Album Reviews – Page 12 – Spinning Platters

Album Review: Earl Greyhound – Suspicious Package

Earl Greyhound’s previous album, Soft Targets, blasted out of the box with “S.O.S.,” a dynamic mission statement that attempted to explain, in five minutes, what Earl Greyhound was all about. While the album didn’t live up to the high standards set by this blistering track, descending into middling bluesy rock numbers by the end, the promise of that one song alone has kept me interested in the band, and earned them all sorts of lauds as the “next big thing.” Now, the band’s new album, Suspicious Package, has arrived, and it also starts with I assumed to be a clear mission statement. What’s the mission this time? Continue reading “Album Review: Earl Greyhound — Suspicious Package”

Album Review: Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe 2

Oh Mr. Zombie, you’ve done it again. I guess that’s why Rob appropriately named his newest album “Hellbilly Deluxe” part deuce. BUT, for those of you who are expecting this album to be a sequel of the first Hellbilly, you will probably be disappointed. Back in November, I got a sneak peak of Zombie’s delayed production during his Hellbilly tour. Why such a long delay Rob? Although I must say the album was worth the extra three month wait, such a long delay was almost like burying the grave before putting in the coffin.

Continue reading “Album Review: Rob Zombie — Hellbilly Deluxe 2”

New Release Round Up 2/2/10 – 31 Instant Album Reviews

800px-Wise_Guys_-_Relativ_im_Tanzbrunnen_2009 — Read on to find out who these guys are.

Pouria said he wanted to take the week off because he’s burned out on new releases. And then he sits next to me and tells me about all the albums I’m missing. I think he’s actually burned out on being funny. Lucky for you, I’m not burned out on being funny; I’ve hardly begun being funny! Read on, dear readers, for 31 album reviews await. Continue reading “New Release Round Up 2/2/10 — 31 Instant Album Reviews”

Album Review: Everybody Was in the French Resistance…Now!!! – Fixing The Charts Volume 1

Every now and then you encounter something so weird and wonderful that you have to write about it. Today I’m reviewing an album that it’s hard to really classify as “good” but it’s just a joy to listen to.

Everybody Was In The French Resistance…Now!!! is Eddie Argos from Art Brut and Dyan Valdés from The Blood Arm. This is album of response songs, humorous, often speak-sung responses to well known tracks. To quote an analysis I read on www.allsounds.com:

“Avril Lavigne is a bitch. When she’s not gloating about her totally undeserved success or berating and sneering at young mothers, she is attempting to steal men from loving happy relationships.” and Everybody Was In…. attempts to fix this and a number of other pop injustices. Continue reading “Album Review: Everybody Was in the French Resistance…Now!!! — Fixing The Charts Volume 1”

Album Review: The Magnetic Fields – Realism

From the opening notes of The Magnetic Fields’ new record Realism you feel at home. There’s the familiar jangly acoustic instruments and Stephin Merritt’s low drone of a voice mixing with Claudia Gonson’s sweeter one. The lyrics are clever and the longest song comes in at 3:26. This isn’t the strange distorted Magnetic Fields of their last record; this is more like 69 Love Songs revisited, sweet and expected. At first it feels too similar to their previous work to be anything interesting enough to keep you coming back. I struggled with this idea, then realized that I’d been listening to the album almost constantly for a week letting the words and notes seep into every part of my mind, like subtle magic. Continue reading “Album Review: The Magnetic Fields — Realism”

New Release Round Up, 1/26/10 – 26 Instant Album Reviews

sybgkid — Pouria mentioning Kidz Bop in his intro is a great excuse for running this classic still from their "Since U Been Gone" video

Kidz Bop is really awful and weird and I swear it was on American Idol last night. Not that I watch that or anything. Continue reading “New Release Round Up, 1/26/10 — 26 Instant Album Reviews”

Album Review: Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back

Peter Gabriel’s new covers album Scratch My Back is the beginning of a “song exchange” project. This means that every artist covered on this album is being asked to cover one of Peter Gabriel’s songs in exchange. This collection will then be released under the title …And I’ll Scratch Yours. That’s the intention. Whether or not the second part ends up happening seems to be up in the air so far, but Stephin Merrit has already recorded “Not One of Us” as a b-side to Peter Gabriel’s Magnetic Fields cover,”Book of Love,” so the project has begun. Continue reading “Album Review: Peter Gabriel — Scratch My Back”

Album Review: Basia Bulat – Heart of My Own

Listening to the music of Basia Bulat is an unabashedly heart-hugging delight. The 26-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter first established herself as one of the brightest young talents in the folk-rock scene with her insanely lovable debut LP, Oh, My Darling (2007), and makes overwhelmingly good on that early potential with her sophomore release, Heart of My Own.

Continue reading “Album Review: Basia Bulat — Heart of My Own”

Single Review: Elizabeth Fraser – Moses

“Moses” is the first song that iconic Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser has ever released as a solo act. This either means something profoundly significant to you, or it doesn’t. For an entire generation of music fans, Fraser’s was “the voice of God.” But it has been 12 years since she’s had any real involvement with the music world. Why pop up again now? Then again, disappearing for a decade between releases seems to be working just fine for Sade, so why not Fraser?

Continue reading “Single Review: Elizabeth Fraser — Moses”

New Release Round Up 1/12/10 – 42 Instant Album Reviews

Here are 42 reviews that cover three weeks. Lots of stuff has happened in the past three days. Most notably, a couple of musician deaths and the whole mass crisis thing in Haiti. I think Heidi Montag’s album may have brought upon these tragedies, sort of like a precursor to the apocalypse. Continue reading “New Release Round Up 1/12/10 — 42 Instant Album Reviews”