Tag Archives: Music Review

[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 →

[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] Marcy Playground “Leaving Wonderland… In A Fit of Rage”

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leaving_wonderlandOverview:

“Leaving Wonderland… In a Fit of Rage” began life as the second solo project from Marcy Playground’s talented frontman John Wozniak, but was eventually became Marcy’s fourth studio album.

The album deals with topics that almost everyone can relate to, becoming a fantastic soundtrack for life. The amazingly personal and soulful lyrics are accompanied by fantastically written music  that shows just how talented Marcy Playground is.

It’s an excellent album, I’ll say that right now. But was it worth the five year wait? Continue reading →

[Music Review] Marcy Playground “MP3”

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marcyplayground mp3Overview:

Five years would come and go before Marcy Playground would release a follow-up effort to their 1999 album, “Shapeshifter.”  Marcy Playground’s 3rd studio album, titled “MP3,” was highly anticipated by fans, despite the fact that the band would not deliver a tour to support or hype the album’s release. Couple that with the fact that there was virtually no radio air time for any of the four released singles and it’s easy to see why this album is almost virtually unknown to anyone who isn’t a die-hard Marcy fan. Continue reading →

[Music Review] The Mars Volta “Octahedron”

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Music Review Mars VoltaOverview:

Since their inception, The Mars Volta have proven to be one of the more conflicting bands of the modern era. After splitting up underground punk heroes At The Drive-In, principal musicians Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez kicked off TMV’s career with 2003’s sprawling masterpiece “De-Loused in the Comatorium,” only to follow it with 2005’s “Frances The Mute,” a self-congratulatory piece of shit made by people who were far too pleased with their own “unique” vision. The albums that followed, 2006’s “Amputechture” and last years “The Bedlam in Goliath” fell somewhere in between. They possessed moments of genuine inspiration, but didn’t possess the overall charm of the band’s debut. Continue reading →