Music
Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning
© Ghostland Observatory: Paparazzi Lightning
Track List
- Piano Man
- Ghetto Magnet
- Move With Your Lover
- All You Rock & Rollers
- Vibrate
- Sad Sad City
- Stranger Lover
- Paparazzi Lightning
- I’ll Be Suzy
- Midnight Voyage
Genre
Electronic
Review
“Paparazzi Lightning” is their sophomore release and is an album that you can let run from end to end. What I find interesting about this band and the album is the fusion of electronic and disco music. It’s a bit of a throw back to older days in some sense but I like that. The music is gritty and Aaron Kyle Behrens vocals always seem to have this slight scream to them. “Piano Man” and “Midnight Voyage” are my favorite tracks. This is a great album to have around for party music.
Rating
7/10
“Piano Man” Music Video
Pulled from YouTube with a guy drawing a robot set to the music of “Piano Man”:
“Midnight Voyage” Music Video
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny
© Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
Track List
- Kickapoo
- Classico
- Baby
- Destiny
- History
- The Government Totally Sucks
- Master Exploder
- The Divide
- Papagenu (He’s My Sassafrass)
- Dude (I Totally Miss You)
- Break In-City (Storm The Gate)
- Car Chase City
- Beezleboss (The Final Showdown)
- POD (The Pick Of Destiny)
- The Metal
Genre
Rock
Review
A friend of mine sent me a DVD last year of personal travels that had an excellent soundtrack. One of the songs was from Tenacious D. It was so good that it peaked my interest enough to investigate further. So I picked up Tenacious D’s latest release which tells a story of a young boy who eventually masters the art of rock and roll and beats the devil in a jam-a-thon. The guitar riffs are catchy and the lyrics are really funny if you like Jack Black’s sense of humor. Great album, thanks Matthew!
Rating
8/10
“Kickapoo” Music Video
NOTE: This video contains explicit lyrics but should have you on the floor in laughter.
The Crystal Method: Vegas
© The Crystal Method: Vegas
Track List
- Trip Like I Do
- Busy Child
- Cherry Twist
- High Roller
- Comin’ Back
- Keep Hope Alive
- Vapor Trail
- She’s My Pusher
- Jaded
- Bad Stone
Genre
Electronic
Review
Back when I was first getting into electronic music, this is one of the bands that sucked me in. The “Vegas” album is their first album although they have gone on to release six more albums (none of which outshine this one). If you are a fan of electronic music and don’t already have this in your collection then I recommend picking up this album. Every song on this album is great and easily something you can listen to from end-to-end.
Rating
9/10
“Trip Like I Do” Music Video
While the video is mostly a mix of images from the Final Fantasy franchise, you’ll get to hear a bit of the song. Pay special attention to the lyrics as they are strongly influenced by The Dark Crystal movie.
“Trip Like I Do (with Filter)” Music Video
For those that like the band, Filter, you might like this version of the “Tripe Like I Do” song. BTW, this song was first released with the Spawn movie (on the special features disk). However, if you are a Spawn fan, I recommend not watching the movie and checking out the animated HBO series instead.
Half Cousin: Iodine
© Half Cousin: Iodine
Track List
- Big Chief (The B&B Frequenter)
- Jim’s Crash Memory
- Charity
- The Absentee
- Abide
- Police Torch
- Home Help
- Rat Pack Dad
- The Family Thumb
- Your Name
Genre
Folk/Electronica
Review
Half Cousin is an Irish band that juxtaposes folk music with digital fragments to create a unique but off-beat album that really works. The songs “Big Chief (The B&B Frequenter)” and “The Absentee” are my favorite but the rest of the songs on the album are great as well.
“Iodine” is the second album released by Half Cousin. I haven’t listened to their first album, “The Function Room”, but it might be worth checking out as well.
Rating
8/10
“The Absentee” Music Video
“Big Chief (The B&B Frequenter)” Music Video
Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV
© Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV
Track List
- 01 Ghosts I
- 02 Ghosts I
- 03 Ghosts I
- 04 Ghosts I
- 05 Ghosts I
- 06 Ghosts I
- 07 Ghosts I
- 08 Ghosts I
- 09 Ghosts I
- 10 Ghosts II
- 11 Ghosts II
- 12 Ghosts II
- 13 Ghosts II
- 14 Ghosts II
- 15 Ghosts II
- 16 Ghosts II
- 17 Ghosts II
- 18 Ghosts II
- 19 Ghosts III
- 20 Ghosts III
- 21 Ghosts III
- 22 Ghosts III
- 23 Ghosts III
- 24 Ghosts III
- 25 Ghosts III
- 26 Ghosts III
- 27 Ghosts III
- 28 Ghosts IV
- 29 Ghosts IV
- 30 Ghosts IV
- 31 Ghosts IV
- 32 Ghosts IV
- 33 Ghosts IV
- 34 Ghosts IV
- 35 Ghosts IV
- 36 Ghosts IV
Genre
Industrial
Review
Following Radiohead’s lead (i.e. the “In Rainbows” album release), Nine Inch Nails has done something similar where you can download for free or purchase multiple formats of the album:
(click to view)
Initially, I downloaded the first 9 tracks for free. I liked what I heard and then decided to buy the CD. The best part is that while the CD is not out until April, you can download the entire album (as part of your CD purchase) in the following formats until the CD is available:
Included in the download is all the album art along with wallpaper and web art. Lets hope that more artists start to pick up on this in the future. Actually, I’d prefer to download the lossless version of the music all the time. I don’t need a physical disk anymore.
As for the album, I am enjoying it a lot and is in my “developer” playlist along with Amon Tobin: Out From Out Where.
Rating
8/10
Lacuna Coil: Karmacode
© Lacuna Coil: Karmacode
Track List
- Fragile
- To The Edge
- Our Truth
- Within Me
- Devoted
- You Create
- What I See
- Fragments Of Faith
- Closer
- In Visible Light
- The Game
- Without Fear
- Enjoy The Silence
Genre
Gothic Metal
Review
A friend recommended that I check this band out and so I started with one of their latest albums instead of starting at the beginning. I’m impressed but, then again, I’m a sucker for metal bands that have female vocals contrasted by low male vocal or heavy guitars. In the case of this Italian band, Cristina Scabbia’s lead vocals are clean and clear which is sometimes not always the case with this kind of music. Every song on this album is fantastic although “Our Truth” is my personal favorite. For those who are Depeche Mode fans, you might enjoy the last song on the album which is a cover of “Enjoy the Silence”. Check out the music videos below for a sample.
Rating
8/10
“Closer” Music Video
“Enjoy the Silence” Music Video
Amon Tobin: Out From Out Where
© Amon Tobin: Out From Out Where
Track List
- Back From Space
- Verbal (with MC Decimal R)
- Chronic Tronic
- Searchers
- Hey Blondie
- Rosies
- Cosmo Retro Intro Outro
- Triple Science
- El Wraith
- Proper Hoodidge
- Mighty Micro People
Genre
Electronic
Description
I can’t remember how I stumbled across Amon Tobin but I’m glad I did. This album exhibits an interesting mix of sound samples, symphonic sound, varying instrumentation, verbal snippets, etc. Make sure to check out the “Hey Blondie” and “Triple Science” tracks. If you are a programmer, this is a great album for getting into the groove.
“Verbal” Music Video
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss: Raising Sand
© Robert Plant/Alison Krauss: Raising Sand
Track List
- Rich Woman
- Killing The Blues
- Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us
- Polly Come Home
- Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)
- Through The Morning, Through The Night
- Please Read The Letter
- Trampled Rose
- Fortune Teller
- Stick With Me Baby
- Nothin’
- Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson
- Your Long Journey
Genre
Blues
Description
Being a fan of Led Zeppelin and the work of Robert Plant, I was curious about his recent pairing with Alison Krauss. Having not followed the bluegrass scene or Krauss’ career, I really like what both Plant and Krauss have accomplished with this album. If you are a radio listener, you have probably already heard the song “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” playing often. I like it too. “Trampled Rose” is a track where Krauss’ shines on the album for me. Great song. “Fortune Teller”, “Stick With Me Baby”, and “Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson” are also great tracks to check out as well. While these are all great tracks, the album as a whole also gels really well. Good mood music. The only track that I am disappointed about is “Please Read The Letter”. I never really enjoyed it when I first heard it off the “Robert Plant/Jimmy Page: Walking Into Clarksdale” album and doesn’t move me on this album either. Overall, a good album to add to your collection.
“Stick With Me Baby” Music Video
Actually, this is audio only but is a great song to listen to:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Interview
LaLa Music Player
LaLa, a music trading service and online store, is also a useful service for sampling new music. Simply use the search box on the front page as shown here:
Depending on what your search criteria is, you might end up with an album selected for playback as shown here:
(click to view)
Generally, most music tracks are 30 seconds in length but every now and then you can find full length material. The best part is that you don’t even have to be a member to use this.
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