Tag Archives | album review

New album Purple Naked Ladies from Odd Future collaborators The Internet shows promise

by on February 17, 2012 in Arts

Tyler, the Creator and his cohorts have taken over The Internet.

That’s the name of the newest project to come from hip-hop collective Odd Future and Purple Naked Ladies marks the first album to be officially released under their own record label. It is a collaboration between two of the gang’s producers, Syd Tha Kid and Matt Martians. Martians is also a member of producing duo The Jet Age of Tomorrow who have released two free mixtapes of primarily instrumentals. Still, this is really the first time that these two members have taken a more primary role in the group.

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Florence and the Machine’s Ceremonials is solid album marred by a lack of variety

by on January 13, 2012 in Arts

Two years since their debut album Lungs in July 2009, English indie pop group Florence and the Machine released their second album, Ceremonials, in Oct. 2011 to a patient and loyal following. And for the most part, it was worth the wait. If this collection has its flaws, though, it’s in its lack of variety.

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Canadian DJ’s Space Cadet is thoughtful and moving

by on October 23, 2011 in Arts

You might not know about Kid Koala, but you probably know some of the things he has worked on. The Canadian DJ has contributed to the scores of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, composed for the Cartoon Network and released three albums of his own, the last of which was Your Mom’s Favorite DJ back in 2006.

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Hysterical is a partial return to former glory

by on October 7, 2011 in Arts

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah ask a lot of their listeners. If the band wants the sort of reaction their name demands, the onus is on them to give the audience a reason to break out and shout. And of their past two releases, only one has yielded such a result.

After a four-year hiatus, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have returned with a new release, Hysterical.

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Checking out Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You

by on October 4, 2011 in Arts

After a five-year hiatus since the release of the highly criticized double album Stadium Arcadium, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a lot to prove with their latest release, I’m With You.

With over 60 minutes of music, the Chili Peppers’ tenth studio album, produced by Rick Rubin, has Anthony Kiedis claiming they are a “new band.” But fear not diehard fans, I’m With You is stamped with the RHCP’s signature sound. Just don’t count on them getting the socks back out.

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New Mastodon album is decent but not up to standard

by on October 4, 2011 in Arts

Atlanta-based psychedelic metal heads Mastodon continue to step out of their comfort zone on their fifth album The Hunter.

The Hunter has some truly great moments; it’s too bad they’re shrouded by some mediocre attempts by the band to step outside their comfort zone into more accessible areas. I respect what Mastodon tried to do with this album and when it works it works extremely well, but all too often The Hunter tends to shoot itself in the foot.

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Nothing But The Beat is nothing but forgettable

by on September 19, 2011 in Arts

Anyone familiar with Guetta’s past work or really anything that is played on top 40 radio stations will feel right at home with this album. Within that comfort lays the whole issue with the album: it’s far too mechanical.

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One on one with Canadian indie band Mother Mother

by on September 6, 2011 in Arts

Mother Mother’s frontman Ryan Guldemond doesn’t dig happy songs: ““It’s funny. I do gravitate towards slower, darker songs and sometimes I kind of feel like I need to remind myself to be positive. Happy songs irk me. I like cold, dense and realistic portraits of humanity, which inevitably I think are quite humourous.”

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New Sam Roberts Band album Collider brings all the goods

by on September 2, 2011 in Arts

Certain albums can be recognized as something special from the very first listen. Sam Roberts Band’s Collider, released May 10, is a worthy member of that select group.

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Suck it and See: Arctic Monkeys Are All Grown Up

by on June 16, 2011 in Arts

Suck It And See, the latest album from Arctic Monkeys, is the natural next step for a group that achieved meteoric success early on and is now learning to act as a grown-up band.

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