Billboard magazine named her the number one pop artist of the decade in 2009. Forbes named her the 27th most powerful celebrity in the world. She has three Grammys, five MTV VMAs, and two BRIT awards. Alecia Moore is one of the best-selling artists of all time and with her latest release “The Truth About Love” P!nk continues to deliver the top-quality kind of entertainment that has earned her numerous accolades.
There are few albums that are as good and catchy as Passion Pit’s “Gossamer.” Like Passion Pit’s debut, listeners might tap their feet less enthusiastically once they stop and listen to the lyrics. This was a cute trick on their first album, mainly because the depressing themes in the songs were generally veiled behind clever lyrics that required some work to decipher. On the new album, though, front man Michael Angelakos hits the listener over the head with his depression in every song. If the lyrics were well written and thought provoking, it would be nice to stop dancing and listen to them. They are not, so the best advice to give listeners of this album is to stop thinking about it and keep on dancing.
With a legendary influence on jazz, rock and classical music for over 50 years, and often referred to as the greatest selling jazz record of all time, “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis is an album that can be appreciated by seasoned jazz listeners as well as those that are new to the genre. Davis and his sextet recorded the album in New York City during March and April of 1959 and released it a few months later in August. What has made “Kind of Blue” so unique and historically significant is its use of modality – implementing a series of scales as opposed to rapid chord changes. Davis had experimented with modal jazz during 1958, but “Kind of Blue” was the first album he prepared based entirely on modality. The goal was to allow the musicians more freedom to create, and they do that from the very first track, “So What.”
Jeff Mangum returned to Denver for the first time in fourteen years. The legendary singer of Neutral Milk Hotel has been touring this year as a solo act, performing songs from their two studio albums. Denver holds a special place in Mangum’s heart, as it was the location where both of these records were recorded. His performance at the Ogden did not disappoint and reminded fans of what they have been missing for fourteen years.
A couple of weeks ago Fun. played a show at the Fox Theater in Boulder. It was one of three stops they made in Colorado, all of which sold out. This was not surprising considering the recent success of the band, but for long time fans it was somewhat disconcerting. The fact that more people are attending their concerts is yet another reminder of the changes they have undergone. It is not that more people like them that make them less appealing, but that their sound has become less distinctive and more crowd-pleasing. The sold out shows are merely a symptom of this. But even the most jaded fan cannot help but loose all inhibitions the second Nate Reuss’s vocal chords tear across the room at their live shows.
The Shins, a band known for bridging the gap between mainstream music and indie music, became a household name when they were first heard in the movie “Garden State.” From that point on, The Shins was no longer referred to as “that band you have probably never heard of.” Normally, when a band crosses this line, the “hipster” community turns on them. Curiously, though, The Shins have managed to maintain a balance between both of these parties. The music from The Shins encompasses so many musical tastes, few dislike them. Something in their music speaks to every listener. For this reason, when lead singer James Mercer kicked all of the old members out of the band and brought in an entirely new line-up for the fourth Shins album, the world was worried.
In “Rooms Filled with Light,” Fanfarlo presents an entirely different sound than in their first album, “Reservoir.” The first track, “Replicate,” contains many of the same prevalent strings as some of the tracks from “Reservoir,” but the song teeters with vocals that break out from that routine. For another band, this could result in a song that spends the whole time building towards an explosion, but burns out before it gets there. Instead, Fanfarlo uses it as a launching point for the album. Listeners cling to Simon Balthazar’s voice as he leads them into the next song, “Destruction,” which begins with the same synthetic start as some of the songs from “Reservoir.” It then busts into some surf rock mixed with ’80s style pop. Needless to say, “Destruction” resonates as the catchiest song on the album.
Standard Fare – Out of Sight, Out of Town
Lucy Orsi
Standard Fare is a band known for frilly music, a commitment to a unique sound, and dedication to bettering themselves as musicians. On their second full length album, hard work and focused fundamentals bring an average band to new and higher levels of talent. Elements of fun and carefree melodies make “Out of Sight, Out of Town” a fun listen on a dreary winter day.
On “Go Fly a Kite,” Ben Kweller’s newest album and first on his own label (Noise Company), he is as charming as ever. For the most part, his songs back this charm up with solid musicianship, even though the lyrics are somewhat disappointing. Kweller has always had a unique way of charming listeners. Ever since his debut, listeners have had high expectations. It is hard to dislike Kweller. His songs capture his charm to an impressive degree, even when you dislike a song, you desperately want to like it.
Fun., a band known for its desire to create unique music without compromising their integrity, recently signed with a major record label, Fueled by Ramen, with the production of their newest album. Nate Reuss, a singer/songwriter known for his distaste for big record companies, wrote a song called “The Compromise”, effectively terminating him from his previous label. Every aspect of Fun. jabs at formulaic albums produced by record companies.