Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Legendary U.K. rockers Radiohead are back with their first studio release in 3 years and their eighth studio album overall, The King of Limbs. The follow up to 2008's masterful In Rainbows finds the group experimenting in a more fragmented fashion that feels like it's only one part of a bigger album to come in spurts sometime down the road.

The album starts off with "Bloom" an electronic tinged, eerie effort that finds lead singer Thom Yorke and Co. experimenting in the way we always expected them to after listening to them all these years. "Morning Mr. Magpie" is an upbeat, consistent effort that adds a little bit of a melodic punch here with Thom's vocals allowing the song to have a long shelf life ahead of it. "Little By Little" is an aural, melodic delight with mystical instrumentation and wonderful vocal syncopation that allow this song to stand out among all the rest on the disc.

The disc's second half begins with my favorite song off the album and the disc's first single, "Lotus Flower". The song is pure, vintage Radiohead with Thom's beautiful vocals echoing throughout the whole song, causing the vibrations to shake the foundation of the song to its very core, and revealing it to be a wonderfully rich composition both melodically and sonically. "Codex" is a more somber, emotionally revealing affair that is the emotional climax of the album with strong horn sounds emanating omnipresently right in front of you that give you a first hand account of what kind of mood you can expect the song to put you in. The disc wraps everything up with "Separator", a simple yet elegant track that leaves you wanting more by the time the song is over with wonderful guitar chords and Thom's resonating vocals staying with you long after the song has ended. This album was released last Friday to the surprise of many Radiohead fans around the world, who were expecting the album to arrive a day later. Many others like yours truly thought it would be a few more months before we saw any new Radiohead material, but the band sure knows how to always throw us a curveball our way that we didn't expect. (or did we?) This album as a whole is a fragment of one larger album looming in the distance, judging from the song's last tune and its linear fashion that possibly acts as an interlude into the next part of the album. Hopefully we'll see more of the master plan that Radiohead have up their sleeve sometime soon!

All in all, a solid yet unspectacular effort from Radiohead who continue to prove their case as a band that can do no wrong, but this effort shows some flaws in their dynamic that show Radiohead have a long way ahead to plead their case to the musical jury, the listening audience.

                                                                                                                         Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Bloom
2. Morning Mr. Magpie
3. Little By Little
4. Feral
5. Lotus Flower
6. Codex
7. Give Up The Ghost
8. Separator 

If you haven't got the chance to check it out yet, Radiohead released a music video for "Lotus Flower" just last week leading up to the release of the album. The video features Thom dancing awkwardly to the beat of the music, you have to check it out!

Artist Spotlight: The Self-Proclaimed Rockstars

Hey everyone!

Kicking off Tuesday with this week's edition of Artist Spotlight! This week for you guys, I have a band out of Wakefield, Massachusetts called The Self-Proclaimed Rockstars! The band consists of Johnny Malone on lead vocals, Mick Greenwood on guitar, Ryan Savary on guitar, James Hogg on bass, and Steve DeBenedictis on drums. The band has a straightforward, bare bones conventional rock style that gets straight to the point with no frills attached and clearcut, melodic guitar riffs that are designed to get you primed and in the mood to enjoy a worthwhile and fulfilling listening experience! I had the pleasure of checking out these guys in concert a couple of weeks ago at McGann's in Boston and I can tell you that they were well worth the price of admission! It was just amazing seeing these guys get up on stage and playing just a regular, melodic blend of rock and having a strong rapport with the listening audience, which is extremely important in any concert dynamic. These guys show that you can have a kick ass show with just simple structured tunes and the full and undivided attention of your audience to keep everything in place! Some of my favorite tunes from these guys include "Whisky" and "Hollywood".

To check out the music from The Self-Proclaimed Rockstars and the latest upcoming tour dates, point your browser over to http://www.sprband.com/  To become a fan of them on Facebook, head on over to http://www.facebook.com/sprband To follow the band on Twitter, head on over to http://twitter.com/sprband

Death Cab For Cutie To Release "Codes and Keys" on May 31st!

Hey everyone!

With the influx of new music inundating the first half of 2011 with the announcement of Radiohead's new album coming out this Saturday, Death Cab For Cutie have decided to get in on the action as well! The group will be releasing their much anticipated, brand new album titled Codes and Keys on May 31st! The album was produced by Alan Moulder, who has produced albums for U2, Nine Inch Nails, and The Killers. The album leans in a more positive frame of mind than their last album, 2008's Narrow Stairs, and is more reflective of where lead singer Ben Gibbard is at his life right now, now that he's settled down in Los Angeles and has married fellow musician/actress Zooey Deschanel. Ben also said that he doesn't want to make that dreary type of music right now as cited from a quote in a blog post from WFNX's Julie Kramer:

"There's a level of self-loathing in Narrow Stairs that I'm a bit embarrassed about now. It's a really dark record. I didn't want to make that record again. I didn't want to write those songs again... Everything I write is reflective of my own life and the lives of people around me, they reflect the conversations you have and the rumblings of life around you."

The first single from the new album will be "You Are A Tourist", so keep an eye out for that song to pop up on the radio within the next few weeks!

The Truezoos - So Listen EP

Straight out of Georgetown, MA, The Truezoos have finally released their long awaited debut EP titled So Listen. The easy going, fun loving trio have crafted one of the most sonically cohesive EP's that I've heard in quite some time, and is a first glance into a group that are destined to be stars in the future.

The EP starts off masterfully with the title track. Lead singer Sean O'Sullivan sounds relaxed and confident amidst the explosively melodic guitars that permeate the song from beginning to end. My favorite song off the EP is "Just Enough" an intricate, solidified track that starts off with light cymbal taps courtesy of brand new drummer Bob Langlais, that morph into a smorgasbord of aural delights that leave plenty to be desired. Sean also busts out some slick vocal abilities that add a little hip-hop flavor to the song as well. "Little Miss Mood" is a laid back, midtempo rocker that blends in some neat xylophone sounds that are intricately woven into the tune. The EP wraps up with "I'll Keep This One", a reggae influenced number that gives us a sample of what all the band members deliver to the table: Marc Hoffman's exquisite bass licks, Bob's intense and melodic drum patterns, and Sean's melodic and energetic vocals reflecting the group's easy going and mellow persona. When I first saw these guys in concert last July, I was completely enthralled with their music, overall stage presence, and the way that they conducted themselves on stage. I'm so honored to have stumbled across these guys, who are real and genuine musicians who love being around each other and making music.

All together, a extraordinary and marvelous effort from The Truezoos who have definitely put themselves on the map with an exquisite effort from front to back that shows the depth of their talent and the far reaching impact that they could have in the future.

                                                                                                                                     EP Score: 5/5

Track Listing:

1. So Listen
2. Just Enough
3. Little Miss Mood
4. I'll Keep This One 

Bonnaroo 2011 Lineup Announced!

Hey everyone!

The lineup for this year's Bonnaroo festival has been announced and this one is nothing short of star-studded, that's for sure! The lineup includes a virtual who's who of the indie and hip-hop genres with such notable artists such as: Eminem, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, Lil' Wayne, Mumford & Sons, The Strokes, The Decemberists, Ray LaMontagne, Iron & Wine, Florence + The Machine, and a whole slew of others!

The Bonnaroo 2011 Music & Arts Festival (which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year!) will take place from June 9th-12th in Manchester, Tennessee! For a complete list of performers and to order tickets, go to Bonnaroo's official website at http://www.bonnaroo.com/

Artist Spotlight: Paul Materne

Hey everyone!

It's time for Artist Spotlight for this week! Today, I present to you a singer-songwriter out of Dallas, Texas named Paul Materne. Paul plays a blend of acoustic, introspective rock that is raw and passionate straight down to the core. Upon first hearing his music, I was absolutely amazed with his pristine vocal ability and the intense melodic patterns emanating strongly from his music, a truly unique pattern in such and one that cannot be replicated. The main theme that circulates throughout his music is romance, and listening to the lyrics you can almost feel the emotions deep inside of you as he sings passionately through the intense strums of the acoustic guitar. I've honestly never encountered an instance where I felt such a direct connection to an artist through his music and I felt that I was sitting right in front of him watching him play, he's just that good. Probably one of the best up and coming artists that I've heard in quite some time and one of the best Artist Spotlight subjects that I've ever come across! Some of my favorite songs from Paul include "If You Only Knew Her", "Sing You To Sleep", and "To You From Me".

To check out the music of Paul Materne, head on over to his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/paulmaterne To download his songs for free, head on over to his PureVolume page at http://www.purevolume.com/PaulMaterne To follow him on Twitter, jump on over to http://www.twitter.com/paulmaterne

New Radiohead Album Out February 19th!

Hey everyone!

Breaking news just coming in over the wire. Radiohead have announced that they're releasing a brand new album titled The King of Limbs on Saturday, February 19th via the Internet. This news is unexpected since Radiohead were thought to still be working on the new album, and it wasn't expected out until the summer at least, but this news is already spreading over the Web and is making members of their fanbase really excited!

To preorder the new album, go to http://www.thekingoflimbs.com/ and click on the corresponding part of the world that indicates where you live. From there, you have a choice of preordering the vinyl or digital copy of the album. The vinyl copy comes with two clear 10" vinyl records, a CD version of the album, 625 tiny pieces of artwork held together by oxo biodegradeable plastic, and a digital version of the album that is compatible with all MP3 players. A vinyl + MP3 version of the album costs $48.00, while a WAV version will cost you $5 more. A digital only version in MP3 format costs $9.00 while the WAV version will set you back $14.00. When you preorder the digital only version, one lucky owner will also receive a signed copy of the 12" vinyl that will make a good collectible to add to your collection! If you're as a big a Radiohead fan as I am, you will preorder this album right now! What are you waiting for, preorder your copy today!

Guitar Hero Gets The Ax!

Hey everyone!

Activision, the video game maker behind the hugely influential and popular Guitar Hero video game series, has announced that they'll be ceasing production of all further Guitar Hero video games effective immediately. The company said that its decision was mostly due to declining sales of their video games which have been hanging off a precipice over the last few years, with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock the biggest selling game out of the whole franchise, exceeding $1 billion in sales, the first video game ever to do so, while the most recent Guitar Hero game, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock sold a paltry 86,000 units during its initial release run. Activision also notes a declining interest in the music game genre, high costs in licensing music, and production costs of the games as a whole the primary decision makers behind the decision to discontinue its once profitable franchise.

The other major game in the music gaming market, Rock Band has done reasonably well in the marketplace, selling over 13 million units since its release back in 2007 and has netted $1 billion for its maker Harmonix (which is now known as MTV Games). Currently, there are 2,000 songs available in the digital library for download on systems and 70 million downloadable song purchases being made so far.

UPDATE: Gorillaz Have Not Broken Up!

Hey everyone!

A quick update from the story I broke to you on Monday regarding the demise of cartoon rock band Gorillaz. According to the fine folks over at Pitchfork magazine, the cartoon band have not broken up, despite all the reports coming in saying that they have disbanded. A representative for Damon Albarn said that all is well with the group in this statement:

"Despite rumours to the contrary, Gorillaz are alive and well and misbehaving in London W10."

The influx of rumors surrounding the breakup of Gorillaz stems from a People magazine article that quoted a source saying that a massive argument between Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett ended the group permanently, while Jamie jetted off somewhere with his girlfriend and Damon holed up somewhere to finish up his opera and his comeback album with Blur. But thankfully, all is well in the Gorillaz camp!

2011 Grammy Predictions!

Hey everyone!

With the Grammy's coming up this Sunday night, I thought I'd take this opportunity to give you a rundown of my predictions of who's going to take home the big trophies at Sunday night's biggest event in the music biz! This year's crop of Grammy nominees is the most accurate of what's current and popular out there with the music buying public today and one of the toughest competition fields by far! My predictions will be for the 4 big awards of the night: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. And without further ado, here are my predictions!:

Album of the Year

Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
Eminem- Recovery
Lady Antebellum- Need You Now
Lady Gaga- The Fame Monster
Katy Perry- Teenage Dream

WINNER: Eminem- Recovery

This one here is a no brainer, there is no artist more deserving of this trophy than Mr. Slim Shady himself! Eminem was previously nominated for this category twice, the first time was back in 2001 when his sophomore effort, The Marshall Mathers LP lost out to Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature", and again in 2003 when The Eminem Show lost out to Norah Jones "Come Away With Me". Arcade Fire could pull off the upset in this category, but that is just a remote possibility and not enough for them to pull away with the award, so I'm still going for Eminem in this category!

Record of the Year

B.o.B. f/ Bruno Mars- Nothin' on You
Eminem f/ Rihanna- Love The Way You Lie
Cee Lo Green- Fuck You
Jay-Z f/ Alicia Keys- Empire State of Mind
Lady Antebellum- Need You Now

WINNER: Eminem f/ Rihanna- Love The Way You Lie

As tough as this category is, Eminem star's shines brightly in this category, atop all the other fierce competition present here! Cee Lo Green's smash "Fuck You" could be the upset of the century if it ends up winning this award, just simply by someone saying it on the telecast (bleeped out, of course) is enough for it to be that memorable, but I don't think it's enough for it to win the award all by itself. Jay-Z and Lady Antebellum both have an equal shot of pulling off the upset in this category, but in the end I think Eminem holds his ground once again!

Song of the Year

Ray LaMontagne- Beg, Steal, Or Borrow
Cee Lo Green- Fuck You
Miranda Lambert- The House That Built Me
Eminem f/ Rihanna- Love The Way You Lie
Lady Antebellum- Need You Now

WINNER: Lady Antebellum- Need You Now

Tough category here, but I think this award here goes to Lady Antebellum, merely because the Academy chooses songs that have a deeper, emotional significance for this award which goes directly to the songwriters. I don't think Eminem will win this award with his collaboration with Rihanna, which touches on the issue of domestic violence and is too dark of an issue to be considered for this award. Cee Lo Green has a remote chance of pulling off an upset here, but not enough to overturn this award, this one belongs to Lady Antebellum!

Best New Artist

Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence + The Machine
Mumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding

WINNER: Drake

As popular a name as Justin Bieber is in today's music world, I don't think the Academy will go with a huge, commercially successful artist for this award. Instead this award will fall in the hands of Drake, who is famous for starring in the teen hit drama series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Drake had a huge year, collaborating with the likes of Lil Wayne and Eminem on the smash hit "Forever" and strong sales for his debut album, "Thank Me Later". An upset could be waiting in the wings from the likes of Florence + The Machine and Mumford & Sons, both artists who had huge commercially successful years in the indie music scene. Esperanza Spalding here is no credible threat and doesn't stand a chance against any of these artists, so Drake takes home the prize!

And there you have it, my predictions for the 2011 Grammy Awards! Who do you guys think will take home the big trophies on music's biggest night? Let me know who your predictions are for the 4 big categories here in the comments section and let me know who you think should take home the hardware! Also, become a fan of The Music Box Blog on Facebook here, and follow the blog on Twitter here to get live wire-by-wire coverage of the Grammy's this Sunday night with all the recaps of the live performances, big moments, and most of all, the big winners! The 2011 Grammy Awards air this Sunday, February 13th at 8PM on CBS! Don't miss it!

Artist Spotlight: Overcasters

Hey everyone!

It's Tuesday and it's time for this week's edition of Artist Spotlight! This week, we take a look at a band from Denver, Colorado called Overcasters. The band consists of Kurt Ottoway on lead vocals and guitar, Erin Tidwell on drums, John Nichols on guitar, and Sam Doom on bass. The band's sound is mostly comprised of progressive and space rock influences that branch out on a bigger musical scale to entice the listener with its rapturing melodies and epic sound. Kurt's vocals add a certain allure to each of the songs that take the listener on an extraordinary listening journey through mountainous guitar riffs and captivating drum patterns that take a hold of you almost immediately. Creating grandiose, epic tunes like these requires incessant practice and meticulous attention to what everybody is doing in order to achieve the desired result that you first had imagined when you first went in to record the song. This band has all the key ingredients necessary to achieve success beyond the realms of their hometown. Some of my favorite tracks from them include "Who Do You Think You Aren't" and the thunderous "Way of the World".

To check out the music of Overcasters, head on over to their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/theovercasters To become a fan of theirs on Facebook, cruise on over to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Overcasters/61177699013 For more general information about the band including upcoming tour dates, head on over to their official website at http://www.overcasters.com/

BREAKING NEWS! Gorillaz Split Up!

Hey everyone!

Another band breakup headline for you today! A report from The People newspaper in the UK indicates that the Gorillaz have gone their separate ways. Apparently, there has been alot of friction between Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett for quite some time now, with Jamie frustrated at how much time Damon was devoting to his other projects and Damon fed up with Jamie's hard partying ways. An explosive argument recently between the two ended the creative partnership permanently. Jamie Hewlett has gone off to spend time with his girlfriend, while Damon is planning to reunite with the rest of the members of Blur and is currently writing an opera as well. His departure from Gorillaz was alluded to at a concert recently where Damon gave a long, drawn out speech saying that this might be the final time that the group plays together, which is kind of unusual for him since he rarely speaks at Gorillaz concerts. This is another in a long line of high profile band breakups recently. As I reported to you last week, The White Stripes announced that they would not be recording or touring anymore, and dance punk group LCD Soundsystem announced that they would be disbanding permanently.

Gorillaz last album was Plastic Beach, which was released last March and was their first studio album in 5 years. What do you make of this news? Is this story real or do you think it's just a rumor? Leave your comments here on the blog and tell me what you think!

BREAKING NEWS! The White Stripes Break Up!

Hey everyone!

Shocking news coming out of The White Stripes camp this morning, the group announced that they have broken up permanently. This news comes as a major shock to the group as many fans were hoping that the group were in the studio working on some new material for their next album, but that is not the case. Here is the full text of their press release that just came out today:

The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.

The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.

It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.

Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of The White Stripes' intense and incredible career.

Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from The White Stripes in their Vault subscription record club, as well as through regular channels.

Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn't met with sorrow by their fans but that it is seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who've shared in those creations, with their feelings considered greatly.

With that in mind, the band have to say:

"The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."

Sincerely,
Meg and Jack White
The White Stripes

The band's last studio album was Icky Thump, released in 2007. Jack has remained relatively visible in the music scene since then, keeping busy with his side project The Raconteurs, releasing his 2nd album with them, Consolers of the Lonely in 2008. What do you make of this shocking announcement? Leave your comments here on the blog and let me know what you think!

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

London, England's breakout indie folk sensations Mumford & Sons have arrived on the scene with their much heralded debut album, Sigh No More. The band has achieved the ever impossible goal of finding a way to make folk music much more accessible to the mainstream and weave intricate storytelling in between to create one of the best debut albums in recent memory.

The album kicks off with the title track, a fast paced, frenetic delight that introduces us to the vocal stylings of Marcus Mumford. The track starts off at a slow pace, but quickly picks up steam afterwards. My absolute favorite song off the album is "The Cave", a melodic, inspiring juggernaut that encapsulates all there is to love about the band, and is one track that you definitely won't get sick of and one that you won't get out of your head anytime soon. "Winter Winds" is a mellow, calm tune that is the perfect song to listen to while you're all snowed in or whether you're outside shoveling your driveway or just simply partaking in all the winter weather has to offer you. "Roll Away Your Stone" is another glistening track brimming with a host of instruments, including banjos and keyboard that will definitely get the juices flowing and allow you to listen to the song with a open mind. "I Give You All" is a powerful, somber affair that features Marcus's vocals once again offering up immediate notice of the emotions at stake here.

The disc's second half begins with "Little Lion Man", a song that I'm sure that you've all heard many times before leading up to the release of the album. The track is chock full of guitars, banjos, and accordion that all build up to a very entertaining affair. "Timshel" is a perfect reminder of all the cold and snow that has been surrounding us quite frequently lately. The song's delicate instrumentation triggers visions of all that winter has to bring to us. We start to draw the curtains on the album with  "Awake My Soul", the song that best displays Marcus's exceptional vocal abilities and the way he syncs in with the array of instrumentation heard distinctly at the forefront. "Dust Bowl Dance" is the perfect balance in between to complement the next track "After The Storm" a melancholy, stripped down tune that sets the album's emotional barometer into high gear with gritty guitar riffs and deep, thoughtful musicianship from everyone involved that wraps up the album properly. Folk music has always had a small but loyal fanbase that has never gotten much recognition from the mainstream listening audience, but this album seems to have made folk music much more user accessible, and has made Mumford & Sons a major breakout artist with album sales approaching 500.000 and 2 Grammy nominations including Best New Artist at the upcoming ceremony on Feb. 13. In my mind, one of the sleeper albums of last year and some of the most talented guys that I've stumbled across in quite some time!

To sum it all up, Mumford & Sons have crafted a remarkably cohesive effort here that has shattered the dividing line between folk music and the mainstream world, and one that has made their music strike a emotionally signifying chord with the listener and one act that we'll definitely be seeing alot more from for some time to come!

                                                                                                                                Album Score: 4.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Sigh No More
2. The Cave
3. Winter Winds
4. Roll Away Your Stone
5. White Blank Page
6. I Gave You All
7. Little Lion Man
8. Timstel
9. Thistle & Winds
10. Awake My Soul
11. Dust Bowl Dance
12. After The Storm

Artist Spotlight: Halston

Hey everyone!

Tuesday is here and it's time for Artist Spotlight for this week! This week, we have a local band right out of Brighton, Massachusetts called Halston! The band consists of brothers Dando Halston and Carlos Halston IV. The band describes their music as "Cosmiche American Disco & Western" a seemingly out of left field combination that works together particularly well here. The best way to describe this music is unconventional country tunes mixed in with uptempo disco influenced beats that when fused together, create a particularly exhilarating experience! One of the most intriguing aspects of local bands is their ability to fuse together genres that are unbeknownst or foreign to the immediate general listening audience, and a find a way to integrate their own unique abilities or talents to give it that extra spark that makes them truly unique and able to shatter boundaries between different genres. Some of my favorite tracks from these guys include "Someone Has Stolen My Bottom" and "Guess What? That's What!", which includes a sample of Madonna's "Lucky Star" heard faintly in the background.

To check out more music from the guys of Halston, head on over to their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/halstonboston To become a fan of theirs on Facebook, mosey on over to http://www.facebook.com/HalstonBoston and check out this hot Boston band in action!