Reviews

In their first official album under Mercury Records, Habits, Neon Trees gives listeners a little bit of pop, a little bit of rock, and a whole lot of love. The album approaches love from nearly every angle; it covers past love, current passion, along with the udder desire to be with someone right now....
Read More »

Foo Fails by Falling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGWAexa61kc Words simply cannot describe the hilarity of the above video. In Dave Grohl’s defense, that is a really long run back to the main stage, and he did recover as well as could be hoped for. Nickelback Faces a Hostile Crowd http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7F3O6WYfHQ I absolutely cannot stand Nickelback, but the measures these fans took might...
Read More »

Band: Cage the Elephant Where Are They From? Bowling Green, Kentucky When Did They Start? 2005 Who Are They? Cage the Elephant released their eponymous debut album in 2008, after signing a recording contract with EMI and moving to England. Since then, the band has started to take off with successful singles on both sides of...
Read More »

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ music has always been about mixing other styles of rock on top of a solid punk foundation. The band’s latest effort, The Brutalist Bricks, follows that same principle all the way to become their most musically-diverse record yet. The album features everything from post-hardcore leanings on “The Stick” to...
Read More »

The Mercury lounge is a mullet-like venue, bar in the front, concert in the back. Inside, the band members roamed around the sparsely occupied bar area prior to the show laughing and chatting with friends and fans. The informality of the setting added a nice chill vibe, and it was great to be...
Read More »

Since the Oscars were just held a few days ago, I figured it was a good time to highlight six “Great Music-Based Movies.” - Across the Universe The story may be a little hackneyed, and the acting is hit-or-miss at times, but Across the Universe features lavish, often-beautiful recreations of Beatles songs. What more can one...
Read More »

Band: The Fratellis Where Are They From? Glasgow, Scotland When Did They Start? 2005 Who Are They? The Fratellis are probably best described as a pop garage rock band, if such a title exists. Their style is similar to that of contemporaries like The Strokes and The Vines, but The Fratellis feature a more “danceable” sound than...
Read More »

“Life is life, dreams are dreams, and I’m floating somewhere in between.” These lyrics to UK-based Dan Blacks song “Life Slash Dreams” sum up a lot of what his album UN is all about. Dive headfirst into a world where you no longer hear beats and rhythms, you feel them. Each song combines...
Read More »

Covers are generally a double-edged sword in that they either come out brilliantly or horribly (usually the latter, unfortunately). This week, I figured I’d share some of the former, so here’s six “Outstanding Covers of Amazing Songs.” “Ring of Fire” Original: Johnny Cash – youtube.com Cover: Social Disortion – youtube.com Social Distortion has always had a bit of...
Read More »

The rock music scene is home to an immeasurable number of bands and artists, the vast majority of which are not household names. In “Rocking Under the Radar,” I attempt to highlight one of these under-the-radar acts by applying a very basic investigative method. If you want a quick synopsis of a band or...
Read More »