Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Arcade Game - I discovered this game at Spacebar recently. Michael Jackson fights bad guys and zombies with dance moves, etc. and saves little kids. Not too many things are cooler than that.
Heirloom Gardener Magazine - I really like what the folks at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are doing, and I've been checking out their catalog and ordering their seeds for a few years now, but I hadn't checked out their magazine until this month. I'm not sure what took me so long - their magazine is great!
Johnny Marr: The Messenger - The Smith's guitarist, Johnny Marr, put out his first solo album last month. It's no Morrissey album, but it's still pretty great. It's got a very throwback feel and some pretty catchy tunes.
Showing posts with label album review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label album review. Show all posts
Monday, March 11, 2013
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Weekly Recommendations, Week 48: Kepi for Kids
Kepi is a true rock 'n roll genius. He has consistently churned out well-crafted and catchy-as-can-be pop punk songs for more than two decades now, both as a solo artist and as a member of various bands (the most notable being, Groovie Ghoulies). This time around he is rocking for the kids. However, to no one's surprise really, nothing has changed. Thematically the lyrics are geared more towards kids, but the majority of Kepi's songs are already very kid friendly, so really this album doesn't sound a whole lot different than anything else he's done. All of the songs are tons of fun, with several stand out tracks including, "Dee Dee Taught Me How to Count," referencing Dee Dee Ramone's familiar "1-2-3-4" shout before nearly every live Ramones song; "A Little Bit Weird," which assures us all that being weird is "something to be celebrated, and not to be feared"; and "Days That End in 'Y'," which is one of the sweetest love songs you'll ever hear. Also included are two reworked, classic Groovie Ghoulies' songs ("Let's Go to the Moon" and "The Beast with Five Hands") and a lullaby ("Moonbeam"). A two-part anthem about life in Kepiland bookends the album. As is typical with any Kepi production, there isn't a single bad song on the album, even "Nuts for Nuts!", which seems like it should be annoying, has it's charm - probably solely because it's a Kepi song. Whether you have kids or not, I'm certain that you'll find this album enjoyable. In fact, as far as I can tell, it's guaranteed to get you dancing and hitting the replay button again and again.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Weekly Recommendations, Week 5: Kepi Ghoulie - I Bleed Rock 'n Roll
This week’s recommendation is pure rock ’n roll. Kepi Ghoulie has done it again, rocking the brains out of the human population with his latest album, I Bleed Rock ‘n Roll. With a long history of crafting quintessential pop punk songs with Groovie Ghoulies, The Haints, Little Medusas, and as a solo artist, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Kepi’s new album would be packed with ridiculously catchy, incredibly dance-able, and lyrically impressive pop punk songs; however, on this album, Kepi has stepped outside the box with a sound that is more layered, more punchy, more experimental, more complex, and more rock ‘n roll. Change and experimentation doesn’t always work out well for all artists, but for Kepi it has definitely paid off and has resulted in some of his best work yet, and while I would have been perfectly happy if Kepi had continued on with his traditional, no frills sound without adding or changing a thing to it until the end of time, I am loving the fact that he had the courage and gusto to expand and that it totally worked out for him. Some standout tracks this time around include “Nikki Lee,” “The Fever,” and “Part Time Romeo.” A couple of the tracks on the album are re-workings of older songs – “When I’m Gone” and “Love to Give” – and both renditions are amazing, vast improvements, and highly recommended. On “Unfigureoutable,” Kepi channels Daniel Dale Johnston, which caught me off guard at first listen, but actually happens to be a nice, little break amidst non-stop rocking. Kepi also added a cover song to the mix – “Blame It on Mom” by Johnny Thunders – and totally nailed it, of course. Lyrically, this is a Kepi album through and through, and “Break My Heart” features lyrics that are trademark Kepi:
“I’ll just go down to the gutter
Ask it if it’s seen my heart
I’ll get directions to the shredder
And I’ll go and pick up all the parts
And then I’ll put ‘em in my pocket
And then I’ll go down to the tailor
And then I’ll say ‘Can you fix me up?’
And he’ll say ‘No way, man. There’s no way!’ ”
If there is one person on this planet that I would say actually bleeds rock ‘n roll, it would have to be Kepi without question; thus, his new album is aptly titled in more ways than one. If you want proof of Kepi’s rock ‘n roll prowess, just listen to “Nikki Lee” and try and convince me that he’s not a rock ‘n roll king. Even if this is Kepi’s magnum opus, which it very well could be, I sincerely hope that he keeps on rocking for a long, long time to come.
“I’ll just go down to the gutter
Ask it if it’s seen my heart
I’ll get directions to the shredder
And I’ll go and pick up all the parts
And then I’ll put ‘em in my pocket
And then I’ll go down to the tailor
And then I’ll say ‘Can you fix me up?’
And he’ll say ‘No way, man. There’s no way!’ ”
If there is one person on this planet that I would say actually bleeds rock ‘n roll, it would have to be Kepi without question; thus, his new album is aptly titled in more ways than one. If you want proof of Kepi’s rock ‘n roll prowess, just listen to “Nikki Lee” and try and convince me that he’s not a rock ‘n roll king. Even if this is Kepi’s magnum opus, which it very well could be, I sincerely hope that he keeps on rocking for a long, long time to come.
Friday, October 22, 2010
"Sufjan, Follow Your Heart"
A Review of Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Ever since Sufjan Stevens’ release of Illinois in 2005, I have been greatly anticipating future Sufjan releases. Originally, I expected them to be continuations of his so-called 50 States Project, but looking back I think we all knew that that was just a big joke. Last year, Sufjan released The BQE, which is actually the score of a film that Sufjan wrote and directed. However, seeing how it’s just an instrumental album, I haven’t made it a priority to check it out even though I probably should. And now finally, five years after Illinois, Sufjan comes through with some new songs, first by releasing the All Delighted People EP in August and then the full-length, The Age of Adz, in October.
The Age of Adz does not disappoint. Spanning genres and layering sounds in true Sufjan style, this album is loaded with passionate storytelling, sentimental fervor, and deep emotion. This is an album I think any grown up or anyone growing up can relate to. It tells the tales of pain, regret, heartache, and sorrow; stories that seem to get harder and harder to tell sincerely in an increasingly detached and distant electronic age. In “Get Real, Get Right,” Sufjan confesses that some his struggles may be the result of straying from his God: “I know I’ve caused you trouble / I know I’ve caused you pain / But I must do the right thing / I must do myself a favor / And get real, get right with the Lord.”
“I Walked” is a quintessential break-up song, replete with lyrics like, “For when you went away / I went crazy … I ran through the night / With the knife in my chest.” “Now That I’m Older” is a song that anyone who is advancing in their adult years can relate to as they look back on the stupid things they did in their youth and how they squandered away their time: “I wasn’t older yet / I wasn’t wise I guess.” In “I Want to Be Well,” Sufjan acknowledges that “illness likes to prey upon the lonely,” and with that asserts that he would “rather be fine” and he “wants to be well.” Towards the end of the song there won’t be any question about whether or not he is serious. I think he makes it pretty clear that he is.
Musically this album is pure Sufjan Stevens with its soft to loud to soft again and its layered instrumentation and intricate orchestration. And what Sufjan album would be complete without choirs pitching in on a few of the tracks? The musical element that stands out the most though is the heavy use of electronica. Those familiar mostly with Michigan, Illinois, and Seven Swans may find the synthesizers, drum samples, and noise freakouts a bit odd or unsettling, but Sufjan masters electronic music and could easily stand side by side with any of the giants of that genre. If you need proof, just listen to “Too Much,” “The Age of Adz,” “I Walked,” “Get Real, Get Right,” “All for Myself,” and “I Want to be Well.”
Finally, The Age of Adz culminates in a 25 minute track which is a medley of five songs all lumped under the title, “Impossible Soul.” The first song features a guitar solo that could easily be found in a Wilco song. In another song, Sufjan uses Auto-Tune on his vocals, which although quite popular in mainstream rap music these days is really just gimmicky and was probably a mistake. The next song is a dance party. Finally, the track wraps up with a quiet number that seems to sum up the feeling of the entire album: Despite our countless flaws, life is better when it’s spent with those we love.
“I’m sorry if I seem self-effacing
Consumed by selfish thoughts
It’s only that I still love you deeply
It’s all the love I’ve got.”
-Sufjan Stevens “The Age of Adz”
Ever since Sufjan Stevens’ release of Illinois in 2005, I have been greatly anticipating future Sufjan releases. Originally, I expected them to be continuations of his so-called 50 States Project, but looking back I think we all knew that that was just a big joke. Last year, Sufjan released The BQE, which is actually the score of a film that Sufjan wrote and directed. However, seeing how it’s just an instrumental album, I haven’t made it a priority to check it out even though I probably should. And now finally, five years after Illinois, Sufjan comes through with some new songs, first by releasing the All Delighted People EP in August and then the full-length, The Age of Adz, in October.
The Age of Adz does not disappoint. Spanning genres and layering sounds in true Sufjan style, this album is loaded with passionate storytelling, sentimental fervor, and deep emotion. This is an album I think any grown up or anyone growing up can relate to. It tells the tales of pain, regret, heartache, and sorrow; stories that seem to get harder and harder to tell sincerely in an increasingly detached and distant electronic age. In “Get Real, Get Right,” Sufjan confesses that some his struggles may be the result of straying from his God: “I know I’ve caused you trouble / I know I’ve caused you pain / But I must do the right thing / I must do myself a favor / And get real, get right with the Lord.”
“I Walked” is a quintessential break-up song, replete with lyrics like, “For when you went away / I went crazy … I ran through the night / With the knife in my chest.” “Now That I’m Older” is a song that anyone who is advancing in their adult years can relate to as they look back on the stupid things they did in their youth and how they squandered away their time: “I wasn’t older yet / I wasn’t wise I guess.” In “I Want to Be Well,” Sufjan acknowledges that “illness likes to prey upon the lonely,” and with that asserts that he would “rather be fine” and he “wants to be well.” Towards the end of the song there won’t be any question about whether or not he is serious. I think he makes it pretty clear that he is.
Musically this album is pure Sufjan Stevens with its soft to loud to soft again and its layered instrumentation and intricate orchestration. And what Sufjan album would be complete without choirs pitching in on a few of the tracks? The musical element that stands out the most though is the heavy use of electronica. Those familiar mostly with Michigan, Illinois, and Seven Swans may find the synthesizers, drum samples, and noise freakouts a bit odd or unsettling, but Sufjan masters electronic music and could easily stand side by side with any of the giants of that genre. If you need proof, just listen to “Too Much,” “The Age of Adz,” “I Walked,” “Get Real, Get Right,” “All for Myself,” and “I Want to be Well.”
Finally, The Age of Adz culminates in a 25 minute track which is a medley of five songs all lumped under the title, “Impossible Soul.” The first song features a guitar solo that could easily be found in a Wilco song. In another song, Sufjan uses Auto-Tune on his vocals, which although quite popular in mainstream rap music these days is really just gimmicky and was probably a mistake. The next song is a dance party. Finally, the track wraps up with a quiet number that seems to sum up the feeling of the entire album: Despite our countless flaws, life is better when it’s spent with those we love.
“I’m sorry if I seem self-effacing
Consumed by selfish thoughts
It’s only that I still love you deeply
It’s all the love I’ve got.”
-Sufjan Stevens “The Age of Adz”
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