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.
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