Music Now!

Archive for November, 2009

Copyright (c) 2008 Marvin J Markus

Beck’s latest album is Modern Guilt which will be released in the UK on July 7th and in the US on July 8th. It’s his first album since 2006′s critically acclaimed album The Information.

Modern Guilt has only 10 tracks and is just under 34 minutes, making it the most concise album of Beck’s career. His last album, 2006′s The Information had 15 tracks and was over 61 minutes long.

What follow is a track by track look at Modern Guilt.

1. “Orphans”

I think this may be my early favorite on the album. It has such a transfixing strange sound to it. It’s totally spaced out but it still has a great drum beat at the same time. It also has some of the best Beck vocals I’ve ever heard. Cat Power adds some backing vocals.

2. “Gamma Ray”

This one actually reminds me strangely enough of some sort of psychedelic tinged surf rock song at first but then it turns into something else entirely. It has a real classic rock sound but it’s all distorted and strange at the same. This is some of the most original and interesting production I’ve heard in quite some time. The album was actually produced with the help of Danger Mouse of “Grey Album” & Gnarls Barkley fame.

3. “Chem Trails”

This is my other early contender for favorite song on the album. Beck’s vocals sound unlike any vocal I’ve heard from him before. Everything is phased out, it’s totally tripped out but the song remains catchy with big drums and a great bass line that propel the song forward.

4. “Modern Guilt”

Funky drums and fuzzy atmospherics grab my attention at first. But it’s really just a great catchy pop song that has a fantastic groove and cool guitar riffs.

5. “Youthless”

This album just keeps getting better and better. This is another great song that includes an exceptionally catchy chorus.

6. “Walls”

A warped sounding string section catches the interest right away. Again, it’s a very strange sounding song but the vocal line itself is quite catchy, at it’s heart it’s another great pop song but with a lot of experimental flourishes.

7. “Replica”

Skittering beats propel this song. It sounds somewhat like the drums are in double time or perhaps even quadruple time in comparison with the rest of the music. Quite unusual.

8. “Soul Of A Man”

This one actually reminds me somewhat of Beck’s Mellow Gold days although it’s really not that similar to anything in particular. It’s another original song. That’s probably the real feat of this album, the originality of it. For someone who has already given us so much great original music, it’s amazing that Beck is still pulling new tricks.

9. “Profanity Prayers”

Wow. Just another great song. Literally every song on this album is a winner. This may be the tightest, most consistently great album of Beck’s career. While Guero & particularly The Information had some great moments, they both sometimes felt like they dragged on too long with too many songs that weren’t quite as great as the ones that were around them. That’s not the case with Modern Guilt. Every song sounds necessary and doesn’t let you down.

10. “Volcano”

I know I said “Orphans” and “Chemtrails” were the two tracks in the running for my favorite track, but I think this one is right there as well. It’s a song that has the depth of feeling of it of a Sea Change song but it’s produced and arranged in a very Modern Guilt way, and I quite like the Modern Guilt way.

“Young Knives” are a three-piece indie rock band hailed from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire in England. Their band members are Henry Dartnell (Vocals and Guitar), Thomas “House of Lords” Dartnall (Vocal and Bass) and Oliver Askew (Drums and Backing Vocals). They are notable for their geek rock genre, a sub-genre of alternative rock.

Superabundance reminds me of The Futureheads. There are two parts on this album, the first part is fast and crunchy, where the second part is soft and steady. Just like going for a party, we dance till we drop.

Superabundance gets me on with steady guitar and bass filled “Fit 4 U”. This song has the elements and ingredients of a disco rock track, even though the electronic elements are not that obvious. Young Knives really know how to set our mood on and leave us wondering whether we could get more of such tracks.

“Terra Firma” has a 13 seconds intro which brings back the sound of classic guitar rock. Once the tempo comes in and hit it, guitar riffing can be heard constantly in the background, as if we’re listening to the echoes of the guitar. Not only that, Young Knives invite people to join in their chorus by raising their hands and sing, “Fake rabbit, real snake, terra firma, terra firma…” Strange lyrics, but the guitar echoes told me to just enjoy Terra Firma.

“Up All Night” started off with some wolf-like howls. The guitar that comes in right after resembles those of Terra Firma. Honestly, Up All Night has got some great rhythm and music that i didn’t really expect. The chorus especially, shows some great combination work between the guitar and the vocals of Young Knives.

In “Counters”, Young Knives can be heard as if they were singing away at a distance, “We’re not numbers… We’re the counters…” But once the real song hit the right gear, the whole song wakes me up and i find myself nodding and enjoying Counters. The guitar of Counters is really catchy and not only that, the chorus that comes along fits in very well. No doubt that Counters is one of the notable tracks on Superabundance.

“Light Switch” has quite a long music intro before Henry can be heard singing. With the guitar sounding sort of cute during the verse, i find myself smiling mildly when listening to Light Switch. “You are the light switch…”, sung Young Knives. The chorus here almost has the same effect as Terra Firma, simple and easy to follow, and yet catchy. Young Knives take it slow with “Turn Tail”. The guitar intro somewhat reminds me of Here We Are by Bloc Party, constant plucking at the same note throughout a period of time. With Turn Tail, Young Knives are showing another side of themselves. I saviour the chorus particularly, “Turn tail and run, i will turn tail and run…” where viola can be heard supporting the vocals of Henry and co.

“I Can Hardly See Them” has an explosive opening with steady drum beats and guitar stroking, leaving me impatient. Throughout this track, i can feel that Young Knives are trying something new here. I Can Hardly See Them is different from the tracks above so far. For some, they might think this track is banging loud. But for me, i like the fact that Young Knives are trying to show us what they are capable of doing. I Can Hardly See Them stands out in its near-explosive music.

“Dyed in the Wool” struck me instantly. The guitar, bass and drums are so catchy and friendly, one couldn’t help but like this song. You can find Young Knives belting it out together in the chorus, “I’m dyed in the wool….” in a number of loops. The funny thing is, when Young Knives do this, i find myself picturing Young Knives turning their heads as they sing. Dyed in the wool is a simple track with the repeating music from start to end, but i like it.

Young Knives begin “Rue the Days” with, “La la la la…”. Following on, Henry sings in some sort of surround-voice. It reminds me of Damon Albarn of Blur in some ways. In the chorus, Young Knives again belt it out together in this 90s-influence track. Rue the days can sound old, but to me, they sound brand new and good.

“Flies” is a short song dedicated to flies and is accompanied by brief guitar and bass, only viola can be heard most of the time. Not a bad track if you pay attention to the lyrics.

“Mummy Light the Fire” is a mid tempo track where it’ll slowly grow onto you. The chorus is great with Henry keeps repeating, “Mummy Light the Fire… Fear, I feel fear…” until the music just blends in with the rhythm of Henry’s singing, especially with the sound of what sounded like a car’s honk or some trumpets. It’s like driving a new car until you be one with the car. How does that feel? You should know yourself.

The first part of “Current of the River – Long Cool Drinks by the Pool (Hidden Track)” is also a mid tempo track with the quality of ending an album. For the verses, it’s quiet and tempo-building. When it comes to the chorus, it explodes! Young Knives play it banging loud and keep the person listening to Superabundance awake with, “The current of the river, brings voices under water…” Young Knives know where to hit the loud button and where to hit the quiet button in Current of the River, making it worth your while to check out this song. Long Cool Drinks by the Pool is not a bad track as well. Its musical style shares a common with Art Brut’s, speaking rather than singing throughout the whole track. The guitar gives us an impression that havoc is coming, and sounding cute at times where Young Knives go, “La la la la…” Definitely a happy and laughing ending for Superabundance.

Rating: Superabundance by Young Knives has a lot in common with This Not The World by The Futureheads. They are really playing it big in the post-punk revival genre. Throughout Superabundance, if you listen carefully, there are some electronic and dance elements in all their songs. It’s really good for party-goers who have low appetite for pure electronic music. And the person is me. Well it took quite a while for me to like Superabundance, perhaps after the second time listening to them? And i surely didn’t regret liking and enjoying it. There are some really catchy music and hook on Superabundance, and never fails to get me nodding my head. Not bad at all, i would rate Superabundance by Young Knives 6.9 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Fit 4 U, Terra Firma, Counters, Light Switch, I Can Hardly See Them, Dyed in the Wool and Long Cool Drinks by the Pool.

Geddy Lee first appeared on the world music stage in the year 1968, when he joined a Canadian rock band called Rush. His childhood friend, Alex Lifeson, a member of that rock band, asked Geddy Lee to join as Jeff Jones, the front man at that time, was to be replaced. Geddy Lee soon assumed the front man part, as he became the lead vocalist, keyboardist and bassist of Rush. Since then, Geddy Lee made history in progressive metal music and influenced great rock players.

Progressive metal music has its origins in the progressive rock of the 1960s, but did not become a genre until the 1980s. This form of rock is a blend between the powerful guitar sound of heavy metal, intricate instrument playing and complex structures. Jazz and classical music also influenced progressive metal music. The duration of a progressive metal song is longer than a standard one. Rush’s Geddy Lee was one of the first to introduce progressive rock to the world. Throughout the years, Rush’s music combined different music styles and gave birth to new genres of rock, while Geddy Lee had a major impact on progressive metal music.

In the 1990s, MTV gave progressive metal music mainstream exposure by making Queensrÿche’s “Silent Lucidity” a big hit. Although this was not exactly the song to represent metal music, it brought many progressive metal bands into the spotlight and made this rock genre more popular. Dream Theatre was next. This band truly represented progressive metal music. Even to this day, Dream Theatre is one of the most successful progressive metal bands and this success can be partially attributed to Geddy Lee. This band is most famous for their technical proficiency and Geddy Lee was their inspiration. Metallica’s Cliff Burton or Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris were also inspired by the front man of Rush, so it is safe to say that this man had a big impact upon the development of progressive metal music.

Geddy Lee did not settle for playing with Rush. He has also produced many albums for other bands, and, in the year 2000, his solo was released. Progressive rock was now richer due to Geddy Lee’s contribution to this genre by every means possible. He composed songs and performed for Rush, he inspired many great artists, who successfully made a name for themselves, he produced albums for different other bands and he also released a solo.

Progressive metal music is as complex as Geddy Lee’s style. We can safely say that this prolific Rush member influenced many progressive metal artists, but he also added his touch to other music genres. Progressive metal music is a vast genre of rock because it can be broken down into numerous sub- genres, each of them corresponding to different music styles that artists have chosen as inspiration. Geddy Lee is an artist who, throughout the years, has looked for inspiration in many music styles and integrated them into his music. So the contribution Geddy Lee has had to progressive metal music is of great importance.

For more resources about Progressive metal music or even about Geddy Lee please review this web page http://tormanmaxt.com

The exceptionally talented Rap artist Jay-Z has released him CD entitled Black Album. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Jay-Z fans, and Rap fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Black Album Jay-Z’s artistic excellence is on full display as Jay-Z has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Black Album. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Jay-Z’s most impressive releases ever.

I’m of the opinion that Black Album is certainly Jay-Z’s best work in a few years. A totally enjoyable CD and an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up because it’s a collection that even the casual Rap fan can appreciate and enjoy.

While this entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 – What More Can I Say, track 6 – Dirt Off Your Shoulder, and track 14 – My 1st Song

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 2 – December 4th. This is a great track!

Black Album Release Notes:

Jay-Z originally released Black Album on November 14, 2003 on the Def Jam label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Interlude 2. December 4th 3. What More Can I Say 4. Encore 5. Change Clothes 6. Dirt Off Your Shoulder 7. Threat 8. Moment Of Clarity, A 9. 99 Problems 10. Interlude 11. Justify My Thug 12. Lucifer 13. Allure 14. My 1st Song

Personnel includes: Jay-Z (rap vocals); Sharlotte Gibson, Vincent “Hum V” Bostic, John Legend, Don Crawley, Leonard Harris, Kanye West, Danee Doty, Cedric The Entertainer.

Producers include: The Neptunes, DJ Quik, Eminem, Rick Rubin, Just Blaze.

Music Criticism, Kanye West

Kanye West was born June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. His music hit the surface in 2004 with his first album [The College Drop Out]. I don’t think any one has questioned the fact that Kanye West has earned the stardom status. Kanye has just produced his latest album [Graduation]. After completing his third straight album he is now being compared to 50 Cent. There is a lot of hype over the matter of when it’s all said and done who will go down as the better rapper. Some would say that conversations like this and numerous awards give him the right to be cocky and act like he is the best rapper. Kanye is known worldwide in the music industry for his rap and is the best hip hop artist in today’s era.

Kanye’s billboard rating is off the charts. [His song, stronger on [Graduation] has reached number 1 on the billboard in 2007. After 15 weeks it is still in the top 10 at number 6.] Kanye West is very modest because he continues to produce the same kind of music and doesn’t get influenced by other rappers and there changing styles. He not only produces the same style of music he produces hit songs on every album. [His song, “Good Life” is standing at number 8 on the billboard top 100 and has been in the top 10 for 8 straight weeks in 2007.]

Another positive about his new album is that he did not over do it on incorporating other artists on his tracks. He has used Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Mos Def in his album [Graduation].He used less rappers in this album making a bigger name for himself. With all the publicity and front cover magazine issues, it’s only right for him to incorporate his cockiness in his songs. [In the “Good Life” on [Graduation] he says, “And watch the money pile up, the good life”. He is definitely watching the money pile up over recent years coming out with album after album.]

Kanye is a star and he goes about his business in a smart way. Smart rappers of today will come out with a single from there album that will be a hit and make even more money. It doesn’t take a whole album to make it to stardom. You can draw a parallel to Soulja Boy who is only 17 years of age. He came out with a hit single “Crank that”. This song has made deep and lasting impressions on many people. It has been on hot 100 for 17 weeks and its peak is number 1 in 2007. And still after 17 weeks it stands at number 4. Despite coming out with hit singles, full albums have there benefits as well.

Kanye West has produced three albums which have all been very beneficial to his hip hop career. Kanye has received 6 Grammy’s, critical acclaim, and commercial success for his first two albums [College Drop Out] and [Late Registration]. Kanye West is defined by success and is the American dream as he piles up awards and hit albums year after year. Although Soulja Boy has made it big with his hit song “Crank That”, you cannot compare him to Kanye West. Soulja Boy may be young though he has only one song that is a hit. Kanye West is established and has piled up records so you can’t compare them. Once Soulja Boy comes out with more albums and stacks up awards he may be able to be compared to Kanye West. Soulja Boy’s lyrics are clearly more repetitive and less in depth then Kanye’s lyrics. Soulja Boy repeats “Now watch me YUUUAA! (Crank that Soulja Boy)”. He repeats this line four times in the first verse. Kanye’s lyrics are in depth and have more meaning to them as he states in his song “Jesus Walks” “We at war with terrorism, racism, and most of all we at war with ourselves.” Soulja Boy may be able to put a good beat in a song but his lyrics are clearly less meaningful than Kanye West.

Kanye writes lyrics that come from his heart and are in honor of people unlike Soulja Boy who strictly tries to make good club music. [Kanye wrote the song “Jesus Walks” in honor of his mother. He incorporated her into the song as he states “My momma used to say only Jesus can save us.” This makes his music modest and shows us it comes from his heart.] Few rappers can emphasize there feelings in life through there music as well as Kanye West. [In “Jesus Walks” he put his heart and soul into this song and speaks the truth. West says “God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down”. He speaks from his heart and he uses his lyrics and hit songs to stay above the rim and continues to strive in the music world.] Despite his numerous awards, he has never let his fans down and continues to produce great records.

Despite Kanye having rough patches in his life he has used his problems to his benefit. The way Kanye continues to motivate himself to move forward despite his problems is what makes him the best rapper in the industry. On October 23, 2002 Kanye was driving home from the recording studio and fell asleep at the wheel. He got into a bad car accident, though it would seem this unfortunate scenario would only inspire him. [This happening inspired him to produce his first hit single “Through the Wire”. This hit song peaked at number 15 on billboard hot 100 in 2003.] Kanye has produced both hit singles and great albums. He has won an astounding 23 awards ranging from BET awards and Brit awards to Grammy awards. The great thing about Kanye is that he has been a rapper since 2000 and even though it took him 4 years to really hit the surface, he did it. He had the dedication and ambition to become a star. In 2005 he received a Brit award which named him the breakthrough artist of the year. Some would make the argument that each of Kanye’s albums is improving. [Graduation] received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Rolling Stones said that “none of the beats clobber you as immediately as “Jesus Walks” or “Gold Digger,” but most of them improve on every listen: This is an album that you first like, then love.” [His album [Graduation] sold 957,000 in its first week in the United States. This is the highest sales week for an album in 2007. He also topped his previous highest sales week which was 860,000 with [Late Registration].] This shows fans of the hip hop industry that Kanye is improving with every album which is another great characteristic of the most talented rapper in the industry.

For Kanye fans, they can only dream of what’s next in store for them. Kanye was given an award for best rapper of the year in 2007 and will continue to produce great music. [A billboard source stated “In the span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Kanye West from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker….” This is just one of the things that make Kanye all that more of an impressive rap star.] He went from having small parts in other people’s song to making his own hit albums in the span of three years. The motivation that Kanye feeds off of is putting him far above other rappers and is not only inspiring to himself but to others.

Who hits CD shops these days? Definitely not the youth! Today almost every teen or college going boy or girl has their own iPods or MP3 players. They no longer trust CD shops or they no longer have time to rush to shops when they urgently want to hear something they heard is good. Such a short gratifying tendency is good or bad is a thought left to critics! What we know is satisfying our music buds whenever we get a chance! Obviously we are tired enough by day to day routines and studies and music is a great pastime for all of us.

No wonder almost all youths today have memberships of one or more music download sites. As the music industry is growing by leap and bounds, there is tremendous competition between music download sites. Many people keep looking for newly emerged sites that give huge discounts to their clients. However, it’s not a good idea to go for a totally new download site without knowing its features. If you approach it just because you save money, the music quality may be too poor at times. So do search for good download sites that give quality service.

Always look for:

1) Whether the site is giving you unlimited access to its tracks
2) Whether you are given a subscription package or pay per download package
3) Whether the site allows you to burn to your CDs without any additional cost and provides you with free CD burning software too
4) Whether the music download from the site is fast enough
5) Whether the song database is large enough
6) Whether the site gives you different options like hip hop, rock, pop, classical, etc.

Apart from this always opt for the site that gives you yearly, 2 yearly or lifetime membership. This helps you avail different features and newer introductions to the site during the period. And you are paying the site. So make clear whether you receive helpline from the site for any of your queries or obstacles during downloading. This is an important feature and do not miss on to it.

Now let’s see the features of some popular music download sites:

1) Unlimited Media Access: this is a quality music download site where you get unlimited download access. You also get reasonable quality of music at reasonable price. For yearly subscription, you need to pay $29.88. There are no download fees and no charge per song. The spyware and adware free download is possible here. You also get a CD or DVD burning software here. With 56 days money back guarantee, you avail 24 hour helpline at Unlimited Media Access.

2) Unlimited Download Center: Along with unlimited download access, you get best quality of music here with 100% customer satisfaction review. With yearly subscription at $29.88, you avail millions of song tracks with fast download speed. It works with all MP3 players and operating systems.

There are many more, Flickr topping the list of popularity. Others like MP3 Download Net, Ares, Sharing Zone, and Music Platinum are worthy of note too. You have now reliable information about music downloads sites in your pocket. No doubt, you are much better positioned now to listen to your favorite music tracks without wasting much time. The cheap music download is just for the music buffs like you! You deserve it!

For entertaining music on your iPod, first you need to download it from quality site. To assess which are the quality sites and how do they matter for grooming your music love, visit http://www.cheapmusicdownload.net/ today!

“French Kicks” are a four-piece indie rock band based in New York. They are Nick Stumpf (Vocals and Drums), Josh Wise (Vocals and Guitar), Lawrence Stumpf (Bass and Backing Vocals) and Aaron Thurston (Drums and Backing Vocals). Two formers bandmates, Jamie Krents and Matthew Stinchcomb left to pursue their own interests. French Kicks’ music genre are mostly regarded as garage rock and post-punk revival.

Swimming gives you the feeling that you’re actually in a gig listening to French Kicks live. Sounding unique and as if they were playing in their own garage or basement, you’ll gradually like them through their consistency in their own music genre and rhythmic draggy vocals.

Swimming let us in with the well-performed “Abandon”. I like the way the guitar opens with the handclaps, giving you indication that this song will instantly click with you. In the chorus, Nick let it go with “Ah…” while the remaining French Kicks continued playing their instruments to make sure they hit the listeners straight at this first track. Abandon is a great start!

“Over The World” has really nice verses. Nick sings effortlessly throughout the verses and the music just have great timing. “Awful, you’re making it awful…”, goes Nick when singing the first verse. At some points in Over The World, it slightly reminds me of “Cloche” from previous album Two Thousand. Like an evolution of “Cloche”.

The opening guitar of “Carried Away” is really something. It gets me smiling and totally into this song. Great stuff here! “I was carried away.. i was carried away…”, sings Josh in an attempt to build something here. The guitar by French Kicks keeps a steady and consistent rhythm in Carried Away, only Josh’s voice adds stars into this track. Not a bad effort at all.

“New Man” takes a short while to warm up before you can hear Nick singing and the warm up is good as well. The plucking of the guitar and the beating of the drums sounds good even though it’s just repeating in a loop. The chorus really changes the sound of New Man. There’s a lovely sound on and off that sounds like “Ding… Ding…” in different notes. Gradually into New Man, French Kicks add more tempo and beat to it. Everyone should try this.

“Said So What” already had me once Josh’s voice and the bass come in. I knew this song would certainly be one of my favorites off Swimming. The verses are soft accompanied by shaker and drums, but the chorus take a different level and Josh goes, “Why, tell me why, i don’t know…”. The part after the chorus is beautiful. An upbeat ballad by French Kicks!

“Atlanta” starts off with solo drums. I find it kind of good with the drum beats. And again, it has some resemblance to Two Thousand’s “Cloche”. French Kicks give a good show in the chorus where the band moan while Nick sings in his draggy trademark voice.

It sounds like “Love In The Ruins” start off with some reggae guitar or banjo (Correct me if i’m wrong). Frankly, it’s really good and it gets even better when the bass come in. Love In The Ruins has a somewhat catchy chorus with some soft singing and moans. The repetition of “Du, du…” after the chorus is like a steroid, whetting our hungry appetite for the chorus. This is brilliant!

“With The Fishes” has a title that got me smiling as i find it funny. And this time the vocal is back to Josh again. The music starts from a fading sound and Josh does a good job in the chorus, trying to imitate Nick’s trademark voice. The guitar is making With The Fishes a fun track to listen to, credit to Josh again for the wonderful sound. The guitar is really jovial!

“The Way You Arrive” is perhaps the loudest track on the album. The guitar doesn’t take much rest on this track. And due to this, most of the time i can’t really listen to what Nick is singing, the music is taking over in The Way You Arrive. French Kicks only can be heard doing some howlings on and off while Nick is singing. Maybe they’re just experimenting something new with The Way You Arrive. If you listen carefully, you can enjoy the the treasure of the rhythm in this track, otherwise, they might be trying too hard for you.

“All Our Weekends” starts with some horn-like music, which i think might be created by synthesizers. Josh takes back the wheel on All Our Weekends. Frankly, French Kicks are somewhat lost in All Our Weekends. From start to end, i can’t hear any directions they are going. It’s pretty flat from start to end. But i like the horn-like sound that surrounds All Our Weekends. It’s the core here.

“Sex Tourists” is promising. French Kicks have this talent of capturing a sound and make it so good to our ears. In Sex Tourists, the guitar is simple yet exceptional. When the chorus comes, Nick again continues to sing in his trademark voice, as if whispering this time around. The bass is also groovy in a way that you find it a good background rhythm that keeps the listeners in tune with this track. Love this track!

You’ll find the drums on “This Could Go Wrong” have high spirit. French Kicks decide to end Swimming with a slow ballad. And Nick even sounds sad in his singing. French Kicks show us their vocals with minimal music instruments on This Could Go Wrong. Unlike most tracks that close an album with a powerful note, This Could Go Wrong is quite consistent from start to finish. The most notable thing is French Kicks’ rhythmic vocals. Nice work!

Rating: Swimming is really good for garage rock lovers. French Kicks are really similar to The Walkmen in their musical genre. If you’re a fan of The Walkmen, you’ll definitely love French Kicks. Swimming also has this effect that’ll make you feel that you’re listening to French Kicks live in a garage, making you feel connected and closer to them. Nevertheless, they are very consistent in their music genre. Even with their fourth album out, they still make great music consistently and experiment with some new sounds that lead to track, “Said So What” and “Love In The Ruins”. Honestly, they sound kind of romantic and maybe French Kicks are finally prepare to make some indie garage love songs. Although Swimming might have some boring moments, it’s still good. I would give it 6.9 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Abandon, Carried Away, Said So What, Atlanta, Love In The Ruins, With The Fishes and Sex Tourists.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

As festive days are nearing you have got all the reasons to indulge in shopping. Like many others, chances are high that your things-to-buy list is quite big and fat. You would definitely want to decorate your home and, at the same time, you would be buying gifts for near and dear ones.

But how can you celebrate Christmas without aguinaldos, carols and popular Christmas songs? Music is the perfect ingredient to get into holiday mood. Just look around – shopping malls, hotels, clubs, community stores, television channels, radio stations and even your neighbors have started playing Christmas songs.

Without music your holidays remain incomplete – something like foods without salt! Lyrics, tune and rhythm create the right ambience for celebration. A lot of music albums and music videos have released and some are going to hit the stores soon. The whole wide world is going musical to catch the holiday spirit!

Go musical – Go with the rhythm

You have two options: you may choose to be traditional and buy popular music albums of 70′s, 80′s or any other period that evokes your emotions. Or, you may try the latest releases of your favorite music artists.

There is a third option too: take both traditional and trendy numbers and build up a great collection of music albums this winter. Some of the music albums are for your own; you would play them to fill your home with music before during and after Christmas. And some of the albums could be presented to others. You were to buy Christmas gifts for near and dear ones – why don’t you present them with hot music albums of the time?

If you are not sure which are the hit numbers of the day, just go online and look for music charts. These charts would help you find top 10 or top 20 music albums, artists and songs of present time. Then you can easily decide which one is suitable for yourself and which albums could be taken for your friends, family members, relatives or someone special!

Music magazines and music news websites also publish music charts and update the lists regularly. On music magazine websites, you can read reviews, watch trailers of music videos, listen to demo tracks and finally decide whether you would like to buy the album for yourself or someone else.

Christmas music albums have started to populate music stores. Hence, this is the right time to start watching the music charts so that you can grab latest albums soon after the release. Subscribe to music magazines to stay updated all the time.

Throughout the history of modern music, there hasn’t been a musical artist/band who doesn’t think that their songs are all #1 hits just waiting to be discovered. Many of these artists have been correct and have stood by grinning as their tunes screeched up the charts. This inspires a new crop of musicians every year to feverishly pen their potential hits in hopes of making it big.

Musicians write. They rehearse. They play clubs and hope that one day they’ll encounter that special A&R guy (or gal) that will, see them, dig them, sign them, and make them stars. But surprisingly enough, many of these bands never complete what is probably the most important tool for any musician signed or unsigned…they never record a CD.

It cannot be stressed enough that the CD is at the heart of any musical project. It is the physical embodiment of the song, the combination of writing and performing. It’s any musician’s skeleton key for: club gigs, reviews, and radio play. CDs enable you to draw the attention of fans and industry at the same time. Whether containing one song or twenty, the possibilities of the unsigned artist’s CD are endless. Post them on the web. Get them to the press. Give them to your friends. Sell them at your shows. Send them to the record labels. Your CD lets the world know who you are and what you sound like and gives anyone who digs your music the opportunity to listen to it again and again.

So, how can you make sure that you’re CD does your music justice while appealing to fans and industry alike? While there is not one set way to record a CD, there are certain key elements that every professional CD should possess.

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure that your CD will help your band instead of hindering it:

1.) It’s Not The Size, It’s What You Do With It—It doesn’t matter how long your CD is, only that it accurately portrays your sound and vibe. If you don’t have a lot of time or money to spend in the studio then record for quality instead of quantity. It’s better to have one really kick ass tune recorded then a full length CD that sounds like it was recorded on a boom box in your basement. But that doesn’t mean that your CD needs to be expensive or time consuming. The advanced technology of digital recordings has afforded musicians/bands the opportunity to record in smaller home studios and still come away with professional sounding recordings. It’s now all about finding an engineer with a fantastic ear and the mastery of his/her own gear regardless of how inexpensive it may be.

2.) Record And Mix For The Song—Remember a song is a collaboration. Even if you’re the sole musician and engineer of your CD, recording a song is still an ensemble project. Instruments, voices and effects must all work together as a team to produce the best possible finished project. If a guitar line is too busy, a kick drive is too loud, or a voice is perpetually off key, the overall quality of the finished product is compromised. There is a delicate balance of creativity and technology, of art and electronics that comes together to produce the wonder that is your CD. Treat that balance with respect. Put your ego aside and record with the songs as your absolute priority.

3.) Less Talk And More Action—Certainly there is a great deal of preparation that is required before recording. Mapping out the arrangements of your tunes can be an arduous process usually much more complicated than the live performance of the song. One guitar part becomes three, or five or ten, a basic drum part now includes percussion and electronic beats, two backing tracks can become twenty. Sometimes you feel as if your brain will certainly explode from the mapping out of all of the musical and vocal parts required to give your song a professionally recorded sound. But don’t get so lost in the charting and practicing of various parts and forget that time is of the essence here. It’s all well and good to tell those who inquire that you’re “in the studio” or “currently recording” but if a CD does not materialize in a reasonable amount of time both fans and industry will grow disinterested and move on to someone who has a finished product.

4.) If It Sounds Good, Make It Look Good—After the time and energy you’ve spent to make your CD sound amazing, don’t scribble on it with a blunt sharpie, throw it in a used envelope and expect a record label to be impressed with it. If your CD looks unprofessional, it will be dismissed as such and will probably spend its days unlistened to, lining the bottom of some A&R intern’s birdcage. Simple packaging is certainly acceptable but make sure your CD’s first impression a good one…your graphics are high quality, your text is neat, your paper stock is professional and all materials are unused. Even the most poorly recorded CD will get a listen, if it comes in a pretty package.

Now that you have a professional CD recorded, your possibilities are endless. Send it to anyone and everyone! Get your name out there! Make new fans! Grab some press! Get a record deal! Stand back and grin as your single goes screaming up the charts. Anything is possible if you have a good CD and can share your music with the world.

The opportunities to download unlimited songs online are truly endless. Basically, anything you need is available on the Internet and you don’t even need to search hard. With the latest advanced technology it is possible to forget about traditional CDs and DVDs forever, while enjoying your favorite music.

Here are some of the many advantages you can get when you download unlimited songs online:

1. In most cases it is far cheaper than the same number of songs bought on a CD. There are even free options, but many risks, associated with them, are not worth the result. You can easily download the songs of your choice for a very low price, while being fully protected from the dangers of corrupt and infected files.

2. You don’t have to pay for the whole music album for the sake of one track, which captured your attention. When you download unlimited songs online, you are given the freedom to pick only your favorite songs and compile your own music collection. No more wasting your money!

3. You are spared of all the legwork and can browse through the song selection at the convenience of your home, any time you want. In other words, you don’t have to go to a music shop and look for a CD you want – when you download unlimited songs online, you save lots of time and effort.

4. Online downloads are available in a great variety, making it possible to find music for your iPod, iPhone and other music phones, Zune, and any other latest or traditional music player. You can choose among a variety of formats, and different programs are there to help you convert the music formats, so that they become compatible with your player.

5. While music shops usually feature the latest music albums or classic hits, the cyber space has much more to offer. Here you can find very old or rare songs and music from any country of the world. Most sources, which allow you to download unlimited songs online, have an extensive file database, where you can find real gems for your music collection.

6. CDs and DVDs are prone to scratches and other damages a way too quickly – as a result, the money you spent on them are wasted. Even with proper storage, a CD can become defected with time, which is never the case with the music files stored in your PC.

So, think no longer – find a reputed Internet source for good music and download unlimited songs online instantly! Read a full review of some of the most popular download sites on the web at my entertainment blog today.