Q87.7FM Presents.. Sick Puppies with 10 Years and Charming liars at the House of Blues, Chicago

The Venue: I’ve reviewed the House of Blues something like 9 times. Coming to the House of blues is like seeing an old friend after years. I hadn’t been their in a long while and it is far and away my favorite venue, if not my favorite place in Chicago period. It was a second home when I first started to go out to concerts on my own and it still feels like it.

Charming Liars (2/6): The instrumentation saved this band. The drum work was solid and the guitar work was pleasantly showy in places. Their sound was very much in keeping with the rest of the evening--bitter alt. rock with a slightly hardened edge. The frontman made a diligent effort to get the crowd pumped, but they were having none of it. Given that he took half the set to warm up and had a mediocre voice in the first place, it was understandable. The energy and edgy, bitter lyrics were enough to salvage the set, but on the whole they were sub-par.

10 Years (3.5/6):  10 Years was a very pleasant surprise. I’d heard these ages ago, and they didn’t make much of an impression then. It took me until they played “Fix Me”(their big radio song) to even recognize them they’d improved so much. 10 Years  has come a long way as a band. Their bassist is wonderful and has a striking look in addition to his wonderful talent. With, rippling shoulder and waist length dreadlocks and wild head banging, he had more presence than even  the front man. He also attacked the bass with a rare fervor that gave their sound extra fire.

Their drummer was solid as can be and even got a chance to show off a little with  a short solo. Their guitarist wasn’t half bad either.

Their vocals were interesting. On the one hand, their lead vocalist was really good and had a very distinctive sound that really meshed with their overall sound perfectly.
While he was very talented on the guitar, their screamer fell decidedly flat. If you’re going to take the scream-o angle, you need to really go hardcore. There is no middle ground for screamers. In addition to being a mediocre screamer, he had a horrible attitude. Even their front man seemed taken aback when he flat out insulted the  crowd.  He literally compared them to his excrement because they were a very subdued crowd.

That attitude almost made me regret purchasing the album. However, I support the rest of the band whole heartedly and wish them nothing but success.

Sick Puppies(warning, flash): (5/6): These guys have successfully earned the second highest rating I give out. They were absolutely fantastic as always. I was a little nervous about this show as their new album has some pretty serious style changes and is decidedly not sure of itself. I should have had more faith in them. Over the years they've grown from the first line of a four set show to a headliner. They’re a powerhouse of hard-edged rock seeded with inspiring ballads and wonderfully hopeful rock songs. Between Shim Moor’s wonderful vocal control and his brilliant dynamic with the audience, he was wonderful. his guitar work has dramatically improved and he is absolutely frantic on stage.
However, it is very obvious this band is a close-knit team, especially with Emma Emma Anzai’s popularity and her increased partition on the vocals. She has brilliant stage presence, outside of her warm, bell-like voice and her mean bass work. She is far and away the best bassist I’ve seen live.  She is also one of the very few bassets I’ve seen with such popularity among the fans. She is wonderfully gracious and vulnerable yet unbelievably strong. Her playing was the driving source of Sick Puppies’ set.
 I couldn’t talk about sick puppies without touching on their charismatic drummer, Mark Goodman. He is the good humored, subtle yet amazing heart beat of the band and his smile alone is just beautiful.
Overall they impressed yet again and it was a pleasure.

Another genre rant: Metal (part 1)

Metal is often seen by non- metalheads as a loud, angry genre with lots of screaming and not a lot of content.  And yes, metal deserves some of that reputation, however, it is also one of the most diverse, complex genres I’ve listened to. It’s sound ranges from symphonic to grinding  by way of disturbing*(Beware clown phobic people, contains creepy clowns!) and haunted. And thats just the very tip of the iceberg.

Ask three metal fans and they'll tell you three different ways to categorize metal and what sub-genres/bands count and do not count. This will provoke an impassioned debate that may or may not devolve into four letter words.

With all these differences, it is hard to find what makes metal metal. One could make the argue that it is the use of down tuned power cords, or the drum work that you can feel deep in your chest or even the signature growls that come with the genre.

To me all of these things are part of metal, and I could analyze them for the next millennium.  However, what makes metal what it is for me is the energy and tone.  Metal is often teaming with brooding, raw emotion. It is a hard genre. This emotion propels a primal energy that is a force unto itself.  Even in the symphonic metal or the softer songs, this energy is palpable. It’s obviously strongest live, in a good metal piece, it shows through like nothing else.
This energy is what defines metal.

*Yes, I am including nü metal, I know it’s contended, but In my view it has the same core tenants as other metal.

Wherein I Swear Gratuitously

Blog post *tomorrow* or late today. My dog is sick.
Some weeks I swear...

Tomorrow

My brain is a day off, new post tomorrow!

Hail To the King (Tour): Avenged Sevenfold with The Deftones at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL

Venue: I’ve reviewed the Allstate Arena before and it hasn't changed

The Deftones (2/6): I enjoyed the show immensely. There is always a pleasure in a band that takes you back into you childhood. Sadly, the front man’s voice has not aged well. Between  his voice cutting out and breaking on every high note and their needing to do the sound check on the fly, the show was lackluster. Once “My Summer (Shove It)” played. they woke up a lot, however they never got really good.

The vocals were downright bad. Twenty years of screaming into the microphone has not been kind to lead vocalists Chino Moreno’s vocal cords and it really shows. He had a lot of trouble with the whispery high notes he’s known for and definitely needed the autotune that is so common on the albums. In their case, autotune is a good thing and really first their song.

TO give credit where it is due, the guitar work was solid, but that was effectively the highlight.

Avenged Sevenfold(4.5/6): Avenged Sevenfold was utterly fantastic on stage.  They have really evolved as a band in the past five years. I feel like the death of their drummer James “The rev” Sullivan in ’09 really woke up their passion. They've  risen  from a good, if generic , alt-metal band to a band with fire and a brilliant command of the audience that will no doubt have staying power for many years to come

Front man, M. Shadows, has an intense presence and drive that commands attention. While not the most articulate of vocalist, his powerful, well-coordinated growl is both distinctive and surprisingly versatile. It felt right in both the slower song and the thrashing fast ones.  Shadows never stopped moving for the entire show. It wasn't the breathless running around many artists do. Fists pumping, Shadows strode from one side of the stage to the other the embodiment of power.

His versatile was highlighted when performing “Fiction,” in tribute to their late drummer. There is something about hear a hardened, fearless man’s voice shaking and crack during a song about losing a friend that really hits the listener’s heart. The performance really spoke well of Shadows as both an artist and a person.

Dueling guitarists, Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates, were both absolute powerhouses turning out  both brilliant solos and finger tearing duets they tore up the stage like wild animals with  devilish skill.

Drummer Arin Elljay was flawless. Two full drum sets is a lot to manage and Elljay had huge shoes to fill stepping in for Rev. But Elljay was a delicious madman on that stage with a wonderful sense of when to throw down an insane solo and when to keep the beat subtle.

I could not leave the review without commenting the screen work and the pyro. The effects have come a very long way over my lifetime and they were used with perfect sync to the music. Deafening explosions with frequent but not overdone blasts of exquisitely timed pyro from multiple sources on the stage, several set changes that happened without interruption and judicious use of cinematic but not distracting screen work made for a quite a show. 

Overall these guys killed it. 

Wednesdays

So, obviously I missed a wednesday or two.  I gotta be honest, depression is currently kicking my ass. I have a review coming up tomorrow/friday.

Sorry guys.

Music Weds: Catch Up Post

No armchair music theory this week. Catching up on reviews and the novel. More to come next week. In the meantime, have some reviews.

The Reviews:

Matchstick Men –Acoustic Grooves To Soothe The Soul–:(3.5/6 for the electric 4/6 for the acoustic)

The originals:

In the era of wavering voices, it is refreshing to hear a vocalist  who isn't  strictly  tenor but can still stretch into the tenor range without his voice breaking. The vocals do go a little flat, but that works with the overall sound. The background vocals work to round out the sound and serve to complement the lead vocals.

The guitar work is catchy and has a delightful grind to it, though I'm still not quite satisfied with the sound balance.

Overall, it was a good single

The acoustic versions:

I always brace myself for acoustic versions of any band’s songs as it really distils their sound, especially the vocals, and can bring out little problems that are not audible on the electronic versons.  Matchstick Men does a great job and avoids this problem.  Their acoustic numbers are, if anything, better than their electric stuff. I love the addition of the electric bass it makes the vocals shine and emphasizes the acoustic guitar work.  I'm delighted by the versatility of the lead singer’s voice and cannot wait to hear more.  The only complaint I have is that the guitar work is a little imprecise in places. However, I feel like that actually works with their overall sound.

Listen to Acoustic Grooves To Soothe The Soul in Full

Check out the original versions of the tracks

October Game––Balancing(4/6)

"I don't need your advice, i need your silence instead"

Defiant, confidant lyrics, oddly simple sound or how layered it actually is. Delightful bass work. THe lead singer’s throaty, ragged vocals flex within a low tenor range that is nested in a musical sound that combines industrial sensibilities with a hint of 80s flair. My only complaint about the vocals is that the vocalist pushes his sound a too hard in places.  Musically, my only issue is that the bass is a too tight and focused  in places.

At times the instrumentation is disorganized. If the music itself was simplified a fraction these guys would have a really spectacular sound.

Make no mistake, these guys are good, but I feel like there's more there. I would love to hear a live track from these guys.

Released tracks below:

"We Built This Wall To Destroy It" music video

"Beg Cycle" soundcloud: 

Traitors!–– Boys of the Double Cross EP––(2.5/6)

Traitors! are fun  and  have  a punk  core with a definitively British sound. The drum work is incredibly solid. However,  the vocals need to be honed to really cement the punk sound. I would encourage the lead to really go for broke in the punk sound and either blend in with the background vocals or completely stand out, right now it's somewhere in the middle and that doesn't work for their sound.  Boys of the Double Cross is  an average EP  and don't see a lot of potential in their music.

Video link for "We Build Towers"

Music Wednesdays: Concert Field Guide, part 1: Don’t be that guy.

I’ve been thinking about starting a little informal list of types of fans that are problematic and types of fans that I really love seeing out there as a part of my Concert 101 series.  So, here is my first entry.

This is not meant to be comprehensive, nor is it meant to offend. This is just something that I’ve observed in my 15+ years of concert going.

First Entry: The Scoffers and Complainers

The Bad:

The Ubërsnob: These are the people that started this entry. I have a much longer rant about them, but I don’t think it’s suited for this blog. I personally find them reprehensible and just plain obnoxious. Now, as a snob, I have no issues with people being fussy about their music, or even about the particular songs they like from a band. However, The Ubërsnob not only complains loudly about how the band used to be better or how this song is their worst song ever, but they also have the nerve to snub their fellow fans. Their reasons range from how the fans are dressed, to being excited about a particular song or not knowing enough about the band’s non-radio songs. They also have a habit of disliking their band’s increased popularity. 

Why they’re a problem: They bring down the mood and alienate new fans. They also tend not to shut up for the entire show. 

The Friend: This is someone who hast to take someone to a show they aren’t into or even actively dislike. Maybe the fan is their friend, or their SO, maybe it’s their little sibling who can’t drive yet. Taking someone to a show you don’t want to see isn’t inherently a bad thing; we’ve all been there. However, The Friend will moan, roll his/her eyes and generally throw a temper tantrum the entire show, they might also have some of the characteristics of a snob. They want to let every one know they are not happy to be there. Loudly.

Why they’re a problem: Like the snob they bring everyone down and probably also upset the person they brought, defeating the purpose of their coming in the first place. 

The Impatient Fan: This fan really just wants to hear one or two particular songs. Instead of just kicking back and enjoying the show or chilling at the bar, The Impatient Fan will huff, stomp their feet and throw little fits until the song they like plays, after which they invariably leave. They also announce the fact that they only like these two songs loudly and repeatedly.

If you’re this person, do us a favor and stay home. Usually the song you like is a single witch will be in the encore. If you must be there, stay in the back.

Why they’re a problem: They talk/ play on their phones the whole damn time. Bright lights and irritated voices do not make other fans happy.

The Ignorant Drunk The Ignorant Drunk is usually already three sheets to the wind before the show starts and loudly declares that he knows none of their songs, yet still tries to sing along and shouts random ‘clever’ things at the stage, usually particularly at female band members when they talk. The ignorant drunk finds himself or herself hilarious. 

Why they’re a problem: Do I even need to explain this one?

The Hater (of Slow Songs): Most bands have at least one song that is slower than the rest of their work. This song divides the crowd in half. One half is comprised of the people who love this song with every heartbeat and usually end up with tears streaming down their cheeks, singing along to every word. 

And then there are The Haters. These people talk through every. Single. Slow song. What’s worse about it is because slow songs are quieter everyone in the room can hear these loudmouths. And it’s usually not even important talk. If you don’t like a quitter song, please do us all a favor and just shut up. 

Why they’re a problem: their yammering kills the mood of the song completely. If I’m getting all emotional, the last thing I need to know about is that party you were at last night or what was on TV. Moreover, everyone can hear them. At least if someone is talking during a loud song, the music might drown them out.

The Good:

It’s important for me to say that there are also fans that I love. I’m not an ubërsnob, hell when it comes to my fellow fans; I’m not even a regular snob. I think of my fellow fans as family, I love nothing more than happily bonding over good music. There are certain fans that I have an even dearer affection for, I will be more than happy to put up with the odd faux-pas for these fans.

The First Timer: This is usually a fan that has every album, knows every word has on the shirt from the band and probably has a concert poster in a bag tucked under their seat or clutched in their hands. They are usually young and are ready to explode before the show even starts. 

Why I Love Them: The sheer amount of happiness that radiates from them. The excitement and the smiles.

The Incoherently happy: This is a big sister to the first timer. They might have seen the band 90 times by now and are just so stoked to do it again. And again. It doesn't matter; it doesn't even matter if they know the words to the songs. They are excited beyond measure and full of screams and cheers.

Why I Love Them: same as the first timers. They are happy and serve as a reminder that this is what music is really about. 

I think I’m done for today, I have to go do stupid responsible things now. 

Next entry in the Field Guide: Drunks

Dubstep Tangent (Electronic Music Rant, part 2)

Dubstep Tangent (electronic music rant, part 2)

I’m going to say something that might make a lot of people discount me as a critic because of how many people hate dubstep:

I like dubstep. It’s an innovative genre that employs unique sounds and incredible adaptability.

Some of my dubstep rant came in at the end of my Genre rant (part 1) but I’d like to expand on it here. I think this applies a lot to other electronic music as well, but I’ll stick to something I’m more familiar with for the moment.

To me dubstep is some of the purest music on the market today. Part of what makes music of any genre so strong is the sheer number of interpretations it can. This makes music incredibly personal. Music with lyrics, however, has a core to guide the listener. Words have meanings and those meanings may not always trigger the same feelings in every person, but there will be at least some commonalities. Lets look at the last verse of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.”
“If I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way.”

For anyone who’s heard this song, the lyrics alone are enough to give the listener chills. It is a simple piece at first glance. However, ask yourself. Is this verse saying that the singer has lost himself completely and that he is finally broken or that despite this loss he is going to “find a way?” And what does that entail?
The song does not explicitly answer these questions, but I guarantee anyone who cares about this song enough to look closely will answer both of those questions differently. However, you would be hard pressed to find someone who did not interpret this song as being about someone who has been broken by someone or something else.

(Personally, I fall with those who favor hope, but a lot of people fall with those who favor despair.)

Strip away the words. Instrumental work is much more open to interpretation than music with lyrics. Even classical pieces when taken out of context trigger lots of different responses. However, because of social conditioning, we know that certain components are supposed to trigger certain emotions. IF a song drops into a slow tempo and moves to a minor key, with predominantly strings, we know its supposed to be mournful, if a song goes into a major key and speeds up, throwing in brass and cymbals, we can assume victorious, swelling music.

But what happens when the instrumentation, and I do consider Midi Players, decks, and computers interments for this exercise uses sounds that have no precedent? How do you interpret the rippling pulse of a synthesizer? Is it the anxiety of someone running away or the exhilaration of victory? Is a sharp bass drop the sound fierce and determined or the sound of someone breaking in one sudden moment? With no other context save for what we hear, the listener has full control of his or her experience, despite the artist being the creator. Even if the artist has an emotion in mind, a song can feel completely different to a listener.
Because of it’s roots in EDM and Electronica, we can safely assume most Dubstep is designed to make you dance, but what do you feel when you hear the screeches and pulsing of something completely alien with no lyrics or tradition to guide you?

There are no universal answers to those questions. That is what dubstep is about.

Nine Inch Nails –Hesitation Marks—

5/6
I’ve been looking forward to this album since the release of  “Came Back Haunted.” One part vintage Nine Inch Nails, one part mind-warping innovation Hesitation Marks brings both an electronic tone and the grinding guitar that Nine Inch Nails does so well. Combine that with Trent’s gravely, sexy voice and you get an album that is exhaustingly hard-edged and wonderfully raw, despite the studio polish.

Vocalist and Nine Inch Nails’ mastermind, Trent Reznor worked with Atticus Ross on this album. Ross’ contributes an eerie layer of electronic sound that ripples beneath, the patter of drum work. Neatly stack some subtly distorted guitar work over this and it slowly shapes into a delightful totality of effect that makes the listener’s hair stand on end.

The meticulous precision of the layering and flawless blending in Hesitation Marks is pure genius. As background music, it is seamlessly cohesive. Up close it becomes an intensely complex, ornate masterpiece. The mixing is nothing short of perfection.

The vocals are, as always, deliciously raspy and dripping with pain. Reznor’s voice is distinctive and flawlessly articulate. He knows exactly how to use it to achieve whatever he sets out to achieve.

On the whole this album is innovative, yet familiar. It’s a treat for both fans of the harder industrial sound and the ambient electronic sound.

Single Review: Dearist "Get What You Want"

Over the years I've developed affection for small British bands. After reviewing a few, it seems they've gotten wind of me as well. I can't say I'm complaining. 

The former* front man of Kyoto Drive, Adam Binder contacted me with this little gem.  "Get What You Want" has a solid bass line that adds a punch to the passionate lyrics the musical variation within the song was really nice surprise, especially in a genre that is often very homogenous

4/6--Nice work guys. 

Here is where you can find the song itself and  you can buy the song here. I highly recommend it.

*According to the email Kyoto Drive is on a break, not broken up.

“I could do that”(No actually you couldn’t): Beginnings of the Electronic Music rant, pt. 1

My electronic music rant is forthcoming; I wanted to do a little research first. In the meantime, here’s a related rant.


I believe that every critic should try to compose music once or try his/her hand at learning an instrument. I’m not talking a casual effort. Actually try.

For my part, I sang for most of high school and I made an attempt to learn the flute (Don’t ask me why) as well as the guitar. I’ve also tried my hand at lyrics and very briefly at composing. I have also made a hobby of covering songs and hiding them on my computer where they will never, ever see the light of day.

Because of this, you will never hear me say, “I could write a better song than that/ play better than that.” Whenever I hear someone say that I have the exact same response.
“Bring it.”
And if you do, I’ll shut my mouth and buy you a drink.

I’d like you all to take a moment and get some good headphones or a good speaker, or at least the best you have. Sit down and listen to a song you think is really fantastic. Not just the lyrics, but the sounds that make up that song, weather it's a minimal acoustic number or an ornate piece of electronic music or anything else. I guarantee you’ll hear the song completely differently. Even with a simple pop song.

To prove my point, lets examine a random song from the top 100
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

Fairly simple song from the sound of it––it has a solid beat and catchy chorus.

Lets break it down:

The first thing we hear is the the drum work
Starts off simple enough, a strong, slightly distorted bass drum line, grows from there incorporating what sounds like an electric drum as well as a traditional drum kit.

While that’s happening we get a short guitar (two guitars, technically) intro, simple, not recurrent, but it launches the vocals

 Next we hear some subtle vocals, no lyrics yet, but the vocals and the electronic components start up right next to each other (for the record we are looking at four layers before the proper lyrics start

Now we actually get the vocals properly (layer 5) witch are meticulously tied back to the drum work and some keyboard work (6) that pins down the melody.
Finally,the harmonies round out the vocals (7)

And I’m not even diving into the subtelties of the song or the balancing of aformeitoned components.

For the record,  this is the first 58 seconds of the song. Less than a minute and there’s that much to a simple radio song. Radio songs have simple formulas and tend to follow age-old patterns. That is not to say they are bad, but they have a familiarity to them. Even with that formula there is complexity.

Arin, you say, I’m not saying I can write a rock song, that takes actual talent.. I’m saying I can do that “wub wub, beep, scree” stuff.
Looping back to last week’s entry, I should add a note. People riff on the ‘lyrics’ to dubstep and other electronic music because there aren’t traditional lyrics and what is there doesn't function the way we think it should.

It is very hard to put the components of electronic music into words because strictly speaking they tend to be the same instruments, but I encourage you to do a little exercise—consider this your homework. (I’ll go easy on you. Listen to, lets use an electronic music classic, Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster,” and just count the number of sounds, loops and so on that are present in that song and the variations thereon.
Take Notes, I’ll wait.
It will sound silly—you’re dealing with components that are alien to someone who listens to traditional instrumentation.

Even as a critic, here’s what my notes looked like:
First you get something that sounds like a car starting. Then two dueling sounds come in–– a lower, slightly more warped that because the backbone for the drum work, and a higher twangier one that becomes the backbone to the lyrics and the melody.
The lyrics are VERY simple. They are the same words over and over, but they become wholly different elements with wholly different feelings over the course of the song because of how they are tuned or warped.

Now pull out your computer and download or open a music composing program (ther are ones online that are free) Just try to duplicate that sound, let alone make your own.

Now go back and listen again. Not so simple is it?

What We Talk About When We Talk About Genre.

When I was growing up, alternative rock and grunge were really hitting their strides. Gravely voices and down-tuned guitars were familiar radio fixtures. From that, music lovers of my generation gained a strong aversion to pop music, but I am hard-pressed to get a really solid reason out of people beyond “it’s dumb.”
I admit I had this same aversion growing up until a few pop songs leaked in to my repertoire during high school.

Let’s look at a few the criteria for the alternative rock in the mid 90s through today:

1. Heavy use of guitars, and bass.
2. Minimal, if any, use of synthesizers and electronic elements. *
3. Often motivational, strong lyrics designed to be provocative
4. More focused vocals—usually only one lead vocalist.

Conversely, let's look at pop in the 90s and forward.

1. Light, if any guitar work, almost no bass work.
2. Heavy use of synthesized sound.
3. Simplistic, accessible lyrics designed to make the listener feel good and/or dance.
4. Use of simple harmonies.

If the the criteria of alternative rock songs are applied to a pop song, then of course the listener is going miss the powerful lyrics, or the deep bass. The manufactured feel will come across trite and shallow.  Conversely, if the listener was raised on pop music, the gravelly voices might great on their ears, or the bass might feel physically uncomfortable.
However, if one takes a moment to hold these genres to their own standards, a lot more music suddenly sounds good. Example, Backstreet Boys don't make good rock songs. The music is too simplistic and the lyrics are two-dimensional. However, they make fantastic pop music, their harmonies, while simple, are very strong and and their beats are incredibly easy to dance to.

Conversely, 90s Alt rock classic The Goo Goo Dolls, would make a terrible pop band. No harmonies to speak of, one of the vocalists sounds a bit like a gremlin (which is part of h is charm from my end) and the heavy guitar work almost drowns out the vocals on some songs. However, they are an amazing alternative rock band. Innovative guitar tunings are combined with killer vocals and passionate, evocative lyrics to make a perfect storm. The lead vocalist also stands out brilliantly.

This is why I take issue with genre biases. I would have missed out on a fabulous show if I’d turned my nose up at pop music this past summer. I don’t even know how many rock shows I went to, that I would have missed if I’d turned my nose up at them.

Pop and alternative rock aren’t the only genres that face this problem. Time and again, I have to rationalize my love of certain less popular genres and explain what makes them innovative and powerful to me. This dialogue is part of what makes music so wonderful; everyone has an opinion, a pet song, or genre, and often takes if very personally if their music is insulted.

However, you can’t listen to the same thing every day and expect to have new music fall in your lap. It is imperative to sniff out the things that make you itchy and maybe listen to some songs that are just plain bad in order to find things that really speak to you as a listener. The more you grow as a fan, the more you sniff, the more unexpectedly wonderful things you'll find. In the era of YouTube and Spotify, there is literally nothing to lose other than time and the odd brain cell and there are literally thousands of songs to gain.

In short, keep your favorites close, but keep your ears sharp, you never know what you’ll run into.

Next topic: Dubstep and Innovation.

*for the purposes of this piece I don’t mean things like electric guitars and basses,  that's a given in non-acoustic music,  here I am referring to  things that are computerized and/or completely digital.

Music Wednesday/Announcement

In the sprit of updating this bad boy more regularly, I've decided to start updating every Wednesday in addition to my usual updates when there are concerts or albums these will include, but are not limited to the following areas

• Musings, rants and other thoughts on Music and related topics
• News and news related commentary
• Top5 or ten type lists
• Catch up––things that I’ve missed reviewing for whatever reason
• Youtube gems––both in the good and the really bad.
• Single/ song of the week reviews
• Blog updates/news/notes

In the sprit of this, here’s an explanation of my ranking system

First the basic numbers, I use a one through six system

1. You have to work to earn a one. I would hesitate to call bands/albums that earn this rank music.
2. Bad, but tolerable.
3. Fair, not bad, or good, just right in the middle.
4. Good, it’s the bottom end of the good ranking
5. Great. You have to work for a five. Five used to be my top ranking before a band blew the roof off of my system.
6. Phenomenal, beyond anything else I've heard. I've given fours or fives to most of my top ten bands. You have to be spectacular for this.I rate bands on different criteria depending on genre (see upcoming rant on genre), the band’s progression and, in the case of a live show, the quality of the sound system in the venue. I’m not going to fault a band for the venue having a bad sound system, but I will call them out on poorly tuned instruments. There are a few basics, however, that most of what I review is judged by.

• Instrumentation—how well tuned are the instruments?, how precise are they  and how complex/innovative they are while respecting the genre?
• Vocal quality (If there are vocals)–– Is the singer enunciating, do his vocals fit the song? Do the vocals keep in time with the song?
• Balance: Do the instruments and vocals mesh well  (Or are they pleasantly dissonant)? Is one instrument out preforming the others?
• Recording quality(on albums): While this isn’t entirely the band’s fault I still hold them accountable for what they put their name on.
• Have they improved since their last album/show?(if there was one) Are they innovating or stagnating as a band? While this is a hard one, I don’t feel it's fair to put, for example, a really young band’s first album up against a seasoned band’s fourth album.
• Not a criterion per se, but I should throw in that I review bands based on the sound, performance and/or album, not the band itself. It’s not personal.

There are tons more criteria, but these are some basic components of what I look at.

Album Review: Sick Puppies --Connect--

(3.5/6)
Lead Vocalist, Shimmon Moor, has always had a sexy voice that is frank and rugged. On past albums, his very solid, aggressive tenor range gave the songs a hopeful tone.  On Connect More demonstrates his low sexually charged range. When he strikes a passionate note his voice becomes a velvet and steel growl that really brings an edge to his work.

Bassist Emma Anzai takes a few tentative steps into the limelight on this album. Her  wicked talent that hasn't been seen in years she dominates the low end of everything she plays on. She has been dubbed the female ‘Flea.’ On Connect we hear of her whispery, alto voice.. Looking at her with jet black, shaggy edged hair wielding the bass like a weapon you'd expect a Joan Jett fearsome voice. On the contrary, her voice is soft and smooth and complements Moor’s velvety sound perfectly. She still sounds shy as she’s ever been, but on Connect, we start to hear a little more bravery. I have every confidence that once she relaxes into the role she will explode.

Mark Goodwin’s drum work is the rope that ties the album together; it is both subtle and consistent.

The lyrics are, as always, wonderfully provocative and sharp. Where things fall apart is  in the delivery. I expected their passionate, die-trying attitude, and was met with something that fell just shy of it in many of the songs. I feel like part of their problem is that the band is feeling around stylistically. They need to regroup and hone their sound.

From an overall album standpoint, the album is really hit or miss. There are some fantastic songs on Connect, but there are also several that are stylistically clumsy and don't seem to fit on the album. However, there is an overproduced tone that permeates the album
That being said, I feel that the solid songs out weigh the unsteady ones.

Overall a solid, not amazing album, especially when held up against their previous works. I liked it, but it wasn't as magical.

Everybody's Talking: Neon Trees at Taste of Chicago (Grant Park)

Grant Park: (3/6) With it’s stellar view of Lake Michigan and  the majestic Buckingham Fountain adoring it, Grant park is beautiful. However, it makes terrible festival grounds. Grant Park has some of the worst traffic flow I've ever seen. There are no paths and the grounds sprawl over multi-block section of Columbus Drive. The Park’s propensity toward attracting multi-stage events make for a nigh impossible to navigate mess.

The Petrillo Music Shell Pavilion(The Stage):  (4/6The sound was surprisingly good for an outdoor stage, I was impressed. It loses points for being in direct sunlight to the point of making it hard to see the stage.

Neon Trees(4/6):

What continues to impress me about this little band is how far they've come. The first time I saw them live I completely wrote them off, they had a terrible live show. Every show of theirs I’ve seen has been better than the last. They've also become a much more cohesive band with a smoother dynamic.

Vocalist, Tyler Glenn is beyond energetic with a style reminiscent of both Freddie Mercury and Billy Idol. Loud in both personality and style Glenn is boldly himself. He has learned to harness and control the chaotic energy that radiates from him. Glenn has also learned to really work with his drummer Elaine Bradley

Bradley is a great drummer and her work coupled with Branden Campbell’s wonderful slap bass, give Glenn’s tenor vocals a wonderful backbone that really makes the music come to life.

Overall, I'm very impressed with Neon Trees’ progress as a band; I cannot wait to see what they do next.