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Sunday’s Blessings: The Super Bowl

By
richard
– January 30, 2011Posted in: Sunday's Blessings, The Blogs

God Bless The Super Bowl. The “storied” Super Bowl halftime show has come a long way since its inception. Back when Super Bowl I hit in 1967, there was no glamorous escapade filled with magic tricks, fireworks and other various forms of hoo-ha. In fact, for ten years there was no major musician involved at all. The vintage halftime show was comprised of marching bands and drill teams. Groups came from as far as the bitter northern wintry of Ann Arbor and all the way from the southern sundry of Florida to show their stuff on the gridiron. Although I respect the disciplined musicianship of marching bands, its purpose in annually one of the most watched television event on the globe seemed a little too feeble. It’s like hitting a million dollar jackpot and celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese.

It only got worse as the years progressed. A group called “Up with People” was employed to produce and perform in four halftime shows following the first ten Super Bowls. UWP is a nonprofit organization that involves youngsters all over the world in grand musical performances. Good intentions aside – a nonprofit performance is unfitting for the fiscal tornado that encompasses the Super Bowl.

The gods that are the Super Bowl talent employers finally got the formula down when they began shoving lavish, thunder dome-worthy, star-studded, mini-concerts into the halftime slot. It’s not too formal like a marching band but it’s not as cheesy as a UWP set. What better way to enhance an already stalwart American holiday then by sexing it up a couple more notches.

Bands that reflect the tenacity of the “big game” own the show now. As of late they have helped it become a tradition of sorts as. It’s a day in the year where the lucky performer puts on a hell raising show where they experience spikes in sales and popularity just by playing. It’s a day where only the best can have a whack at equaling the game’s intrigue. Viewers worldwide have been subject to the likes of Prince, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty (don’t forget the E Street Band and the Heartbreakers). A music lover’s paradise. Viewers have also been subject to a Janet Jackson nipple. A porno lover’s paradise.

This year the Black Eyed Peas are taking the stage as the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers go at it in Arlington. With the success of their last two albums, the immensely popular Peas will attempt to stack up to the grandeur of shows before. Don’t get me wrong, not all the artists do well (check the Who’s lackluster attempt last year) but I think the Peas are going to do exceptional. Fresh off an opening act gig for U2’s 360 degree world tour, Will.i.am. and crew are used to playing too sold out stadiums. Super Bowl XLV will be the pinnacle of exposure. Imagine the amount of people who saw them on the 360 tour watching them all at once. This opportunity will be right up their alley, I got a feeling.

Check out these other Enter The Shell stories:

Album Review: The Decemberists – The King is Dead

Artist of the Week: Prince

Sunday’s Blessings: Indio

Album Review: Cage the Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday

Enter The Shell Show: Jennifer Quiroz Live

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Sunday’s Blessings: Pork

By
richard
– January 16, 2011Posted in: Sunday's Blessings, The Blogs

                God bless pork. The musical aspirations of 2011 have so far started off with a thud; a splattery, kosher, slightly raw thud. Rap generals Kanye West and Jay Z are paling up for Watch The Throne, a collaboration album set to release in a month. Packing a double dose of potency, the album has been perceived as one of 2011’s most anticipated albums as well as one of the most anticipated collaboration albums of all time. Earlier this week on January 11th, 2011 (1.11.11), “H.A.M.” the record’s first single was released in dramatic fashion.

                An acronym for hard-as-a-motherfucker, “H.A.M.” isn’t a particularly mind blowing experience but it lives up to its title. West and Hove are on the same rapping prestige that boasted legendary lyricists like Andre 3000 and Nas. But where their careers have faded in recent years for whatever reasons, they former have been able to thrive by attaching themselves to their swagger (rightfully so; their tunes make for practical background music when breaking a sweat in the gym).

                “H.A.M.” has the same ingredients as mostly all of the West beats. A wild-yet-contained percussion sequence accompanied by witty, outlandish lyrics set to an over-the-top, galactic sample. Business is conducted as usual, the two feel the need to defend their reps and do so in fine fashion. West raps about how life is a bitch who sucks his dick while Jay Z raps about swimming with great whites and hanging with vultures.  

                It amazes me that the two can stomach each other’s egos enough to share equal time on one single album. I guess that on another level that can be viewed as sort of regal but on a completely different level it can be viewed as just plain smart (two rappers, twice the money, twice the H.A.M.).  I honestly don’t see it working. There are tons of songs already out that feature Jay Z on a West track and vice versa. Only about 5 percent of those tracks really go “H.A.M.” The rest feature subpar and very poppy-sounding attempts, almost always on the featured end.  We have about a month till the album releases so let’s see if Watch The Throne and it’s “H.A.M.” can beef up until then.

If you’re into this blog, here are some other pages on EnterTheShell.com that you may enjoy!:

Album Review: TI’s No Mercy

Free Song Download: Class Actress – Careful What You Say

Enter The Shell Show: Pithy Sweet Live

Album Review: Cee Lo Green’s “The Lady Killer”

Sunday’s Blessings: The Smiths

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Richard’s Best Albums of 2010

By
richard
– January 5, 2011Posted in: Editorial, The Blogs

Music kicked off the new decade the same way it kicks off any year – on the whim of electrifying anticipation – anticipation that encompasses the hopeful success of emerging artists, the continuous success of today’s top voices and the hopeful resurgence of yesterday’s muses. We as music lovers are lucky, every year we have front row tickets to such passionate art and 2010 offered nothing less. The special thing about this year was simple, not only was it unforgettable for the fans, but it was increasingly unique for the artists. The first year of a new decade puts music makers in an incredible situation; the music they compose in that first year can set the tone for the next nine. What they did this year can potentially sum what music meant to us from 2010 to 2019. These ten albums were arguably the cream of the crop and even if they don’t mark the decade and the next nine years musically suck, well hell, at least we had this year.

The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

The Arcade Fire hit the nail on the head with their third album The Suburbs. From the bi-polar enthusiasm of it’s self-titled opening track, to the timeless gut of “We Used To Wait” and all the way to the epic cry of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” – husband and wife duo Win Butler and Regine Chassagne made songs about vulnerability set to an unholy level of epic-ness, all the while cementing themselves as some of the best musicians that have ever attempted to document the human condition. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Contra – Vampire Weekend

Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij are happy people. Even if the statement isn’t true, as one half of New York based Vampire Weekend, the music they make certainly gives the impression. Their sophomore album Contra advanced from the colorful tones of their debut. They showed improved musicianship to accompany their omni-appealing music. Released last January, Koenig’s lightly high pitched voice and Batmanglij’s harmonious guitar strumming was a perfect way to begin the year. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

It’s ironic that the most sane statement that could be made about Kanye West is that he is delightfully insane. On his path to notoriety he has lost much respect from the general public while gaining a plethora of it from his peers. Throughout this rocky transition from saint to demon West, has released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, this explosive piece of art is proving to be the best hip-hop album since, well his last album. The album displayed his seemingly-endless/distortedly-odd version of creativity, resulting in verbally dynamic numbers like “Monster,” and opera-sized numbers like “Runaway.” It is the big name honing, bag-o-samples, witty rap-filled album that has enjoying the most a douche bag-asshole can offer. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Brothers – Black Keys

The Black Keys are masters at showing just how smooth and soulful two white boys from Akron, Ohio can sound. When you throw Dan Auerbach’s old school guitar stylings and the talented man-child drumming of Patrick Carney together into a studio, you get a deadly blues revival combo that is on the same level with Elmore James, The White Stripes and Muddy Waters. Brothers boasted the release of some wickedly good songs; “Tighten Up” (perhaps their greatest single), “Unknown Brother” (a heartfelt ode to the boys themselves) and “Sinister Kid.”  Paired with a flurry of exposure via television exposure, The Black Keys are living a newfound glory and with Brothers, the blues never felt so right. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

This Is Happening – LCD Soundsystem

When James Murphy started releasing albums as creator of LCD Soundsystem, the party loving, dance crazy musical collective, he offered a quirky dance alternative featuring sounds and feel that haven’t been heard in years. Releasing a month before summer 2010 was a genius move for the third (and reportedly final) album, This Is Happening popped off fun, high energy songs like “Drunk Girls,””Dance Yrself Clean” and “I Can Change.” Call it an early Christmas gift for hipsters who now had a record to shake their beards and asses too during their June/July/August 2010 parties. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Broken Bells – Broken Bells

Dangermouse’s latest collaboration is quite different from his former partnerships. When he teamed up with the Shin’s front-man James Mercer he didn’t just set out to produce his album, he actually formed a group with him. The awesome group is called Broken Bells, and with their debut we were also subject to a self titled debut album. Broken Bells exists as a refreshing change of pace as a record chalk full of spacy, ominous jingles that cloud the line between rock and psychadelia. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Congratulations – MGMT

This album one of two sleeper albums this year, at first listen it could not hold its own. But after a few go-arounds and the brash realization that Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser shelled the option to compose mainstream music, Congratulations revealed itself to be an intriguing piece. Drastically different than their debut Oracular Spectacular, the sophomore album packed a drug laced punch with its psychedelic-drug themes and various new wave/ pop music homages (“Song for Dan Treacy,” “Brian Eno,” “Flash Delerium,” “It’s Working”). Click here to buy it on Amazon!

/\/\/\Y/\ – MIA

Maya Arulpragasm is controversial. Her third album Maya boasted an alt-dance-hip-hop feel with technological based themes. A mini-video of her song “Born Free,” which featured a mass killing of redheads accompanied the release of Maya .Pair that with a highly publicized spat with New York Times writer Lynn Hirschberg, the fire that was her controversy burned strong. This year, she did what she wanted and its common knowledge that when rebellion and music mix, good things can happen. With this record many good things happened. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Plastic Beach – Gorillaz

Plastic Beach was the other sleeper album of the year. The creator of the Gorillaz, Damon Alborn, eased up on the funk and hip-hop aspect of the music this time around. Substituting those absences with a diverse range of collaborators and synths, the Gorillaz absorbed a facelift. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Come Around Sundown – Kings of Leon

The family that is the Kings of Leon outdid themselves this year. The band turned up the Southern rock in their music this year to produce some guitar heavy, raw music. A heavily anticipated album at the forefront of 2010, one fact remains after it was released – Followills know rock music. Click here to buy it on Amazon!

Here are some other pages you might like at ETS:

Free Music Download – California Wives “Blood Red Youth”

Album Review – My Chemical Romance “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys”

Artist of the Week – Paul McCartney

Sara’s Best Albums of 2010

Sunday’s Blessings - Indio

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Album Review: T.I. misses out on great rapping opportunity with “No Mercy.”

By
richard
– December 16, 2010Posted in: Album Reviews, The Blogs

T.I.

Grand Hustle: No Mercy

It’s too unfortunate that T.I. was out of prison for less than a year before he was sent back. When the Atlanta-based rapper (whose real name is Clifford Harris) was released from his initial visit in December of 2009, it seemed the world was his – following the release of his 2008 hit Paper Trail he birthed the content of his latest album formerly named King: Uncaged, produced and acted in the crime film Takers and served as a product of reform and regret as the star of MTV reality show T.I.’s Road to Redemption. Following the incarceration of an artist, the rap world has boasted historic albums, but in this case T.I.’s seventh album No Mercy has proven to be fair at best. T.I. has no one to blame but himself.

Only a troubled man would sound so Jeckyll on one album and so Hyde on another. Where Paper Trail stood as defiant, epic and tenaciously clever in its lyrics; No Mercy is apologetic, full of grief and either juvenile or woe-is-me themes. On Trails, Harris versed songs about soaking up life, untouchable bad-assery and how not being poor anymore is just too damn awesome. On Mercy, Harris doesn’t want anyone to feel bad for him, he wants us to know that he is aware that he is bound by his own wrongdoing, and he wants us to know over lackluster beats and sputtering verses. “There’s no mercy for me/No crying myself to sleep/No mercy for me/Nightmares have become my dreams,” the Dream sings on the title track, color me overdramatic.

T.I. has always has had his Southern rap accent set to gritty and on No Mercy, Tip tries his best to let it be known that even though he is a glass case of emotion he is still tough and rotten to the core, mixing timidly simple beats with anger rap, throwing out ego-boosters and quick jabs every chance he gets. “All I got is hard dick and conversation for you/I was just high, even lying when I say I love you,” Harris raps over the Kanye West produced “Welcome To The World,” which features both a West and Kid Cudi cameo.

It shouldn’t even be surprising that T.I. is back in jail; No Mercy is his quintessential redemption album and that theme leaks from every nook and cranny, the type of work that only someone who has multiple stints in prison would put out. “How Life Changed” features a chorus reminiscing the (not-so-distant) law-breaking past of Harris that reformed criminals can bob their heads too. On the equally pro-salvation song, “Castle Walls,” Christina Aguilera and Harris keep it real talking about the emptiness of wealth (I beg to differ) and the effects of jail time on a man’s soul over a fading blissful horn section.

Rappers have gone to jail before. That means this type of grief-driven art has been done before. No Mercy is chock full of the just-released fervor that Tupac, Biggie and Gucci Mane have all done before. It seems fitting that a talented MC like T.I. would fit in that category, but he is in a special place. He released his album following a sentence and going into another, perhaps creating a new standard of crapulence. You have to take the bad with the good. The bad: as he enters jail again, Harris messed up a perfect opportunity to make a passionate, career defining record like others before. The good: In 11 months when he is released, he gets another chance.

Buy the album at our record store on Amazon

Here are some other pages on EnterTheShell.com you may enjoy:

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Album Review: Banking on momentum of 2009 mega album, the Black Eyed Peas electro-evolve on “The Beginning”

By
richard
– December 9, 2010Posted in: Album Reviews, The Blogs

Black Eyed Peas

Interscope: The Beginning

The Black Eyed Peas’ 2009 album, The E.N.D., stood as a new beginning for the Los Angeles based hip-hop abstracts. It’s release transformed them from talented MC’s whose knack for hitmaking garnered mainstream success, to four music gods whose brave leap into uncharted melodic lands has spurned major worldwide fame and prominence. Led by fearless leader will.i.am, these global juggernauts have heavily influenced the type of pop music crafting in the last year or so, and have brought attention to a dormant music scene that is on the verge of exploding with popularity.

Initiate absurd wordplay. Consequently, The E.N.D. was not the end for BEP; it was the beginning of something new. For the Peas, beginning with The E.N.D. ended them up at The Beginning. So basically The Beginning is the culmination of The E.N.D., and without The E.N.D. they wouldn’t have both a new beginning and The Beginning. They have The E.N.D. to thank for The Beginning when in most cases we have the beginning to thank for the end.

Confused? Understandable. The Beginning, the newly released follow-up album to The E.N.D., is a glimmering example of the shockwaves that the Black Eyed Peas are making in the music industry. It’s a tap-dance on the top of Mount Everest, just the Peas having fun coasting off their recent success. The E.N.D. was a smash hit. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, spent 38 weeks in the top 10 and has sold 11 million copies worldwide to date. It blends a highly energetic fusion of hip-hop and electro music. Since its debut, electro music has soared in popularity and publicity with long known disc jockeys like David Guetta and Tiesto gaining a substantial amount of radio play. No one is at the heels of this electro-surge than will.i.am who has essentially produced an album with 10 or so electro-house instrumentals topped with hip-hop verses and hooks.

The reason The E.N.D. worked so well was because it was a perfect mixture of electro and hip-hop. It didn’t overwhelm hip-hoppers with an overflow of high octane rave music and it didn’t overwhelm ravers with bob-your-head hip-hop. The Beginning favors shufflers this time around. It’s 80 percent Guetta-sounding and 20 percent BEP-sounding. Songs like “The Time (Dirty Bit),” “Don’t Stop The Party” and “Light Up the Night” that have the constant bass/ hi-hat combo pulsating with either a whispy, echoed-string or scratchy synth melody.

“XOXOXO” – a song that doesn’t totally conform to the electro vibe- has a 90’s bounciness. There is a keyboard melody that opens with a vintage dance thump. The melody backs up to let the keys and bass drum intertwine as will.i.am autotunes – “Girl I’ll put you in a trance like Tiesto/ but I’m not talking about techno.”

An interview with will.i.am by “The Big Issue” revealed his take on this new work. He said it “symbolizes growth, new beginnings and starts a fresh perspective.” That fresh perspective is growing amongst music lovers; in the form of house, techno, trance and other rave associated music that is growing in popularity. I believe that shift wouldn’t be possible with will.i.am and The Beginning, it’s a totally fresh album that is hard to for to compare to others. It doesn’t have the prowess to fully make that shift, but it does have the ability to influence other artists to make music like it so that one day that type of generational swing can occur.

Buy the album at our record store on Amazon

Were you all up on this blog? Here are some others you can get close and personal with:

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My Chemical Romance: Danger Days

By
richard
– November 25, 2010Posted in: Album Reviews, The Blogs

My Chemical Romance

Reprise Records: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Gerard Way can tell one hell of a story, whether it is the hell-bent chronicles of a fallen lover or the tale of cancer patient’s journey through the end of his life and beyond. As the lead singer of alt. crew My Chemical Romance, Way has banked his success off of elaborately divulging in narratives of fantasy and horror. To trump the critical acclaim of The Black Parade - MCR’s dark, grim rock opera-extraordinaire – is a heavy burden to bear, but in Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Way and the Romance muscle up with an electrifying new bag of tricks.

Danger Days is the bands third full length outing and third straight concept album. The difference between this concept and the ones before it are subtle yet important. The theme of the band’s past two albums (the ones where Way and crew are muses of a disheartened world full of death and misfortune) is far removed. This time the boys of MCR take on Damon Alborn-esque alter egos with names like Party Poison and Jet Star, a group of rebels raging war against an evil corporation -Better Living Industries – in a futuristic, wild-west California of the year 2019.Essentially we have a classic MCR storyline – a creative,intriguing idea full of action -minus the melodrama.

The album maintains a youthful, shoot-first-then-ask-questions identity. It’s a fun idea entailing a lot of enthusiasm – there are three funky interludes from Steve Righ? (Mindless Self Indulgence) who acts as outlaw disc jockey/ narrator coining hilarious terms like “motor baby.” The album’s lead single “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” displays Danger Day’s gusto with lines like –Oh let me tell you ‘bout the sad man/ Shut up and let me see your jazz hands/ Remember when you were a madman/ Thought you was batman. It’s as if Way has a creative form of Tourette’s where he shouts campy one-liners whenever he feels like.

The band booked Rob Cavallo to produce the album (Cavallo also did The Black Parade). Way has expressed the urge to return back to a raw, garage sound. The combo of Cavallo and MCR did a great job of doing just that; they nixed the theatrics and put more focus on loud percussion and crunchy guitar chords. “Party Poison,” DESTROYA” and “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W” – post-punk, foot pedal emphasized  drumming blaring equally as loud as the semi-gritty guitar riffs that chomp through each track.

Danger Days is miles away from The Black Parade; those who opposed the old sound of My Chemical Romance should listen to this album because of its frank contrast. It’s like listening to a whole new band. Faithful fans of the old MCR won’t be able to divulge themselves in this one because of its absence of theatrics and fantasy. The band paints another picture with the album, as they always do, just a wilder one.

Buy the album at our record store on Amazon

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Sunday’s Blessings: Indio

By
richard
– November 21, 2010Posted in: Sunday's Blessings, The Blogs

Sunday’s Blessings: Indio

God Bless Indio. Indio, California to be exact; the dry, desolate patch of Southern California desert that has hosted the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival  11 times. The festival has risen to prominence in the recent surge of music fests, holding its own with the likes of Lollapalooza, Bonaroo and South by Southwest. Its artist selection is of an intriguing variety, boasting surprise headliners from rap, hip-hop, rock and electronic music; allowing buyers of the three-day camping tickets to enjoy a weekend of artists that could satisfy one-year’s worth of concerts.

Headliners of the past four years have summed up the festivals growing historical value as possibly one of the greatest musical gathering of all times. Paul McCartney, M.I.A., Prince, Muse, Depeche Mode, Tool, Coldplay, Tiesto, Rage Against The Machine, Roger Waters, The Cure, The Gorrillaz and Jay-Z have all graced the stages of the hell pot that is the Empire Polo Fields. If you have a ticket to see a Beatle, a cartoon, the artist formally known as whatever and one hell of a rapper all in one weekend, you  are a lucky son of a gun.

The approaching 2011 festival is five months away. The line-ups haven’t even been announced, yet a rumor has sprung up that shook up the anticipation for a few days. It was reported by Hit’s Daily Double rumor mills that the Rolling Stones accepted $5 million to headline one of the 2011 shows. Imagine that, the seemingly ageless blokes from England who have rocked the world for four steady decades would come down to dispense some U.K. invasion during a dark April night. The idea to have the Stones play seems perfect, the band that was missing from the ones mentioned earlier. How could Goldenvoice have not thought about it earlier? As memorable as having Jagger, Richards, Woods and Watts play, it of course was shot down days later by the band’s publicist. Regardless, it got me thinking: who would I like to see headline Coachella? Here are some ideas:

Daft Punk: The elusive French electronic duo is getting ready to release the highly anticipated soundtrack to the upcoming remake of Tron. What better way for the team, who never seem to release a bad record, to capitalize on the soundtrack by playing a set?

Bruce Springsteen: The man who makes rock for the working man could say a lot by working the crowd in Indio. His Darkness on the Edge of Town re-release has gotten rave reviews and for the Boss to command the stage with (fingers crossed) the E Street Band would kill.

The Smashing Pumpkins: I know that the Pumpkins are James Iha-less, D’arcy-less and Jimmy Chamberlin-less, but Corgan always puts on a show with whoever he’s with. As he prepares to start a string of festivals starting with KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas, why not stop off in Indio along the way?

Foo Fighters: As reported a week before by yours truly, the Fighters and Butch Vig are working on a new, loud, heavy album. Last year, Grohl played at the festival as drummer for his super group Them Crooked Vultures, now it’s time to step out as front man and promote his album with the high-adrenaline he is known to bleed on stage.

Kanye West: This is almost a no brainer. West is three steps away from being the best in the game. He is boasting another five star album in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and with frequent collaborator Jay-Z performing last year it’s about time for West to do his thing.

Public Enemy: Flavor Flav’s reality show antics have cooled down and Chuck D’s mind is as fresh as ever. Groups from both rock and rap have cited the group as an influence and not only would their visit be a privilege to the crowd but also to the other performers.

Arcade Fire: These guys don’t qualify as indie rock anymore because they are too big, but way back when, they did open up at Coachella a couple of times. Now they reign supreme, led by husband and wife team of Regine Chassagne and Win Butler, and it’s their turn to take a night slot.

Goldenvoice has successfully booked talented artists for their three day bonanzas. They range from the very historic and influential to the new and exciting. You now know who I think (hope) will headline, who do you think will play??

Here are some other pages on EnterTheShell.com you may enjoy as well!:

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Linkin Park: A Thousand Suns

By
richard
– November 18, 2010Posted in: Album Reviews, The Blogs

Linkin Park

Warner Bros.: A Thousand Suns

In an interview with MTV in 2008, Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park revealed that when presented with the idea of making their fourth studio album a concept album, he was afraid that his confidence would drop at such an overwhelming task. But after a friend suggested that the concept should be about living with the reality of nuclear warfare and the relevant theme of conflict and war, Bennington reacted with inspiration.

Two years after the announcement that the production of the fourth album was underway, the band has released A Thousand Suns. The two years it took to tackle the record, with the help of producer Rick Rubin, has resulted in an ambitious collection of tunes about a war-ridden apocalyptic world set to the script of a thrilling rock-opera.

Just as their previous album, Minutes to Midnight, strayed away from the nu-metal/ rap-rock of Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the latest outing has followed suite. It embraces the traditional instrument base that encompasses alt-rock, not so much reliant on electronic production as before (Remember that it is Linkin Park though, so even though it isn’t a force it’s still there).

This time around, the vocal interplay of Bennington and co-producer/ resident rapper Mike Shinoda does not play a major role in the cohesiveness of the album. Their classic handoffs aren’t as clean and numerous as the first two albums. In fact, the albums best tracks are Shinoda-less. “Burning In The Skies,” a mid-tempo song driven to perfection by a deep plucked melody and the album’s first single “The Catalyst,” a bouncy track spotted with light jabs on the keys and tenacious drums where Bennington cashes on Tiny Tim’s famous line – “God bless us everyone/ we’re the broken people living under loaded gun/ And it cant be outfought/ it cant be outdone/ it cant be outmatched/ it cant be outrun.”

The album’s theme is strong throughout the lineup. It boasts three interludes with effects featuring theoretical commentary about war from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Robert Oppenheimer and Mario Savio. Shinoda has even said in interviews that he admires Chuck D and Public Enemy, who are good at masking political themes in their music. Linkin park does the opposite in Suns; the themes of the album are neither masked nor shallow.

The band has done a complete 180 as far as musical identity goes. They have four complete albums, but two distinct sounds. Many Linkin Park admirers argue that they are sell-outs for shelling the heavier sound of old, but others can respect the fact that they have had the courage to head in a new direction. As far as worth is concerned, I’d much rather turn my headphones up loud to “Faint,” rather than “Iridescent.” Artists generally mature their sound as they progress, but in this case it’s reverse. Linkin Park’s sound is dead and gone, so how can it mature?

Buy the album at our record store on Amazon

Here are some other pages on EnterTheShell.com you may enjoy!:

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Sunday’s Blessings: Butch Vig

By
richard
– November 14, 2010Posted in: Sunday's Blessings, The Blogs

Butch Vig

God Bless Butch Vig. Born Brian David Vig, this alternative rock-producing mastermind adopted the nickname Butch in response to the crew cut his father gave him as a boy. But even a haircut as straight edge as the crew cut could not reflect the wild and fanatical music that Vig has been known to play and produce for the past 28 years.

The Vig, as I like to call him, is popularly known for his producing credits on the highly influential Nirvana album Nevermind and his role as the drummer of the band Garbage. His milestones also include producing hit albums for the Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, Green Day and several other 90’s mainstays. His work, with emphasis on his presence at the recording helm, was one of the main forces in the solidifying of alternative rock as an important, legitimate musical genre.

If you like Nirvana, check Sara’s story about a cover they did by The Meat Puppets: http://www.entertheshell.com/covers-revue-nirvana-covers-lake-of-fire-originally-by-the-meat-puppets/

In the early 90’s both Vig and Nirvana simultaneously became widely recognized for their work. It wasn’t only the incredible passion that the late Kurt Cobain gushed, or the spastic fingering of bassist Krist  Novoselic that made Nirvana iconic. The man behind the kit, Dave Grohl, cemented himself a mechanically savvy, fast paced drummer, emerging as one of the pioneering grunge rock drummers. Although we know now that Grohl is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, when in Nirvana he often held back his ideas, especially ones involving guitar riffs or lyrics. It was only towards the end of Nirvana’s run and the time after Cobain’s suicide that Grohl flourished as a full-fledged song-maker, thus resulting in the formation of his band the Foo Fighters and his thrust into stardom.

A connection made during the production of one the greatest albums of all time, Vig and Grohl’s association has only recently become a relationship. In 2009, the Vig produced two new tracks for the Foo Fighters greatest hits compilation album, “Word Forward” and “Wheels,” a song about one of Grohl’s late friends which was recorded exactly for a compilation with Vig. As exciting as the news was that the two would be teaming up for two tracks, even more recent news has surfaced that has this writer wetting his jockeys.

As early as August 2010, the Foo Fighters and Vig have been working together to produce a new album according to various publications. As time has passed, small details have been released hinting that this forthcoming, still un-titled, record stands to be a classic. Grohl has said in a number of interviews that this “hardest” Foo Fighter album yet and that acoustic guitar is nonexistent. I perceive a Foo album filled with songs like “Monkeywrench,” “Drive Me Wild” and “My Hero” to be very exciting.

I am hotly anticipating this new album. Grohl has said in recent interviews that the band has been practicing in his garage. Hopefully that type of scenario brushes some rawness onto the tracks, and with a little of Vig’s magic he smoothes it into a full-fledged classic.

Here are some other blogs you may be into:

http://www.entertheshell.com/artist-of-the-week-norah-jones/
1

N.E.R.D. – Nothing

By
richard
– November 11, 2010Posted in: Album Reviews, The Blogs

N.E.R.D.

Star Trak: Nothing

“Nothing/ We learn nothing right?” says Pharrell Williams on “Life As A Fish,” the hip-hop ballad depicting life’s creation (aka seven days according to the Neptunes) off of N.E.R.D.’s fourth studio album Nothing. William’s claim must be argued, upon listening to the album it is evident that we have learned something, not nothing. We have learned that when teamed up with Neptune’s counterpart Chad Hugo and childhood friend Shay Haley, a spit-wad of sex driven hip-hop/rock fusion comes flying out of the straw that is Pharrell’s brain.

N.E.R.D., which stands for No-one Ever Really Dies, may be the first ones to bite the dust. Nothing is two years from Seeing Sounds, the band’s most impressive album to date, but where Sounds triumphs on its high-adrenaline, room-filling ruckus rock, Nothing dwindles with its elementary school, amateur rock opera sporadic-ism. Even with a few solid singles and a track produced by French electro demi-gods Daft Punk, Nothing, is not too far of its title.

If you like Daft Punk then you’ll like this free music by Shit Robot!: http://www.entertheshell.com/shit-robot-i-found-love/

Often criticized for his overbearing lyrics about sex or chasing girls, Williams keeps the hump-fest rolling. Take your pick – We’re having a bubble bath/The girls are blowing bubbles/They naked in the field/The smoke comes out the flowers/Mm-hmm, you know the deal – lyrics from “Perfect Defect,” the kind of content a horny 10th grader or KISS would put in a song. How about the line that Williams puts on super repeat in “Party People”- What I need/what I need is that girl there.” Just because he is as handsome as Prince doesn’t mean he can sex up a song like him.

If Prince rattles your bones, read up on him on his legend series: http://www.entertheshell.com/artist-of-the-week-legend-series-prince/

“Hot-n-Fun,” commands the respect of best song with its catchy Nelly Furtado hook and funky bass line. The only problem lies in the melody, the N.E.R.D. staple groove that clouds the line between bass and stringy synth. Yes, it powers the song but it also powers “Lapdance,” “She Wants To Move” and “Everybody Nose.” I understand the ability of an artist to utilize a common sound but this is overkill.

The song Daft Punk commanded, “Hypnotize U,” is a song void of N.E.R.D. sound. It throbs a combination of space bass and laser shots with a falsetto singing Pharrell. If only the album or a few other songs could harness this sound, the difference would end up in a more enjoyable listen. Not just a regurgitated feel that has gone full circle from N.E.R.D. album-to-album, but a field of untouched music that the Neptunes and Shay could flourish in. If the Neptunes let an outside producer work with them, a whole other level of N.E.R.D could fabricate, at least try something new. It’s better than nothing.

Buy the album at our record store on Amazon

Here are some more pages on ETS that you might like:

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