The Raconteurs - Together

The Raconteurs formed in 2005 and like most Jack White projects, was formed in Detroit. Aside from Jack White (from The White Stripes) the band also includes Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Their first full length album "Broken Boy Soldiers" would lead to a few Grammy Award nominations including Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance. The records single "Steady, As She Goes" would eventually become number one in the U.S. alternative charts, and become their biggest hit.

Because Jack White is involved, the band probably got more attention then they would have otherwise. Which isn't a bad thing. The entire album makes me think that this is what The White Stripes would sound like if they went to a music academy when they were younger. Instead of reckless raw power, The Raconteurs present a more refined controlled version of a rock band. There is still a lot of power behind the music but it doesn't feel like the songs are running out of control.

Which is kind of the problem that I have with the album. With the amount of control the musicians have while playing, it kind of takes away from the energy that could be released. It almost sounds to me like the band had played the songs so many times before recording the album, that they had become bored with the songs they were playing. The first four songs are perfect examples of what could have been. "Steady, As She Goes", "Hands", "Broken Boy Soldiers" and "Intimate Secretary" all have very powerful guitar riffs supported by a constant back beat. Musically the songs sound great. I just can't help but feel like they were holding back for some reason.

The song I decided to upload was "Together". I think this track is unique in the sense that Jack White probably should have stayed off the vocals. With a slower and quieter almost ballad type of song, his voice cuts through it and almost ruins the melody. It just doesn't seem to work. It might just because my brain seems to equate his voice to a more intensive kind of rock music, but that might be my problem. However, I think after a few listens of the album, "Together" is probably my favourite track. It doesn't try to act like something it isn't, it's a rock lullaby. "Call It A Day" is a similar example that Jack White's voice isn't really made for slower tempo songs. Although he does do a much better job of harmonizing with "Call It A Day".

The only other tracks on the album that I would say are worth listening to on the album are "Store Bought Bones" and "Blue Veins". "Store Bought Bones" actually gets very close to how I think the entire album should sound. It feels like they enjoyed playing it and it shows potential for what could have been. "Blue Veins" is a very Blues themed track. It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album but as a stand alone track it is wonderful.

Even though I kind of shit on the album in the past couple paragraphs, I do like this album. Could it be better? Sure. Does it need to be? Not really. It really comes down to personal preference on an album like this one. If you like albums that sound like they were recorded in a studio, this album is definately for you. If you prefer your rock music to be a little bit wild, I would say download the singles. Overall I would probably give the album somewhere between a 70-75/100 rating. It's a good record, but it seems like the potential for an awesome album was missed.

Buy it here though:

http://www.amazon.ca/Broken-Boy-Soldiers-Raconteurs/dp/B000F48CD8

or here:

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/broken-boy-soldiers/id276567248

DANGERDOOM - The Mask ft. Ghostface Killah

Prepare for a double dose of DOOM. Also featuring a few side orders of Ghostface Killah.

Originally I was just going to upload one song this week. The problem was that the DOOMSTARKS (The project name for DOOM+Ghost) album is just the same song, four times. I'll get to that album eventually, but for now I'll give you some backstory on DANGERDOOM.

DANGERDOOM is a collaboration from producer Danger Mouse and rapper MF DOOM. After working together on other artists albums (ex. Gorillaz "Demon Days"), they decided to make an album together. So in 2005 they released "The Mouse & The Mask". Which got some critical acclaim, most notably winning a Independent Music Award for Best Hip Hop Album of the Year.

What makes the album so interesting is the involvement of the television group [adultswim]. In between tracks there are short skits performed by characters from their programming block. Some of the funnier moments come from a recurring skit where Master Shake from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" becomes progressivly angrier at DOOM for not including his rapping on the album. Other Shows that are included and/or mentioned on the album are: Family Guy, Futurama, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Perfect Hair Forever. If you've never heard of any of these shows, take a quick second and enjoy some bizarre animation. [adultswim] I look at the record as an experiment in advertising and double entendres, with some hilarious results.

"El Chupa Nibre" is the opening track and is a wonderful example of some of the humour that is provided by the skits. The first line you hear on the album is from Brak (Space Ghost Coast to Coast). He opens the album by asking: "Why did you buy this album? I don't know why you did. You're stupid." Which is followed by Lois Griffin from Family Guy telling Brak to "Go Fuck Yourself". The track is fairly short and is what could probably be considered an introduction to what's going to happen on the album. Which is essentially trying to make a humorous album that includes as many references to the [adultswim] programming.

"Sofa King" follows and is one of the best uses of word play on the entire album. Which makes sense considering the skit that opens and closes the song has an immigrant trying to get the Aqua Teen Hunger Force cast to say "I am Sofa King, We Todd Ed" fast enough that it sounds like they are saying "I am So Fucking Retarded". My favourite part of the song goes:

"Keep your streets. We got the city neatly conquered.

Discreetly with the CD, till' they be completely bonkered!

The fans demanded it, handle it, swallow it,

his own brand of shit, if only he could bottle it...

Nah, things could get messy.

Feds try to torture him for the secret recipe."

I decided to upload "The Mask"because it sort of acts as an origin story for the DOOMSTARKS album that will hopefully be coming out later this year. As you'll hear, the combination of the two really does make them some of the best rappers on the planet. Or as they put it, "superheroes for life until our souls vanish."

"Perfect Hair" is almost literally a description of the show Perfect Hair Forever. So I'm going to skip over it completely. If you don't know anything about the show, it just seems like a bunch of gibberish. Upon further review, it's actually kinda funny.

"Benzie Box" is a favourite song of mine. Not for any specific lyric, but because of the contrast between Cee - Lo Green singing the chorus and DOOM rhyming through the verses. Having the soothing soulful voice in between DOOM's grittier sounding voice is a stoke of genius. Especially at the start of the second verse:

<Cee - Lo>

"His name's DOOM.

They wonder just who is he?

But don't worry, believe me he'll get busy.

When it comes to poetry he's got plenty.

La la la

La la la la la."

<DOOM>

"Eh, if I may interject?

Rap these days is like a pain up in my neck."

"Old School" features Talib Kweli and is probably the most catchy song from the album. It has both Kweli and DOOM looking back at their childhoods and the cartoons they used to watch. with Kweli claiming:

"I might be buggin, but it seem to me,

that cartoons be realer than reality TV.

They inspire my decision to be open and listen,

but fools got it all twisted, like a yoga position."

I'm only half way into the album and I feel like I could talk about it forever. So to save your time and mine, I'm just going to tell you to buy the album. Even though the album is essentially a giant ad for [adultswim], it's still one of the better rap albums of the past decade. Even though DOOM is referring to television shows, some of the lyrics can clearly be seen as a statement of rap music today. Personally, I think he should be included in the top ten on any list involving rap or hip hop. Pretty much any album I have that involves DOOM in a major way, gets a score around 90/100. You don't have to take my word for it though. Here's Mos Def.

Buy it here:

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/danger-doom/id271949594

This brings me to the second upload for the week. This is a single that was released in July of 2011 to promote a complete album that both DOOM and Ghostface have been working on since 2007. The release date of the full length album still hasn't been announced. Hopefully it gets the okay soon, because the single sounds amazing. I decided to upload the Madlib Remix because I like it better. I hope you enjoy it too.

Feel free to buy it here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/victory-laps-ep/id449757370

The Black Lips - It Feels Alright

The Black Lips formed in 1999 in Dunwoody Georgia. Current members include Cole Alexander, Jared Swilley, Ian Saint Pe and Joe Bradly. This is their forth album, "Good Bad Not Evil" which was released in September 2007.

The Black Lips sound a lot like The Kinks. The major influences are pretty obvious.

The album opens with two songs that set the tone for the album. The first song is called "I Saw a Ghost". The guitar riffs on this track kind of remind me of a sort of psychedelic rockabilly. The fairly medium tempo song is a good setup for the up tempo follower. The second track "O Katrina" has the band begging, "Oh no whys it gotta be me." Considering the release date of the album, I have to assume that the Katrina they are referencing is Hurricane Katrina. Watching the horror as it appears on television and asking: "Oh Katrina why you gotta be mean?"

The third track on the album sticks out like a sore thumb. "Veni Vidi Vici" is probably the most well know song from the album. It was used in a cell phone commercial. I think it was Virgin Mobile. (I found it.)Which is actually kind of amusing. I never would of thought that a company would use a song that suggests religion will be the cause of World War 3, to sell phones. Especially in the United States. I think I'm sick of the song because of hearing it so much, but it just doesn't seem to fit the rest of the album.

The song I decided to upload was "It Feels Alright". A song about Karma, the main message being "Think twice before you roll the dice". Take a listen, a majority of the album sounds a lot like this one. Also if you're in the right mood, it's catchy as hell.

The next couple of songs are what could vaguely be called love songs. "Navajo" is  about a Indian girl who stole the boys heart, and all the wonderful times they had together. Then the chorus hits and a list of possible tribes commences. They love her, but aren't quite sure what tribe she belongs too. Good thing it doesn't matter. "Lock and Key" is about a love affair between a interracial couple that needs to stay secret because of the town in which they reside. The final line serves as a warning to the other if they get caught: "When I'm shunned, you're mute. Stop making sound".

If "Veni Vidi Vici" was the pure psychedelic track on the album, "How Do You Tell A Child That Someone Has Died" is the pure rockabilly song. Actually, it goes past rockabilly and becomes country music. Unfortunately, its the depressing form of country music. It even has the cliche guitar twang that annoys the hell out of me.

Luckily, the album returns to form afterwards. "Bad Kids" was a close runner up as far as posting to the blog goes. The rest of the albums sound stays fairly constant, but nothing really stands out.

I really do like this album, because it gives you an old style of rock with a slightly modern twist. As much as I don't really want every song on an album to sound exactly the same, GIANT leaps from a formula can make it seem sort of chaotic. That's the only real problem that I have with the album. I guess it would warrant somewhere around a 78/100. This album kind of became a mainstream breakthrough for them, so hopefully they improve more on following albums. (They released another album in 2009, but I haven't heard it in it's entirety. So no judgement yet.)

Buy the album here:

http://www.amazon.ca/Good-Bad-Evil-Black-Lips/dp/B000UE64TC

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/good-bad-not-evil/id263050989

http://www.viceland.com/vicerecords/store_black_lips.php

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Runaway

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a trio of musicians from New York City that began playing music together way back in 2000. Karen O spearheads the group that also includes Nick Zinner on guitar and Brian Chase on drums. "It's Blitz" is their third full length album and was released in March 2009. It would eventually land a spot in the "Top 10 Albums of the Year" charts from various publications around the world. It would also receive a Grammy nomination for the Best Alternative Album of 2009.

The record opens with what would eventually become it's biggest single, "Zero". A song that to me seems to be at least a little bit inspirational with a dash of sex in a chorus that states:

"Your a zero, what's your name? No ones gonna ask you,

better find out where they want you to go.

Try and hit the spot, get to know it in the dark.

Get to know it whether your crying, crying, crying. Oh oh

You better climb, climb, climb.

Higher."

I heard in an interview with the band where they state that this album would be best described as glam rock murder on the dance floor. The next track is the best example of that statement. "Heads Will Roll" is a wonderful mix of electronic synths and a driving guitar riff that literally makes you want to get up and dance. Plus the music video has a werewolf version of Michael Jackson dancing through the London underground. Well, until it goes berserk and kills everyone.

The following four tracks (Soft Shock, Skeletons, Dull Life and Shame & Fortune) showcase the growth of the group over their previous releases. They no longer pound out power chords, instead favouring a more melodic rhythm to carry the album. Deciding to showcase the actual range of musicianship over trying to get a hit single works beautifully. Then, just as it seems like they're about to revert to their old style with "Shame and Fortune", you get "Runaway".

I decided to upload "Runaway" to try and illustrate my point. Instead of making a Top 40 hit, the true musicianship shines through. A lonely piano is eventually joined by vocals, then an entire string section, and then finally the percussion section kicks in and we're off on a musical journey. I can't help but see a slow motion war montage in my minds eye as this song plays out. It seems to me that it would be the perfect track to fill the climactic battle in some sort of war/history film.

A lot of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs play list of songs are centred around love. "Dragon Queen" and Hysteric follow that theme. "Dragon Queen" however is more about heartbreak and dealing with that by going out partying to spite the ex-lover. "Hysteric" was a close second as far as uploading goes. This is probably their sweetest love song since "Maps". The chorus says it all:

"Flow sweetly, hang heavy.

You suddenly complete me.

You suddenly complete me."

The song "Little Shadow" closes out the album, and it took some digging to find out what the song was about. As it turns out, the shadow that is mentioned in the song was a cat the band used to have. That's right. They end the album with a song about a dead cat. Odd, but I like it.

I'll give the album a super strong 87/100 rating. This album has a strong orchestral sound that helps power the love song beauty better than any previous power chord ever could. 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Kool Haus. Toronto ON, Canada. August 4th 2009

Also, they are the best act you will ever see live. Period.

Now go buy the album.

Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Blitz-Yeah-Yeahs/dp/B001UJIMF0

or the iTunes deluxe version, which has a few bonus tracks.

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/its-blitz!-deluxe-edition/id306825814

The Diabolical Biz Markie - Check It Out

Remember when rap or hip hop wasn't about killing people, doing drugs and sleeping with numerous amounts of women? It's been a while since this kind of hip hop was popular. 1989 to be specific. Shortly after that, groups like NWA and Public Enemy become global phenomenon's and changed the rap game forever.

Now, let me introduce you to the clown prince of hip hop. The Diabolical Biz Markie. The Biz was born in April 1964 in New Jersey. Most well known for the track "Just A Friend", Biz Markie is also known for his collaborations with The Beastie Boys and Big Daddy Kane. Although his music career began to cool off in the early nineties, he has made a name for himself acting in movies like Men In Black 2, and doing voice over work for video games and television shows. In 2008 Biz Markie toured with Chris Rock, acting as an opener for the No Apologies tour. Apparently, The Biz Never Sleeps.

The album opens up with "Dedications", which is fairly self explanatory. The dedications range from God to family, friends and agents etc. The track kinda drags on considering it's really just a list put to a slow beat.

Track number two is the track I decided to record and post here. It just seems so odd by comparison to what you're used to hearing today. Not only does he tell kids to stay in school, but he also advises them to avoid drugs and drug dealers. It just seems so odd.  Come to think of it, he only uses profanity once throughout the entire album.

The next two songs are out of the ordinary as well. "The Dragon" simply refers to bad hygiene. Biz goes over what you should do to avoid smelling bad, as well as how to inform your friends that they smell bad. It's actually kind of a low point on the album considering the talent that Biz Markie has."Spring Again" follows the exploits of various characters finding love at the end of winter. All while warning both sexes not to fall into traps by the opposite sex. 

"Just A Friend" is Biz Markie's biggest hit. In 2008 VH1 ranked it as number 100 on a list of the top 100 hip hop songs of all time. The main theme is simply "don't trust a girl who says she only has a friend" as opposed to a boyfriend. Besides being a wonderful song, the music video is probably one of the funniest videos not made by Weird Al. Some of the "Your Mama" jokes at the start still make me laugh. Watch it here: Biz Markie - Just A Friend

After "Just A Friend", there are only three other tracks that stand out to me. "Mudd Foot" is kind of a rap version of "The Twist". Biz Markie says that he isn't going to rhyme over the track so that you can dance to it and then he lets the DJ get to work. The problem is that he never actually describes how to do the Mudd Foot. So just do whatever you want to do I guess. "A Thing Named Kim" is a pretty brave song considering when the album was released. It follows Biz Markie going to a club and picking up a girl to take home. To his horror he finds out that the "girl" he takes home is a transvestite. The exact quote is "she's a he and her's a him." It made me laugh. "My Man Rich" is a dedication to a friend who ends up in jail for dealing drugs on Long Island. He describes Rich as an honourable guy who provided for his family, girlfriend and friends. A guy that just wants to make sure his family comfortable. A wonderful song.

It's really hard to rate this album because it sounds so different from everything else that's on the radio today. I think the main problem with the album that the strength of the tracks on this album are weak in comparison to his other albums. That being said, the good songs are really good and fun to listen too. I think I may have to give it a 75/100. Unfortunately, the lows on the album make it seem kind of average, instead of being amazing.

Still, buy it here:

http://www.amazon.ca/Biz-Never-Sleeps-Markie/dp/B0000010EL

The White Stripes - Blue Orchid

If you don't know who The White Stripes are, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Take a second and listen to one of the best musical duos of (at the very least) the past half century.

"Under Great White Northern Lights" is a live album that was released on March 15th 2010 and was accompanied in a box set with a DVD documentary. The DVD chronicles the 2007 White Stripes tour of Canada where they visited every province and territory in the country. In addition to having a major show in the cities, there was usually a smaller acoustic set that they would play in smaller towns or suburbs. Standouts for me are when they play the bowling alley and the public transit bus.

The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2009 as a build up to the release of the album. It ended up being on of their last albums, as the group officially split up in February of 2011. The box set ended up winning a Grammy Award in 2010.

Having Scottish roots, it's always wonderful to hear bagpipes. Which is exactly how the album begins at the beginning of "Lets Shake Hands", which eventually gets ripped to shreds by Jack Whites guitar. Being a live album, it has some of the improvisation in between songs that you would expect from a live show. Because each song is taken from a different show however, it doesn't always flow together perfectly. Which was my only real problem with the entire album. At some points the improvisation ends up just sounding like feedback in between the songs which does nothing more than hurt your ears. When it comes down to it I would rather hear a crowd cheering, over feedback from a guitar.

That being said, the songs are preformed beautifully. The song that I chose to record was "Blue Orchid". Besides being one of my favourite songs by The White Stripes, you can hear the crowd at times screaming and generally having a good time. Plus the song (like most of the album) actually sounds better in this live recording, than it did on the original polished studio version. That might just be a personal preference of mine though. I prefer bands that sound as good, if not better than the albums they release. There is just something about a live performance that throws more energy into the recording, in comparison to a polished studio version.

Other standout tracks include "Jolene", "We Are Going To Be Friends" and Fell In Love With A Girl". When the White Stripes covered the Dolly Parton single "Jolene" they essentially stole the song from her forever. Having Jack White sing about this mystery lady Jolene completely changes the meaning and direction and makes it a entirely new song. So maybe stealing isn't the right term to use, but it's definitely making it their own. "We Are Going To Be Friends" is a special song on the album for the mere fact that it's entirely acoustic. On an album that is loud and filled with distorted guitar riffs, the acoustic "time-out" becomes all the more special. "Fell In Love With A Girl" is the song that made the band famous. It was fast and strong. In this version they play it as a song that is longer and more rhythmic, which slowly builds towards the chorus. Once the chorus hits, the band goes completely silent and the crowd sings by themselves. It's wonderfully unique and helps to lead you towards the end of the album.

The album closes out with " Seven Nation Army", which has been their biggest hit to date. It starts with the band getting the audience to clap in time which turns into the opening power chords of the song. At different parts of the song there are brief sing along parts for the crowd (who oblige instantly)  and keep the song rolling. Eventually towards the end of the song the guitar and drums build until there is nothing but noise. That all drops to leave Jack White playing with the distortion feedback to close out the album.

Overall I would probably give the album a total of around 85/100. I would have to say that if you enjoy live performances or live recordings more than studio produced pieces, this is definitely for you. The imperfections on this album are the same thing that make the album reach perfection. Plus it's good rock music. So go out and buy it already.

Buy it here:

http://whitestripes.kungfustore.com/categories/53-music

or here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/under-great-white-northern/id355609179

Japandroids - For The Love of Ivy

I realise I'm technically a day late with this post. The last two were both posted on a Tuesday. However, it's not like anyone actually reads this anyway.

I know Japandroids aren't  necessarily the most well know band in the world, so here's a little back story on them. (copy & pasted from Wikipedia)

"Japandroids is a Canadian rock duo from Vancouver, British Columbia.^[2] The group consists of Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals). Formed in 2006, Japandroids rose to prominence in 2009 following the release of their debut album Post-Nothing. The group toured extensively throughout 2009–2010, earning praise for their energetic live performances."

So let's get this review underway. First off, listening to the entire album makes me really want to see them live. I'm sure that the power that they would hit you with would be similar to standing in front of a jet engine at full blast.

All of the tracks on the album are more or less what would likely be considered "anthem-type" song style. A fairly short verse followed by a shout along chorus. That's not an insult though, don't get it twisted. This isn't a record that you put on when you want to relax. Everything is high energy and deserves to be played loud. It's more suited for a party with friends on a long weekend. Come to think of it, the album even opens and closes with the sound of fireworks going off. So happy Canada Day/Independence Day to you.

I was looking online, and some people are saying that this is just an angst filled album with loud guitars. Which is fair I suppose. Honestly though, I like it. In a musical landscape full of irony and dishonesty, it's nice to hear a band that seems to actually believe what they're singing about.

The song I decided to take from the album was "For The Love of Ivy", which is actually a cover song. Have fun with it, this is one of the slower songs.

I have to think that if you took The Black Keys and removed the blues and replaced it with punk, you would get Japandroids.

I guess I need to give it a rating. I need to come up with a new system. Metacritic gave it 85/100. I wouldn't go quite that high. Maybe an 80? Which translates to my old system as a 4/5 stars.

So ya. I'll stick with 80/100.

Why do I keep doing this? I suck at it.

Remember to play it loud.

Buy "Celebration Rock" here:

http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/store/index.php?listID=181

or here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/celebration-rock/id527058833