No doubt, the so-called “JoBro” are one of the hottest boy bands via the Disney Channel. With their adolesent rock n’ roll, these guys are the “hottest” thing around for teens & youngsters {girls}. Their hit singles “S.O.S”, “Hold On”, and “Kids of the Future”; their are ready to slam their guitars and belt it out.
December 19, 2007
Jonas Brothers- Jonas Bros.
Alicia Keys- As I Am
Alicia is probably one of the most well-known R&B Soul Artists of the generation. But,in my opinion. Her raspy unheard-of voice just makes me not want to listen to her songs. Even though her smash hit “No One” has been up for sometime, if you are a hip-hop or pop lover this CD isn’t fit for you. But if you love the sweet-go-sassy sound, Alicia’s your girl
Hilary Duff- With Love
Hilary has had many years of TV shows {Lizzie McGuire}, previous CD’s {Fly, Metemorphisis, Most Wanted} but this would probably be her best CD released yet. Her still pop sounding voice is mixed in with some remixing sounds, yet, her CD still lacks that special head-bopping zing. It sounds like something we’ve all heard before. But…with her meaningful lirects & soft beats, this CD is great for those pop-lovers out there who are not afraid of the usual.
Gimme More- Britney Spears
When you hear of the name Britney Spears you’re probably going to think “trash” or “wash-up”. But with her new, retro CD, her goal is to make you just get up and dance. With her NO.1 hit “Gimme More” and other chart-topper “Piece of Me” her techno- dance remixes are tunes that you can just listen to over and over again. She has taken a huge step from that barley-singing crap to this dance-intended techno that will consume your daughter’s boom box.
Miley Cyrus- Best of Both Worlds
If you have a daughter {preferrably} you are already going to know how high on the charts that this Miley Cyrus is. With her 2 year old TV show “Hannah Montana”, this young lady took a second swing at the pop charts with Hannah Montana songs including, “Best of Both Worlds”, “Nobody’s Perfect”, and ” Other Side of Me”– mixed with her very own pop-pop creations like the new hit, “See You Again”, “G.N.O” and “Old Blue Jeans”. She offers the classic mix of pop & light rock on this HannahMontana 2 & Meet Miley Cyrus CD. If you are looking for an optimistic, happy-go-lucky record, this is your CD.
December 18, 2007
The Velvet Underground & Nico
Probably the most overrated album I’ve ever heard and is probably the most influential album I’ve ever heard. Does that sound like two conflicting opinions? Well they are, but they’re both true. The Velvets are responsible for everything atonal and distorted in today’s music. Their apparent lack of musicianship (Lou Reed and John Cale were both professionally trained) inspired legions of kids to pickup axes and sticks and bash out noise. Nico could barely sing (she had a husky German accent) and Maureen Tucker makes Meg White sound like John Bonham. Admitted, this album had a some classics such as Venus in Furs, the first goth song and I’m Waiting For the Man and I’ll be your Mirror. But Herion is one gimmick that goes on 4 minutes too long and Femme Fatale and All Tomorrow’s Parties are pure goofiness. Run, Run, Run is quite simply a poor R & B number and European Son is, well…just noise. There are many, many better albums than this, but if your a fan of the Jesus and Marychain, Sonic Youth, the Fall, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, the Pixies, etc., no record has been as influential.
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
This is the peak Stones effort, where they perfected their attack and rolled all their previous ideas as well as a few new ones into a meticulously executed album. It’s muscular and unparalleled musicianship and craft make one of the greatest albums ever produced. After nearly a decade as a band, the Stones knew their trademark and begin the proceedings with the nasty Brown Sugar, followed by the gnarling Mick Taylor guitar solo of Swayed, then setting a precedent for all hard rock bands to follow, deliver the exquisite power ballad, Wild Horses. When you think Mick and Keith have dried the well, they perform Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, and apparent scorcher that half-way through transforms into a searing jazz-fusion composition, again led by
The first 3.5 songs lay the template for all 80’s and 90’s rock/metal bands. Track #1, NASTY, Track #2 NASTY, Track #3 “Wild Horses” BALLAD. But they don’t stop there. Next was the classic “Can’t you Here Me Knocking” which starts out as your NASTY standard Stone’s song, however mid-stream it morphs into a jazz-fusion classic as Mick Taylor delivers one of prog. rocks most memorable guitar workouts. Not only do the Stones subvert their own classic sound, but they change direction so seamlessly, that the fusion sound becomes all their own. From there the Stones move on to gospel, blues, country rock, and dare I say it…pop music. Truly, the first progressive rock record. Nothing has covered more musical terrain since.
December 17, 2007
The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
This was the album where the Rolling Stones hit their stride, big time, and surpassed the Beatles as the world’s greatest rock band. As the Beatles continued in the psychedelic / symphony style with Magical Mystery tour, the Stones released the startling stipped down Banquet sound which was raw and rhythmic and consisted of folksy down to earth songs like Prodigal Son and Factory Girl as well as the dark and sinister Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Things didn’t look good for the Beatles after Let it Be, and it didn’t look much better after side 1 of
The Beatles – The White Album
This is where the Beatles began to struggle, but this struggle created great art, and ultimately, a damn interesting record, if not one of the greatest. It’s a dark introspective recording including quiet gems like Dear Prudence, Martha My Dear, Cry Baby Cry punctuated by Lennon penned primal scream numbers such as Happiness is a Warm Gun and Why Don’t We Do It in the Road. It’s not smooth like Sgt. Pepper nor the blast of energy that Revolver and Rubber Soul were, instead often weird and jarring. Lennon and McCarthy had moved far apart musically, and that distance was on full display. But it was because of this friction that propelled Paul McCartney, of all people, to create the proto-metal thriller Helter Skelter and the Lennon classic Revolution.