Kanye West: 808s And Heartbreak
To the average rap fan, it looks like Kanye West has lost his mind. After spending three albums establishing himself as a credible MC (although he's still no Rakim or Andre 3000 on the mic), Ye' ditched rhyming for singing, picked up an Auto-Tune, the current scourge of rap, and abandoned his College Dropout theme(for the uninitiated, this album was supposed to be Good Ass Job). Top all that off with his current Half-Pint glasses wearing, knatty suit and Captain Ahab beard look, and you have a recipe for a falling off of epic proportions....
Pink: Funhouse
Pink: Funhouse
"So what/ I am a rock star/I got my rock moves/And I don't need you tonight," Pink roars in "So What," a classic mix of the singer's trademark sarcasm and smart-ass attitude. Newly single, it would seem that Pink would be ready to mingle, and while Funhouse offers up her usual bravado ("So What" and "Bad Influence"), lyrically the album consistently turns inward....
The Limousines: Get Sharp
The Limousines: Get Sharp
"The kids are disco dancin'/They're tired of rock n' roll/Don''t bother telling them that drum machines ain't got no soul," vocalist Eric sings in The Limousines' Buggles-inspired "Internet Killed The Video Star." Don't take this statement at face value however. The San Francisco-based act, made up of Eric and beatmeister Gio, seem set on proving that the groove is not only in the feet but in the heart as well....
Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot...Son Of Chico Dusty
Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot...Son Of Chico Dusty
In bands or duos, fans and critics always find a way to relegate the individual members, no matter how talented, to individual roles. In the case of Outkast, Big Boi was cast as the earthy, street everyman to Andre's 3000's P-Funk mothership fashion statements and extraterrestrial lyrical prowess. While 2003's Speakerboxx showed Big Boi's knack for making smooth, futuristic funk, Sir Luscious Left Foot, his first proper solo disc, proves there's room for more than one musical genius in Outkast....
Priscilla Renae: Jukebox
Twenty-one year old You-Tube sensation Priscilla Renae has more to her than meets the eye. While her first single, the independence anthem, "Dollhouse" sounds like standard issue dance pop (very good standard issue dance pop thank you very much), the rest of her debut Jukebox, is a diverse exploration of her musical influences....
Tera Melos: Pantagonian Rats
It's hard to pin down the sound of Tera Melos' full-length debut Pantagonian Rats. The songs--with titles like "The Skin Surf," "Aped," and "Trident Trail"--include everything from crashing guitars drowned in distortion to eerie background vocals and a jazz combo. And perhaps that's the point. But what is clear is that Tera Melos know a good musical hook when they hear it, and Pantagonian Rats is full of them....
Le Vice: Le Vice
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B. Slade: A Brilliant Catastrophe
It's certainly been an interesting journey for B Slade, the artist formerly known as Tonex. Last year he became the first gospel singer to come out of the closet, a decision that effectively ended his working relationship with the mainstream gospel music industry. However, with wardrobes consisting of multi-colored mohawks, furs, scarfs and platform boots, and music that embraced everything from R&B to electronica-inspired pop, B Slade never fit the mold of a traditional gospel star. Even Kirk Franklin never strayed that far from the format....
The Hours: It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish
"Everybody gets knocked down/How quick are you gonna get up," Hours' vocalist Antony Genn asks in "Ali In The Jungle." In actuality it's not a question so much as a command. Genn and bandmate Martin Slattery's debut release It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish, contains many more of these self-empowerment platitudes.
"When you're goin' through hell/You gotta keep going," Genn urges in "These Days," another take-life-by-the-balls anthem. "I need something to believe in/Before I lose my mind," he sings with an undercurrent of urgency. And if there is one recurring lyrical theme on It's Not How You Start, it's that there's little time to waste. For The Hours, the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and its time for humanity to rise up and save both it and ourselves. Apathy is a dirty word. As Genn sings in "Big Black Hole," "It's time to cut the umbilical cord/And stand up on your own...."
Big Jaw: Appetite For Construction
You'd never expect a guy dressed like Don Draper to rock, but Clint Roth, the mastermind behind Big Jaw, proves he's up to the task. Though only six tracks long, Appetite For Construction shows great versatility and personality....
Otis Grove: The Runk
Remember crunk? That mix of booming 808 bass, drum machines, sinister samples and screamed, one-syllable chants that gave birth to countless strip club anthems ("Get Low" anyone?) and provided the soundtrack to countless nightclub brawls? Which would account for about 80 percent of Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys' music. Well maybe not 80 percent. But at least 50 percent tops....
40 Watt Hype: Push
"Only the strong survive," vocalist/MC/multi-instrumentalist Aaron Wall sings on the album opener of the same name. While he's talking about life in general, he could also be referencing his status as a white guy maneuvering in the worlds of rap, R&B and Spanish-flavored music....
B. Slade: A Brilliant Catastrophe (Beta Version)
"One year I can save a nation/Now I'm reduced to my orientation/Tell me why did you change your mind," B Slade sings in album opener "Brian's Lament," a somber starting point for the follow-up to A Brilliant Catastophe's alpha version. The album's emotional lyrics spin a loose narrative of isolation, loneliness, determination and spiritual redemption....
Verse The End: Heavy Hearts And Counterparts
On their debut EP Heavy Hearts And Counterparts, Nyack, New York-based quintet Verse The End bring together the often disparate worlds of pop, rock and metal. Combining pop melodies, crushing riffs and metallic power chords, the band creates a sound reminiscent of Killswitch Engage and Jimmy Eat World, or the Foo Fighters at their heaviest....
