Reviews

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...
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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...
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“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...
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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...
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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...
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This week’s topic is “Six Commonly Misunderstood Songs.” “One” – U2 YouTube This song, commonly used in reference to people uniting, is mainly about a great divide in a relationship. Like most misunderstood songs, the true meaning of “One” is found in its verses: “Did I disappoint you/Or leave a bad taste in your mouth/You act like...
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This Week’s Topic: Since Valentine’s Day has just passed, I figure it would be a good time to touch upon “Six Cynical Songs About Relationships.” “You Can Make Him Like You” – The Hold Steady This is a song about the fickle, status-hungry nature of some women, who are reminded that, “if you get tired of...
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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 »

The Pick Six this week is: “Things To Avoid When Coming Up With a New Band Name…” Trailing Numbers This may have been fashionable in the late 1990s with bands like Sum 41 and SR71, but doing this now just makes the band name sound like a teenager’s AOL address or some sort of crazy mathematical...
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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 »