Not many song-a-day threads (Wrap-up post up) (All done!)

[olle92]

[olle92]

[Davers]

Ugh...my iTouch just deleted my long post I had for you But the sum of the whole post was that I like what you are doing here. I've enjoyed reading your two reviews so far even though I thought the 2nd was just a tad too lengthy (reason I don't participate in the other album threads; reviews on an entire album is too long). That's just me though. I really hope you stick with this thread. I'll be reading it

[Davers]

Ugh...my iTouch just deleted my long post I had for you But the sum of the whole post was that I like what you are doing here. I've enjoyed reading your two reviews so far even though I thought the 2nd was just a tad too lengthy (reason I don't participate in the other album threads; reviews on an entire album is too long). That's just me though. I really hope you stick with this thread. I'll be reading it

[Amanwithapencil]

Lesley Roy - I'm Gone, I'm Going

When you consider the most important bands in our musical heritage, you can't discount what comes across the Atlantic. The British music scene has supplied everyone from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Blur, Black Sabbath, and the Clash. With success like that, it's easy to overlook the fact that there's also a vibrant music scene on the other side of the English Channel. That's right - Ireland has provided us with great acts as U2, Sinead O'Connor, Thin Lizzy, and Van Morrison.


Lesley Roy isn't ready to be mentioned in the same breath with those artists, but she's already managed to make a splash with upbeat anthems like "I'm Gone, I'm Going." This cut from her 2008 album Unbeautiful is a delicious slab of energetic girly pop-rock. Roy sings with power and passion, but she also has a restrained energy. She isn't a diva. I'd say she sounds like Kelly Clarkson here, particularly songs like "Since You've Been Gone," and "My Life Would Suck Without You." There's a strong sense of energy behind the drums and guitar riffs that help propel Roy forward. (I picture this guy playing drums on this song) Instrumentally, they remind me of Paramore. The sound of the guitar provides a tasty treat, and the guitar solo gets you pumped up. I wish it were longer. The lyrics, which focus on tensions in a relationship, are nothing new, but they do the job.


If there's a drawback, it's that there's nothing very original about this song. The popular music scene is already swimming with blonde pop starlets with a similar type of sound. It was initially hoping to hear some Irish influence in this song, like maybe a Celtic Thunder vibe. But it sounds like she's totally Americanized her sound. I can't say I'm delighted about her MTV partnership. (My general thoughts on MTV tend to be in line with this). But still, Roy provides a toe tapper that brims with energy, so I give her credit.

Score: 3.3 out of 5


Next up: Kid Cudi
In the on deck circle: Pavement
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[Amanwithapencil]

Lesley Roy - I'm Gone, I'm Going

When you consider the most important bands in our musical heritage, you can't discount what comes across the Atlantic. The British music scene has supplied everyone from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Blur, Black Sabbath, and the Clash. With success like that, it's easy to overlook the fact that there's also a vibrant music scene on the other side of the English Channel. That's right - Ireland has provided us with great acts as U2, Sinead O'Connor, Thin Lizzy, and Van Morrison.


Lesley Roy isn't ready to be mentioned in the same breath with those artists, but she's already managed to make a splash with upbeat anthems like "I'm Gone, I'm Going." This cut from her 2008 album Unbeautiful is a delicious slab of energetic girly pop-rock. Roy sings with power and passion, but she also has a restrained energy. She isn't a diva. I'd say she sounds like Kelly Clarkson here, particularly songs like "Since You've Been Gone," and "My Life Would Suck Without You." There's a strong sense of energy behind the drums and guitar riffs that help propel Roy forward. (I picture this guy playing drums on this song) Instrumentally, they remind me of Paramore. The sound of the guitar provides a tasty treat, and the guitar solo gets you pumped up. I wish it were longer. The lyrics, which focus on tensions in a relationship, are nothing new, but they do the job.


If there's a drawback, it's that there's nothing very original about this song. The popular music scene is already swimming with blonde pop starlets with a similar type of sound. It was initially hoping to hear some Irish influence in this song, like maybe a Celtic Thunder vibe. But it sounds like she's totally Americanized her sound. I can't say I'm delighted about her MTV partnership. (My general thoughts on MTV tend to be in line with this). But still, Roy provides a toe tapper that brims with energy, so I give her credit.

Score: 3.3 out of 5


Next up: Kid Cudi
In the on deck circle: Pavement
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[this1neguy]

coughit's"i'mgonei'mgoing"not"i'mgoingi'mgone"cough
_________________

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links:
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Silly wrote:

yksi-kaksi-kolme wrote: I hope the April Fool's joke is expertwin becoming a mod Reports coming in that over five hundred thousand players of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games have simultaneously committed seppuku

[this1neguy]

coughit's"i'mgonei'mgoing"not"i'mgoingi'mgone"cough
_________________

i played GH once upon a time | big 3000th post
links:
youtube | twitter | tumblr | last.fm | rateyourmusic

Silly wrote:

yksi-kaksi-kolme wrote: I hope the April Fool's joke is expertwin becoming a mod Reports coming in that over five hundred thousand players of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games have simultaneously committed seppuku

[Amanwithapencil]

Kid Cudi - All Along

I have to admit, I didn't have much prior knowledge of Kid Cudi coming into this. I'd heard some of his stuff from a couple of Kanye tracks, but I wasn't paying much attention to who was doing what. So my first thought was that maybe this was going to be a Black Eyed Peas type track. Thankfully I was spared that.

So what I did get can be characterized as a moody, low key, mellow R&B track. It sounds like a lullaby. Kid Cudi thoughtfully muses on loneliness and his station in life. While reading the lyrics, I actually thought of Langston Hughes. The general vibe of the song reminds me of some stuff I've heard from Pete Miser. His vocal performance is convincing, but he doesn't show off much range. At times he almost sounds monotone. I'm can't say I'm a big fan of the beat, either; it sounds like somebody repetitively beating on a bass drum. The string sections are nice, though. (At least I think it's a string section. That's what it sounds like).

Overall, I find Kid Cudi definitely displays a poetic quality that I find appealing. I don't listen to a lot of R&B type stuff personally, but when I do I tend to prefer the smooth, silkier stuff like this and this. (Speaking of which, if you like this song then I would fully recommend checking out some of Brian Culbertson's collaborations with various R&B artists. Imagine if Cudi had a groovy piano piece to play off of). As far as this track goes, though, it's alright but I don't see it as being anything much more than average.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Next up: Pavement
In the on deck circle: Grace Cathedral Park
_________________

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[Amanwithapencil]

Kid Cudi - All Along

I have to admit, I didn't have much prior knowledge of Kid Cudi coming into this. I'd heard some of his stuff from a couple of Kanye tracks, but I wasn't paying much attention to who was doing what. So my first thought was that maybe this was going to be a Black Eyed Peas type track. Thankfully I was spared that.

So what I did get can be characterized as a moody, low key, mellow R&B track. It sounds like a lullaby. Kid Cudi thoughtfully muses on loneliness and his station in life. While reading the lyrics, I actually thought of Langston Hughes. The general vibe of the song reminds me of some stuff I've heard from Pete Miser. His vocal performance is convincing, but he doesn't show off much range. At times he almost sounds monotone. I'm can't say I'm a big fan of the beat, either; it sounds like somebody repetitively beating on a bass drum. The string sections are nice, though. (At least I think it's a string section. That's what it sounds like).

Overall, I find Kid Cudi definitely displays a poetic quality that I find appealing. I don't listen to a lot of R&B type stuff personally, but when I do I tend to prefer the smooth, silkier stuff like this and this. (Speaking of which, if you like this song then I would fully recommend checking out some of Brian Culbertson's collaborations with various R&B artists. Imagine if Cudi had a groovy piano piece to play off of). As far as this track goes, though, it's alright but I don't see it as being anything much more than average.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Next up: Pavement
In the on deck circle: Grace Cathedral Park
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[Davers]

Kid Cudi was actually just on the Conan show this past Monday. Sang "Revofev". Beat was very monotonous (same drum roll every few seconds, VERY bland guitar riff). Lyrics weren't all that great (sounds like a 1st grader wrote the song), and honestly, I didn't think he was that great of a singer. But I also don't listen to R&B so maybe that's what's "in" right now. So with having heard that song and having read your review, I'm curious as to what people see in his style of music.....

[Davers]

Kid Cudi was actually just on the Conan show this past Monday. Sang "Revofev". Beat was very monotonous (same drum roll every few seconds, VERY bland guitar riff). Lyrics weren't all that great (sounds like a 1st grader wrote the song), and honestly, I didn't think he was that great of a singer. But I also don't listen to R&B so maybe that's what's "in" right now. So with having heard that song and having read your review, I'm curious as to what people see in his style of music.....

[Amanwithapencil]

Yeah that was pretty terrible. I don't know if Cudi was on something there, but his whooping singing thing wasn't doing it for me. And the beats were all pretty much as you described them. At least it was cool that they were actually using real instruments.
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[Amanwithapencil]

Yeah that was pretty terrible. I don't know if Cudi was on something there, but his whooping singing thing wasn't doing it for me. And the beats were all pretty much as you described them. At least it was cool that they were actually using real instruments.
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[Amanwithapencil]

Pavement - Summer Babe

This post marks my fifth review in this thread. So even if I accomplish nothing else, at least I made it farther than the other song-a-day thread.

So here we have Pavement, largely considered one of the quintessential indie/alt-rock bands of the 90s. I first heard of this band through Pitchfork, and checked out a few of their songs. I liked some songs from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I can dig their mellower stuff; I appreciate the sonic coolness of it. "Summer Babe," however, is a totally different affair.

I'm not a fan of this song because the band sounds like they're not even trying. The song itself is styled as a grungy hard rocker, but there's no sense of energy. I don't like the guitar tone, and the playing sounds sloppy. There's just a very lazy vibe to this song in general. Maybe it would be cool if you were listening to this in a lounge, just chilling out or something.

Singer Stephen Malkmus is simply dreadful here. He mumbles his way through most of the song, without any intensity or passion in his voice. And the long scream he lets out before the last chorus makes me wince. The lyrics give a detailed description of your typical 90s alt-rock chick, but that's about it. Instrumentally, there is some complexity in the guitar and drum work if you play close enough attention. They sound like a low key Dinosaur Jr.

So in general, this band is cool but this isn't the best representation of them. Give me stuff like "Range Life" and "Major Leagues" and call it a day.


Score: 2.75 out of 5

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd also like to take time out to thank everybody for their feedback so far, keep it coming. My blog is also now posted in my sig.

If anybody's interested, here's the overall rankings thus far:

1st: Periphery - Letter Experiment
2nd: Lesley Roy - I'm Gone, I'm Going
3rd: Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement
4th: Pavement - Summer Babe
5th: Kid Cudi - All Along
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[Amanwithapencil]

Pavement - Summer Babe

This post marks my fifth review in this thread. So even if I accomplish nothing else, at least I made it farther than the other song-a-day thread.

So here we have Pavement, largely considered one of the quintessential indie/alt-rock bands of the 90s. I first heard of this band through Pitchfork, and checked out a few of their songs. I liked some songs from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I can dig their mellower stuff; I appreciate the sonic coolness of it. "Summer Babe," however, is a totally different affair.

I'm not a fan of this song because the band sounds like they're not even trying. The song itself is styled as a grungy hard rocker, but there's no sense of energy. I don't like the guitar tone, and the playing sounds sloppy. There's just a very lazy vibe to this song in general. Maybe it would be cool if you were listening to this in a lounge, just chilling out or something.

Singer Stephen Malkmus is simply dreadful here. He mumbles his way through most of the song, without any intensity or passion in his voice. And the long scream he lets out before the last chorus makes me wince. The lyrics give a detailed description of your typical 90s alt-rock chick, but that's about it. Instrumentally, there is some complexity in the guitar and drum work if you play close enough attention. They sound like a low key Dinosaur Jr.

So in general, this band is cool but this isn't the best representation of them. Give me stuff like "Range Life" and "Major Leagues" and call it a day.


Score: 2.75 out of 5

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd also like to take time out to thank everybody for their feedback so far, keep it coming. My blog is also now posted in my sig.

If anybody's interested, here's the overall rankings thus far:

1st: Periphery - Letter Experiment
2nd: Lesley Roy - I'm Gone, I'm Going
3rd: Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement
4th: Pavement - Summer Babe
5th: Kid Cudi - All Along
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[sushi111]

Completely disagree since that is one of the most beautiful and essential songs of the 90s but I understand your viewpoint. Definitely check out their later albums in full

[sushi111]

Completely disagree since that is one of the most beautiful and essential songs of the 90s but I understand your viewpoint. Definitely check out their later albums in full

[Amanwithapencil]

Grace Cathedral Park - Play Delicate, Desire Quiet

I've been having a funny feeling lately. The more I listen to post-rock, the more I feel I've found a new love.

Until recently, I had never even heard never even heard of the genre. If it wasn't for these forums, I still probably wouldn't have.

The best way I can describe it is as emotional instrumental music. It's usually guitar driven, but doesn't sound like rock music. "Play Delicate, Desire Quiet" is a stunning example of the genre; it's quiet and subdued but also very powerful. The interplay between the beautiful guitar strings and the backing melody is breathtaking, and there's just a touch of blues in the guitar melody. The low key hi-hats compliment the rest of the package perfectly. Toward the end, the guitars fade out and you're left with some sweet ambient goodness.

Grace Cathedral Park creates amazing mood music, but it can also be much more than that. There's an atmospheric majestic grandeur to what's going on here, and it's a great piece to unwind to, to write a paper to, or just for general listening.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Next up: Kanye West
In the on-deck circle: Deadmau5 & Kaskade
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[Amanwithapencil]

Grace Cathedral Park - Play Delicate, Desire Quiet

I've been having a funny feeling lately. The more I listen to post-rock, the more I feel I've found a new love.

Until recently, I had never even heard never even heard of the genre. If it wasn't for these forums, I still probably wouldn't have.

The best way I can describe it is as emotional instrumental music. It's usually guitar driven, but doesn't sound like rock music. "Play Delicate, Desire Quiet" is a stunning example of the genre; it's quiet and subdued but also very powerful. The interplay between the beautiful guitar strings and the backing melody is breathtaking, and there's just a touch of blues in the guitar melody. The low key hi-hats compliment the rest of the package perfectly. Toward the end, the guitars fade out and you're left with some sweet ambient goodness.

Grace Cathedral Park creates amazing mood music, but it can also be much more than that. There's an atmospheric majestic grandeur to what's going on here, and it's a great piece to unwind to, to write a paper to, or just for general listening.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Next up: Kanye West
In the on-deck circle: Deadmau5 & Kaskade
_________________

Check out Totally Unauthorized, the most awesome music review blog ever!

[InflatablePie]

:D

I haven't met anyone yet who hasn't liked GCP. Very nice review, as well.
_________________

ScoreHero's resident Grace Cathedral Park fan.
http://www.last.fm/user/inflatablepie
<- awesome banner from Hailz

PiemanLK wrote:

Eastwinn wrote: Right, but if you had the chocolate bar in your heart all along, no one would need to work. Did consider that? If you have a chocolate bar in your heart I suggest seeking medical attention.

[InflatablePie]

:D

I haven't met anyone yet who hasn't liked GCP. Very nice review, as well.
_________________

ScoreHero's resident Grace Cathedral Park fan.
http://www.last.fm/user/inflatablepie
<- awesome banner from Hailz

PiemanLK wrote:

Eastwinn wrote: Right, but if you had the chocolate bar in your heart all along, no one would need to work. Did consider that? If you have a chocolate bar in your heart I suggest seeking medical attention.

[TheLonging]

[TheLonging]

[Fugitive]

[Fugitive]

[Davers]

I agree with the others, nice review. Very mellow to listen to. I've never heard of these guys until just now but went and listened to this song and really enjoyed it I might have to look up more from them now.

[Davers]

I agree with the others, nice review. Very mellow to listen to. I've never heard of these guys until just now but went and listened to this song and really enjoyed it I might have to look up more from them now.

[Fugitive]

[Fugitive]