Scott Pilgrim Vs The World by Various

Stuckski:

And lo it was November, the month of giving thanks, and verily the masses did so for Subjective, inc had arisen from the grave to once again tell them exactly why all the music they like sucks.

Seriously though guys, I hope we're back again for another spell of music reviews, and to kick it off I'll start with this mistake of an album. Just to be clear, I'm not saying I think this is a bad album, just that I am royally pissed that I got it, because I totally thought I was getting The Scott Pilgrim video game chiptune soundtrack by the consistently awesome Anamanaguchi and instead I got this..this...real music!

In a chronic case of diminishing returns I loved the Scott Pilgrim comics, I liked the Scott Pilgrim movie and I'm okay with the soundtrack, I guess.  It's not bad, a pretty eclectic mix. I kind of like the Beck covers of the Sex Bo-Bomb songs (or maybe they were Beck originals, as a dedicated musical journalist I can't be bothered to look up which it is). I got a kick out of Teenage Dream by T-Rex. Those were probably the highlights of the album. Other than that, to quote my entire useless generation, meh.


kurtkurtkurt:

Well SHiiiiiiit! I wasn't expecting this to start up at this time.

Matt is dead on about one thing. This is definitely not chiptune. Also I guess about it being pretty meh.

We Hate You Please Die and some of the songs that are "By" Sex Bob-bomb from the movie aren't that bad though. I mean anytime something has a punk feel though somehow I'm okay with it.

RATINGS:

Stuckski: 6/10 (mildly enjoyable, definitely not chiptune)
kurtkurtkurt: 58/100 (What now Matt? I'm using a 100 point grading system.)

Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys

Stuckski:

Despite being a nineties kid, I never really paid too much attention to the Beastie Boys. I vaguely remember hearing Fight for Your Right (not on this record) as a kid and thinking it sounded kind of silly. Then I hit college age and I found out that a lot of my friends really liked them. I decided to give them another try, and discovered some tracks of theirs that I really liked. I still don't love them, but I do understand their appeal, and there are a few tracks that I do love.
Check Your Head seems to be a mixture of styles, and a lot chiller than Licence to Ill. There are a lot more instrumental segments, and the vocals are a lot less 'Beastie-Boyish'. So Watcha Want is the closest it gets to classic BB rapping. Another highlight is Time for Livin' which is takes me straight back to their hardcore punk roots.

kurtkurtkurt:

I've fallen behind on my Responsibilities.

Time for Livin' and Funky Boss are my two favorite tracks of the album. I don't know why but Funky Boss always made my head bob and put a smile on my face. Also Beastie Boys are actually not to bad at being a punk band (Here's their EP Polly Wog Stew).

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
Stuckski: 4/10 (Some decent tracks, but not a fan overall)

F-Minus - F-Minus

kurtkurtkurt:

Just letting Stuckski carry the blog for a bit I suppose...

F-Minus is straight up Hardcore Punk. Coming in at a total of 16 minutes 27 seconds this 19 track album doesn't have a song lasting longer than 2 minutes. In fact most of them don't make it past the 1 minute mark. This is something I've always enjoyed about (some) punk bands, lack of verse/chorus structure. Songs wind up being "Verse, Verse, Verse" or "Chorus x4" or "Bridge."

Anyways good for if you're in an angry mood.

edit:
Here are the first 3 songs put into one video.

Stuckski:

Sometimes a wall of sound is a good thing. I like.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 8/10
Stuckski: 6/10

Cage the Elephant by Cage the Elephant

Stuckski:
I was interested in this band for one reason . That's the intro for possibly my favorite First Person Shooter ever, Borderlands. What a great intro, amirite? Seriously, if you haven't played this game you should go out and shoot yourself...and if you survive go and buy it. This from a guy who doesn't even really like shooters that much!
OK, OK...before this turns into a review/masturbatory session over Borderlands let's get on with the review.

Cage the Elephant is very much reminiscent of the White Stripes at times. The singer definitely has some Jack White influences in his vocals. Holy shit I just realized there is a Jack Black and a Jack White...if they ever meet will the universe implode?

But yeah, this album starts fairly strong, but I lost interest as the album wore on. It seems like they put all their effort into the first five tracks and then just sort of phoned in everything else. The highlights are definitely Ain't no Rest for the Wicked and the opening track In One Ear. Both feature the kind of talking/singing vibe.

kurtkurtkurt:
If I were to review this album off the two songs Stuckski linked to (which I am) I'd say. "Hey, this band isn't that bad."

Hey, this band isn't that bad.

These songs are both upbeat, danceable, and catchy. Also I, like Stuckski, adore Borderlands (which may bias my score).
RATINGS:
Stuckski: 6/10
kurtkurtkurt: 7/10

Stab City / Chotto Ghetto - Simpler Times

kurtkurtkurt:

This is a Quote Unquote Records album. AKA it is free. As a whole it's pretty okay. I had high hopes that Master Blaster was a reference to Blaster Master, the NES game. I'm pretty sure it's not. Chotto Ghetto has a hardcore sound sans screaming. Which i think is a plus for me, I like yelling more anyways. Stab City's singer reminds me of The Hives a bit.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10

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

Yann Tiersen - Goodbye, Lenin! OST

kurtkurtkurt:
This is a quaint little soundtrack. I absolutely love all of the songs with the strong woodwind and brass sections. Birthday Preparation and The Dutch Mark is Coming were both gorgeous, the latter of which seemed to have an orchestra as well. Unfortunately the piano driven pieces were all kinda boring to me. You had such power and intrigue with the woodwinds (you don't get to hear them used as much nowadays) but the piano was made strictly for the backing up the movie I suppose. Whatevs still pretty cool.

Stuckski:

 All I have to say that I love the piano piece, perhaps because it always amazes me how one instrument can be used to evoke such a wide variety of moods. The tracks utilize pretty basic chord progressions and melodies, but combine to create the perfect accompaniment for the moments in the film. Watching Lara is a beautiful example of that. Not that the wind and brass tracks aren't great either! Decant is brief but evocative and reminds me of those old Disney cartoon soundtracks where the music follows the action (think of the rainy day intro to Bambi). I guess I just felt the need to come out strongly for the piano. Because Kurt.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
stuckski: 9/10

Mashin' Up The Nation: The Best Of American Ska - Volumes I And II

kurtkurtkurt:

I have no idea where this album came from but it's pretty fun. It's a bunch of ska from the U.S. made in the late 80s most of which I was completely unfamiliar with. There's a few bigger names, however, Bim Skala Bim, The Bosstones and Gangster Fun to name a few. For the most part everything has a strong Two-Tone feel to it. Very, very danceable. The upside is that, although there are a few mediocre songs, The songs as a whole aren't bad.

Stuckski:

This album is a chill pill for the ears. I've heard that it was once standard practice for the police to respond to  calls about domestic disturbances by playing this to the couple in question. Soon everybody would be dancing and the whole incident would be forgotten.
Problem was, as soon as the police left with the music, it was forgotten and the couples just started arguing again.
All of this is a pretty pointless metaphor about an album that manages to be catchy and forgettable at the same time.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 7/10
Stuckski: 6/10

The Best of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

kurtkurtkurt:

Ella Fitzgerald Is probably my favorite female vocalist. The contrast between Armstrongs' gruff gravely voice and her clean beautiful voice really brings out how absolutely wonderful it is. I'm a bigger fan of earlier "Hot Jazz," traditionally, but this album still has a lot of good content in it. I Got my Love to Keep me Warm gives us a great taste of a true duet between the two of them and probably is my favorite song of the album.

Stuckski: 

I don't actually have this album, and since Kurt moved away I can't listen to his, so instead I listened to the various songs I have of Ella and Louis collaborating. Essentially the same thing, right? The only thought I really have is that these two fit together. Everything they do in a song sounds completely natural and unaffected. That said, I prefer Louis' trumpet to his voice so there could be a little more of that. Rating it a bit lower because Jazz really isn't my usual thing, I really have to be in the mood to listen to it.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 7/10

Stuckski: 6/10

Medium Rare by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

kurtkurtkurt:

UPDATE 6.18.2012

Weeelllll I'm a few months late on this review. ANYways.

Medium Rare came out after the Bosstones decided they were done with their hiatus. I think it was a bunch of B-Sides and what-not. It's not their best material for sure (I can't help it I love 'A Jackknife to a Swan' and 'Let's Face it').  It's alright Ska though in the end.

Stuckski:
The Bosstones are one of those bands that I don't listen to as much as I should. Every time I hear them playing in the background somewhere, I think to myself that I really should get one of their albums, but then I instantly forget about them.
Thanks to Kurtkurtkurt I have now listened to my first full album by them, and my first reaction is moderate enjoyment. They're not blowing my mind, but they also don't make me want to blow my brains out, so it evens out to a moderate win.


RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
Stuckski: 7/10

Alive Behind the Green Door by Flogging Molly

kurtkurtkurt:

If you ever get a chance to see these guys live do it. Probably some of the best shows I've ever seen were Flogging molly. Traditionally they put more energy into their live performances than you can feel on their albums. Unfortunately this album doesn't quite capture it as well (check out Live at the Greek Theater if you want a good live album by them). I think this was recorded pre Swagger? I'm not sure. Anyways it's still flogging molly which means it's still enjoyable.

Stuckski:

One of the few Celtic Punk bands to continue in the vein of the Pogues (most others seem to pick the Oi influenced stylings of Dropkick Murphies, Street Dogs, Flatfoot, et al), Flogging Molly is a pretty darn good band. Their live show is supposed to be good, and this album reflects that to a degree. Not just a dance and mosh show, more of a folk punk vibe. Easy listening if you're packed into a small bar, beer in hand, and just want the occasional chorus to chant along with. However, if you're looking to buy your first Flogging Molly album, I would recommend going with one of their studio albums.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
Stuckski: 6/10

Streetcore by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros

kurtkurtkurt:

I feel like Joe Strummer was moving this direction for a while after The Clash. It all ended in a calm, smooth folk rock. He still has his gruff voice, but the agression is gone. He performs a beautiful rendition of Remdemption Song. It's worth a listen for sure for this song alone.

Stuckski:
Before you get all excited, this album is called Streetcore, but it isn't ACTUALLY streetcore. Once I got over my disappointment at that, I realized this was a pretty rockin' chill album. A lot of different instruments thrown into a style of music that I can't really describe. There's elements of reggae, country, rock...it's all over the place. Somehow it all blends into something decent, although not really that memorable.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 7/10
Stuckski: 6/10

Word is Bond by The Johnstones

EDIT: SHHHHiiiiiiiit! I'm late reviewing this. (kurtkurtrkurt)

kurtkurtkurt:

 Anyways this is a Stomp Records band. I acquired this album because I loved how bizarre this lead singers voice is. He sings in this high pitch gibberish sometimes. Anyways I love the music a lot, they're lyrics are much to be desired.

Stuckski:

Ummm is there a genre called 'bro-ska'? Decent musically. Not sure about some of the singing. L.A.D.I.E.S. was fantastic.


RATINGS:

kurtrkurtkurt: 8/10
Stuckski: 6/10

Fuck World Trade by Leftover Crack

kurtkurtkurt:

These guys are probably one of my favorite bands right now. I tend to disagree with most of their extreme politics and opposition to all religion, but damn if they don't make good music. They're a mixture of punk/ska/death metal seamlessly going through all three in some songs. Their ska Gang Control and folk ballad Soon We'll be Dead are personal highlights for me.

Stuckski:

I don't know what to make of Leftover Crack, their music is kind of all over the place. I really don't like the songs where the vocals tend almost towards screamo, but then the next song will be an awesome softer, almost folk punk track like Soon We'll be Dead. In between are some real nice punk gems. Gringos Son Puercos Feos reminds me of some of the older NOFX material, which is always a good thing. And the hidden instrumental at the end of Operation: M.O.V.E. hit me in the right spot for some reason. I'd say the second half of this album is better than the first by far.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 9/10
Stuckski: 6/10

MTV Unplugged in New York by Nirvana

kurtkurtkurt:

It's definitely not the strongest Nirvana album but it's still alright. I guess this went out to prove that they could make not loud music or something (Or it was just MTV unplugged and you can only be so loud on an acoustic set). Anyways most of their songs that they make acoustic turned out very eh. Their covers, on the other hand, definitely stand out. Lake of Fire and Plateau I thought were both pretty good.

Stuckski:

Come nigh you heathens and listen to my holy words, for I am the ultimate HIPSTER! While everybody else worships this album, and claims it is the most awesome thing ever, I say...meh. Seriously though, I don't really see the point of this music. It doesn't affect my mood in any way, it's just some dude quietly moaning to himself about some Lake of Fire, a chick named Polly, and some more inanities. Quite frankly: it's boring.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
Stuckski: 4/10

Shootenanny! by the Eels

kurtkurtkurt:

I couldn't put my finger on it for the whole album, but the lead singer sounds like Beck on certain songs (slow Sea Change era Beck). Anyways, these guys were alright, somber as hell, but alright. I'd definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to this over and over, or want to be in the right mood, or something. I'm not normally trying to be depressed so I can't say that it'd be too often. I did, however, enjoy having a horn section on the bluesy opening track All In a Day's Work. (well I just enjoyed that track in general I guess).

Stuckski:

If you're a lonely alcoholic -as I aspire to be- then Shootenanny provides the perfect soundtrack for your daily tryst with that bottle of liquor. Gentle and melancholy, it is especially effective if you're drinking to forget...well anything. The rough vocals go down surprisingly smooth when you chase it with some gentle keyboard and a shot of rhythmic guitar. If rum is your poison of choice, then I recommend chugging it to the sounds of Love of the Loveless, which will lead you smoothly into oblivion. If you're more of a vodka person, then Agony might be for you, a harsher sound for a harsher drink. If it's whiskey you're wanting, then fuck you. Whiskey is awful.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 6/10
Stuckski: 9/10

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

The Longest Barrel Ride by Slightly Stoopid

kurtkurtkurt:

Slightly Stoopid have this sound that’s like a ska/punk band deciding to have guitar player from a surf rock / jam band solo on top of their music every once in a while. Also the ganja. They sound like the ganja. They always seem to have a pretty solid sound, throwing down legit punk on “Johnny Law” or “Don’t Fuck’n Look” and solid Ska grooves on “Too Little Too Late” and “Living Dread. I think the one thing I’m never completely sold on is when they do songs like “Violence/FTP” which suffer from a mad case of taking too fucking long to finish. Also their reggae is alright, but not my favorite. All that said. Still love em.


Too Little Too Late Highlight of the album.

Stuckski:

I'm pretty sure that I've never actively listened to this album. Slightly Stoopid is my 'throw it on in the background while I'm doing other things' music. Even now -listening to it for the sole purpose of reviewing it- I'm finding it hard to focus on the music. It makes great background noise though, just the right mixture of punk and reggae tones. Too bad it's not memorable enough to stand out.

Best song: Jedi (because it's a reggae song about Jedi)

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 7/10
stuckski: 6/10 (I think?)

All Killer No Filler by Sum 41

stuckski:

If you are one of the 7 or so people whom I consider my friends in this world, then there is one thing you know for certain: I love me the shit outta some Amaretto. It's easily my 4th favorite drink all time (1) for the simple reason that it's the nearest that alcohol gets to tasting like candy. It will also get you drunk as fuck pretty quick, especially if you mix it with Southern Comfort. All Killer has pretty much the same effect on my ears. Almost all the songs are catchy and easy to listen to, but are still solid enough to keep me coming back for more. And since I don't know dick about music, that is pretty much all I ask for. Too bad the rest of their albums aren't as good.

Best Song: Crazy Amanda Bunkface (and you all totally thought I'd go with Fat Lip)(1)In order the top 5 are: tea, hard cider, chocolate milk, amaretto, absynth.

kurtkurtkurt:

I think I was on my last year of middle school when this came out. Since I heard Asbestos Records was reissuing this on vinyl I acquired this baby about a week ago and finally decided to give the whole album a listen 11 years late. Lo and behold the random gods decided this was the first album we should review.The first half of this album seems to be stronger (It could also be that their singles were from the first half and I remembered them). “Never wake Up” graces us with some double time drums, and Fat Lip some Rap/Punk (which they got famous for, but it was only on this one song on the album). As of recently I can’t really get into the Blink 182 infused Pop Punk, which the latter half the album seems to resemble. So I guess the songs that have their unique sound are what stood out anyways.It’s catchy at least.

Never Wake up Personal fave of album.

RATINGS:

stuckski: 9/10
kurtkurtkurt: 6/10