Music

Music Review: The Head and the Heart

The Head and the Heart, a band whose journey to the top of the charts proves, even in a world where most people discover music online, hard work can still launch bands. The Head and the Heart signed with Sub Pop Records and, following in the footsteps of many of their pacific northwest predecessors, have been working a long time to see results. Before signing with Sub Pop, their debut album was self produced and sold by the band at concerts and a few local record stores.

Music Review: Howler’s America Give Up

It is not a new comparison, and I’m sure the band itself is getting tired of hearing it, but it is too obvious not to point out the similarities between the new indie rock band Howler from Minnesota and their New York counterpart The Strokes. They are even signed to the same label. But honestly, what indie rock band wouldn’t want to be compared to The Strokes? These are large footprints to fill, but for modern day indie rock they are the standard. Lead singer Jordan Gatesmith is a promising lead, but he has a long way to go before he will touch Julian Casablancas. While Howler’s “America Give Up” hardly touches The Strokes debut “Is This It,” it’s a genuinely good album of its genre.

Music Review: Amy Winehouse, Lioness: Hidden Treasures review

When Amy Winehouse’s voice first makes its debut on opener “Our Day Will Come,” one cannot help but be pulled in. After Winehouse’s death, her record company released an album with miscellaneous recordings of her they accumulated over the years.
“Our Day Will Come” is probably the best song on the album, and at times it might even making you forget that she is gone. The next song, though, “Between the Cheats” is underwhelming. It struggles to find a cohesive sound, which results in a somewhat chaotic listening experience. On “The Girl from Ipanema” Winehouse loses some of her charm and sounds almost unoriginal. “Half Time” is a good listen and sounds more like songs from “Back to Black,” but it is nowhere near as charming or witty as the best songs from that album. “Like Smoke” is a valiant effort to provide a modern slant on her classic voice. Her cover of “Valerie” though, surprisingly hosts the records most impressive vocal performance. It reminds listeners of all the things they loved about Winehouse.

Concert Review: Wilco and Fitz and the Tantrums

Denver was treated to two sellout concerts this past weekend as Fitz and the Tantrums and Wilco both paid a visit to the Mile High City. Crowds trickled into The Ogden at around seven o’clock and were welcomed with a mellow opener from American Tomahawk. While the band suffers from a few indie rock cliches and perhaps too many apparent influences, their set was short, sweet, and a good warm up. They were followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.. Cranking up the energy level ten-fold, the two lead singers took to the stage in glowing technicolored blazers while “J” and “R” block letters flashed in front and behind them. The entrance was captivating to say the least, and forced them into the potentially awkward situation of having to back it up with their music. Despite a few instances, they actually maintained the crowd’s attention and even went beyond expectations on their hit “Vocal Chords,” adding dimensions that could only be experienced live.

fun. rocks impressive beat

In February 2008, Nate Reuss’ band The Format was supposed to release a new album to follow up their sophomore album “Dog Problems.” Instead, the increasingly popular band broke up. The news devastated fans, but it was not long before lead singer Reuss debuted his new project, a band called “fun.” Despite an unfortunate name with awkward punctuation, the band’s first demo “Benson Hedges” featured the same powerful vocals and surprising instrumentals that had become The Format’s trademark, but whereas most of The Format’s song centered on a brooding Nate and his struggles with women, this single was more upbeat. The song featured gospel singers and fast paced lyrics about Nate’s desperation to get out of Arizona. The song is about moving on, and while it was clear that fun. would still have obvious ties to The Format, this was a different band.

The Decemberists – Long live the king EP

It really should not come as a surprise that the newest release from The Decemberists continues where their last full length album ended, but it is disappointing nonetheless. On their last full length album, “The King Is Dead,” many listeners applauded The Decemberists for what was, once again, another album filled with literary references and Colin Meloy’s strange but always engaging voice. However, while the album was still very much a Decemberists album, something had been lost. Instead of songs that surprised the listener with original melodies and surprising twists, “The King Is Dead” sounded a little too predictable. Much like its predecessor, “Long Live the King” fails to surprise and instead features a band that has embraced everything about them that worked but left behind a lot of the nuance that made them appealing.

Music Review: Time Out

“Time Out” by Dave Brubeck is more than just a jazz album, it is a jazz classic. Recorded during the summer of 1959, it was almost never released by Columbia Records. The album’s blend of unconventional time signatures and lack of standard tunes made company executives doubtful that it could be a success. Luckily, through an intervention by the company president Goddard Lieberson, the album was released, and despite a number of negative reviews initially, it became one of the most popular and well-known jazz albums of all time.

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