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Album Review: Stop Don’t / Yes – Spitting Nickels

l 62f5294aed5542b4a50cc89ab0d105f6 300x300 Album Review: Stop Dont / Yes   Spitting Nickels album reviews Spitting Nickels new album Stop Don’t / Yes is a hook heavy bag of blues-rock. Where the album clicks, it really clicks, everything comes together perfectly and makes you want to pump your fist (and any sexy person in the room). Dirty grooves, Mississippi via Michigan, bar rock. Stop Don’t / Yes is a fun ride.

Parts where the album lacks it just feels like it’s on a path treaded before. The peaks are very high, and the low points are few and far between. The weaker parts of the album have to do with a few cliché lyrical choices. The kind that make you think “oh, it’s that song I’ve heard a million times”. You haven’t, it’s just false memories implanted by a certain combination of words.

“I Can’t Go On Going On” has some interesting chordal structure and kicks into this heavy fast guitar solo at the bridge that ties it all together better than any rug ever could. The band seems like it has one hand on maintaining simple song structure and another hand on branching off into some blues psyche weirdness. I don’t know if they’re edging their bets, by appeasing both camps, but it almost seems like there’s 2 separate EPs here. I’m hoping they plunge full on into the psyche.

“Tie One On” is a clever and catchy pop jingle about surviving the crappyness of the daily grind. Always Doing Something, is a song I relate to very well, of dealing with women who are a mess that you just can’t get to sleep with you (“She’s always doing something, but she won’t do me!”).

The song writing credits are mixed between band members. Mixed and Mastered by Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders and released by Loco Gnosis records.

Don’t Stop / Yes is available on CD, vinyl, and mp3/itunes at Spitting Nickels website.

Natural Reaction
Tie One On

Posted by Steve Barman on Aug 27, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: Happy Birthday Bitch – The Ruiners

The Ruiners Happy Birthday Bitch2 300x300 Album Review: Happy Birthday Bitch   The Ruiners album reviews Rock and Roll is an attitude, and the Ruiners are very Rock and Roll.

The new album, called “Happy Birthday Bitch” is a sort of psychobilly/ dirty pop/ blues/ riff rock including vocal howls, screeching guitar solos, and fuzzed out guitar growls. Elements of late 70′s Iggy Pop and the early 90′s sub-pop explosion are found all throughout the album. The lyrics can be summed up by some of the song titles: “Sugar Buzz,” “Messin’ Around,” and “Beer Time.”

The best song on the album is called “Fix That Broken Halo.” Beyond being one the better arranged songs on the album, this song has the best hooks. Rick sings about the decadent life throughout the verse and ends it by saying, “come Sunday morning, you’ll have to fix that broken halo.” Like many of tracks, people are screaming, hooting, and squealing all through it, but they better placed in this song. After listing to it, “you’ll wish you had some duct tape.” But I won’t say what for. Use your imagination.

The album itself just can’t be called great music, but one of the things I like about it is that it doesn’t try for that. It punches you in the face when subtlety would’ve been the perfect delivery. Many of the songs rely on standard blues and rock chord progressions and are simple and often predictably mapped out. The tone of Rick Ruiner’s voice pushes to almost cartoonish levels. However, there is a certain charm to all of this, and after listening to this album, I can say that if the Ruiners ever invited me to party with them, there would be no way I could say no (Nina Friday! gush, gush, swoon, swoon). The whole album nails exactly what The Ruiner’s image is all about. Namely, screaming until your throat bleeds, keeping the buzz going, falling for a dangerous and sexy girl, and DRINKING BEER! WAAAOOOO!!!

So, turn it up, turn off your thoughts, jump around, and set your couch on fire! BEER! WAAOOO!!!

order the album from PRAVDA RECORDS or mp3′s here:

Category: Album Reviews, The
Posted by Lance Mitchell on Aug 17, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: Every Broken Clock – The Divine Comedians

l 4067eeddc7d548ab8ebedce890128600.png 300x294 Album Review: Every Broken Clock   The Divine Comedians album reviews The Divine Comedian’s Every Broken Clock is a brilliant album. A jaunting collection of warped alternative melodies from the pen of Nick DuFour. The album is a widely diverse mix of songs that reminds me of some of my favorite bands Josef K, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, – and yet has it’s own completely original and distinct voice.

MCR was doing a “Peer Review” system of reviewing music, but the method lead to a room full of people all trying to outwit each other at saying how much an album sucked. Something about anonymous commenting always brings out the worst in people. There was one exception though. Everyone had to praise Every Broken Clock.

The only genuine criticism I have with the album is that Nick’s vocals sound unsure. Which is a real pity considering the overbearing strength of the album. He sounds like Syd Barrett without the drugs, or maybe Stephen Malkmus without the cool.

Best lyric of all time: “I sold all my grandma’s jewlery to pay for your abortion.”

Divine Comedians on myspace.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Posted by Steve Barman on Jul 8, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

EP Review: Fallacy Island – Rogue Satellites

rogue EP Review: Fallacy Island   Rogue Satellites album reviews
The Rogue Satellites newest EP, Fallacy Island is a good mix of bleepy electronic alt rock. Jaye Thomas is the front man of the band, providing vocals and guitar as well as composing the tunes. Regan Lorie of Pewter Cub is a welcomed addition to the line up, providing keyboards/synths. Scotty Stone (Marco Polio/Eleanora) has since left Rogue Satellites, but is drumming away on this record.

The EP is 7 songs, clocking in at 21 minutes. “Old Fashioned” is definitely the catchiest tune of the bunch. About the inherent romanticism of being monogamous/going steady and how it makes one feel “Old Fashioned”. The song is an old fashioned A-side, upbeat, major chord, mixtape, good pop song. The bit that stands out the most too me is the “spontaneous erection” lyric, which is alone worthy of it’s own song. Cute and radically honest.

There’s not a lot of fat on the EP, it rolls by without any real slumps. Imaginary Animals has some great stylistic changes, going between a spacey psych bit and a droning guitar sludge. The vocal distortion on the song is perfect. “Die Zombie Die” is a really cool fun song. It only lasts 1 minute though. Which, I don’t know if The Satellites were scared the zombie fad would be dead before the album was out or what, but I really want another 2 minutes of “Die Zombie Die”. Fallacy Island, while very congenial, just doesn’t quite get there. I want to go deep into the waters of the Island, not just get my feet wet.

3.75/5
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Old Fashioned

Check them out at their facebook page where you can download most of the EP.

Or if you’d like to win a copy of the CD. Go to the Contact page and tell me your favorite zombie movie. If it doesnt’ suck, you might win a copy!

Posted by Steve Barman on Jun 23, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: Lowe – Sharky and the Habit

l 0d8a5152744343c585ea3d15d4aa3e84 300x200 Album Review: Lowe   Sharky and the Habit album reviews Sharky and the Habit comes out of the gate alive, sweaty and sticky. Paul Clos’ angry sandpaper vocals cries out with powerful demands. Any song that conveys emotion convincingly is a winner in my book, and Sharky and the Habit have a lot of them. “Lowe” is an excellent title track about being at the bottom. A fitting title for the album as well (although I don’t understand the extra “e” unless they’re referencing Swedish band Lowe or maybe an illiteracy aesthetic?)
“Ain’t got no job just worry / Ain’t got no time to spare / Ain’t got no money for my baby / and my dinner plate is bare”
That’s some pretty rough stuff. The points of how to exist in Lowe generally asked by Lowe are answered in “Makin’ Do”. The only thing you can do is survive life isn’t a choice. I’m glad the songs are about real issues as opposed to what girls the songwriter wants to bang.

James North does some exceptional guitar work throughout the album. He lays down some catchy riffs and precise guitar solos. If you like Alice and Chains there’s a decent chance you’ll be into Sharky and the Habit. “Cresent Lk. Rd.” is reminiscent of Motorhead’s Ace of Spades. Even though I wouldn’t say anything on the album charts new territory. This is a solid rock album completely holding it’s own.
The album ends with two delicious acoustic tracks. These songs holds up without the distortion pedals.

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3.5/5

FEATURED DOWNLOAD:
“Lowe” – Sharky and the Habit

Posted by Steve Barman on May 28, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

FUR’s Self-titled EP

FURselftitled 300x201 FURs Self titled EP album reviews Two years ago, Fur founders Ryan O’Rourke and Michael O’Conner began building the band out of its noise-pop origins. They took years of recordings and began crafting a sound. Wallowing through hissing drum loops and dissonant guitar tracks, they assembled what they wanted to unveil to the public. With drummer Zach Pliska joining the line-up, they set out to play the Detroit scenes. After certain modifications and a year of playing out, they decided to scrap the entirety of their songs and start over again.

Heading out to Tempermill studios in Ferndale, Fur began recording their new self-titled EP. With the addition of Johanna Champagne playing keyboards, they recorded three songs. I would like to state here that if this is what they have produced so far, I am thoroughly looking forward to their follow-up EP that will be out this summer.

The EP is very consistent in texture and tone, carrying throughout a pop sensibility hidden behind a postpunk veneer. The minor-chord-happy songwriting is strong, not meandering too long in any spots for the melody to break down. At many times, the one-string guitar melody accentuates the progression of the songs, like in Foxtrotsky (A great name, although it is not a fox, a foxtrot, nor a foxy Trotsky) where the vocals recede and the twangy melody climbs up and down the scale just as the other guitars crescendo into the payoff.

Smartly placed dissonant guitars and shoegazey vocals are blended into the whole of the music which adds an enjoyable layering wall of sound. The vocals are not the focus any more than the guitars are the complete sound. The experimental elements are not overdone making it very accessible and instantly gratifying. This EP creates a feeling of rushing towards obscured providence in a car with no headlights in the darkest part of night…and you can dance to it.

Download the EP here

Category: Album Reviews, Fur
Posted by Lance Mitchell on May 19, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Peer Review: S/T – Manolete

We’ve been getting a lot of flack for our reviews. I’d like to point out a couple of things.
1. Because it’s local doesn’t make it good.
2. We have opinions, so do you.
3. Please listen to the album, leave us a rebuttal in the comments!

PEER REVIEW: A bunch of people sit in a room, listen to the album for the first time. What we say is edited and transcribed. On with the show:

cover idea 300x275 Peer Review: S/T   Manolete album reviews

ManoleteManolete They know what they’re doing, it doesn’t seem like anything in the recording was left to chance. I’m really getting into it, the atmosphere of the album draws you in. For me, song writing could be a little tighter, it’s too experimental for my taste. This part right here reminds me of Radiohead, definitely Pablo Honey and The Bends. They even have the Falsetto voice of Tom Yorke. Half of the album I like but the other part of the album is too self-indulgent. This is good. There’s some Coldplay in there as well, the better parts of Coldplay, I really don’t like Coldplay usually. This song is a bit too much like “We Are The World”. I couldn’t imagine watching this live, it needs to be a bit more exciting. It seems if they cut out half of the album it would make a 5 star album. Each song is a bit hit or miss. This actually sounds a bit more like Muse, it sounds a bit more stadium rock.

FEATURED TRACK
Manolete – “Alarm”

Anonymous ratings: 2, 3.5, 3, 3.5 = 3/5 Detroit Dishes

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Manolete Official Site
Manolete on Myspace

Posted by Steve Barman on Apr 16, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Pear Review: S/T – The Crooks

We’ve been getting a lot of flack for our reviews. I’d like to point out a couple of things.
1. Because it’s local doesn’t make it good.
2. We have opinions, so do you.
3. Please listen to the album, leave us a rebuttal in the comments!

PEER REVIEW: A bunch of people sit in a room, listen to the album for the first time. What we say is edited and transcribed. On with the show:

SANY0022 300x225 Pear Review: S/T   The Crooks album reviews The CrooksThe Crooks

It’s kind of like a 60’s song. It’s like Jimi Hendrix is alive and well! Jimi Hendrix already did Jimi Hendrix very well. I can see this band killing the crowd. Yeah, it seems like something you’d have to experience live. Like people just coming in to drink and rock. It has the same tones of the guitar and everything [as Hendrix]. Voice, too. To copy the guitar is one thing, but and the voice?

See, I don’t think it’s that bad. I like Jimi Hendrix, but this is enjoyable. They’re good musicians. They sound like a tight band. There’re so many Detroit garage rock bands. I think they at definitely one of the better ones. Jimi Hendrix’s dad will probably sue them. This is boring the crap out of me. I love it. No, I don’t love ALL of it. As with a lot of other bands we have not liked, it’s well-done but boring. I’m enjoying the ride, although nothing really stands out. It’s a pleasant noise, but if I want to listen to this, I’ll listen to Jimi Hendrix. But at least they have some variation between the songs on the album. There’s some definite AC/DC, Iggy Pop, and Beatles influences in the album.

FEATURED TRACK
The Crooks – “Face Down Blues”

Anonymous ratings: 2, 2.5, 2, 2.5 = 2.25 Detroit Dishes
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The Crooks on Myspace
The Crooks on Facebook

The Crooks album is available at: Encore Records (Ann Arbor) , Record Time (Roseville), Car City Records (St. Claire Shores), Street Corner Music, Showtime Clothing (Detroit) , and Solo Records (Royal Oak)

Posted by Steve Barman on Apr 13, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Peer Review: “Lustfully Yours” – Gorvette

lustfullyyours 300x300 Peer Review: Lustfully Yours   Gorvette  album reviews It’s been a while, but Motor City Rocks will be posting many more album reviews very soon. Peer Review, as we call it, is when a bunch of us sit down and listen to a record, then tear it to shreads through the veil of anonymity. Don’t think anonymity can turn you into a jerk? Head over to Eat This City‘s comment section. We do our best to promote local music, if our Peer Review seems harsh, just remember:

“One becomes a critic when one cannot be an artist, just as a man becomes a stool pigeon when he cannot be a soldier.” – Gustave Flaubert

I hate this. Me too. Sounds like Betty Blowtorch. Sounds like Marcie Bolen. I don’t think this is Marcy Bolen. Sounds like a song that would play in a movie about a girl punk band. This is the remake of the Josie and the Pussy cats soundtrack. A lot of bands like this I feel like they’re calling it in. Sounds like so many girl punk bands. There’s zero passion whatsoever. Like hey, let’s make a band that sounds like The Runaways. Boring boring boring. I didn’t know the Donnas were a Detroit band. Sounds like something I’ve heard before.

I think the people who are listening to this are going because they want this specific thing satisfied. You don’t watch Scooby Doo for variety, you watch it because you like Scooby Doo. This Is just so generic sounding. I guess you could say they’re good at replicating this exact style. The Whip It Sountrack volume 2. These gus will do the soundtrack to the Joan Jett movie. It’s not quite riot girl, it’s more like domestic disturbance girl, noise complaint girl. This is a Ramones cover, right? Am I an asshole because if this was an all guy band I would give it a 1, but because they’re female vocals I want to give it a 2. If they were singing about smashing the patriarchy I might like it. If they were super politicized I would totally love it. They need to sing about cutting off dicks, or how dead men can’t rape. This band would definitely be better live. They have a 4 5 6 7 8′s feel. I could dance to it. Well executed but generic. Whoa, was that an F-bomb? Shit just got real! I have a feeling too that it sounds flat because of the way the album was mixed. There’s no edge. Making a girl punk band this bland is a crime. If the lyrics were “satan is our dark lord” it might be a bit better. Sounds sexy, I’m just not buying it. It didn’t touch me in any way at all. That was insulting to the whole musical movement I think.

Randomized scores = 1.5, 2, 1, 1.5= 1.5
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Your critics:

Steve Barman
steve2 75x56 Peer Review: Lustfully Yours   Gorvette  album reviews
Kevin Eckert
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Lance Mitchell
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Chris Theisen
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Posted by Steve Barman on Mar 15, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Peer Review: “Free Write” – The Dogs

We’re attempting again to do group reviews of albums while listening to them for the first time. We believe this will capture the purity of the sound first gracing out ears. All of the review is anonymous words from our mouths while listening. We’re calling this musical experiment “Peer Review”. Four people helped us with the Peer Review this week, if you’re interested in participating in a future Peer Review, please comment below.

l 5c3cdff484284473bacbb35d758b32f4 300x300 Peer Review: Free Write   The Dogs album reviews The Dogs – Free Write I should point out that this album is completely free via The Dogs website. The Review:

This sounds so 90s. I don’t mean that in a bad way. The nineties were a great time for music. That’s the cool thing now too, to sound like the 90s. You could use this song to make a montage of sad people looking out of windows in the rain. You could put this song over the video for GreenDay’s time of your life. I think this is what Lou Barlow thinks that he sounds like. Soft and melodic with a hard edge. I like it. They nailed that crescendo part. It’s inoffensive. I like that screaming part. It’s not just screaming, done in a good way. I’m not a big Replacements fan but I hear a bit of that in there. This is such a nineties throwback I’m expecting a wacky voicemail message at the end or an audio clip from Reality Bites.

Is this Enya? I don’t really dig her singing. This could be a totally different artist. The first song is good and that’s how they trick you into listening to the rest of the song. She’s got a sweet voice, I just don’t dig the song at all. She sounds a bit like Claudia Gonson from the Magnetic Fields. This song is a much better use of her voice. This is the song that you’re supposed to put on the mix cd right? I like this song a lot. I like a lot of songs that have a male/female duet. Musically it songs good, but the chords are a bit generic… There it goes. This song sounds a bit like early Belle and Sebastian. Now it sounds like Sunny Day Real Estate. This horn part is great. I like the way the fret movement on the the guitar strings sounds, I don’t know what it’s called. This album is eeking it’s way up to a 4! The screams are getting a little emo torture for me, but they’re still recorded well. Is this supposed to be a drum solo or is the cd skipping? I liked that song but it seemed like the same formula as the last song. Kinda noodly at one part, then the verse, then the screamy part, then the repeaty part.

Is this part a new band? This sounds like the Knife. I like these vocals. It’s like a Gregorian chant, kind of creepy. Am I going to be worshipping Satan by the end of this? This part makes me think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the guys slap themselves in the head with wood. I feel like the songs are gettting better as the album gets further in. It’s more of a summery album than a winter. Some of them have that very light feel, but not all of them. This is getting very interesting. Is that a banjo? Wow, they are way too talented to be a really young band. This is a song they’d really rock out live I’m sure. I got a little bit of an Arcade Fire vibe from this band. This isn’t something I would buy, but I would have no problem seeing them live. Nice space disonance.

Sounds a little like the Microphones, but they’re not seemed trapped into always sounding lowfi. I think they’re very conscious in how they want their vocals to sound, they don’t over use the vocal asthetic. Same with the horns, they use them just the right amount without going over board. That second song was kind of a non-sequiter because they have a very cohesive song. This is kinda like older Bright Eyes. It’s very indie rock, but it’s very accousticy, and there’s a lot of things going on in it. That’s good vocal work. These parts make me think of modest mouse. These guys know their last 20 years of indie rock, that’s for sure, and they use the good parts. This song is making me want to ease the plugs out of the back of the speakers. This sounds like half the Neil Young songs I’ve ever heard. I hate Neil Young. Is this song called “The Ghost Of Civil war Veterans”? At least this song isn’t in the middle of the album. They should have called it a bonus track so that you don’t feel like it tainted the album.

Ratings (anonymously randomized): 3.75 , 4, 3.5, 4 = 3.8 out of 5
The Dogs on Myspace

Your critics:

Steve Barman
steve2 75x56 Peer Review: Free Write   The Dogs album reviews
Kevin Eckert
Kevineckert 75x56 Peer Review: Free Write   The Dogs album reviews
Lance Mitchell
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Chris Theisen
chris 75x56 Peer Review: Free Write   The Dogs album reviews
Posted by Steve Barman on Feb 17, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Peer Review: Just Boyz – Mahoney – Robin Parrent

Motor City Rocks has tried out a new musical experiment. State of the art criticism at it’s best. Five people enter into a room, listen to three albums from three bands, not knowing the name of the band or any of the songs. They say what they’re thinking about the song AS IT PLAYS! We’re not Pitchfork,  I’m not good at adjective laden hyper description of sound. This is an album on trial, being judged by peers. All of our comments on the albums are posted anonymously below. We hope you enjoy!

justboyz 300x252 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews Just BoyzSorry Ladies!
Just Boyz was the house band at Scrummage University and played under the name Benny Stoofy for most of their live shows. Just Boyz is Ben Christensen, Conor Edwards, Antonio Manzari, Eric Chodoroff, and sometimes Alex Lauer. Conor, Ben and Alex make up Lord Scrummage.

You can download and stream the entire album here at their website FREE.

ONTO THE REVIEW:

This sounds like the Residents when they were in pre-school. Sounds like a movie soundtrack. They sounds like a normal band under water. It’s like Malcolm in the Middle goes to the carnival and this is the background music. If They Might Be Giants and Dan Deacon had a baby, Not their adult offspring, their nine year old. Feels like Zappa without the hard edge. You’re going to have to take a few monster bong rips to really appreciate this. Was this the Bubble Bobble Super Nintendo music? The perfect music for a video game about monkeys. Reminds me of early 70s Pink Floyd, the soundtrack to More. I think they stole unreleased tracks from Ween. I feel like it’s background music. There’s a lot of things going on at the same time, a weird vocal thing, the 8 bit noise, and the melodies, instruments going in and out. We should let them know which parts they like so they can decide which band to be. They seem like a different band with each song. I have to say I don’t really like this band over all. I can’t see putting this in and listening to it. It seems like a new band getting a feel for what works for them, I like parts but there’s too much going on.

Final rating: 2.1 out of 5

mahoney 300x202 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews Mahoney – Mahoney (EP)
First let me point out, this band is Mahoney, NOT The Mahonies.

ONTO THE REVIEW:

This is very middle of the road typical rock. I’ve heard this type of road a million times. I can see them winning a radio contest and opening for the foo fighters and being really stoked. In every song, there’s the pop gimic sound effect. They stick every single top 40 gimic in over and over. It’s concentrated bubble gum. During one song, there will be 4 really obvious popular band influences. A single song sounds like 3 other people’s songs. I hear a little bit of Bloc Party in there. It’s well produced and well mixed, it sounds good. I can picture it on the radio. I feel like this is a guy’s final project for mixing and he’s trying to prove he can do everything. Kind of formulaic. This one sounds like a Good Charlotte song. I’m over this band. I can’t believe the lyric mentioned a gun, this has nothing to do with violence, it’s like they throw in these words to prove to their mom that they were bad ass. This is the music the masses want, we’re just too much a bunch of pretentious dicks to enjoy it. This is a 13 year old’s punk now-a-days. I hear a lot of early 90s grunge influence. 89X amalgamated into one album. Were they on that show “The Making of the CD Dollar Bin band”? Good energy. Everything is very in the pocket. Produced and preformed well. Devoid of any interesting ideas in any way. This is the music you would hear in a bar in Livonia. If I didn’t know this band and they opened for a band I was going to see, I’d leave the bar and try to get re-admitted later. I hope this band is underage because no one over 18 will want to fuck them. The twilight crowd, mother daughter multiplier. This is the Kanye part. This is a baaaaad song. The only thing that could redeem this song would be if there was like a 3 minute long Slash style guitar solo. They need some guy just wailing on his ax. You know that you’re going to be the guy that this guy tells to fuck off in the liner notes of his first platinum album. Our complaints about this album will probably be compliments to them. The only band I didn’t hear them ripping off were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and if you’re aiming that high, you need to put some slap bass in there. They need a rapping segment during the bridge of this song.

Final rating 1 out of 5


robin 297x300 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews Robin Parrent – Beauty Damaged

This is Robin Parrent‘s solo album he was in The Subnormals, The Craves, the Revenants, and Violent Ear (according to Last.fm which is never wrong).

ONTO THE REVIEW:

Charles Manson’s ice cream truck is here! Very 60s. Nice marching rhythm. With this band I feel like it’s someone writing about something that he feels, he’s trying to express a genuine emotion and tell a story. This isn’t bad at all. I’d like to see them live. The female vocals compliment his voice really well. It sounds like they have a really good knowledge of music, they sound like an experienced band, who’ve written lots of songs before. . They have dynamic rythms. This has a very Rain Dogs Tom Waits feel to it. They have a bit of the Violent Femmes too. I’d pay around $6 to see them live. I’d like to hear the female vocalist sing lead on a couple tracks. The whole album has it’s own flavor which you can tell it’s intentional. The lo-fi distortiony feel is a really good sound to have right now, and they do it well. This is kind of a post-white stripes, grunge rock detroit, but they hit it at a good time. The singer sounds a little like Jack White at times. It’s not a big thing, but I like the little soundscapey type noises in between the songs helps it, it pulls the album together with a theme. This song sounds like Jim Morrisson when he’s strung out on smack. Ok, this part is just the vocals jerking off “look what I can do with my voice!” Gordon Gano in his darkest moment wouldn’t have done this song. Is someone noodling on a violin? This part’s boring, it sounds like he’s just tuning up or something. This has a cool Dick Dale guitar part. He has a lot happening in this music, but it’s not too much. He’s got a great progression where he’s ascending musically. In a lot of music, it’s the silence that’s the most important parts, and I think he understands that. This part reminds me of a track from the Velvet Underground’s third album. He’s a good guitar player. It goes from a really fun album into a lot of dicking around. It kind of lost momentum.It sounds like that guy on QVC who sells guitars….Estaban? He’s just dicking around on the guitar now, this doesn’t sound like a song even. It’s no longer a song, it’s a religion now. This is his vocal warm up that accidentally got recorded. If I woke up tomorrow on a raft made up of strung together with logs with a piece of straw in my mouth and a big oar, I would listen to this. I just want him to scream or do something. This sounds like something he could be playing in bed, I can’t see him rocking this out live on stage. Sounds like a cd you’d get at a renessance festival.He needs to emphasize the guitar a little less. These are some mad Bauhaus style vocals.

Final rating 2.75 out of 5 [after this was established there were people trying to push their rating up because they thought Robin deserved at least a 3, but we finally agreed that vote manipulation doesn't help out the democratic system -ed]

Your critics:

Steve Barman
steve2 75x56 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews
Jim Davey
Jimdavey 56x75 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews
Kevin Eckert
Kevineckert 75x56 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews
Lance Mitchell
lancemitchell 56x75 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews
Chris Theisen
chris 75x56 Peer Review: Just Boyz   Mahoney   Robin Parrent album reviews
Posted by Steve Barman on Jan 16, 2010 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: You are You – The Summer Pledge

You Are You by The Summer PledgeThe Summer Pledge’s debut album, You Are You Album Review: You are You   The Summer Pledge album reviews , is an audio canvas that the band has painted with a moody, atmospheric sound. The album blends together pleasantly to make a nearly interconnected opus from the first track through the eighth. The spacey sound carries through the album from start to finish, and each track is decorated with chiming guitar arpeggios, unconventional drum beats, captivating bass lines, and nostalgic lyrics. The recording itself is fantastic, and the layers of the instruments, effects, and vocals are skillfully constructed. The vocals sound slightly behind the mix giving the album a dreamy, outer space sound as the guitar riffs jingle through your ears, and the bass line carries each song through carefully landscaped changes. The album is on the shorter side, and with good reason so that not to lose a listener’s attention to long winded space jams. The title track of the album lends itself to stand alone, but some of the songs lack individuality outside of the album. These skilled musicians make You Are You exceptionally pleasurable to the ears, and even better if you listen to the album in its entirety.

FEATURED TRACKS:

“Who Are You” – The Summer Pledge

“Silver Choice” – The Summer Pledge

** You Are You can be found online at Woodbridge Records or on Amazon Album Review: You are You   The Summer Pledge album reviews .

Posted by Leslie on Nov 30, 2009 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: Taxis – Zoos of Berlin

Zoos of Berlin Taxis Album CoverThe debut album form Zoos of Berlin is a startlingly expansive journey of a gorgeous spacey soundscapes. Drummer/engineer Collin Dupuis and band mates recorded Taxis Album Review: Taxis   Zoos of Berlin album reviews in a make-shift 5,000 sq. foot studio within the Russell Industrial Center. The result is a haunting and natural reverb and tonality that brings to mind David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. The texture isn’t the only thing the Zoos have going for them, they have an inherent sense pulling out fresh melodies from complex layered harmony. The vocal work of Trevor Naud and Daniel I. Clark is precise and flexible. Their vocal styling reminds me of the Beta Band, but Zoos have a wider range.

The songs are diverse, yet remain consistent thematically. “Black in the Sun” has a rippling horn punctuating throughout the catchy krautrock. Clocking in at just over two minutes, the cryptic lyrics and baroque keyboards don’t leave anything feeling incomplete. “Juan Matus” has a flavors of Stereolab which escalates into a hazed merry-go-round collapsing onto itself, only to resurface as a lounge-y keyboard solo from Will Yates. Another golden track, “Electrical Way” has a funk reminiscent of Headhunters era Herbie Hancock while maintaining the straightforwardness of The Strokes. As with the other songs on Taxis, “Electrical Way” doesn’t give you the opportunity to get bored, it re-invents itself seamlessly and beautifully. I can’t recommend this album enough.

FEATURED TRACK
“Black In The Sun Room” – Zoos of Berlin

** Zoos of Berlin will be playing at the Crofoot in Pontiac on Friday, November 6th along with Black Heart Procession, Thunderbirds Are Now! and Prussia.

Posted by Steve Barman on Nov 1, 2009 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: Know Better Learn Faster – Thao with the Get Down

Know-Better-Learn-FasterLast May I reviewed a concert of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.  They played with Sister Suvi and Samantha Crain. During the show, Thao invited members of the other bands into their set and played several songs along with them, making for an astonishingly wild and active stage.  What an amazing performance! With as many as 9 people crammed onto the tiny stage within the Beachland Tavern, I found myself torn between taking photos and dancing.  Seeing Thao live and with the caliber of energy that they presented to that crowd seems to have carried over into their new album Know Better Learn Faster specifically with “Cool Yourself”  and my favorite on the album “When We Swarm”, a dashingly slick song that begs you to dance like Ben Afleck in Chasing Amy (You know, in the bar when he’s rubbing his chest and swaying awkwardly). Anyway . . . I also seem to be hearing slight influences from Sister Suvi throughout the album. In Thao’s previous albums they have been, by and large, almost comedic and definitely upbeat with their musical juxtaposition.  Know Better Learn Faster does bring some more serious themes to the table. These new elements and change to their already stellar style only solidifies the album’s place within Thao Nguyen’s discography and it comes highly recommended.

Folk Rock Lovers – Eat your heart out.

Don’t miss their upcoming show at the Magic Stick this coming Halloween night!

Category: Album Reviews
Posted by Curtis McGuire on Oct 6, 2009 | Comments | Permalink |

Album Review: So Obsene – Friendly Foes

Friendly FoesFriendly Foes has a didactic name and there’s two seperate voices emerging on their new So Obscene EP . I don’t mean just the voices of frontman Ryan Allen and singer Liz Wittman. There’s the first two tracks “How It Works” and “Keep Breathing” which fly by like a car filled with sugar-high teenagers on a summer day. “Keep Breathing” is definitely the stand out song from this release. Wittman’s voice has an attitude and sexiness you can believe in, accompanied well with Allen’s fuzzy lively guitar, and the boisterous bumpings of new drummer Sean Sommer. The other half of the EP slows in both tempo and enjoyability. “Paint It Gold” and “Line Up” seem like they’ve been done before to the point where they’re a copy of a copy duo of pop songs that escaped the mid-nineties. You don’t know what you’ll get when you party with your frienemies, just like Friendly Foes’ So Obscene.

FEATURED TRACK:
“How It Works” – Friendly Foes

So Obscene will be released on 7″ record on October 10th from Gangplank Records.  The official release show will be October 10th at the Berkley Front with the Javelins and Allan James and the Cold Wave.


Posted by Steve Barman on Oct 5, 2009 | Comments | Permalink |


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