Archive for the 'Song Reviews' Category
MGMT- The New Era of Psychedelic Pop
Author: Shira Karsen
MGMT (previously known as) The Management, have been around since 2002 when Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, two neo-hippies from Wesleyan University, decided to form a band— but only recently have they been put on the indie rock radar. Read the rest of this entry »
read comments (0)FASTER THAN FATE: Pandora’s BOX
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
This band has shown consistently strong song writing skills, as well as ample stage presence. Drawing forces from punk-hardcore-alternative, the result is a unique and innovative sound, remarkable and unforgettable. Despite time and distance, one can not forget the sounds of Faster than Fate.
Anthony Hamilton: The Point of It all
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
anthony hamitlon/The Point of It All/ So So Def/ Zombra Label Group
The six-time Grammy-nominated R&B-soul balladeer croons a melodic picture of life using straightforward lyrics as his mellifluous paintbrush on his junior effort The Point of It All: “Talking about relationships again… everything from making love to building love; having arguments, just life!”
Rating Led Zeppelin albums
Author: Dan Gephart
Ever since my kids got Guitar Hero last year, my classic rock expertise has become hip again. They find it amazing that I can name any song on our South Florida rock station 98.7 The Gater, and usually within 10 seconds. OK, that may not impress you. But it floors my kids. And since they think everything else I do is either stupid or old (they are teen-agers), I have to enjoy whatever compliments I can get.
It’s strange hearing one son blast Kansas and Boston. (Boy, could he have picked two more faceless bands?) Meanwhile, my other son digs Billy Joel. They’ve been playing U2 nonstop the last few days. And now when they find out about a band, they ask me which album is the best.
The King Is Dead, Long Live King Crimson – Nokia Theater, NYC, Aug. 16.
Author: Jeff Boule
Faithful readers have heard this from me before, but there is no more appropriate venue to bring forth this tired tidbit, this go-round of King Crimson is to herald the 40th anniversary of the Mighty Crim Beast. Not to promote an album, simply to celebrate the 40th year Robert Fripp has been sitting atop the throne of this massive monster. Read the rest of this entry »
Classic Vocal Music inspired by Poetry
Author: Andy Sosnowski
This is the script for a 2 hour radio program I did on Sunday Aug 10 on WJFF 90.5 FM called Classics for Voice.
This show is in the archive for a few days if anyone wants to hear the show in full. Here is the link:
http://www.wjffradio.org/parchive/mp3/080810_220002voice.MP3
LIZZY BORDEN
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
BLAST from THE PAST: LIZZY BORDEN
Lizzy Borden was a mix of Motley Crue with Alice Cooper and some Iron Maiden riffage whose albums were released between 1984-1990. Albeit a large following on the West Coast, they never broke through commercially. The advent of the 90’s (a.k.a. the worst decade for music… ever) meant that the hard rock musical climate changed drastically and the over-the-top stage shows, and Lizzy Borden, became anachronistic. Read the rest of this entry »
A Hapless Solo Bear Watches Man And Sighs
Author: Jeff Boule
Chris Arduser is not now, nor will he ever be a household name. But I would rather keep this Chris Arduser in tact as opposed to some record label machination. I have come to know and love Deathy (as he is known in the inner circles of the Bear’s cave) through his work with Adrian Belew and the Bears, the Psychodots and later Raisins, Graveblankets and his own solo albums.
Read the rest of this entry »
St Vincent at Clinton Castle, NYC – Jul 10, 2008
Author: Andy Sosnowski
I did not start out to write a series of reviews of women with musical muscles but it’s turned out that way. Here is the latest in the series about Alpha Females who make music with abandon.
St Vincent, fronted by Annie Clark, brought a 6 piece band including electric violin, flute, and French Horn. They made dynamic high-contrast music to go with their Black and White outfits. In this concert the live music sounded as good to me as the recordings; the songs were varied in style and mood. At times she wielded her electric guitar as mentioned before with abandon and force. She ends her songs unexpectedly and interestingly. Read the rest of this entry »
Utopia’s Last Of The New Wave Riders Hurtles Towards Oblivion
Author: Jeff Boule
As we recover from the Holiday weekend, we need to take it easy. With this in mind, we will be doing an abbreviated review (read: not a two-parter this week). During our lull in concerts this month, we are continuing with our examination of the Utopia box set, Last Of The New Wave Riders. A set of live performance CDs spanning from early in Utopia’s career up to almost the end. This particular show, the Oblivion Tour, is a single disc. Additionally, since the last entry about Devo generated some interest I need to address some comments that were left.
Read the rest of this entry »
Barrington Levy
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
Barrington Levy
It’s the music you put on when you are homesick for Jamaica, when you want to feel the flava of the Caribbean, or when you are having a Jamaican themed party and need reggae in the background.
Music for Headphones
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
Music for Headphones
1 July 2008—By chance, I stumbled upon ‘Music For headphones” a psychedelic/ shoegaze/ experimental band out of Philadelphia, PA. This is a very creative and unique sounding band for people who want innovative and modern music.
Another Empowered Female – Santogold
Author: Andy Sosnowski
Last time I reviewed MIA’s live concert. This time I review Santogold from Brooklyn, as a preview to a free concert that Santogold will be giving on Sunday July 20 in N.Y.C. as part of Central Park Summerstage (see www.summerstage.org). There are similarities in that both make powerful but not (usually) pretty electronica. Santogold has a strong song called Starstruck, M.I.A. has a strong song called Sunshowers. If anything Santogold’s music is more melodic and diverse. Read the rest of this entry »
Keith Kenny CD Release Party: Limit is the Sky
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
Keith Kenny CD Release Party: Limit is the Sky
June 17, 2008- Keith Kenny is a band that instills new respect for music’s ability to expand one’s horizons and way of viewing the world. Aptly titled, “Limit is the Sky,” Keith Kenny’s first CD (http://keithkenny.net/) is a celebration of classic blues rock combined with country influences, skilled musicianship and demanding instrumental part writing.
Read the rest of this entry »
Editor’s Picks from Jersey Stock
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
June 10, 2008: Last week was my last post as a blogger for Prex. This week is my first post as one of the newly appointed Editors of the Blog, making this my first Letter from the Editor. A response from a reader stated, “I for one am interested in learning about new and upcoming acts, I’m just interested in those that are a little off the edges of typical American pop music.” These are the Editor’s Picks from Jersey Stock 2008 (‘Jersey’s version of Bamboozle): 5 reviews of up and coming local ‘Jersey bands.
M.I.A. live concert at Maccarren Pool, Brooklyn
Author: Andy Sosnowski
M.I.A. played the last concert of her current tour to promote the CD Kala Friday night Jun 6. Pity, because it was a wonderful live show in a very cool venue that itself resides in a fun neighbourhood. The audience stands right within the former pool with traces of blue paint remaining on the bottom; the surrounding buildings have dramatic towering red-brick arches unlike any swimming pool or concert venue I’ve ever seen. Read the rest of this entry »
Sherazada: Honest, Epic, Solid
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
Alternative Rock/Post-Hardcore brings back solid alternative rock, honest musicianship, epic-romantic lyrics, and a quality stage show
June 3, 2008: Sherazada (Bergen County, NJ) was still in its forming stages when I met Stephen Nahorniak, lead singer of Sherazada, at a party at The College of New Jersey in December 2006. Six months later, he sent me an invite to the Sherazada Facebook group. I first saw them perform at the Bogota VFW in September 2007: I blew off tailgating at a TCNJ football game to drive an hour and 45 minutes to see them perform a short set on a small stage. On May 28, 2008, I was listening to “Let it Go” downstairs, my brother heard the song, came down from upstairs and asked, ‘what band is that?’ I said, ‘Sherazada.’ He said, ‘I know the lead guitarist.’ I said, ‘I know the singer.’ My brother and I never agree on anything; but on that Wednesday, we agreed that Sherazada should have played Bamboozle 2008.
Animal Collective-Water Curses
Author: Steven
Although I’ve been listening to this EP since it leaked on March 12 (nearly 2 months before its scheduled release date), I somehow haven’t lost interest in its pop-driven goodness and atmospheric “mysterrrry.” Enough online music blogs have creamed themselves over this band and everything they do [pitchforkmedia.com, looking at you, buddy], so I’ll save readers from the digital hand job that this band really deserves. And believe me…they deserve one.
Because really…they’re amazing.
Really. Read the rest of this entry »
Appetite For Instruction Part 2
Author: Rob White
Unfortunately, tracking down these demos is slightly harder then a cheetah getting a license to run a daycare. For three evenings I lurked guns and roses message boards and wasted my fucking time looking at web blogs shut down by Axl’ s lawyers. I gave up and searched on Soulseek for some kind of salvation. The results were predictable, people would claim to have the entire album but its a Kraftwerk CD also, I’m not sure of the connection, but every time i try to find the track “catcher in the rye” i open it to find its a Bruce Springsteen song. Read the rest of this entry »
Concert Review: The Morning Of
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
Newcomer to Bamboozle Rocked it
May 20, 2008—The Morning Of—Newburgh, NY—played at Bamboozle 2008 for the first time on May 3rd, 2008. This is a happy, energetic band that is also very talented. Their new Indie pop-punk album is “The World As We know it” (Tragic Hero Records). For a newcomer to Bamboozle, their confidence and stage presence looked as though they were returning artists. In between songs, the guitarist said, “Two years ago I stood in the stands and thought, ‘wow, wouldn’t it be cool to play at Bamboozle,’” which made me wonder, where will they be two years from now?