REVIEW ROUNDUP: CAKE, CAGE THE ELEPHANT, SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE DIRTY HEADS, AND SICK PUPPIES
It’s been a long while since the last roundup, a feature that takes brief looks at the radio singles on the FM airwaves. Time to start it back up and visit some new old friends. Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down“Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” was undeniable with its country twang
Review Roundup: Weezer, Kanye, Eminem, Linkin Park, Filter, Stone Sour, Maroon 5, Stone Temple Pilots
Filter – The Inevitable RelapseQuoted to focus on the industrial and electronic elements that gave Filter their signature, “The Inevitable Relapse” makes good on that promise. It avoids the missteps of “Soldiers of Fortune,” setting its sights on Title of Record. Although it doesn’t a
REVIEW ROUNDUP: TRAVIE MCCOY, SHINEDOWN, LA ROUX, JUSTIN NOZUKA, 3OH!3, LADY GAGA, KE$HA
3OH!3 – My First Kiss (feat. Ke$ha)From copying Uffie to concocting pop music recalling the cringe-worthy influx of “pop punk” circa 2001 combines 3OH!3 and Ke$ha. Just like back then, ignore the lyrics; it makes swallowing this pill so good those commercialized side effects that hit
REVIEW ROUNDUP: B.O.B., MUSE, JACK JOHNSON, DROWNING POOL, WE ARE THE FALLEN, THE BLACK KEYS, KATY PERRY, BLACK SUNSHINE
The Black Keys – Tighten UpAccelerating into the song akin to Spoon, the dirty blues rock duo returns with a Rubber Factorysounding single. Patrick Carney’s drumming tugs you in like Hugo and a black mysterious chord before Dan Auerbach’s grunge-tinged blues seizes you from behi
REVIEW ROUNDUP: MGMT, KORN, COHEED & CAMBRIA, CIVIL TWILIGHT, PAPER TONGUES, GREEN DAY
Civil Twilight – Letters from the SkyThe way Andrew McKellar’s voice strains recalls classic Bono, just with a touch of Chris Martin. It is ambitious, beginning with a punctuated piano just dolling out heavy note after note weighed down by a driving-yet not overwhelming-drumming toward
REVIEW ROUNDUP: STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, TIËSTO, NICKELBACK, CHIDDY BANG, PUDDLE OF MUDD, SKILLET, LINKIN PARK AND 2CENTS
2Cents – Get What?Given the following review’s mentioned tendency, 2Cents leans towards the harder end of the speed vs. heaviness spectrum. They cite Pennywise as influences, heard in the perfect start/stop ability perfected by their fellow Los Angeles musicians. Think “Bullet With A
REVIEW ROUNDUP: THE BRAVERY, LADY GAGA, CAVO, SEAN PAUL, ZAHO, H.I.M., MEGADETH, OK GO, SHAMAN’S HARVEST, AND HERZOG
The Bravery – HatefuckStir the Blood‘s lead single, “Slow Poison,” didn’t quite revive The Bravery as it should’ve. The beat lacked bite, a spark akin to “Unconditional” that “Hatef–k” (iTunes) manages to ensnare. It is dark, and danceable while driving its merciless
REVIEW ROUNDUP: HOLE, GODSMACK, COLD WAR KIDS, NEON TREES, LILY ALLEN, SEVENDUST, RED, AND SHINEDOWN
Cold War Kids – AudienceAn odd end in a collection of tracks compiled in the Behave Yourself EP, “Audience” brings the Cold War Kids back to the delightful drum and piano pounding indie rock of 2006. It has the “Hang Me Out To Dry” vibe and shakes much of the sophomoric
REVIEW ROUNDUP: CYPRESS HILL, DEFTONES, THE DIRTY HEADS, SERJ TANKIAN, SILVERSUN PICKUPS, CREED, CHARLIE WINSTON
Admittedly not much variety this week, both in terms of genre nor ratings. That’s just cause radio’s waking up and starting to deliver better material after a slow January. Charlie Winston – I Love Your SmileThe newest from UK singer/songwriter, Charlie Winston, sounds straight from