#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.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
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.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Rock Charts Update
Albums:
Maroon 5 debuted at #1, continuing what should be a blockbuster summer for record sales.
Also debuting this week:
Ozzy Osbourne at #3
The Used at #5
The Bravery debuted at #24, surprisingly low. Considering the Killers debuted at #1, that's really gotta sting.
Tim Armstrong of Rancid debuts at #59.
The National debuted at #68.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park remained at #1 for the 8th straight week.
A big day for 90's revivalism sees "Tarantula" by Smashing Pumpkins debut at #5.
Also debuting this week at #20 is "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" by Fall Out Boy.
Mainstream Rock:
Linkin Park stays at #1... again.
Two 90's revival bands debut this week with Velvet Revolver at #12 with "She Builds Quick Machines" and Smashing Pumpkins at #18 with "Tarantula".
Maroon 5 debuted at #1, continuing what should be a blockbuster summer for record sales.
Also debuting this week:
Ozzy Osbourne at #3
The Used at #5
The Bravery debuted at #24, surprisingly low. Considering the Killers debuted at #1, that's really gotta sting.
Tim Armstrong of Rancid debuts at #59.
The National debuted at #68.
Modern Rock:
Linkin Park remained at #1 for the 8th straight week.
A big day for 90's revivalism sees "Tarantula" by Smashing Pumpkins debut at #5.
Also debuting this week at #20 is "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" by Fall Out Boy.
Mainstream Rock:
Linkin Park stays at #1... again.
Two 90's revival bands debut this week with Velvet Revolver at #12 with "She Builds Quick Machines" and Smashing Pumpkins at #18 with "Tarantula".
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Modern Rock Monday
2007 Modern Rock Archive
My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade - A+
I'm as shocked as anyone to say this, but My Chemical Romance has created one of the best albums of 2006 and while this song isn't the best song on said album, it's a perfect example of the conceptual genius of the album. If you listen to this song, you can hear hints of The Wall, American Idiot, Yoshimi and an awful lot of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period. Congrats to a band that has acheived a hell of a lot more than I would have ever expected them to do.
Muse - Starlight - A+
A sweeping, well-written song by Muse, that ranks among the band's best songs.
My Chemical Romance - Teenagers - A+
The best teen rebellion song since "School's Out", this song is one of many highlights from the only My Chemical Romance CD worth owning.
Modest Mouse - Dashboard - A+
Yet another fantastic indie pop single from Modest Mouse with a solid chorus and a quirky beat.
Muse - Invincible - A
Muse does what they do best once again, creating a sweeping, radio-friendly version of Radiohead style music.
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole - A-
A different song from the usual Muse output, this song is more of a T. Rex-ish glam throwback that works extremely well.
Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver - A-
A solid debut single from the band's new album brings back more of what you like to hear from Joy Di... I mean Interpol.
Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat - B+
A more subtle and downbeat song than Modest Mouse usually releases. It's still really good, but it doesn't have the pop that you expect from a MM song.
My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words - B+
Another good song from "The Black Parade", but not in the same league as the other two singles.
Mushroomhead - Just Pretending - B
A decent hard rock song, but nothing that will stand out in the long run.
Dogboy - Can't Buy Soul - B
A fun but somewhat forgettable song.
Mika - Grace Kelly - B
Indie hipster aims to be Freddie Mercury and misses, but admirably so.
Funeral For A Friend - Into Oblivion (Reunion) - B-
Another typical indie rock song that is missing the x factor that makes it great.
Killswitch Engage - The Arms Of Sorrow - B-
Technically solid, but not much fun to listen to.
Evans Blue - The Pursuit - C
A boring and ordinary hard rock song that never sets itself apart from all the rest.
Mower - Broken Hands - C-
A sludgy noise metal song that doesn't impress or set itself apart from the usual Disturbed/Mudvayne crowd.
In Theory - A New Medication - D+
An annoying pop punk song with a TERRIBLE chorus.
My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade - A+
I'm as shocked as anyone to say this, but My Chemical Romance has created one of the best albums of 2006 and while this song isn't the best song on said album, it's a perfect example of the conceptual genius of the album. If you listen to this song, you can hear hints of The Wall, American Idiot, Yoshimi and an awful lot of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period. Congrats to a band that has acheived a hell of a lot more than I would have ever expected them to do.
Muse - Starlight - A+
A sweeping, well-written song by Muse, that ranks among the band's best songs.
My Chemical Romance - Teenagers - A+
The best teen rebellion song since "School's Out", this song is one of many highlights from the only My Chemical Romance CD worth owning.
Modest Mouse - Dashboard - A+
Yet another fantastic indie pop single from Modest Mouse with a solid chorus and a quirky beat.
Muse - Invincible - A
Muse does what they do best once again, creating a sweeping, radio-friendly version of Radiohead style music.
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole - A-
A different song from the usual Muse output, this song is more of a T. Rex-ish glam throwback that works extremely well.
Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver - A-
A solid debut single from the band's new album brings back more of what you like to hear from Joy Di... I mean Interpol.
Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat - B+
A more subtle and downbeat song than Modest Mouse usually releases. It's still really good, but it doesn't have the pop that you expect from a MM song.
My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words - B+
Another good song from "The Black Parade", but not in the same league as the other two singles.
Mushroomhead - Just Pretending - B
A decent hard rock song, but nothing that will stand out in the long run.
Dogboy - Can't Buy Soul - B
A fun but somewhat forgettable song.
Mika - Grace Kelly - B
Indie hipster aims to be Freddie Mercury and misses, but admirably so.
Funeral For A Friend - Into Oblivion (Reunion) - B-
Another typical indie rock song that is missing the x factor that makes it great.
Killswitch Engage - The Arms Of Sorrow - B-
Technically solid, but not much fun to listen to.
Evans Blue - The Pursuit - C
A boring and ordinary hard rock song that never sets itself apart from all the rest.
Mower - Broken Hands - C-
A sludgy noise metal song that doesn't impress or set itself apart from the usual Disturbed/Mudvayne crowd.
In Theory - A New Medication - D+
An annoying pop punk song with a TERRIBLE chorus.
New Movies This Week
Obviously the biggie this week is Pirates of the Caribbean: At The End Of The World. It's expected to be the biggest movie of the summer and one of the biggest of all-time by the end of it's run. I intend to see this movie as soon as possible.
Also opening this weekend is Bug, a weird little movie with no buzz whatsoever. It might be a decent film, but I'm going to wait until DVD release for this one.
Also opening this weekend is Bug, a weird little movie with no buzz whatsoever. It might be a decent film, but I'm going to wait until DVD release for this one.
Rock Charts Update
Albums:
Linkin Park debuted at #1, as expected.
Wilco's Sky Blue Sky debuted at #4 with their biggest opening yet.
Megadeth's United Ambominations started out at #8.
Rufus Wainwright's Release The Stars debuted at #23.
Modern Rock
Linkin Park remained at #1 again this week.
The White Stripes "Icky Thump" moved up to #4.
Mainstream Rock
Linkin Park's "What I've Done" remains at #1 yet again, continuing the "Summer of Crap".
Debuting in the top 20 this week are (ugh) Three Days Grace's "Never Too Late" at #17 and Green Day's "Working Class Hero" at #20.
Linkin Park debuted at #1, as expected.
Wilco's Sky Blue Sky debuted at #4 with their biggest opening yet.
Megadeth's United Ambominations started out at #8.
Rufus Wainwright's Release The Stars debuted at #23.
Modern Rock
Linkin Park remained at #1 again this week.
The White Stripes "Icky Thump" moved up to #4.
Mainstream Rock
Linkin Park's "What I've Done" remains at #1 yet again, continuing the "Summer of Crap".
Debuting in the top 20 this week are (ugh) Three Days Grace's "Never Too Late" at #17 and Green Day's "Working Class Hero" at #20.
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