Week 3

Richie Victorino

Artist: Flaming Lips
Album: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Comments: I really like concept albums, which bands like Pink Floyd, Boston and MoodyBlues mastered. So that gives this album points from me. But I also welcomewith open arms the marriage of well-placed technology with traditional rockmusic, (think Beck, Radiohead , beastie boys sometimes...) There's a lot of music out there now that I think goes over the edge with loud obnoxiousnoises or too too too too too m uch technology. Technology is here to stay,so rock purists shouldn't shy away from it, I mean the beatles were dabblingin that shit too.. it's a great sound and Flaming Lips does it quitewell - Track 3, Yoshimi part 1.. is just fucking awesome.

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Adam Fleishman

Artist: Vertical Horizon
Album: Everything You Want

Comments: A few notes about this album. The first and foremost is that it is very very cheesy. You probably should not even tell people that you listen to it/own it. It's not for daily listening as well, only specail occasions when you cant remember the songs but the melody comes back to you like a familiar face. The less you listen to it, the better the impact is when you need it. A dirty little cd secret if you will...NOW...The reason why you should listen to this album. I have found that it is without a doubt the easiest driving cd ever!!! It's so easy to listen to and not pay attention to it that you just cruise down the highway making great time for wherever your going. It's a fantastic long road trip listener and the songs keep a good constant flow. The whole cd is filled with melodies that are just meant to drive to. The sound is a good rock vibe with catchy riffs and good airness quality. No, I can't tell you one member of this band's name...but I can say that if I'm driving for a long time, this cd rocks! p.s. Their 2nd cd is more of the same as well.

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Dan MacCarthy

Album: Stevie Wonder
Artist: Fullfillingness First Finale

Comments: I don't note much on here, but if those that suscribe to the previous listing with any interest, allow me to add one footnote: If VH is the route you're going, don't overlook the bands Magnum Opus - Live Stages. Hands down the greatest piece of work the band has produced to date.

Alright you sots, here goes:
I normally stray from these sorts of things, as they get too time consuming to do right, and even then you feel like you've cheated yourself and others from just farting something out for its own sake, but in any case here's my quick bit. I just tried to post it on the blog, but I report: the Blog has defeated me.

This, as they say, is precisely the stuff.

Picture you Stevie Wonder. Already coming to your own after departing from the formulaic Motown school of production (singles and one-hits being the focus of any given group) and having been recoginized for giving rise to the "concept album", wherein the entire album had a singular message from track one to done and should be listened to as such to get the point; what, with albums such as Music of my Mind, Talking Book, and the glorious and tireless Innervisions paving the way and changing the face of modern music as we knew it then, and know it now.

Now picture you Stevie Wonder, on tour, and while sleeping on your tour bus you hear an odd noise. Unintelligible. Sounds like a monitor beeping. A dream, perhaps? No. The sound is of the EKG monitor stabilizing your breathing while you slowly wake from your coma. The coma, that you slipped into last week after a logging truck lost one of its parcel and sent a careening tree smashing rudely through your tour bus as you slept, landing on your face, shattering your cheekbones and knocking out your sense of smell. Which, as we all know, is linked to your sense of taste.

Now, picture all this - creating your legened through a blind demeanor and superior talent - and now picture setting out to create an album running on two of the five senses. Now picture Fulfillingness First Finale - perhaps my favorite and easily one of the two best albums the man ever produced. From the whimsical and preachy "10 Zillion Miles Away" to the politically charged "You Haven't Done Nuthin'", which was written for and delivered to that diseased toad Richard Nixon to bring attention to the rising problem of poverty and social injustice of slums in the black community of the 70's, to the accusatory "They Won't Go When I Go". A powerful rip from the normally gentile and hopefull Stevie, condemming the hopeless sinners of the world to the firey pit that waits, unless they change their ways and figure out what he already knows. It's enough to make even an agnostic check his notes and consider the possiblity of the Fantastic.

The clav intro to "You Haven't Done Nuthin'" is one of the fucking nastiest riffs ever put to wax, and listening to the thundering beat and those pissed lyrics one can imagine a whole army, legion even, of Stevie deciples marching in 4/4 to the White House front door and taking the brute's attention by energy and storm.

For the hopeless few that haven't met Stevie in all his massively influential glory, and to that tiny crack of those that like his music but haven't given this one a whirl do yourselves and generations of future musicians a favor. Get it. Now.

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Greg Giorgio

I am going with a cope out this week, but a good one at that.

Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Yeild

Comments: While everyone knows my man love for Eddie Vedder and company, this is oneof the albums that 'no one likes'. This was the album that early fans(those of us that loved Ten and VS) final said enough. After Vitalogy andNo Code took us for the emotional rollercoaster of loving the band and notliking (it was really not being about to appreciate them) the albums, Yieldwas the stop early fans got off. We shouldn't have. Yield has by far twoof their best tracks in 'Given to Fly' and 'Wishlist'. The rest of thealbum is just as solid with other hits such as Do the Evolution and All theYesterdays.I will have a shocker next week. I am already working on it.Konekewa bitches

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Josh Nason

Artist: Our Lady Peace
Album: Live

Comments: First - I like Greg's use of 'cope out' instead of 'cop out.' Apparently, he's about healing in instead of backing out of stuff....second - the spelling of konechewa? Classic Papa. OLP was one of those bands that came to light in the 90s'/early 2000's alternative push. This disc takes many of their hits - along with some other good songs - and puts them in the live setting. To me, how a band plays live makes or breaks them and this certainly helps out their cause. Plus, they're Canadian and that rocks.

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Ben Peirce

Artist: The Police
Album: Every Breath You Take – the Classics

Comments: I heard "Walking on the Moon" today on Rock 101 and found it so random and un-Rock-101-like that I had to pick this one but I have two major reservations ... One, Its a greatest hits which I think is sort of a cope out, but it's the first album that I heard "Walking on the Moon" on, and I'm a sucker for songs about stalking pervs. ... and Two, Sting. Don't get me wrong. Sting is an unreal musician and he's the backbone of cool old-school Police, but that doesn't outweigh the fact that he's spent the last 20 years becoming a dork. Enjoy.

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Chris Pelletier

Artist: The Shins
Album: Chutes Too Narrow

Comments: This is a great little band that is just breaking out after many yearsof making music. Getting a boost from their appearance on the Garden State Soundtrack and their mention in the movie. Natalie Portman'scharacter tells someone they should listen to the shins because "theywill change your life." Side note: Great movie, if you haven't seen itI recommend checking it out. Moving on, they have a great sound thatmixes pop, country, and even a little "surf guitar". Great lyricscompliment a unique sound. I got hooked the first time I listened tothem. Beats listening to the diluted pop music that dominatesmainstream radio these days.....