Weezer "Weezer" 2008 other wise known as "The Red Album" (Spark one up and smoke, choke, and wheez to some damn good rock)

Weezer… How do I come at this band in a review? I will say this that their newest album which is their sixth and third self titled album known as “The Red Album” unofficially is one of their best. Personally I have only one album by Weezer in my collection and that’s “The Blue Album” which happens to be their first album. Sure I loved Pinkerton their second offering but never bought it and I’m not entirely sure why other than 1996 and 1997 were a couple of years I don’t remember all that well.
Evidently they were some years that affected Rivers Cuomo in a different kind of way as well. He and the rest of the band called it quits for a couple of years and Cuomo himself went into a self-admitted depression. The band never officially broke-up but went on “hiatus” and weren’t to be seen again as the original line-up ever again with Matt Sharp (bass & backing vocals) being the first to not rejoin the band when thoughts of getting back together started being worked on in 1998. Eventually all concerned worked on their own personal shit along with being creative assholes who decided to finally get over themselves.
What we got was the third Weezer album which was self titled and known as “The Green Album”, and while it was ok it wasn’t a quality release. You could hear they had rust on their song writing and music that had to be sanded off. I mean honestly a song like “Hash Pipe” should be a song sung by kids in high school or fresh out. I can understand that this album while a big seller was rusty and not so great being it was the first after a self imposed 3 year break.
Their third album Maladroit was a harder edged album and one I kind of like better than “The Green Album”, but just happened to be their lowest selling album to date. I love “Death and Destruction”, “Dope Nose”, and “Take Control” from the Maladroit album. This album went into their next studio album offering called “Make Believe”, and I almost hate this album for the one single “Beverly Hills” because it got killed on the radio and MTV. The sad thing is that with the MP3 generation that just buy singles and not albums they miss songs that are deeper cuts like “The Damage in Your Heart”, and “This Is Such a Pity” that could be off any album by The Killers. The album “Make Believe” had Weezer back at their A-game status with a collection of great songs even if “Beverly Hills” did get killed on the radio for me.
This brings us to Weezer’s newest album and their third one which is self titled known as “The Red Album”, and let me just say this album is great. Seriously people, after two listens I found myself trying to sing to a couple of the songs and that is huge. The first song on the album called “Troublemaker” is great and when he sings “how’s this for arts and crafts” and goes into a riff then shouting with the band “That’s Right!” is kind of like saying in your face. “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”, is the second song and is great how it seems to be a commentary on ego and how some buy into it fully and how others just lampoon it with lyrics “try to play it cool like you just don’t care but soon I’ll be playing in your underwear… I’m like the mage with the magic spell” which cast one on you that makes you laugh. Yes, I said “lampoon”. The forth song on the album called “Heart Songs” is a song that just speaks to you, because we all have a soundtrack in our mind for events past and present. This soundtrack is one we are not ashamed to sing along with once we hear a song from those times we remember with fondness or with a wince. The fifth song on the album “Everybody Get Dangerous” is a song for guys who were bored and put their energies in outlets that could have led to things no so great. The rest of the songs on the album are just as good as the first five on the album and I just enjoy listening to this album over and over. I think if you ever liked a Weezer song you should check out this album and if this is a sign of the future for Weezer then I hope they go beyond the primary colors and give us more music like this. So, spark up your hash pipe and smoke, choke, and wheez along with Weezer’s new self titled album “The Red Album”, and maybe one of them might be one of your “heart songs that never feel wrong”.

Preview Weezer's music at these two places online.
Weezer's Official Website
Listen to Weezer on their Myspace page

Alicia Keys "As I Am" (Thank God You Aren't "As You Were")

I gotta say I’m a purist when it comes to soul and R&B, and being I grew up just down the road from Atlanta, Georgia I gots da street creds to be makin a step-up like dat. This brings me to the album I’m reviewing by Miss. Alicia Keys called “As I am”, and yes I do know I’m a year behind on talking about this album but hey I speak about them once I’ve given them a listen, so deal wit it ya heard.
Now being that I don’t really get much into the newer R&B and soul and feel most who dabble in it now have little of no idea of what they are doing. I will also say that I listen to more rock than any other genre, and so for me to notice “As I am” from Alicia Keys was big to say the least. The album as a whole is a really good listen. I would even buy this album in stores and will in the future. Her debut album “Music in A Minor” was a critical success along with a fan success as well. The single “Fallin” from her first album was a good change of pace from what was out there these days but as all popular songs sometimes it got played to death on the radio. So, in my case at least I hated to hear it come on the radio after a time. “A Woman’s Worth” was the typical empowering of the female cause or situation song you get on female singer albums at times and so I sorta overlooked it as a typical formula used on song making for an album. Alicia Keys second album was huge as well and sold more copies in the first week than most female artist will ever sell of an album titled “The Diary of Alicia Keys”, and even though it was hailed by critics and sold so many units I really didn’t give it a listen and found myself not really caring. “You Don’t Know My Name” and “If I Ain’t Got You”, were big hits from this album but I didn’t care to know her name and she didn’t have me. I just felt like she was something being churned out of some hit making formula scheme like Britney Spears. Alicia Keys' mother was a small no name actress and even Alicia got little bit parts like being part of Rudy’s sleep over guest in an episode of “The Cosby Show”.
Then I heard “As I am” and from that album I heard the song “No One”. I was hooked in by this song and it’s lyrics that were not bubble gum fluff but a story being told in song. So, I found the album and started giving it a preview. I was blown away by “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” and I’m not some 12 to 15 year old girl with some boy drama. It really spoke to me and even as it bordered on cliché it really was something that tugged on the emotions one feels when we’ve lost someone or someone has left. The next song that was just a damn good single was “Lesson Learned” featuring John Mayer(who I hate because he’s a prick in person), and I have to say it was a good teaming and I did like the lyrical arrangement as if a man was talking to his woman. The lyrics at the beginning of “Lesson Learned” talking about broken hearts and how “it’s raining just to rub it in” your face that you’re heart broke and suffering inside from a love just lost can speak to anyone who love and lost and the pain at the loss caused until it all made sense. “Teenage Love Affair”, spoke to her fans that were in the midst of one, and those who could remember when they were teenaged and in a love affair that seemed to mean any and everything to them. These songs strength were enough to make me stand up and take notice of Alicia Keys and not as a one hit wonder or someone churned out by the music business as a money making hit maker, but rather an artist with something to say.
Sure, while making this review I did think about Alicia Keys weird statements about how the government made Gangsta Rap to drag down the African American population. Hell I can believe the government made crack more than I could Gangsta Rap. I know this is just the words of someone who thinks the race she is identifying with while it’s cool isn’t responsible for any acts of stupidity or hurt upon themselves… which is total bullshit. See,her saying this makes me wonder does she know anything about her Irish background which are people still held under the boot of English rule even now. Anyway, you can overlook that with this music, and you can overlook her ample ass monster she stuffs in her painted on pants. Yes, is the answer because the music is just that good. So, if you are looking for some good neo-soul mixed with R&B that flirts with rock and hip hop, then go out and buy Miss. Alicia Keys new album “As I am” and see if you don’t kiss that special someone a little harder and with more passion “like this is the last time.”

Preview her work at the sites below.
Alicia Keys' spot on Myspace
This is her official website.

Puscifer "V Is For Vagina" ( More like "Y Is For Yawn")

Now, I gotta be honest this review of an album really smarts. I'm a huge fan of Tool. I'm a large fan of A Perfect Circle. I've enjoyed listening to collaborations on certain singles of other bands that involved a certain Maynard James Keenan. So, I waited with baited breath the release of his new so called side project from Tool called "Puscifer", and I shit thee not the album's title was "V is For Vagina".... sure it is. I am a fan... of Maynard James Keenan not some music snob who thinks his critique matters, but damn this album blows. I download most of my music before I purchase the album due to past music buying mishaps, and so I got this misadventure in sound for free through my sources and have already deleted it before this post. I was prepared for new... I was prepared for funny... I was prepared for quirky... I was not prepared for absolute shit. I tried so many different times to enjoy at least one single from the album and I couldn't.
I am not even gonna do a track listing of this album. I'm not going to provide a link. I was very much disappointed and it wasn't that I was looking for an offering similar to his other works. All great artist are human beings and we should as they should remember that one does not applaud the singer we love for clearing his throat. Knowing this we should know that in their humanity they shit just like we do, but sometimes as in this time they take that shit and wanna share. Sorry but no thanks... your shit stinks and this shit you took musically should be flushed. Puscifer "V Is For Vagina"...(more like "Y Is For Yawn")...

Shitty 1980's Hair Metal and other bastard Metal children. Introducing Man 'o' War or as I call them Man 'o' Whoa...

Is it just me or do you get the feeling these guys form a group of bad-metal-mother fuckers... standing there with their clinched fist showing anger and power, or could it be their leathers all in different colors and styles showing their fierce individualism? Who knows and who cares.... these guys blew and everyone knew it (alas some didn't get the memo). Nirvana and Pearl Jam were the flush of the toilet we all needed to send these turds packing down the sewer with rest of their uber tough posing bitches. (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD)Here's a news flash... these ass hats are still making music!!! That's right, you read me right. Like we weren't full of their shit they were serving up with album titles such as..."All Men Play Ten," "Sign of the Hammer," or the album where they dubbed themselves "King of Metal". God almighty where is the justice? Kurt Cobain commits suicide and these floaters are releasing albums even in 2006 called... I shit thee not "Sons of Odin". Sure I'd burn a candle if these guys committed suicide... to get rid of the smell of shit they left behind. You might think this these dead from the neck up musicians were from some European country, like say Germany. Nay... they are from America... Auburn, New York of all places. Ready for this??? These cod pieces have fans, "where oh Untan do they find fans," you may ask... Well where else... Germany and other tone deaf and tasteless European countries. Yes, from the land of sauerkraut (pickled shredded cabbage), and horse sauage showing how they lack taste buds and just taste in general. We have people who make bands like this and guys like this a star.
Ok in total fairness I have German friends who can't understand the "Hoff's" popularity either, and don't like horse sauage or pickled cabbage. So, my brothers in Germany wonder why their fellow country men like to be America's dumping ground or outhouse for shitty music as well. Seems Man 'o' Wanker give poor souls free t-shirts that can't be bought anywhere else if a fan comes in from another country other than the current country they are playing in "WHAT A TREASURE".
I went ahead and put up one of their cliche riddled videos... notice during the video they run into the cops, and Johnny Law turns these metal rockers clad in leather away from their town to raid some other unsuspecting TCBY. God knows with these raiders of metal (vomit) rock on the lose no Carvel is safe... I bet these fucks demand one more scoop on their two scooper's for free...THOSE BASTARDS!!! Ok, I've not included a link to their page because honestly it might show them some sorta support. If you want a good laugh just Google these clowns, and look at what we could have been stuck with if the Seattle scene had never happened. Now, if you'll excuse me since I've binged on fart knocker metal I need to go purge.

Chevelle "Vena Sera"

Ok, roll down the windows and crank up the volume on your car stereo, because the world around the road your traveling needs to hear this one. I’m talking about the newest offering from Chevelle, that was released in April of 2007. Now, you might think I’m behind the curve on reviewing this album, but as I’ve told others I don’t give an opinion before I listen to an album. Comments on a band’s new album on the listen of two or three industry released single before it’s released to the public, or reviewing an album via word of mouth or from a few snippets you’ve heard from the radio isn’t my style.
I’m not some industry insider or any bullshit like that, but I am a fan of good music in whatever form it takes. I don’t get albums ahead of release dates unless I hear from one of my pirate friends, and so I review them once I get them and give them a complete listen or three. Chevelle isn’t a new band to me because I already own three of their past offerings which if I’m not mistaken is all they have to offer except for a live album, but I’m a fan of very few (like one or two) live albums. Saying I own any band's album is big, and owning more than three means they must be doing something right. This brings me to Chevelle’s newest album called “Vena Sera”. Oh, and just because I own a band’s catalog of albums to date doesn’t mean they get a free pass from me and I just automatically pick up their newest offering. I give each album from any band a fair listen and if an album sucks no matter if I own ten of their previous works it matters not, and rip or rave depending on what I get.
Ok, first track is a keeper, “Antisaint” is just damn good rock. The vocals are tight and aren’t over powered by the instruments and the vocals mix well with the instruments level. You got to admit once you hear this first track that the trio from Chicago have gotten to a point few bands get too, and that’s the point where they are mastering if not mastered their craft and their own sound. The lyrics while not profound are not nonsensical and meaningless either, but just good head rocking rock. Seriously music can be serious with social commentary or life commentary and it can be loose and almost goofy. The shades of gray between that black and white ends of the spectrum are where music and bands that make it find themselves. Chevelle does a good brand of rock which one can really enjoy without being preachy or too tragic which is what some bands fall into (hello preachy System of a Down and tragic Staid). “Saferwaters” track three on the album is a good tempo change from the first two tracks which rock with more cock out than this song which gives you a breather. Then you’re smacked in the face to harsh your mellow with a great rock scream announcing track four “Well Enough Alone,” which is simple in the meaning of just leaving well enough alone but tinged with the frustration of when that well enough isn’t left alone. This track is really musically densely crafted as well with different musical elements thrown in the mix that really seem to work for me. “Humanoid” track seven starts off like a throw back to a chunky Sabbath style opening, and comes around to one of the band’s major influences which is a little band called Tool and then morphs into the Chevelle style of music. The album’s second to last track called “I Get It”, shows how the band really does get it. It’s just a great track that doesn’t sound like the paint by numbers groups that are out there now (like Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, or YellowCard). The sound is refreshing and truly Chevelle’s sound.
See, there’s a huge thing I’ve found on Chevelle’s fourth album “Vena Sera”, and that is the Chevelle sound. So many have knocked this band as being a cheaper version of Tool and you’d have to be deaf not to hear the heavy influence Tool has on Chevelle’s sound, but isn’t that what great bands are supposed to do? The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, and Nirvana all influenced bands out there doing their own thing. So, why shouldn’t bands like Tool and its contemporaries of the same caliber have their influence not being seen in newer era bands? I personally believe it’s my generations want to remain young and not realize we are getting older and the bands we discovered in high school are now inspiring and influencing this generations bands that are out now. Sure Tool is still out there rocking the house to the ground and giving experiences in sound (cause you can’t just call a Tool show a concert anymore, cause that would be saying a meeting with the Pope is just some Priest saying hello). It doesn’t mean that someone else can’t hear that sound and say I hear myself in that style as well and I think I can add to that style with my own brand or take. Sure some bands stray to close to their influences and get pigeon holed as copy cats and easily forgotten because who among us has paid any attention to Earshot which was supposedly another one of the Tool-sound-alike bands. If any of you have heard anything they’ve done recently (if they still are a band) or remember a song they did sing then let me know because I don’t. No, Chevelle does sound like a band cut in the style of their influence which is Tool, but they definitely have a sound all their own that you can pick up on and that is a mark of a great band. In my opinion while not on the same caliber as Smashing Pumpkins, Chevelle can now be counted as part of the great bands that have come out of the Chicago area.
So, go out and buy the album “Vena Sera” if you are a Chevelle fan, and even if you aren’t give this album a full listen and not depend on industry A&R released singles to make up your mind on a band. Chevelle has done what I call a mid-career album which solidifies their sound with a strong album of Chevelle music that doesn’t let you down by giving the listener numerous tracks to listen and like. Chevelle’s next album should be huge in sound, song, and scope because they’ve defined themselves and now it’s time for them to expand upon what they are as a band while remaining true to their honed identity. If someone tells you Chevelle ain’t shit but a Tool rip off band then they are just trying to sound cool, because with that logic you could say Nirvana was a Sex Pistols rip off and should have been ignored. Beware people who make sweeping statements about bands being rip offs without having something to qualify a statement like that, because those are the type that might have a Panic! At the Disco album or think Creed really rocked. Do yourself a favor people if you like rock that is just plain good check out Chevelle’s new album “Vena Sera”, because “I Get It,” as their song would say and what I get is that they are some quality listening.
LINKS FOR CHEVELLE
Chevelle's spot on the all knowing and growing swamp called myspace.
Chevelle's very own web page.
** I will not be providing links to ways and places to illegally download a band's music because if you are a smart cookie you already know a place or person(like the Untan one)to get music, but I will provide links to places where you can give a band a really good listen. Then you can go buy the album or not but at least you're informed.**
Below are a sample of a few of the tracks from Chevelle's new album "Vena Sera". Enjoy the listen while these links work.