http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 9 Nov 2003 20:28:19 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/11/09/202819.php M FrostWith the unfortunate loss of one of the most influential musicians in the world you're bound to see tribute albums pour out in the next few years. Some of those tributes will be artists who simply want to pay homage to an amazing man, friend, and musician; while others will simply seek to cash in on a monumental loss. Johnny's Blues isn't an album that will see much radio play - most of the artists aren't well known, and many of Cash's most famous songs aren't even included (Ring of Fire, Cocaine Blues, Boy Named Sue, etc). However what makes this album great is that the majority of the musicians seem to take Cash's songs (and a few that he didn't actually write...) and respectfully blend them with their own styles. There is no milking a tragedy here (in fact it was released shortly before Cash's demise).Here's my rundown of the most memorable (good and bad) tracks:Paul Reddick - Train of Love: Well, I'm a sucker for quality Dobro and Mr Reddick gives this song a wonderful southern blues feel. Very nice.Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown with Benjy Davis - Get Rhythm: pretty much what you would expect from a guy named Gatemouth (that's a compliment), and a guy named Benjy who looks he should be performing with Simple Plan (that wasn't a compliment).Chris Thomas King - Rock Island Line: Very nice rendition, plus his story about the song in the liner notes is an added bonus.Garland Jeffreys - I Walk the Line: You walk it? The vocals are so weak that it's more likely that the line was beat out of you.Blackie & The Rodeo Kings - Folsom Prison Blues: Ok, these guys rule. Very much traditional country music mixed with neo-blues. You can almost feel their cowboy boots kicking the studio floor.Harry Manx - Long Black Veil: This song alone is worthy of whatever this CD costs. Harry Manx gently lures you in with a sound that lies somewhere between James Taylor and Hamza El Din, then completely utilizes the sad lovestory with backing vocalists and his own wistfully alluring vocals. Amazing.Sleepy LaBeef - Frankie's Man Johnny: Aside from having the coolest name EVER, Sleepy performs in a traditional country style. Fans of Dwight Yoakum, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams II, and Hank Williams III will heartily approve.If you want to hear a tribute album that has a lot of quality content and isn't full of big named artists who probably never heard Johnny Cash until he did Hurt, then you need this album.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music9973@blogcritics.org Sun, 9 Nov 2003 20:28:19 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/22/232915.php M FrostI remember Ric Flair perfectly executing the figure four leg-lock as a kid. He was flawless; crippling his opponents with every implementation. It was painful. It was devastating. It was beautiful.While Figure Four (the band) strives to attempt the same effect (more or less), sometimes their follow through leaves gaping holes (remember, strong grip on the toes and heel firmly). Songs like State of Mind totally set you up for a perfect execution, but in the end there are quite a few songs that are simply too easy to kick out of (ok, that's the last of the wrasslin' lingo) simply because they aren't memorable.However, looking at the back of the CD case it would seem that all of members in Figure Four could put me in a leg-lock that would handicap me for life (I couldn't resist). Especially that guy in the Hatebreed shirt (he really looks pissed).Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music8590@blogcritics.org Mon, 22 Sep 2003 23:29:15 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/22/232630.php M FrostOh, hell yes! Asterisk is a Swedish grind-core band that will shred you to pieces, mop you up, and piss all over your remains. With an astonishing 40 songs on the new album Dogma, they pretty much chronicle every song that they have ever recorded.Highlights include Green Eyed Angel in my Dream, The Spatio-Temporal Aspect, Iron-Head: Palestine, Syntax of Limbo, An Angel Collapsing (feat. Lasse Marhaugh), I (poultry), Ogre Battle (A Queen song that they completely dismember and resurrect as a bizarre unrecognizable beast), and Lego Hair.Now, with forty songs on a single CD, don't expect any five minute songs. In fact their longest song is only three minutes and twenty three seconds long (and the majority of that is this bizarre series of clicks), their shortest song, well it's a tie... both are four seconds long.There are sections on this CD where you can see obvious distinctions between periods of recording, but none of the songs will disappoint.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music8589@blogcritics.org Mon, 22 Sep 2003 23:26:30 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/22/232238.php M FrostKids Near Water offer up a sound of post-punk/hardcore that is both addictive and forgettable. How can that be you ask? Well, it's simple. They have nice hooks, a very strong lyrical driving force, and yet it's somewhat forgettable. The vocals seem almost impotent at times... there's not enough of a driving force to get beneath your skin and tear you up.Don't get me wrong, these guys pull together a decent album (songs like Forward Thinking and Pleasant Morning Thoughts), but it's not one that you crave (and songs like Token go to prove that). You could play it a few times, put it down and in a couple weeks probably forget that you even own it. Fans of Roadside Monument, Drive Like Jehu, and the DC Punk scene will drool over this album.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music8587@blogcritics.org Mon, 22 Sep 2003 23:22:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/10/233611.php M FrostWhile many hardcore bands have changed their original tough-guy chugga chugga hardcore style to a more metal-core style, Embrace Today is still releasing aggressive and straightforward hardcore. Coming from the vein of No Innocent Victim and Shai Hulud, Embrace Today present their strongest release to date.Throughout the album there are strong guitar parts, brain-pounding drum beats, and devastatingly ferocious vocals that emote the straightedge lifestyle (the liner notes even say "This record is dedicated to the Straight Edge and to those who keep it alive. XXX"). It's nothing new or inventive, but it's still a rock solid release that will help many people remember why they fell in love with hardcore music.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music7499@blogcritics.org Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:36:11 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/10/233451.php M FrostSome records slam you on your face the first time you hear them. Others tend to grow on you the more you listen to them. Murder Weapon definitely fits into the latter category. Your first impression might leave you thinking there aren't enough songs (and some are entirely too short), and the production quality leaves much to be desired. Keeping this in mind, Murder Weapon has the goods where they are important. Tremendous breakdowns, and strategically placed gang vocals make up for the shortfalls that plague this release.The song Burnt Bridges is a prime example of the good and bad about Murder Weapon. Very strong intro, cool verse, quality gang vocals, devastating vocals, but it's only 47 seconds long.Well, no release is perfect, but hopefully their next album will focus more on their strong points.Buy this album from Martyr Records.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music7498@blogcritics.org Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:34:51 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/10/233154.php M FrostSince 2000, when At The Drive In started making a big splash, there have been countless bands that have been trying to replicate the sound that made ATDI such a huge success. Most have failed miserably.The Chiodos Bros. approach their version of post-hardcore with a focused beam on the sounds of ATDI, but with a fair dosage of keyboards. Although it does sound fairly amateurish at times, The Chiodos Bros. manage to interject creativity and imaginative composition into each song.Yeah, the mix is far from desirable, and the vocals can (at times) seem a bit trite and stereo-typical, but there is still hope for The Chiodos Bros.Buy this album from Search and Rescue Records.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music7497@blogcritics.org Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:31:54 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/10/232552.php M FrostWell, here's another band for The Warped Tour... The Real McKenzies are a pop-punk band in the vein of Lagwagon and NOFX. Diatribes about drinking, Scotland, and well... drinking abound in Oot & Aboot.While pop-punk could quite possibly be one of the worst ideas in history, I am forced to admit that all the songs are well written with huge hooks. There are even two traditional Scottish songs (Ye Banks and Braes, and Heather Bells) which are reworked in an interesting and true-to-form fashion. The best tracks on this release are Droppin' Like Flies (a cool tribute to bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Ramones), Get Lost, Oot & Aboot, Shit Outta Luck, and Drink the Way I Do.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music7496@blogcritics.org Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:25:52 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/09/203038.php M FrostBOOM! Right from the first track Starflyer 59 hits you with Underneath - one of the strongest straightforward-rock song to date. When LHAS hit the shelves fans started noticing a metamorphosis in SF59. The Shoegazer pop sound was still there, but it was becoming more approachable. Now with the release of Old we see another change. It would seem that Martin and Co. have their eyes squarely fixed on college-age radio. Martin still has his trademark quasi-suicidal voice that lures you into singing along, but with a newer sound that is a bit more alluring to CD buying College kids.There is a sense of innovation that must be commended on this CD, simply because it's utilized in the most effective way possible, and there aren't enough bands that present an easy-going, listenable sound while interjecting strange old vinyl sound effects, keyboard goodies, and off-kilter choirs.A wonderful offering if you are a fan of SF59, and if you aren't... well this might be a great introduction.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music7477@blogcritics.org Sat, 9 Aug 2003 20:30:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/09/201851.php M FrostPunk rock and math, what a gorgeous combination! Add on top of that the fact that the lead singer has a voice that all the little emo-kids down the street would give up all their greasy neglected hair for (he credits his vocal coach in the liner notes; and so he should). What puts Gatsbys American Dream leaps and bounds ahead of all the mediocre punk rock bands out there? Well, their creative approach to songs helps, but the biggest factor that helps them succeed is their lead singer's downright powerhouse voice. You don't hear vocalists like this in aggressive music very much, and it's a shame.Ribbons and Sugar is a concept album loosely based around George Orwell's book Animal Farm. It's obvious that the political and social stances are quite a bit more striking in Ribbons and Sugar than in Orwell's book, however it is less an album based on the actual book (although there are many references in the songs that can only be understood in light of the book) and more an album based around the concepts that embody the book.As far as modern punk music goes I don't see how it gets any better than this.Mike Frost www.buzzgrinder.com Music7476@blogcritics.org Sat, 9 Aug 2003 20:18:51 EDT