Album Review – Page 3 – Spinning Platters

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: 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.

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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?

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Album Review: Fucked Up – Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009

The band Fucked Up are. No one can live the punk rock dream anymore in 2010, right? Whatever. This odds and sods two-disc compilation details the swath that this group has cut across North America from their Canadian base.

Fucked Up sound like heavy rock and roll. Buzzsaw guitar hooks whir like electric razors, danceable drumbeats, and size-of-a-small-bear frontman Pink Eyes’ winsome RRRARRRR-GARRRRGH riding gleefully atop the mix like a dolphin frolicking in a ship’s wake.

With b-side cuts, import singles, kinda sorta cast-off cover tunes, Couple Tracks shows the breadth of how far Fucked Up have gone and how far they’re willing to go.

Fucked Up sound like heavy rock and roll. Buzzsaw guitar hooks whir like electric razors, drumbeats compel you to jump about, and their size-of-a-small-bear frontman Pink Eyes’ winsome RRRARRRR-GARRRRGH rides gleefully atop the mix like a dolphin frolicking in a ship’s wake.

With b-side cuts, import singles, kinda sorta cast-off cover tunes, Couple Tracks shows the breadth of how far Fucked Up have gone and how far they’re willing to go. Continue reading “Album Review: Fucked Up – Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009”

Album Review: Robbie Williams – Reality Killed the Video Star

Robbie Williams proving once again he is as bad-ass as you can be on a pop record.

Chances are, if you are an American, Robbie Williams is the most famous singer you’ve never heard of. Not to say you haven’t heard his music, but the name Robbie Williams means nothing to you. In the UK he has sold more records than any other solo artist. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most concert ticket sales in a single day. He is the most popular non-Latin artist in Latin America. In 2009 his net worth is estimated to be 80 million pounds (134 million dollars). With his eighth studio album Reality Killed the Video Star he proves again what all the fuss is about, and the United States, once again, will probably not notice. Shame on you America. Continue reading “Album Review: Robbie Williams — Reality Killed the Video Star”

Album Review: Julian Casablancas – Phrazes for the Young

Although there was already a mini review of the new album by The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Phrazes for the Young, in our New Release Round Up feature last week, I think it deserves few more words coming from one of those “Strokes fans” mentioned.

Truthfully, after the disappointment of the last Strokes album, First Impressions of Earth, I haven’t been as eagerly awaiting a new Strokes album as I would have been before. And especially after hearing some of the solo material by other members of the band, it was obvious that together or separately, the band had a a lot to offer. Now finally an album has been released by the band’s main songwriter and voice: Julian Casablancas, the last member to venture into a solo project.

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Album Review: Bad Lieutenant – Never Cry Another Tear

Badl

If you’re my age and grew up in the UK then you are a New Order fan. You may no longer like them or remember them that well, but as soon as you hear their songs it takes you back. If you want to be cool you claim to be a Joy Division fan; or knowledgeable. you’ll play the Electronic, or better still, Monaco card. Over the years New Order matured and came back towards a pretty traditional but always entertaining pop music sound but sadly appear to have closed up shop for the last time due to disputes between Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. I am huge fan of Bernard Sumner, especially his singing voice. I recently saw him on the UK based Songbook show discussing his songs and revealing that he would soon be releasing an album with his new band, Bad Lieutenant, and after a long wait it’s here. Continue reading “Album Review: Bad Lieutenant — Never Cry Another Tear”

Album Review: Lou Barlow – Goodnight Unknown

cover

Lou Barlow was a founding member of Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh. Dinosaur Jr. is another of those seminal US bands that I missed out on by growing up over the pond and my only real exposure to them has been through the songs they have on Rock Band games. Sebadoh is unknown to me, but I have some experience as a casual listener to Barlow’s previous lo- and lower-fi releases. Goodnight Unknown is approximately, depending on what you count, Barlow’s eleventh release. A pioneer of the lo-fi sound is back with fourteen new songs on Goodnight Unknown. Continue reading “Album Review: Lou Barlow — Goodnight Unknown”

Album Review: the breakUps – Illness at Ease

One of the advantages of being a famous album reviewer for the world renowned Spinning Platters is that I get people sending me music for review. I knew eventually all my laziness work would pay off. Today it’s Illness at Ease from the dubiously grammared, unsigned band the breakUps. Most review requests seem generic but this one had a directness and honesty that caused me to give the samples a listen and led me to this full album review. Continue reading “Album Review: the breakUps — Illness at Ease”

Album Review: Sondre Lerche – Heartbeat Radio

Heartbeat Radio - The musical version of a Snuggie?

Just in case you didn’t already know, Sondre Lerche is an indie-pop singer/songwriter from Norway. Heartbeat Radio is his sixth album and it has the more polished sound that a sixth album should have. It sounds like classic 60’s s pop songwriting with modern indie instrumentation. What exactly does that sound like? Like your parents favorite songs played by your favorite indie-pop band. Could be the greatest thing ever, but does it really work? Continue reading “Album Review: Sondre Lerche — Heartbeat Radio”