Reviews – Page 2 – News on Shuffle

Baked Potatoes Review

What I’m about to review I’ve been meaning to post for awhile now but things got so busy and other things got written due to urgency of how soon they had to go up and before I knew it I was apologizing to a really cool band that I hadn’t gotten around to their tiny little 4-song EP. In general I haven’t posted anything in two months, and I’m super bummed about that fact. In addition to this post, I also am tempted to do a Flash season finale thing but I’m also still wrapping my brain around that one. Maybe next week I’ll do a “best of” for all the finales of the shows I’ve been following. In the meantime, here’s a little review of a band called “Baked Potatoes” that found me through a Facebook group I’m part of called “Touring Ska Bands”. It’s something a friend of mine started that has grown to become quite useful for help with booking tours and crowd-sourcing and such. Anyway, enough chatter, let’s review this bad boy.

Immediately upon starting my listen of this EP, titled “Waiting for the Weekend,” I was actually kind of glad I waited till now to listen to it. This is because the feel of the music makes me think of the beach and summer weekends in the sand, which is something we can look forward to now that summer is slowly starting to creep around the corner. There’s a very chill yet simultaneously upbeat vibe that is never better executed than with a solid reggae band. If only it were actually long enough to last for a longer portion of your beach trip, but I’m sure with enough support from viewers like you, we can get more tunes out of these guys to last through future summers and beyond. In the meantime you’ll just have to play these four songs on repeat, which I’m sure I will be doing over the course of the summer. And if my only complaint is that this EP left me wanting more, then I guess that’s a good problem to have.

Jukebox the Ghost

A lot of great things have happened to my guys at Jukebox the Ghost in recent months, and I haven’t had time to mention any of it here. For shame! Let’s take a look:

They released a new album, went on a big tour, played on Conan (!!!), and released a new cover song with their tour mates Secret Someones. Wow, that’s a lot of stuff!

The big miss for me was not reviewing the album. It was released around CMJ crazy times, so I was super busy, then burnt out, then just lost track of time. I’m going by the motto, “better late than never” though because it was too good to ignore.

I feel like there was a lot more buzz with this self-titled album than past releases, which just goes to show that the universe is starting to notice what I realized the day I first saw them: that this band is something special. I honest to goodness cannot think of a single song that I do not like of theirs, and that continues to hold true with this new release.

The album starts with “Sound Of A Broken Heart,” an upbeat, dance-y tune right up their alley. Another great jam to get stuck in my head. Whatever will I do? My head may explode from all the songs stuck in it, but I seem to be doing ok so far, so let’s keep pushing on.

The album continues with about 35 minutes of pure happiness. It’s rare I don’t have at least a tiny criticism, one little thing I didn’t like, but I just can’t think of one here. The writing and music and general attitude of the whole album is superb. And with lots of catchy hooks to get stuck in my brain, I’m sure it will be added to the list of albums I play on repeat.

Not sure what else there is to say except tell you to go snatch this one up if you haven’t already. Also, sorry to the boys for taking so long to review this beauty. I really love it though and am now incredibly bummed I had to miss the NYC date of your tour. It’s been very satisfying watching you grow as a band, and I look forward to continuing that journey with you for many more years to come.

I’ll end this massive lovefest for Jukebox the Ghost by giving you some behind-the-scenes video footage of the Conan appearance and new cover song. Hope you enjoy all the Jukebox-y goodness, and have a great weekend!

Arkells – High Noon

From the very first moments of listening to Arkells new CD High Noon I was hooked. It’s been awhile since I had something new excite me, but these guys definitely grabbed my attention. Their album is full of energy to get you pumped. Whether you need some motivation to finish that project, have a long drive ahead of you, or just want to have a dance party in your living room, Arkells have got you covered with an album chock full of jams that will get you revved up and ready to face another day. I am not kidding you when I say that three songs into this album I was checking my calendar to see when my next chance to catch them live would be (it’s May 5th at Rockwood Music Hall).

Clearly I’m not the only ones excited about this band, since this past weekend they won Juno awards for Rock Album of the Year and Group of the Year. Good for them, because it’s rare I get to see a band like this get noticed in a meaningful way. Rock music in general usually has to take a back seat to the pop artists and other Top 40 celebs. Even when a rock band does get mainstream attention, you’ll see plenty of posts on social media asking “who the hell are these guys?” (Arcade Fire’s big win in 2011 comes to mind). I don’t know if we’re going to be seeing Arkells with a Grammy nod, but the Juno is a good start and I’m happy for them.

https://youtu.be/2qf8oGI2Wlw

If you want to check the album out for yourself, you can do so at Amazon or iTunes. I’m also including a song off Soundcloud, which was my introduction to these guys and what made me want to review the album. I have a feeling it will invoke a similar reaction from you

The Interview: A review and commentary on digital media

I’m sure we all remember the big news surrounding “The Interview” and how it got pulled from theaters because of a terrorist threat. The movie was eventually given a digital release and is now currently available on Netflix Instant. I originally had no desire to see the movie. I was mildly curious but didn’t care enough to go to the theater or rent the DVD when it came out. Having instant access to it, however, I decided to give it a try. Worse case scenario the movie sucks and I turn it off if I get bored.

To say my expectations were low would be an understatement. True, Seth Rogen is funny enough, but the premise of the movie seemed so incredibly stupid I didn’t want to waste my time with it. I mean, I like movies that are stupid in a funny way, but that is not how the trailers presented this one to me. Boy was I surprised…

“The Interview” turned out to be a surprisingly funny and thoroughly enjoyable comedy experience. Yeah it’s about two guys trying to kill the North Korean leader, but there’s so much more to it than that. The character development was stronger than I would’ve imagined, and the actual jokes were honest to god funny.

I laughed.

A lot.

At this stupid movie that I had very low hopes of grabbing my attention or amusing me. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe sometimes you need to let go of expectations and see what happens.

Now, if “The Interview” had been given a more traditional release it might have done okay in theaters, but I doubt it would’ve done great. Plaster it all over the Internet though, and now you have something. I know the terrorist threats attached to it definitely gave them some buzz, and there are even some who believe this was all planned for just such a purpose. Regardless of what you believe, I think movies like this in general would do better if they skipped the theater and just got released online. With how expensive movies have gotten, it’s no surprise that people have started saving the trip to the theater for the big blockbusters. I know the last time I went was probably the last Thor movie to come out, and I don’t remember the last time I went for anything other than an action movie. It’s not that i don’t like comedies. I just usually save them for home viewing. Maybe I’m in the minority on this one but I definitely enjoyed being able to watch “The Interview” while it was still relevant and not two years later when it finally made it to the top of my Netflix queue. If more movies did it like this then I would be one happy movie consumer. I might not want to pay $15 to see a movie in theaters, but I’ll pay half that to watch it instantly at home. The experience of theater-going has changed. Why not change with it?

Jukebox the Ghost @ Rough Trade – Live Review

First of all, this post should have gone up either Sunday night or yesterday but I am in the process of moving into my new apartment, so life is pretty chaotic right now. I couldn’t stay quiet about my experience going to see Jukebox the Ghost perform a free pre-release show at Rough Trade for their new self-titled album (which drops Oct 21) though. I jotted a bunch of thoughts down at the show, which I wanted to share with you now…

Sunday afternoon I was thrilled to attend the Rough Trade Jukebox the Ghost in store for two reasons: 1) It’s been ages since I’ve seen the band and was anxious to see them again, and 2) It was my first time at the venue and I was curious what it would be like. Consequently this review is just as much about Rough Trade as it is the show I saw there.

First let’s look at the venue. When you first walk in there’s a decently sized store with mostly records but also books and a small selection of cassette tapes. I loved the layout of the store and the general vibe. I even talked to one of the staff about any possible job opportunities and got a very helpful response.

Moving on to the actual venue (which can be found through a door in the back of the shop), the size of the place felt perfect to hold a good crowd without anyone having to feel removed from the stage too much. The sound was particularly impressive, not too loud to blow your eardrums but still being able to hear everything clearly. The only slight negative to the experience was it got a bit toasty at one point, but I believe that was because that particular day wasn’t sure what the temperature should be, which probably made it hard for the staff to affectively know how to heat or cool the space. (Side note: we’ve been having the same problem at the venue I work at, so I totally understand and don’t hold it against them at all. Fall needs to figure out what it wants to be already and stick with it).

Now onto the show itself… The band played quite a few selections from their new album, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Of course there was the usual stage banter in between songs, which is one thing I have always loved about this band: their stage presence. The guys have the ability to charm and joke their way through any set. Take an example from this show: the drum broke during one song, so the crowd was treated to fun stories to keep us occupied, including a bit of self-deprecation about Ben messing up a song he’s played “once or twice” while performing live on the radio. Instead of being annoyed the set had been interrupted by technical difficulties, we all got to have a good laugh before continuing on with the show. This kind of thing has happened before at their shows, and I love that they just make a joke about it or something else and roll with the punches. It’s almost like they enjoy the little bumps in the road, which is really the ideal for a musician’s life or just in general when you think about it. Being able to go with the tides is what makes life enjoyable (or at least bearable). Personally the music that Jukebox the Ghost has given us over the years has been very helpful with that in my journey through life, and I look forward to adding another batch of songs to the collection.

Just Another Manic Tueday

Tonight I had the privilege of seeing The Bangles live and was inspired to bring back what used to be a regular occurrence of me reviewing bands I see in concert. For a band that’s been around for over 30 years, they still have a lot of energy to bring to their live show. Hearing them bust out one golden oldie after another was a blast from the past that never felt the least bit stale at all. On the contrary, it was a refreshing night of music that left me both satisfied and extremely impressed. The band sounded and looked amazing as they smashed through one song after another. It was the perfect way to spend a Tuesday night after using my “weekend” (which was Sunday & Monday) to start moving into a new apartment. If you ever get the opportunity I definitely recommend you check this band out. And on that note, I leave you with this:

Survay Says – Observations Of The Human Condition

Happy Saturday, everyone! Today we go back to basics with an overdue review of Survay Says new album Observations of the Human Condition.

First impressions: Any album that has a song titled “I Aim To Misbehave” definitely has promise. Yep, I have a good feeling about this one…

While part of me wished that “Misbehave” was the first song on the album, I was also very happy with the way it started. There is a slow introduction that builds in tempo and fullness of sound until it dives into the first real track of the album, “Ode To My Willpower (Or Lack Thereof),” which holds nothing back. The whole album is full of driving rhythms that make you wanna get up and dance.

Not only do I love the actual music in this one, I am a fan of the song tittles as well. Besides “I Aim To Misbehave” we also get tracks like “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” It’s A Great Day For America Everybody,” and “Cake Eater”. We also get some fun guest appearances by David McWane of Big D and the Kids Table and Joe Ragosta of Patent Pending. As someone who has been thrown into the ska scene recently thanks to dating someone in a ska band, I have noticed that a lot of these bands all know each other and stay connected in some way. In fact, I’m pretty sure I started listening to Survay Says because of The Pandemics. It’s nice to see a scene that, although it has waves, still manages to stay consistently fun and never seems to get old.

So yeah, I could keep going but honestly the whole album is great and a prefect listen for your first summer road trip. The album was released in April, so if you don’t have it yet then you should GET ON IT. If you like fun, I promise you’ll like this too. Hell, I’m pretty sure I could put this on repeat and not be bored for awhile. In fact, here I go…

Old 97’s – Most Messed Up

First off, this is going to be just as much a review about Rhett Miller as it is about Old 97’s new album Most Messed Up. Now, to business…

I think the first time I ever heard Miller was when he had the hit “I Need To Know Where You Stand” on the radio (I believe that was 2009). I was in college at the time and the song was very appropriate for a situation I was in (let’s just leave it at that). Point is, I identified with it and went searching for more from Miller. That is when I discovered the Old 97’s…

Fast-forward to present day. I currently work at a music venue in NYC that Miller plays quite frequently. His last trip there he played a lot of new songs from Most Messed Up (which he had teased it’s production the visit before). So, as I listened to the finished product, it was more like hearing from an old friend than the average review would.

As I mentioned before, Miller played a lot of songs off this new album at the last show I saw him at. One of the most memorable parts of the night was a comment he made about a trend in the album of songs being about drinking and women. With songs like “Let’s Get Drunk & Get It On” you can see what he means. (Side note: this was one of my favorite songs I got a preview of that night, and still held true when I listened to the album). That should show you that I don’t find the focus on drinking and whatever to be a bad thing. Yeah I’m a female, but my X chromosome likes whiskey just as much as my Y chromosome does.

No doubt about it, this album is a fun alt-county romp from the eyes of one of the best musicians I’ve seen roll through the doors where I work. (Seriously, Miller’s guitar playing and personality will never cease to amaze me). You can only imagine how much more blown away I was hearing these songs with the full sound the band delivered (I’m used to just seeing Miller solo on his guitar). This glowing review comes from someone who doesn’t typically listen to the genre, but there’s just so much good old fashioned rock n roll mixed in with that country twang that I can’t help but love it. Makes me want to roll down the windows, feel the wind through my hair, and KRANK THAT SUCKER UP.

Most Messed Up will be available for purchase April 29th, but you can pre-order it on the Old 97’s website.

Go Big – The Story From Our Side

A little background before I get started on this one…. As I’ve mentioned before, my guy is in a ska band called “The Pandemics“. Someone in the band got the idea one day to start a Touring Ska Bands group on Facebook. This is exactly what it sounds like, a place where touring ska bands can get help either filling gaps in their touring schedule or finding other resources (like someone to write an awesome review of the new album they just released). That’s where the lead singer of Go Big found my contact info and emailed me about doing a review of their new album “The Story From Our Side“. What makes this even better (and proves everything is connected) is that these folks were already on my radar from a gig they did with The Pandemics over the summer. Since I already knew I was going to like what I heard, I obviously was excited to do this review. Now that I’ve actually listened to it, I can honestly say I was not disappointed…

The beginning of the album is as if someone vocally took a running start and dove right into a crowd of people. The energy stays high throughout most of the album (the only song not running a million miles an hour is the closer) and leaves you with a great big grin on your face. Oh, and I defy you to not start dancing in your room while you’re listening to this… by yourself… with no one there to witness your lame dance moves.

Not only is the music full of energy, it also has a lot of variety. There are 8 people in the band playing more instruments than I care to list (unless you feel like reading a novel), plus two vocalists (one male, one female). Altogether it creates a great package that will make your ears happy.

After you’ve taken a moment to enjoy their new release, take the time to see them live. Upcoming dates include May 3rd at Evenflow Bar (LI) and May 9th at Santos Party House (NYC). If you can make the Evenflow show then DO IT. That’s where I met this band and fell in love. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Wood Spider – Decadence

As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes I get suggestions of things to review from my friends. Usually these are bands I have never heard of before, but I always keep an open mind and if I dig their music I’ll gladly do a review for them. This time it was a pleasant surprise to see a name cross my virtual desk that I had already heard before: Wood Spider. Not only had I heard of them before, I remember seeing them live once and being really impressed. It turns out they had a new album that just came out in February, and I was more than happy to review it and give them a shout.

The album, which is titled Decadence, starts off slow but it is simply an extended introduction which builds to a more energetic piece. That is a recurring theme in this album. Throughout its entirety the energy starts slow and gradually builds, only to come back down and start the cycle all over again. Some people might find some of the more drawn out parts a bit strange, but I find it unique. It creates a sense of intrigue that finds me actively listening and wondering where it all is leading to, instead of simply putting it on in the background and only hearing a blend of sounds.

My final conclusion: If you want something catchy but predictable, this might not be for you. If, however, you want something new and experimental then enjoy the ride that Decadence takes you on.