One of Cleveland’s
best bands, gone but not forgotten. This is essentially a collection of left-overs
(outtakes, early single tracks, and live songs), but it’s a satisfying album.
Tom Dark (The Dark, Knifedance) provides all the vocals, and on tracks he’s
backed by most of what would become Amps II Eleven. Dark doesn’t care much for
melody, but he’s a distinctive vocalist who screams, growls, and yowls with
passion. This is ugly, antisocial music that combines elements of classic
Cleveland punk with the seventies arena rock influences Amps would later
elaborate on. The last 3 tracks feature an earlier version of the band that has
more of a garage rock sound, and Dark’s vocals are more melodic. Fans of
Stepsister will definitely want to add this to their collections, and those who
like mean and ugly rawk, but missed Stepsister while they were around, should
check it out as well. (Bob Ignizio)
Tears for Fears – ‘Everybody
Loves a Happy Ending’ (Universal Music)
Memo
to Top 40 radio programmers: This is what good pop music sounds like.
You know; songwriting, melody, hooks, memorable lyrics, distinctive vocals. All
the things Tears for Fears have always been known for. This is the duo’s first
album in 15 years (Roland Orazabal put out a couple solo albums under the TFF
name, but…) and it’s a welcome return for anyone that loves pop music with
substance. ‘Everybody Loves a Happy Ending’ is every bit as good as any of this
band’s previous albums, and there are hardly any concessions to modern trends or
styles. This type of music is timeless, anyway, so there’s no reason. It’s
hard to pick standout tracks on an album this consistently excellent, but
“Closest Thing to Heaven”, “Size of Sorrow”, "Call Me Mellow", and “Secret
World” all sound like good choices for singles to me. And the moody, melancholy
side this band has always had is evident on songs like “Who Killed Tangerine”,
“The Devil”, and “Ladybird”. This is a top notch album from a top notch band. I
just hope commercial radio pulls its collective head out of its collective ass
and gives it a chance to be heard. Note: this disc
won't be out until September 14, 2004.(Bob Ignizio)
This
is a really cheap disc (around 6 bucks most places), and it includes a bonus DVD
as well. It’s a good way to catch up with the current roster of Epitaph artists
for people like me who have lost touch with the label. Unfortunately, ‘Punk O
Rama’ may not be the most apt description of the music contained herein.
There’s a lot of emo, and even a couple of rap numberss. At least I know that
Bad Religion is still delivering the goods, so I’ll look forward to hearing
their new full length. I was also reminded how incredible The Refused was, and
after seeing a lot of good reviews for Division of Laura Lee, I now have some
idea what the fuss was about. I also liked the tracks by Pennywise, Nekromantix,
and Tiger Army. That’s about it, though. If you’re into emo or poppier punk
sounds, you’ll probably like the disc a lot more than I did. Still, for the
price, it’s hard to complain. (Bob Ignizio)
"Rebel Radio" is a collection
of hip-hop from the Deepthinka label out of New York. The release also happens
to include some talent from Cleveland. The first cut, which is from Rime Royal,
Agent O., and Furious, is full of promise and helps to set the pace for the rest
of the collection. The lyrics are tight and the beats are unique. The next track
is by 3rd Son, who's voice is reminiscent of early Common. The song is called
"Dues Ex Machina", and is a political piece addressing the war and the errors of
George W. Bush. This track alone makes this compilation worth checking out. 3rd
Son's flow is better than 3/4 the MC's on the charts. The album does get
annoying with it's psuedo-radio show feel. I realize that was the point, but
it's irritating after a few songs. Luckily, the music overshadows that. The 5th
track on "RR" is by Cleveland MC Edotkom and produced by Furious, who must have
been listening to Kanye West when he made the track, because the pitch tweaked
soul samples are quite similar to West's style. Edotkom's lyrics are decent and
his flow is on par. The tone of his voice is perfect for rapping, he definately
has the pipes for hip-hop. The only really low point on the record is "Bums" by
Cup Fulla Nasty. It seems the MC is trying to cop Eminem's psycho drama ryhme
style. It comes off very cheesy. Other than that, this is a solid collection of
some great underground hip-hop, and I strongly suggest it. (Eddie Fleisher)
One of Cleveland’s
best bands, gone but not forgotten. This is essentially a collection of left-overs
(outtakes, early single tracks, and live songs), but it’s a satisfying album.
Tom Dark (The Dark, Knifedance) provides all the vocals, and on tracks he’s
backed by most of what would become Amps II Eleven. Dark doesn’t care much for
melody, but he’s a distinctive vocalist who screams, growls, and yowls with
passion. This is ugly, antisocial music that combines elements of classic
Cleveland punk with the seventies arena rock influences Amps would later
elaborate on. The last 3 tracks feature an earlier version of the band that has
more of a garage rock sound, and Dark’s vocals are more melodic. Fans of
Stepsister will definitely want to add this to their collections, and those who
like mean and ugly rawk, but missed Stepsister while they were around, should
check it out as well. (Bob Ignizio)
Memo
to Top 40 radio programmers: This is what good pop music sounds like.
You know; songwriting, melody, hooks, memorable lyrics, distinctive vocals. All
the things Tears for Fears have always been known for. This is the duo’s first
album in 15 years (Roland Orazabal put out a couple solo albums under the TFF
name, but…) and it’s a welcome return for anyone that loves pop music with
substance. ‘Everybody Loves a Happy Ending’ is every bit as good as any of this
band’s previous albums, and there are hardly any concessions to modern trends or
styles. This type of music is timeless, anyway, so there’s no reason. It’s
hard to pick standout tracks on an album this consistently excellent, but
“Closest Thing to Heaven”, “Size of Sorrow”, "Call Me Mellow", and “Secret
World” all sound like good choices for singles to me. And the moody, melancholy
side this band has always had is evident on songs like “Who Killed Tangerine”,
“The Devil”, and “Ladybird”. This is a top notch album from a top notch band. I
just hope commercial radio pulls its collective head out of its collective ass
and gives it a chance to be heard. Note: this disc
won't be out until September 14, 2004.(Bob Ignizio)
This
is a really cheap disc (around 6 bucks most places), and it includes a bonus DVD
as well. It’s a good way to catch up with the current roster of Epitaph artists
for people like me who have lost touch with the label. Unfortunately, ‘Punk O
Rama’ may not be the most apt description of the music contained herein.
There’s a lot of emo, and even a couple of rap numberss. At least I know that
Bad Religion is still delivering the goods, so I’ll look forward to hearing
their new full length. I was also reminded how incredible The Refused was, and
after seeing a lot of good reviews for Division of Laura Lee, I now have some
idea what the fuss was about. I also liked the tracks by Pennywise, Nekromantix,
and Tiger Army. That’s about it, though. If you’re into emo or poppier punk
sounds, you’ll probably like the disc a lot more than I did. Still, for the
price, it’s hard to complain. (Bob Ignizio)
"Rebel Radio" is a collection
of hip-hop from the Deepthinka label out of New York. The release also happens
to include some talent from Cleveland. The first cut, which is from Rime Royal,
Agent O., and Furious, is full of promise and helps to set the pace for the rest
of the collection. The lyrics are tight and the beats are unique. The next track
is by 3rd Son, who's voice is reminiscent of early Common. The song is called
"Dues Ex Machina", and is a political piece addressing the war and the errors of
George W. Bush. This track alone makes this compilation worth checking out. 3rd
Son's flow is better than 3/4 the MC's on the charts. The album does get
annoying with it's psuedo-radio show feel. I realize that was the point, but
it's irritating after a few songs. Luckily, the music overshadows that. The 5th
track on "RR" is by Cleveland MC Edotkom and produced by Furious, who must have
been listening to Kanye West when he made the track, because the pitch tweaked
soul samples are quite similar to West's style. Edotkom's lyrics are decent and
his flow is on par. The tone of his voice is perfect for rapping, he definately
has the pipes for hip-hop. The only really low point on the record is "Bums" by
Cup Fulla Nasty. It seems the MC is trying to cop Eminem's psycho drama ryhme
style. It comes off very cheesy. Other than that, this is a solid collection of
some great underground hip-hop, and I strongly suggest it. (Eddie Fleisher)