en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal The Last.fm journal for tony7. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2010/05/19/3nc79d_sleigh_bells_-_treats_%28album_review%29 Wed, 19 May 2010 10:25:22 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2010/05/19/3nc79d_sleigh_bells_-_treats_%28album_review%29 Sleigh Bells - Treats

A couple of days ago, I checked this album out on a whim. Like 'the xx' from last year, there was a whole heap of internet buzz surrounding the band. Do they live up to the hype?

My feeling during the first listen of the album can be expressed as follows:
1. what the hell is this? turn this shit off
2. that song was kinda cool
3. oh, and this one too
4. crown to the ground, oh my god epic.
5. it's already over? REPEAT

Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, this album is short and sweet, but packs a punch. The sheer volume of the album makes you stand up and pay attention, right from the first riff in Tell 'Em. The drum machines, thick riffs, electronic beats and synths and noise are so effortlessly blended together.

The tracks are in the same vein throughout - with vocals that range from sugary-sweet-pop sounding, to muffled cheerleading style shouts (like the cover suggests) ala crystal castles. Its a hard hitting album that might be a lot to take in for some listeners as it rarely slows down except for one track.

Standouts for me are: (and I'm really going to try hard not to list every track)

Tell 'Em - wouldn't have made the album open any other way
Riot Rhytum - the beat is fantastic, you're not sure whether to dance or headbang along
Infinity Guitars - cheer-style vocals and THAT riff is unforgettable, gets stuck in your head straight away
Run the Heart - Synth-dominated track with such a simple, but ingenious vocal hook.
Rill Rill - The only song that slows down the pace but manages to stand up next to the "heavier" tracks. Has such a summery feel to it.
Crown to the Ground - My favourite from the album. epic.
A/B Machines - when the beat kicks in.. omg.

I think my favourite aspect of the album is how many genres they have managed to mix into their sound. There's rock, alternative, pop, electronic, noise. hip-hop and even some industrial influence in the beats. Something about A/B Machines makes me think it belongs being played in a seedy goth club at 3am on a Sunday morning next to a Nine Inch Nails track.

The review speaks for itself - make sure you listen to this, cos you're in for a treat. huh? huh? you like that one?

9/10]]> http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2009/09/27/31i54i_paramore_-_brand_new_eyes_%28review%29 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:49:53 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2009/09/27/31i54i_paramore_-_brand_new_eyes_%28review%29 Paramore - Brand New Eyes (Review)

Really enjoying this album. The only issue I have with it - the slower songs. Much weaker than the ones from their first two albums, particulary "The Only Exception" which is a complete snoozefest with a boring repetitive chorus and "Misguided Ghosts" which almost doesn't even sound like Paramore. So for this reason I say the first two albums are stronger overall.

BNE starts and ends really well. The middle of the album is the shaky point though - something Riot! and AWKIF didn't have.

The crown jewel of this album? All I Wanted. Starts off soft, then builds into this epic chorus where Hayley's vocals soar. Its amazing and easily one of the strongest songs they've ever done.

Careful - 9/10
Ignorance - 9/10
Playing God - 9/10
Brick by Boring Brick - 9/10
Turn It Off - 8/10
The Only Exception - 3/10
Feeling Sorry - 8/10
Looking Up - 7.5/10
Where the Lines Overlap - 7/10
Misguided Ghosts - 6.5/10
All I Wanted - 9/10
Decode - 9/10

OVERALL
8/10]]> http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2009/09/16/30k2pc_-oz-_-_versus_%28review%29 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:35:08 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2009/09/16/30k2pc_-oz-_-_versus_%28review%29 -OZ- - VERSUS (Review)

This album starts off strong, really strong, but it kinda goes a bit downhill from there because it is so repetitive. I'm so, so, SO dissapointed they did not include a song like Never[F]. Even if they had included that exact song, it would have broken up the repetitiveness. But because the pace doesn't slow down for 12 songs, it just makes the songs blend into one because all the songs bar a few follow the exact same formula. All they needed is ONE song to change it up, but they failed on that front and it cost this album its overall epicness. It lacks the variety their singles shows and it shows just how inexperienced they are at creating a release thats over 3 songs.

The production - not a single inch of improvement over their singles. You would think their label could put a bit more money into this album.

Needless to say, there are still individual highlights. Last Shell, Filmy, Detox and Breathe Trees are by a mile the best songs here. The rest to me were the same sorta thing, it was hard to differentiate them from each other, because its just so god damn repetitive.

They could have done better than this. Everyone would be kidding themselves if they think this is the perfect -oz- album. It isn't.

LAST Shell - 9/10 (epic opener!)
FILMY - 9/10
BLAZE - 7/10
VENOM - 7/10
Needle - 7/10 (the breakdown bit is cool, but I think this song is overhyped)
Reservation - 7/10
ATHENA - 5/10 (boooring)
IN RUBBISH - 7/10
M.D.M.A. - 7.5/10 (the hook-y chorus does whatever it can to break up the album at this point, but only so much it can do)
MIGRANT - 7/10 (M.D.M.A. breath of fresh air doesn't last...)
DETOX - 9.5/10 (this song is just pure fucking love)
Breathe trees - 8/10 (variety! comes a bit too late though)

OVERALL
7.5/10
A decent effort, but the album is lost with song after song of repetiveness. There is hardly any variety, and only one third of the time does the album make me stand up and notice.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2009/09/15/30h2bh_top_albums_and_songs_of_2009_%28so_far%29 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:33:25 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/tony7/journal/2009/09/15/30h2bh_top_albums_and_songs_of_2009_%28so_far%29 (In no particular order)

Albums:
Metric - Fantasies
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
ayumi hamasaki - NEXT LEVEL
Muse - The Resistance
Cinema Bizarre - Toyz
Boa - BoA
Utada - This Is The One
D'espairsRay - Redeemer
Little Boots - Hands
La Roux - La Roux
Marilyn Manson - The High End of Low
Julien-K - Death To Analog
-OZ- - VERSUS (I'm confident enough I'm gonna love this I'm putting it here!)



Songs:
ayumi hamasaki - Sparkle
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll & Zero
Cinema Bizarre - Erase And Replace
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
Metric - Gimme Sympathy & Help, I'm Alive
Dragonette - Fixin to Thrill
Shakira - She Wolf
Friendly Fires - Kiss Of Life
Cobra Starship - Good Girls Go Bad (feat. Leighton Meester)
girugamesh - 睡蓮
Gossip - Heavy Cross
Phoenix - 1901
The Horrors - Sea Within a Sea
Muse - Uprising & Undisclosed Desires
Empire of the Sun - We Are The People
Julien-K - Someday Soon
D'espairsRay - Paradox 5
-OZ- - DETOX

(and many more songs, but thats enough for now!)]]>