Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

New Music Tuesday kicks off today with Arcade Fire. I think it's pretty safe to tell you that I didn't know a ton about this band until recently. When I was struggling to find worthy tracks for my Top 100 of the Aughts list, I listened to band after band after band. Trying to find songs that I grooved on. Arcade Fire came up - and I have a few tracks by them, but nothing I'd have written home about. And FINALLY I got to 'Wake Up' off their first album. And I realized I really enjoy that track. I probably could have gone higher with that track in retrospect - but so it is written. That was the first time I actually sat down and listened to their stuff, and it's something I could dig on. That seemed to coincide perfectly since their new dropped - today, duh. It seems to have a pretty similar feel to other works by the Fire. Couple faster, guitar paced tracks - couple slower melodic very indie type tracks. A pretty good balance with a pretty solid album arrangement. This very much reminds me of a Sonic Youth album in terms of the very spacey feel and almost haunting/brooding rock. It's very cool. This could be a soundtrack to a suspense or horror movie, and I really like that. I like that a band would have the stones to put out an album of that nature and totally express themselves. Needless to say this record is pretty dark and some of the lyrics reflect that. Couple tracks aren't as 'downer' but I really enjoy the ones that are. I don't care if you've never heard of these guys before - this is a must check out. It's pretty different and a solid listen. This new find will make my Tuesday all that much better.

TRACK LISTING:
1. The Suburbs
2. Ready to Start
3. Modern Man
4. Rococo
5. Empty Room
6. City with No Children
7. Half Light I
8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
9. Suburban War
10. Month of May
11. Wasted Hours
12. Deep Blue
13. We Used to Wait
14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. The Suburbs (Continued)

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. The Suburbs
2. Modern Man
3. Deep Blue

FINAL RATING:
3.75 out of 5 stars (an early impression)

Haddaway - Self Titled

Techno Tuesday!! Time to get to the album that contains one of my favorite songs ever. Such an iconic song too. There aren't many places you go that if 'What Is Love' comes on - people at the very least aren't smiling about it. Most people will get up and move at least in the slightest bit. I can safely say that I've never heard this album before today. In all the years I've enjoyed that track, I'd never thought to go and pick up the cd. As I've learned with dance type music however, just because you enjoy one song certainly doesn't mean you'll like the rest. This probably falls into that category. It's got a bit of an odd vibe to it. It's basically a Seal cd. Yeah - I'm going to go with that. It's like if Seal put out a new album and decided to put some dance music behind half of the tracks. What a great comparison by me. High five!! Anyway, it's neither bad nor good. It's just kind of there. I'd listen to probably 4 or 5 tracks - but the rest I could do without. Quite the bummer considering how loudly I play What Is Love whenever it comes on my headphones, sub setup or car. I would tell you if you're really interested in dance stuff - go ahead and give it a sample. Otherwise, you could probably sit this one out.

TRACK LISTING:
1. What Is Love
2. Life (Everybody Needs Somebody To Love)
3. Yeah
4. Come Back (Love Has Got a Hold on Me)
5. I Miss You
6. What Is Love [Rapino Bros Mix]
7. Stir It Up (Bob Marley Cover)
8. Sing About Love
9. Mama's House
10. Rock My Heart
11. Tell Me Where It Hurts
12. Shout
13. Life (Everybody Needs Somebody To Love)[Mission Control Mix]

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. What Is Love
2. Life
3. Rock My Heart

FINAL RATING:
2.75 out of 5 stars

Default - The Fallout

Default. What a great word. Great name for a band as well. How do you classify Default? Just as the standard right? Well, I really enjoy the music these fellas put out. It's a nice change of pace to whatever I'm listening to at the moment. I bought this cd WAY back in the day - not even sure why. I think all I'd heard off of it was 'Wasting My Time' which probably won't make my Top 3. Must have just been a shot in the dark type purchase. Or I got it for really cheap - who knows. If there is one thing I can praise Nickelback for, it is frontman Chad Kroeger discovering Default. The word is Chad heard a demo from these guys and gave his all to make sure they got signed. The first single hit the airwaves and Default took off. Looking at other postings, this album gets absolutely no credit. Very poor ratings via most sites. Well - don't buy their hype B Siders! This album is plenty good. If you enjoy rock music, you'll enjoy this. They have 3 follow up records to Fallout, none of them reaching the sales or popularity status however. They're working on yet another album due out sometime this year yet. I highly recommend picking this one up. I think you'll enjoy it, in spite of whatever anyone else says. Even if you don't like the whole thing, there will be at least 3 tracks you love. I promise. Default your way through Monday - you won't regret it!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Sick and Tired
2. Deny
3. Wasting My Time
4. Slow Me Down
5. One Late Night
6. Seize the Day
7. Somewhere
8. Live a Lie
9. By Your Side
10. Faded
11. Let You Down

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Deny
2. Live A Lie
3. Sick And Tired

FINAL RATING:
3.75 out of 5 stars

Chris Cagle - Play It Loud

Back to the grind. Another weekend flies by, another week of music begins. It's been a little while since I've gotten to JenInTosa's country suggestions, so back to it. Chris Cagle. Now - no specific album was given, so that gave me some creative license. To show you how creative I am, I went this good ol' numero uno. Well - it's actually his best selling album as well. And - it contained the most radio 'hits'. So 'Play It Loud' seems to be the work to start with in terms of Mr. Cagle. He doesn't have an entertaining back story at all. He was born in Louisiana, moved to Texas where he lived and finished high school and now lives in Oklahoma. Snoozefest. He was working odd jobs when he was discovered - which seems to be the case for half the artists I look into. When it comes to tuneage, he's country. Through and through. My first time through, the only thing that caught my attention was how he slows down a lot in different spots. The opening track is VERY upbeat and from what I understand made him famous. But then you get to track 2, and he slows it down a bit, shows off a little vocal range. This certainly doesn't have that monotone thing that I hate, it's got a lot of different arrangements and sounds. I think this is better than I thought it'd be. I really enjoy the slowed down tracks. The upbeat ones are a little bland for me - meaning they sound very similar to any other fast paced country out there. His ballad-y tracks are really his signature for me as a listener. I'd say check this out. If you have that 'mood' love like I do - there are a few really nice tracks for you. Happy Monday!

TRACK LISTING:
1. My Love Goes on and On
2. Laredo
3. Safe Side, The
4. Country by the Grace of God
5. Ton of Love
6. Play It Loud
7. Are You Ever Gonna Love Me
8. Who Needs the Whiskey
9. Love Between a Woman and a Man, The
10. Lovin' You Lovin' Me
11. Rock the Boat
12. I Breathe in, I Breathe Out

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Laredo
2. Who Needs The Whiskey
3. I Breathe In, I Breathe Out

FINAL RATING:
3.25 out of 5 stars

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

Ahh yes, the Chili Peppers. I haven't gotten to an album by them yet. Semi surprising. They're a band that slips under the radar for me. I often enjoy listening to them when they randomly pop up via shuffle, but I don't seek them out very often. Not sure why. I can say that I can't stand 'Give It Away' and that's probably why I didn't pick that album to review. This was their seventh studio release and it came out back in 1999. It is 5x platinum in the US which makes this their second best selling record behind Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Worldwide though, it is their best selling album at almost 16 million copies. I must have more of an international taste - because I think this is their best record by a pretty wide margin. Top to bottom, I think this has the most to offer. Plus, I think I might be biased by the time frame in which it came out. It's probably safe to say that I started getting into RHCP more during this time, so this is probably what I identify with most. What's interesting for me, is most of the huge tracks on this were really poppy - yet I still enjoy them immensely. I can be a closet pop fan at times when the songs make me sing with passion and make me keep my toes tapping long after I'm done listening to the track. This album has that effect on me. I'm sure most of you have heard it already - but if not, check it out. Very well done record. Bring back some memories of what you were doing in the late 90's today. A simpler time for me in which I love reminiscing back to. Hopefully you can do the same to make your Friday fly by. Have a great weekend B Siders!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Around the World
2. Parallel Universe
3. Scar Tissue
4. Otherside
5. Get on Top
6. Californication
7. Easily
8. Porcelain
9. Emit Remmus
10. I Like Dirt
11. This Velvet Glove
12. Savior
13. Purple Stain
14. Right on Time
15. Road Trippin'

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Otherside
2. This Velvet Glove
3. Californication

FINAL RATING:
4 out of 5 stars

Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King

In the second installation of Dave Matthews reviews on the B Side, we've come to Big Whiskey via the Suggestion Box. This was recommended by JenInTosa as a omission of the Top 100 of the 2000's. I didn't have any Dave on that list because quite frankly, I hadn't heard anything great from him in that period of time. I hadn't even heard of this album before, which I guess isn't all that surprising. I never really fawned over DMB like so many others have and do. I've been to a couple Alpine shows - they were fun, but like anything, the amount of drunks and people stoned detract from the really great music for me. Not to say their music isn't really good, I just need to be in the right mood for it. Anyhow, this one dropped in June of 2009 and is already in a platinum status. Fairly interesting story about the name of the record: GrooGrux was the nickname of now deceased sax player LeRoi Moore and it's also a word used to describe the overall sound that DMB puts out. The band members are referred to as 'The Groogrux Academy'. Big Whiskey also came from DMB doing a photoshoot in the French Quarter and ran across a local drunk playing the harmonica in order to buy a 'big whiskey'. One of them slipped him a twenty and the legend is he 'skipped away with glee' to go purchase his booze. After that encounter, they had to incorporate that into an album title. This record has a little bit more of an old school Matthews feel to it. It's got those long solos and jam type tracks that had been missing in newer stuff. I think it's still a little more poppy than I'd care to hear, but it's better than their previous 'Stand Up' album. DMB fans no doubt already own this, love it and play it every other day...but casual fans should check it out too. It's pretty good, worth a listen. You may not rush out and buy it, but I think you might end up picking up a couple singles for your music device.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Grux
2. Shake Me Like a Monkey
3. Funny the Way It Is
4. Lying in the Hands of God
5. Why I Am
6. Dive In
7. Spaceman
8. Squirm
9. Alligator Pie
10. Seven
11. Time Bomb
12. Baby Blue
13. You & Me

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. You & Me
2. Baby Blue
3. Funny The Way It Is

FINAL RATING:
3.5 out of 5 stars

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton

I'm going to straight up with you guys - I love rap. Caveat is, I don't identify whatsoever with the old school stuff. NWA was a rap supergroup before all the individuals were super. Lyrically, these guys are pretty solid. They were talking about things at a time when rappers haven't figured out how to capitalize on their problems and all the terrible things they've seen and done. No question they're pioneers and influenced cultures and generations many times over. So - I'll get it out of the way that I respect everything they did. Problem I have with it, the way they engineered beats back then, it was well - lackluster. You basically and put on any rap track from pre 1990, and it all has the same arrangement. Couple weak bass hits, a snare hit and maybe a little synth. If NWA was making music right now - man, Dre would be putting together some monstrous beats to rap over. Because of that, it almost sounds unprofessional. Like something you'd expect to hear a guy singing on the street to panhandle. Obviously it's better than that, but I think you get what I'm trying to convey. There are a handful of songs on this album that are genuinely awesome. This was their second album released and it dropped in 1988. It was since gone 2x platinum which makes it their best seller. They are relevant today because they intend to put out a biopic about their lives. Film writers could talk for more than 2 hours about how they got together, how they influenced music forever and how things split apart. And then got especially bad between Eazy and Dre. That would make for good cinema no doubt. Until then, all we can do is sit back and enjoy the oldies - and this is more than worth checking out. Happy Thursday!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Straight Outta Compton
2. F*ck Tha Police
3. Gangsta Gangsta
4. If It Ain't Ruff
5. Parental Deiscretion Iz Advised
6. 8 Ball
7. Somethign Like That
8. Express Yourself
9. Compton's N the House
10. I Ain't Tha 1
11. Dopeman
12. Quiet on Tha Set
13. Something 2 Dance 2

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Express Yourself
2. Straight Outta Compton
2. F*ck The Police

FINAL RATING:
3.75 out of 5 stars