want to hear it any more. Enter Smoosh, a duo of

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1098081893475545972004-10-18T01:33:00.000-05:002004-10-18T17:29:18.986-05:00

Or "Drop It Like It's Hot," lead single from Snoop Dogg (featuring Pharrell) from the upcoming Rhythm & Gangsta LP After the last N.E.R.D. album came out I was almost certain that we had seen the last of the Neptunes' glory days. They had gotten cocky, written a whole bunch of forgettable shit and expected to retain the supadupa star stature they had built up. Nelly's "Flap Your Wings" just

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1097826592338694902004-10-15T02:34:00.000-05:002004-10-15T02:50:45.170-05:00

Hot Snakes -- Audit in Progress Dim Mak; 2004 Before writing this I did a little bit of research on Hot Snakes. Although it's clear that Hot Snakes features members of Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From the Crypt, things get a bit muddled when you try and figure out who's actually in the band. I won't go into the whole mess of who is actually who, but it's best said that these guys share a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1097734752641969212004-10-14T01:14:00.000-05:002004-10-16T21:20:00.466-05:00

Battles -- B EP Dim Mak; 2004 Battles is one of those bands that you have to see live to truly understand what they're all about. With all that's happening onstage (a fucking ton) it's such a multi-sensory experience. This presents Battles greatest, er, challenge; that is how to translate such an engaging live presence onto record. B EP, the tail end of a trio of EPs put out by the band,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1097653112041218962004-10-13T02:34:00.000-05:002004-10-14T03:11:31.546-05:00

Bloc Party -- Bloc Party EP Dim Mak; 2004 Bloc Party, for those of you who haven't melted your eyes reading NYC-related blogs for the last few months (I'm an addict; leave me alone!), is a British foursome that has made small but rhythmic waves with their Gang of Four-styled post punk. While that's hardly a point of uniqueness these days, Bloc Party does a decent job at it. Bloc Party EP is a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1097042955385597812004-10-06T01:02:00.000-05:002004-10-06T01:46:26.566-05:00

or "In the End" by Dragonguyver, as interpreted by James Cardis I have no idea who Joshua Beane is or why he calls himself Dragonguyver. The concept he brought forth with Struggle and Fall, however, is admirable. 27 different groups are each assigned a different set of lyrics and are charged with the task of creating original music while finding a way to incorporate them. It's like a narrated

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1096957114899048462004-10-05T01:55:00.000-05:002004-12-05T23:38:52.823-06:00

Dungen -- Ta Det Lugnt Subliminal Sounds; 2004 A common sentiment among rabid music enthusiasts and old folks alike is that everything was better in the past. Unspoiled by the need to emulate their predecessors, musicians had the ultimate freedom to make sound as far out as they could take it. Entire genres were emerging every year and almost no one looked back. It is in this period of time

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1096608470686044272004-10-01T01:23:00.000-05:002004-10-01T00:46:28.566-05:00

or "What You Waiting For," the first single from Gwen Stefani's solo debut, Love, Angel, Music, Baby According to Gwennie herself, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, is not a solo record, it's "more of an art project." Uhh, right. The good news is that it's slated to have production from Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Martin Gore, and New Order, as well as noted pop producer Dallas Austin. With expectations

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1096434710226700902004-09-29T01:04:00.000-05:002004-09-29T14:55:44.663-05:00

Interpol -- Antics Matador Records; 2004 After releasing their debut album, Turn on the Bright Lights to astounding critical approval, Interpol knew they had set a precedent for themselves. They would be allowed no flubs on their follow up or they would be dismissed as simply lucky instead of extremely talented. In addition, they had the mammoth task of presenting evidence of a singular style

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1096343186288806392004-09-27T22:34:00.000-05:002004-10-03T12:50:59.780-05:00

or "Just Lose It," the first single from Eminem's forthcoming album, Encore Eminem is fucking sneaky -- predictable but sneaky. Mathers drops some zany as it gets single as a sort of smokescreen to throw critics into a tizzy, and then knocks them on their asses when the rest of his album is dope as hell. "My Name Is," "The Real Slim Shady," and "Without Me" ("My Band," too, if we're counting

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1096004921810574852004-09-24T01:08:00.000-05:002004-09-28T00:13:09.603-05:00

or "My Prerogative," the Bobby Brown cover from Britney Spears' upcoming "best of" collection There's no doubt in my mind that this was the perfect choice for Britney Spears to cover. I mean, who better to cover than the Whitney-beating, cocaine-lovin' Bobby Brown and his "back the fuck up; you don't know me!!" hit, "My Prerogative." The girl's clearly let her self go. Long gone are the days

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1095742183222091962004-09-20T23:47:00.000-05:002004-09-29T00:38:57.326-05:00

or "Lose My Breath," the new single from Destiny's Child (from forthcoming album Destiny Fulfilled) Although it's of little consequence to anyone to know this, I will share with you all that I was in marching band for three years. And while those three years had plenty of low point (prick directors, the freezing cold, girls), my love for the music has stayed with me. It's of little surprise

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1095398853766515442004-09-17T01:11:00.000-05:002004-09-21T22:28:28.033-05:00

[originally for Junkmedia.org] After seeing Sons and Daughters, a veritable tidal wave of furiously dark folk music, open for Franz Ferdiand, I knew I had to get to know more about the foursome. The group recently saw their full-length album, Love the Cup, re-released on Domino records and are readying themselves for another round of touring. Guitarist Scott Patterson took a few minutes to

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1095223389364766632004-09-14T23:38:00.000-05:002004-09-14T23:55:15.126-05:00

or "You and Me," the second single of J-Kwon's debut, Hood Hop I'd bet that if you've listened to pop radio at all in the last year that you've come across J-Kwon's pre-summer hit. You know -- the one that had drunken frat boys and hipsters alike tripping all over parties slurring, "Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrbody in tha club gettin' tiiiippsy." And with good reason! "Tipsy" took the best part of

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1095138816251357202004-09-14T01:06:00.000-05:002004-09-14T00:13:36.250-05:00

Keane -- Hopes and Dreams Interscope; 2004 Originally Keane was slated to be a group not too far off the beaten path, using drums, guitars, piano, and vocals to do their thing. When the guitar player one day up and quit the band, the remaining members decided to soldier on as a three piece. But don't think of these English boys as victimized by circumstance. As it turns out, people like them

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1094712622757298592004-09-09T01:42:00.000-05:002004-09-14T23:55:44.933-05:00

or "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend," from the newest Magnetic Fields album, i Finally! FINALLY Stephin Merritt has made a song for the queerest among us -- a true danceable anthem for all the un/pretty boys out there that have had their man act the fool. Certainly not what the average fan of Magnetic Fields would have associated with the group, but come on, he had to do it at least once. And

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1094007230127198592004-08-31T21:45:00.000-05:002004-08-31T21:55:15.420-05:00

A.C. Newman -- The Slow Wonder Matador; 2004 Don't you think it would be a bit of a bear to be part of a "supergroup" band? Having a gaggle of extremely talented writers in your company would quite the wall to bounce one's ideas off of, but it could also be the toughest group of peers to do so with. It'd be like some sort of Justice League of Canada or whatever. While it's probably not all

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1093035219868725662004-08-20T15:50:00.000-05:002004-10-16T16:28:34.946-05:00

Please forgive the extended absence of new content on Codebreaker. The summer has been kind to me, so I'll be back with fresh cynical statements within the next two weeks. Stay tuned.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1087363021237583922004-06-16T00:12:00.000-05:002004-06-16T00:17:01.236-05:00

Broken Spindles -- Fulfilled/Complete Saddlecreek; 2004 When I see that an artist has a solo project coming out, I usually assume one of two things: Maybe the artist has a new side of themselves that they wish to share with the music-consuming public that has been restricted by being in a band; or that they're going to put out more of the same because they like sticking to their guns. Broken

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1086937249762346512004-06-11T01:46:00.000-05:002004-09-17T00:37:51.873-05:00

[originally for Junkmedia.org] I consider myself very privileged. Not just anyone gets to call up Of Montreal wunderkind, Kevin Barnes, and shoot the shit. Well, that is unless you look up his phone number or something. But seriously, I felt blessed that I got the chance to speak with the writer of one of the most outstanding records of the year to date, Satanic Panic In the Attic. His most

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1085966786655059372004-05-30T20:22:00.000-05:002004-05-30T22:01:51.740-05:00

Bumblebeez 81 -- Printz Modular/Geffen; 2004 Sometimes encouragement goes a little too far. People are told they're talented over and over again, regardless if the compliment is sincere or not, until they believe it. Such seems to be the case with Australia to NYC transplant, Bumblebeez 81. Printz, the first album from multi-instrumentalist Chris Colonna and friends, is a mess of half-assed

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1083912283988410962004-05-07T01:54:00.000-05:002004-09-14T23:59:57.476-05:00

Or the new single from The Killers, "Somebody Told Me" The Killers are an interesting sort of band. In one respect, they're very much like Franz Ferdinand in that they can chalk up much of their buzz to the Blogosphere, with blogs by Ultragrrrl and KarenPlusOne coming to mind in particular. If it weren't for their support (and countless others' too) of The Killers' looks-- I mean music (sorry)

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1083135887427499242004-04-28T01:13:00.000-05:002004-08-28T23:00:26.320-05:00

or the Eighteen Visions, Comeback Kid, The New Transit Direction, and Preacher Gone to Texas show @ The East Peoria Legion Hall Peoria has had a glut of decent hardcore (or metalcore, depending on who you ask) shows in the past few months, thanks to the new blood the has stepped up and declared "WE ARE TIRED OF SEEING THE SAME THREE BANDS!" This is possibly the biggest tour to stop at the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1082520045757822652004-04-20T22:50:00.000-05:002004-04-20T23:11:00.860-05:00

Usher -- Confessions Arista; 2004 For a little bit there, I thought Usher had gone missing. I checked the clubs, the strip clubs, and the rodeos (I don't know, just to be thorough). Finally, after asking his long-time girlfriend, now current ex-girlfriend Chilli Thomas, I got the answer "He had better be at the confessional, if he knows what's good for him!" What she had casually left out was

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1081990875452769702004-04-14T19:18:00.000-05:002004-04-14T20:05:45.310-05:00

Or the new D12 single, "My Band" He's right, you know. More often than not, lead singers are the only ones that get attention from the media and fans while backing bands get the shaft. How many times do you see the cellist of Bright Eyes getting interviewed over Conner Oblurst? Or the rhythm guitarist of Avril Lavigne's crap troupe? Or anyone in The Rolling Stones with the exception of Mick

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1081302811334952562004-04-06T20:46:00.000-05:002004-10-16T16:26:17.020-05:00

N.E.R.D. -- Fly or Die Virgin Records; 2004 The Neptunes are highly overrated. And yet, scores of the greatest groups of all time have been overrated, which shows it certainly isn't the worst thing to be. That is, unless you happen to actually be the Neptunes. The famed production duo's rap-rock facet, N.E.R.D., has become a place where the two can let their now inflated egos run wild. The

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1080715399689796582004-03-30T23:55:00.000-06:002004-04-01T14:55:24.060-06:00

Or the Fischerspooner/Billy Squier mash-up, "Everybody Wants You to Emerge" So it's kind of cheesy that this from the Queer Eye For the Straight Guy soundtrack ("Everybody wants you to emerge? Like from the closet? That's hilarious!"), but I can't fault producers David Collins and David Metzler for putting it on there. See, the problem with a lot of mash-ups is that many times it isn't about

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1080099787898222982004-03-23T21:34:00.000-06:002004-07-13T12:49:44.860-05:00

Franz Ferdinand -- Franz Ferdinand Domino Records; 2004 Alex Kapranos, guitarist and lead singer of the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand, has been quoted as saying, "We don't use any [effects] pedals or any of that rubbish. Pedals are for people who can't write good tunes." Although I'm not sure whether or not I agree with that, I can say this: Kopranos is at least correct in relation to his own

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1079475866425918622004-03-16T15:40:00.000-06:002004-03-19T01:16:04.640-06:00

Or The Von Bondies single, "C'mon C'mon" There's something to be said for a band that can be brought up on the tutelage of an esteemed musician like Jack White, decide they no longer want to be known as his finger puppets and still make a record that delivers. As a matter of fact, "C'mon C'mon" is like a huge middle finger to to their former mentor -- it's so fucking catchy even White would

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1078739910194531482004-03-08T03:54:00.000-06:002004-03-22T19:14:56.793-06:00

Sondre Lerche -- Two Way Monologue Astralwerks; 2004 Much like a fine wine, cheese, and records (to hipsters, at least), Sondre Lerche has only gotten better over time. The young singer/songwriter from Norway released his first album and major label debut, Faces Down, at the tender age of 19 in 2002. Now 21 years old, Lerche is a bit more worldly and wise, the results of which are found on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1078280889968478392004-03-02T20:22:00.000-06:002004-06-18T17:21:06.206-05:00

JC Chasez -- Schizophrenic Jive; 2004 One thing that's exceedingly difficult for band members who decide to strike out on their own is proving that they were crucial to the group's success, not just the chump who rode in on coattails. Justin Timberlake did it; his album Justified sold millions of copies, making him the first boy band member to have any real notoriety outside the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1077521693622052862004-02-23T01:28:00.000-06:002004-10-16T16:21:57.413-05:00

Courtney Love -- America's Sweetheart Virgin Records; 2004 The second I heard that Courtney Love's solo debut was going to be entitled America's Sweetheart, I sprayed my drink all over my friend, flipped my meal tray, and got on the table to scream "YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!!" Ok, so I didn't do that, but you can sure bet I wished I had. From her time as Cobain's leeching wife to her tenure in

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1077096896973955982004-02-18T03:27:00.000-06:002004-03-22T19:18:20.483-06:00

Kanye West -- The College Dropout Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam; 2004 If you go to Allmusic.com (a site I recommend for anyone) and type in Kanye West, you get a bio, a list of influences, and a laughable picture. The dude is dressed in some pretty average clothes, has his Roc-A-Fella necklace on, and a backpack. Not any ordinary backpack, mind you, but a Louie-freakin'-Vuitton backpack. I'm

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1076311588410221152004-02-09T01:26:00.000-06:002004-10-16T16:15:18.883-05:00

Air -- Talkie Walkie Astralwerks; 2004 If you took a photo album and shook it of its contents -- the important occasions captured on chemically developed pieces of paper -- you would have Talkie Walkie. If you thumbed through a diary or journal and tore out the pages -- hand-written memories carefully captured by pen-stroke -- you would have Talkie Walkie. If you were to make tape copies of a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1076045383468638322004-02-05T22:58:00.000-06:002004-03-11T17:40:23.123-06:00

Or Janet Jackson's new single, "Just a Little While" Janet, oh Janet, you and your $3 trillion dollar crack team of lawyers and hype-mongers are so clever. No one is going to ever correlate your teat-bearing with trying to drum up publicity for a new album, are they? Nahh. Regardless whether you view her boob show and tell as a stunt or scandal, it's hard to deny that this ought to help out

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1075767055119448472004-02-02T18:10:00.000-06:002004-03-22T19:15:37.233-06:00

Phantom Planet -- Phantom Planet Epic/Daylight; 2003 The third and newest album from Phantom Planet is an eye-opening departure from their patent sound. Although best known for their sunny power pop, clean, Weezer-ish guitar riffs and odes to The Golden State, it seems the band has had enough of the beach and has taken a new path to dirtier, more abrasive pastures. The band's new found

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1072994635110110852004-01-01T16:03:00.000-06:002004-01-01T16:11:07.390-06:00

(order is pretty much negligible) 01. The Strokes -- Room on Fire (I really feel they topped Is This It with this record. To me, it feels much more fresh and diverse. THIS IS THE NU SOUND.) 02. The Unicorns -- Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Quirky and a bit perverse, reminding me of what The Flaming Lips would have sounded like if they mixed ecstacy with their acid. Their

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1070399824971744012003-12-02T15:17:00.000-06:002004-03-22T19:14:17.186-06:00

Jay-Z -- The Black Album Roc-A-Fella; 2003 Somewhere, right now, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) is giggling in the manliest way possible. He's watching with glee as the rap and pop worlds try to make sense of his apparent retirement and his parting gift, The Black Album. Some speculate this is just a ploy to see what happens when rap's most popular MC ducks out for some golf time, only to return as its

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191183524849075956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6075791.post-1069215309680296062003-11-18T22:15:00.000-06:002004-03-22T19:16:12.780-06:00

The Strokes -- Room On Fire RCA Records; 2003 I'm really sorry. You see, the first time I attempted to review this album, I tried to make this grand analogy about The Strokes that somehow involved the "American Gladiators" television show. I tried to make the band out to be these heroes that battled against the press industry (Gladiators), but it just wasn't right. The Strokes have had their

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