album review – News on Shuffle

Jukebox the Ghost – Cheers!

I have been a Jukebox the Ghost fan since I saw them OPEN for The Postelles (I think) at Knitting Factory’s Tap Room. They are one of the only bands I have been following for that long and have never missed a new album, each of which always seems to be almost speaking directly to me and where I am in my life at the time. I have watched them grow as musicians and people, and am so happy to see them grow and succeed.

One thing I have always loved about this band is that they make *albums*. Each song and the order they are placed seems purposeful. After 18 years it’s no surprise that this album seems to be about growth and change. Wasted hits particularly hard, especially the chorus:

 We were broke
 We were brave
 25 years in a hurricane 
 We were wild, we were wasted
 Up all night, we’d dream all day
 Almost let you slip away
 We were wild, we were wasted

It reminds me of the early days of my own relationship, broke and dreaming of the future. We’ve come so far and seen so much and made it to the other side.

Of course the songs are plenty catchy too, if you’re not looking for deeper themes. Ramona will probably be stuck in my head for weeks. And what Jukebox album would be complete without Tommy writing about the apocalypse? “Us Against the World” might be about the end times, but it also feels like it could be about the present day. It does it in a way that feels the listener with hope though, rather than fear.

One of my favorite things musically is a good transition, and this album delivers that too with “The Machine (Intro)” into “Everybody Panic”. I also love the mixed sense of comedy and urgency in the line “Everybody panic but one at a time”. This band has always had a way with words, and the new album is no exception.

We get more of the above with “Raise a Glass” into “How the World Began” as well as the fantastic line “Every heartbreak’s just another song in waiting”.

Our journey comes to an end with a “Cheers!” and what could be more fitting than that? “Here’s to more of the every day” and to more great music from this amazing trio. I’m glad this college kid a [redacted] number of years ago made many a terrible decision to write that paper later and go see a show. The only band that has meant as much to me as this one was World/Inferno, and that chapter of my life has sadly come to a close. But here’s to more sing-a-longs and music and facing whatever comes next. This album closes on a hopeful note, and so will I. Because without hope, what’s the point?

Let’s Get Elfed Up

Two blog posts in one week?!? The universe might not be able to handle me posting on a regular schedule, but it’s happening! Got a quick one for you about the Christmas EP that Backyard Superheroes is putting out this Friday the 13th: Let’s Get Elfed Up.

First of all, I love the album title! It’s clever and fun, as is the album art. There’s two tracks on it that are both upbeat and catchy, which makes it perfect for a quick run to the store to buy some eggnog and cinnamon (or whatever else gets you in the holiday spirit). Plus all proceeds are going to Toys for Tots, so you get to listen to great music while also spreading some joy this season. That’s a win all around, in my book.

“So where do I go to purchase this festive music?” you ask… The EP will be available on Bandcamp, as well as Apple Music and Spotify. Personally I love Bandcamp and even use it myself for Lonely Atom Records.

I know you’re tired of the same old Christmas Classics, so don’t snooze on some new holiday tunes to add to your playlists this year.

Backyard Superheroes – Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Editor’s note: This review should have gone up sooner but thanks to technical issues (and other life stuff) it has been held till now. Better late than never, am I right?

The following ares my stream of conscious thoughts (with mild edits) while listening to Backyard Superhores’ latest album, Never Give Up, Never Surrender. Now available on Spotify, iTunes, and Bandcamp (personally I like Bandcamp best for my music-buying needs).

This album doesn’t grab me up front in the same way their previous record did, but it definitely gets me immediately curious. “Where is this going?” I think as two songs later we jump into an upbeat, fast-paced jam that I am all in for. I don’t listen to music at home much, but when I do I’m looking for something I can workout to or that inspires me to get stuff done. While NGU doesn’t immediately start that way, it certainly gets there by track 3 and does a good job of bringing the energy up and down throughout the rest of the album in a way that feels right.

I think my favorite song on the album is “The Weekend”. Not only is it a really catchy ear worm of a tune, but I love the little bit of video game music at the end. The song after it, “Tangerine Drive” isn’t bad either. It’s got a short but sweet horn riff I enjoy that gets repeated a couple times. I also love the way it breaks down towards the end then picks back up again before closing and jumping into the next song. Then there’s “What if,” which asks “what if life were like the comics?” something I ask myself All. The. Time.

Another thing worth noting with NGU is how very ska the horns and rhythm are, but without hitting you over the head with it. I love how they find that balance of being THE MOST SKA but not at the same time. Some bands get classified as ska when they’re really just rock bands with horns. Backyard Superheroes are a ska band, and very much ok with that.

Overall I would say I prefer their previous album, Let’s Get Dangerous, but definitely enjoyed this one and can see myself getting more attached with repeated play-throughs. Listen for yourself, and see what you think. And while you’re at it, think about what your life would be like as a comic book, and leave a comment with what your super power would be. I definitely would want some telekinesis so I could move things from across the room that are too far away from me. Also, the possibility of being able to levitate myself is pretty cool.

Presenting: Narc Twain

You may have heard me talk about a band called “Jukebox the Ghost” here a few times. They’re one of my favorite bands and some of my favorite people of the musical persuasion. One of their members, Tommy Siegal, has two other projects he’s involved with. One is “Drunken Sufis,” who are weird but fun. There’s not much else to say there; you just have to experience it for yourself. The other band he’s in (and what I’m here to talk to you about) is “Narc Twain.” When I talked to Tommy about Narc Twain, he seemed real excited about them. It’s a little something to direct his creative energy towards when what is coming out doesn’t fit the mold for JtG or Sufis. Hearing him talk about it got me excited for him, so of course I’m also excited I now get to review the album and share it with all of you.

If you like dystopian rock tunes, this self-titled album should make it to the top of your list. It has some of the more interesting lyrics I’ve heard in awhile (and this is coming from someone who practically breathes punk rock). It’s not just the lyrics though; the instrumentation also takes some fun leaps and turns at points in the music. I found myself sitting with anticipation at where the songs would go next. There’s only 6 songs to soak in so far, but that should be good for a short trip. While I liked the album as a whole, I think track 3 was my favorite. The chorus is super catchy. It’ll be a nice earworm to knock out the Gogol Bordello song that’s been stuck in my head for a week now.

If this short little album isn’t enough for your hungry ears and brains, then perhaps you want to see them live and in person! Well then you should join me tonight at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn for their show tonight. (While you’re there check out the pizzeria that’s across the street; it’s one of my favorites). Get there early though, because you don’t want to miss any of the show! Doors are at 7pm, and the show starts at 8pm. Knitting usually has good pre-show happy hour deals to enjoy as well, for those who care about such things. Eat, drink, and be merry, and rock your dystopian hearts out with Narc Twain.

Backyard Superheroes – Let’s Get Dangerous

Before I begin I want to give some back story on this one. The ska scene (like many other scenes in the world) is a small place. Pretty much everybody knows everybody else. Since I’m dating a ska musician, it means that at least half the ska reviews I do are people I’m friends with or are on friendly terms with. So yeah, I’m a little biased. I was specifically told to give constructive criticism on this one though, and that’s what I’m gonna try my best to do here.

First thought with the intro (other than how much I love when bands do intros) is how it gives the album a big feel, like the band is getting a big introduction before they go play the hugest stage ever. When you think about it, that’s what happens when you put your music out into the universe these days. You are essentially jumping on a stage that the whole world can see, especially with the Internet as your major distribution platform. It makes me happy that these guys might not be headlining a stadium, but it definitely sounds like they put everything into the music they’re delivering to your eardrums.

Second thought, as I continue listening, is how tight everything sounds. The horns are ON POINT and all the songs seem to flow into each other really well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, folks: I love it when people make full albums and not just a bunch of songs that can be listened to on shuffle. I know that’s how a lot of people listen to music now, but I still like putting on an album and listening from start to finish. It makes me happy to see a band take the time to really think about song placement and how the album as a whole is going to flow.

I know a said I was going to try to give constructive criticism, but my only complaint is that the album is too short at 17 minutes long and flies by. I want more music! Still, this definitely got me pumped and made me want to go to one of their shows soon. If you feel the same way, you’re in luck! These guys are going on tour. You can find a complete list of tour dates on their Facebook page as well as ticket links to all the shows. And if you just want to listen to their music from the comfort of your own home (including this album) then Bandcamp is the place for you.

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!

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.

Via Audio – Natural Language

At first I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say about Via Audio’s most recent album, Natural Language, which was released March 25th of this year. I knew I liked it, but a review needs to be more than “me like-y, you buy now please”. While staring at the album cover it hit me… this album is prefect driving music for a road trip (or walking around music on a nice day). It’s got electronic sounds that somehow are both soothing and uplifting, which I can’t even describe how they achieve that bit of magnificence. That’s the problem I guess. See, I’m used to the kind of electronic/pop music that mentally places me at a dance club, not roaming around in nature. But that is what Natural Language achieves. I guess that just means the title fits… so take a break from the daily grind and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring with Via Audio.