I have never understood why musicals are so divisive.  Approximately fifty percent of the population hates musicals.  At least, that’s what I’m guessing with no evidence whatsoever.  It makes no sense for so many people to be anti-musicals.  A lot of people like movies, and a lot of people like music.  Both put together should have a sizable built-in audience, but its only been recently that musicals have been successful anywhere outside Broadway. Me, though, I have enjoyed musicals for a while now, but especially recently thanks to some of the smarter musical comedies that have been released.  Those that are successful, because they don’t take themselves too seriously.

This is precisely why Glee is successful.  It doesn’t take itself seriously as a musical or as another television show about pretty adults pretending to be teenagers.  The plot is actually pretty similar to the dreadful High School Musical (or so I hear).  A group of misfits who just want to sing make singing seem so fun that eventually non-misfits want to join in too.  But while a regular musical might put more emphasis on making the musical numbers seem as artificially spectacular as possible, Glee takes popular songs and shows the characters enjoying performing these songs.  I mean we can all relate to singing Journey in a moment of happiness right?  Anyone?

Besides the musical numbers the show also has a great sense of humor going for it.  I especially enjoy a running gag of having people getting Slushies dumped on them.  All the actors do a really great job.  The actresses are really hot.  And I enjoy the feeling that anything can happen at random.  Also a plus is the inclusion of one of the funniest women in the world, Jane Lynch.

What I don’t like about the show is most of the plotting of the show.  While I enjoy not knowing what to expect, I don’t enjoy being entirely confused by the rapid pace of the show.  I feel like the show doesn’t really want to be on for more than one season so they’re throwing everything at the screen now.  Also, one of the plots involves a woman faking a pregnancy which is getting to the point that stretches credulity.  My main complaint is the use of Jane Lynch.  Most critics love her in this show.  I don’t believe she is being used well.  Her character is the villain on the show and while she has fun with it, I don’t find her all that funny.  I think its because she works better when she has another gifted comedian to match wits with, and this show doesn’t have that.

Other than those minor flaws, though, Glee is a great show about the joy of music, and I am having fun right along with it. 4/5

Artist: Karen O and the Kids
Album: Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack
Label: DGC/Interscope
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Decision: 5/5
Favorite Tunes: Hideaway, Igloo, All is Love

1. The Background

Karen O has been noted for her sense of fashion and her outrageous antics during live performances.

She has composed the music for this soundtrack and co-produced it with Tom Biller of the Afternoons. “The Kids” include her Yeah Yeah Yeahs band mates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, along with Tristan Bechet, Bradford Cox(Deerhunter), Dean Fertita, Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence, Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), and Imaad Wasif. An untrained choir of children was brought in to provide extra essence to the songs and soundscapes. These are a sprawling group of indie-rock all-stars.

2. The Substance

The imagination and freedom that Karen O shares in this music masterpiece is remarkable. She floats her ethereal vocals over clever folk-pop arrangements on the kind of acoustic instruments you might find in a child’s music class. Each song presents a different feel, incorporating all words and characters to fit the scene. “All is Love” is an uplifting song with a lot of punchy chords, energetic voices, and a piece in where everybody is clearly having a good time singing. You hear a lot of laughter, screams, and freedom to create.  “Capsize”, a feisty song in which the title is repeatedly spelled out, is full of determination to explore and conquer the unknown. My favorite song, “Hideaway”, is where you get to hear Karen O at her best on this album. Her voice is jazzy and simply alluring with the guitar to support and enhance her sound. The ongoing chords that are played create a picture of fantasy; the music is beautiful.

3. The Decision

5/5. If you love reading Where The Wild Things Are, you will enjoy the movie and the music that goes along with it. I took my niece to go see it this weekend and this is the first thing I immediately noticed. The voices, sound effects, and music just stuck out to me. The music had my attention just as much if not more than the movie. As I looked around the theater, I saw other little kids standing up and bopping their heads. This music has touched me in so many ways. When I hear it, I think of something from afar, escaping my problems, moving to another place, just plainly being happy. The whole soundtrack is on my playlist; I simply love it.

1. The Background

If you like a little bit of R&B, Rock and Hip-Hop you will love the Blue Print 3. Jay-Z has proven himself time and time again. Retired or not, he is truly at the top of his game. The Blue Print 3 was released on September 11, 2009, exactly 11 years after the first Blue Print Album. Jay-Z has evolved as a lyricist and emcee, because he no longer raps about being in the fast life. His latest songs are authentic as possible and explain about the life he is living now.  He is an entrepreneur, has a clothing line, is the president of Def Jam, Co-Owner of the New Jersey Nets, heavily involved in the community and lives a pretty demanding life.

2. The Decision

4/5. This album not only has the hottest tracks, but it features all types of artists who have accomplished much on their own. Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Drake, Young Jeezy as well as other artists have an impacting message on the Blue Print 3. The flow of Jay-Z’s verses leaves you in awe of how he puts his words and thoughts together. My favorite track on this album is “Empire State of Mind” because I am from New York and can truly identify with the message of the song. “So Ambitious” leaves you feeling like you can achieve anything in life and “Thank You” lets you know how much Jay-Z appreciates his audience.

Go out and get this album. You will not be disappointed.

1. Background:

Since the release of the game Rock Band, it has seemed like the Holy Grail of music games were the Beatles.  When Rock Band came out it allowed for four players to play at the same time and there were four people in The Beatles.  Also, the same year Rock Band came out Guitar Hero released its first band specific game in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.  But getting the Beatles to even allow their songs to be played in a game seemed like a pipe dream, let alone allow a full game to be made.

The aforementioned Aerosmith game was not exactly a quality product, and the Beatles, who have always been shy to release their music online, did not seem receptive to the idea.  At the time it seemed far more likely that they would join the growing chorus of detractors of the music game genre.  Apparently, though, it was Metallica that convinced the Apple Group, the name of the group of holders to Beatles music rights, that a quality representation of the Beatles’ work could be produced.  Specifically it was the guys at Harmonix playing a Metallica song on an early version of Guitar Hero that did it.

So after so long the game was finally released.  And its easy to see the care that was put into it.

2. The Substance:

The game plays like the other games in the music game genre.  There is a list of songs and to win the game you have to play them all.  There is very little revolutionary about the gameplay.  It’s the wrapping on the gameplay that is impressive.  To the gameplay though they did add the ability to sing three part harmonies as long as one of them is correctly singing the lead singer’s pitch.  This allows for more people to join in the fun or for people playing instruments to also sing without worrying too much about staying on key.

The best part about the game is the care that was put into telling the story of The Beatles.  The visuals that play while you’re playing reflect the Beatles’ sensibilities.  The opening cinematic is a work of art. And the background visuals are great too. You will want to play the game and then you will want to watch someone else play the game.  That is how beautiful the game’s visuals are.

There was also a lot of Beatles history packed into the game.  All of the Beatles’ songs are unlocked from the start.  This is great for being able to play the game at parties from the start, but that doesn’t leave much to reward those who play well.  Or at least it wouldn’t if it weren’t for all the extras you can unlock through playing well.  Pictures of the Beatles’ early days, documentary footage, and old recordings are all available to be unlocked.  If you’re a Beatles fan this is a treasure trove of extras that will make you want to keep playing the game.

If you’re not a Beatles fan there is little reason to own this game, though.  Unlike the Guitar Hero band games, the songs available are all Beatles songs.  They are mostly great songs but since they are presented in chronological order, there is little variety in each chapter of the game.

3. The Decision:

4/5 All in all, though, this is a quality product that any fan of The Beatles or music history in general should check out.

1. The Background

This is the tenth studio album from Queensryche; technically the twelfth if you include Operation: Mindcrime II and Take Cover. The album centers around the trials, stresses, general torment and complicated decisions that a combat soldier is faced with on a daily basis. Geoff Tate, the singer and songwriter for Queensryche, wanted to musically chronicle the war and expose the feelings of guilt, hate and loss of innocence these men and women experience, from the time they enlist in the forces, through the nightmare of fighting and killing, enduring, until they return home to their family and friends. The war seems even more chilling (and meaningless) from these soldiers’ perspectives.

2. The Substance

This album is extremely intense. The intensity comes in part from the actual voices of the soldiers themselves which are peppered throughout the recording via sound bites from the interviews that Tate conducted with former soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. From the interviews, Tate weaves countless tales of fear, remorse, guilt and tragedy into some very powerful and memorable lyrics that reflect the emotional turmoil and anxiety of soldiers. The album takes you on a journey from the opening command of “On your feet!”, which starts the first song on the album called ‘Sliver’, through the soldier’s declaration that ”…bad things happen at night…” and the whispered “Wake up!” to find yourself in the “Middle of Hell”, all the way to the return home and the hope that the family of the soldier remembers him or her for who they are and not what they’ve done. Regardless of which song you listen to, the chaos of war is very palpable and apparent. The best song on the album is ‘If I Were King’. It starts off with a touching, if not unsettling, testimonial from a soldier who lost his friend on the battlefield. Geoff Tate’s lyrics and voice are particularly poignant on this song and really drive home the love-hate connection of the war and the brotherhood of soldiers.

Long time fans of Queensryche will notice that Chris DeGarmo is not on guitar for this album. I loved the style and virtuosity of DeGarmo, but I feel like Michael Wilton does a stellar job with the six-string duties. And Scott Rockenfield is still on the drums; a great percussionist and long time member of Queensryche. Musically, the album is as solid as any Queensryche album. Overall, the tone of the whole record is pretty dark, but the liner notes really bring the project into perspective and provide a context for all the stories and songs. In the liner notes, you will find the words of Brigadier General Charles M. Burke, U.S. Army (Retired), “Americans owe their freedoms to today’s soldiers. Their voices should always be heard, and this unique project is making that possible.”

3. The Decision

4/5. If you’re a big fan of Queensryche, go out and pick up this album; you’ll love it.  If you have never heard Queensryche before, I would recommend you pick up some of their earlier works, and then come back to this one. This album is solid…great vocals, guitars and drums. Plus, it tells one hell of a story!

Artist: Radiohead
Album: Kid A (Collector’s Edition)
Label : Capitol
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Decision: 5/5 Amazing
Favorite Tunes: All of them.

1. Background:

It’s been a big year for reissues.  Along with the Beatles’ reissues last week, Radiohead has been staggering reissues of their entire discography all year.  These special edition reissues have been double-sized affairs with the remastered original album and extra discs with live performance, b-sides, and a DVD with video performances.

When it comes to film, I’m not a fan of collector’s edition DVDs with extra material that wasn’t included with the first release so that fans have to buy their favorite movies twice.  But when it comes to music, it actually makes sense.  Remastering technology helps give listeners a new appreciation of the music they thought they were familiar with.  And the extra material wasn’t really available when the albums were released since performances and music videos don’t often happen before an album is released.  Still, I was skeptical about the Kid A collector’s edition CDs.

Kid A is one of my favorite albums of all time but I had never thought that Kid A was an album that could translate well to a live performance.  I had seen live performances of some of the songs on Saturday Night Live and on Youtube but it was never the same as the experience that was listening to the album.  So I didn’t expect much out of the extras, and the original album used the technology it had available to it so well that remastering it wouldn’t really add much to it.

2. The Substance:

This was an exceptional release of one of the greatest albums of all time.  Rarely does one get the chance to re-experience something they love for the first time all over again, but listening to the live recordings included with this Radiohead release was like hearing Kid A for the first time.  Kid A was translated to a live performance in a way that made it seem completely new but still in keeping with the essence of the original album.

3. The Decision:

5/5! So, is this album worth the 30 dollars it costs on Amazon?  A resounding Yes.  One of the greatest albums of all times is packed with new material that completely changes your perception of the music you just listened to.  Such that if you are a fan of Kid A, the second disk should be required listening, especially if, like me, you haven’t had the chance to experience Radiohead live.

Artist: Green Day
Album: 21st Century Breakdown
Label: Reprise
Release Date: May 15th, 2009
Decision: 1/5 OMG…This album sucks!
Favorite Tunes: “Viva La Gloria”

1. The Background

Neto says,

For a long time Green Day was one of my favorite bands. Way back before I was really into music, my fellow sixth graders and I would hang out in an empty classroom in the minutes before school started. One day someone took Green Day’s Dookie (on tape!) to school and we played it on a boom box that our teacher had in the classroom. The experience was revelatory. I took the tape home and listened to it all day. After that, as my interest in music grew and grew, I kept listening to Green Day. In middle school it was Dookie and Insomniac. In high school it was Nimrod and Warning. And then there was college. When I was starting out college International Superhits but they were mostly silent for a long time as far as studio albums went. Then in 2003 they released American Idiot. I think American Idiot is their best album since Dookie and it is a hard act to follow. This is made evident by their new album 21st Century Breakdown.

Joey says,

I grew up with a lot of Green Day playing in the background. “Basket Case” was one of the coolest music videos I thought I had ever seen when I was in middle school. I listened to Insomniac and Nimrod constantly through middle and high school, and I still listen to these albums from time to time on my MP3 player. I never listened to Warning or American Idiot, but Green Day had already earned a spot in my ‘Top Bands’ list. With this album, they apparently attempted another rock opera. It’s not what I’m used to hearing from Green Day, and it’s now what I’d like to hear from Green Day, but I was definitely excited to listen to this album.

2. The Decision

Neto says,

1/5. As a fan of Green Day it pains me to say that this is a mediocre album. It tries real hard to be a proper follow up to American Idiot but it falls far, far short. Like American Idiot, this is supposed to be a concept album that tells a single story throughout the album, but its hard to tell because musically the album seems disjointed. The manic energy that made Dookie and American Idiot great seems to be missing. Besides the catchy anthem, “Viva La Gloria”, the album is just plain boring.

And Joey says,

1/5. This album is nothing other than boring. I feel like Green Day have actually regressed from their songwriting techniques of yesteryear or whenever. Nimrod was an amazing showcase of what a punk band can do with their talent. Even Dookie and Insomniac held up when it comes to variety. However, this album failed to keep me interested. Their attempts at ‘branching out’ seemed like they were pulling cards from a tired deck of tricks that their label provided them with. Their first single, “Know Your Enemy”, is one of the most boring songs I’ve ever heard. Honestly, I don’t know how they got out of rehearsal without looking at each other and saying, “you know, chaps, that last song was just the most lame thing we’ve ever played.” It’s not that they failed to produce quality music, it’s that they failed to produce good music. They sounded like any other pop punk that might be out there, except they had even better production quality, they have even more ‘pop’ hooks, and even less for me to relate to. But don’t take my word for it, Rolling Stone said, “21st Century Breakdown is even better, so masterful and confident it makes Idiot seem like a warm-up.” So, clearly, some people like this album, but I have a feeling Rolling Stone didn’t even listen to the whole damn thing. I’m afraid this band has done what I didn’t want them to: they’ve become a major label rock band.

Well, there you have it! Looks like Neto and Joey agreed that you should pass on this album. The album deserves a “1/5 Yikes!” score, which means you should NOT check out the album. Let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments!

1. The Background

This is the first album from the “super group” Chickenfoot. The group has been dubbed a super group because all four members have been successful either on their own, or with another group that has garnered accolades from the music industry and fans. Joe Satriani, the guitar virtuoso, fits into the former category and Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith are recognizable names from former mega-bands. At first listen, this album is pretty much what you would expect from a talent-laden foursome like C-Foot. There is a lot of screaming from Hagar and a ton of kick-ass guitar playing from Satriani. Chad Smith provides a very solid back beat and Michael Anthony provides the same unexciting and completely non-innovative bass playing for which he is famous.

2. The Substance

Overall, the album is very well produced. The sound quality is great. Satriani plays a well constructed rhythm guitar when necessary and his lead licks are clean and crisp. He also has some great ‘sounds’…that’s the only way I can describe them. Listen to “Soap on a Rope”. He rips off these little pops in between the big, meaty riff of the song…pure Satriani. Sammy Hagar sounds freakin’ ridiculous! This dude lets loose with some screams that are reminiscent of Roger Daltry! I mean, primal; that’s the label I would put on them. Give a listen to “Oh Yeah”. The scream at the middle and towards the end almost makes your blood curdle! My only jag for Hagar is the lyrics. They are trite and a continuation of his wine, women and song motif. Yawn, heard that lyric before. The drumming on the album is good. I would have enjoyed hearing a little more creativity from Chad Smith, but he did what he was hired to do; keep the beat for Hagar and Satriani. Michael Anthony was back in two aspects: his mediocre bass playing and his strong, extremely high-pitched harmonies on backing vocals. I missed those backing vocals from Anthony. Listen to “Turnin’ Left”. It’s classic Michael Anthony straining the limits of the male vocal range! His bass playing is solid, if not very innovative. His booming bass combined with Smith’s drumming produces a full, solid beat on this recording.

3. The Decision

4/5. If you’re a fan of good, solid, rock-hard, rock music, go out and pick up this album. There were only one or two songs that I didn’t care for; one of them being the obligatory slow ballad. Satriani, Hagar, Anthony and Smith put their egos aside and combined to make some great music. In this case, the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Listen to “Oh Yeah” right here.

Artist: We Were Promised Jetpacks
Album: These Four Walls
Label: Fat Cat Records
Release Date: June 15, 2009
Decision: 3/5 Promising If Uneven Debut
Influences I Notice:  U2, Explosions in the Sky,
Favorite Tunes: “Quiet Little Voices”, “Moving Clocks Run Slow”

1.  The Album

We Were Promised Jetpacks is a band from Edinburgh, Scotland.  These Four Walls is their debut album and it is quite impressive.  Like most indie label debuts it has a very simple production but it is hidden by a very complex sound from the band.

From the very first track, “It’s Thunder and Lightning”, you can hear the repetitive beats of post-rock bands like Explosions in the Sky. Combine this with vocal stylings that remind me of Bono from U2 and you have a promising debut from a young band.

Unfortunately, the early songs in the album might cause one to stop listening.  At first the post-rock beats are missing the chord progression changes that traditionally define the genre.  The vocals also don’t become expressive until a couple of songs into the album.  This causes the band to sound boring and makes those first two songs tedious to get through.  But once you get over that initial hump, I promise you that the album picks up and you have an exciting rest of the album.  And when you get to “Quiet Little Voices” the album just takes off.

2. The Decision 3/5

An uneven first album but when the band gets the combination of post-rock style and bombastic vocals just right it reaches new heights and makes me excited for their next release.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5ZhBAylbN4]

Author: Gipi
Title: Garage Band
Publisher: :01 First Second
Medium: Graphic Novel
Decision: 4/5 Short, but great, read

1. About the Author

Gipi’s full name is Gianni Pacinotti. He’s an Italian cartoonist, and though he’s been producing work for quite a while, this is the first graphic novel of his that I’ve come across. In 2006, he won an Eisner award for a series called The Innocents! That will probably be the next piece of work by Gipi that I pick up.

2. About the Book

Gipi utilizes the classic form of comic storytelling with a very freehand and messy style of drawing all finished with watercolors. The graphic novel is a quick 114 pages, and is translated from Italian into English, for the version I read. The art style complements the attempted live action of the band’s practice sessions, as the flurried and overlapped drawings give you a sense of the energy the boys are creating. The watercoloring is very detailed, dark and dusty, which seems perfect for the city the author has created which seems dirty in itself.

There are four main characters in this story, but they aren’t your typical teenage boys. Each of these characters is very different; they all have different backgrounds, different reasons for playing. This is great to see from an artist: Gipi realizes that not everyone is the same, that not all teenagers go through the same crap. It’s very refreshing to see an author understand the uniqueness of life. The boys are in a band, trying very hard to record a 5-song demo to show to a music exec, end up doing some stupid things, and, in the end, continue playing the music that means so much to them and helps get them through their young lives.

There are no attacks on lifestyle, not even any focus on what type of music the boys are playing. This graphic novel quietly, but beautifully, states how important music can be for four young men trying to get to the next stage of their lives.

3. The Decision 4/5 A short, but great, read

I raced through this graphic novel very quickly and was struck hard by its message. I believe that all of us, as musicians, as songwriters with dreams of playing to huge crowds and having albums on store shelves and teens with our band names on their shirts, we all understand what the music industry is like, but yet we don’t understand. The quote at the top of this post was my favorite from this book, because it presented the message so clearly and brutally. Yes, we know the music industry does not care about our music. But why have we kept trying?

For true musicians, this book gives you that answer; an answer which we always really understood. Success is important to a musician. It means that the one thing we want to do for the rest of our lives can actually make us money. But that’s not the success we’re talking about here. We want to know that our band, our album, our message was so powerful and so beautiful that it was deserving of a record deal. We want to know that anyone who comes upon this piece of art will ask themselves why the whole world isn’t aware of it. And this book did a great job of showing that these characters cared so much more about their music than a quick ‘in’ to the industry. It showed that beyond the record deals and the merchandising and the screaming fans, before that is even a possibility, the music we create is the most important thing in the world.