The Joyous Sounds of Crickets on cd

Music group xviii

Joybang
Listened to this only twice but recalled the same thing, First few songs were okay but the title track was great. 2

Cursive
Cannot really vote on this, as I only had chance to listen to it once. Thought parts were good especially when they slowed down and played the songs. When the relied on that emo lets play it loud approach they tend to lose me. But there was more good than bad and I will listen to it some more.

Mars Volta
Somewhere in here is a great album. In fact I kept going back to find it. Interesting time changes. Some truly incredible playing. A strong lead voice that is more the extra instrument than separate entity. However someone let these guys play in the studio far too long. Every song or maybe I should say break between the movements of the songs is filled with useless studio dreck that last for minutes. For example do we really need to hear crickets, and if we do why so long. These guys truly are talented but they need to focus on a cd that focuses on the songs not the filler between them. Best moment the first part of L’via l’viaquez the song part, not the filler. Worst moment, all the useless filler. 2

Waterboys

I chose this record because of Jenn’s cover question. I found myself playing the live cd that contained their cover of Purple Rain and decided to go back to the beginning at least the beginning for me. I don’t know why I bought this record. At the time I was a metal head just discovering punk, and this was not type of music that had any appeal to me. But when the horns come in on A Church Not Made with Hands to the last strum on A Pagan Place. I was captured. No weak tracks to be found, but attention always seem to go to the poppy All the Things She Gave Me, the narrative Red Army Blues and to the bombastic Big Music. In fact it is big music that was the label The Waterboys were given. And for this and the next two albums they were one of the best at it. Unfortunately Mike Scott has not been consistent since Fisherman’s Blues but at times he can still be brilliant. However A Pagan Place is one of those albums that plays like it was written as a set list and made to be played in its entirety and in order. (That is why the re-release with bonus tracks suffers a bit) I am not sure why I bought this disc but because of them I found World Party, Hothouse Flowers the Levelers and The Frames to name a few. A dessert island disc for me. 5

The fuggs
A band that somehow manages to capture interesting surf groove every once in a while, but only every once in a while. Throw in sophomoric humor that dwindles in interest with each listening, you have a below average band.



2005
Frames Burn The Maps
Ash Meltdown
Soundtrack of our Lives Origin Vol 1
Death Ray Davies The Kick and the Snare
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Howl
Echo and the Bunnymen Siberia
Dramarama Everybody Dies
Backyard Babies Tinnitus
Nada Surf The Weight is a Gift
Alkaline Trio Crimson




1) Commercials do not bother me. In the limited arena that formatted media gives artists to present their music any outlet should be used. Any publicity is good publicity. However views of the song can change with the commercial. Crappy commercial or product may make me rethink my thoughts of the songs due to the associative effect.
2) Fountains Of Wayne. Good pop music and there is a shortage of that.