Let’s start off with this: I never thought Weezer got as gut-wrenchingly terrible as many critics and fans did. Extremely inconsistent? Yes. Most of their albums in the past 10 years have had a couple of good tracks surrounded by filler and mediocrity, as if frontman Rivers Cuomo was writing on autopilot. When I first heard about Weezer’s new...
Too messy for mainstream rock and alternative and too tame for punk, Iceage’s new album “Plowing Into the Field of Love” is one that can’t be easily placed into any subgenre of rock or alternative music due to the variety of elements and instruments used in each track. “Plowing Into the Field of Love” gets across that it is...
As a music lover who has listened to an endless array of albums, I frequently come across music that is fun to listen to. However, less frequently are those moments when I find an album that reminds me why I love listening to music in the first place. They allow me to realize how much I love listening to...
Oh, the dreaded sophomore album. The album that can either make or break an indie band’s career. For most young bands coming off of a stellar first album, such as English rock band alt-J, the pressure to try and create a better album is high.
Ever since the release of their highly lauded debut album “An Awesome Wave” back in...
Owen Pallett is known as somewhat of a musical academic, penning numerous essays deconstructing elements of different popular songs to explain why they work and don’t work. And in his spare time, he is a frequent collaborator with Arcade Fire, arranging strings on all of their albums while also being nominated with band member Will Butler for best original...
Yann Tiersen is best known for capturing audiences’ musical attention with unique and energetic scores, with his most recognized work being in “Amelie” and “Goodbye, Lenin.” Tiersen never really broke out of the soundtrack genre sound-wise, but his classical training and post-punk experience have enabled him to slowly start finding his own sound. Although not attached to any film,...
Conor Oberst, a master of sad songs and a brilliantly philosophical lyricist, has just recently graced the world with his solo album, “Upside Down Mountain.” And if you have watched any YouTube videos lately, you’ve likely heard an ad for his album playing the song “Zigzagging Toward the Light,” a rather lively tune with somber words. This lead singer...
The Roots have been a model for longevity and continual growth within hip-hop as well as the music scene for almost as many years as they’ve been active in it. Over 20 years in the business of making music, their appeal has begun to expand more than ever before with their gig as the house band on “The Tonight...
As a band with Grammy-winning fame, the Black Keys have produced music that has become familiar to audiences of all different genres, ranging from ‘60s blues to modern alternative. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have worked together in this duo since 2001, cultivating a distinct garage rock sound with an authentic blues influence. With tracks like “Tighten Up” and...
Ever since their release of “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” Coldplay has steered away from their more traditional alternative and indie rock sounds of acoustic guitars, piano riffs and anthemic choruses. Those sounds have been replaced with more experimental electronic melodies that sometimes work, and other times fall flat. Some love this change, while others...