Why do I like The Walkmen so much?

When The Walkmen's latest album, Lisbon, was released last year, it by no means disappointed me. I liked it, but wasn't drawn to it the way I was to You & Me. Soon after its September release, I kind of lost interest, thinking it was a solid album, but just nothing special. However, six months later, I'm finding myself listening to Lisbon over and over -- front to back.

I can't really put my finger on why I like The Walkmen so much. They don't do anything all that out of the ordinary. But I find the more I listen to them, the more I like what they do. This was especially the case with Lisbon.

They can pack a lifetime of emotion into one 4-minute song better than most bands. I really think this is one of the best bands making music today. Period.

I'd Like to Fly, But My Wings Have Been So Denied

Alice in Chains founding member and original bassist, Mike Starr, passed away from a rumored drug overdose just over a week ago. Mike played with the band from its inception in the mid-'80s until 1993, just before the recording and release of the Jar of Flies EP. Starr's struggle with drug addiction was the rumored cause for his split with AIC, and later in life was well- documented on the VH1 series Celebrity Rehab's 3rd season. During the show, he often spoke of the guilt he felt over AIC's lead singer Layne Staley's death, also blamed on a drug overdose. Recently, Starr appeared on the eighth episode of the fourth season of Celebrity Rehab as an inspiration and testimony of sobriety; at the time of the taping he had been sober sixth months and seven days. On March 8, 2011, Mike Starr was found dead in his Salt Lake City apartment. He was 44.



sinking
draining
drowning
bleeding
dead

AIC - Confusion

Rest in Peace Mike.

I Couldn't Have Said It Better

Myself.

There's just always been something about Elbow, the band from a greater Manchester borough, but I could never accurately describe it. Admittedly, my love for Elbow's albums is only outdone by the pure feeling of joy and wonder you experience when seeing the band live. Having said all that, their music and my feelings for it remained to me largely indescribable. I mean, how do you describe awesomeness more precisely? However, while stumbling around the Internet and reading reviews of their latest album, Build a Rocket Boys! I came across someone who has done it quite well. Alexis Petridis of the Guardian uses three simple but accurate words when describing the music of Elbow "warm, generous, and inventive."

The warm vocals of Guy Garvey, the generous layering and arrangements that give depth, and the inventiveness that makes it all quite unique, that's Elbow. And in their latest effort Build a Rocket Boys! none of that is missing. Although the album isn't as heavy as the Mercury Award winning The Seldom Seen Kid or as traditionally percussion-driven as Leaders of the Free World, the newest album definitely has a place of its own. Described at first as "choirery," the album flows over you highlighted by Garvey's soft vocals and some help from the Halle Youth Choir, but upon further listen the album becomes more. Favorite tracks include "The Birds," "Lippy Kids," "With Love," "High Ideals," and "Open Arms."

I wouldn't suggest starting with Build a Rocket Boys! if you're new to Elbow, but for now, it's a pretty good place to finish.

My take on Radiohead's King Of Limbs

I’ve taken a couple weeks to let it digest a little, but I’m finally ready to put my thoughts on the new Radiohead album, King Of Limbs, down on paper – or on screen. Or whatever.

It seems like most of the people I talked to shortly after Limbs was released (a day early!) had a very similar reaction. First: Um, this sucks. Then, later: OK, this is pretty damn good!

While I didn’t hate the album upon first listen, it did definitely grow on me. At first I found it hard to be completely blown away by any particular songs – there are no all-out rockers that we ate up on In Rainbows (e.g., "Bodysnatchers," "Jigsaw Falling Into Place," etc.). In fact, Limbs features hardly any guitar at all, and most of it (especially the first half) sounds like it could be a Thom Yorke solo project. (Sorry, Ed O’Brien.) So nothing jumps out right away like the group’s masterful previous release.

But dig a little deeper and things come more into focus.

The second half of the album is really where it shines. “Lotus Flower” starts things off with a great Radiohead bass line and eerie feel. “Codex” – my favorite track on the album – is chilling and reminds me a lot of “Pyramid Song” off Amnesiac. Wrapping things up is “Separator,” which to me sounds the most like a full-band Radiohead song on the album.

After admitting to myself that I liked King Of Limbs, I still feel frustrated by it, like many other Radiohead fans. It clocks in under 40 minutes, with only eight tracks. Rumors abound about whether there will be a “part 2” to the album. When purchasing the “Newspaper” version of the album, it’s noted it will come with two vinyls. I’m not a vinyl expert, but it seems like they’d be able to fit this album on one record. And then there’s the final track of the album that repeats “If you think this is over, then you’re wrong.”

I don’t know if Radiohead will release a second part or not, but it would be nice. I enjoy King Of Limbs very much, but it definitely leaves me wanting more!

In relation to other Radiohead albums, I would probably rate Limbs middle-of-the-pack. Read my previous album rankings here. It would probably slide into the fourth or fifth slot for me -- definitely can't crack my top 3. But I don't think it's their worst album, either.