Jimmy Eat World- Invented

Straight out of Mesa, AZ Jimmy Eat World have finally returned after a 3 year absence with Invented. The follow up to 2007's Chase This Light finds the group doing a little bit of everything with strong, melodic punches here and there and mellow, acoustic ballads that very closely resemble the Jimmy Eat World of the Clarity and Bleed American era that we've grown to know and love over the years.

The disc storms out of the gate with "Heart Is Hard To Find", an uptempo, acoustic inspired jam that will get your head bopping from the get go. Frontman Jim Adkins sounds a little deeper at times throughout the song, a change of pace from how we heard him on prior releases. The disc's first single, "My Best Theory" is pure, vintage Jimmy at it's finest with sharp, crisp guitar riffs hitting at every angle imaginable. "Evidence" continues the melodic onslaught with escalating guitar riffs and powerful melodies that you will fall hook, line, and sinker for. "Movielike" is a mostly acoustic driven number, providing for a nice change of pace after all the harder edged tunes we heard so far. "Coffee and Cigarettes" is a strong, melodic number that will keep you tuned in until the very end with Jim's powerful vocals making this song one of the standouts among all the rest.

The disc's second half starts off with "Littlething", a mellow, calm track that features the sounds of an orchestra heard faintly in the distance, adding for a nice touch to a very unique track. "Cut" features much of the same laid back melodies as the previous one did, setting the stage for the latter tracks to follow. Easily my favorite song off the album is the title track, a beautiful, epic tune that will leave you breathless upon first listening, and will keep you paying attention for all 7 minutes of the track. "Mixtape" is the song that ties all the loose ends together with simple melodies and guitar arrangements that closes out the album appropriately. When the history books are written years from now and when they have a chapter titled "DIY Bands Who Did Things On Their Own Terms", you know Jimmy Eat World will be at the very top of the list. When they released their breakthrough album Clarity in 1999 on Capitol Records, and were subsequently dropped after the album sold poorly, many wondered if they would even continue as a band, but those speculations were automatically shattered when Bleed American came out in 2001. 10 years and 3 albums later, Jimmy Eat World is still surviving and thriving in today's uncertain music biz.

Overall, a great effort here from Jimmy Eat World who have failed to disappoint us once again with an effort that shows their full fledged evolution into a band that personifies everything about the DIY scene, and also shows a band that is harder, better, and stronger then when they first started.

                                                                                                                         Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Heart Is Hard To Find
2. My Best Theory
3. Evidence
4. Higher Devotion
5. Movielike
6. Coffee and Cigarettes
7. Stop
8. Littlething
9. Cut
10. Action Needs An Audience
11. Invented
12. Mixtape  

High School Students Fight iPod Ban!

Hey everyone!

A group of students are fighting a ban on iPods set forth by the school administration. Students from Natick High School in Natick, MA are fighting a ban set forth by school officials that forbids students to use iPods in the study halls and the library. Students feel that the iPods help them tune out the loud noise around them while they're in the study hall doing work or while in the library. While Natick doesn't have an official policy on the use of iPods in schools, the high school does allow students to use iPods only during lunchtime, and on free periods for seniors. School officials feel that the use of iPods doesn't make you read better, write better, or learn better altogether and they can't find any reasonable evidence supporting that conclusion. After a two hour meeting attended by students and parents, the school superintendent seemed willing to reconsider and is asking the school committee for more time to reconsider and come to a compromise for both parties. Senior Sean Flaherty feels that they got their message across to the school board very strongly:

"I definitely think we put something in every student's mind that they can speak up."

What do you make of this issue? Do you feel that these students should be allowed to use iPods to help them study or do you think they should simply comply with the rules and focus on their schoolwork? Leave your comments here on the blog and let me know what you have to say!

Artist Spotlight: Jack Jeffery

Hey everyone!


It's time for this week's Artist Spotlight feature! This week, I present to you a rising artist coming out of Bealeton, VA named Jack Jeffery. Jack Jeffery is starting to make a name of himself with his debut album titled "Passage to Agadir". The album has a strong influence of Pink Floyd attached to it with each track set up in a way where it takes the listener on a musical journey that feels like you're traveling in a linear pattern throughout the album. Passage to Agadir has started to get some notice in the press, Indie Music Digest characterized it as "a compelling musical journey". It's a great album all around and one that sticks with you after first hearing it.

To hear more from Jack Jefffery, head on over to his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/jackjeffery To purchase his debut album Passage to Agadir, head on over to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jjeffery You can also purchase his album from iTunes and Amazon MP3 among other digital music outlets.

Artist Spotlight: Tarek Kasmi

Hey everyone!

It's Tuesday and you know what that means! It's time for the Artist Spotlight feature for this week! This week, we focus on an up and coming artist from Orlando, Florida named Tarek Kasmi. Tarek is a singer-songwriter who has been making quite a splash with his debut EP titled The New Century released just last month. The EP has a strong pop-punk feel to it, kind of reminiscent of Chris Carrabba from Dashboard Confessional with insatiable melodies and thought provoking lyrics that will keep you tuned in until the very end! I listened to the EP for the first time just last week and it left quite an impression on me, I strongly feel we'll be hearing much more from Tarek in the future!

To hear tracks from The New Century EP, head on over to his MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/tarekkasmi One of my favorites off the EP, "We're Not Sorry" can be downloaded here: http://soundcloud.com/tarekkasmi/01-were-not-sorry To download his EP from iTunes, here is the direct link to the album!: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-new-century-ep/id387492616

Brandon Flowers- Flamingo

Brandon Flowers of The Killers takes a break from his full time job as frontman to release his debut solo album, Flamingo. The album features a lot of the same synth based melodies that made The Killers so successful, and also shows that Brandon hasn't compromised his musical integrity one bit and isn't afraid to experiment a little.

The album opens with "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas", an upbeat, melodic tune that gives way to Brandon's familiar and powerful vocals resonating quite strongly and lifts the song to another level in the musical stratosphere. "Only the Young" is an anthemic, mid tempo synth based tune that is melancholy in nature and is a tune that kind of comes out of left field, not one that you would expect to hear on the record. "Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts" is a high energy rocker that is very similar to songs you find on The Killers albums, and is one that will get established Killers' fans interested in the album in the first place. "Playing With Fire" is a somber and toned down piece that shows Brandon's softer side, one that you would not expect on the album but is a welcome surprise for listeners to partake in.

The album's second half commences with "Was It Something I Said?", a melodic, upbeat number that throws a number of curveballs your way with a variety of synthesizers that provides an enjoyable experience for the listener. My favorite track off the disc is the first single, "Crossfire" an upbeat, melodic blast that is the perfect song to listen to when you wake up in the morning and see the sun rising in the distance, a solid track all around. We begin to close up shop with "On the Floor", a gospel inspired tune that features a full fledged choir in the background that provides for a powerful and magical ending. Too often, most people believe that when frontmen from prominently established bands release solo albums, it indicates that the band they were in previously has dissolved completely and are ready to move on. That is almost always not the case, in most cases the band is still very much together and is just taking a little break to focus on other projects, and that scenario adequately applies to The Killers and Brandon Flowers, who uses some influences from his band and infuses it with surprising and unexpected sounds.

All in all, a good effort here from Brandon Flowers who proves here that he is more than capable as a solo performer to deliver an effort that isn't a complete departure from his work with The Killers, but is unique in its own way and has his personality stamped all over it.

                                                                                                                            Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
2. Only the Young
3. Hard Enough
4. Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts
5. Playing With Fire
6. Was It Something I Said?
7. Magdalena
8. Crossfire
9. On the Floor
10. Swallow It

Artist Spotlight: The Dead Beats

Hey everyone!

It's time for this week's Artist Spotlight! This week, I present to you The Dead Beats! The Dead Beats are a trio based out of Lowell, MA which consists of Neal Guinane on guitar and lead vocals, Phil Guay on bass and backup vocals, and Jesse Robichaud on drums. The band's sound can best be described as Grateful Dead mixed in with some country and classic rock influences, sounds that you never thought would come together, but it blends together extremely well here. It's not too often that bands blend sounds from yesterday and adapt them to make them sound current today, but these guys find a way to make it happen and do a pretty darn good job at it!

To listen to their self-titled EP, head on over to their Band Camp site at http://deadbeatsrock.bandcamp.com/ You can also download their EP as well from the site. To become a fan of theirs on Facebook, head on over to http://www.facebook.com/DeadBeatsRock and from there, you can also check out upcoming dates to the Boston area!

UPDATE: The Starting Line to Play Holiday Show in New Jersey!

Hey everyone!

A couple of weeks ago, I broke to you the news that The Starting Line might be in the midst of planning a reunion tour due to a vague post on their Facebook update indicating a string of dates announcing on sale dates and artwork. Well this morning, the news became official that The Starting Line would be playing a one-off holiday show at The Starland Ballroom in Sayerville, New Jersey on Sunday, December 26 at 6:00pm. The show is all ages to enter, you must be 21+ to drink at the event, tickets are $22.50 in advance and $25.00 the day of the show plus applicable surcharges.

While this is just a one-off show and their only concert appearance of 2010, the possibility of a full-fledged concert tour is still not entirely out of the question. Perhaps sometime after their set of dates at the Soundwave festival in Australia in March 2011, we might hear something about a reunion tour for the summer.

Interpol- Interpol

New York City indie rockers Interpol are back with their brand new self titled release. The follow up to 2007's Our Love to Admire finds the group exploring other musical avenues while still retaining their distinctive Interpol sound, something that's very hard for bands to do these days.

The album's leadoff track "Success" is a semi-dark, melodic tune that gives the listener a good idea of what to look forward to hearing on the album. Lead singer Paul Banks distinct vocal strength stands out among the sea of guitars and drums on this track. "Memory Serves" is a melancholy, toned down affair that changes tempos rather quickly, but gives the listener a little variety to listen and enjoy in the process. "Lights" is a dark and moody track that features great vocal work from Paul and simple guitar riffs that match the mood of the song remarkably well. My favorite track off the album is the disc's first single "Barricade",  a melodic, up tempo affair that features many of the same sounds found on their two previous studio efforts that will please members of their fanbase.

As we head into the disc's second half, we hear "Safe Without", a mid tempo tune that features a distinct guitar pattern and great musical arrangements from all parties involved. "Try It On" features a faint backing piano heard in the distance that adds a drop of aura and mystique to the song. To close out the disc, we have "The Undoing", a somber, mellow track that best describes the overall feel of the disc with simple guitar riffs and light vocal arrangements that conclude the album much like the way it began. It's very hard nowadays for artists to still maintain their original sound while venturing out into other musical climates, but Interpol accomplish this feat quite well with an effort that keeps their fans satisfied.

In retrospect, a passable effort here from Interpol who have delivered an effort that blends together two distinct sounds and molds them together to create something that both the fans and the band themselves can equally appreciate and view as an artistic achievement.

                                                                                                                            Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Success
2. Memory Serves
3. Summer Well
4. Lights
5. Barricade
6. Always Malaise (The Way I Am)
7. Safe Without
8. Try It On
9. All of the Ways
10. The Undoing

Artist Spotlight: The Truezoos

Hey everyone!

Hope you're enjoying the last days of summer! In this week's edition of Artist Spotlight, we check out the music of The Truezoos! The Truezoos are a band that hail from Georgetown, MA which consist of Sean O'Sullivan on guitar and lead vocals, Marc Hoffman on bass, and Chris Cucinotto on drums. The band plays a very eclectic blend of reggae influenced rock that has a host of influences that includes 311, Sublime, Jack Johnson, and G. Love & Special Sauce. I had a chance to catch one of their shows a couple of months ago at Rob Jack's in Everett, MA and I was very impressed with their stage presence and their live performance in general and the way they were able to get the audience's attention and keep them entertained all night long!

To check out the music of The Truezoos and upcoming shows to the Boston area, head on over to their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/truezoos and if you want to become a fan of theirs on Facebook, head on over to http://www.facebook.com/truezoos and check out the songs that they have to offer you!

The Starting Line Reunion Tour In the Works?

Hey everyone!

The Starting Line posted a cryptic status update on their Facebook page, indicating that a tour is forthcoming, possibly in North America? Here is the update:

9.13 announce
9.16 10a-10p presale via TM for venue and artist (password TBD)
9.17 noon on-sale

Support TBD Artwork before the 9th

The Starting Line announced a batch of reunion shows for the Soundwave Festival in Australia about a month or so ago, and many fans were disappointed to see that they didn't include the United States in their tour itinerary. This is the first evidence we've seen that they didn't forget about us, and are ready to take on the States! Whether a new album is in the works remains to be seen, and as to what the artwork is referring to is anyone's guess!  Feel free to leave your comments here on the blog and I'll give you further details as they come in!

Sade- Soldier of Love

Helen Folsade Adu, better known as Sade is back with her long awaited studio effort, Soldier of Love. The follow up to 2000's Lovers Rock finds the Nigerian born R&B chanteuse and her band returning to their roots to deliver a seductive and superb album that welcomes Sade back to the fold after a long absence.

The album's opening track "The Moon and The Sky" is vintage Sade with her sensual vocals and laid back rhythms setting everything in motion here. My favorite track off the album is the disc's title track, a rock tinged effort that quickly changes pace early on the album, but finds a way to easily blend in Sade's beautiful vocals with the hard edged rock sound, a solid track all around. "Babyfather" is a warm, breezy track with Sade's cooing vocals and a light backing acoustic guitar guiding the song along very smoothly. "Long Hard Road" is the perfect song to accompany you on your late night drive with Sade's vocals once again taking charge and also compliments the sound of the guitars so well on this one.

As we head into the second half, we come across "Be That Easy", a laid back summertime jam with light, syncopated rhythms and if you listen towards the end, you can also hear some faint whistling which is a clever addition to the tune. "In Another Time" is a jazz inspired number with Sade's vocals pouring through every crevice of the song with remarkable precision. To close out the disc, we have "Skin", a laid back, soothing track that makes you reflect and look back on yourself and the changes that you have undergone. "The Safest Place" closes out the disc perfectly with Sade's superb vocals taking center stage with a mystical and unifying track that ties all the elements of the album together in one cohesive package. With this album, Sade has set the bar both in quality and longevity as she released her first album, Diamond Life back in 1984, producing the hit singles "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love Is King". Four more studio efforts followed, including 2000's Lovers Rock, which produced the instantly memorable track, "By Your Side". Here we are 25 years later, and Sade is still putting out music that is real, authentic, and is pure as the salt of the earth.

In conclusion, a fantastic album that continues the musical quest for Sade and leaves no stone unturned with image conjuring lyrics and pure, unfiltered rhythms that proves artists who stay true to their original sound are the ones who have the greatest shot at career longevity.

                                                                                                                           Album Score: 4.5/5

Track Listing:

1. The Moon and The Sky
2. Soldier of Love
3. Morning Bird
4. Babyfather
5. Long Hard Road
6. Be That Easy
7. Bring Me Home
8. In Another Time
9. Skin
10. The Safest Place

1000 PAGE VIEWS!!

Hey everyone!

This afternoon, my blog reached a major milestone! After launching my blog about 9 months ago last November, my blog has reached 1000 page views! I personally wanted to thank you guys for coming to my blog, whether it's just to read my reviews or leave a comment, you guys make it all worth it! My blog has been talked about consistently through word of mouth, and that's the way I intended for it to be recognized in the first place! My blog has especially been popular overseas, especially in Denmark where I've registered dozens of page views there in the past few months. I'm truly amazed at how many people have viewed my blog and I never expected it to become so recognized outside of the United States, so thanks again to all of of my overseas viewers!

 As for coming attractions to the blog, keep your eye out for some album reviews coming this fall including Interpol's brand new self-titled effort which comes out on Sept. 7, Brandon Flowers of The Killers' debut solo album, "Flamingo" which will be out on Sept. 14, and Jimmy Eat World's latest "Invented" which drops on Sept. 28. Also, I have plans to conduct some more artist interviews in the fall, so stay tuned for the blog for further details! Thanks again for all the support!

Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise

Fresh out of Doylestown, PA Circa Survive are back with their brand new studio effort titled Blue Sky Noise. The follow up to 2007's On Letting Go finds the band picking up where the last album left off with a richly melodic and dynamic effort that pushes the group to another musical pedestal and stands out among the pack of albums out there today.

The album kicks off with "Strange Terrain", a unique and melodic track that warmly greets you with the amazing lead vocals of Anthony Green that powers the song all the way through without much trouble. The disc's first single, "Get Out", is a powerful and blasting track featuring fierce guitars and Anthony's impeccable vocals once again taking charge here. "I Felt Free" is a slowed down, relaxing number that switches gears a bit, but still maintains the strong work ethic that was omnipresent on the earlier tracks with dynamic rhythms and pulsating vocals. "Imaginary Enemy" picks up the pace a little bit with a melodic juggernaut that provides some agility for the disc heading into the next song and beyond.

Over on the other side of the disc, the warm and ethereal beauty of "Frozen Creek" awaits you with mid tempo guitar riffs and Anthony's breathtaking vocals guiding the song along with ease. "Fever Dreams" contains an indelible acoustic guitar riff and a creative drum pattern that puts the song on a course far apart than where the album is headed. Anthony's talents shine in full effect on "Spirit in the Stairwell", my favorite track off the album. The mostly acoustic track presents Anthony and Co. in their purest form, an unbelievable track that deserves a second listen when you're done listening to it. We begin to wrap things up with "The Longest Mile", an intensely melodic number that takes all the musical elements found here on the disc, and presents it in one cohesive package. "Dyed in the Wool" rounds out the disc on a mid tempo scale with insatiable rhythms and a choir heard faintly in the background that closes out the disc in grand fashion. Anthony Green has made a name of himself in the local Philadelphia music scene, as he was a member of This Day Forward and has toured with a number of Philly bred bands, including Good Old War and Person L. Anthony was also frontman for the California based Saosin back in 2003 before leaving the group the next year to form Circa Survive. With this album, Anthony Green has cemented himself as one of the preeminent lead vocalists in indie rock and also has one of the best voices I've ever heard in quite some time.

To sum it all up, Circa Survive have put together a wonderful effort here that presents a band living up to its fullest potential and is an album that is real, genuine, and authentic and makes it feel like Anthony and the band are performing right in front of you and interacting with you at the same time.

                                                                                                                               Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Strange Terrain
2. Get Out
3. Glass Arrows
4. I Felt Free
5. Imaginary Enemy
6. Through the Desert Alone
7. Frozen Creek
8. Fever Dreams
9. Spirit of the Stairwell
10. The Longest Mile
11. Compendium
12. Dyed in the Wool

Artist Spotlight: The Rocket Summer

Hey everyone!

On today's artist spotlight, we focus on The Rocket Summer. The Rocket Summer is the solo project of Bryce Avary from Dallas, Texas whose style of music can best be described as alternative rock with a mixture of power pop influences, similar to that of Dashboard Confessional and Relient K. Formed in 1997, Bryce released his first EP under the name The Rocket Summer in 1999, whose name was inspired by the Ray Bradbury novel, The Martian Chronicles. His debut album called Calendar Days was released in 2003 on a $15,000 budget, substantially higher than what it cost to make the EP. The sophomore effort titled Hello, Good Friend followed in 2004, peaking at #26 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, and subsequently after that began a tour of the U.S. and Japan.

The Rocket Summer began to really breakthrough in the music scene when Bryce signed with Island Def Jam Records in 2006, Do You Feel was released the following year and peaked at #44 on the Billboard 200, containing such tracks as "So Much Love" and "Do You Feel". It was from there that Bryce began writing the follow up to that album. To tide fans over until the release of the new album, Bryce released a 4-track digital EP titled You Gotta Believe in the fall of 2009 which contained three songs from the upcoming LP, Of Men and Angels which was released this past February, containing memorable tracks such as "You Gotta Believe", "Walls",  and "Hills and Valleys". If you're not familiar with The Rocket Summer's music, do yourself a favor and go out and buy Of Men and Angels, it truly is a fantastic album!

For more information on The Rocket Summer, head on over to their website at: http://www.therocketsummer.com/