Reggatta de Blanc - The Police

kurtkurtkurt:

This album is also know as one of the only two cassettes in my car for a long time (the other was Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols). The hits on it are Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon, however I think the real highlight of the album is actually On Any Other Day. The song tells the tale of a middle aged husband/father who has all this shit happen to him on a one day.

As a whole I enjoy the album (I've heard it enough). I think that they have a few songs that drag on too long (Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon I'm talking to you) but the album still stays strong despite that.

Stuckski:

So only three months behind the times on this one, but better late than never right? Right?! RIGHT?! Ahh, it's ok, calm down guys, I forgive ya.

The Police are good. That's about all I'm willing to say. They have some nice sounding songs, plenty of  'em on this album. But I just never find myself thinking "Man, I really want to listen to some Police right now!"  I just don't think they are too memorable or ( a few obvious songs aside) iconic, All of that goes for this album as well

RATINGS

kurtkurtkurt: 7/10
stuckski: 5/10

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - Big Damn Nation

kurtkurtkurt:

So the first time I ever heard these guys was when they opened for Flogging Molly. They're a fantastic live act, just so full of energy. They play a bluegrass of sorts and the wife plays the washboard. Anyways you can't understand the lead singer at all when he sings. I don't what else to say really. They're not the best bluegrass I've heard but they're something unique.

Here's them playing My Old Man Boogie

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 5/10

Modern Guilt by Beck

Stuckski:

For the life of me I can't stay awake long enough to actually pay close attention to the music here. This album is like fuckin' NyQuil on my brain.  All the beats are slow and plodding, dragging me down farther and farther into drowz.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

RATINGS:

Stuckski:  5/10 (10/10 if you want music to play before you go to bed)

Nirvana - Nevermind

kurtkurtkurt:

You know upon another listen I think I like the idea of Nirvana better than Nirvana sometimes. While I'm able to sing along to almost all of the songs (who hasn't heard Smells Like Team Spirit a billion times) I guess I just wasn't into it today.

Stuckski:
 As opposed to the live version MTV version we reviewed earlier, I'm okay with Nevermind. Shocking, no? Something in the Way, Polly and Breed are the highlights for me. The rest of the album is in a similar style, but tends to be fairly boring. I think of Nirvana as one of those bands that spearheaded something relatively new, and as such they are important...but they're really not that great (my opinion obviously, not fact)

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10 (The interwebs legally won't allow me to give this a failing rating.)
Stuckski: 5/10

Leon Redbone - Champagne Charlie

kurtkurtkurt:

I first heard Leon Redbone when I found his album On the Track in my parents record collection. He has a deep voice and is usually recognized as that guy who sang a duet with Zoe Deschanel for that one movie about Christmas. He has an old time-y jazz feel, moving into dixieland in some of his stuff. Unfortunately Champagne Charlie doesn't have the same flare as the one my parents had. It feels toned down and kinda who cares. It's alright I suppose though.

Stuckski:

Well that's better, Kurt. In some ways Redbone is similar to Hank Williams, but whereas Hank is decidedly country, Leon opts for more of a jazzy sound. The guitar- and even the vocals- of both share many characteristics ( although Redbone does a much better job at avoiding -for the most part- the whole 'cracking voice syndrome' that seems so popular with crooners). It's amazing what the addition of some brass instruments can do for a song.
On the downside, this is very much an album that is eminently forgettable, the quintessential 'background music'. I've listened to it twice, and I still don't think I would be able to pick out any of the tracks by name. Champagne Charlie is destined to forever be lost amidst the sea of jazzy albums that I play on random when I'm feeling moody.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
Stuckski: 5/10

Five Iron Frenzy - Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo

kurtkurtkurt:
It's unfortunate that the first Five Iron Frenzy album I have to review is my least favorite. This is after they decided they didn't really want to play Ska anymore and they turned into kinda a harder rock with Horns sort of group. While Reese still has an amazing voice (and lyrics) the music lost the sound I loved from the previous albums. I guess it all seemed pretty generic to me.

Stuckski:
I never got the appeal of Five Iron. Still don't.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 5/10
Stuckski: 3/10

Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine

kurtkurtkurt:

You know, I thought I liked album more than I actually did. I guess a lot of it boils down to if I am listening to songs and asking myself "Is this still the same song?" I'm not saying that bands can't write long songs, by all means there are bands that do it well. I just think that it wasn't working for me on this album or today or something.

Stuckski:

"Hey, I'm kinda angry, can you tell?" If this is what the singer is trying to get across, it's working. And you know what? I'm OK with that. Angry music is nice sometimes.


RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 5/10
Stuckski: 7/10

Statesboro Blues: The Early Years 1927 -1935 (Disc 3) by Blind Willie McTell

kurtkurtkurt:

I got into blues/country/bluegrass/folk a few years back and that's where I got this. It's really interesting this album kinda slaps every single recording he ever made together into one giant album. You end up getting several recording of the same song, just a different take, and where songs would be shelved as a b-side or just generally mediocrity they've been placed into this collection. His voice is okay, but just not quite there. Unfortunately he's no Leadbelly or Robert Johnson and it shows.


Stuckski:

My own pappy loves playing guitar, and has instilled a love in me for blues and bluegrass, so I enjoyed Willie's guitar. His voice isn't quite so entertaining, and as for the lady who regularly throws in vocals...well let's just say I really wish she hadn't. I really, really do.
All in all, the guitar doesn't really make up for a lot of the grating vocals, and the mediocre sound quality (yeah, I know it's how most of the thirties sounded...and I don't give a fuck).


RATINGS:

kurtrkurtkurt: 4/10
Stuckski: 5/10 (Nice guitar can only make up for so much)

First Crush EP by Sabrepulse

kurtkurtkurt:

I'm torn between not being a huge fan of electronica and being a huge fan of chiptune. I mean, I'm jealous of some of the sounds this guy can make (because I need to implant it into my music). However, I prefer my chiptune with less electronica and more of a traditional video game feel (unlike Stuck I DID play a lot of video games as a child).

Stuckski:

Here's a little secret for all you wippersnappers: I didn't actually play that many vidyagames when I was little. One of my friends had a NES that I played maybe once or twice a year, and that's it. Not until college did I get into all the classic games, thanks to some really nerdy friends I made (thanks Drew, Hans, Kurt, Kyle and company). Try to keep it on the dl, I've got a reputation to keep up.
All this to say that the sense of nostalgia I get while listening to chiptune is entirely artificial. But you know what? I can live with that. Also, this EP is good like a grilled cheese sammich.

<edit> Kurt, you do realise that chiptune IS electronica right?

<edit> Every day of my life.

RATINGS:
Stuckski: 8/10

kurtkurtkurt: 5/10

Un Coeur Comme le Mien by Axelle Red

kurtkurtkurt:

I guess I wasn't in a calm music mood when I listened to this today. It was very long and tiresome. I guess she has an alright voice. I dunno just wasn't into it.

Stuckski:
Fun fact: this lady is the top selling Belgian artist ever, mostly because she was hella popular in France. Despite my lingering distaste for all things related to that country, I admit I do have a weakness for women crooning in French. If punk is my energetic Extacy, then the Chanson genre is my spliff: One is for when I'm pumped up and energetic, the other for me to listen to when I want to relax and chill. Well, enough of my borderline dumbass metaphors. Peace.


RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 5/10
Stuckski: 8/10

Horns of Hattin by The Templars

kurtkurtkurt:

I'm not the biggest fan of this guy's voice. I think that's the biggest thing holding me back on this album. He has that low gravel-y 'I gargle rocks' type voice against a very bright punk. When he has supporting vocals, like on their cover of Backstreet Kids, it's not bad however.

I guess this sounds like a band sounding like a band sounding like the Sex Pistols, with a terrible vocalist.

Stuckski:

This is a pretty straightforward punk album, and as such hard for me to judge impartially. Songs like Breakdown contain many of the elements that I love in the genre: Fast paced, high energy beats, gravely vocals, and and even some nice guitar solos. The problem is that this album does nothing to set itself apart from the rest of the punk rock world. There is nothing unique to be heard. I realize that it is impossible to be truly different these days, but I do believe that every band should strive to have something that makes them stand out from the crowd. That is something that The Templars simply lack. This is steady, middle-of-the-road punk. The very definition of average. And what the hell is up with the awful sound on the intro track? I get it, you're The Templars, but three minutes of shit quality latin intonation?

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 5/10
Stuckski: 6/10

Stripped by Christina Aguilera

kurtkurtkurt:

Well, well, well stuckski. Showing your true colors here eh? No matter; what has to happen has to happen!

I've actually never really listened to much of Christina's music so it was probably real good for me to sit down and have to do it. She has a beautiful voice, definitely more of a jazz/soul voice but she decides to put it against a traditional pop background. It's an interesting choice, not my favorite thing ever, but interesting none the less. I enjoyed the Latin flare of Make Over.

But as a whole the album just isn't my thing. Stripped all kinda seems remarkably unremarkable to me. I don't know I guess the beats are made to make you move in ways my body wasn't built for so I just don't feel it.

Christina. It's not you, it's me.

Stuckski:

I'm going to give you all a couple of seconds to laugh your asses off about how I actually own this album. All Done? Great, on with the review. Stripped is a pretty generic pop album, featuring a mix of soulful songs, club anthems, and songs tailor-made for the radio. There's a reason pop producers stick to this formula, and that is because it works. I'm not much of a fan of this kind of pop, but it's catchy and I could see somebody with different musical tastes digging it. Surprisingly it's the quieter, more soulful tracks that really stand out. Aguilera (or whoever sings for her when she's not lip-syncing) provides some strong vocals on Beautiful, and manages to inject some true feeling into Walk Away. The louder club-pop songs are insipid and -at best- forgettable. If I had to point fingers, Dirrty is probably the worst of the bunch in that respect. I mean look at the name...two r's in dirty? What the fuck does that even mean?


RATINGS:
kurtkurtkurt: 5/10
Stuckski: 4/10 (good pop album, but not my thing)

Ok Cowboy by Vitalic

kurtkurtkurt:

Well it's electronica. I feel like I'm in a cyberpunk movie when I listen to it. It has a lot of drive to it. I guess it was nice to work too. I've also always liked distorted voices like in You are my Sun, I know that's what drew me into daft punk back in the day.

That said I'm just not too into most Electronica.

Stuckski:

I shudder to think of Kurt's reaction to this album. We both have soft spots for certain musical genres that are not shared by the other...mine is electronica, his is country. So consider this the revenge of the savage random gods for having foisted Hank Williams on me!

All right, on to the actual album. I love it. 'La Rock 01' came out the summer after my third year in high school in Belgium, and it was a huge party hit for that entire summer. Vitalic has been stuck in my mind as a creator of feel-good music ever since. This album is an energetic collection of electronica that keeps me pumped from start to finish. Vitalic keeps his instrumentation varied enough that I never get bored of any of the sounds, which is a trap many electronica musicians fall into.

RATINGS:

Stuckski: 9/10
kurtkurtkurt: 5/10

Youth Rebellion by Tribal Seeds

kurtkurtkurt:

This is pretty average Reggae. They sing about your token items; Ganja, Jah, I'm pretty sure I heard Babylon, even King David. Musically it's got a groove but there's not much to separate one song from the next.

Tribal Seeds At least gives me some Ska guitar at the beginning. So I'll take it and hold it close.

Stuckski:

There have only been one or two artists I can think of since Marley himself who have created truly memorable reggae albums. Tribal Seeds are not amongst those artists, and neither is Youth Rebellion one of those albums. Not that this is a record without merit. The tracks resound with mostly solid reggae beats and decent vocals. If you like reggae, then you'll like this. It only fails the test of superseding the genre
Final verdict: This is good reggae, but not necessarily a great album.
Best Song: Dawn of Time (I really liked the guitar in this one)

RATINGS:

Stuckski: 7/10
Kurtkurtkurt: 5/10

Icky Thump by the White Stripes

kurtkurtkurt:

When my playlist randomed its way to Icky thump I was wondering why there were so few plays on it compared to the rest of their albums. Ends up it's because half of the songs are over 4 minutes in length for a band that shouldn't need much more than 3 and a half to get out what they have to say.

It's a slow album from start to finish. It's less stripped down than their early releases. It's overall pretty damn meh.

Conquest is probably the highlight.

Stuckski:

Wow...I wasn't aware that there were White Stripes albums that did not contain either 'Seven Nation Army' or 'We're going to be Friends'. My Mistake...and also possibly theirs. It's not that any of the tracks are bad, and some are even quite good. 'Conquest' is a bombastic ballad, while songs like 'Bone Broke' recall some of their finest work. So it really is too bad that they apparently decided to just haphazardly toss all these tunes together and call it an album. It almost feels like a bad 'best of' mix with songs just slung one after the other. The result is a quite jarring listening experience. Come to think of it, that sounds like just the kind of thing the White Stripes would do on purpose. Or ironically. Or something. Well played you two...well played
Final verdict: Some good tunes, but too jarring to be a good album.
Best Song: Conquest (you had me at...brass section)

RATINGS:
Kurtkurtkurt: 5/10
Stuckski: 5/10

The Complete Hank Williams (Disc 1)

kurtkurtkurt:

I love Hank Williams. I love this old timey / cowboy / country.

Apparently the guy has had many women in his lifetime leave him. (Or one person a lot). Thus he writes his lovesick cowboy songs. So God Bless those women. His music just makes you want to lean back in your recliner, sitting on your porch of course, and relax. Smile big. Life’s good.

I Saw The Light Technically this is a Live version, but it's actually better than the album version.

Stuckski:

God, why does Kurtkurtkurt think it's a good idea to have about five billion albums by Hank Williams?! Well, the random gods have spoken, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Actually, after listening I've gotta say there're a few good tracks on this disc. Some of the songs have a nice 'islandy' feel to them; what with that soft Hawaiian strumming going on in the background. I could definitely see myself listening to this while lazing in a hammock at the beach.

Still don't really like his more pure country stuff though.

Best Song: I Don't Care (if tomorrow never comes), I dare you not to imagine yourself on a Hawaiian beach after the guitars kick in about a third of the way in.

RATINGS:

Kurkurtkurt: 9/10
Stuckski: 5/10