Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim

Yikes!! I've really let down my B Siders this week! No posts again yesterday - and I guess that was for two reasons. 1) I had a work outing at Miller Park to see the Brewers beat up on those silly Cubs. And 2) Windows ran an update on my home machine and decided to fail - and not load Windows anymore. Fun stuff. This just emphasizes my need for another writer, and hopefully I find someone really soon! Anyhow, I come in refreshed with one straight from the often imitated, never duplicated Suggestion Box. I have a feeling a guy named Penis McSmackerton didn't REALLY suggest this, but it was a good request nonetheless. I know many people who love some Croce, but I never really heard a lot of his stuff before. Here and there I'd hear samplings, but I've always meant to listen to more. Well, now is my chance! This request was Jim's third studio release and seems to have seen pretty good success via the Time in a Bottle track. Not sure that will make my Top 3 having listened a few times, but it's a pretty good song. He has a legacy that is actually quite amazing...almost Hendrix like. He only really made music for ~2 years and has a rock solid following. He died in a plane crash just after really hitting it big on the charts. It's a shame really, as I think he would have put more really good stuff out there. I guess re-check out this one if you've heard it already. If you haven't - it's certainly worth a go 'round.

TRACK LISTING:
1. You Don't Mess Around With Jim
2. Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Brighter Day
3. New York's Not My Home
4. Hard Time Losin' Man
5. Photographs And Memories
6. Walking Back To Georgia
7. Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)
8. Time In A Bottle
9. Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy)
10. Box #10
11. A Long Time Ago
12. Hey Tomorrow

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Walking Back To Georgia
2. You Don't Mess Around With Jim
3. Box #10

FINAL RATING:
3.75 out of 5 stars

Limp Bizkit - Significant Other

The Limp B-I-Z-K-I-T...it's also a little hard to believe I've gone this long without reviewing a Limp record. I do enjoy a little Limp. That sounds bad, but roll with it. This wasn't their first album and it isn't their last. They in fact have another one coming out sometime this year called Gold Cobra. This might be my favorite of all time though, just mainly because of what will be listed as my number one track. They have a bit of an odd style, a lot of metal with the heavy guitar - but they mash certain elements of hip hop in there and lyrically are somewhat poppy. The blend really does seem to work though, as this record is 7x platinum. They've been centered around controversy for rough lyrics that induced riots at Woodstock and a death at a show. Mainly stemming from the track 'Break Stuff' in which at Woodstock many people went crazy and many sexual assaults were reported. Not good. A woman also died of asphixiation at a show, after she got caught in a most pit. Also not good. But as we all know, controversy creates cash in most cases, and those stories probably opened up even more doors for Limp as far as increasing fanship. Since I got torn down for it with Brad Paisley, they mention Milwaukee in the track 'Show Me What You Got' - but that would be about the only reason to listen to that one. It's not great. Anyway, toss this one in to end your hump day. It's pretty solid.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Intro
2. Just Like This
3. Nookie
4. Break Stuff
5. Re-Arranged
6. I'm Broke
7. Nobody Like Yo
8. Don't Go Off Wandering
9. 9 Teen 90 Nine
10. N 2 Gether Now
11. Trust?
12. No Sex
13. Show Me What You Got
14. Lesson Learned
15. Outro
16. Mind Of Lies

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. N 2 Gether Now
2. Re-Arranged
3. Break Stuff

FINAL RATING:
3.5 out of 5 stars

Hot Hot Heat - Future Breeds

Sorry for being tardy today B Siders. I had a conference call this morning with the President of our parent company - and let me tell ya, you don't miss those! No excuses though, I should have gotten a review to you sooner. I selfishly ate lunch afterward, and that shows zero dedication! Anyway, this review could have been a new music Tuesday installation yesterday - but I 1) forgot about it and 2) wanted to review a pop album. So today is just as good as yesterday right? This was also a request from the Suggestion Box, from Shaquanda or however you spell it. So here it goes, Hot Hot Heat. Never heard any of their music before today. Found out they formed in '99 in Canada. They seem to be a band with a cult following, but not really a commercial one. They do a lot of random movie, tv and video game work - which screams to me they're trying to find a way to break through. They only have a handful of studio album releases, which might be the downside on playing within other medium. Regardless, their style is mostly punk/emo with a side of pop and extra melody. This album is kinda groovy - nothing I'd write home about but certainly not bad either. If nothing else, it makes me want to listen to other records by them for a contrast compare session. I would give it a shot to wind down your Wednesday, see if it makes the time fly by.

TRACK LISTING:
1. YVR
2. 21@12
3. Times a Thousand
4. Implosionatic
5. Goddess on the Prairie
6. Zero Results
7. Future Breeds
8. JFK's LSD
9. Jedidiah
10. Buzinezz Az Uzual
11. What Is Rational?
12. Nobody's Accusing You (Of Having a Good Time)

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. 21@12
2. Buzinezz Az Uzual
3. Implosionatic

FINAL RATING:
2.75 out of 5 stars

Christina Aguilera - Bionic

New Music Tuesday has really disgusted me this week, as this is honestly the best I could come up with. The only other even remote option would have been a new Dierks Bentley record, which I know less about them than Aguilera somehow. This is seriously awful. I mean, if someone gave me this cd to listen to for free, I would throw it away faster than you can say genie in a bottle. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse than Ke$ha, boy howdy was I wrong. I would rather listen to Tik Tok on loop, for one hundred and twenty minutes in lieu of listening to this complete garbage. I don't think there is any way anyone can like this. Ugh...I feel a little dirty that this even graced my ears this morning. I'm angry...really angry about this. I can't even pinpoint why - it's just sheer anger waving over my emotional plain. What can you expect from someone that has only put out 4 records since 1999 though? What better way to please your fans than putting out records every 3 years. And better yet, put one out like this one - that could easily have been recorded and written and produced all in 1 day. GARBAGE!!! It's like she's trying to mimic Gaga's success here with the album cover, some of the lyrics and the overall style. She also took some of the super sophomoric lyrics and beats from a Ke$ha type. I know that someone like her has never really had her own identity, because when she broke Spears was already much further ahead in sales. So she's always lived a bit in the back burner. But a track like 'My Girls', man - it just makes you wonder how she has 1 single fan. Just awful. Please, don't listen to this. Ever.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Bionic
2. Not Myself Tonight
3. Woohoo
4. Elastic Love
5. Des Nudites
6. Love & Glamour (Intro)
7. Glam
8. Prima Donna
9. Morning Dessert (Intro)
10. Sex For Breakfast
11. Lift Me Up
12. My Heart (Intro)
13. All I Need
14. I Am
15. You Lost Me
16. I Hate Boys
17. My Girls
18. Vanity

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Some Other Album
2. Some Other Artist
3. You Get The Point

FINAL RATING:
.25 out of 5 stars

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Some might call this weeks installation of 'Techno Tuesday' a stretch, but not this guy. Having now been introduced to Phoenix by a Suggestion from the awesome, somewhat still new, suggestion box, many sites have these guys listed as alternative or indie rock, but I don't hear that. They have a very electronic feel over more of a pop lyric. I'd certainly put them with other electronic type tracks though if I was making a playlist. So that's my classification - and deal with it. These gents are from France, and have been making music since 2000 or so. This is their most recent album, and it came out in 2009. I went back and briefly sampled some of their other stuff, and I think off the top of my head it would be safe to say that I'd enjoy this one the best. It's got a really different feel to it than the others. The songwriting and background arrangement is quite seemless track over track. I always like when you have the synth over a regular track. You don't have to look any further than number one to hear what could easily pass as a current punk/emo band and then add some nice electronics over the top, without the use of the dreaded autotune. Rarely do you get that with real techno/dance bands. I guess what I'm getting at is, I dig this. I'm not sure I'd rush out to the store to buy it, but I definitely would put it on from time to time. It's a little different, but give it a shot - I think you might be surprised too.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Lisztomania
2. 1901
3. Fences - (featuring Philippe Zdar)
4. Love Like a Sunset, Pt. 1 - (featuring Cedric Plancy)
5. Love Like a Sunset, Pt. 2 - (featuring Cedric Plancy)
6. Lasso
7. Rome
8. Countdown
9. Girlfriend
10. Armistice

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Fences
2. Love Like A Sunset Part 1 or 2
3. Girlfriend

FINAL RATING:
3 out of 5 stars

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

First and foremost, let me start by saying I love this record. I seem to recall buying this simply for the 'hits' like Spiderwebs and Don't Speak - but truthfully, it's amazing start to finish. I mean, that fact was lost on me when I bought it at 12 years old, but today it resonates through and through. Plus, what teenage boy wasn't in love with Gwen Stefani in the 90's? These guys get classified as a lot of genres, ska, punk, alt rock and the list goes on. Whatever they are, they're really good. None of their other albums have reached ANYWHERE near the success of this one, but I think that's just a testament to how awesome TK is. I mean, it's diamond status - which is pretty crazy. Stefani left the band in 2004 to work on some solo stuff (which who doesn't recall Hollaback Girl??), but they reformed again in 2008. They have their sixth studio album, yet to be named, coming out sometime this year yet. I can't say I'm super excited over the new drop, but I'll certainly give it a listen. If it's half as good as this one, it'll be worth every listening second. I don't listen to this nearly as much as I should, but maybe if I remind you guys and myself - I'll put it in more often. It really is awesome. There no doubting (HA!!!) why this record ruled the radio airwaves back in the mid 90's and no reason why it can't rule your headphones in the early 10's. Happy Friday B Side!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Spiderwebs
2. Excuse Me Mr.
3. Just a Girl
4. Happy Now?
5. Different People
6. Hey You
7. Climb, The
8. Sixteen
9. Sunday Morning
10. Don't Speak
11. You Can Do It
12. World Go 'Round
13. End It on This
14. Tragic Kingdom

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Don't Speak
2. Spiderwebs
3. Tragic Kingdom

FINAL RATING:
4.5 out of 5 stars

Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American

Friday brings me to Jimmy Eat World, a band that probably everyone is semi-familiar with. Very rarely do I get to offer up a band that was formed in Arizona. Not that it really matters to me, but for some reason I can't think of any others that came from that hot, hot state. Kind of an interesting tidbit on how they came up with their name: The band's name came from a crayon drawing made after an incident between Linton's younger brothers, Jim and Ed, who fought frequently. Jim usually won, but Ed sought revenge by drawing a picture of Jim shoving the Earth into his mouth; the picture bore the caption "Jimmy eat world". Kind of a neat story. Typically you don't ever learn how bands come up with their name, or it's a really stupid story like that of Nickelback. Man I hate them. I should rant about that someday. Oh well. Anyway, Jimmy's got a pretty good feel to it. Another interesting fact, 'Bleed American' was retitled to a self titled album after the 9/11 attacks on America. That's a touch confusing since their 1994 debut was self titled, but the message was well received. This is their best selling record ever, and for good reason. It's pretty solid all the way through. I would recommend checking this one out to blast through your Friday.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Bleed American
2. Praise Chorus, A
3. Middle, The
4. Your House
5. Sweetness
6. Hear You Me
7. If You Don't, Don't
8. Get It Faster
9. Cautioners
10. Authority Song, The
11. My Sundown

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Sweetness
2. A Praise Chorus
3. My Sundown

FINAL RATING:
3.5 out of 5 stars