Albums:
Pathetically, the #1 album of the week was Bon Jovi's Lost Highway. Shame on you, America. Shame on you.
#2 this week was The White Stripes' Icky Thump, which represents the Stripes' highest chart position and best-selling week of their career.
Lifehouse's Who We Are debuted at #14.
Straylight Run debuted at #72 with The Needles The Space.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park stays at #1 again.
Debuting at #20 is My Chemical Romance with "Teenagers", which in my opinion is the best song of their career.
Mainstream Rock:
What's this?!? For the first time in 3 months there's a #1 song that isn't that fucking Linkin Park song? There must be some sort of error!
As it turns out, the long-term #2 on Mainstream is now #1, as Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Wanna Stop" finally gets over the mountain.
Climbing from #12 to #9 this week is the latest song from Three Days Grace, so apparently this is going to be their latest song to claw it's way to the top and never leave the damn charts. What America sees in this band I'll never know.
Stone Sour debuts at #20 with "Made Of Scars", the third single off of their lastest album to chart.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
New Shit This Week
CDs:
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger - After taking an unusually long time to release a new album (a whole year!?!), Adams returns with more alt-country for hipsters. Should be worth a listen.
VERDICT - Buy it if you can find it cheap.
The Beastie Boys - The Mix-Up - An all instrumental album... from a rap group... Weird, but I'll give it a shot.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
DVDs:
Black Snake Moan - That makes two "snake" movies in a row for Samuel L. Jackson that came into theaters with a massive amount of hype only to completely flop at the box office. Unlike Snakes On A Plane, though, this movie is actually good. Not good enough to buy, but good enough to rent.
VERDICT - Rent it.
Shooter - I haven't seen it, but I've heard that it's good and Mark Wahlberg always manages to pick good scripts, so it's worth a look.
VERDICT - Rent it.
Pride - An uplifting sports movie about the first black team to integrate the world of swimming. Yes, swimming. It's a swimming movie. Seriously. I haven't seen it, but I would guess there's some message to the movie that can be summed up by paraphrasing Mr. Mackey: "Racism is bad... mmm-kay."
VERDICT - Skip it.
Dead Silence - A horror movie about a small town over-run by possessed ventriliquist dummies. Somehow this managed to be released in theaters and probably made more than Letters From Iwo Jima. America is a very stupid country, isn't it?
VERDICT - Avoid it. You may need those brain cells later, though if you're considering watching this movie, I say go ahead and burn 'em.
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger - After taking an unusually long time to release a new album (a whole year!?!), Adams returns with more alt-country for hipsters. Should be worth a listen.
VERDICT - Buy it if you can find it cheap.
The Beastie Boys - The Mix-Up - An all instrumental album... from a rap group... Weird, but I'll give it a shot.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
DVDs:
Black Snake Moan - That makes two "snake" movies in a row for Samuel L. Jackson that came into theaters with a massive amount of hype only to completely flop at the box office. Unlike Snakes On A Plane, though, this movie is actually good. Not good enough to buy, but good enough to rent.
VERDICT - Rent it.
Shooter - I haven't seen it, but I've heard that it's good and Mark Wahlberg always manages to pick good scripts, so it's worth a look.
VERDICT - Rent it.
Pride - An uplifting sports movie about the first black team to integrate the world of swimming. Yes, swimming. It's a swimming movie. Seriously. I haven't seen it, but I would guess there's some message to the movie that can be summed up by paraphrasing Mr. Mackey: "Racism is bad... mmm-kay."
VERDICT - Skip it.
Dead Silence - A horror movie about a small town over-run by possessed ventriliquist dummies. Somehow this managed to be released in theaters and probably made more than Letters From Iwo Jima. America is a very stupid country, isn't it?
VERDICT - Avoid it. You may need those brain cells later, though if you're considering watching this movie, I say go ahead and burn 'em.
Modern Rock Reviews
Modern Rock Archive
Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One - A
A fantastic song from a great new band. I especially like the way that the two singers' voices play off of each other. It's reminiscient of XTC in that way.
Mute Math - Typical - A-
A great band makes it's first appearance on rock radio and this one is one of their best, a song that blends elements of Coldplay and U2 into a solid song with an excellent tone and chorus.
Shinedown - Heroes - B+
Possibly the best song Shinedown will ever make. The band is finally starting to pick up the tempo and is no longer trying to be Staind, although that's probably just because they already killed Staind and made an oufit out of their skin, Ed Gein style.
Satellite Party - Wish Upon A Dog Star - B+
A solid single from Perry Farrell's new band. It doesn't quite live up to Jane's Addiction standards, but it's still better than most of the music on these days.
Saosin - Voices - B
Better than the average metal or emo song, but not quite good enough to be among the elite.
Meg & Dia - Monster - B
An above average debut for the band, but they can probably do better.
Secondhand Serenade - Vulnerable - B
A solid acoustic emo tune from an artist that shoots for Dashboard Confessional and only just barely misses.
Shadows Fall - Redemption - B
Pretty good for a metal song, but not up to the standards of some of the better metal bands (Mastodon, Killswitch Engage, etc.)
Silverchair - Straight Lines - B
Silverchair is back on the charts and they've adapted a very new sound. It's better than it has been in the past, but I don't know that it's really all that great as of yet. Time will tell if they'll stick around.
Chevelle - I Get It - B
A step below their usual standards, but still a solid song.
Sevendust - Driven - B-
A strictly formula tune from Sevendust, who is starting to become as bad as Staind or Evanescence when it comes to releasing nearly identical songs with slightly different lyrics.
Skillet - The Older I Get - B-
A formula modern rock song with a solid hook. Nothing notable, though.
Collective Soul - Hollywood - B-
A pleasant song that doesn't really do anything to merit a higher rating.
Korn - Evolution - C
The easiest way to put this is that the slower the song, the worse Korn is. This song is pretty slow...
Say Anything - Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too - F
A crude and irritating emo pop song from a band that either doesn't have a clue how to make good music or doesn't care. Stupid and a bit ugly.
Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One - A
A fantastic song from a great new band. I especially like the way that the two singers' voices play off of each other. It's reminiscient of XTC in that way.
Mute Math - Typical - A-
A great band makes it's first appearance on rock radio and this one is one of their best, a song that blends elements of Coldplay and U2 into a solid song with an excellent tone and chorus.
Shinedown - Heroes - B+
Possibly the best song Shinedown will ever make. The band is finally starting to pick up the tempo and is no longer trying to be Staind, although that's probably just because they already killed Staind and made an oufit out of their skin, Ed Gein style.
Satellite Party - Wish Upon A Dog Star - B+
A solid single from Perry Farrell's new band. It doesn't quite live up to Jane's Addiction standards, but it's still better than most of the music on these days.
Saosin - Voices - B
Better than the average metal or emo song, but not quite good enough to be among the elite.
Meg & Dia - Monster - B
An above average debut for the band, but they can probably do better.
Secondhand Serenade - Vulnerable - B
A solid acoustic emo tune from an artist that shoots for Dashboard Confessional and only just barely misses.
Shadows Fall - Redemption - B
Pretty good for a metal song, but not up to the standards of some of the better metal bands (Mastodon, Killswitch Engage, etc.)
Silverchair - Straight Lines - B
Silverchair is back on the charts and they've adapted a very new sound. It's better than it has been in the past, but I don't know that it's really all that great as of yet. Time will tell if they'll stick around.
Chevelle - I Get It - B
A step below their usual standards, but still a solid song.
Sevendust - Driven - B-
A strictly formula tune from Sevendust, who is starting to become as bad as Staind or Evanescence when it comes to releasing nearly identical songs with slightly different lyrics.
Skillet - The Older I Get - B-
A formula modern rock song with a solid hook. Nothing notable, though.
Collective Soul - Hollywood - B-
A pleasant song that doesn't really do anything to merit a higher rating.
Korn - Evolution - C
The easiest way to put this is that the slower the song, the worse Korn is. This song is pretty slow...
Say Anything - Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too - F
A crude and irritating emo pop song from a band that either doesn't have a clue how to make good music or doesn't care. Stupid and a bit ugly.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
New Movies This Week
1408 - John Cusack is always a favorite of mine when his films come around, but audiences rarely agree. This one is based on a short story by Stephen King and apparantly it's really good. Naturally, I won't be able to see it for a long time, if ever before DVD.
Verdict: See it ASAP.
A Mighty Heart - An artsy movie that came out of nowhere to get fantastic reviews, but it's not likely that will translate into big box office bucks. Still, the reviews ARE great, so I can't wait to see what this movie has to offer.
Verdict: See it.
Evan Almighty - The "sequel" to Bruce Almighty is expected to be a big hit and with Steve Carrell it will probably be pretty funny, but is it going to be any good? Probably not, but it's probably worth a look anyway.
Verdict: See it.
Verdict: See it ASAP.
A Mighty Heart - An artsy movie that came out of nowhere to get fantastic reviews, but it's not likely that will translate into big box office bucks. Still, the reviews ARE great, so I can't wait to see what this movie has to offer.
Verdict: See it.
Evan Almighty - The "sequel" to Bruce Almighty is expected to be a big hit and with Steve Carrell it will probably be pretty funny, but is it going to be any good? Probably not, but it's probably worth a look anyway.
Verdict: See it.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
The surprising top rock debut of the week is The Traveling Wilburys Collection by the Traveling Wilburys which debuts at #9.
Disappointingly low in the charts is the debut of Queens of the Stone Age's Era Vulgaris, which only managed to debut at #14.
The John Lennon tribute for Darfur debuts at #15 this week.
The new Paramore album Riot! debuts at #20.
Modern Rock:
You guessed it, Linkin Park is #1 again this week, making it 11 weeks in a row. I think the record is 19 or something like that. Something to keep an eye on.
Linkin Park is also #1 on Mainstream.
Korn's "Evolution" debuts in the top 20 on Modern while The White Stripes' "Icky Thump" debuted on the Mainstream charts.
The surprising top rock debut of the week is The Traveling Wilburys Collection by the Traveling Wilburys which debuts at #9.
Disappointingly low in the charts is the debut of Queens of the Stone Age's Era Vulgaris, which only managed to debut at #14.
The John Lennon tribute for Darfur debuts at #15 this week.
The new Paramore album Riot! debuts at #20.
Modern Rock:
You guessed it, Linkin Park is #1 again this week, making it 11 weeks in a row. I think the record is 19 or something like that. Something to keep an eye on.
Linkin Park is also #1 on Mainstream.
Korn's "Evolution" debuts in the top 20 on Modern while The White Stripes' "Icky Thump" debuted on the Mainstream charts.
New Releases This Week
CDs:
The White Stripes - Icky Thump - This is probably the most anticipated CD of the year for me. The White Stripes are the best band around at this point in time and they have yet to produce a disc that I didn't absolutely love. I can't wait for this one to come out.
Verdict: Buy it, ASAP!
Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated - Art Brut's debut was an excellent, straight-forward punk rock album in the tradition of Never Mind The Bollocks. I haven't heard much about the new disc, but I should be hearing the first single pretty soon. I intend to buy this cd the first chance I get.
Verdict: Buy It.
The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army - The Polyphonic Spree are definitely an acquired taste, but they usually put out solid music an I don't expect this to be any different, though they aren't quite at the buy it level for me yet.
Verdict: Borrow it.
The Mooney Suzuki - Have Mercy - An interesting hard rock throwback, The Mooney Suzuki will be worth a listen if not a purchase.
Verdict: Borrow it.
DVDs:
Reno 911: Miami - The show is hilarious, the movie is pretty much the show but without television restrictions.
Verdict: Rent it.
Bridge To Terabithia - A decent movie for children that features a gutpunch towards the end. Worth a look.
Verdict: Rent it.
Miss Potter - I don't know much about this movie, but it's supposed to be halfway decent, so I'll check it out, eventually.
Verdict: Rent it.
The White Stripes - Icky Thump - This is probably the most anticipated CD of the year for me. The White Stripes are the best band around at this point in time and they have yet to produce a disc that I didn't absolutely love. I can't wait for this one to come out.
Verdict: Buy it, ASAP!
Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated - Art Brut's debut was an excellent, straight-forward punk rock album in the tradition of Never Mind The Bollocks. I haven't heard much about the new disc, but I should be hearing the first single pretty soon. I intend to buy this cd the first chance I get.
Verdict: Buy It.
The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army - The Polyphonic Spree are definitely an acquired taste, but they usually put out solid music an I don't expect this to be any different, though they aren't quite at the buy it level for me yet.
Verdict: Borrow it.
The Mooney Suzuki - Have Mercy - An interesting hard rock throwback, The Mooney Suzuki will be worth a listen if not a purchase.
Verdict: Borrow it.
DVDs:
Reno 911: Miami - The show is hilarious, the movie is pretty much the show but without television restrictions.
Verdict: Rent it.
Bridge To Terabithia - A decent movie for children that features a gutpunch towards the end. Worth a look.
Verdict: Rent it.
Miss Potter - I don't know much about this movie, but it's supposed to be halfway decent, so I'll check it out, eventually.
Verdict: Rent it.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Battle Of The Bands 2007: Round 1, Bracket C, Part 2
#17 Rise Against 3 - #48 Korn 0 - Yesterday's news (though still around) Korn gets blown out by one of the hottest bands in punk rock today.
#18 The Distillers 3 - #47 Marilyn Manson 0 - Though the Distillers haven't done much lately, they can still easily beat the ice-cold Marilyn Manson.
#19 P.J. Harvey 2 - #46 No Address 1 - No Address still has quite a bit to prove if they want to catch up to an artist like Harvey.
#20 The Dandy Warhols 2 - #45 The Supersuckers 1 - Dandy's Rule, OK? They just do.
#21 Bright Eyes 2 - #44 The New York Dolls 1 - The ridiculously low-seeded Bright Eyes edges out the comeback kids New York Dolls.
#43 Pennywise 2 - #22 Staind 1 - Staind suffers the first upset of this bracket, losing a close match to Pennywise.
#23 Kittie 2 - #42 Our Lady Peace 1 - A close match, but both bands have seen better days, with Kittie taking the win.
#24 Santana 2 - #41 The Von Bondies 1 - Though I have no clue why and certainly don't endorse this vote, Santana's comeback tour moves on to the second round.
#25 The Scissor Sisters 3 - #40 Sugarcult 0 - The indie disco band sweeps the underrated pop punk band.
#26 The Ponys 3 - #39 The Ben Folds Five 0 - Two tragically low-seeded bands duke it out and Ben Folds ends up the victim.
#27 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 2 - #38 Rock Kills Kid 1 - The upstart punk band can't take down the best band you've never heard of.
#37 The Hold Steady 2 - #28 Disturbed 1 - The indie rock by way of Springsteen band takes down the nu-metal holdover.
#29 Fountains Of Wayne 2 - #36 Jewel 1 - Yes, Jewel is still around, but she's no longer even close to a band the level of Fountains.
#35 Liz Phair 2 - #30 Sevendust 1 - Liz Phair pulls the upset, but she won't go far with her current pop rock sensibilities.
#31 Built To Spill 2 - #34 Garbage 1 - Built To Spill's most recent disc is probably what put them over the top here, coupled with Garbage's recent lack of output.
#32 Gnarls Barkley 2 - #33 Shinedown 1 - The hippest band out there at the moment (or until Danger Mouse starts a new band) takes down one of the least hip.
#18 The Distillers 3 - #47 Marilyn Manson 0 - Though the Distillers haven't done much lately, they can still easily beat the ice-cold Marilyn Manson.
#19 P.J. Harvey 2 - #46 No Address 1 - No Address still has quite a bit to prove if they want to catch up to an artist like Harvey.
#20 The Dandy Warhols 2 - #45 The Supersuckers 1 - Dandy's Rule, OK? They just do.
#21 Bright Eyes 2 - #44 The New York Dolls 1 - The ridiculously low-seeded Bright Eyes edges out the comeback kids New York Dolls.
#43 Pennywise 2 - #22 Staind 1 - Staind suffers the first upset of this bracket, losing a close match to Pennywise.
#23 Kittie 2 - #42 Our Lady Peace 1 - A close match, but both bands have seen better days, with Kittie taking the win.
#24 Santana 2 - #41 The Von Bondies 1 - Though I have no clue why and certainly don't endorse this vote, Santana's comeback tour moves on to the second round.
#25 The Scissor Sisters 3 - #40 Sugarcult 0 - The indie disco band sweeps the underrated pop punk band.
#26 The Ponys 3 - #39 The Ben Folds Five 0 - Two tragically low-seeded bands duke it out and Ben Folds ends up the victim.
#27 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 2 - #38 Rock Kills Kid 1 - The upstart punk band can't take down the best band you've never heard of.
#37 The Hold Steady 2 - #28 Disturbed 1 - The indie rock by way of Springsteen band takes down the nu-metal holdover.
#29 Fountains Of Wayne 2 - #36 Jewel 1 - Yes, Jewel is still around, but she's no longer even close to a band the level of Fountains.
#35 Liz Phair 2 - #30 Sevendust 1 - Liz Phair pulls the upset, but she won't go far with her current pop rock sensibilities.
#31 Built To Spill 2 - #34 Garbage 1 - Built To Spill's most recent disc is probably what put them over the top here, coupled with Garbage's recent lack of output.
#32 Gnarls Barkley 2 - #33 Shinedown 1 - The hippest band out there at the moment (or until Danger Mouse starts a new band) takes down one of the least hip.
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 1 - Bracket C - Part 1
#1 The Red Hot Chili Peppers 3 - #64 Maximo Park 0 - The most successful band in the history of the Modern Rock charts crushes upstart Maximo Park.
#2 The Shins 3 - #63 Mates Of State 0 - Indie rock gods the Shins sweep the obscure but outstanding indie pop band Mates Of State.
#3 Wolfmother 3 - #62 Nappy Roots 0 - My pick for the best new band of the past few years sweeps Nappy Roots.
#4 Coldplay 3 - #61 The Spill Canvas 0 - Local favorites The Spill Canvas didn't stand a chance when they matched up against their generation's U2.
#5 The Killers 3 - #60 British Sea Power 0 - Seeing as barely anyone has even heard of British Sea Power, this one wasn't set to be one of the closer matches in the competition... and so it wasn't.
#6 Bob Dylan 3 - #59 The Goo Goo Dolls 0 - I doubt that the Dolls could have gotten a vote against Dylan even in their heyday.
#7 Nine Inch Nails 3 - #58 Starsailor 0 - Not even close.
#8 The Mars Volta 3 - #57 Against Me! 0 - You know what, give this one time and it might just change, but for right now, it's Mars Volta all the way.
#9 Rob Zombie 3 - #56 Cursive 0 - Cursive is too underground to compete, not that Zombie isn't one of the best in metal these days.
#10 Tom Waits 3 - #55 John Mellencamp 0 - The battle between a great songwriter whose voice sounds like shit and a singer with a pleasant voice who hasn't written a decent song in nearly 20 years. You can see how that turned out.
#11 The Flaming Lips 2 - #54 The Bravery 1 - The first non-sweep of this bracket sees indie rock wannabes The Bravery falling just short of the only indie prog rock band to ever become well-known.
#12 Frank Black 2 - #53 Nas 1 - Not the best panel for the innovative rapper to succeed with, but he might have been over-matched against the former Pixies front-man.
#13 The Decemberists 3 - #52 Jay-Z 0 - Another rapper goes down in the 1st round, this time to indie rock songwriters The Decemberists.
#14 Fiona Apple 3 - #51 She Wants Revenge 0 - A truly original singer easily takes down the most blatant of the many blatant ripoffs of Joy Division to come out lately.
#15 Dinosaur Jr. 3 - #50 The Barenaked Ladies 0 - They barely got their CD out before the brackets were decided, but Dinosaur Jr.'s new cd is brilliant and more than enough to take down the backsliding Ladies.
#16 The Buzzcocks 3 - #49 Morrissey 0 - Another band that barely qualified for this competition cruises past the former Smiths frontman.
#2 The Shins 3 - #63 Mates Of State 0 - Indie rock gods the Shins sweep the obscure but outstanding indie pop band Mates Of State.
#3 Wolfmother 3 - #62 Nappy Roots 0 - My pick for the best new band of the past few years sweeps Nappy Roots.
#4 Coldplay 3 - #61 The Spill Canvas 0 - Local favorites The Spill Canvas didn't stand a chance when they matched up against their generation's U2.
#5 The Killers 3 - #60 British Sea Power 0 - Seeing as barely anyone has even heard of British Sea Power, this one wasn't set to be one of the closer matches in the competition... and so it wasn't.
#6 Bob Dylan 3 - #59 The Goo Goo Dolls 0 - I doubt that the Dolls could have gotten a vote against Dylan even in their heyday.
#7 Nine Inch Nails 3 - #58 Starsailor 0 - Not even close.
#8 The Mars Volta 3 - #57 Against Me! 0 - You know what, give this one time and it might just change, but for right now, it's Mars Volta all the way.
#9 Rob Zombie 3 - #56 Cursive 0 - Cursive is too underground to compete, not that Zombie isn't one of the best in metal these days.
#10 Tom Waits 3 - #55 John Mellencamp 0 - The battle between a great songwriter whose voice sounds like shit and a singer with a pleasant voice who hasn't written a decent song in nearly 20 years. You can see how that turned out.
#11 The Flaming Lips 2 - #54 The Bravery 1 - The first non-sweep of this bracket sees indie rock wannabes The Bravery falling just short of the only indie prog rock band to ever become well-known.
#12 Frank Black 2 - #53 Nas 1 - Not the best panel for the innovative rapper to succeed with, but he might have been over-matched against the former Pixies front-man.
#13 The Decemberists 3 - #52 Jay-Z 0 - Another rapper goes down in the 1st round, this time to indie rock songwriters The Decemberists.
#14 Fiona Apple 3 - #51 She Wants Revenge 0 - A truly original singer easily takes down the most blatant of the many blatant ripoffs of Joy Division to come out lately.
#15 Dinosaur Jr. 3 - #50 The Barenaked Ladies 0 - They barely got their CD out before the brackets were decided, but Dinosaur Jr.'s new cd is brilliant and more than enough to take down the backsliding Ladies.
#16 The Buzzcocks 3 - #49 Morrissey 0 - Another band that barely qualified for this competition cruises past the former Smiths frontman.
Modern Rock Monday
Modern Rock Archive
Queens Of The Stone Age - Sick, Sick, Sick - A+
Finally a welcome return to the airwaves for a change. This song is more than just the clever play on words that the title implies. Singer Josh Homme with special guest Julian Casablancas of the Strokes tear through this song at a lightning pace that still manages to be light and smooth. An early contender for song of the year.
Placebo - Meds - A
One of the best bands that get almost no airplay in America, Placebo has yet another classic on their hands with this brilliant build-up and explode song.
Peter Bjorn And John - Young Folks - A-
Whistling and a drum machine are a weird way to start out a song, but this light piece of indie pop makes it work.
Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee - A-
Another excellent political punk anthem from one of the best of the genre. The chorus is a bit long, but other than that, one of their best.
Placebo - Running Up That Hill - A-
Another outstanding song from Placebo, though not quite as well-paced as "Meds".
Rise Against - The Good Left Undone - B+
A solid release from Rise Against that doesn't rise to the level of their recent output.
Saliva - Ladies And Gentlemen - B
Basically a re-make of "Karn-evil #9" by Emerson, Lake And Palmer re-mixed as an 80s metal song. That being said, it's actually alright.
Razorlight - America - B
A decent emo pop song from an up and coming band, but they've still got a long ways to go.
Rush - Far Cry - B
Yes, it's the same Rush from the 70s. They're still around and despite recent efforts, they're actually pretty good in this song.
Rob Thomas - Little Wonders - B-
How Rob Thomas snuck onto a modern rock playlist is beyond me, but here he is. Like all of his career, the song certainly isn't bad, but it is dull and far south of the genre he's squatting in.
Saliva - Broken Sunday - C+
An entirely ordinary but yet still not completely pointless metal song from Saliva.
The Riverboat Gamblers - Don't Bury Me, I'm Still Not Dead - C
A dull pop punk song that tries hard to be Blink 182 or maybe even Green Day, but fails entirely. Here's a hint: Write a catchy hook and you're most of the way there. Try it and see if that doesn't work for you.
Red - Breathe Into Me - C
More sludgy Breaking Benjamin / Disturbed style metal. Hand to God, this must be about the 300th of the past 2 years.
Puddle Of Mudd - Famous - D+
Another revolting Nirvana-lite song from the least of the Nirvana knock-offs to come about in the past 15 years. On a side note, this is the return to the radio of Puddle of Mudd, a band I had hoped to be gone for good. So basically, Santa didn't get my list this year. Bastard.
Robbie Williams - Rude Box - D
Umm, what the fuck is this? Some sort of techno dance crap, I guess, but who would listen to it on the radio?
Queens Of The Stone Age - Sick, Sick, Sick - A+
Finally a welcome return to the airwaves for a change. This song is more than just the clever play on words that the title implies. Singer Josh Homme with special guest Julian Casablancas of the Strokes tear through this song at a lightning pace that still manages to be light and smooth. An early contender for song of the year.
Placebo - Meds - A
One of the best bands that get almost no airplay in America, Placebo has yet another classic on their hands with this brilliant build-up and explode song.
Peter Bjorn And John - Young Folks - A-
Whistling and a drum machine are a weird way to start out a song, but this light piece of indie pop makes it work.
Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee - A-
Another excellent political punk anthem from one of the best of the genre. The chorus is a bit long, but other than that, one of their best.
Placebo - Running Up That Hill - A-
Another outstanding song from Placebo, though not quite as well-paced as "Meds".
Rise Against - The Good Left Undone - B+
A solid release from Rise Against that doesn't rise to the level of their recent output.
Saliva - Ladies And Gentlemen - B
Basically a re-make of "Karn-evil #9" by Emerson, Lake And Palmer re-mixed as an 80s metal song. That being said, it's actually alright.
Razorlight - America - B
A decent emo pop song from an up and coming band, but they've still got a long ways to go.
Rush - Far Cry - B
Yes, it's the same Rush from the 70s. They're still around and despite recent efforts, they're actually pretty good in this song.
Rob Thomas - Little Wonders - B-
How Rob Thomas snuck onto a modern rock playlist is beyond me, but here he is. Like all of his career, the song certainly isn't bad, but it is dull and far south of the genre he's squatting in.
Saliva - Broken Sunday - C+
An entirely ordinary but yet still not completely pointless metal song from Saliva.
The Riverboat Gamblers - Don't Bury Me, I'm Still Not Dead - C
A dull pop punk song that tries hard to be Blink 182 or maybe even Green Day, but fails entirely. Here's a hint: Write a catchy hook and you're most of the way there. Try it and see if that doesn't work for you.
Red - Breathe Into Me - C
More sludgy Breaking Benjamin / Disturbed style metal. Hand to God, this must be about the 300th of the past 2 years.
Puddle Of Mudd - Famous - D+
Another revolting Nirvana-lite song from the least of the Nirvana knock-offs to come about in the past 15 years. On a side note, this is the return to the radio of Puddle of Mudd, a band I had hoped to be gone for good. So basically, Santa didn't get my list this year. Bastard.
Robbie Williams - Rude Box - D
Umm, what the fuck is this? Some sort of techno dance crap, I guess, but who would listen to it on the radio?
New Movies
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer - The first one sucked. The acting was awful, the story was stupid and no one seemed to be taking it seriously. Oh, and it came out right at the same time as all those brilliant X-Men, Spider-man, Batman and Superman movies, so that only made it worse. The story in this movie is a VAST improvement over the origin story and might even be the best story in Marvel Comics history. I will see this movie, but I doubt it will be a "great" movie, by any stretch.
VERDICT - See it.
DOA: Dead Or Alive - Now playing at a theater, umm, nowhere near most people. This long-delayed pile of crap is being snuck into theaters this week and then quickly pulled for a release on DVD where it's easier to convince people to pay a smaller amount to see it in a more *ahem* private viewing area.
VERDICT - Skip it.
Nancy Drew - Not for me. Could be good, but this is clearly not something I'd want to see.
VERDICT - Skip it.
VERDICT - See it.
DOA: Dead Or Alive - Now playing at a theater, umm, nowhere near most people. This long-delayed pile of crap is being snuck into theaters this week and then quickly pulled for a release on DVD where it's easier to convince people to pay a smaller amount to see it in a more *ahem* private viewing area.
VERDICT - Skip it.
Nancy Drew - Not for me. Could be good, but this is clearly not something I'd want to see.
VERDICT - Skip it.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full was the top debut of the week, entering the charts at #3.
Marilyn Manson's new CD Eat Me, Drink Me debuted at #8.
Also debuting this week were The Police's latest greatest hits album at #11, Chris Cornell's Carry On disappoints at #17, Dream Theater's new CD enters at #19, a new Springsteen live album opens at 23, the Vans Warped tour 2007 disc is at #31, for some reason Poison debuted at #32, Tesla's at #48, Tiger Army at #49, and a live OAR disc opens at #69. Lotsa debuts this week, but nothing terribly exciting.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park's still #1. Damn it.
Velvet Revolver's new single hits the Modern charts at #18.
Mainstream Rock:
Linkin Park's still at #1 here too.
There weren't any new debuts this week.
Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full was the top debut of the week, entering the charts at #3.
Marilyn Manson's new CD Eat Me, Drink Me debuted at #8.
Also debuting this week were The Police's latest greatest hits album at #11, Chris Cornell's Carry On disappoints at #17, Dream Theater's new CD enters at #19, a new Springsteen live album opens at 23, the Vans Warped tour 2007 disc is at #31, for some reason Poison debuted at #32, Tesla's at #48, Tiger Army at #49, and a live OAR disc opens at #69. Lotsa debuts this week, but nothing terribly exciting.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park's still #1. Damn it.
Velvet Revolver's new single hits the Modern charts at #18.
Mainstream Rock:
Linkin Park's still at #1 here too.
There weren't any new debuts this week.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
New Shit Tuesday
Albums:
Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris - Queens of the Stone Age is one of the two best bands that are active at the moment (The White Stripes being the other and their album comes out next week) and the tracks I've heard off of this album are sensational. I'm going to buy this the first chance I get.
VERDICT - BUY IT ASAP
Instant Karma - Save Darfur - While a lot of the artists on this double album are pop acts that aren't to my taste, a John Lennon tribute album that features Green Day, R.E.M. and U2 and benefits a great cause is something I'll absolutely purchase.
VERDICT - BUY IT
DVDs:
Breach - A sadly overlooked film that is easily one of the best reviewed movies of 2007, Breach is a spy thriller that doesn't have a lot of action, but has a lot of tension instead.
VERDICT - RENT IT ASAP
Ghost Rider - It may be the second biggest DVD release of the week, but that doesn't mean Ghost Rider isn't a massive piece of crap. The story sucks, the acting is awful, the villains seem to be lifted from the Underworld franchise (which I despise) and the special effects are fairly lame.
VERDICT - Skip it
Daddy's Little Girls - I've never seen any of Tyler Perry's films or plays, but he always gets awful reviews, so I won't blindly recommend this one.
VERDICT - Skip it
Primeval - Ordinarily, this type of thing ends up as a Sci Fi Channel movie of the week, but for some reason they put it in theaters and fortunately no one showed up.
VERDICT - Skip it
Blood And Chocolate - More vampire and werewolf bullshit because for some reason some people like it. Those people should be ashamed of themselves. Crying in the shower in the fetal position ashamed.
VERDICT - Avoid it like the plague.
Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris - Queens of the Stone Age is one of the two best bands that are active at the moment (The White Stripes being the other and their album comes out next week) and the tracks I've heard off of this album are sensational. I'm going to buy this the first chance I get.
VERDICT - BUY IT ASAP
Instant Karma - Save Darfur - While a lot of the artists on this double album are pop acts that aren't to my taste, a John Lennon tribute album that features Green Day, R.E.M. and U2 and benefits a great cause is something I'll absolutely purchase.
VERDICT - BUY IT
DVDs:
Breach - A sadly overlooked film that is easily one of the best reviewed movies of 2007, Breach is a spy thriller that doesn't have a lot of action, but has a lot of tension instead.
VERDICT - RENT IT ASAP
Ghost Rider - It may be the second biggest DVD release of the week, but that doesn't mean Ghost Rider isn't a massive piece of crap. The story sucks, the acting is awful, the villains seem to be lifted from the Underworld franchise (which I despise) and the special effects are fairly lame.
VERDICT - Skip it
Daddy's Little Girls - I've never seen any of Tyler Perry's films or plays, but he always gets awful reviews, so I won't blindly recommend this one.
VERDICT - Skip it
Primeval - Ordinarily, this type of thing ends up as a Sci Fi Channel movie of the week, but for some reason they put it in theaters and fortunately no one showed up.
VERDICT - Skip it
Blood And Chocolate - More vampire and werewolf bullshit because for some reason some people like it. Those people should be ashamed of themselves. Crying in the shower in the fetal position ashamed.
VERDICT - Avoid it like the plague.
Modern Rock Monday
Modern Rock Archive
Mink - Talk To Me - B+
A very catchy beat highlights a solid debut single for the band. A fun song, but it lacks the extra factor to put it over the top.
Operator - Soulcrusher - B+
Another excellent metal sing, this one borrowing heavily from Soundgarden's style of early 90s metal.
Chris Cornell - No Such Thing - B+
Chris is the former lead singer of Soundgarden, but based on this excellent solo single, you'd think he had previously fronted Stone Temple Pilots.
Paramore - Misery Business - B+
This is the first song by the band and it's good enough to make me want their CD. The song itself is a mature pop punk song with a solid chorus, good vocals and decent lyrics.
Incubus - Oil And Water - B+
As Incubus singles go, it's not one of their best, but it is a big improvement over "Dig".
Army Of Me - Going Through Changes - B
A decent, but not particularly great debut single.
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop - B-
Ozzy's first comeback single is a far cry from where he left off in the days before he became a TV star. The song is too poppy for Ozzy's voice and borrows too many elements from Rob Zombie's music.
OK Go - Do What You Want - B-
A timid rehash of previous OK Go songs that is still better than a lot of what's on the radio these days.
Papa Roach - To Be Loved - B-
Papa Roach seems to be changing direction yet again. At least this one isn't as annoying or unpleasant as every other direction they've ever tried.
Panic At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - B-
Yet another Panic song where the title is far more interesting than the song itself. This one has a fairly lame chorus that weighs it down as any pop song would be weighed down by a shitty chorus.
Pepper - No Control - B-
I'll give them credit. They're probably the first Chili Peppers rip-off I've heard on the radio. The song's not bad, but certainly nothing to write home about.
Blue October - She's My Ride Home - C+
They keep getting better with each single, but they still have a long way to go to be respectable.
Ozma - Eponine - C+
Poppy, but dull rock song that's too cutesy to be great.
Papa Roach - Forever - C
Not as abhorrent as the usual Papa Roach material, but still far from fun or entertaining.
12 Stones - Lie To Me - C-
A lousy, Hinderesque ballad with little going for it.
Mink - Talk To Me - B+
A very catchy beat highlights a solid debut single for the band. A fun song, but it lacks the extra factor to put it over the top.
Operator - Soulcrusher - B+
Another excellent metal sing, this one borrowing heavily from Soundgarden's style of early 90s metal.
Chris Cornell - No Such Thing - B+
Chris is the former lead singer of Soundgarden, but based on this excellent solo single, you'd think he had previously fronted Stone Temple Pilots.
Paramore - Misery Business - B+
This is the first song by the band and it's good enough to make me want their CD. The song itself is a mature pop punk song with a solid chorus, good vocals and decent lyrics.
Incubus - Oil And Water - B+
As Incubus singles go, it's not one of their best, but it is a big improvement over "Dig".
Army Of Me - Going Through Changes - B
A decent, but not particularly great debut single.
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop - B-
Ozzy's first comeback single is a far cry from where he left off in the days before he became a TV star. The song is too poppy for Ozzy's voice and borrows too many elements from Rob Zombie's music.
OK Go - Do What You Want - B-
A timid rehash of previous OK Go songs that is still better than a lot of what's on the radio these days.
Papa Roach - To Be Loved - B-
Papa Roach seems to be changing direction yet again. At least this one isn't as annoying or unpleasant as every other direction they've ever tried.
Panic At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - B-
Yet another Panic song where the title is far more interesting than the song itself. This one has a fairly lame chorus that weighs it down as any pop song would be weighed down by a shitty chorus.
Pepper - No Control - B-
I'll give them credit. They're probably the first Chili Peppers rip-off I've heard on the radio. The song's not bad, but certainly nothing to write home about.
Blue October - She's My Ride Home - C+
They keep getting better with each single, but they still have a long way to go to be respectable.
Ozma - Eponine - C+
Poppy, but dull rock song that's too cutesy to be great.
Papa Roach - Forever - C
Not as abhorrent as the usual Papa Roach material, but still far from fun or entertaining.
12 Stones - Lie To Me - C-
A lousy, Hinderesque ballad with little going for it.
Monday, June 11, 2007
New Movies This Week
Ocean's 13 - The first one was great, the second one sucked and this new one looks promising. There's definitely going to be a sequel fatigue setting in pretty soon, but this movie will undoubtedly be a hit and probably worth seeing. Oh, and the 13th person added to the gang? The ads make you think it's Andy Garcia, but based on role size, it's really Eddie Izzard, which for me at least is a VAST improvement.
VERDICT - See it.
Hostel: Part II - What does it say about this season that a sequel seems like a fresh new idea only because it isn't a threequel. The first movie was surprisingly good for it's genre and the buzz is that the sequel is just as good. Still, this type of film is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone.
VERDICT - See it. Don't take the kids.
Surf's Up - A penguin movie? It's not a sequel, but it sure feels like it's either the sequel to Madagascar or Surf's Up. Still, Jeff Bridges virtually reprises his role as The Dude from The Big Lebowski, and in my book that alone makes the film worth a viewing... eventually.
VERDICT - See it, when it's convenient.
VERDICT - See it.
Hostel: Part II - What does it say about this season that a sequel seems like a fresh new idea only because it isn't a threequel. The first movie was surprisingly good for it's genre and the buzz is that the sequel is just as good. Still, this type of film is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone.
VERDICT - See it. Don't take the kids.
Surf's Up - A penguin movie? It's not a sequel, but it sure feels like it's either the sequel to Madagascar or Surf's Up. Still, Jeff Bridges virtually reprises his role as The Dude from The Big Lebowski, and in my book that alone makes the film worth a viewing... eventually.
VERDICT - See it, when it's convenient.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
In a lousy week for new rock releases, only Perry Farrell's Satellite Party's - Ultra Payload debuts at #91 and is the only new debut in the top 100 for the week.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park - "What I've Done" is #1 again for the 9th week in a row. I think the record is 17 weeks, so keep an eye on that and just imagine how close the band could get to the record with a decent song.
Returning to the top 20 this week is Interpol with their new single "The Heinrich Maneuver" at #19.
Mainstream Rock:
Linkin Park is at #1 again this week.
Two bands return to the top 20 on Mainstream this week with Korn's new single "Evolution" at #17 and the unwelcome return of Puddle of Mudd at #18 with "Famous". Here's hoping that everyone enjoys poor lyrics and Cobain ripoffs as much as they did 4 years ago. See, ordinarily I would mock Korn, but A. I haven't heard the song yet and B. Fucking Puddle of Mudd is back. Let's see... Three Days Grace... check, Linkin Park... check, Puddle of Mudd... check, demons and eternal torment... check... let's just say I'm glad I have XM radio now.
In a lousy week for new rock releases, only Perry Farrell's Satellite Party's - Ultra Payload debuts at #91 and is the only new debut in the top 100 for the week.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park - "What I've Done" is #1 again for the 9th week in a row. I think the record is 17 weeks, so keep an eye on that and just imagine how close the band could get to the record with a decent song.
Returning to the top 20 this week is Interpol with their new single "The Heinrich Maneuver" at #19.
Mainstream Rock:
Linkin Park is at #1 again this week.
Two bands return to the top 20 on Mainstream this week with Korn's new single "Evolution" at #17 and the unwelcome return of Puddle of Mudd at #18 with "Famous". Here's hoping that everyone enjoys poor lyrics and Cobain ripoffs as much as they did 4 years ago. See, ordinarily I would mock Korn, but A. I haven't heard the song yet and B. Fucking Puddle of Mudd is back. Let's see... Three Days Grace... check, Linkin Park... check, Puddle of Mudd... check, demons and eternal torment... check... let's just say I'm glad I have XM radio now.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
June 2007 Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees
New inductees for June 2007:
For more information, click here.
| The Velvet Underground |
| Bruce Springsteen |
| Tool |
| Aerosmith |
| Radiohead |
For more information, click here.
New Shit Tuesday
DVDs:
The Messengers: This is the highlight of the past two weeks for DVDs... a shitty horror movie that's been forgotten already even though it was only released a few months ago.
VERDICT: Skip it.
Norbit: A nasty, ugly, stupid, racist piece of crap that nearly made 100 dollars. What's wrong with you, America?
VERDICT: Avoid it.
CDs:
Chris Cornell - Carry On - The former lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave releases his second solo album. What I've heard of it has been good, but not great, but I still plan to purchase it.
VERDICT: Buy it.
Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me - Manson's been pretty bad lately and I honestly believe that the first single off of this album "Heart Shaped Glasses" is the worst song he's ever produced. Still, it's worth a listen.
VERDICT: Borrow it.
Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full - Starbucks' first album on it's new album is Paul's follow-up to the surprisingly solid Chaos And Creation... from a few years back.
VERDICT: Borrow it.
The Messengers: This is the highlight of the past two weeks for DVDs... a shitty horror movie that's been forgotten already even though it was only released a few months ago.
VERDICT: Skip it.
Norbit: A nasty, ugly, stupid, racist piece of crap that nearly made 100 dollars. What's wrong with you, America?
VERDICT: Avoid it.
CDs:
Chris Cornell - Carry On - The former lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave releases his second solo album. What I've heard of it has been good, but not great, but I still plan to purchase it.
VERDICT: Buy it.
Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me - Manson's been pretty bad lately and I honestly believe that the first single off of this album "Heart Shaped Glasses" is the worst song he's ever produced. Still, it's worth a listen.
VERDICT: Borrow it.
Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full - Starbucks' first album on it's new album is Paul's follow-up to the surprisingly solid Chaos And Creation... from a few years back.
VERDICT: Borrow it.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Battle Of The Bands - Round 1, Bracket B, Part 2
#17 The Pink Spiders 3 - #48 Depeche Mode 0 - What can I say, this group doesn't exactly fit into Depeche Mode's fanbase.
#18 Jet 3 - #47 H.I.M. 0 - There's really no reason why Jet should be ranked this low, but at least they won easily in the first round.
#19 Kings Of Leon 3 - #46 Blue October 0 - All things considered, Blue October may be one of the worst non-metal bands around these days and Kings Of Leon isn't the best, but they're up there.
#20 The Music 3 - #45 The Kooks 0 - Given time, The Kooks might become one of the best bands around, but they're definitely not at that point yet.
#21 Aimee Mann 3 - #44 Rilo Kiley 0 - Two fantastic but underrated bands square off and Aimee Mann emerges victorious.
#22 The Drive-By Truckers 3 - #43 NOFX 0 - On the downside, many bands are ranked below NOFX that shouldn't be, but on the bright side no one voted for NOFX, so it's pretty much equal.
#23 Chevelle 2 - #42 Travis 1 - The Tool-wannabes get the victory over the Brit-pop never-wases.
#41 The Eels 2 - #24 Tori Amos 1 - The first seeded upset of Bracket B sees Tori Amos getting knocked out by the under appreciated Eels.
#25 Stone Sour 2 - #40 Clutch 1 - My vote for Clutch wasn't enough for the throwback-metal band to overcome the Slipknot side project.
#26 The Arcade Fire 3 - #39 The Kaiser Chiefs 0 - Why the hell these two bands are each so lowly-ranked is beyond me, but Arcade Fire gets the win.
#38 Thursday 2 - #27 OutKast 1 - Why was OutKast ranked so low? Because Ryan hates them. Why did OutKast lose in the first round? Because Ryan hates them. Why does Ryan hate them? Beats me.
#28 Slipknot 2 - #37 Okkervil River 1 - The shine has come off of Slipknot's only good album, but not to that extent yet.
#36 Kid Rock 2 - #29 Meat Loaf 1 - Wait, Meat Loaf was a 29 seed? What the fuck? And someone voted for him? Why? He was only included in the tournament based on his most recent album, which none of the judges have heard. I just don't get it sometimes.
#35 Wilco 2 - #30 Porcupine Tree 1 - No, really, Porcupine Tree was the favorite. Stop laughing, it's true!
#34 My Morning Jacket 3 - #31 Slayer 0 - Slayer hasn't done anything notable in years, so it's only appropriate that they get knocked out right away, especially against a top-shelf indie band like MMJ.
#32 Sum 41 2 - #33 John Mayer 1 - The top-shelf pop-punk band knocks off the wannabe blues rocker. That's enough, John Mayer. More Than Enough.
#18 Jet 3 - #47 H.I.M. 0 - There's really no reason why Jet should be ranked this low, but at least they won easily in the first round.
#19 Kings Of Leon 3 - #46 Blue October 0 - All things considered, Blue October may be one of the worst non-metal bands around these days and Kings Of Leon isn't the best, but they're up there.
#20 The Music 3 - #45 The Kooks 0 - Given time, The Kooks might become one of the best bands around, but they're definitely not at that point yet.
#21 Aimee Mann 3 - #44 Rilo Kiley 0 - Two fantastic but underrated bands square off and Aimee Mann emerges victorious.
#22 The Drive-By Truckers 3 - #43 NOFX 0 - On the downside, many bands are ranked below NOFX that shouldn't be, but on the bright side no one voted for NOFX, so it's pretty much equal.
#23 Chevelle 2 - #42 Travis 1 - The Tool-wannabes get the victory over the Brit-pop never-wases.
#41 The Eels 2 - #24 Tori Amos 1 - The first seeded upset of Bracket B sees Tori Amos getting knocked out by the under appreciated Eels.
#25 Stone Sour 2 - #40 Clutch 1 - My vote for Clutch wasn't enough for the throwback-metal band to overcome the Slipknot side project.
#26 The Arcade Fire 3 - #39 The Kaiser Chiefs 0 - Why the hell these two bands are each so lowly-ranked is beyond me, but Arcade Fire gets the win.
#38 Thursday 2 - #27 OutKast 1 - Why was OutKast ranked so low? Because Ryan hates them. Why did OutKast lose in the first round? Because Ryan hates them. Why does Ryan hate them? Beats me.
#28 Slipknot 2 - #37 Okkervil River 1 - The shine has come off of Slipknot's only good album, but not to that extent yet.
#36 Kid Rock 2 - #29 Meat Loaf 1 - Wait, Meat Loaf was a 29 seed? What the fuck? And someone voted for him? Why? He was only included in the tournament based on his most recent album, which none of the judges have heard. I just don't get it sometimes.
#35 Wilco 2 - #30 Porcupine Tree 1 - No, really, Porcupine Tree was the favorite. Stop laughing, it's true!
#34 My Morning Jacket 3 - #31 Slayer 0 - Slayer hasn't done anything notable in years, so it's only appropriate that they get knocked out right away, especially against a top-shelf indie band like MMJ.
#32 Sum 41 2 - #33 John Mayer 1 - The top-shelf pop-punk band knocks off the wannabe blues rocker. That's enough, John Mayer. More Than Enough.
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 1 - Bracket B - Part 1
#1 Queens Of The Stone Age 3 - #64 Ted Leo and the Pharmacists 0 - Ted Leo was too obscure to get an easier 1st Round match and they're no match for the returning champions.
#2 Radiohead 3 - #63 The 88 0 - Once again an unknown band gets unfairly thrown into the path of an unstoppable thresher.
#3 Sonic Youth 3 - #62 The Roots 0 - Rap artists never have much of a chance in these competitions, but Sonic Youth has been on too much of a roll to lose this early in the competition.
#4 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 3 - #61 The Editors 0 - Here in bracket B it seems to be an epidemic of top-shelf indie artists that are overlooked by at least one of the judges in the seeding process. The Editors are the lastest victim. While they certainly wouldn't have won the competition, they still deserve better than this.
#5 Modest Mouse 3 - #60 Elefant 0 - Elefant is also unknown, but they aren't really that good, so this is appropriate.
#6 System Of A Down 3 - #59 The Counting Crows 0 - Yeah, the Counting Crows are still around. Did you know that? They haven't done anything notably since about 1998 or so, but they are still making new music. Obviously, that music isn't very good...
#7 Elvis Costello 3 - #58 The Faint 0 - Elvis Costello's made several great albums in a row and really wouldn't need more than 1 of them to overcome The Faint.
#8 A Perfect Circle 3 - #57 The Shout Out Louds 0 - Maynard's side project easily cruises by one of the more obscure bands in the competition.
#9 Paul McCartney 2 - #56 Fort Minor 1 - Were it not for Paul's most recent album he probably wouldn't have been in this competition and I definitely wouldn't have voted for him over Fort Minor, but it was probably his most mature and best work since leaving the Beatles.
#10 The Thermals 3 - #55 Jem 0 - The Thermals are one of the most surprising bands to be ranked as a favorite in this competition. They easily blow Jem away, that's for sure.
#11 Social Distortion 2 - #54 The New Pornographers 1 - I STRONGLY disagree with this result, as well as the extremely low rank for the Pornographers.
#12 Muse 3 - #53 Ryan Adams 0 - Muse is surprisingly low-ranked this year, but they easily blow out Ryan Adams.
#13 Mark Lanegan 2 - #52 Ludacris 1 - Lanegan gets the win and I cast the dissenting vote myself, as I think Ludacris is one of the best rappers out there and Lanegan's solo work never really hit the mark with me.
#14 Spoon 3 - #51 Jack's Mannequin 0 - I'm not the biggest Spoon fan, but Jack's Mannequin isn't really anything special.
#15 Bruce Springsteen 3 - #50 The Soundtrack Of Our Lives 0 - Springsteen's on one hell of a hot streak these days and Soundtrack doesn't even have a second album yet. No contest.
#16 The Old 97's 3 - #49 Michelle Branch 0 - Michelle Branch has suffered a lot of backlash over the past few years and the end result is a first round blow-out against an only slightly above-average band.
#2 Radiohead 3 - #63 The 88 0 - Once again an unknown band gets unfairly thrown into the path of an unstoppable thresher.
#3 Sonic Youth 3 - #62 The Roots 0 - Rap artists never have much of a chance in these competitions, but Sonic Youth has been on too much of a roll to lose this early in the competition.
#4 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 3 - #61 The Editors 0 - Here in bracket B it seems to be an epidemic of top-shelf indie artists that are overlooked by at least one of the judges in the seeding process. The Editors are the lastest victim. While they certainly wouldn't have won the competition, they still deserve better than this.
#5 Modest Mouse 3 - #60 Elefant 0 - Elefant is also unknown, but they aren't really that good, so this is appropriate.
#6 System Of A Down 3 - #59 The Counting Crows 0 - Yeah, the Counting Crows are still around. Did you know that? They haven't done anything notably since about 1998 or so, but they are still making new music. Obviously, that music isn't very good...
#7 Elvis Costello 3 - #58 The Faint 0 - Elvis Costello's made several great albums in a row and really wouldn't need more than 1 of them to overcome The Faint.
#8 A Perfect Circle 3 - #57 The Shout Out Louds 0 - Maynard's side project easily cruises by one of the more obscure bands in the competition.
#9 Paul McCartney 2 - #56 Fort Minor 1 - Were it not for Paul's most recent album he probably wouldn't have been in this competition and I definitely wouldn't have voted for him over Fort Minor, but it was probably his most mature and best work since leaving the Beatles.
#10 The Thermals 3 - #55 Jem 0 - The Thermals are one of the most surprising bands to be ranked as a favorite in this competition. They easily blow Jem away, that's for sure.
#11 Social Distortion 2 - #54 The New Pornographers 1 - I STRONGLY disagree with this result, as well as the extremely low rank for the Pornographers.
#12 Muse 3 - #53 Ryan Adams 0 - Muse is surprisingly low-ranked this year, but they easily blow out Ryan Adams.
#13 Mark Lanegan 2 - #52 Ludacris 1 - Lanegan gets the win and I cast the dissenting vote myself, as I think Ludacris is one of the best rappers out there and Lanegan's solo work never really hit the mark with me.
#14 Spoon 3 - #51 Jack's Mannequin 0 - I'm not the biggest Spoon fan, but Jack's Mannequin isn't really anything special.
#15 Bruce Springsteen 3 - #50 The Soundtrack Of Our Lives 0 - Springsteen's on one hell of a hot streak these days and Soundtrack doesn't even have a second album yet. No contest.
#16 The Old 97's 3 - #49 Michelle Branch 0 - Michelle Branch has suffered a lot of backlash over the past few years and the end result is a first round blow-out against an only slightly above-average band.
Modern Rock Monday
Modern Rock Archive
Incubus - Anna Molly - A+
Incubus is back on the radio with this quantum leap forward from their last album. A fantastic hook, a clever chorus and well-written verses make this the type of song that could propel Incubus to the next level of rock stardom.
Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism - A+
Of the two brilliant singles released off of Year Zero, this one is more of a throwback to older NIN songs rather than their recent modern rock turn.
Nine Inch Nails - Capital G - A
The other single from Year Zero sounds as though it would have fit perfectly on With Teeth.
Fiction Plane - Two Sisters - A
An excellent debut single for Fiction Plane, which sort of reminds me of a sobered up Sublime. A great hooky beat is the highlight of the song.
Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober - A-
After an extended break, Evanescence is back with a vengeance. "Sober" is my second favorite song by the band and a fantastic improvement over the dull, gloomy and repetitive singles that were released following the sensational "Bring Me To Life".
Bloc Party - The Prayer - B
An above average song overall, but far below my expections for this particular artist.
A.F.I. - Love Like Winter - B
This song sounds a bit like a really nasally Interpol song. It's not really all that bad, but it's nothing special either.
Chris Cornell - She'll Never Be Your Man - B
I really hope Chris didn't break up Audioslave because THIS is the type of music he wants to make instead. It's alright, but that's about it.
New Years Day - I Was Right - B
An above average pop punk song that doesn't build on a strong opening.
30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill (Bury Me) - B-
Movie star Jared Leto channels his inner Maynard throughout Mars' latest album and does an admirable impression. They're not as good at ripping off Tool as Chevelle is, but their music is still surprisingly good.
Megadeth - A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free) - B-
A boring song that's far below the average output for Megadeth, which is to say it's still better than anything Metallica's done in years.
Breaking Benjamin - The Diary Of Jane - C
A.K.A. "Breaking Benjamin Song #34466334 Version 2.3". Honestly, does every damn song need to sound exactly alike, guys? And if they do, couldn't they sound better?
Disturbed - Land Of Confusion - C
So you're a big bad heavy metal band and you want to prove how tough and cool you are by covering a 20 year old song by… Genesis? A mistake in and of itself, this cover choice is made even worse by the fact that Genesis' version is a better song and rocks harder as well. What the hell were you thinking?
Hinder - How Long - D+
If I have to read one more article about Hinder whining that people in the "blue states" don't listen to their music because they're snobs and the real music fans live in the areas where their music is popular, I might throw up. Hinder, I'll level with you. The reason you're not popular in the "blue states" isn't because the "blue states" and urban areas are full of snobs who like the White Stripes and don't appreciated "real" rock n roll, it's because you suck. You REALLY suck. You have no talent. The reason why you're popular in the "red states" is because your music is PLAYED ON AN INFINITE LOOP. Your music is the same old recycled crap that's leftover from the 80s hair metal bands and the trendy people you despise so much gave up on that crap 20 years ago. And now that you're ripping off Nickelback, I can only tell you that you will become more and more popular among the rubes and more and more irrelevant anywhere that good music makes it onto the airwaves.
Nickelback - Side Of A Bullet - D
A sludgy, ugly song throughout which lead singer Chad Kroeger SHOUTS his nasty lyrics about suicide and violence and, you know what, it doesn't matter.
Nickelback - Rockstar - D-
On the plus side, Nickelback is writing better hooks than ever before. Unfortunately, every new single they release gives me a new reason to completely fucking hate the band. This song is the typical "rock star whining about life as a rock star" song. Newsflash, Chad, if it's so bad being a rock star... QUIT. It's not like you have ever done anything to be worthy of the fame you've had handed to you, so just quit if you hate it so much and spare us all the trouble of putting up with your musical abominations in the future.
Incubus - Anna Molly - A+
Incubus is back on the radio with this quantum leap forward from their last album. A fantastic hook, a clever chorus and well-written verses make this the type of song that could propel Incubus to the next level of rock stardom.
Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism - A+
Of the two brilliant singles released off of Year Zero, this one is more of a throwback to older NIN songs rather than their recent modern rock turn.
Nine Inch Nails - Capital G - A
The other single from Year Zero sounds as though it would have fit perfectly on With Teeth.
Fiction Plane - Two Sisters - A
An excellent debut single for Fiction Plane, which sort of reminds me of a sobered up Sublime. A great hooky beat is the highlight of the song.
Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober - A-
After an extended break, Evanescence is back with a vengeance. "Sober" is my second favorite song by the band and a fantastic improvement over the dull, gloomy and repetitive singles that were released following the sensational "Bring Me To Life".
Bloc Party - The Prayer - B
An above average song overall, but far below my expections for this particular artist.
A.F.I. - Love Like Winter - B
This song sounds a bit like a really nasally Interpol song. It's not really all that bad, but it's nothing special either.
Chris Cornell - She'll Never Be Your Man - B
I really hope Chris didn't break up Audioslave because THIS is the type of music he wants to make instead. It's alright, but that's about it.
New Years Day - I Was Right - B
An above average pop punk song that doesn't build on a strong opening.
30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill (Bury Me) - B-
Movie star Jared Leto channels his inner Maynard throughout Mars' latest album and does an admirable impression. They're not as good at ripping off Tool as Chevelle is, but their music is still surprisingly good.
Megadeth - A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free) - B-
A boring song that's far below the average output for Megadeth, which is to say it's still better than anything Metallica's done in years.
Breaking Benjamin - The Diary Of Jane - C
A.K.A. "Breaking Benjamin Song #34466334 Version 2.3". Honestly, does every damn song need to sound exactly alike, guys? And if they do, couldn't they sound better?
Disturbed - Land Of Confusion - C
So you're a big bad heavy metal band and you want to prove how tough and cool you are by covering a 20 year old song by… Genesis? A mistake in and of itself, this cover choice is made even worse by the fact that Genesis' version is a better song and rocks harder as well. What the hell were you thinking?
Hinder - How Long - D+
If I have to read one more article about Hinder whining that people in the "blue states" don't listen to their music because they're snobs and the real music fans live in the areas where their music is popular, I might throw up. Hinder, I'll level with you. The reason you're not popular in the "blue states" isn't because the "blue states" and urban areas are full of snobs who like the White Stripes and don't appreciated "real" rock n roll, it's because you suck. You REALLY suck. You have no talent. The reason why you're popular in the "red states" is because your music is PLAYED ON AN INFINITE LOOP. Your music is the same old recycled crap that's leftover from the 80s hair metal bands and the trendy people you despise so much gave up on that crap 20 years ago. And now that you're ripping off Nickelback, I can only tell you that you will become more and more popular among the rubes and more and more irrelevant anywhere that good music makes it onto the airwaves.
Nickelback - Side Of A Bullet - D
A sludgy, ugly song throughout which lead singer Chad Kroeger SHOUTS his nasty lyrics about suicide and violence and, you know what, it doesn't matter.
Nickelback - Rockstar - D-
On the plus side, Nickelback is writing better hooks than ever before. Unfortunately, every new single they release gives me a new reason to completely fucking hate the band. This song is the typical "rock star whining about life as a rock star" song. Newsflash, Chad, if it's so bad being a rock star... QUIT. It's not like you have ever done anything to be worthy of the fame you've had handed to you, so just quit if you hate it so much and spare us all the trouble of putting up with your musical abominations in the future.
New Movies
Knocked Up - Easily the highlight of the weekend, Knocked Up is director Judd Apatow's follow-up to The 40 Year Old Virgin, one of the funniest movies ever made. This movie stars Seth Rogen, who was in Virgin as well as Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, all Apatow projects. The reviews for this movie are off the charts and I can't wait to see it.
VERDICT - See it ASAP.
Mr. Brooks - Ok, so everyone hates Kevin Costner because he's made some bad movies, but does that mean that they'll avoid the good movies that he happens to make as well? So far, it seems that way. This movie stars Costner as a serial killer and William Hurt as the imaginary devil on his shoulder. The movie also stars Demi Moore and Dane Cook as people who are pretending that audiences actually want to see them in films. Still, the buzz about the movie is that it's actually pretty interesting.
VERDICT - See it.
Gracie - This movie is about a Nickelodeon star who strives to play soccer in high school but faces an uphill climb because she's a girl. It would be difficult for Hollywood to make a movie that interests me less. Maybe if she was trying to be a lacrosse champion or water polo or something.
VERDICT - Skip it, unless this is your demographic because apparantly the movie isn't bad.
VERDICT - See it ASAP.
Mr. Brooks - Ok, so everyone hates Kevin Costner because he's made some bad movies, but does that mean that they'll avoid the good movies that he happens to make as well? So far, it seems that way. This movie stars Costner as a serial killer and William Hurt as the imaginary devil on his shoulder. The movie also stars Demi Moore and Dane Cook as people who are pretending that audiences actually want to see them in films. Still, the buzz about the movie is that it's actually pretty interesting.
VERDICT - See it.
Gracie - This movie is about a Nickelodeon star who strives to play soccer in high school but faces an uphill climb because she's a girl. It would be difficult for Hollywood to make a movie that interests me less. Maybe if she was trying to be a lacrosse champion or water polo or something.
VERDICT - Skip it, unless this is your demographic because apparantly the movie isn't bad.
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