Category Archives: Music

[Music Review] Arctic Monkeys “Humbug”

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Overview:

arctic-monkeys-humbugI’ve very recently fallen in love with a few new bands, and the Arctic Monkeys are one of them. I’d heard of them sparingly until the beginning of this last summer, when I spotted them on the Lollapalooza line-up on the day I was set to attend. As I exposed myself to the myriad of bands set to play that day, a few stuck out above the rest, and the Arctic Monkeys were one of the ones who really seemed to lead the pack.

So I picked up their first two major releases, “Favourite Worst Nightmare” and “Whatever You Say That I Am, That is What I Am Not,” and really started digging their entire catalog of songs. They had a punky, stripped down, in your face British style that was very recognizable and unique. Their lyrics were cheeky and fun, and their music was fresh and had a real smoothness amongst all the abrasive rhythmic punch. Continue reading →

[Music Review] “Lose Our Heads” by Smile Case

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smilecaseOverview:

Smile Case is primarily a one-man band from Canada. Ben Andress, the singer/guitarist/songwriter, owns his own record label called Blacktop Records and records lots of smaller Canadian bands. “Lose Our Heads” is his first studio album that he produced himself with the help of a few friends.

Let’s check this moose out, eh? Continue reading →

[Concert Review] TOOL: Live at Lollapalooza ’09

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toolOverview:

I am now a man.

Review:

Each of us has music that takes us back to certain points in our lives, and that’s a unique trait of music. You remember hearing things at certain moments you deem to be important, and you make a mental note of those things, and those songs always hold a special place in your heart. Some of us even have these relationships with entire albums, certain bands. One of these bands, for me, is Tool. Continue reading →

[Concert Review] Saturday at Lollapalooza

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lollapalooza2009_largeI have been to some concerts in my day, but none of those one-night shows compare to the feeling of wandering through downtown Chicago on Saturday afternoon through the evening and well into the night just soaking up all the great music that was being played in Grant Park.

There were so many bands playing Saturday that I wanted to see, and to see some just wasn’t feasible, either by a time standard or physically. My entire day was set around seeing Tool live, headlining the Chicago 2016 stage that night. The afternoon was filled with purposeful wandering as I tried to ingest the most music for my dollar. I’ve decided to review the show with some categories that I feel can describe the day best. Continue reading →

[DVD Review] Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season

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Overview:

flight of the conchords“Flight of the Conchords,” an HBO musical comedy series about a folk parody duo from New Zealand who moves to New York to make it big in America, set the bar pretty high with it’s first season. The show was fresh and insanely funny, proving to be on of the best comedies currently on American television. But as I stated in a previous review (the first review I ever wrote for the site!), the season started with a disappointingly flat first episode.

Well, for my six or so regular readers (for fun I decided to multiply the real total by three) who have been dying to know whether or not the second season picked up steam, your torturous wait is finally over, as “The Complete Second Season” of the series hit DVD shelves this week. Here we go! Continue reading →

[Music Review] Portugal. The Man “The Satanic Satanist”

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portugal.theman satanicsatanistOverview:

I go through these phases where I discover wonderful bands at a breakneck pace, and then I sort of toil around for a bit waiting to see which of the bands will self-destruct, which will find mainstream success, or which ones will put out great music for years to come. Lucky for me I’m in one of my discovery phases right now, and one of the new bands I’ve uncovered for my listening pleasure is Portugal. The Man.

Portugal. The Man definitely and unquestionably have an interesting band name. The name has a background that involves David Bowie and a planned book by one of the band’s members, and it’s obviously an attention grabbing name. I’m actually still a little puzzled as to what it actually means. Continue reading →

[Music Review] Ben Harper and Relentless 7 “White Lies for Dark Times”

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Overview:

benharperandrelentless7I enjoy good ol’ beer-in-hand Rock and Roll music, and unfortunately what we’re told is “Rock” these days (Nickelback, Hinder, etc.) seems to want to substitute straight-forward rock power and that beer-in-hand feeling with sappy, horrible lyrics, tacky musicianship and a nice cold wine cooler. Luckily there are bands out there who don’t shy away from what Rock and Roll should be, and this album is a throwback to those days when great rock music wasn’t only played on Classic Rock stations. Continue reading →

Getting Ready for Lollapalooza! [Which Bands Do You Want Reviewed?]

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lollapaloozaI’m sure a lot of my more avid Everyview readers (both of you) have noticed that I have reviewed a couple of live shows since I came to the site (Wilco and Explosions in the Sky).

Well get ready for more.

I’m going to be attending Lollapalooza’s Saturday festivities in Chicago on August 8th, and I plan on doing a MAJOR write up on the festival experience as a whole, while also breaking down the individual artists sets. There is one band I will be seeing no matter what (TOOL), but seeing how this is a festival, and choices must be made, I’d like to ask you guys to help me out with some tough decisions.

Arctic Monkeys or Coheed and Cambria?

TV on the Radio or Rise Against?

Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 or Animal Collective?

As well, if there is anyone else on that lineup you would like to see a review of, let me know. I’ll do my best to oblige, unless of course you have horrible taste, I change my mind at the last minute, or I end up a bit too intoxicated to freely roam the streets of Chicago.

[Music Review] Marcy Playground Live in Cincinnati, Ohio

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Overview:

woz3I’m not usually one for live shows. In fact, the last real concert I attended was when I went to see Bob Dylan about a year ago. There’s just something about the huge groups of sweaty people huddled together and breathing all over each other that just doesn’t appeal to me.

But when I found out Marcy Playground was actually stopping by a location semi-close to me (3 hours away), I jumped at the chance to finally see them live. They have been my favorite band since I was 10 years old, and after almost a decade of almost constant listening, I was more than ready to see them play. Continue reading →

[Music Review] Killswitch Engage: “Killswitch Engage”

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killswitch

Overview:

Metalcore band Killswitch Engage released their latest album, aptly titled “Killswitch Engage”, on June 30th. This album is another step up, as the band looks to reinvent themselves yet again, and they do a successful job breaking some new ground on this album. Continue reading →