DMB to play in Chicago (sort of)

Well, it wasn't what everyone was hoping for, but DMB will be playing at the newly renamed First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre (formerly known as the Tweeter Center, The New World Ampetheatre, etc.) on September 15, 2006. While it isn't the Grant Park show that everyone was predicting, some would say it's better than nothing (although, many more would say nothing would be better). On the upside (depending on your point of view), opening for the band will be George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, which could make for a very interesting opportunity should the two groups collaborate. Many avoid the Tinley Park dates like the plague due to the poor acoustics and iffy crowd, so it will be interesting to see the reception to this news in the coming days.

Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" video

Click here to check out the hot new video from what could turn out to be the biggest indie release of 2006. The video is pretty cool and I'm pretty sure it'll be on demand just like everything else Gnarls Barkley related.

New Music Tuesday, Love Monkey, and 24

In the World of Music

It's odd not having anything to really write about with a new music tuesday having come and gone, but yet again, I've been nothing but underwhelmed with the albums that have come out. Here's a look at some of the major releases that came out yesterday:

Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome- The Seeger Sessions
Preview Verdict: I know critics and Springsteen fans will drool over this album, because, honestly, Springsteen has reached the point where he could release a blank album and have audiences raging. As I'm personally not much of a fan, I can't really recommend it, you're either going to love it or hate it, just like everything else he's ever done.

Goo Goo Dolls Let Love In
Preview Verdict: I mentioned when discussing the release of their single that they appeared to have reached the point of releasing totally generic music. That pretty much sums up how I feel about the album as a whole. I'd only recommend it if you're a fan of elevator music and yet need something that will make you feel current.

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris All The Roadrunning
Preview Verdict: It seems like albums like this have been done a million times before, but despite being formulaic, it does seem to work to a certain extent. While I personally could not put down the money to purchase the album, I could see why a person would want to.

Avant Director
Preview Verdict: Yeah, I know he's from Chicago and all, but that doesn't give permission to be an exact carbon copy of R. Kelly. True there are worse artists to rip off, but copying a confused artist isn't exactly the best move a person can make. I mean seriously, what's next, a series of twelve songs entitled Trapped in the Basement? Really, just stop now.

The Streets The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
Preview Verdict: I read the reviews that were building prior to the release and couldn't believe that there's any way that Mike Skinner could've lost his touch, but it appears as if he might've made the first misstep of his career. I could forgive a few tracks here and there having Skinner singing the choruses, but every track is a bit much, not to mention the seemingly forced and calculated nature of the production and rhymes. It almost sounds too polished for it's own good, and that's too bad because he's a truly talented artist. You may like it, but I have a feeling a number of fans will leave scratching their heads thinking "wtf mate?"

So yeah, as you can see it's been a pretty disappointing week. Something else that's been interesting to me is the string of releases from Nelly Furtado. I know that she's been very well-connected with many in the hip-hop community, but I never thought she'd be one to get involved in the mainstream reggaeton/hip-hop fusion hype that has become somewhat popular lately. "No Hay Igual (Club Mix)" is almost like a mainstream take on M.I.A., while her newer single "Promiscuous" is almost dominated by Timbaland's hard hitting beats. It always takes an album or two before fringe artists like Furtado take their crack into the mainstream, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but I didn't think she would take such a watered-down approach.

At this point I've been addicted to Pearl Jam's "Worldwide Suicide" and am anxiously anticipating their new album (which I've already pre-ordered), which is strange because up to this point I have never been much of a fan, but they really seem to have gotten everything together on this album. Also, of course, I'm heavily anticipating Red Hot Chili Pepper's latest, but considering that's a further while off, I'll just have to be content with "Dani California" for now.

In the world of TV

Love Monkey, which has been airing once again on VH1, is really progressing nicely and given the character development taking place, it confuses me even more why CBS was so ready to ax the show. I won't give away any details, but once again I encourage you (particularly if you were a fan) to watch them again, and I do think that there's a chance that the show will be picked up for additional seasons at some point. Other than that, I'm starting to get the feeling that the writers of 24 just spin a wheel to determine what character they decide is going to be somehow involved in a plot that has become so convoluted that it would easily outdo the zaniest storylines from any Mission Impossible or James Bond-related flick. In a way, however, it is very smart in a creating such a conspiracy theory given today's environment where the nation as a whole heavily doubts anything that our president and cabinet are up to, and in that sense I greatly appreciate the story line... it's still absolutely nuts though.

Scary Movie 4 and Spank Rock

Scary Movie 4

I'd like my brain cells back please.

It's impossible for anyone to walk into a film like Scary Movie and expect anything more than silly fun, but apparently even that was a lot to ask. The reason why the first ones worked more or less is that despite being ridiculously off-the-wall, they were focused enough where it didn't feel like a moshposh of ill-fated skits that would barely be amusing on their own and only try to outdo each other in pure stupidity rather than humor. Considering this is the only movie that had absolutely no involvement from the Wayans Brothers, it seems like that can be the only reason for this movie to be so terrible. While many of the things that happened within the movie could've very well been funny (and on some rare occasions are), there isn't any time for the jokes to really work their magic as the high-strung pace of the movie could only be fitting for six year olds with the shortest of attention spans. Perhaps next time they shouldn't focus so hard on the name dropping (there are almost too many cameos in this film if that's possible) and steer the movies back to being a bit more of a commentary on the films they're making fun of; possibly something more interesting than the "let's speak faux-Japanese by naming every Japanese company or food we can think of" gag that died out the same time it stopped being hip to have white guys play Native Americans. If you really need to escape, there are about a million things that I can think of that I'd rather do (a million more that are illegal), so really, just don't bother.

Overall Rating: 0


Spank Rock YoYoYoYoYoYo

The most innovative thing to happen in hip-hop in a long, long time.

Right off the bat, after listening to "Backyard Betty" you would think that you'd stumbled on yet another incredibly inventive, if a bit cacophonic, British trip-hop duo. You would be wrong, as the very group that could save the fading creativity that exists within hip-hop comes from the city of Baltimore, MD. Now I should warn right off the bat that they do call themselves Spank Rock for a reason, as essentially every song thrives on its very nastiness that is accentuated with the rugged production. The lyrics though are never really spoken seriously, and often times appear to mock everyone from 50 Cent to Neptunes and others for their fake "hardness" and misogynistic lyrics. Of course, there's always the edited version, and as good as this album is there should be no reason not to buy it if it'd sit better with you. First and foremost, the beats and production provided by XXXChange are superb and while some tracks wouldn't sound too out of place as a backdrop for Roots Manuva or The Streets, MC Naeem Juwan does an even better job of spattering in his raps without ever overpowering the production making for an incredibly spartanic-yet-smart sound that hasn't been heard since the earliest days of hip hop. The aforementioned "Backyard Betty" is an outstanding opening track, with its avalanche of beats matched with quirky video game affects, while "Bump" and "Sweet Talk" deliver a hammering one-two punch. "Bump," shows off Juwan's lyrical ability and the additional rap by Amanda Blank elevates the song to an even higher level. "Sweet Talk" is an all-out party track, and shows off XXXChange's dexterity as a producer, as the sound ranges everywhere from Electronica to Rock to Motown R&B as Juwan once again matches him point for point. This is an incredibly addicting album and is one of the most inventive debut albums I've ever heard, let alone in the hip-hop genre. I do think that Spank Rock might've caught onto something that should kick the door open for other artists if this hits the mainstream. A must have.

Overall Rating: 100

Fuzzy Bits: April 17, 2006 (Countdown to 100, TV notes, and more)

Things have been relatively quiet, but that will change in a couple of weeks with a few major releases coming (The Streets on Apr 25, Gnarls Barkley, Pearl Jam, Tool and Ludacris in the first week of May). Also, we're coming up to 100 posts here on Fuzzy Thoughts and in honor of that I'll work to come up with something worthwhile to commemorate.

The Return of Love Monkey
On the TV front, it looks like Love Monkey is coming back, this time on VH1. Starting tomorrow night at 9pm ET you'll have the chance to see the rest of the unaired episodes from the first season. Whether or not it goes any further will probably depend on ratings, so we'll see what happens.

Movies, movies, movies!
The heavy hitters of film are soon lurking as well. I admit I had the great displeasure of seeing Scary Movie 4, which was awful beyond belief. I'll probably have a full report on it in the coming days, but it won't be pretty. Coming up however are some pretty interesting films to keep an eye on. First, there's American Dreamz which I've been eagerly waiting about six months for (since the teasers/trailers first started coming out) as I'm a big fan of Paul Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy, In Good Company). Essentially the movie is a satire of American pop culture, spurring Hugh Grant on an American Idol-esque show. In addition when you have Dennis Quaid as a whacked out president and a few other interesting twists you've got the makings of what should be a huge success. Also coming soon is Flight 93, and while I have absolutely zero intentions of seeing the film, it will be interesting to see the response it gets from the audience and critics and how it affects the other 9/11-related projects that are in the works. Also, the blockbuster season is starting early with Mission Impossible 3 coming out May 5, soon to be followed by The DaVinci Code, and X-Men: The Last Stand.

Music reivews: Ben Harper, J Dilla (aka Jay Dee), Shout Out Louds, and the Walkmen

Ben Harper Both Sides of the Gun

Despite suffering from the same faults as most other double-album releases, this is still one of Ben Harper's best efforts.

Ben Harper's always been known as an artist whose capability has seemingly evolved into the mastering two types of music. For one, Harper has written some incredibly beautiful ballads and heartbreaking songs over the course of his career. Likewise, he has also improved greatly in his writing of more uptempo folk/rock songs and more recently funk-infused rock songs. Both Sides of the Gun capitalizes on this as disc one is full of slow songs while disc two is nothing but mid- to uptempo goodness. Granted, like any other double-album (with the only recent exception being Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below), Ben Harper runs into the problem of redundancy, as he could have easily taken the best tracks of each of the discs and made what very well would've been his pinnacle record, rather than yet another solid yet imperfect release. While the first half of the slow side (disc one) is incredible as "Never Leave Lonely Alone" is the most haunting song Ben Harper's ever done and if it weren't for the vocals could almost be seen as an Elliott Smith B-Side; It is the second half that falters badly, with the closing trio of "More Than Sorry," "Crying Won't Help You Now," and particularly "Happy Everafter In Your Eyes" all but erase the high points that were experienced earlier in the album. Once getting to disc two, there's a much better balance of good and bad songs. The opener and single "Better Way" is a very inspiring song and leads into the equally good "Both Sides of the Gun." The title track is an interesting experience as many of Ben Harper's previous attempts at funk-rock have been relatively poor to say the least (the tacky "Bring the Funk" from the last album comes to mind). On this track though as well as "Black Rain," it doesn't seem like Ben Harper is forcing the issue, but rather taking his already hard-edged lyrics and allowing them to do the work themselves while his band pumps out the funk to match the piece. "Black Rain" in particular smartly uses orchestration to emphasize the political message of Harper's piece. Other highlights include the classic rock stomper "Get It Like You Like It"-- horrible reference of the Red Sox winning the World Series aside-- and the awesome closer "Serve Your Soul" which really show off the talent of Ben Harper's backing band, The Innocent Criminals. While it's great to see such a strong showing from Ben Harper, it's slightly disappointing that he decided to go the dreaded double-album route. Despite that, this is a recommended album for fans and outsiders alike, with 18 tracks, you're bound to find something you like.

Overall Rating: 82


J Dilla (aka Jay Dee) Donuts

Simply put, Donuts is a genius' curtain call.

To be honest, I was at first very skeptical about this album. While Jay Dee has always been one of my favorite producers, I didn't see how 31 tracks of one-minute songs could amount to anything substantial, and if it weren't for the tragic circumstances immediately following the release it probably wouldn't be so highly acclaimed. While the last point is certainly up for debate, there is simply no denying the great effort put into this album. Jay Dee implements and toys with old-school soul and R&B to perfection, crafting an album that stands almost like a curtain call of sorts. Tracks like "The Diff'rence," "Stop," and "Two Can Win" take you for a trip down memory lane, with a sense of breezy nostalgia unheard of since The Avalanches released Since I Left You, while "Mash" and "Time: The Donut of the Heart" truly show off Jay Dee's ability to take various elements of both instrumentals and vocals (spoken and sung) and combine them to make it his own sound. An album any fan will love, and should be held close specifically for any inspiring DJs. It's really too bad that we'll never get to hear the talent of Jay Dee again.

Overall Rating: 91


Shout Out Louds Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Fuzzy Vaults Review

An impressive debut, but not for everyone.

Shout Out Louds are a quirky indie rock outfit from Sweden that, based on the debut, appear to specialize in crafting bittersweet songs in which the somewhat dreary lyrics are heightened by beautiful and/or inspiring melodies. Perfect examples of this can be seen in the single "The Comeback" as well as "A Track and a Train." Much like earlier Belle & Sebastian, the sound of Shout Out Louds is one that will either immediately click or its bright, poppy vocals will be somewhat off-putting. Shout Out Louds do have a couple of very well done upbeat songs in "100º" and "Hurry Up Let's Go," both of which should lead to serious head bopping or toe tapping if nothing else. Another highlight is the closer "Seagull," which is probably the greatest departure for the band in terms of sound. While maintaining the semi-quirkiness that defines the other songs on the album, there's a much more apparent connection to the atmospheric psychadelia that serves as one of the bands sonic influences. This combination makes for a very engaging, and wholly entertaining eight and a half minutes. Overall, this is a noteworthy debut from a talented band well worth keeping an eye on.

Overall Rating: 84

The Walkmen Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone
Fuzzy Vaults Review

Better after each listen, Everyone Who Pretended... is quite possibly one of the most subtly outstanding since 2000.

From the transition of the opening intro of sorts "They're Winning" to the song "Wake Up" there's a sense of discovery in a band that, while possibly not easily accessible, is almost wickedly talented. The dissonant piano offsets the guitar riff perfectly, creating a sharp, haunting sound that's become the staple of The Walkmen's music. Dissimilar to their follow up Bows + Arrows, the finest moments don't come from their brash, hard-hitting tracks-- as a matter of fact, you'd be hard pressed to find anything to liken to "The Rat"-- but rather their involved, and sometimes endearingly tedious songs that really bring the album together as a whole. Each track contributes in its own manner to the entire puzzle of the album, adding in textures while taking away others, and all in all creating such a wonderfully solemn atmosphere that you feel as if you're being taken into a world created specifically by the band. Appropriately enough the biggest highlight of the album sits comfortably in the middle of the record entitled "We've Been Had." With the lush toy piano fading in, and vocals perfectly swaggering along without ever overpowering the hushed-yet-rough feeling of the song, the song creates an amazingly balanced dynamic-- in the same way the album does-- by molding together seemingly dissimilar elements and making them not only sound good, but also making you want more. While it will almost certainly take repeated listens to settle into the record, this is certainly a worthwhile album that is all the more impressive considering it's a debut effort.

Overall Rating: 96

The Inside Man reviewed

The Inside Man

Tired, dull and painstakingly stupid, Spike Lee would have needed an act of God to save this film.

Dear Mr. Lee,

I know times have been hard for you and apparently the three other minority film directors in Hollywood right now, and after your disaster of a movie She Hate Me, just about everyone for once had a reason to have it in for you. The ultimate solution comes through with the film Inside Man. It's the perfect template for a Hollywood genre movie that will surely bring in the most money out of any film you've ever made (and probably will ever make), and with its cast of surefire A-list actors you might actually *gulp* crack into the mainstream audience for the first time since people learned that "Plymouth rock landed on us." So what do you do with a conceptually great movie that follows an all-too-familiar Hollywood pattern? That's right, you do everything you can to make it better, and bless you for doing so. It's funny in a way, I mean, you've worked with Denzel Washington since the beginning of time it seems-- and long before he was known simply as "Denzel"-- and now, what the hell's happened to him? I know he's gotta be your main man and everything, but you've got to tell him that not every movie calls for him to act like the amalgam of all of his prior roles (if you don't think there's any truth to this, I want you to watch Denzel act in every movie from "Crimson Tide" on and come back to me). On the plus side you do have Willem Dafoe and Clive Owen who can both make just about any role relatively interesting. Then there's Jodie Foster... yeah.
Anyway, while I do truly thank you for making a visually entertaining film, it still doesn't help the fact that the screenplay could've been better written by an inebriated Paris Hilton. That's not to say that I think your film was a complete disaster. I mean, you did after all have some outstanding shots and really smart camera matches that are rarely seen by many other directors (at least not as subtly). But it doesn't help that the watered-down storyline is further hindered by equally simplistic social commentary, which I don't want to blame you for. I mean, considering all of the masterful films in the past I'd hate to think that you'd have anything to do with a line like "So I'm guilty of violating Section 34DD?" Not to mention that all of the social/racial jokes made in the film have been picked out of the Hollywood rhetoric recycling bin and have probably been used in much more interesting ways previously as well. But once again, I don't blame you for any of this, because I understand that this is probably a stepping-stone and that you were really just trying to show Hollywood that you can after all make a blockbuster film. Congratulations for pulling that off, but next time, please make use of a better script. I hope you don't take this too hard, because I really am a big fan, and on the plus side, I'm sure in a month or so I'll forget I've ever seen this movie.

Sincerely,
Your Average Moviegoer

Overall Rating: 63

More music reviews: Ghostface Killah, Jaheim, Van Hunt

Ghostface Killah Fishscale

Fishscale encompasses all that is great about Ghostface Killah, a mesmerizing album.

While Ghostface Killah is easily one of the most entertaining, not to mention talented, lyricists around, it always seems like his productions and overall composition have fallen short (see Pretty Toney Album). That's not at all the case on Fishscale, one of the few albums in recent memory that doesn't have a single throwaway track despite being 24-tracks long. Ghostface is sharp is ever and this time he's got the focused productions to back it up with MF Doom, Madlib and Pete Rock as the men behind the scene. "The Champ" hits hard with Ghostface's vicious rhymes and appropriately uses a boxing match as the backdrop. On a good chunk of the tracks, namely "Kilo," "9 Milli Bros." and "Dogs of War," members of the Wu-Tang Clan contribute successfully, even pushing the already impressive productions further and it really seems to also bring the most out of Ghostface's lyrics. There's not much more to say about this album other than it's a truly compelling listen and exemplifies the true talent that Ghostface Killah possesses. Highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 100


Jaheim Ghetto Classics

More consistent than his previous effort, Jaheim returns with a solid album.

On Ghetto Classics, Jaheim is very well versed in recreating the "slow-jams" era R&B to a stunning effect a times, while other times just falling short. At his best, he creates tracks like the openers "The Chosen One" and "Everytime I Think About Her." Both songs feature sweeping melodies that create a classically dynamic sound once characterized by such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, while songs like "Forgetful" more closely resemble the sound that Jaheim had on Still Ghetto. The biggest departure from Jaheim's typical sound is on the track "Like a DJ" which is an interesting 80's electronic/r&b fusion that's actually relatively successful. The super-smooth ballad of "I Ain't Never" and laid back "125th" are also noteworthy tracks. It seems as if Jaheim has found his stride as far as his music is concerned, now if only his lyrics could improve to match his voice.

Overall Rating: 78


Van Hunt On the Jungle Floor

On the Jungle Floor is the sound of Van Hunt fully realizing himself as an artist and having a good time doing it.

While his eponymous debut relied more heavily on the linear croons and grooves that noted such influences as Stevie Wonder among others, Van Hunt really lets loose on On the Jungle Floor, sometimes sounding like he's trying to even outdo Prince in funkified strangeness (see the opener "If I Take You Home (Upon...)"). While there's nothing as striking as the singles from his previous effort, overall Van Hunt seems to be much more focused and has progressed greatly as an artist. The absolutely gorgeous "Daredevil, Baby" shows a sense of maturity rarely seen so early in a career. "Ride, Ride, Ride" gets closer to Jimi Hendrix than Lenny Kravitz could ever dream of, while "Being a Girl" is a lazy and airy groove with such an outstanding baseline it's hard not to get into. Nikka Costa guests on "Mean Sleep" and despite the seemingly odd coupling, she actually does a great job in complimenting Van Hunt and helps elevating what would otherwise be an easily disposable song. "Priest or Police" and the single "Character" are also very nicely done grooves, and show Van Hunt at his most comfortable vocally. One of the most intriguing songs on the album is Van Hunt's cover of Iggy Pop & The Stooges' "No Sense of Crime" which features the Sonus Quartet. It shows an interesting dynamic not only in Van Hut's musical influences but also in his approach to making a song, particularly rock song, his own, and on "No Sense of Crime" he is very successful in accomplishing that. If there's a weakness to this album, it would be that there is nothing on here that is going to be immediately accessible to anyone; On the Jungle Floor is best enjoyed in it's entirety and will begin finding its way into heavy rotation after repeated listens. Considering how much better this album is over the debut overall, I'd say that's a pretty good trade off.

Overall Rating: 86

Fuzzy Bits: April 6, 2006 (New Pantheon Award Winner and Concert News/Info)

Although I've had the Flaming Lips on repeat and haven't quite settled down over how impressed I am with this album, I'd like to take this time to reflect on the top albums of 2005 as the New Pantheon Award Winner was announced a few days ago. The winning artist was a bit of a surprise for me, only because I was sure he wouldn't win despite my feelings of him being the most deserving. Fortunately, the winner was no other than Sufjan Stevens for Illinois, which ranked #3 on my list of top albums. Beating out such famed acts as Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, M.I.A., and the rumored favorite Antony and the Johnsons, Stevens was easily the most deserving of the bunch. Congratulations both to him as well as the Pantheon Awards for a successful inaugural launch!

Pearl Jam announce second leg dates for summer tour

Pearl Jam, on the heels of their upcoming eponymous album, have released the dates for the second leg of their tour for which Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be opening three shows for. Petty will open for Pearl Jam on June 26 and 27 in St. Paul, Minnesota and also on the July 2 and 3 shows in Denver. After July 6, Sonic Youth will serve as the opening band. Here's a list of the complete dates for this summer:

04/20 - London @ Astoria
05/09 - Toronto @ Air Canada Centre
05/10 - Toronto @ Air Canada Centre
05/12 - Albany, NY @ Pepsi Arena
05/13 - Hartford, Conn. @ New England Dodge Music Arena
05/16 - Chicago @ United Center
05/19 - Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Van Andel Arena
05/20 - Cleveland @ Quicken Loans Arena
05/22 - Auburn Hills, Mich. @ Palace of Auburn Hills
05/24 - Boston @ TD Banknorth Garden
05/25 - Boston @ TD Banknorth Garden
05/27 - Camden, N.J. @ Tweeter Center
05/28 - Camden, N.J. @ Tweeter Center
05/30 - Washington, DC @ MCI Center
06/01 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
06/03 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
06/23 - Pittsburgh @ Mellon Arena
06/24 - Cincinnati @ US Bank Arena
06/26 - St. Paul, Minn. @ Xcel Energy Center
06/27 - St. Paul, Minn. @ Xcel Energy Center
07/02 - Denver @ Pepsi Center
07/03 - Denver @ Pepsi Center
07/06 - Las Vegas @ MGM Grand
07/07 - San Diego @ Cox Arena
07/09 - Los Angeles @ Forum
07/10 - Los Angeles @ Forum
07/13 - Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Santa Barbara Bowl
07/16 - San Francisco @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
07/18 - San Francisco @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
07/22 - George, Wash. @ the Gorge
08/25 - Leeds, England @ Leeds Festival
08/27 - Reading, England @ Reading Festival

Damian Marley joins Ben Harper & Innocent Criminals for tour

As if Ben Harper isn't enough on his own, he's going to be joined by the one and only Damian Marley for some shows in August and September. Here are the dates:

August 2006
10 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre (w / Damien Marley)
11, 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre (w / Damien Marley)
13 - San Diego, CA - Bayside Concerts (w / Damien Marley)
15 - Santa Barbara, CA - County Bowl (w / Damien Marley)
18, 19 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre (w / Damien Marley)
20 - Stateline, NV - Harvey's Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre (w / Damien Marley)
22 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater (w / Damien Marley)
23 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre (w / Damien Marley)
25 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre (w / Damien Marley)
26 - Somerset, WI - River's Edge (w / Damien Marley)
27 - Chicago, IL - Charter One Pavilion (w / Damien Marley)
31 - Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center (w / Damien Marley)

September 2006
1 - Rochester, MI - Meadow Brook (w / Damien Marley)
5, 6 - New York, NY - Central Park - Rumsey Playfield (w / Damien Marley)
8 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion (w / Damien Marley)
10 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion (w / Damien Marley)
11 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier @ Penn's Landing (w / Damien Marley)
13 - Cary, NC - Koka Booth Amphitheatre @ Regency (w / Damien Marley)
14 - Knoxville, TN - World's Fair Park (w / Damien Marley)

The Flaming Lips At War With the Mystics

The Flaming Lips At War With the Mystics

An outstanding achievement and well worth the wait.

The Flaming Lips are an odd band to review. With this being their 12th album in their 22-year existence, you would think people would have figured this lot out by now. Instead, we've relied on this group, much in the same way we've relied on Beck, to be predictable in their unpredictability. Because this album fits sonically between and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and The Soft Bulletin it appears that some have already rendered the band tired... please excuse me while I pick my mouth up off the floor. If you spend your every waking moment trying to pick apart a band just because they're different, you're occasionally going to miss the point. Just like Beck's Guero it was almost intimidating that the masters of weird could have come up with an album that's at all familiar. But seriously, if you think about it, you could take the world's supply of mind-altering drugs and a Virgin rocket trip around the moon and still may have a hard time pushing the envelope much further than The Flaming Lips have. That being said, At War With the Mystics is a masterpiece and if I wanted to be incredibly bold I'd say that this will be the album of the year when it's all said and done, but since it's only April I suppose I'll hold off on that statement for awhile. The opening trio of songs are as solid as anything the band has ever released, particularly "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" which is almost too fun for it's own good. The political overtones are much more abundant in this homage-if-you-will to President Bush than they've ever been in any other of their albums working in literal commentary rather than metaphors. What is amazing about this album is how alienating yet radio-friendly it is, thus combining the best of both worlds of the aforementioned previous two releases. "It Overtakes Me" is an absolutely superb seven-minute opus that never gets tiring and leads to the equally poignant "Mr. Ambulance Driver," which is a wonderfully bittersweet song. "The W.A.N.D." is by far the best song on here, and after one play will likely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, it's just that addicting. The song carries an impeccable energy, particularly through the awesome electric guitar riff is enhanced through the punchy vocals and handclaps really make it a worthwhile three and a half minutes. Another great track is the closing "Goin' On" which serves as a great social commentary and appropriately gives a sign of hope in what's been to say the least a difficult time. If you haven't bought the album already, I do recommend getting it on iTunes as you'll get three incredible bonus tracks including an outstanding cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," that can almost match the original. Otherwise, this is an astounding record that shouldn't really be viewed so critically. No, they didn't reinvent the wheel, but when you're still ten years ahead of everyone else, maybe you don't need to.


Overall Rating: 100

New Music Tuesday Info 4.04.06

Today's new music Tuesday and iTunes has some pretty significant additions going for this week. First and foremost, the entire Dave Matthews Band studio library has been added, which is huge news as most fans are more than familiar with the band's previous stance on online music store distribution. Also very noteworthy is that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a sweet pre-order offer running. If you feel like putting down $20 for their upcoming double album Stadium Arcadium, you not only get the single "Dani California" immediately, but you're also eligible for the Ticketmaster pre-sale of any of their summer concert dates, and entered for a chance to win a limited edition Red Hot Chili Peppers iPod (which I'm guessing will be an iPod with the RHCP logo on it and have all their music pre-loaded). That's not it though, as you'll also receive the making of the "Dani California" music video and audio commentary from the Peppers. Considering I'll be seeing RHCP at Lollapalooza, I'm not sure if I'd take advantage of the Ticketmaster offering but it still seems like a pretty good deal, if nothing else it's an awesome promotion. Here are the New Music Tuesday previews for today, and you might have noticed I left off a certain highly anticipated album that came out today. Yeah, I did that on purpose, the Flaming Lips review will be done later tonight. In the meantime, enjoy!

New Music Tuesday 4.04.06

The Vines Vision Valley
Preview Verdict: It seems like the Vines can only be counted on their singles. With each song coming in around 1-2 minutes (with exception for the six minute closer), I can't see myself putting down any more than $5 for this album. If you're the Hives, that's one thing, but really, I don't think these guys have much left in the tank.

Massive Attack Collected
Preview Verdict: If you're a big Massive Attack fan like I am, you have no real reason to purchase this album as it's nothing more than a greatest hits record (the only new track is Live with Me). However if you're a casual fan or new to the duo, definitely check it out as it's a sweet compilation of their more famous music. With an atmospheric group like Massive Attack it's a bit difficult to come up with a greatest hits type album (they're the kind of band that does better from an album standpoint rather than individual songs), this is a nice collection.

Bubba Sparxxx The Charm
Preview Verdict: It's sad that of all songs in the world, "Ms. Fat Booty" had to become the hit record from the album. Ideally, signing with Big Boi's label would be a good thing, but everything on here seems either clichéd, tired, or idiotic (sometimes all three). Maybe eventually he'll figure it out.

The Charlatans Blackened Blue Eyes (single)
Verdict: Wow, good stuff. I've always been a fan of the Charlatans and this song is no exception, definitely worth a listen. 90

The Goo Goo Dolls Stay With You (single)
Preview Verdict: These guys just won't go away. Sure they were (reasonably) cool in the 90's, and then they had a breakthrough (as far as audience reach) with the heartbreaking "Iris" from the City of Angels soundtrack. But now, I don't know, it kind of sounds the same as anything else you'd hear on the radio. Snore.

Chicago Chicago XXX
Preview Verdict: Speaking of not going away. Apparently back from being cryogenically frozen, Chicago releases an album that would ruin their legacy if it weren't for the fact that their legacy was lost for quite some time. XXX should really stand for the dirty feeling you'll have after purchasing such a god-awful CD.

Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors
Preview Verdict: I'm admittedly not a Morrissey fan, but this doesn't appear to be bad for him. I know his fans will eat it up like candy, but I don't imagine it bringing in a new audience. So if you liked You Are The Quarry my guess is that you'll find plenty to appreciate on this album.

Snow Patrol Hands Open (single)
Preview Verdict: U2's favorite band is back in action with this single. I'm guessing I'll like it much better when I hear it in the context of the new album, but as of right now it's not doing a lot for me.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs and People In Planes reviewed (Brief news intro)

Here are a couple of music reviews that I hope you enjoy. Before I get to them though, I'd like to say that there have been a couple of really great performances lately on the late shows. Firstly, on Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show, the New Cars (yeah they're actually just The Cars with a couple of new guys) appeared and sounded absolutely amazing performing their new single "Not Tonight." I actually had to keep checking the screen to make sure that it was in fact the same band. The single is available for download on iTunes now, but it will be featured on a Greatest Hits album that they have coming out in a few weeks. The second performance relates to a band whose album is reviewed in this piece and that is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Performing their single "Gold Lion" on David Letterman a few nights ago, they did an awesome job of bringing a lot more life out of the song than I realized existed from listening to the studio version. It also confirmed that Karen O. (Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman) is exceptionally quirky but incredibly cool, and that was an added bonus. So without further adieu I give you some reviews. Enjoy!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones

While produced to a glossy sheen, Show Your Bones does nicely to avoid a sophomore slump.

After honing their skills for sometime, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released the brash yet lovely debut
Fever to Tell in 2003. For anyone expecting a similar sound you should probably just stop reading this review now and forget about it. While you may very well end up liking the album, it'll be for a completely different reason than it was before. That isn't to say that Show Your Bones and Fever to Tell are night and day, it's just that on this album, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound is so much more controlled that it's not surprising that there are fans calling the band a sell out after hearing the single "Gold Lion." While the song has definitely grown on me since I first heard it and works well within the context of the album, it's difficult to listen to it (particularly for the first time) and think that you might've accidentally slipped onto a Teagan & Sara track (or if you're feeling generous, Sleater-Kinney with half the punk). However, listening to tracks like "Fancy," which is just as solid as most anything you'll find on the debut, the catchy "Phenomena" and the surprising closer "Turn Into." With that said, if you wanted to be cynical about the album, you could once again refer to either of the dreaded terms that bands never want to hear. The first would be a "sell out," and with songs like "Gold Lion" and the nursery rhyme like "Dudley" you could have yourself an argument. After all, it's the "rough around the edges" bit that made them big in the first place right? On the other cynical path you could say that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit a bit of a sophomore slump. That would be another feasible argument, as like any other band that hits it big on the first album, what direction do you go in if you want to do something different? More often than not, that direction is sideways, and that's precisely the case with Show Your Bones. But, to that person I'd have to ask, if your debut album was deemed as being a great album, is going sideways so bad so long as you're actually making progress? I think not.

Overall Rating: 89

People In Planes As Far as the Eye Can See

Well hell, this is the band people should be talking about...

You know, hype is a funny thing. Every now and again, more true recently than in the past, we put certain bands on a pedestal and claim them to be everything but the greatest band to ever come into existence. Sometimes that hype is warranted (White Stripes, The Hives) and sometimes it leads to destruction (The Libertines, The Darkness) or they're simply never heard from again. While the Arctic Monkey's have been the latest band to win the media's hearts, with SXSW performances from bands like Art Brut amping up the critics attention as well, it seems that these blokes from Wales have completely gone under the radar, and that's really quite a shame. Comparisons to such bands as Muse aside, People in Planes have really got a good thing going on As Far as the Eye Can See. The opening track "Barracuda" is a seething piece, sweeping almost effortlessly between quiet and loud tones without ever losing energy. "For Miles Around" is the track that will probably be the track people look at most to make their Muse comparisons, especially with the swirling guitars over the anthemic chorus. The thing with People in Planes though, is that it's rarely overdramatic or overly indulgent. Case in point being the appropriate lead single "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)," which not only marks a perfect marriage of rock and pop music, but also delivers just enough to bring you in without ever going over the top, as a matter of fact, it's pretty linear in arrangement. Another standout is the unsuspectingly catchy "Moth" which thrives on its great rhythm and bass lick. As the album progresses People in Planes' songs become increasingly experimental which is a relatively rare thing to see on a debut album. They are all within the same realm as the other songs, so it doesn't feel as if you're listening to another artist, but it is nevertheless intriguing that the final three tracks clock in at over five minutes each, and focus a bit more on atmospheric tones as opposed to the earlier tracks, which is a very good thing. "Penny," for example, is a lush downtempo track that constantly evolves and morphs throughout its six and a half minute length. For a debut album, this is a very impressive release and is truly worth checking out. The only main drawback is that for as strong as the arrangements and instrumentals are on each of the songs, the lyrics sometimes lag behind. While they certainly won't make you cringe, and is something that will surely improve over time, it is worth noting for those of you that go for lyrical substance over other elements in music. Once again, this is a great debut from People In Planes and here's hoping they get their share of hype soon, because they do deserve it.


Overall Rating: 90