Posts Tagged ‘coko’
The Automatic – Not Accepted Anywhere Review
The Automatic, a Welsh indie rock group, known as Automatic Automatic in North America (copyright issues), released their debut album Not Accepted Anywhere in 2006. Honestly, I feel like I’m hardly qualified to review a rock album. Whatever. I like this album. The title Not Accepted Anywhere is a spin on the MasterCard copy of “Accepted Anywhere”… just an interesting (I guess) fact from Wikipedia.
This album pretty much sounds like any pop/indie rock album. This is ironic. Considering, in some of their songs they are practically denouncing Pop music (or maybe just the people who listen to pop). And yet, they themselves sound very “pop-ish”. The beats are very catchy, lyrically indecipherable and danceable. I don’t want to get too political about this…and I’m not saying they sound like bubblegum. But at the same time, there’s a routine to being an indie rock band, and they fit this mold.
Regardless of the music vs. their lyrical politics, I do like the Automatic Automatic album, mainly for its beats (is that what they call it in Rock?). Musically, a lot of the songs sound similar, something about them writing the entire album over the 2005 Christmas holiday. Lyrically, they cover a range of topics but still concentrating on the everyday life issues of drugs, coming of age, phonies, etc. One of the lead singers voice is extremely high pitch, borderline annoying… well, after 5 tracks, you’re like: “please drown it out”. The problem with this album is there is nothing new to be heard. It’s not innovative at all. Yet, there are some who view them as “individuals”. While, there is something that stands out about them, for most part, they do sound like a mash-up of regular indie/rock groups. I prefer listening to The Vines, any day.
Oh yeah, did I mention they like to cover pop music during their live performances (check here and here)?
My favourites: Raoul, You Shout You Shout You Shout You Shout, Monster and Seriously…I Hate You Guys.
The Automatic – Lost At Home
The Automatic – Raoul
The Automatic – Monster
Misha – Teardrop Sweetheart Review
Misha is an Electronica group from New York comprised of model Ashley Yao and John Chao. They sound like an electronic based version of the Cocteau Twins, very soft, very airy, very dreamy. The interesting part of this boy/girl group is that John is the vocalist and apparently, Ash the producer. Interesting. Particularly since, I’m used to hearing lullaby vocals from Asian female singers, but not quite the males. And this man sounds like he’s constantly singing a love lullaby for children. For non-Asian music listeners, this is somewhat unusual I guess. But for anybody who listens to enough Asian music – with the exception of Korean music, who for some odd reason love the gospel choir style – a lullaby slow jam is a regular thing.
Like last week’s Kraak & Smaak review, Misha’s 2007 Teardrop Sweetheart makes for good background music. I would say more specifically, study music. It’s the type of music, you play and next thing you know it’s done (40 minutes short only). You wonder, where did the songs go? The lyrics are not particularly interesting. In fact, half the time, it’s so drowsy sounding I don’t know what he’s saying. He does however, for the first half of the album, have a very pronounced way of singing — it’s just not interesting enough to keep me awake. Then, there’s the lullaby element, which is not for everybody. It’s actually somewhat disturbing when he’s singing the ever-so-unoriginal lyrics, “Anaconda, sitting in a Honda, waiting for the backseat show, she’s go go go, and I’m shaking my pom pom bon bons” on Anaconda. Sexual content + lullaby (when you sound like you’re singing for children) = disturbing.
The first couple of tracks sound Bossa Nova-ish (+lullaby of course) with xylophones and light acoustic guitars. The album starts picking up and heading into a different direction around the 5th track (Summersend). The words become inaudible, but I know Ash (the girl) starts contributing some vocals. It’s a great combination because her voice is light too but not as pronounced as his. The entire Cruelish Heart track is sung in a “funny” voice (I don’t know what it’s called, I just know Kanye & Jay-Z use it a lot). And for the rest of the album, John drops the lullaby act and picks up a John Lennon influenced slur on his vocals. Still, there is that soft airy/dreamy element to it, but the track become darker. This is when I actually start enjoying the album.
My favourites: The Book (of Glaciers), Cruelish Heart, and Weatherbees.
Kraak and Smaak – Plastic People Review
Kraak and Smaak is a house act from Holland (or Netherlands as they call it now) comprised of three musicians, Oscar De Jong, Mark Kneppers & Wim Plug. They came on the scene 3 years ago, remixing and producing house tracks. The album Plastic People came out in April 2008 and it’s getting a lot of attention. I suppose I should start with a quick bio on the group. The truth is, I don’t know much about them, and I really don’t care either. You can download a bio on their page if you want to know more.
The album starts with Bobby and Whitney featuring Caprice on guest vocals. This is a hilarious song pleading a girl to be in a relationship promising it will not end up like “Bobby & Whitney”. Funny. I didn’t know they were the new tale of the failed relationship. The title track “Plastic People” sung by Bobby NiO is about phony people with fake smiles. This track makes me laugh, considering that a lot of people (not all) who listen to house and dance music are total phonies. My favourite track is “Man of The Constant Sorrow”, an American traditional folk song remix originally recorded by Skeewiff.
I really like this album, it makes good background music. One of my friends has a theory that if music blends well in the background, it’s a good album. While I don’t necessarily agree with this view, I do think Kraak and Smaak is blend of good background music and groove. I can hear Plastic People in the clubs and I can hear it in a lounge.
Enjoy!
Dru – The One Review
I rarely write on R&B music, but this CD exceeded my expectations and deserved to be showcased. Today, I decided to write on local artist Dru’s new album The One. We say “local”, but his work is clearly surpassing the perimeters of Toronto’s city limits. If you remember Dru, he was the unofficial “lead” singer of In Essence circa 2002/2003. The group disbanded and Dru embarked on a solo career resulting in this album, The One.
The album begins with the hit single and title track “The One”. I’m not particularly fond of that track, but I can see why everyone loves it. It sounds like an anthem; hence, why I don’t like it. After that, the album really takes off. The vocals are well arranged, layered and melodic. He really plays with his voice on the album, which is nice, otherwise I would feel bored. The melodies are sweet and harmonious. The lyrics are not the greatest though, the same “bottles poppin’”, “Girl I love you”, “I can take care of you” type of lyrics. However, I don’t expect lyrical innovation from R&B music. And, I’m willing to forgive this considering I truly enjoy Dru’s music. The beats are fresh and I think if he releases “What You Wanna Do”, it could be a good club track. I think what I like most about Dru’s album is his voice, it’s very sincere and melodious.
I guess some would compare him to the popular American counterparts, it’s almost unavoidable. This album reminds me of John Legend’s 2004 “Get Lifted”. I loved that album also, it was a time when John Legend was still “fresh” sounding. I truly think Dru stands on his own. In the sense that, he is not hiding behind popular producers and beatmakers. It sounds like Dru has a hand in all his music. And, there is a “link” between all the songs, a man telling you his story.
Buy the album and listen to my favourite tracks: “What You Wanna Do”, “Can You Handle It”, “Blind Fold”, “Stay With Me” and “Changes”.
Check out Dru’s MySpace.
Dru – Stay With Me (Always)
Dru – The One
Dru – Can You Handle It
Dru – Changes
Ben Folds – Way To Normal Review
How can I not love any person who covers the Dr. Dre classic “Bitches Ain’t Sh*t”? I remember singing that song when I was 12, really not understand what the heck, but just loving it. So, here I am… years later, listening to “Bitches Ain’t Sh*t” in a soft tone with the irony of Ben Folds’ voice for such a vulgar song. Last month, Ben Folds’ released a new LP Way To Normal. Of course, he first had to release a fake “leaked” version just because he was bored one night with his buddies. I don’t know the guy, but I already love his sense of humour.
What I like about this album is his mix of the classical with everyday. His background is obviously classical, he plays the hell out of a piano (I won’t name anyone, but some people bang Keys and think they sound classically trained, ugh). Apparently, he doesn’t usually have this many up-tempo tracks. I guess he wanted to make it a crowd pleaser, which it is since it debuted at #11 on Billboard.
Way To Normal starts with a stand out fast paced track, “Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)”, which is a clever track that has nothing to do with the actual Hiroshima event. Perhaps he’s comparing people watching him fall off the stage to people watching Hiroshima bombs drop? I’m not really sure. Another stand out track is “Bitch Went Nuts” where he defines a man’s overall reason for why relationships fail. It has a sequence like this: ‘Classical Chords. Contemporary Chords. BITCH WENT NUTS. Contemporary Chords. Classical Chords. Choir cascade. BITCH WENT NUTS’. Can you hear it? That’s quite the combination, which is why I think I must listen to this album more to grow an even stronger appreciation for his musical abilities.
My favourite tracks are “Free Coffee” and “Kylie From Connecticut”.
Ben Folds – You Don’t Know Me (feat Regina Spektor)
Ben Folds – Free Coffee
Ben Folds – Bitch Went Nuts
Ben Folds – Kylie From Connecticut
The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control Review
In 2006, Beth Ditto from The Gossip was selected by NME as the coolest person in rock. Completely understandable. Ditto is an outspoken person about everything from her weight, her sexuality to the state of affairs (well, maybe it’s related). The hit song “Standing in the Way of Control”, the title track, is a response to Bush’s administration on gay marriage. I stumbled upon The Gossip (I know, where have I been?) last week during L’Oreal Fashion Week. I know, it’s not the latest discovery, but it is among the greatest. I wish I could have been rocking The Gossip in my headphones since they formed 9 years ago.
The album Standing In The Way of Control should be included among the greatest rock/soul albums ever released. The fact that I had never heard of them until now is just a tragedy (for me of course). This album takes rock back to its roots, soul. As much as I love new school rock (we’ll call it that), there’s something that resonates with authenticity when there is funk and soul within rock music. The Gossip is the real thing. They stand for something. They sing about it. They do it like they mean business.
I’m not sure everyone can “love” Ditto’s voice, there is something very “dance music” about her voice and it can get annoying at times. I find that to be the amazing part of her voice though, it’s very big, very loud, very dramatic and gospel-ly. Every song on the album has this feel, a mix of old soul, gospel, dance, rock and funk. Standing in the Way of Control is already a classic, particularly in the clubs and it’s also been remixed by Tiesto. Her voice has a blues-feel in some of the tracks, particularly Coals To Diamonds, Holy Water and Dark Lines. Meanwhile, Keeping You Alive, Fire With Fire and Jealous Girls has more of a punk-soul feel. This album is on repeat right now in my car’s player; perhaps because with the state of the world, I feel like we should all stand for something… and perhaps I just feel like grooving along with the funk.
Like always, I post my favourites of the tracks, hope you enjoy and look for the album.
The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
The Gossip – Your Mangled Heart
The Gossip – Dark Lines
Jem – Down To Earth Review
There’s something about Jem that really stands out to me. She reminds me of Dido, in the way they whisper their words in a soft with a mid-range mezzo-soprano voice – Dido’s just a bit more “whiny” sounding (I still like her). After four years, Jem has finally released a follow-up album (Down To Earth) to the 2004 LP Finally Woken. At first listen, I didn’t really like it, but the album really grew on me after a couple of times.
The title Down To Earth has different meanings 1)Jem remaining down to earth despite the fame game and 2) an outer space being (probably Jem) coming down to earth and observing our self-destructive and unloving ways. Down To Earth is also the title track, with the latter meaning. I really like the song, where she’s making comments like an observer of our humanly behaviour. The song is haunting with its melody and her whispers.
The first single was It’s Amazing, released in May/June with the Sex And The City film and featured on the soundtrack. I like this song and I don’t have a smart reason for it. I like the lyrics and the melodies, especially the soft choir near the end of the track. On Aciiid, she mixes her style with a Japanese rap. In a way, she doesn’t do the song justice because her voice is so soft, it slows down the dance track. But I can also say, her slow singing makes the song unique and still catchy because it’s not what you’re expecting. On I Want You To, she uses a Cuban salsa style and sings in Spanish. Unlike some, she’s not trying to be Spanish, she’s using the style to compliment her own.
The same thing I like about her singing is the same thing I hate about it. Yes, I like her soft tones, but at times, it’s just boring. Her voice doesn’t really move, no ups and downs.. the same tone all the way through. She makes every song her own because she implements her singing style; but she also makes the songs boring with her unchanging voice. Still, there a lot of good tracks on this CD, making it a solid pop-electronic album with plenty of loungy and danceable tracks.
Favourites: It’s Amazing, I Want You To, Down To Earth, On Top of the World
The Virgins & Black Kids @ Mod Club
Maybe I should put a disclaimer first? I was at the Mod Club to see the Virgins. My first review for Allan’s World (lol) was on them (here).I’ve heard the Black Kids Wizard of Ahhs EP, but really didn’t know enough about them. Why am I telling you eh? Because 1) when someone asked me who was opening for the Black Kids, I said “I don’t know, I don’t think there’s an opening act but the Virgins are up first!” and 2) I was among the 25-30 people standing in the front during the Virgins’ performance and one of the two (the other being my friend) who knew all the words. Hmmm yeah.
Anyway, let’s start with The Virgins’ performance. After seeing them, I now understand the reason for the name and agree with Allan’s comment “from band pictures it looks like more of truthful confession”. Cool looking, because of the whole “rock band” status.. but definitely not cute. The live performance was “meh”. He sang and drank beer at the same time. What the eff? Not cool. Although I’m pretty sure I may be a minority in this thought — drinking beer while singing just shows amateurism and unprofessionalism. Your voice is your money tool… liquor does not help it. And frankly, I could hear it in his off-tune, cracked voice singing and see it in his jog sweat dance. I was not impressed. I’m not expecting spectacular vocals, but still.
Black Kids. The place packed up. I guess everyone was there to see them but me. But seriously, what the hell is he singing? I couldn’t understand a damn word this guy was singing. And after reading Allan’s review, I started laughing and I need to quote him on this one (so much quoting today) “The back up vocals sound like a child who’s been punched in the throat. A bit of frog voice on Hit The Heartbreaks.” This is how the lead singer sounds live, like all the damn time. I had to just ignore the hmm “uniqueness” of his voice and concentrate on his “cool dance moves”.. or something. Then he’s talking about “this song is about a Canadian Girl”… hmm, whatever. I’m sure he’s been here enough times and long enough to write a song about a “Canadian Girl”… please stop insulting our taste in men. Honestly. Aside from the above annoyances, the band itself performed well. I’m laughing because since his voice is already like that, and he stayed true to his voice, I can’t say that he didn’t perform well.
Sooooooo.. in the end, I will say this: I had a good time and the music was enjoyable…. BUT, I gotta tell you what I saw, like I saw it: Amateurs (with potential).
Black Kids – Designs On AKA You
(This song’s not on the album, it really should have been — it’s one of the better ones)
