These are in no real order, I hate ranking stuff that I enjoy enough to consider my "top" anythings. I had 13... I can't pick 10.
On the Might of Princes - Sirens
I am not a fan of emo in general, I'd say. I don't even know what the hell it includes anymore. Every other band today seems to put out emo stuff. Most of it's whiny, another section of it is nothing but yelling. On eBay, seemingly any old clothes some idiot wants to get rid of are marked as "emo". Don't ask me why.
This band seems to fall somewhere on the outside of that, thus making them worth my time. This is better produced than their previous two releases. I think it's for the best, as it sounds great. They lose that home-recorded, intimate vibe, but they come out with some really great sounding, vibrant songs.
Worth checking out.
Marilyn Manson - Golden Age of the Grotesque
Being a big Manson fan, I had been looking forward to this since Holy Wood. I actively searched for news and by the time it leaked, I had to have it. I couldn't stand the idea of people enjoying this while I got to wait. It didn't help that it leaked nearly 3 months before it was to be officially released.
At first it was hard to be impressed. The audio was basically FM radio quality, thanks to the the recording method (it was ripped via a PC's line in thanks to the CD's copy protection). I'm really anal about audio quality, especially in this case because the bass was nearly non-existant. With a release as beat-centric as this one, bass is rather important lol.
Anyway, I finally got the CD and made my own final opinions. I have no clue how some magazines (Kerrang for example) could call this the band's best. It's hardly bad (in fact, it's quite good), but it has nothing on Mechanical Animals or other previous releases.
There's some really solid songs on here. Tim Skold's (ex-KMFDM) influence is extremely apparent. Sometimes I wonder if his inclusion (I believe he was originally on as simply the producer), was part of the reason Twiggy departed -- a lot of it makes traditional bass almost pointless. The shift in music is expected, as none of the band's CDs really sound very similar. They're all decidedly Manson, but they have their own edge. This is no different.
My main issue was that of the writing. A good deal of the songs are up with what I expect. Even if you don't enjoy the subject matter, I'd have to say that Manson himself is one of the better actual lyric writers around right now (at least in that genre). Spade, for example, has some really nice verses. There is some great wordplay in here (particularly in Ka-Boom Ka-Boom, which is my favorite track), which has always been one of my favorite things about the band. Metaphors still abound, but they're hardly something you can't figure out yourself with some digging.
Despite the good points, there was a lot of the CD that just feels really self-serving. In particular "The Better of Two Evils", which I still cannot get into to this day. From what I can tell this CD's theme is simply a "**** you" to pretty much everyone that has been in his way, but at times it gets too straightforward, I guess.
Still, solid work and surprisingly better than most other stuff I've heard this year.
The Blood Brothers - ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn
Sometimes I wonder what exactly I see in this release. It's not exactly a marvel of musicality (is that a word?), it's not accomplishing anything new. It just manages to work a lot of energy into a nice punk/hardcore release that pushes a lot of the boring mall punk ******** that permeates popular music out of the way.
Plus they get bonus points for being one of the few bands that put something out in the past couple years with two singers that doesn't include some white kid trying to rap. Instead you get some scream-y, punk-ish vocals (which aren't unlistenable, I actually like them) and another guy who does a little more subdued stuff. It's a nice combination and I think it is pulled off well.
Instrument-work is nice. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it remains fresh and interesting. Plus they have some cool synth worked in from time to time, which ups the fun for me
I'm not big on hardcore, but this is some really solid stuff. In fact, after a few listens, some of seems downright brilliant.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On, On Your Own
The fact that I got this for less than $10 new is a travesty. I don't know why so many seemingly haven't bothered with these guys, but they're among the best of the dark-minded rock bands I've come across.
Their last release had a lot of problems. One thing I don't like on CDs is when vocals are constantly buried under the wall of sound that the rest of the band creates. That was the problem with their last CD.
With this one, they've managed to overcome that... and somehow by doing this, and becoming a bit better at what they do, they've managed to totally surpass the average quality they previously had. Some might disagree with me, but I stick by this
This is really great stuff. It's far more edgy than BRMC and that, coupled with what I mentioned, makes it a great release.
Ween - Quebec
I'd have to thank Lambtron from Gaming-Age and his constant mentioning of Ween for this. I only own this and Chocolate and Cheese at this point, but god these guys are awesome. For some reason I always figured they were some ****** 80s rock act and never gave them any attention. I admit my stupidity.
Quebec is awesome. It has the weirdness that I grew used to with Chocolate and Cheese, but it also keeps the rocking qualities too. The opening track makes me feel like I'm listening to bizarro-Motorhead.
After that, I don't really know how to describe my feelings on this. It just rocks.
David Bowie - Reality
If any other band put this out as one of their first releases, it would be freaking amazing. However, being David Bowie, I guess different things are expected. He can no longer get away with "good" material thanks to his heyday.
A lot of people probably thought that was returning thanks to Heathen, which was excellent. The only problem with it was that it was so mellow that I couldn't bring myself to listen to it all that often. I can see why Bowie did a full tour with this release rather than Heathen, it's just more concert-material.
Reality goes in a totally different direction, but I wouldn't say it totally forgets what was accomplished on Heathen. It's really solid stuff, and definitely deserving of being put in here. It's upbeat, fun to listen to and well composed. Some of it seems a bit odd, but that adds to its fun. No complaints.
Plus if you got the limited edition copy, you get a really nice revision of Rebel Rebel. It's a more subdued, "lounge" version. Nice stuff.
Constantines - Shine a Light
Another fine Sub Pop release. I prefered Modern Sinner Nervous Man, but that was rather short by comparison (3 tracks versus 12). As such, I play this more often... more good stuff to listen to in an equal amount of space.
I've seen them compared to the Pixies. I suppose the wall of sound they go for at times could be comparable, but overall I just don't see the relation. I don't think that these guys have what made the Pixies as special as they were... that said, they're sure far better than what Frank Black/Black Francis has become with the Catholics. "Show Me Your Tears" managed to interest me though, so I'm sticking that on this list too lol.
Really solid release and I don't know that much I could say would do it justice. Great stuff. Again, another must own.
Menomena - I am the Fun Blame Monster
I don't remember why I bothered with these guys. I remembered hearing about them somewhere, and upon seeing the booklet art... I just felt some need to own it. It's very, very hard to find, although I eventually stumbled into it online.
The thing I like about them is that unlike a lot of recent bands that rely on long instrumentals, they still have lyrical sections that are actually worth listening to. I could listen to this all day, it's just really relaxing and great to listen to.
Plus they use saxophone. Who the hell does that anymore? Not many bands that I can think of. Bonus points for the excellent use of xylophone and piano.
Anathema - Natural Disaster
It's amazing how little I see these guys spoken of. They're one of the front-lining metal bands out right now, I'd say. Natural Disaster probably doesn't compare to the amazing releases known as "Judgement" and "A Fine Day to Exit", but it's pretty damn close. If you're in the US, you'll have to import, sadly. I feel it's worth the price.
The sound has changed over the years... I'd say it was black/death metal at first, but at this point they've moved onto bigger and better things. That has been evolving more and more over the past few releases. The same basic core remains, obviously... it's just somehow different, even from the last release. There's a new edge to it. They've managed to do what they do best, but made it more accessible without actually taking away any of their integrity. I think it was pulled off well, I'm sure others probably don't.
Entire thing is amazing, some of the tracks really stick with you. Must own, I think.
Frank Black - Show Me Your Tears
When I first got this, I can't say I was disappointed. That's not because the CD was amazing, but simply because Frank Black and the Catholics just really haven't been anything special. A few good Frank Black albums and some subsequent average-stuff doesn't leave one optimistic.
And so I wasn't. The CD was good, but it didn't blow me away. Sometimes it still hard to realize that this is the same guy responsible for the Pixies. The sound and writing style have changed dramatically.
I gave it more chances though, as in the end, Black has rarely let me down. This CD grows on you. Especially the obvious irreverence to so many things that it presents. Don't give up on it too quickly. It's pretty damn good, but no "Teenager of the Year".
Muse - Absolution
Another CD I had to pay import prices on. I'd have to say it was worth my $24.99 though. I doesn't compare to "Origin of Symmetry" due to some points where I feel it falters, but I much prefer it to "Showbiz" (strangely the only local release of theirs... I'll never understand that).
It's really great stuff though. When listening to it on the street, I sometimes smile to myself. So many things about it are just done so well. It makes me giddy just hearing parts of it. Even the intro with it's marching sound is something I play, while I usually skip intros and outros on other releases.
There are a few tracks I don't listen to as much, but on average I love it. The use of non-standard instruments in this type of music is always a nice thing too. Any band that uses grand piano (or what I assume is grand piano, who knows) kicks ***. Plus there's some great use of mandolin in here too.
String Cheese Incident - Untying the Not
Another band makes use of sax, thus deserving of being on my list. The rest of the release is pretty kick *** as well... the instrumental sections in particular can be simply excellent. I could listen to Orion's Belt all day for just that reason. The way it completely jumps around genres at times, and still manages to pull them off flawlessly, is great. There's even an Irish sounding song called "Valley of the Jig".
The vocal areas are great as well, and I don't know that this encompasses one thing either. Parts sound almost like a country barbershop quartet and others sound just like rock. It's all great.
I think this is totally worth owning.
You Am I - The Cream and the Crock
Yes, it's a greatest hits collection. No, I don't give a ****. You get a nice mix on here, and that's all that matters. I guess they're similiar to what people would think of when they think of 60s/early 70s rock. Most of it is upbeat, it's all well written, well played... good all around. I'd play these guys over most of the current "the" bands going for a similiar sound.
If you're into rock and haven't checked these guys out, do yourself a favor and do it. Just do it. I NEVER see anyone talk about them. When you have a band that's fans include Sonic Youth, I think that's a good sign. I don't regret the $25 I paid for this 2CD set.
I have others I'd like to add, such as My Morning Jacket, Holopaw, Grandaddy, The Wrens, Death in Vegas, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Funeral for a Friend, Mogwai and The Raveonettes.... but too bad lol.
