The Simpsons Movie - In a summer of sequels and trequels, it's nice to finally see an original film... that's based on a tv show that will soon enter it's third decade of existence. Still, this is one of my most anticipated films of the year and I can't wait to see it.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
No Reservations - This definitely seems like a movie that should have waited until next month. It looks boring and I have little interest in it.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
I Know Who Killed Me - Lindsay Lohan's career hits a new low as the second catastrophic flop of the summer afflicts her now pointless career. Who wants to watch a slasher film in July, anyway?
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Who's Your Caddy? - I'm pretty sure I've already seen this movie. It was called Caddyshack. It was a classic. You can't improve on it, so why are you trying?
VERDICT - AVOID IT.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
In a slow week for Rock, the top debut is Yellowcard at #13. Also debuting this week was Rooney at #42, The Chemical Brothers at #65 and MXPX at #76.
Modern Rock:
At long last good triumphs over evil as the White Stripes get their first Number One song with "Icky Thump", which knocks Linkin Park off of the top of the Modern Rock Charts after 15 long weeks. Sadly, the new Linkin Park song just entered the top 10 this week, so this is probably a short-lived triumph. Still, the greatest band in the world at the moment has the #1 song. Cool.
Two new songs debuted in the top 20 this week as Incubus saw the third single off of Light Grenades, "Oil And Water" debut at #18 and Social Distortion saw their first song in the top 20 since I've been observing it with "Far Behind" at #20.
Mainstream Rock:
Ozzy remained at #1 again this week.
Debuting this week at #19 is Fair to Midland with "Dance of the Manatee" and Flyleaf "All Around Me" at #20.
In a slow week for Rock, the top debut is Yellowcard at #13. Also debuting this week was Rooney at #42, The Chemical Brothers at #65 and MXPX at #76.
Modern Rock:
At long last good triumphs over evil as the White Stripes get their first Number One song with "Icky Thump", which knocks Linkin Park off of the top of the Modern Rock Charts after 15 long weeks. Sadly, the new Linkin Park song just entered the top 10 this week, so this is probably a short-lived triumph. Still, the greatest band in the world at the moment has the #1 song. Cool.
Two new songs debuted in the top 20 this week as Incubus saw the third single off of Light Grenades, "Oil And Water" debut at #18 and Social Distortion saw their first song in the top 20 since I've been observing it with "Far Behind" at #20.
Mainstream Rock:
Ozzy remained at #1 again this week.
Debuting this week at #19 is Fair to Midland with "Dance of the Manatee" and Flyleaf "All Around Me" at #20.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
Zodiac - One of the best movies of 2007, this film was tragically overlooked in theaters. It's tense and creepy and surprisingly non-violent for a movie about a serial killer.
VERDICT - BUY IT ASAP
The Host - I haven't seen this one yet, but the buzz on it is that it's one of the best monster movies of all-time and like all great sci fi films, it's not entirely about the monster so much as the statements built into the film.
VERDICT - RENT IT
The Number 23 - By far Jim Carrey's strangest film choice since becoming a star, this movie is all about style over substance. It's an interesting movie with a decent plot twist towards the end, but still not quite worth a purchase.
VERDICT - RENT IT
Perfume - Based on a best-selling novel this movie failed to get much backing from the studio and disappeared quickly. The word is that it's not very good, but I'm curious.
VERDICT - RENT IT
CDs:
Sum 41 - Underclass Hero - Sum 41's never been the best political punk band, but they've also never been the worst. They're usually good for a classic or two per album, so hopefully this album will keep that trend going.
VERDICT - BORROW IT
Tegan And Sara - The Con - T&S are definitely an acquired taste, but I like them, but not enough to buy the CD outright.
VERDICT - BORROW IT
The Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers - Not my favorite band, but definitely worth a listen.
VERDICT - BORROW IT
Zodiac - One of the best movies of 2007, this film was tragically overlooked in theaters. It's tense and creepy and surprisingly non-violent for a movie about a serial killer.
VERDICT - BUY IT ASAP
The Host - I haven't seen this one yet, but the buzz on it is that it's one of the best monster movies of all-time and like all great sci fi films, it's not entirely about the monster so much as the statements built into the film.
VERDICT - RENT IT
The Number 23 - By far Jim Carrey's strangest film choice since becoming a star, this movie is all about style over substance. It's an interesting movie with a decent plot twist towards the end, but still not quite worth a purchase.
VERDICT - RENT IT
Perfume - Based on a best-selling novel this movie failed to get much backing from the studio and disappeared quickly. The word is that it's not very good, but I'm curious.
VERDICT - RENT IT
CDs:
Sum 41 - Underclass Hero - Sum 41's never been the best political punk band, but they've also never been the worst. They're usually good for a classic or two per album, so hopefully this album will keep that trend going.
VERDICT - BORROW IT
Tegan And Sara - The Con - T&S are definitely an acquired taste, but I like them, but not enough to buy the CD outright.
VERDICT - BORROW IT
The Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers - Not my favorite band, but definitely worth a listen.
VERDICT - BORROW IT
Modern Rock Reviews
Modern Rock Archive
The Decemberists - O Valencia - A
If it weren't for The Shins, The Decemberists would probably get a lot more publicity for their quirky and brilliantly written indie rock. This is one of their finest and with a slightly faster tempo might have earned an "A+".
The Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors - A-
The best Joy Division knock-off of the year so far (take that Interpol) is a gloomy and engrossing tune with a solid chorus. This is the best Editors song so far.
The Deftones - Hole In The Earth - A-
The best metal band around right now not named "Tool", the Deftones release their most melodic and radio-friendly single since "Change".
The Cat Empire - Sly - A-
A slowed-down Arctic Monkeys-esque single marks the arrival of The Cat Empire, a promising new indie band.
The Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds - B+
It's no "Hang Me Up To Dry", but it's still a cut above the usual assortment of indie rock and pop punk songs on the radio.
The Format - She Doesn't Get It - B+
This song is far above average, but it doesn't quite reach the elite heights of indie rock due to it's lack of a solid hook.
The Cinematics - Keep Forgetting - B+
Another solid single for The Cinematics, this time with a much better chorus.
The Clicks - Oh Yeah - B+
A solid debut for the indie rock band featuring above-average vocals and a solid beat.
The Cinematics - Break - B+
An above-average indie rock song with good verses, but a mediocre chorus.
The Deftones - Mein - B
A solid metal tune that doesn't quite hit on all the marks.
The Feeling - Sewn - B
A decent but timid emo song that isn't well-written enough to be weak but isn't hooky enough to overcome it's lyrical shortcomings.
The Colour - Save Yourself - B
A decent song that is badly in need of a chorus.
The Exies - Different From You - B-
A sludgy metal song that at the very least doesn't have an irritating vocal like most of them do.
The Dollyrots - Because I'm Awesome - B-
A great riot-grrl sound is betrayed by miserably bad lyrics. This wouldn't happen to be a Donnas side project, would it?
The Classic Crime - The Fight - B-
An average pop punk song. Not necessarily bad, but doesn't stand out in a crowded field.
The Decemberists - O Valencia - A
If it weren't for The Shins, The Decemberists would probably get a lot more publicity for their quirky and brilliantly written indie rock. This is one of their finest and with a slightly faster tempo might have earned an "A+".
The Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors - A-
The best Joy Division knock-off of the year so far (take that Interpol) is a gloomy and engrossing tune with a solid chorus. This is the best Editors song so far.
The Deftones - Hole In The Earth - A-
The best metal band around right now not named "Tool", the Deftones release their most melodic and radio-friendly single since "Change".
The Cat Empire - Sly - A-
A slowed-down Arctic Monkeys-esque single marks the arrival of The Cat Empire, a promising new indie band.
The Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds - B+
It's no "Hang Me Up To Dry", but it's still a cut above the usual assortment of indie rock and pop punk songs on the radio.
The Format - She Doesn't Get It - B+
This song is far above average, but it doesn't quite reach the elite heights of indie rock due to it's lack of a solid hook.
The Cinematics - Keep Forgetting - B+
Another solid single for The Cinematics, this time with a much better chorus.
The Clicks - Oh Yeah - B+
A solid debut for the indie rock band featuring above-average vocals and a solid beat.
The Cinematics - Break - B+
An above-average indie rock song with good verses, but a mediocre chorus.
The Deftones - Mein - B
A solid metal tune that doesn't quite hit on all the marks.
The Feeling - Sewn - B
A decent but timid emo song that isn't well-written enough to be weak but isn't hooky enough to overcome it's lyrical shortcomings.
The Colour - Save Yourself - B
A decent song that is badly in need of a chorus.
The Exies - Different From You - B-
A sludgy metal song that at the very least doesn't have an irritating vocal like most of them do.
The Dollyrots - Because I'm Awesome - B-
A great riot-grrl sound is betrayed by miserably bad lyrics. This wouldn't happen to be a Donnas side project, would it?
The Classic Crime - The Fight - B-
An average pop punk song. Not necessarily bad, but doesn't stand out in a crowded field.
New Movies This Week
Sunshine - Although it's not playing at a theater near you, Sunshine is easily the most interesting film this weekend, as far as I'm concerned. Danny Boyle has been a favorite director of mine and his take on the science fiction genre has been getting solid reviews so far.
VERDICT - See it.
Hairspray - I'm not the biggest fan of musicals, but this one is based on a John Waters film and it maintains a lot of his quirkiness and his lack of subtlety. It's a very fun movie, though it does drag towards the middle.
VERDICT - See it.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry - America is going to flock to this movie because it stars Adam Sandler and it's not a drama, but this movie is a piece of crap. The jokes are moronic and offensive. 20 years ago a movie came out about a guy who painted his face black in order to rip off affirmative action programs. This movie is as offensive to gays as that movie was to blacks. Sure, they add a "homophobia is bad" message, but they pretty much had to or else it would have been endorsed by the Klan.
VERDICT - Skip it.
VERDICT - See it.
Hairspray - I'm not the biggest fan of musicals, but this one is based on a John Waters film and it maintains a lot of his quirkiness and his lack of subtlety. It's a very fun movie, though it does drag towards the middle.
VERDICT - See it.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry - America is going to flock to this movie because it stars Adam Sandler and it's not a drama, but this movie is a piece of crap. The jokes are moronic and offensive. 20 years ago a movie came out about a guy who painted his face black in order to rip off affirmative action programs. This movie is as offensive to gays as that movie was to blacks. Sure, they add a "homophobia is bad" message, but they pretty much had to or else it would have been endorsed by the Klan.
VERDICT - Skip it.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
The Smashing Pumpkins debuted at #2 with Zeitgeist.
Interpol enjoyed their best debut yet with Our Love To Admire starting out at #4.
Spoon debuted at #10 with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, easily their highest debut.
Also debuting this week was Bad Religion at #35, Crowded House at #46, and Against Me at #57.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park spends their 15th straight week at #1 with the same song. We're getting close to the record here.
Muse returns to the Modern Rock charts with "Supermassive Black Hole", the third brilliant single release from their latest album.
Mainstream Rock:
Ozzy remains at #1 with "I Don't Wanna Stop".
The Smashing Pumpkins debuted at #2 with Zeitgeist.
Interpol enjoyed their best debut yet with Our Love To Admire starting out at #4.
Spoon debuted at #10 with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, easily their highest debut.
Also debuting this week was Bad Religion at #35, Crowded House at #46, and Against Me at #57.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park spends their 15th straight week at #1 with the same song. We're getting close to the record here.
Muse returns to the Modern Rock charts with "Supermassive Black Hole", the third brilliant single release from their latest album.
Mainstream Rock:
Ozzy remains at #1 with "I Don't Wanna Stop".
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 2 - Bracket D
#1 Beck 3 - #32 Fall Out Boy 0 - Artistic and successful trumps trendy and successful.
#2 Pearl Jam 3 - #31 Eminem 0 - Thus ending hip hop's run in this tournament for good.
#3 Sparta 3 - #30 Seether 0 - Hey, does anyone still remember Seether? They used to be really popular? Yeah, me neither.
#4 Incubus 3 - #29 Interpol 0 - Interpol is yet another victim of the bizarre seeding syndrome that's overtaken this year's competition.
#28 The Gorillaz 2 - #5 Tenacious D 1 - Of the two bands, how is it possible that the band that takes itself most seriously also claims to be comprised entirely of cartoon characters? Also, this is the biggest upset of the bracket so far.
#6 The Strokes 3 - #27 Dirty Pretty Things 0 - DPT is clearly the victim of "who the hell are they" syndrome.
#39 Maroon 5 2 - #7 R.E.M. 1 - Which is a better question: How did Maroon 5 end up a 39 seed or how did R.E.M. end up a 7?
#8 The Raconteurs 3 - #25 The Transplants 0 - A bigger question than who is better is whether or not either band will ever release another album.
#9 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 3 - #24 Placebo 0 - Placebo may have been too obscure in America to compete at this level.
#10 Iggy Pop 2 - #23 Panic At The Disco 1 - I cast the deciding vote in this match. It's not that Iggy's done that much lately, but Panic really irritates the hell out of me.
#11 K.T. Tunstall 2 - #22 Jack Johnson 1 - K.T. wins the adult contemporary face-off this round.
#12 Velvet Revolver 3 - #21 Flyleaf 0 - This vote actually took place before Velvet Revolver's new CD was released, so they probably would have been even higher ranked if that wasn't the case.
#13 Oasis 2 - #20 Norah Jones 1 - Oasis is fun to listen to, which is why they won.
#19 Guster 2 - #14 The Postal Service 1 - A surprising result, but it's good to know people are starting to find out about Guster.
#15 The Arctic Monkeys 3 - #47 Dashboard Confessional 0 - Dashboard made it further than they should have and the Monkeys are far too lowly ranked to lose a match like this.
#17 Evanescence 2 - #16 Ozzy Osbourne 1 - Ozzy gets knocked out early once again, this time by Evanescence, who were fueled by actually releasing a second disc this century.
#2 Pearl Jam 3 - #31 Eminem 0 - Thus ending hip hop's run in this tournament for good.
#3 Sparta 3 - #30 Seether 0 - Hey, does anyone still remember Seether? They used to be really popular? Yeah, me neither.
#4 Incubus 3 - #29 Interpol 0 - Interpol is yet another victim of the bizarre seeding syndrome that's overtaken this year's competition.
#28 The Gorillaz 2 - #5 Tenacious D 1 - Of the two bands, how is it possible that the band that takes itself most seriously also claims to be comprised entirely of cartoon characters? Also, this is the biggest upset of the bracket so far.
#6 The Strokes 3 - #27 Dirty Pretty Things 0 - DPT is clearly the victim of "who the hell are they" syndrome.
#39 Maroon 5 2 - #7 R.E.M. 1 - Which is a better question: How did Maroon 5 end up a 39 seed or how did R.E.M. end up a 7?
#8 The Raconteurs 3 - #25 The Transplants 0 - A bigger question than who is better is whether or not either band will ever release another album.
#9 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 3 - #24 Placebo 0 - Placebo may have been too obscure in America to compete at this level.
#10 Iggy Pop 2 - #23 Panic At The Disco 1 - I cast the deciding vote in this match. It's not that Iggy's done that much lately, but Panic really irritates the hell out of me.
#11 K.T. Tunstall 2 - #22 Jack Johnson 1 - K.T. wins the adult contemporary face-off this round.
#12 Velvet Revolver 3 - #21 Flyleaf 0 - This vote actually took place before Velvet Revolver's new CD was released, so they probably would have been even higher ranked if that wasn't the case.
#13 Oasis 2 - #20 Norah Jones 1 - Oasis is fun to listen to, which is why they won.
#19 Guster 2 - #14 The Postal Service 1 - A surprising result, but it's good to know people are starting to find out about Guster.
#15 The Arctic Monkeys 3 - #47 Dashboard Confessional 0 - Dashboard made it further than they should have and the Monkeys are far too lowly ranked to lose a match like this.
#17 Evanescence 2 - #16 Ozzy Osbourne 1 - Ozzy gets knocked out early once again, this time by Evanescence, who were fueled by actually releasing a second disc this century.
Battle Of The Bands - Round 2 - Bracket C
#1 The Red Hot Chili Peppers 3 - #32 Gnarls Barkley 0 - Gnarls Barkley has exactly one hit. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have exactly two hits that they keep releasing as singles under new titles. Two is more than one.
#2 The Shins 3 - #31 Built To Spill 0 - 5 years ago, both bands were relatively obscure. After Garden State, only one of them is still obscure.
#3 Wolfmother 3 - #35 Liz Phair 0 - The hottest new band of the moment easily takes down the hottest new artist of, umm, 1994.
#4 Coldplay 2 - #29 Fountains Of Wayne 1 - Over the top but sincere knocks out over the top but goofy.
#5 The Killers 3 - #37 The Hold Steady 0 - Two of the coolest bands around at the moment square off with the more famous band getting the clean sweep.
#6 Bob Dylan 2 - #27 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 1 - I voted for Trail, but Dylan's on a hell of a hot streak, so it was a close call.
#7 Nine Inch Nails 2 - #26 The Ponys 1 - One of the hottest bands around, the comeback kids NIN take down one of the best bands you've never heard of.
#8 The Mars Volta 3 - #25 The Scissor Sisters 0 - Why the hell were the Scissor Sisters even ranked this high to begin with? Does anyone outside of the Village People fan club even remember who they are?
#9 Rob Zombie 3 - #24 Santana 0 - The difference here is that Rob didn't need the lead singer of Matchbox 20 to make a hit.
#10 Tom Waits 3 - #23 Kittie 0 - Kittie's been on too much of a cold streak lately to beat out an aging legend like Tom.
#11 The Flaming Lips 3 - #43 Pennywise 0 - One of the rare indie bands that gets better as they age, the Flaming Lips are as good as they ever were while Pennywise is living off their former glory.
#21 Bright Eyes 2 - #12 Frank Black 1 - It's sad to see Frank go so soon, especially as the first upset of the bracket, but Bright Eyes shouldn't be seeded this low to begin with.
#13 The Decemberists 2 - #20 The Dandy Warhols 1 - The under-rated Decemberists take down the end of the career Warhols.
#14 Fiona Apple 2 - #19 P.J. Harvey 1 - Fiona wins on the basis of more success in recent memory.
#15 Dinosaur Jr. 3 - #18 The Distillers 0 - Dinosaur Jr. only barely qualified for this competition, but The Distillers haven't done anything in years, so Jr. gets the nod.
#17 Rise Against 2 - #16 The Buzzcocks 1 - Really? The Buzzcocks were a second round favorite? Is it 1981?
#2 The Shins 3 - #31 Built To Spill 0 - 5 years ago, both bands were relatively obscure. After Garden State, only one of them is still obscure.
#3 Wolfmother 3 - #35 Liz Phair 0 - The hottest new band of the moment easily takes down the hottest new artist of, umm, 1994.
#4 Coldplay 2 - #29 Fountains Of Wayne 1 - Over the top but sincere knocks out over the top but goofy.
#5 The Killers 3 - #37 The Hold Steady 0 - Two of the coolest bands around at the moment square off with the more famous band getting the clean sweep.
#6 Bob Dylan 2 - #27 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 1 - I voted for Trail, but Dylan's on a hell of a hot streak, so it was a close call.
#7 Nine Inch Nails 2 - #26 The Ponys 1 - One of the hottest bands around, the comeback kids NIN take down one of the best bands you've never heard of.
#8 The Mars Volta 3 - #25 The Scissor Sisters 0 - Why the hell were the Scissor Sisters even ranked this high to begin with? Does anyone outside of the Village People fan club even remember who they are?
#9 Rob Zombie 3 - #24 Santana 0 - The difference here is that Rob didn't need the lead singer of Matchbox 20 to make a hit.
#10 Tom Waits 3 - #23 Kittie 0 - Kittie's been on too much of a cold streak lately to beat out an aging legend like Tom.
#11 The Flaming Lips 3 - #43 Pennywise 0 - One of the rare indie bands that gets better as they age, the Flaming Lips are as good as they ever were while Pennywise is living off their former glory.
#21 Bright Eyes 2 - #12 Frank Black 1 - It's sad to see Frank go so soon, especially as the first upset of the bracket, but Bright Eyes shouldn't be seeded this low to begin with.
#13 The Decemberists 2 - #20 The Dandy Warhols 1 - The under-rated Decemberists take down the end of the career Warhols.
#14 Fiona Apple 2 - #19 P.J. Harvey 1 - Fiona wins on the basis of more success in recent memory.
#15 Dinosaur Jr. 3 - #18 The Distillers 0 - Dinosaur Jr. only barely qualified for this competition, but The Distillers haven't done anything in years, so Jr. gets the nod.
#17 Rise Against 2 - #16 The Buzzcocks 1 - Really? The Buzzcocks were a second round favorite? Is it 1981?
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
Factory Girl - An indie movie that's gotten mixed reviews, it seems like it might be worth a shot.
VERDICT - Rent It
Premonition - A moderate success at the box office that's gotten lousy reviews, it should still be worth a viewing at the least.
VERDICT - Rent It
The Hills Have Eyes 2 - Yet another remake of an old horror film from less than 30 years ago. This one is also a sequel to one of the vilest movies ever made.
VERDICT - Avoid it like the plague.
CDs:
The Editors - An End Has A Start - Another week, another Joy Division sound-alike. The Editors aren't quite as accomplished as Interpol, but they are still pretty good in their own right.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Rooney - Calling The World - Rooney finally releases their cash-in album after they were hyped through the ceiling on The O.C.
VERDICT - Buy it if it's cheap.
The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever - One of the many cool underground punk bands that you've probably never heard of, but they're worth a listen, if not a purchase.
VERDICT - Buy it if it's cheap.
Factory Girl - An indie movie that's gotten mixed reviews, it seems like it might be worth a shot.
VERDICT - Rent It
Premonition - A moderate success at the box office that's gotten lousy reviews, it should still be worth a viewing at the least.
VERDICT - Rent It
The Hills Have Eyes 2 - Yet another remake of an old horror film from less than 30 years ago. This one is also a sequel to one of the vilest movies ever made.
VERDICT - Avoid it like the plague.
CDs:
The Editors - An End Has A Start - Another week, another Joy Division sound-alike. The Editors aren't quite as accomplished as Interpol, but they are still pretty good in their own right.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Rooney - Calling The World - Rooney finally releases their cash-in album after they were hyped through the ceiling on The O.C.
VERDICT - Buy it if it's cheap.
The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever - One of the many cool underground punk bands that you've probably never heard of, but they're worth a listen, if not a purchase.
VERDICT - Buy it if it's cheap.
Modern Rock Monday
The Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running - A+
Easily my favorite song by The Arcade Fire, this song has excellent lyrics (much like the rest of the Neon Arcade album), but has a beat reminiscient of "On The Dark Side" by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, one of the best songs of the 80s. I wasn't a huge fan of the Arcade Fire until I heard this song.
The Bravery - Time Won't Let Me Go - A
The Bravery will never outpace the accusations of unoriginality but that doesn't mean that they can't crank out a decent song from time to time. This is their best to date.
The Afghan Whigs - I'm A Soldier - A-
The alt rock vets from the early 90s return with the first of two new singles from their greatest hits album and the first one is a winner.
The Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm - B+
A solid and up-tempo indie dance rock song by the Arctic Monkeys. Better than most of what you hear on the radio these days, but having both of their albums I can tell you that they can do MUCH better.
The Academy Is - We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands - B+
Catchy and well-written emo pop tune with a solid hook.
The Arcade Fire - Black Mirror - B
A decent indie rock song from a band that can do much better.
The Almost - Say This Sooner - B
A solid but not spectacular pop punk debut for The Almost.
The Beastie Boys - Off The Grid - B
I'm still not the biggest fan of instrumental music, but there's a lot more going on in this song than in "Electric Worm".
The Automatic - Monster - B
A decent indie song that suffers from lyrics that are a bit on the dumb side.
The Burden Brothers - Everybody Is Easy - B
A decent song, but nothing particularly special.
The All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight - B
Although the Rejects' songs are starting to sound alike to me, this one is still redeemed by an excellent chorus, firming up the bands status as the Goo Goo Dolls of their time. Frequently good, but never great.
The Black Keys - Your Touch - B-
The Black Keys are a throwback to old blues rock circa the mid to late 1960s. I'm a big fan of this type of music, as bands such as Wolfmother and The White Stripes are among my current favorites. Unfortunately, the Black Keys usually end up sounding much more like Vanilla Fudge than Led Zeppelin. Still decent, but they could be so much better.
The Actual - This Is The Worst Day Of My Life - B-
A lousy overall sound in the song is redeemed by a decent chorus.
The Appearance - Not A Soul - B-
Sludgy and unimpressive, but not necessarily bad.
The Beastie Boys - Electric Worm - C+
It's not that the music isn't well done, but I've never been a big fan of instrumentals and this is far from my favorite in that genre.
The Burden Brothers - Shine - C+
The chorus isn't impressive and the verses have a lousy bounce to them.
Easily my favorite song by The Arcade Fire, this song has excellent lyrics (much like the rest of the Neon Arcade album), but has a beat reminiscient of "On The Dark Side" by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, one of the best songs of the 80s. I wasn't a huge fan of the Arcade Fire until I heard this song.
The Bravery - Time Won't Let Me Go - A
The Bravery will never outpace the accusations of unoriginality but that doesn't mean that they can't crank out a decent song from time to time. This is their best to date.
The Afghan Whigs - I'm A Soldier - A-
The alt rock vets from the early 90s return with the first of two new singles from their greatest hits album and the first one is a winner.
The Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm - B+
A solid and up-tempo indie dance rock song by the Arctic Monkeys. Better than most of what you hear on the radio these days, but having both of their albums I can tell you that they can do MUCH better.
The Academy Is - We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands - B+
Catchy and well-written emo pop tune with a solid hook.
The Arcade Fire - Black Mirror - B
A decent indie rock song from a band that can do much better.
The Almost - Say This Sooner - B
A solid but not spectacular pop punk debut for The Almost.
The Beastie Boys - Off The Grid - B
I'm still not the biggest fan of instrumental music, but there's a lot more going on in this song than in "Electric Worm".
The Automatic - Monster - B
A decent indie song that suffers from lyrics that are a bit on the dumb side.
The Burden Brothers - Everybody Is Easy - B
A decent song, but nothing particularly special.
The All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight - B
Although the Rejects' songs are starting to sound alike to me, this one is still redeemed by an excellent chorus, firming up the bands status as the Goo Goo Dolls of their time. Frequently good, but never great.
The Black Keys - Your Touch - B-
The Black Keys are a throwback to old blues rock circa the mid to late 1960s. I'm a big fan of this type of music, as bands such as Wolfmother and The White Stripes are among my current favorites. Unfortunately, the Black Keys usually end up sounding much more like Vanilla Fudge than Led Zeppelin. Still decent, but they could be so much better.
The Actual - This Is The Worst Day Of My Life - B-
A lousy overall sound in the song is redeemed by a decent chorus.
The Appearance - Not A Soul - B-
Sludgy and unimpressive, but not necessarily bad.
The Beastie Boys - Electric Worm - C+
It's not that the music isn't well done, but I've never been a big fan of instrumentals and this is far from my favorite in that genre.
The Burden Brothers - Shine - C+
The chorus isn't impressive and the verses have a lousy bounce to them.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 2 - Bracket B
#1 Queens Of The Stone Age 3 - #32 Sum 41 0 - A clean sweep for one of the tournament favorites, though Sum 41 has finally returned to the charts.
#2 Radiohead 3 - #34 My Morning Jacket 0 - My Morning Jacket is frequently referred to as "the American Radiohead". Clearly there's a reason why Radiohead isn't referred to as "the British My Morning Jacket".
#3 Sonic Youth 3 - #35 Wilco 0 - Wilco is tragically low-ranked, but they wouldn't have been able to beat a band on par with Sonic Youth later on in the tourney, so it doesn't really matter if it happens now or later.
#4 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 3 - #36 Kid Rock 0 - Tom Petty's been around for 25 years longer than Kid Rock, but of the two bands, Kid's the one that's yesterday's news.
#5 Modest Mouse 3 - #28 Slipknot 0 - Modest Mouse is one of the hottest bands in independent rock at the moment. Slipknot... isn't.
#6 System Of A Down 3 - #38 Thursday 0 - First tier political punk takes down second tier political punk.
#26 The Arcade Fire 2 - #7 Elvis Costello 1 - Elvis is the victim of the inexplicable low seeding of The Arcade Fire.
#8 A Perfect Circle 3 - #25 Stone Sour 0 - Stone Sour may be the bigger band at the moment, but this isn't just a measure of this month or this moment right now.
#41 The Eels 2 - #9 Paul McCartney 1 - One of the best indie rock bands that no one has ever heard of takes down the strangely high ranked Paul McCartney.
#10 The Thermals 2 - #23 Chevelle 1 - One of the best political punk bands of the moment takes down a popular, but mediocre metal band.
#11 Social Distortion 2 - #22 The Drive-By Truckers 1 - Social Distortion re-entered the charts just in time to get the winning vote in this match.
#12 Muse 3 - #21 Aimee Mann 0 - Muse is ranked far too low for this competition, but they can still hold their own against Mann, who is an acquired taste to be sure.
#20 The Music 2 - #13 Mark Lanegan 1 - Lanegan has been a legend when he's got a band behind him, but he's not nearly as popular on his own.
#14 Spoon 2 - #19 Kings Of Leon 1 - I strongly disagree, but I can't say that the decision was surprising on this one.
#15 Bruce Springsteen 2 - #18 Jet 1 - The Dylan of his generation is riding a surge of good music in recent years and his sincerity is the perfect weapon against a band like Jet, who seems like a copy of a copy.
#16 The Old 97's 2 - #17 The Pink Spiders 1 - It's Thunderdome: Two great but obscure bands go in, one comes out.
#2 Radiohead 3 - #34 My Morning Jacket 0 - My Morning Jacket is frequently referred to as "the American Radiohead". Clearly there's a reason why Radiohead isn't referred to as "the British My Morning Jacket".
#3 Sonic Youth 3 - #35 Wilco 0 - Wilco is tragically low-ranked, but they wouldn't have been able to beat a band on par with Sonic Youth later on in the tourney, so it doesn't really matter if it happens now or later.
#4 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 3 - #36 Kid Rock 0 - Tom Petty's been around for 25 years longer than Kid Rock, but of the two bands, Kid's the one that's yesterday's news.
#5 Modest Mouse 3 - #28 Slipknot 0 - Modest Mouse is one of the hottest bands in independent rock at the moment. Slipknot... isn't.
#6 System Of A Down 3 - #38 Thursday 0 - First tier political punk takes down second tier political punk.
#26 The Arcade Fire 2 - #7 Elvis Costello 1 - Elvis is the victim of the inexplicable low seeding of The Arcade Fire.
#8 A Perfect Circle 3 - #25 Stone Sour 0 - Stone Sour may be the bigger band at the moment, but this isn't just a measure of this month or this moment right now.
#41 The Eels 2 - #9 Paul McCartney 1 - One of the best indie rock bands that no one has ever heard of takes down the strangely high ranked Paul McCartney.
#10 The Thermals 2 - #23 Chevelle 1 - One of the best political punk bands of the moment takes down a popular, but mediocre metal band.
#11 Social Distortion 2 - #22 The Drive-By Truckers 1 - Social Distortion re-entered the charts just in time to get the winning vote in this match.
#12 Muse 3 - #21 Aimee Mann 0 - Muse is ranked far too low for this competition, but they can still hold their own against Mann, who is an acquired taste to be sure.
#20 The Music 2 - #13 Mark Lanegan 1 - Lanegan has been a legend when he's got a band behind him, but he's not nearly as popular on his own.
#14 Spoon 2 - #19 Kings Of Leon 1 - I strongly disagree, but I can't say that the decision was surprising on this one.
#15 Bruce Springsteen 2 - #18 Jet 1 - The Dylan of his generation is riding a surge of good music in recent years and his sincerity is the perfect weapon against a band like Jet, who seems like a copy of a copy.
#16 The Old 97's 2 - #17 The Pink Spiders 1 - It's Thunderdome: Two great but obscure bands go in, one comes out.
July Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees
Here are the July Inductees:
Rage Against The Machine
Cream
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Guns N Roses
Green Day
For more information, click here.
Rage Against The Machine
Cream
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Guns N Roses
Green Day
For more information, click here.
New Movies This Week
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix - An adaptation of the longest (and one of the best) Harry Potter book so far is strangely the shortest movie, so that means there will be more screenings, which in turn will probably make the gross higher. I've seen the film and much like Goblet of Fire, this one is exciting from start to finish and flies by.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP
Captivity - Sorry, guys, but you're about a year too late for this movie to find a market. The whole "torture porn" genre peaked last October. How can you tell? Hostel 2 made almost no money. Oh, and the buzz is that this isn't a very good movie, either.
VERDICT - Miss it.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP
Captivity - Sorry, guys, but you're about a year too late for this movie to find a market. The whole "torture porn" genre peaked last October. How can you tell? Hostel 2 made almost no money. Oh, and the buzz is that this isn't a very good movie, either.
VERDICT - Miss it.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 2 - Bracket A
#1 The White Stripes 3 - #33 30 Seconds To Mars 0 - Jared Leto may be a better actor than Jack White, but he doesn't even play in the same league as the Stripes.
#2 Tool 3 - #31 Metallica 0 - The best of metal today knocks out the best of metal from 25 years ago.
#3 The Foo Fighters 3 - #35 The Ataris 0 - What's the difference between the Foo Fighters and the Ataris? The Foo Fighters have at least one song that's worth listening to.
#4 Franz Ferdinand 3 - #29 The Fray 0 - Being unoffensive will only get you so far.
#5 Death Cab For Cutie 3 - #37 The Dropkick Murphys 0 - The panel chooses the band that still sounds good after they start singing.
#6 U2 3 - #27 Buckcherry 0 - The novelty wears off after awhile with Buckcherry, but U2 remains consistent.
#7 Eagles Of Death Metal 2 - #26 Bloc Party 1 - A close call, but the Eagles get the nod in this indie battle.
#8 Green Day 3 - #25 Pete Yorn 0 - Seeing as how most people have never heard of Pete Yorn and that's mostly for good reason...
#9 Neil Young 3 - #24 Hot Hot Heat 0 - Neil's seen better days, but Hot Hot Heat only has a few hits to their name, so they didn't have a chance.
#10 Big Timber 2 - #23 Cake 1 - The best band no one's ever heard of knocks off the still there but barely Cake.
#11 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 3 - #22 Bad Religion 0 - BRMC released another fantastic CD this year that everyone ignored for some reason.
#12 My Chemical Romance 2 - #44 The Sounds 1 - The Sounds reach the end of the road, though were it not for Welcome To The Black Parade, the result would have been reversed.
#13 Snow Patrol 2 - #20 A.F.I. 1 - Two love-em-or-hate-em bands square off with Snow Patrol getting the nod.
#19 Belle And Sebastian 2 - #14 Weezer 1 - The first upset of the second round sees underground legends Belle And Sebastian knocking off the most indie rock band in all of corporate rock.
#17 The Deftones 2 - #16 Ministry 1 - The smallest possible upset of the round sees the Deftones win the second-tier metal match.
#50 Todd Snider 2 - #18 Rancid 1 - Far and away the biggest upset of Round 2 - Bracket A sees the folk singer-songwriter move on over the past-their-prime pop punk band.
#2 Tool 3 - #31 Metallica 0 - The best of metal today knocks out the best of metal from 25 years ago.
#3 The Foo Fighters 3 - #35 The Ataris 0 - What's the difference between the Foo Fighters and the Ataris? The Foo Fighters have at least one song that's worth listening to.
#4 Franz Ferdinand 3 - #29 The Fray 0 - Being unoffensive will only get you so far.
#5 Death Cab For Cutie 3 - #37 The Dropkick Murphys 0 - The panel chooses the band that still sounds good after they start singing.
#6 U2 3 - #27 Buckcherry 0 - The novelty wears off after awhile with Buckcherry, but U2 remains consistent.
#7 Eagles Of Death Metal 2 - #26 Bloc Party 1 - A close call, but the Eagles get the nod in this indie battle.
#8 Green Day 3 - #25 Pete Yorn 0 - Seeing as how most people have never heard of Pete Yorn and that's mostly for good reason...
#9 Neil Young 3 - #24 Hot Hot Heat 0 - Neil's seen better days, but Hot Hot Heat only has a few hits to their name, so they didn't have a chance.
#10 Big Timber 2 - #23 Cake 1 - The best band no one's ever heard of knocks off the still there but barely Cake.
#11 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 3 - #22 Bad Religion 0 - BRMC released another fantastic CD this year that everyone ignored for some reason.
#12 My Chemical Romance 2 - #44 The Sounds 1 - The Sounds reach the end of the road, though were it not for Welcome To The Black Parade, the result would have been reversed.
#13 Snow Patrol 2 - #20 A.F.I. 1 - Two love-em-or-hate-em bands square off with Snow Patrol getting the nod.
#19 Belle And Sebastian 2 - #14 Weezer 1 - The first upset of the second round sees underground legends Belle And Sebastian knocking off the most indie rock band in all of corporate rock.
#17 The Deftones 2 - #16 Ministry 1 - The smallest possible upset of the round sees the Deftones win the second-tier metal match.
#50 Todd Snider 2 - #18 Rancid 1 - Far and away the biggest upset of Round 2 - Bracket A sees the folk singer-songwriter move on over the past-their-prime pop punk band.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
The top rock debut of the week was Velvet Revolver's Libertad at #5.
The Soundtrack to Transformers, which features several modern rock songs, debuted at #21.
Silverstein debuted at #21 with Arrivals And Departures.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park stayed at #1 for the 14th straight week. They also had the only new song in the top 20 with "Bleed It Out" at #17. We may never be rid of them.
Mainstream Rock:
Ozzy stays at #1 with "I Don't Wanna Stop".
Debuting this week was Evans Blue with "The Pursuit" at #20.
The top rock debut of the week was Velvet Revolver's Libertad at #5.
The Soundtrack to Transformers, which features several modern rock songs, debuted at #21.
Silverstein debuted at #21 with Arrivals And Departures.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park stayed at #1 for the 14th straight week. They also had the only new song in the top 20 with "Bleed It Out" at #17. We may never be rid of them.
Mainstream Rock:
Ozzy stays at #1 with "I Don't Wanna Stop".
Debuting this week was Evans Blue with "The Pursuit" at #20.
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
The Astronaut Farmer - Supposedly this is a good movie, but it was overlooked big-time in theaters.
VERDICT - Rent it.
The Last Mimzy - Would you believe that this is the highest grossing movie of the year that I have an interest in seeing (if you're curious, the highest grossing period is TMNT...)? Well, it is and I'll probably check it out this weekend.
VERDICT - Rent it.
CDs:
The Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist - The biggest release of a busy weekend for CDs is the "reunion" CD for legendary 90s rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. The first single "Tarantula" is already a big hit on Modern and Mainstream rock stations and this one looks to be a big hit. Seeing as how the Pumpkins are one of my favorite bands of all-time, I'm going to buy this one right away.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Interpol - Our Love To Admire - One of the hottest acts in indie rock, Interpol releases their third CD and it's pretty good from what I've heard so far.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - I've never been the biggest Spoon fan, but they are a big name and fairly consistent. It's available on EMusic, so I'll pick it up there.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Against Me! - New Wave - One of the finest underground political punk band around releases their first major label album. Not the most punk thing to do, but it's occasionally worked in the past.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell - Against Me! is the latest big political punk band to hit the scene, but Bad Religion was one of the first. It's been a few years since their last album and this one is a step down from that peak, but it's still pretty good.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
They Might Be Giants - The Else - TMBG is a legendary alternative band, but it's been awhile since they've been on the top. They're still worth a look, though.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
The Astronaut Farmer - Supposedly this is a good movie, but it was overlooked big-time in theaters.
VERDICT - Rent it.
The Last Mimzy - Would you believe that this is the highest grossing movie of the year that I have an interest in seeing (if you're curious, the highest grossing period is TMNT...)? Well, it is and I'll probably check it out this weekend.
VERDICT - Rent it.
CDs:
The Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist - The biggest release of a busy weekend for CDs is the "reunion" CD for legendary 90s rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. The first single "Tarantula" is already a big hit on Modern and Mainstream rock stations and this one looks to be a big hit. Seeing as how the Pumpkins are one of my favorite bands of all-time, I'm going to buy this one right away.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Interpol - Our Love To Admire - One of the hottest acts in indie rock, Interpol releases their third CD and it's pretty good from what I've heard so far.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - I've never been the biggest Spoon fan, but they are a big name and fairly consistent. It's available on EMusic, so I'll pick it up there.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Against Me! - New Wave - One of the finest underground political punk band around releases their first major label album. Not the most punk thing to do, but it's occasionally worked in the past.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell - Against Me! is the latest big political punk band to hit the scene, but Bad Religion was one of the first. It's been a few years since their last album and this one is a step down from that peak, but it's still pretty good.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
They Might Be Giants - The Else - TMBG is a legendary alternative band, but it's been awhile since they've been on the top. They're still worth a look, though.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
Modern Rock Reviews
Modern Rock Archive
T.V. On The Radio - Wolf Like Me - A+
An original, fun and hip rock song that brings something unique to rock that I've never really heard before. A definite contender for song of the year.
Strata - Cocaine - A
A fun indie dance rock song with a great chorus.
Sum 41 - Underclass Hero - B+
A solid pop punk song, but it leans a little too heavily on previous Sum 41 songs to be truly great.
Test Your Reflex - Pieces Of The Sun - B+
A solid emo song with a good tune and chorus. See, the key here, is DON'T BE SO DAMN WHINY, EMO KIDS!
Bad Religion - Honest Goodbye - B
A little slow for a Bad Religion tune, but it's saved by solid lyrics.
Straylight Run - Soon We'll Be Living In The Future - B
A promising start, but this band seems to have more potential than they're displaying in this particular song.
Taking Back Sunday - My Blue Heaven - B
A decent emo song, but a bit whiny and uneventful.
Cinder Road - Get In Get Out - B-
A Buckcherry-esque metal song that's better than most metal, but not by much.
Rush - Spindrift - B-
It's just about time to hang it up if you actually think a dull song like this is worthy of release as a single.
Tesla - Thank You - C+
A note-for-note remake of the Led Zeppelin classic. I don't encourage that sort of thing. If you're going to cover a song, make it your own or don't bother. By the way, Tesla is still around? Who knew?
Fuel - Wasted Time - C+
At one point Fuel seemed like they might turn a corner and become a decent band. They never did. Instead, they started making generic modern rock music that resembles a cross between Switchfoot and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Diecast - Hourglass - C+
Extremely average metal that's slightly less sludgy than usual.
Astra Heights - Choices - C
Terminally dull Guns N Roses ripoff with lousy emo lyrics.
Silverstein - If You Could See Into My Soul - C-
An emo song with poor lyrics and a singer who insists on singing the chorus as though he were in a death metal band.
Hinder - Homecoming Queen - D
This song has a better hook than most Hinder songs, but the vocal is so ugly and snarly that it literally hurts to listen to it. Fortunately, I won't have to hear it ever again.
Drowning Pool - Soldiers - F
Another unwelcome return to the charts sees Drowning Pool come back to destroy everything that's good and pure about music and life in general. At least the intelligence agencies will have new tunes to use for their cruel and unusual punishment programs.
T.V. On The Radio - Wolf Like Me - A+
An original, fun and hip rock song that brings something unique to rock that I've never really heard before. A definite contender for song of the year.
Strata - Cocaine - A
A fun indie dance rock song with a great chorus.
Sum 41 - Underclass Hero - B+
A solid pop punk song, but it leans a little too heavily on previous Sum 41 songs to be truly great.
Test Your Reflex - Pieces Of The Sun - B+
A solid emo song with a good tune and chorus. See, the key here, is DON'T BE SO DAMN WHINY, EMO KIDS!
Bad Religion - Honest Goodbye - B
A little slow for a Bad Religion tune, but it's saved by solid lyrics.
Straylight Run - Soon We'll Be Living In The Future - B
A promising start, but this band seems to have more potential than they're displaying in this particular song.
Taking Back Sunday - My Blue Heaven - B
A decent emo song, but a bit whiny and uneventful.
Cinder Road - Get In Get Out - B-
A Buckcherry-esque metal song that's better than most metal, but not by much.
Rush - Spindrift - B-
It's just about time to hang it up if you actually think a dull song like this is worthy of release as a single.
Tesla - Thank You - C+
A note-for-note remake of the Led Zeppelin classic. I don't encourage that sort of thing. If you're going to cover a song, make it your own or don't bother. By the way, Tesla is still around? Who knew?
Fuel - Wasted Time - C+
At one point Fuel seemed like they might turn a corner and become a decent band. They never did. Instead, they started making generic modern rock music that resembles a cross between Switchfoot and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Diecast - Hourglass - C+
Extremely average metal that's slightly less sludgy than usual.
Astra Heights - Choices - C
Terminally dull Guns N Roses ripoff with lousy emo lyrics.
Silverstein - If You Could See Into My Soul - C-
An emo song with poor lyrics and a singer who insists on singing the chorus as though he were in a death metal band.
Hinder - Homecoming Queen - D
This song has a better hook than most Hinder songs, but the vocal is so ugly and snarly that it literally hurts to listen to it. Fortunately, I won't have to hear it ever again.
Drowning Pool - Soldiers - F
Another unwelcome return to the charts sees Drowning Pool come back to destroy everything that's good and pure about music and life in general. At least the intelligence agencies will have new tunes to use for their cruel and unusual punishment programs.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 1 - Bracket D - Part 2
#17 Evanescence 2 - #48 Phantom Planet 1 - Evanescence milks their one song sung with 35 slight variations to a first round victory.
#47 Dashboard Confessional 2 - #18 Primus 1 - The biggest upset of the bracket, though one has to really wonder how the hell Primus got ranked so damn high...
#19 Guster 2 - #46 Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards 1 - Guster refused to let the Bastards drag them down.
#20 Norah Jones 2 - #45 TV On The Radio 1 - An absolute travesty caused by name recognition.
#21 Flyleaf 3 - #44 Snoop Dogg 0 - Flyleaf gets the win and should have too, given that Snoop hasn't done much in years.
#22 Jack Johnson 3 - #43 Sheryl Crow 0 - Even the winner is boring as hell. How'd either make it to the second round?
#23 Panic At The Disco 3 - #42 Melissa Etheridge 0 - The gayest act in rock defeats Melissa Etheridge in the first round.
#24 Placebo 2 - #41 Jimmy Eat World 1 - Score one for the more obscure act as the so-mainstream-that-it-hurts Jimmy Eat World comes up short.
#25 The Transplants 2 - #40 Skywynd 1 - The hip-hop infused rock act Transplants defeats the local favorite by a 1 vote margin.
#39 Maroon 5 2 - #26 The Who 1 - The most popular "rock" band at the moment defeats the way-past-their-prime Who.
#27 Dirty Pretty Things 2 - #38 Lily Allen 1 - Two of the hottest and best underground pop rock acts square off and the DPT prevails.
#28 The Gorillaz 2 - #37 Keane 1 - The Gorillaz only need 1 hit per album to take down the successful but unpopular Keane.
#29 Interpol 2 - #36 Ben Harper 1 - Why would Interpol be a 29 seed? Insane...
#30 Seether 2 - #35 Aerosmith 1 - Seether has seen better days but at least those better days occurred within 20 years of today...
#31 Eminem 2 - #34 Aqualung 1 - I'd wager than Ryan can't name a single song by Aqualung, but he still voted for them.
#32 Fall Out Boy 2 - #33 The Used 1 - The most successful of the emo bands barely makes it through as a favorite against one of the more average emo bands.
#47 Dashboard Confessional 2 - #18 Primus 1 - The biggest upset of the bracket, though one has to really wonder how the hell Primus got ranked so damn high...
#19 Guster 2 - #46 Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards 1 - Guster refused to let the Bastards drag them down.
#20 Norah Jones 2 - #45 TV On The Radio 1 - An absolute travesty caused by name recognition.
#21 Flyleaf 3 - #44 Snoop Dogg 0 - Flyleaf gets the win and should have too, given that Snoop hasn't done much in years.
#22 Jack Johnson 3 - #43 Sheryl Crow 0 - Even the winner is boring as hell. How'd either make it to the second round?
#23 Panic At The Disco 3 - #42 Melissa Etheridge 0 - The gayest act in rock defeats Melissa Etheridge in the first round.
#24 Placebo 2 - #41 Jimmy Eat World 1 - Score one for the more obscure act as the so-mainstream-that-it-hurts Jimmy Eat World comes up short.
#25 The Transplants 2 - #40 Skywynd 1 - The hip-hop infused rock act Transplants defeats the local favorite by a 1 vote margin.
#39 Maroon 5 2 - #26 The Who 1 - The most popular "rock" band at the moment defeats the way-past-their-prime Who.
#27 Dirty Pretty Things 2 - #38 Lily Allen 1 - Two of the hottest and best underground pop rock acts square off and the DPT prevails.
#28 The Gorillaz 2 - #37 Keane 1 - The Gorillaz only need 1 hit per album to take down the successful but unpopular Keane.
#29 Interpol 2 - #36 Ben Harper 1 - Why would Interpol be a 29 seed? Insane...
#30 Seether 2 - #35 Aerosmith 1 - Seether has seen better days but at least those better days occurred within 20 years of today...
#31 Eminem 2 - #34 Aqualung 1 - I'd wager than Ryan can't name a single song by Aqualung, but he still voted for them.
#32 Fall Out Boy 2 - #33 The Used 1 - The most successful of the emo bands barely makes it through as a favorite against one of the more average emo bands.
Battle Of The Bands 2007 - Round 1 - Bracket D - Part 1
#1 Beck 3 - #64 Art Brut 0 - The tragically low-seeded Art Brut gets crushed by Beck.
#2 Pearl Jam 3 - #63 Rhett Miller 0 - Miller is too unknown to make it to the second round, especially against one of the all-time greats.
#3 Sparta 3 - #62 DMX 0 - Another rap artist bites the dust, this time against the surprisingly high-seeded Sparta.
#4 Incubus 3 - #61 The Stills 0 - Too obscure by far.
#5 Tenacious D 3 - #60 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 0 - Long as there's a record deal, they'll always kick Clap's ass.
#6 The Strokes 3 - #59 The Hives 0 - The battle of the "The" bands sees the band with lasting power moving on and the one or two hit wonder going home.
#7 R.E.M. 3 - #58 Skindred 0 - Remember Skindred? Reasonably big a few years, but long gone by now? Yeah, they weren't remembered in this tournament either.
#8 The Raconteurs 3 - #57 Kasabian 0 - The Raconteurs are a promising young band and should build on the success of their first album... if Jack White actually wants to make another one now that the Stripes are back.
#9 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 3 - #56 The Offspring 0 - The Offspring are still technically together, which is why they're in this tournament, though they haven't been relevant for years.
#10 Iggy Pop 2 - #55 Pink 1 - The lowest-seeded artist in the bracket to get a vote, Pink loses thanks to the recent Stooges comeback album.
#11 K.T. Tunstall 3 - #54 The Beastie Boys 0 - Maybe this result would have been different if the initial vote had taken place after the release of the Beastie Boys' most recent CD, maybe not.
#12 Velvet Revolver 3 - #53 Robbie Williams 0 - Velvet Revolver is probably ranked too low, but Robbie Williams is no challenge whatsoever.
#13 Oasis 3 - #52 The Stereophonics 0 - Oasis probably had the edge as most have yet to hear of the Stereophonics and probably never will.
#14 The Postal Service 2 - #51 The Cold War Kids 1 - Give this one time and CWK will probably shoot ahead, especially if Ben Hibbard chooses to concentrate on Death Cab in the future.
#15 The Arctic Monkeys 3 - #50 Static-X 0 - Why the hell are the Arctic Monkeys at 15 seed? That's just frickin' silly.
#16 Ozzy Osbourne 3 - #49 Smash Mouth 0 - The Prince of Fucking Darkness advances to the second round this time around against the washed-up Smash Mouth.
#2 Pearl Jam 3 - #63 Rhett Miller 0 - Miller is too unknown to make it to the second round, especially against one of the all-time greats.
#3 Sparta 3 - #62 DMX 0 - Another rap artist bites the dust, this time against the surprisingly high-seeded Sparta.
#4 Incubus 3 - #61 The Stills 0 - Too obscure by far.
#5 Tenacious D 3 - #60 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 0 - Long as there's a record deal, they'll always kick Clap's ass.
#6 The Strokes 3 - #59 The Hives 0 - The battle of the "The" bands sees the band with lasting power moving on and the one or two hit wonder going home.
#7 R.E.M. 3 - #58 Skindred 0 - Remember Skindred? Reasonably big a few years, but long gone by now? Yeah, they weren't remembered in this tournament either.
#8 The Raconteurs 3 - #57 Kasabian 0 - The Raconteurs are a promising young band and should build on the success of their first album... if Jack White actually wants to make another one now that the Stripes are back.
#9 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 3 - #56 The Offspring 0 - The Offspring are still technically together, which is why they're in this tournament, though they haven't been relevant for years.
#10 Iggy Pop 2 - #55 Pink 1 - The lowest-seeded artist in the bracket to get a vote, Pink loses thanks to the recent Stooges comeback album.
#11 K.T. Tunstall 3 - #54 The Beastie Boys 0 - Maybe this result would have been different if the initial vote had taken place after the release of the Beastie Boys' most recent CD, maybe not.
#12 Velvet Revolver 3 - #53 Robbie Williams 0 - Velvet Revolver is probably ranked too low, but Robbie Williams is no challenge whatsoever.
#13 Oasis 3 - #52 The Stereophonics 0 - Oasis probably had the edge as most have yet to hear of the Stereophonics and probably never will.
#14 The Postal Service 2 - #51 The Cold War Kids 1 - Give this one time and CWK will probably shoot ahead, especially if Ben Hibbard chooses to concentrate on Death Cab in the future.
#15 The Arctic Monkeys 3 - #50 Static-X 0 - Why the hell are the Arctic Monkeys at 15 seed? That's just frickin' silly.
#16 Ozzy Osbourne 3 - #49 Smash Mouth 0 - The Prince of Fucking Darkness advances to the second round this time around against the washed-up Smash Mouth.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Ryan Adams debuted at #7 with Easy Tiger.
The Mix-Up by The Beastie Boys debuted at #15.
A new live CD by Pearl Jam entered the charts at #36.
Also debuting this week were the greatest hits album by Social Distortion at #86, Marc Broussard's new CD debuted at #96 and Bad Brains returned to the charts at #100.
Modern:
Linkin Park stayed at #1. 13 weeks now.
Mainstream:
Ozzy stayed at #1 for another week.
Chevelle debuted at #18 with their new single, "I Get It".
Ryan Adams debuted at #7 with Easy Tiger.
The Mix-Up by The Beastie Boys debuted at #15.
A new live CD by Pearl Jam entered the charts at #36.
Also debuting this week were the greatest hits album by Social Distortion at #86, Marc Broussard's new CD debuted at #96 and Bad Brains returned to the charts at #100.
Modern:
Linkin Park stayed at #1. 13 weeks now.
Mainstream:
Ozzy stayed at #1 for another week.
Chevelle debuted at #18 with their new single, "I Get It".
New Releases This Week
DVDs:
None. Seriously. Not a one.
CDs:
Velvet Revolver - Libertad - While I found their first album to be a bit of a disappointment, that's not going to stop me from buying the new CD from the GNR and STP based supergroup.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Probably the slowest week all year.
None. Seriously. Not a one.
CDs:
Velvet Revolver - Libertad - While I found their first album to be a bit of a disappointment, that's not going to stop me from buying the new CD from the GNR and STP based supergroup.
VERDICT - Buy it.
Probably the slowest week all year.
Modern Rock Reviews
Modern Rock Archive
Lily Allen - LDN - A+
A brilliant pop song with sharp lyrics about the ugliness that hides behind the mask of real life. The song also features one hell of a chorus.
Sparta - Taking Back Control - A+
The best political punk band around these days released one of their best singles with "Taking Back Control", the best song Rise Against wishes they had written. I could definitely have seen At The Drive-In releasing this one day if they had stuck together.
Sparta - Erase It Again - A
Imagine a U2 single where the verses sound like post-Achtung U2 but the choruses sound like pre-Achtung U2. This is basically the sound for this song which sees Sparta exploring new musical directions while promptly returning to their roots in time to create a well-balanced song.
Snow Patrol - You're All That I Have - A
The best single off of Snow Patrol's latest song is superior to other singles based on a faster pace and better chorus. This one ranks up there with "Chocolate".
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars - A
The typical sweeping Coldplay-esque single from Snow Patrol. Not as good as "Run", but still pretty good.
Stone Sour - Sillyworld - A-
Stone Sour does their best Pink Floyd meets Slipknot impression and creates an interesting song with something interesting to say.
Albert Hammond, Jr. - In Transit - B+
A solid follow-up single that isn't quite as catchy as the first release.
Snow Patrol - Signal Fire - B+
Another fine example of Snow Patrol doing what they do best, a more radio-friendly version of Coldplay.
Stone Sour - Through Glass - B+
Not bad, but nowhere near the same level of "Bother".
Stereoside - Sinner - B-
It's alright, but not being bad will only get you so far.
Static-X - Destroyer - B-
Decent for a metal song, but all of Static-X's songs are starting to blur together at this point.
Stephen Marley - Hey Baby - C+
It's a sad day in music when the best reggae singer isn't a Marley, but Stephen's music doesn't seem to orbit the same sun as his father's.
Spitalfield - Secrets In Mirrors - C+
Mediocre emo-punk song that doesn't take it up a notch at any point and ends up really boring.
Soulidium - The Light - C
More crappy, sludge metal that sounds like everything else.
Stone Sour - Made Of Scars - C Sludgy, Slipknot-esque metal from Stone Sour, who are capable of much better.
Lily Allen - LDN - A+
A brilliant pop song with sharp lyrics about the ugliness that hides behind the mask of real life. The song also features one hell of a chorus.
Sparta - Taking Back Control - A+
The best political punk band around these days released one of their best singles with "Taking Back Control", the best song Rise Against wishes they had written. I could definitely have seen At The Drive-In releasing this one day if they had stuck together.
Sparta - Erase It Again - A
Imagine a U2 single where the verses sound like post-Achtung U2 but the choruses sound like pre-Achtung U2. This is basically the sound for this song which sees Sparta exploring new musical directions while promptly returning to their roots in time to create a well-balanced song.
Snow Patrol - You're All That I Have - A
The best single off of Snow Patrol's latest song is superior to other singles based on a faster pace and better chorus. This one ranks up there with "Chocolate".
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars - A
The typical sweeping Coldplay-esque single from Snow Patrol. Not as good as "Run", but still pretty good.
Stone Sour - Sillyworld - A-
Stone Sour does their best Pink Floyd meets Slipknot impression and creates an interesting song with something interesting to say.
Albert Hammond, Jr. - In Transit - B+
A solid follow-up single that isn't quite as catchy as the first release.
Snow Patrol - Signal Fire - B+
Another fine example of Snow Patrol doing what they do best, a more radio-friendly version of Coldplay.
Stone Sour - Through Glass - B+
Not bad, but nowhere near the same level of "Bother".
Stereoside - Sinner - B-
It's alright, but not being bad will only get you so far.
Static-X - Destroyer - B-
Decent for a metal song, but all of Static-X's songs are starting to blur together at this point.
Stephen Marley - Hey Baby - C+
It's a sad day in music when the best reggae singer isn't a Marley, but Stephen's music doesn't seem to orbit the same sun as his father's.
Spitalfield - Secrets In Mirrors - C+
Mediocre emo-punk song that doesn't take it up a notch at any point and ends up really boring.
Soulidium - The Light - C
More crappy, sludge metal that sounds like everything else.
Stone Sour - Made Of Scars - C Sludgy, Slipknot-esque metal from Stone Sour, who are capable of much better.
New Releases
Ratatouille - Pixar has yet to make a film that wasn't at least interesting, and their latest doesn't break with that pattern. It's an excellent and fun film that will probably be a huge hit.
VERDICT - See it ASAP.
Live Free Or Die Hard - The first 2 Die Hard movies were awesome, the third sucked and everyone assumed the series was done at that point. Instead, we have this sequel which arrives 12 years down the road and manages to be a vast improvement on the most recent film. Don't take it too seriously though...
VERDICT - See it.
Transformers - Michael Bay creates another dumb, noisy summer action flick. It's not half bad, but don't think about it too much, that's for sure.
VERDICT - See it when it's convenient.
License To Wed - John Krasinski and Mandy Moore are likable stars, but this looks like it's going to be a typical Robin Williams crapfest.
VERDICT - Rent it.
VERDICT - See it ASAP.
Live Free Or Die Hard - The first 2 Die Hard movies were awesome, the third sucked and everyone assumed the series was done at that point. Instead, we have this sequel which arrives 12 years down the road and manages to be a vast improvement on the most recent film. Don't take it too seriously though...
VERDICT - See it.
Transformers - Michael Bay creates another dumb, noisy summer action flick. It's not half bad, but don't think about it too much, that's for sure.
VERDICT - See it when it's convenient.
License To Wed - John Krasinski and Mandy Moore are likable stars, but this looks like it's going to be a typical Robin Williams crapfest.
VERDICT - Rent it.
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