Happy Music Month - April 2011

So I have a brief explanation of Music Month =>HERE<= but I wanted to take the time to clean up my definitions a bit.

Music Day: two albums by my favorite music artists released in one day!
Music Month: At Least three (out of four) weeks of Musical Releases by my favorite artists. May include a Music Day but doesn’t necessarily have to.

Usually I celebrate the month of great musical releases by Proclaiming it as “Music Month.”
With that said, this month will include the following releases:

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light" => April 12
Brad Paisley – “This Is Country Music” => April 19
Augustana - “Augustana” => April 26

I hearby proclaim The Month of April 2011 as Music Month!

Review: Maroon 5 - Hands All Over

****1/2
Maroon 5 is one of those bands whose music makes you feel like you’re cooler just for listening to it. When I heard the first few tracks on their third release I immediately pictured myself at a Hollywood party, looking to get laid, dressed in a black suit with a skinny tie, holding a scotch on the rocks on the rooftop of some swanky hotel. And if you want to feel as cool as I just described than pick up Maroon 5’s Hands All Over!

The CD Opens with Misery, the bands first single off of the album. I thought it was rather ballsy of them to put their first single as the first track on the album. Much like Levine and the band itself, this tracks placement exudes confidence, telling anybody that listens to the CD, “It only gets better.” And truthfully, it does! “Give a little more” is easily one of the best songs Maroon 5 has made. This upbeat party anthem features Levines classic alluring seductive lyrics that will in fact be making it onto my honeymoon soundtrack! “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” is another gem in this album and if you purchase the deluxe edition you get two versions of this amazing love ballad. Hands All Over, the title track for the album adds a little of Maroon 5’s classic rock funk over a head nodding beat. In all this album is classic Maroon 5.

They definitely did not disappoint and yet the album is missing that certain X-factor that would make it an instant classic (not quite 5 stars). Don’t get me wrong, the album is filled with great party anthems, a couple of instant classics, and some great ballads but it is not on the level of Maroon 5’s First album “Songs about Jane”. And yet I still think it was definitely money well spent. If you are a maroon 5 fan at all, this album will put a smile on your face and some dance in your step. A last bonus is at the end of the Deluxe album: you also get a cool cover of Alicia Keyes’ “If I ain’t Got you” so I think it’s better to spring for the deluxe edition.

Song of the day (september) - You and Tequila

Okay so Music Month is nearly over now. I figured that I would end it with my song of the day. This month it is Kenny Chesney's "You and Tequila." now, I think this might be a remake of an old song but I'm not too sure. either way it is a good one! the video is not an official video but at least this way you guys can listen to it... enjoy!



"You And Tequila"

Baby, here I am again
Kicking dust in the Canyon wind
Waiting for that sun to go down
Made it up Mulholland Drive
Hell bent on getting high
High above the lights of town

'Cause you and Tequila make me crazy
Run like poison in my blood
One more night could kill me, baby
One is one too many, one more is never enough

Thirty days and thirty nights
Been putting up a real good fight
And there were times I thought you'd win
It's so easy to forget
The bitter taste the morning left
Swore I wouldn't go back there again

'Cause you and Tequila make me crazy
Run like poison in my blood
One more night could kill me, baby
One is one too many, one more is never enough

When it comes to you
Oh, the damage I could do
It's always your favorite sins
That do you in

'Cause you and Tequila make me crazy
Run like poison in my blood
One more night could kill me, baby
One is one too many, one more is never enough

Never enough
You and Tequila
You and Tequila

Review: Anberlin - Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place

***1/2

At times my expectations of something that I have been anticipating can be way too high. But how can my expectations not be steep when you get quotes from Anberlins lead singer Stephen Christian, like this one: “this is the best record that we can ever accomplish…” So after two years of waiting, monumental Headlining shows, amazing b-sides and singles, Anberlin finally releases Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place.

The album boasts a 10 song collective, the shortest Anberlin Record to date, that makes it seem like an EP rather than an LP. The album was fueled by their hit single “Impossible” which has been getting much radio play and time on the Billboard rock charts. Dark is the way was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Brendan O'Brien. My only question is, what went wrong here?

As a fan since I first heard the “Blueprints” album, way back when they were nobodies opening up for now defunct acts, I guess I can say I know what I am expecting when I listen to an Anberlin Record and THIS isn’t it! Now don’t get me wrong, the album isn’t terrible! It definitely has its high points with songs such as “Impossible” the upbeat classic anberlin sounding masterpiece was chosen wisely as the first single; or perhaps even songs such as the sun tsung inspired, “The art of war” whose infectious beat and lyrics such as “there are songs I’ll never write, because of you walking out of my life” have you bobbing your head in agreement to the theme of the song. The album seems to take you on a roller coaster ride of rhythm and experimentation while showing obvious maturity in Christian’s lyric writing.

When I call the album a roller coaster that is not necessarily a good thing, especially not in a 10-song LP. The problem with the album is that it is good, not great. As an avid fan of the band for seven years, a purchaser of their albums promptly on their release dates, and a concert attendee for any Anberlin show in the Sacramento, San Francisco area, I expect nothing less from anberlin than what they have shown us to make us love them all these years, GREATNESS! So when I heard the album the first time, it didn’t immediately make me want to dance. It didn’t immediately make me wish I knew the lyrics so I could sing along. In fact, it was over before I could even get into it. Upon listening the second time I was able to pick out the jewels and the duds and I have to say that one or two duds (especially “Pray Tell”) in a ten song album, is tragic, especially for a band as talented as Anberlin. But I don’t want to end this review making everyone think that I didn’t like the album, I really did, it’s just that I expect nothing else but excellence from the Florida based band and for me, this wasn’t it!

Music Month!!

This month has been declared (by me) as Music Month! Let me explain a bit, once in a great while one Tuesday in the month will share with us one great CD by a great musical act. A little less common than that are these rather amazing Tuesdays on which two great CD’s will be on the same day, one of which is coming on the 21st. This month there are four great CD’s coming out by a four of my favorite musical acts and I knew I had to share them with you. All of the artists are from very different genres so with 4 weeks and 4 CD’s I will hopefully have something for everybody!

1. Anberlin (Modern Rock) – Dark is the way, light is the place – September 7, 2010
2. Maroon 5 (Pop/ Funk Rock) – Hands All Over - September 21, 2010
3. John Legend and the Roots (R&B/ Hip hop) – Wake up! - September 21, 2010
4. Kenny Chesney (Country) – Hemingway’s Whiskey - September 28, 2010
Happy Music Month Everybody!