“A Hundred Million Suns” Fades Out Quickly

Snow Patrol’s fifth album, “One Hundred Million Suns” starts out strong but quickly runs out of fuel after only a few songs.
The Irish rockers’ latest album shows some attempts to expand their sound, giving it a more epic quality. The result however, is wildly uneven. The starting trilogy of songs shows off this ambitious direction, especially “Take Back The City,” one of the best songs on the album.
After the opening trilogy though, the songs start to become bland and all sound like different versions of the first three tracks. The epic songs begin to sound like Coldplay and don’t offer anything new. This is the real shame of this album because there are moments throughout “A Hundred Million Suns” where you can hear potential for an innovative and interesting song but the band winds up moving in the opposite direction. The worst case of this repetitive nature can be found in “Set Down Your Glass” and “The Planets Bend Between Us.” These songs are so similar in instrumentation, tone, and speed that they sound like one could easily be part of the other.
The final track, “The Lighting Strikes,” slightly redeems the rest of the album with a 16-minute suite chaining three tracks together. While this track does run a little too long, it is a very innovative and pleasant surprise that is very much in Snow Patrol’s style but different enough to stand out.
If Snow Patrol is to keep its fans interested and gain new ones, their closing track of “A Hundred Million Suns” should be a direction they should strongly consider for their next album. It’s time for this band to break away from being Coldplay’s echo and show the world what epic really is.

Key Tracks: “If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It,” “Take Back The City,” “The Lightning Strike”


Coming soon...my Grammy predictions. Who should win, who will win, and who should have been nominated. Stay tuned!

Guitar Hero Metallica: News for the week of 1/25/09

This week has been a little slower compared to all of last week's info. But there's still some news to go through. I've also decided to inject a little bit of my own opinion about the news updates. Comment if you think it works.

- Metallica has revealed the tracklisting for their upcoming Guitar Hero videogame. It contains 28 songs from Metallica's entire career as well as 21 of their favorite tracks by other artists like the Foo Fighters, Queen, and Alice in Chains. The game will also contain a difficulty level higher than expert. Have a bucket of ice nearby for your hands. You're gonna need it.

- The Academy Awards nominees for Best Song were whittled down to only three tracks. WALL-E's "Down to Earth" by Peter Gabriel and Slumdog Millionaire's "O...Saya" by M.I.A & "Jai Ho" by A.H. Rahman were the three songs to be nominated. Springsteen, who one the Golden Globe for Best Song, was surprisingly snubbed by the Oscars. Big mistake by the Academy in my opinion. What was wrong with the original 5 nominations?

- AC/DC have denied a report that they will perform at Wrestlemania XXV.

- Death Cab for Cutie have annouced a spring tour that will begin on March 7 in Miami and end on May 6 in Atlanta.

- The Moody Blues will play a series of shows on the West Coast, starting on March 27 in Rancho Mirage, CA and ending on April 7 in Santa Rosa, CA.

- Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is in development to become a musical on Broadway. No theater dates or location have been given yet. A musical based on "Thriller"...really? Broadway really does seem to be running out of ideas.

- Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, T.I., Kayne West, and Jay-Z will all perform at this year’s Grammys ceremony. Other performers include Coldplay, Jonas Brothers, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry, and Kenny Chesney. I am really surprised that Radiohead is actually going to perform at the Grammys given their general anti-record label philosophy. But I'm not complaining. Radiohead is one of the best live bands around and I look forward to their performence.

- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album will be titled It's Blitz and will be released sometime this spring.

- Concert tickets that go on sale this week (in the tri-state area):
-> The Ting Tings on March 15 at the Music Hall of Williamsberg, on sale on 01/30 at noon
-> The Cave Singers on April 2 at the Mercury Lounge, on sale on 01/30 at noon
-> Dan Deacon on May 16 at Bowery Ballroom, on sale on 01/30 at noon

- Rock album releases this week (always Tuesday unless stated otherwise)
-> Tonight: Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
-> Working on a Dream by Bruce Springsteen
-> Fornever by Hoobastank
-> Crooked X by Crooked X
-> Lividity by It Dies Today

The Killers concert review at Madison Square Garden on 01/25/09

I had previously seen The Killers when they last toured New York in support of their second album, Sam's Town. The show was good but not fantastic. That show was held up by the power of the band's hit singles. However, this time around, The Killers put on a fantastic show that showed both the strength of their new album, Day and Age, as well as their older hits. The show began at a fairly early time of 8:15 and blasted right into their latest single, "Spaceman," with Brandon Flowers jumping around the stage as he sang and the large video wall offering the visual support. As good as the new album is, older hits such as "Somebody Told Me," "Mr. Brightside," and "When You Were Young" are still the fan favorites and got the crowd on their feet. The highlight had to be the main set closer, "All These Things That I've Done." That song was made to be performed in large venues. The crowd was so into it that they began singing "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier" before Flowers even got the chance to sing it himself.

Setlist:
1. Spaceman
2. Losing Touch
3. Somebody Told Me
4. Smile Like You Mean It
5. This Is Your Life
6. Joy Ride
7. I Can't Stay
8. Bling (Confessions Of A King)
9. Shadowplay
10. Bones
11. Neon Tiger
12. Human
13. Sam's Town
14. Read My Mind
15. Mr. Brightside
16. All These Things That I've Done

Encore:
17. On Top
18. For Reasons Unknown
19. Jenny Was A Friend of Mine
20. When You Were Young

Get On Your Boots: News for the week of 01/19/09

Sorry this update is a couple of days later than usual. I've been a little busy. Anyway, I forgot to add that if you enjoy this blog, please tell your friends to check it out as well. Now, on to news.

- U2's new single, "Get On Your Boots," was released to radio and digitally on Monday, 01/19. It is their first new single since 2006's "Window in the Skies."

- Metallica, Run-DMC, and Jeff Beck are three of the many 2009 inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other performers to be inducted on April 4th in Cleveland are Wanda Jackson, Little Anothony and the Imperials, and Bobby Womack.

- Bruce Springsteen picked up a Golden Globe for his track, "The Wrestler," which was written for the movie of the same name.

- Capitol/EMI plan to re-release Radiohead's first three album, Pablo Honey, The Bends, and OK Computer as 2-CD and 2-CD/1-DVD sets. The reissues will contain the original album along with all of the group's b-sides for each respective era. The DVDs will include live footage and music videos. They will be released on March 24th.

- Bruce Springsteen, U2, Beyonce, and James Taylor were a few of many performers to play at a inaugural concert on 01/19 for President Obama.

- In other inaugural news, Obama selected The Dead to perform at the Inaugural Ball.

- U2 has released the tracklisting and album cover for their upcoming album, No Line On The Horizon. The tracklisting is : 1. “No Line On The Horizon”
2. “Magnificent”
3. “Moment of Surrender”
4. “Unknown Caller”
5. “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”
6. “Get On Your Boots”
7. “Stand Up Comedy”
8. “Fez – Being Born”
9. “White As Snow”
10. “Breathe”
11. “Cedars Of Lebanon”

- Kings of Leon, U2, Duffy, and Girls Aloud have all been confirmed to perform at this year's BRIT Awards on February 18th.

- Pete Doherty's first solo album, Grace/Wasteland, will be released on March 24th.

- Concert tickets that go on sale this week (in the tri-state area):
-> Kris Kristofferson at The Concert Hall, on sale on 01/24 at 10 am
-> Rick Springfield at the Nokia Theatre Times Square, on sale on 01/24 at 12 pm
-> Say Hi at Mercury Lounge, on sale on 01/23 at 12 pm
-> Van Morrison at WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, on sale on 01/25 at 10 am
-> Tom Jones at Terminal 5, on sale on 01/23 at 12 pm

- Album releases this week (always Tuesday unless stated otherwise)
-> Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
-> Grand by Matt and Kim
-> Noble Beast by Andrew Bird
-> The Empyrean by John Frusciante
-> Mantis by Umphrey's McGee
-> A-Lex by Sepultura (January 23)

Zeppelin is over. News for the week of 1/11/09

Hey everyone. This is my first news update on this blog so let's see what's been happening and what's coming up this week in music.

- Jimmy Page's manager stated that the plan to find a new singer to replace Robert Plant on a possible future tour is "completely over now." It appears that there will not be a new Led Zeppelin album or tour for a while, if ever.

- NY DJ, Minty Fresh Beats, has created a mashup of Jay-Z and Radiohead. The mashup is called Jaydiohead and can be found here.

- Bonnaroo.com recently launched Bonnaroo 365, a program that will occasionally show complete sets from the Bonnaroo Festival. The first set up is The Racontuers set from 2008's festval.

- Phish announced that they will be reuniting for a tour this summer, their first in five years. The tour will open with two shows at Jones Beach in New York on June 4 and 5. Tickets will go on sale on January 30th at 10 am.

- The Dead have also announced their first tour in five years. It will start in North Carolina on April 12 and end in California in early May. Pre-sale tickets for the tour go on sale January 13th.

- Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck will play two shows together at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on February 21 and 22.

- Prince intends to release three albums in 2009: Lotus Flow3r, MPLSound and Elixir. Now word on release dates yet.

- Concert tickets that go on sale this week (in the tri-state area):
-> David Bryne at Radio City Music Hall, on sale on 01/12 at 10 am
-> The Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon Theatre, on sale on 01/16 at 10 am
-> Mates of State / Black Kids at Webster Hall, on sale on 01/16
-> Dave Matthews Band at Madison Square Garden, on sale on 01/17

- Albums being released this week (always Tuesday unless stated otherwise)
-> Life In-Between by Royal Bliss
-> Hordes of Chaos by Kreator

Top 10 Songs of 2008

Here's  an article on my top 10 tracks of 2008. Hope you enjoy it and please add your own list

if you wish. I've added links for all the tracks so you can hear them yourselves

1. "Reckoner"by Radiohead
While this song technically came out in 2007 on In Rainbows, it was released as a single in 2008 so I’m including it. Starting with a dominant drumbeat, the track is a beautiful ballad sung entirely in falsetto by Thom Yorke. The lyrics are some of the best on In Rainbows (Because we separate like/ripples on a blank shore). The highest point is the gorgeous bridge in which the drums drop out, leaving Yorke to sing over just the guitar and string arrangement.

2. Spaceman by The Killers
The second single from Day and Age is a brilliant track about alien abduction. Starting with a short synth intro, the song quickly explodes into pure dance-rock. The song has glittery guitar that ensnares itself in the listener’s brain. Containing an instantly catchy chorus and a funky bridge, it may be the best song The Killers have ever done.

3. Chemtrails by Beck
Probably the most psychedelic track Beck has ever done, “Chemtrails” is a very ethereal track grounded by a steady drum beat. Beck’s vocals lazily float over the track in a beautiful falsetto. The track instantly puts the listener at ease and can easily lead to a daydream. It almost feels like you can just float out to sea and leave your worries behind.


4. "Spiralling" by Keane
The first single off of Kean’s latest album, Perfect Symmetry, has a nostalgic 80s New Wave/dance feel to it without going over the edge into feeling dated. One of the first tracks by Keane to contain a guitar, the song is held up by the use of two synthesizers and the vocals of singer Tom Chaplin. Without a doubt, “Spiralling” is one of the best pop-rock songs in recent years.

5. "Daddy's Gone" by Glasvegas
From Glasvegas’ self-titled debut album, “Daddy’s Gone” is a testament to a father who wasn’t there for his child. The lyrics are fairly straightforward but they aren’t overly sentimental or cheesy. There is a real anger that’s just barely held back by a sense of longing. One of the most noticeable qualities of the track is James Allan’s thick Scottish accent. The track also heavily implements Phil Spector’s “wall-of-sound” technique, which works in favor of the song. The track is one of the best singles from a new group from 2008 and should hopefully lead the band to much success.

6. "Lost!" by Coldplay
While Coldplay’s two earlier singles, “Violet Hill” and “Viva La Vida,” have received more exposure, “Lost!” is the real gem of the album. Containing a prominent tribal drum beat throughout the song, “Lost!” rocks a little more than the rest of the album. While the lyrics aren’t particularly great (the “big fish/small pond” line is cringeworthy), the track’s rhythm and enthusiastic energy causes it to stand out.

7. "Dying is Fine" by Ra Ra Riot
One of the first songs written by Ra Ra Riot, this track has a slightly tragic attachment due to the accidental death of the band’s drummer, John Ryan Pike. The band decided to continue after his death, releasing “Dying is Fine” on their first album, The Rhumb Line. While the title may imply a dark or depressing song, the track has a very light-hearted quality to it. The cello and violin adds an organic quality and distinguishes the song from many other indie tracks released this year.

8. "Bones Of You" by Elbow
From Elbow’s fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid, “Bones of You” has an Arabic vibe to it, especially in terms of the guitar arrangement. Holding the song together is the combined percussion of traditional drums and handclaps. Lead singer Guy Garvey’s earthy vocals are counterbalanced in the chorus by the much more airy vocals of various backup singers.

9. "Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket
Featuring a bluesy guitar that sounds like it could have been written by Lynyrd Skynyrd, this track features a funky falsetto that makes you wonder if the audience should be fist-pumping or dancing. The answer is both. “Evil Urges” shows My Morning Jacket’s ability to blow open the genre of southern rock and their refusal to be tied to one style of music.

10. "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon
The first single from Kings of Leon’s latest album, Only By The Night, seems to be made for people to sing along to in an arena. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Another instantly catchy tune that gets stuck in your head, “Sex on Fire” should finally break open the American market that Kings of Leon have struggled to find success in.

Hello! Hello!

Hey everyone.

Welcome to my blog. I tried to make one of these before but I never updated it.  I hope to remember to update this one weekly with news and occasionally with reviews.

This blog is basically for fans of rock music everywhere. Every week I'll try to update this blog with all the news I can find regarding upcoming releases, tours, and other info. I'll also post reviews of both new albums that I get and also older albums I already have.  I want to encourage anyone who reads this blog to post any comments or suggestions for improvements I can make or just to post your own opinions about the albums I review/news that I post.

Hopefully, this will be the first of many posts (even though I'm writing this first post two days before class begins) and I look forward to posting so stay tuned.