Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Continuing on my "Week of Catching Up" here's the first of two album reviews for the week, Arcade Fire's third and latest album, The Suburbs, which released earlier this month without me realizing until a few days later. Regardless, the albums here, it's been here the whole month, so how's it holding up after all this time? Read on to find out, you may actually like this review!

In short, really well actually. With the first two Arcade Fire albums (I came into the band's music kind of late) I really liked them at first, and would listen to both together a lot, but after a while of listening to other things, I found them hard to get back into. When I got The Suburbs, I was really into it and already charted up play counts that surpass both of the band's first two albums combined, and I think that says a lot. Since then, however, I've spent a lot of this month listening to Anamanaguchi and Talking Heads, and didn't get back into this album until I decided to finally review it today, and it's still holding up just fine.

What's more interesting about the play-count feat though, is that this album is an hour long, as opposed to the just over 45 minute lengths of both 2004's Funeral and 2007's Neon Bible; that means I've done more listening of this hour-long album in the past month than I have of the previous 90 minutes in the past year. Instead of my usual album rundown, I'm just going to post a few highlights in track order, so, some tracks may be skipped.

The titular track and album opener, "The Suburbs," starts out this concept album perfectly, giving you a sense of a dramatic suburban tour, really setting the mood for the rest of the album, and is now one of my favorite tracks from the band. "Ready To Start" continues with this vibe, while "Modern Man" feels like something of Funeral. Passing on a few tracks, I found "City With No Children" to sound like a Bruce Springsteen song, except you know, appealing... And then you have a rock heavy track like "Month of May" which sounds like something the White Stripes would come up with if they had more than just Jack and Meg, not that that's bad or anything.

Unlike a lot of albums I've listened to, I found that The Suburbs didn't die out near the end of the album. If anything, it dies down mid-way after "Month of May" and then quickly brings itself together in the wonderful "We Used To Wait" after two slower tracks. But my favorite track comes after "Sprawl I," you guessed it, "Sprawl II," which sounds like a mix of "Haiti" off of Funeral and "Heart of Glass" by Blondie; actually, it sounds a lot like Blondie, and for whatever reason hearing new 80's style synth-pop sounds really appealing in the context of this album, and for that I love it, and it's the longest track too, which is a plus when it sounds this good.

What I love about this album, is that it really works as an album. What I find with a lot of records nowadays is that there's never a universal thing that holds them together; you have a few great tracks, and then some boring throwaway material. But with The Suburbs, I find that I really prefer listening to it as a whole on loop, as opposed to being shuffled with the rest of the Arcade Fire tracks. And by having the track rundown that fades in the middle, as opposed to starting strong and dying out at the end, makes it that much more appealing to listen to as a whole because you're not just going through waiting for the good parts, as the album supports itself from beginning to end. If you've never listened to Arcade Fire before, nows a great time to start.

Overall Score: 9.7/10

Now, here's the thing, I agree that like most things, everyone has there own tastes and not one single thing can be considered perfect. And when it comes to music there's definitely a lot more debate in that department. But, in this one instance, I'm going finally award the first VFH Seal of Approval to an album because it's just that good, and just that much better from the band's previous albums. (And this is almost still the month the album was released in...) Now, what happens when they release another album that's "better"? You ask? Well, judging by the three year gaps between each album, I guess I'll have to worry about that then, and who knows if we'll still be online by that time. For now, I'll enjoy this wonderful record.

Note: The album actually has eight different cover art variations, the one pictured is just the one I happen to have.

The Black Keys - Brothers

The Black Keys had a very busy year in 2009. After the release of 2008's Attack & Release, guitarist and lead singer, Dan Auerbach, went on to release a solo-album, Keep It Hid, which I finally got around to buying last month, and that was basically a Black Keys album with more layers to the tracks. Drummer, Patrick Carney, released an album with a new band, Drummer, named as such because he and the other four members were drummers in other bands, but I haven't head much from that project. And then there was The Black Keys' rap/rock side project, Blackroc, which released back in November, and I completely ignored that... But despite all that other work, Dan and Patrick are back with a new, true Black Keys album, Brothers, and it's time to see how it stacks up to their previous releases.

I was left a little sour after listening to Attack & Release, not that it was overly bad, because it wasn't and there are tracks on that album I like quite a lot, but because a lot of it didn't feel like The Black Keys I knew. Perhaps it was cause of Danger Mouse's producing, as I feel that all the albums he's ever produced have a very distinct sound to them, regardless of artist, but something wasn't the same. Instead of the distinctly two-man sound I was used to, there was a lot of layering of tracks, and what I had was something different and I was left unsure. But with Brothers, the band was returning to a self-produced album, so I was hopeful that the classic sound I loved was back.

Well, it's not, so it's about time I just accept the change. The first track, "Everlasting Light," starts out completely different than any other Black Keys track before it, with Auerbach singing in falsetto for the first time. It's a bit striking at first, but it sounds great after a few listens, and there's more of it later on. "Next Girl" brings with it some heavy, swampy blues, and it's definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album, but like most tracks on the album, the layering is very apparent, and it sounds a lot like something off Auerbach's Keep It Hid than any Black Keys material.

Following those two is the only Danger Mouse produced track, "Tighten Up," and despite my semi-distaste for Attack & Release, which I mostly blame on Danger Mouse, this is actually one of the best, catchiest tracks on the album; and it has whistles and organs in the mix, which is definitely one of Danger Mouse things... "Howling For You" follows up with a stadium-style drum beat, and "She's Long Gone" as well, both are decent tracks, but nothing that overly stands out. The very Crosby, Stills and Nash sounding, "Black Mud," follows up, and is the only instrumental track on the album, and the shortest, running at 2:09.

The falsetto-y voice from earlier returns in the next track, "The Only One," in another track that definitely sounds like at least 5 people are playing despite Auerbach and Carney being the only listed musicians. After that however, the albums starts to slow down, with both "Too Afraid To Love You" and "Ten Cent Pistol," which aren't anything special, but are definitely more embaceful of the blues than the band's traditional blues-rock. "Sinister Kid" is a real jam song, and honestly just sounds like street musicians to me, I don't know why, but I just wasn't feeling this one. "The Go Getter" and "I'm Not The One" continue of the slow, boring realm, and considering this is the band's longest album, I thing both of these tracks could have been omitted and we'd of been fine.

Come the end of the album, the slack picks up. "Unknown Brother," a pure blues rock track, sound's like something off The Rubber Factory or Magic Potion, and despite some layering, sounds the closest to old Black Keys as you'll get here. Falsetto gets one last feature on the album, in the cover of "Never Gonna Give You Up," not the Rick-roll one, the Jerry Butler one made famous by Isaac Hayes. Despite it being completely different from anything else they've done before, I really liked the soul-full sound of Auerbach's voice on this track, and I wouldn't mind hearing more like this. The final track is the somber, but oh so fitting, "These Days," which works really well as a closing track, and really is the only acceptable long and slow inclusion on the album. The thing that hurts this album the most is the length, with 15 tracks and nearly an hour of music, it's the longest Black Keys' piece yet, and it just lasts too long for it's own good.

All in all, Brothers is a good album, it's not the album I would've liked to have heard when I first learned that the band was going to self-produce the albums like they did before Attack & Release, but at the same time I can somewhat embrace the band's evolution. Usually I'm very accepting of band's developing their sound, it's why I like bands like Radiohead and Blur so much, but for me The Black Keys sounded so so good when their first album released that I never wanted that sound to go away. It's still there, somewhere, but now there's just a lot more layers to it, and I'm probability just going to have to learn to like it.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

She & Him - Volume Two

It's been two years since Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward first collaborated on the first She & Him album, Volume One, so it's not surprising that this new album is properly titled, Volume Two. With their emotionally driven folk/country/pop sound, it's certainly not the type of music we'd normally review here, but I really enjoyed the first album and just had to get the new one, so read on.

The sound of this album is very much like the first. It's heavy on acoustic guitars and piano, and Zooey's beautiful vocals, with Ward occasionally stepping in to sing as well. The album opener, "Thieves," is a surprisingly somber track, and seems more like a song you'd hear midway on album, but thankfully, the next track, "In The Sun," brightens up the mood. The track is very light-hearted, and is a really perfect spring-time track, it's hard to explain, but when you hear you'll know.

The album's third song, "Don't Look Back," is probably my most favorite from Volume Two, which is interesting because the third track on Volume One, "This Is Not A Test," was my favorite from that album. It's the type of song that if someone told me it was a 1960's pop song that time forgot, I'd probably believe them. That aspect continues on the NBRQ cover, "Ridin' In My Car," which sounds very much like the 1977 original, but with Zooey's voice (with M. Ward singing back up) it's pretty perfect. Both tracks are a really nice mix of Zooey's vocals and M. Ward's guitar playing, with both getting a nice share of equality.

Following those two is "Lingering Still" and "Me And You," which both slow down the pace and have much more of a classic country ballad sound than most of the tracks here, they're sincere, but I much prefer the lively She & Him tracks. "Gonna Get Along Without You Now," which follows, features a similar classic country sound, with Zooey on primary vocals with back singers as well, just unlike the previous two tracks, it's a bit more lively and relies less on the slide guitars.

Next are "Home" and "I'm Gonna Make It Better," both have a nice combination of the country sound with the pop sound of "In The Sun," and I really loved how Zooey provides her own back-up vocal lines on the former track, it works quite well in the overly sweet song. "Sing" returns to the country ballad sound, with the addition of violins and organs to reinforce that sound, it's not my favorite on the album, but it's not too bad.

The following track, "Over It Over Again," is another one of those 1960's pop sound tracks, and it's been stuck in my head ever since I started listening to the album yesterday. That's not to say it's bad, or more favored than "Don't Look Back," but the chorus is just really catchy, and it's one of the better tracks on the album.

Volume Two closes out with two very slow songs "Brand New Shoes" and "If You Can't Sleep," which both drop the backing band and leave Zooey and M. Ward with just a microphone and guitar; although the latter sounds much more like Zooey with backing singers hummers. Combined, they're a better ending than Volume One's lo-fi rendition of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," but I much preferred the rest of the album's sound.

Overall, Volume Two is a step above Volume One, it's not a huge step, but a step none the less. It's got the same number of tracks, though 10 minutes extra in length, but there's a better good song to not as good song ratio. I found for the most part, the songs have a very similar sound, and if you were listen to the songs from both albums on shuffle, it'd probably be hard to distinguish the tracks unless you already had a good memory of whats what. If you liked the first album, and want to hear more of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, you'll be pleased, but otherwise I don't see Volume Two winning over any new fans.

Overall Score: 8.3/10

Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Yes, yet another music review today! A new record! As I've reported before, Broken Bells is a new project from The Shins lead singer, James Mercer, and famed producer/musician Danger Mouse, billed this time by his real name, Brian Burton. While it may sound like a new Shins album at first, mainly in part to Mercer's fantastic vocals, you'll soon find that that Broken Bells sound much different, and the result is pretty fantastic, albeit a bit short.

The album opens up with "The High Road," a track that was actually released for free a couple months ago, so I've had plenty of listening time with this one. It sounds a bit like The Shins 2007's album Wincing the Night Away, particularly the track, "Sleep Lessons," but with much more of a beat to it. The following song, "Vaporize," once again, opens up in a very Shins-like sound, but soon the organs and drum beats come in, and it's here that you really hear the separation from The Shins. It's a hard to explain, but it really does sound like "what if Danger Mouse produced a Shins album and changed their sound completely".

"Your Head Is On Fire" continues with the Shins-in-space kind of sound this album has, even if a bulk of the track is just instrumental. "The Ghost Inside," is probably the most strikingly different track on the album, thanks to the use of falsetto voices and digital effects. The same goes for the next track, "Sailing to Nowhere," which even brings in a piano and orchestra, further distancing Broken Bells' sound from The Shins.

One of my favorite tracks on the album, "Trap Doors," comes next. I can't figure out why I like it so much, but the change in tone throughout the track is nice, and it's a beat you can snap your fingers to. The next song, "Citizen," is the albums longest, and slowest when it comes to pace. It's not bad, but in comparison to the other tracks, it might make you a bit sleepy. "October" continues on with the piano-rock-esque sound, but it definitely has a lot more life to it than the previous track, and is ultimately more enjoyable.

The ninth track, "Mongrel Heart," is nearly as long as "Citizen," but is much more upbeat and doesn't feel like as much of a drag. In fact, I'd consider it one the album's highlights, as it does a good job of capturing Broken Bells unique sound. And then it comes to the final track, "The Mall & Misery," which is very Shins-like again, mainly because of the vocal harmonies, but has enough of a heavy drum beat to make it feel different, and overall is just a great track.

Broken Bells, the album, is a really interesting collection of music. I came into it as both a fan of The Shins and Danger Mouse, and I got an album that really spoke two both aspects equally. But chances are, most people checking this album out are Shins fans only, having waited since 2007 for new material. They'll probably be pleased, but it should be clear that Broken Bells is not The Shins, just as The Postal Service was not Death Cab For Cutie, the voice might be similar, but the sound is all its own. As for Danger Mouse fans, it's definitely some of his best work, which is great because I wasn't to big on what he did with The Black Keys' last album; this more or less made up for that. I just only wish there were more tracks on this album, because 37 minutes is just too short for these guys to express themselves.

Overall Score: 9.3/10

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly five years since the last true Gorillaz album, Demon Days. I say true because the Demon Days b-side/remix album, D-Sides, was released in 2007. Point being, a lot has happened for Damon Albarn since the release of that album; there was the aforementioned remix album, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, the Chinese opera and album collaboration with Jamie Hewlett, Monkey: Journey to the West, and this past summer's reunion with Blur. So it should come as no surprise that Plastic Beach is unlike Demon Days and Gorillaz before it.

As is my normal way of reviewing albums, I'm going to dissect Plastic Beach track by track, shall we? The album opens with a short "Orchestral Intro," much like Demon Days, this is just here to set the mood, as is the following track "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach," which features Snoop Dogg of all people. It's not that the track is bad, but Snoop's parts feel very unneeded, as the parts without him are quite nice and relaxing. The nautical mood continues in the opening to the next track, "White Flag," which features two British rappers Bashy and Kano, it's an alright track, and start to what is a lot of rap on this album.

The next track, "Rhinestone Eyes" is the first soley-Gorillaz track on the album (aka, no guests), and is probably the closest thing to the material on Demon Days, but overall it's a real nice, slow dance track. The electro-beats flow well into the album's first single, "Stylo," featuring Mos Def and legendary soul singer Bobby Womack. Makes sense for this to be the first single after hearing the album, it's got a nice touch of Plastic Beach's rap sound without there being too much, and it's got enough Damon Albarn to keep the fans happy.

Speaking of rap, it returns in the De La Soul heavy, and extremely fun track, "Superfast Jellyfish," and which a name like that, how could it not be fun? The next track, "Empire Ants," features Swedish electronic band, Little Dragon, and is honestly one of the most beautiful tracks Damon Albarn has ever sung on. I hadn't heard of Little Dragon prior to this track, but I'm definitely going to give them a listen after hearing this one.

Following up that wonder is the electronica track "Glitter Freeze," featuring The Fall's Mark E. Smith, which sounds more like something for a modern re-imagining of 1984 than something for the beach, but hey, what can you do? Speaking of older guest stars from once famous bands, The Velvet Underground's Lou Reed appears on the next track, "Some Kind of Nature," and is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the album. There's something about Reed's aging voice that clashes with Albarn's voice and yet some how fits the sound so damn well, a must hear.

The next track, "On Meloncholy Hill," is only the second non-guest track on the album, and just like the previous track is one of the best on the album; it's a little mainstream in its sound, but damn if it isn't catchy. After that is another soley-Gorillaz track, "Broken," which was actually one of the first demos leaked from the album, and is probably the only track here that has a hint of the band's sound from their 2000 self-titled album. The next track, "Sweepstakes," is definitely my least favorite track on the album, mainly in part to its dub sound and way too much of Mos Def repeating himself, and the fact that it's the longest track, at 5:20, makes it even more annoying.

And them comes the title track, "Plastic Beach," which features The Clash's Mick Jones and Paul Simmon, the latter of which previously performed with Damon Albarn on The Good, The Bad & The Queen. The track certainly retains the right to be the title track, and its probably the catchiest Gorillaz track since, "19-2000," and if I had to listen to it on infinite loop for a week I'd be pretty pleased with that. Little Dragon returns on the next track, "To Binge," which brings back the slide guitar sound that makes the Plastic Beach name so much more fitting, and like the earlier Little Dragon track, this one also has Damon at his best.

Now we come to the end of the album, with Bobby Womack returning for a more major part on the track, "Cloud of Unknowing". I don't really have much to say on it, but it's a nice track. The album closer, "Pirate Jet," is a nice ending track, it's quite upbeat for a closer, which makes the album a really nice listen on loop, because it never sounds like it's coming to an end.

Overall, I'd have to say Plastic Beach is my most favorite Gorillaz album yet. Why? Well, while I did enjoy both previous albums, they'd usually have 1/3 of the album filled with songs I couldn't listen to repeatedly. I've found that I actually really like all but one track on this 16 track album, and it didn't take 15 listens for them to grow on me like it usually would. This is also the first Gorillaz album that doesn't sound like it was written for a fictional band, it sounds like Damon Albarn just experimenting with a ton of different musicians, and it sounds damn good. Definitely check this one out.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

The Black Keys reveal new album info!

Probably my most favorite band in recent years, the blues rock duo, The Black Keys, have released information regarding their upcoming sixth album, Brothers, set for release on May 18th. The release comes just a year after both their rap/rock project Blakroc released (which I've still yet to listen to) and singer, Dan Auerbach's solo album, Keep It Hid (which I've heard most of and enjoyed), released; which just shows how busy the duo have been. The track list for Brothers follows:

1. Everlasting Light
2. Next Girl
3. Tighten Up
4. Howlin' for You
5. She's Long Gone
6. Black Mud
7. The Only One
8. Too Afraid to Love You
9. Ten Cent Pistol
10. Sinister Kid
11. The Go Getter
12. I'm Not the One
13. Unknown Brother
14. Never Gonna Give You Up
15. These Days

At fifteen tracks this is the band's longest album yet, track-wise (they could be short tracks, after all). This is definitely one I'm looking forward to, especially after re-listening to their five previous album lately, as well as listening to The Black Keys Radio on Pandora for more bluesy goodness.

via Pitchfork

Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue

Welcome back Alice In Chains! After a nearly fourteen year period since their last album, 1995's self-titled release, Alice In Chains returns with Black Gives Way To Blue. This release also comes after the death of original lead singer, Layne Staley, who died back in 2002 of an overdose; bringing in new lead singer, William DuVall, who actually shares leads with AIC's other frontman, Jerry Cantrell. Has Black Gives Way To Blue been worth the wait? Or should Alice In Chains have been laid to rest?

Like many Alice In Chains fans, I was quite skeptical of the band returning, especially without Layne Staley, who arguably made Alice In Chains sound what it is today. But, to my surprise, new member William DuVall fits Layne's shoes quite nicely. As many fans will remember, quite a lot of Alice In Chains best tracks were because of the harmonies between Jerry Cantrel's and Layne Staley's clashing vocals, not to mention the nice mix of both hard and acoustic sounds.

Fourteen years later, it's as if nothing has changed. Sure, Jerry's voice is much more prominent this time around, having written most of the tracks on the album himself, but when he and DuVall sing together, it's like being back in 1992. But as with all my movie reviews, it's best to analyze this on a track by track basis:

The album opener, "All Secrets Known," sounds a lot like "Dirt" (from the 1992 album of the same name), featuring Cantrell's classic moan-like vocals it pretty much is the classic AIC sound you've been waiting to hear in forever. "Check My Brain" follows up with more of that classic heavy grunge sound, and more apparent inclusion of DuVall's voice, but the constant chanting of "California..." reminds more of that annoying Phantom Planet song than it should Alice In Chains, even if the sound is nothing alike.

The next song, "Last Of My Kind," is the only track on the album co-written by both Cantrell and DuVall, and thus, is one of the few tracks that actually features William on true lead vocals. Right away you'll know he's not Layne Staley, but despite that he sound's damn close enough that this sounds like any other Alice In Chains track, and musically is one of the album's stand out tracks in my mind. But with the hard sound of AIC also comes the acoustic, and "Your Decision" delivers just that, with really nice harmonizing between DuVall and Cantrell.

Then there's "A Looking In View," this seven minute face-melter was the the first track released the album, and is the only track on the album that was written by the whole band. And while it's prettiest much the heaviest, loudest track on the album, it's also the longest... a bit too long for my taste since the riffs never really change. Next are the acoustic, "When The Sun Rose Again," and the broody "Acid Bubble," both are classic Alice In Chains in their sound, but aren't as memorable as other tracks on the album.

Following them are "Lesson Learned" and "Take Her Out," which like the rest of the album sounds like Alice In Chains should, but these two, at least to me, sounded like they directly came from Layne's days, and Cantrell/DuVall do a near perfect harmonizing on both of these tracks to create that feel.

As Black Gives Way To Blue comes to a close, the tone of the album becomes much slower. "Private Hell" sounds much like "God Am" from the band's last album, and overall just sounds like it came from that 1995 release. The final, eponymous track, "Black Gives Way To Blue," really is the main attraction here, as it's the one track on the album that clearly is about the late Layne Staley, and sounds like a really personal track. Even more interesting the that the band got Elton John to provide piano on the track, but sadly I felt the three minute track could have used more time to close out the album because it's just so good.

Overall, Black Gives Way To Blue is a really good album on its own, but what makes this album all the more special is that despite the fourteen year gap, and loss of the original lead singer, Alice In Chains sound just like they did back in 1995. I honestly can't think of any other band that has returned with a new lead singer and still sounded just like they used to, and I think the band should be commended for overcoming the hurdle of losing Layne, and coming back to play just like they used to without missing a beat. Alice In Chains are back!

Overall Score: 9/10

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

Finally! That's all that was in my head when Pearl Jam's ninth and latest studio album, Backspacer, arrived in the mail today (because there's surprisingly no Target stores in my area). In fact, I was so prepared to hear this album direct from the CD that I refrained from listening to the streaming versions online. But, in the end... was all of my hype worth it?

Backspacer is Pearl Jam's first release in the last three years following their return to the spotlight with their 2006 self-titled album (and then it was was a four year gap). But a lot changes in three years it seems. For one, this album was released independently after the band decided not to re-sign with J Records; but also the overall tone of the band has changed. With that, it should also be noted that Backspacer was produced by Brendan O'Brien, who produced a lot of Pearl Jam's material post-Ten; so in way this album is both a change and return-to-form for the band.

But, let's look at the music itself... The album opens with one the band's fastest, loudest tracks, "Gonna See My Friend," which has a similar feel to No Code's "Lukin," but with a less angry overtone and bit more of a fun feeling (though I'm not sure how much fun you'll get from Eddie Vedder's yelling); regardless the track sets the mood for the album perfectly. Following the great opener are "Got Some," which was the first track revealed from the album, and "The Fixer," which is the first single from Backspacer. Both tracks have a lot of energy to them, but ultimately feel like something familiar from their Binaural/Riot Act era.

The energy continues onto "Johnny Guitar," which I really found to sound like something new from the band, it won't blow your mind, but it's a good-different sound. Things slow down at the album's midway point, "Just Breathe," which sounds more like a left over from Eddie Vedder's Into The Wild solo-record/soundtrack than a true Pearl Jam track; not that it's a terrible song, it just feels out of place amongst all the energetic tracks on the album. The following tracks, "Amongst The Waves" and "Unthought Known" handle slow in a good way, each with a sort of awesome build up to the end of the album.

But what's that? Well it's energy of course, because the next, fittingly named track, "Supersonic," wakes you right back up after the slow slump there, and overall it's a really nice, straight-up rock track from Pearl Jam, which oddly enough is a rarity. But the rock is slowed down a bit again with the piano-centric, "Speed Of Sound," which, despite my tone against other slow tracks on the album, I happened to enjoy. "Force Of Nature," another purely rock track from the bound, doesn't sound unlike the 2006 material, so if you enjoyed that I think you'll enjoy it. And closing out the album is, what else, "The End", which is a nice slow fade out, but nothing special.

Aside from the music, was the artwork for the album by Tom Tomorrow. I think the style really stands out amongst Pearl Jam previous albums, and I just don't think I'll ever forget "Trike Pimp". Also, the album comes pre-loaded with a neat interface that just link to Pearl Jam's website, but there's also two vouchers to download 2 select full concerts if that's in your interest.

But overall, Backspacer features some excellent new tracks from Pearl Jam, with "Gonna See My Friend," "Got Some," "Johnny Guitar," and "Supersonic," being amongst some of my most favorite work from the band (nevermind that they're also some of the loudest/fastest). But the album also suffers from being the shortest record from the band yet, clocking in at just thirty-six minutes, where as most Pearl Jam albums are in the fifty minute range. Worsening the shortness factor is that a lot of the time is taken up by slower tracks, and I personally was never big on the band's "slow" material. Regardless, there's definitely things for fans and non-fans alike to enjoy on hear, and I think it may be Pearl Jam's most accessible album to date.

Overall Score: 8.8/10

You can buy Backspacer exclusively from Target or iTunes.

Slow Poison

Usually when I make music posts, it's for bands like Pearl Jam, Oasis, Green Day, or other bands with an arguably long music history, and sizable fanbase (though that's not always the case). In case with the next band, it's somewhere in the middle... I think. Regardless, I know I like The Bravery, and I'm sure someone else out there does; so I was more then glad to hear the band's first single from their third album, Slow Poison, set for release this November 10th.

The titular track, "Slow Poison" can now be heard on the band's MySpace Music page (if that link doesn't work try this one). Personally, I really like it, it's a nice combination of their sound from their eponymous 2005 album and 2007's The Sun and The Moon, more so leaning towards the former, thankfully. Now we'll just to hear how the rest of the album sounds come this November.

UPDATE [10/16/09]: Thanks a lot internet, looks like the album is actually called Stir The Blood

Black Gives Way To Blue track listing

Not that we have any idea how each of these tracks sound (other than "A Looking In View"), Alice In Chains have gone and released the track listing for their first album in fourteen years, Black Gives Way To Blue, releasing at the end of next month.

1. All Secrets Known
2. Check My Brain
3. Last Of My Kind
4. Your Decision
5. A Looking In View
6. When The Sun Rose Again
7. Acid Bubble
8. Lessons Learned
9. Take Her Out
10. Private Hell
11. Black Gives Way To Blue

Hey, at least in name, they sound like they should be Alice In Chains songs...

via Alice In Chains' MySpace Blog

Pearl Jam reveals Backspacer tracklisting

Finaly some news on Pearl Jam's upcoming album, Backspacer, since their performance on The Tonight Show. Now available for pre-order (for Ten Club members only...) on their website, the product description for Backspacer has a track listing for those that must know these things:

1. Gonna See My Friend
2. Got Some
3. The Fixer
4. Johnny Guitar
5. Just Breathe
6. Amongst The Waves
7. Unthought Known
8. Supersonic
9. Speed Of Sound
10. Force Of Nature
11. The End

The album is set for independent release on September 20th (just a week before fellow Seattle grunge band, Alice In Chains', new record). Also, thanks to Pearl Jam's shop, I can now confirm that the artwork Conan held up on The Tonight Show was not the cover for Backspacer, but was instead the cover art for the album's first single, "The Fixer".

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Review

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is the best fighter on the Xbox 360. Okay, so that's not really a claim I can honestly make considering I haven't gone in depth with many of them, and the selection is quite varied. Hell, even personal taste comes into play. But it did get your attention didn't it?

None the less, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is Arc System Works' first foray in the fight genre for next-gen consoles, and should be considered as the spiritual successor to the popular Guilty Gear series of fighting games.

Story
If you're like me, you expect a very sparse storyline with your fighters. Yet, quite to my surprise, with BlazBlue that is just not the case. All 12 characters have very interesting stories to be told through their individual story campaigns. The setting of Kagutsuchi is an intriguing one, and the BlazBlue world is very fleshed out as whole. One problem though. The story mode is played out through a series of character portraits accompanied by text. Those familiar with any older RPGs should know what I'm talking about. It's a little slowly paced, and for those of us without HDTVs, the letters are a bit too small.

Through each characters stories, you have the ability to make choices and see a different part of the story. There are a few branching paths for each character, and all of the ones I've played so far are very interesting. Yet, no matter how interesting they are, it's a bit of a pain to have to go through each multiple times to see the persons entire story. Though, be forewarned, despite all of the flaws with the games storytelling method, I think the story is interesting enough to motivate you to play around the minor quirks. I definitely recommend looking into the story with this one, don't ignore it like you may with other fighters. If nothing else, think of it as a bonus aside from all the standard modes.

Gameplay
Despite the story elements, BlazBlue is first and foremost a 2D fighter. As a spiritual successor to Guilty Gear, a lot of people will know exactly what to expect. Yet for the rest of you, let me explain a bit. BlazBlue is a single planed, extremely fast paced, 2D fighter. You have your super moves, one hit finishers, and much much more. But before I get to all that, I'd like to touch upon perhaps the biggest innovation in BlazBlue. The Drive button.

The drive button is essentially the special button (Think Super Smash Bros.). One press and you're doing a character specific special move. This is touted as “a easy way to do something cool”, and not only is that true, but the one button special adds even more intensity to the already mind blowing intense battles. Being able to fly across the screen, or control the wind, or even shoot swords with just the press of a button really changes things. It both makes the game more accessible to newbies, and adds depth for veterans. If you're new you start off being able to do at least 1 special. If you have experience, you have a quickly accessible move that has more flexibility and freedom then it would if you had to input a button sequence.

But besides the drive attacks, BlazBlue stays fairly close to Guilty Gear. There are Distortion attacks, which are basically super attacks. They take up various amounts of your heat bar (which I will get to later), require a button sequence to perform, and do large amounts of damage.

You also have the option of doing one button air recoveries, which stop you from being helpless while airborne, barrier defense, which depletes your barrier meter yet completely blocks damage, barrier bursts, which push your opponent from you and can break combos, yet deplete your entire barrier meter, lowering your defense. You also have what is referred to as the Guard Libra. This is a meter in the middle that moves to the side while you defend. If it hits your side, you lose your barrier, and are stunned. Another feature to keep you and your opponents active is the penalty you get when you don't attack for a certain amount of time. The opponents damage will do a bit more.

To keep you from spamming these specials, you have your heat bar. The heat bar depletes with special actions (as mentioned above) and is replenished by attacking your opponent, or gradually if your hp is under 20%. Speaking of under 20%. If it's the last round of the game in your favor, and your opponent has under 20% left, you are able to use your Astral Finish. This is a flashy one hit move, and you really wont see many of these, but they're still worth mentioning.

OK, now I haven't even scratched the tip of the iceberg here, and I bet it already sounds overwhelming. But don't worry, it all comes naturally after a few rounds. If it doesn't you can hone your skills in training, or do a few playthroughs of Arcade Mode, just to get the hang of things. Maybe pop in story mode on those slow days, switch it up with a score attack every now and then. The game is packed with different modes. But the most important one of all, is the Network mode. [See below]

Finally in the gameplay department, I'd like to talk about that extremely comprehensive training mode. You can pretty much toggle everything on and off. Display command, regenerating health, damage, set heath at certain points, record actions for the computer, play against AI, set repeated commands to the CPU, toggle special character power-ups to last forever, all of it. It's all you could ask for, and more.

Online
You can play online with your friends, join 6 player lobbies in player matches, battle it out in ranked matches to move up in the rankings, or just go around and spectate matches. You gain experience based on performance in fights, and level up/rank up accordingly. You won't unlock anything new by leveling up, but it is nice to be able to quickly tell a players experience with a glance.

Your records are kept on a very easy to access D-Card. You can look at yours, or your opponents at just about any time in the lobbies. It keeps track of rank, your main character, your secondary, your wins and losses in ranked and player, and a few other stats like that. It's a nice little thing to have so you know what to expect from the other players.

Another big part of the online is the ability to save and upload your match replays. You can save any online match's replay, or go to the leader board and pick up some matches, then watch them in the replay theater. You can go frame by frame, slow, fast, you name it. It's a very nice, very welcomed feature, and coupled with the extremely comprehensive (extremely comprehensive, it must be said twice) training mode, it makes for both good entertainment, and a good way to improve your game.

Graphics
The game is beautiful. Downright gorgeous. The sprites are big and clean, the backgrounds are just plain breathtaking on certain stages, and the character designs are all crazy, and very interesting. All the characters personalities show through their art, and even can be seen in their battle animations. Which reminds me, the animations, they're amazing too. I simply cannot express to you how gorgeous the entire game is. Even the menus are a delight. Something I've neglected to mention thus far, is the gallery. By accomplishing certain tasks, you unlock art and videos, and it's all stunning. This is high resolution, breathtaking stuff. All of it is worth checking out, and it may in fact turn out to be your driving force for playing the game. It's one of mine right now.

To finish off the graphics section, I thought I would tell you, I have always been a big fan of 2D games. It's what I grew up on. So if 3D is more your thing, then you may be a little put off at first, but I beg you to not expect realism, and to love the anime inspired, beautiful artwork.

Sound
Sound is another area where BlazBlue excels. The soundtrack which comes with the Limited Edition is more than worthy of being a regular in my cars CD player, or getting a playthrough on iTunes every once in a while. It's mostly rock, and it does an amazing job of giving the furiously fast and action packed battles a little more umph.

The voice acting is decent overall, and the option to choose the Japanese tracks is very welcomed. On top of that, something that really struck me as impressive was the ability to control settings for each individual character. Hate so and so's voice? Well you can turn it off! This is something I would have loved to have in many, many other games. I'm glad to see it show up here.

Limited Edition Material
This portion is over the Limited Edition material, so if you're not into looking for a LE copy, then go ahead and skip this. Basically, this version of BlazBlue comes in a large cardboard box with two DVD cases. One with BlazBlue (and its full color instruction booklet), and another with 2 CDs and a DVD (on PS3 it's a Blu-ray). The case itself has a nice cover, and the CDs and DVD all have nice art on them. The CDs have, as far as I can tell, all of the game's soundtrack, and a few remixes. The DVD shows combos and strategies for each character, as well as some exhibition matches. It's a great way to introduce you to more advanced techniques. I'd really recommend finding the LE version of the game, especially since it comes at the same price. The CDs are kickass, and the DVD is a great help.

Overall
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is as of now, my favorite Xbox 360 game. Before now I was never serious in any fighters, but BlazBlue is about to change that. The game is just so full of content, depth, and personality. The game is a prime example of 2D fighters at their best, and SHOULD NOT be missed by any fighting game fans (whether you own a 360 or PS3).

Overall Score: 9.5/10

A Seal of Approval. You saw this coming didn't you? I'm awarding BlazBlue the second VFH Seal of Approval to go to a video game. Believe me, it's well deserved. The sheer amount of content itself is astounding. Wrapping all that up in the best 2D fighting system around, sprinkled with lovable characters, and you have a recipe for win.

Taking Back Sunday - New Again

Taking Back Sunday is back (yeah, I said it) with their follow up to 2006's Louder Now. Does it live up to their previous albums, or leave the listener wanting more?

Well, I would like to know that as well. I started listening to Taking Back Sunday at Louder Now, and haven't heard anything of theirs before that. I don't think this will effect my ability to give a fair and honest review, but I just wanted to mention it because I won't and haven't been able to compare this to older albums, so keep that in mind.

Starting off, the album is... OK. The first and titular track, "New Again" starts off with a focus on the bass, which is something I wasn't used to from them. The new sound is a little deeper, a little louder, and a little less clean. The vocals are more of the same, just with a little more edge; and all these changes are consistent throughout the album. Anyways, "New Again" is a decent lead in to the rest of the album because it shows off the new sound pretty well.

Next up is the high point of the album, "Sink Into Me". It has a catchy tune, well quick tempo, and some very satisfying vocal portions. This is the song you'll be coming back to, and if nothing else, I'd recommend at least downloading this song alone. Sadly, the album starts to lack in... well, good songs.

Not to say the rest of the album is bad, because it's not, and there are a few more keepers for sure. I just wouldn't call the majority of the tracks memorable. The next song "Lonely Lonely", is plagued by a slightly annoying chorus. The song is just lacking any interesting lyrics or instrumental work at all. Same goes for the next song, "Summer, Man". While it does have a better chorus, and more variety, it still lacks anything really worth the time.

After that comes "Swing", which actually has decent lyrics and some nice portions throughout. "Where My Mouth" follows it, and is the first “slow” song on the album. However, it lacks the interesting material to hold the song up through the slow pace. "Cut Me Up Jenny" is next, and brings the speed back up a few notches; yet, just like the song before it, the song drags on and really doesn't present much.

Occupying the rear end of the group of “meh, that was OK” songs, is "Catholic Knees". Not much to say about that one, as it's very forgettable. Finally, the last three songs of the album go back to the acceptable quality of its first few songs. "Capital M-E", "Carpathia", and "Everything Must Go", are among the best on the album. Well, OK, "Carpathia" is on the edge of being just “OK”, but it's still a high point after the bore-fest in the middle of the album. The other two, "Capital M-E", and "Everything Must Go", both have catchy choruses, nice overall tones, and are just more enjoyable to listen to then a majority of the album.

New Again was a bit of a disappointment. After Louder Now introduced me to the band and consequently impressed me, I had hoped for a bit more from this new record. Overall it's just pretty weak. Not many of the tracks stay with you, and they all just kind of blend into one after the first two songs. The good songs here are worth a listen, but they still don't surpass the best of Louder Now.

If nothing else, just get on iTunes and look for:
- "Sink Into Me"
- "Capitol M-E"
- "Swing"

Overall Score: 7/10

Alive In Chains reveal new album title, release date

Pearl Jam won't be the only grunge band releasing new material this September, the newly fronted Alice In Chains will be releasing their first new material in nearly fourteen on September 29th, 2009 in a new album titled Black Gives Way To Blue, as reported on their blog.

Black Gives Way To Blue will be the band's first studio material with new lead singer William DuVall, who joined the reformed band in 2006, four years after the death of original Alice In Chains lead singer, Layne Staley. I've seen some live videos with DuVall on vocals, and while he isn't exactly Layne Staley, he's not terrible. I'm just curious how this new material will sound in comparison to the band's original three albums.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The French indie rockers are back, with their latest album in three years. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix looks to further develop the band's sound, but does it stand out amongst their work, or is it bombs away for Phoenix? (Yup, that was indeed pun usage.)

I think I should mention this before we get on with this review, I actually didn't start listening to Phoenix until recently. Though, to be fair, prior to purchasing and listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, I made sure to buy the band's three previous album to ensure that I had a good idea of the band's sound. And with that known, let's get started!

The album sticks with Phoenix's 10 track norm, as to why they don't have more then ten tracks per album is beyond me, none the less, nothing's changed. Opening Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the first single off the album, "Lisztomania", which to me sounds much like the material off 2006's It's Never Been Like That, which is a good thing; the song has a really catchy sound and is certainly a great way to start the album out. Following that, you have the rock-centric, "1901", which continues on catchy tunes, and then there's "Fences", which for me is one of the most addictive Phoenix tracks I've heard, and is very reminiscent of R&B style of their 2004 album, Alphabetical.

Spliting the album is the two part track, "Love Like a Sunset", the first part of which is entirely instrumental, the second part is very minimal in that department though; nothing to blow you away, but the beats are nice. The rest of the album however, while still great, sounds very much the same, just with different lyrics. Which is kind of disappointing considering the variety found on their previous two albums. But, what ends up working for them, despite the similar sound in the end, is that the album stay consistent throughout. So if you have the album on repeat, there never is a dull moment that you feel you must hit next track for, which is always nice.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is definitely a great addition to the band's musical catalog, a further develops on their sound from 2006, while having a hint of Alphabetical in there. And while the second half of the album feels too much alike, it definitely shows signs of the band finding their signature sound, and is a symbol of just how much they've developed since United.

Overall Score: 8/10

You can listen to Phoenix's new album and the rest of their catalog at MySpace

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

While I may have covered Foxboro Hot Tubs' debut (and probably only) album yesterday, today is all about Green Day's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown; the follow up to 2004's American Idiot, which gained the band some critical acclaim, but I can't say I was a big fan of that album. Does Green Day continue to alienate old fans, or does this new album have something for everyone?

21st Century Breakdown continues the, dare I say it, "rock opera" style of American Idiot, though this time around the album is split into three acts which follows a story of young couple, Christian and Gloria. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at each act individually.

Act I: Heroes & Cons
This first act actually starts off with the second track, the first track being "Song of the Century", which isn't much of a song as much as it's just Billie Joe Armstrong on a low-quality mic for fifty seconds. However, when the act starts, it's start's off big with the titular track, "21st Century Breakdown", which is one of the finest tracks I've heard from the band in a long time. Yes, the political overtone is still there, but in terms of sound it is one of the band's more "epic" tracks, and a great opener. Next though, is the first single from the album, "Know Your Enemy", which while not a terrible track, is a really repetitive track and I think was a misleading way to promote the album. "¡Viva La Gloria!" brings Green Day into piano rock territory, with violins to boot, which seems weird at first, but the track soon turns into classic Green Day style pop-punk, and that's nice to hear; the same can be said for the following track, "Before The Lobotomy", which starts off slow, but again turns into a classic Green Day sound and is one of my favorite tracks of the album.

The end of the act starts with "Christian's Inferno," which sounded to me like a mix of "Castaway" from Warning: and "Letterbomb" off of American Idiot; showing there is a balance of new and old Green Day here. Though, the closer, "Last Night On Earth," brings back the piano, and sounds a lot like The Beatles' "Free as a Bird," at least in its chorus; not a bad song though, not at all actually, just a very different type of song from the band.

Act II: Charlatans & Saints
As the new act arrives, the tone left from "Last Night On Earth", is completely turned around as Act II's first track, "East Jesus Nowhere," get's into your face and eardrums; but it too sounds like I've heard it elsewhere ... in five other Green Day songs. And the next song, "Peacemaker", sounds very much like a fast version of "Misery" from Warning:. But not everything sounds like I've heard it before, "Last of the American Girls" and "Murder City" sound like old Green Day, but in a completely new light; and they're certainly the highlights of this act if you're looking for that pop-punk sound. Closing off are "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)", which yet another mix of piano rock and pop-punk, and "Restless Heart Syndrome" which is just straight up piano, and sounds very Beatle-esque like the previous act close r... which oddly enough, sounds great again; I'm perplexed at how that works.

Act III: Horseshoes & Handgrenades
Act III's opening track, same as it's title, once again drops the piano in favor of in your face punk, and certainly will wake you up after the second act's closer. "The Static Age" continues with the pop-punk sound, but the following track, and probably my least favorite on the album, "21 Guns", slows down the pace of the act; and yet it's the longest song on the album, running at 5:21. "American Eulogy," the next track, is actually split in half. The first half, "Mass Hysteria", sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on it; and "Modern World" just sounds like it came off Insomniac, so I guess that's neat(?). The album closer, "See The Light", uses the same piano notes as "21st Century Breakdown", but soon goes into pop-punk anthem mode, and then dramatically ends with the same piano notes; a fitting end.

Final Thoughts
All in all, 21st Century Breakdown is a a great step in the right direction for Green Day. Yes, it's still in similar tone to American Idiot, but there's enough evolution here, as well as a nice return to the band's older pop-punk style, for hardcore and casual fan alike to find a part of the album they enjoy. The thing that surprised me the most though was how much I liked the tracks with piano, because on first listen they seemed really out of place on a Green Day album, but repeated listening made them much more appealing. Now I'm just curious to see where they go from here.

Overall Score: 9.3/10

Listen to the album on MySpace

Hidden Gems: Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!

With the upcoming release of Green Day's latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, I thought I should take the time to tell you about a Green Day project you may missed out on, for one reason or another.


This is the first review under the Hidden Gems banner, which as you may remember is a way for us to review older, lesser known titles, while still making them relevant. Interestingly enough, despite being a Green Day side project (though not originally revealed to be the band, much like their previous side project, The Network), Foxboro Hot Tubs didn't really generate that much buzz when the album released almost one year ago. And it's shame too, because in my opinion, Stop Drop and Roll!!! is a much more appealing album then 2004's American Idiot, which turned Green Day into a political band instead of just having fun.

Which brings me into my first point about the album; as a long time fan of Green Day, I was personally disappointed with American Idiot's overly political tone, which greatly departed from Green Day's pop-punk sound. Oh, and they started wearing eye shadow too, what's with that? None the less, Foxboro Hot Tubs' sound is different than both Green Day's pop-punk sound and their broody political work, instead opting for a very garage rock sound, making them sound more like a late 1950s band.

That's what I really like about the album though, is that it offers a side of the band we've never really heard before; and instead of changing the sound again and calling it Green Day, they took the smart decision and made it into something else completely. With that change though, comes the adaptation of that 1950s garage rock style, which not only affects the sound of the album but the physical release as well. The album itself comes in a CD sized cardboard sleeve, with another paper sleeve inside, giving it the feel of a tiny vinyl record; the album itself is even printed to look like a vinyl record, though doesn't go the extra step of having black plastic (like Weep's album). Sure, it may be novelty, but the authenticity is appreciated.

In terms of sound, Stop Drop and Roll!!! is full of intentionally low-quality, but catchy tunes, and really sounds great when listened to as a whole. But if I were to pick and choose, I definitely suggest you check out the titular track, "Stop Drop and Roll!!!", "Mother Mary", "Sally", "The Pedestrian", and "27th Ave Shuffle", but the rest of the album is still good. And really, the only thing that would stop me from believing that this was actually a late Fifties garage band, other than my preexisting knowledge of Green Day and Billie Joe Armstrong's voice, is some of the lyrics and choice language. Otherwise the sound of the album overall is pretty authentic, and that's just a cool factor.

Overall, Stop Drop and Roll!!! is a great start if Green Day ever plans to continue with the Foxboro Hot Tubs project, though that seems unlikely at this point, with a full tour planned to promote 21st Century Breakdown. But as stated before, if you're like me, and were a little disappointed by Green Day's change in tone, Foxboro Hot Tubs offers the feeling that the band you used to like still exists somewhere, and that's always nice to know.

Overall Score: 9/10

Poll #10 Results

Ok ... I mean it this time, THIS is the last post of 2008.

The question was "How do you buy your music?" you answered:

Both physically and digitally: 62%
CD only: 12%
Digital download only: 12%
I don't buy music: 12%
Vinyl: 0%

Well, I can't say I'm baffled. Personally I buy most of what I can on CD, but nowadays there's just some things you can't find on CD when your only source of music is the local Best Buy; and that's where iTunes comes in. But some people can't stand not having the CD or some people don't find need for a physical product so it's interesting to see that both "only" categories tied.

Then there's "I don't buy music" which was intended for those that literally don't buy music, and just use the radio... not "I don't buy music" but referring to stealing it via torrents, etc. And lastly, the vinyl option; I know some people out there are purists, and that's all they buy, so that option was for you, way to care. Would you rather I put an Eight Track option?

New year's poll is up

Music Reviews

Music reviews are listed alphabetically by artists' name; and subsequent artist releases are listed by release date.

To see how we score click here.

VFH Seal of Approval titles in bold


Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs 'NEW'
Beck - Modern Guilt
The Black Keys - Brothers
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Graham Coxon - The Spinning Top
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Rain Machine - Rain Machine
She & Him - Volume Two
Taking Back Sunday - New Again
Weep - Never Ever

This post will be updated as the reviews come.
Last updated: September 1st, 2010 (6:25 PM EST)