Weird Al's New Album: Track 4, I'll Sue Ya

This is the worst song on the album. It's supposed to be a sort of general parody of Rage Against the Machine, which is a band that broke up like 6 years ago. It just doesn't work. Now, Al's standard way to crank out a song is just to sing a list of weird statements about whatever the topic of the song is, then sing a chorus, then sing another list of weird statements. Sometimes this works, like with the White and Nerdy song. In that one, each line is almost completely unrelated to each other line, except for being related to nerdiness in some way. But at least it's funny, and your typical nerd can find a few things to relate to in that list. In this song, he just lists off names of big corporations, like Taco Bell, Dell Computers, and Delta Airlines, and then says he going to sue them for something lame.

Recommend: The whole song isn't really sung, so much as shouted, in a very poor approximation of the Rage Against the Machine guy's much more skilled shouting. "I feel guilty for giving a bad review".

Weird Al's New Album: Track 9, Do I Creep You Out

At first, I didn't really listen to this song. It's a parody of an American Idol type song, and the subject matter is just another Weird Al psychopathic stalker thing, so I thought it just wouldn't do much for me, you know? Well, the other day I was listening through all the tracks while doing some computer thing here in the lab, and I heard Al sing, "every time I shake your hand now, I wanna put your fingers in my mouth", and I decided that I had been wrong, and this was in fact a great song after all. I have now listened much more closely, and noticed that he tries to imitate all the stupid Christina Aguilera vocal styling that those American Idol types like to do. Wow!


Recommond: "I think so!"

Weird Al's New Album: Track 1, White and Nerdy

Somebody has to review something. I'm going to review each song on Weird Al's new album, Straight Outta Lynwood, until somebody stops me. Anyway, White and Nerdy is a rap song, about what a cool guy the singer is, bragging about his X-men comics and how he has the Holy Grail memorized, etc. It's based on a song called Ridin', which I've never heard. Actually, I had never heard any of the songs that the parodies are based on, or any of the songs in the new polka medley. This is a sign of how cool I am.

Recommend: "Of course!".

cd: whiskey on a sunday

this is a great and intimate view of the most rocking Irish rock band( and no I am not talking about u2) it is an hour an half long I think did not really care about the time. also a good bonus it comes with a cd of old and rare songs.
I recommend watching with a pint or guinness or even whiskey!!!

The eraser

This cd is really cool so stripped down yet so complex!!!

Reccomend if you are in need of a radiohead fix... expect something that explores the same themes of isolation, and lonelieness that york explores but with out the band.

Music: 10,000 Days

by Tool. Totally awesome. Not so heavy as their others, but its got a great bluesy feel sprinkled throughout it. Also 6 and a half minutes is a short song on this one.

Recommend: Most definately, I do.

Music: At War with the Mystics

Another Flaming Lips album. I've been listening it to a bunch this weekend, and I think it's pretty sweet. I particularly recommend "The sound of failure," "Mr. Ambulance Driver" the weird German titled song, the little instrumental in the middle, the Go on song, hell, pretty much the whole thing.

Recommend: Goes without saying, but I must say that it is not quite Pink Robots par, but I mean, really, how does one top the pink robots?

Music: Hypnotize

by System of a Down. I know my last review of a System of a Down CD was a little indifferent, but I think they're onto something good with this CD. Some totally sweet tracks if you like heavy music that rapidly changes tempo and melody throughout nearly every song. Of course, this CD does have a couple more stable tracks to form kind of anchor points for the album which actually helps quite a bit. I really liked this one. The last track absolutely kicks ass.

Recommend: banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie.

Music : Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans

My favorite Sufjan album so far. Just slightly tamer than the Michigan album, but in a nice way. Simple and pure. I am amazed at how all his albums are so great, and every song works with the rest. Seven Swans is a grand album.

Recommend? I've had it on constant repeat for almost 24 hours now.

Concert: Nine Inch Nails

I was going to upload pictures, but the picture function is acting funny - it makes a big gray box with a tiny version of the picture in the corner. What's up with that?

So anyway, I went to Nine Inch Nails in Nashville on Halloween and man, it rocked. Queens of the Stone Age opened for them and they were one of the better opening acts that I've seen in a while - solid rocking, no more, no less. NIN put on a really kick ass visual show, playing the first song with transparent curtains all around the stage to hold a really dense cloud of smoke that they shot strobes, spotlights, and a huge assortment of multicolored lights through. Later in the set they lowered the curtain again and projected film onto it. That was neat, cuz you could still see the band through the curtain, but the images were on top of them. Otherwise, they played an extremely heavy and aggressive set that never let up on the energy. The guitarist kept doing these crazy ninja acrobatics with his guitar, leaping all over the place and swinging the guitar wildly but somehow never missing a note.

Also, they flung about twenty mics into the crowd. The roadies were pretty impressive. I figure less than a 3 second gap between a thrown mic or a flung mic stand before a new one was up. The set itself was sweet, consisting mostly of songs from their first 3 albums, but avoiding the singles. They played a bunch of sweet songs I wouldn't have expected like "Burn," (Natural Born Killers soundtrack, "Eraser" a cool building song that they used the projecter for, and "Reptile." Also, "Terrible Lie" kicked total ass, and they added an extra verse onto Closer. Most notable as a performance, though, was "Right Where it Belongs," the last track of the latest album.

Recommend: Hells yes, provided you like violently aggressive rocking while surrounded by people in costume.

CD : Wolf Parade - "Apologies to the Queen Mary"

Produced by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. Four Canadians. One Guitarist, one drummer, TWO synth players. Twitchy, spazzy, a little Modest Mousy. And totally awesome.

Recommend? Well, I'd recommend you check it out. I've been listening to it a lot for about a week and half. And I mean a lot. I bought some other CDs, but I keep taking them out and putting this one in. Also, it will give you huge pectoral muscles.

Album : "Come On Feel the Illinoise" by Sufjan Stevens

"Our step mom, we did everything to hate her;
she took us down to the edge of Decatur.
We saw the lion and the kangaroo take her
down to the river where they caught a wild alligator."



Recommend? Yes, it's even more expansive than Michigan! What state will be next? Yours?

Music: System of a Down: Mesmerize

So I like music with violent changes, disjointed lyrics about horses watching jet pilots and pizza toppings, and I figured that after three good albums, System of a Down would not fail to meet expectations. Unfortunately, this is album is one of those cases where the album met expectations too well in one of those strange combinations that isn't really either pleasing or interesting.

Yeah, they've still got political lyrics that occasionally sound really damn cool, but for the most part, on Mesmerize they're kind of like Rage Against the Machine yelling about the endangerment of subarctic manitees. And man, the repetition is just annoying at times, and not in the cool way like They Might Be Giant's Whistling in the Dark.

Furthermore, the changes are abrupt, but they're so regularly abrupt that they're not abrasive anymore. SOD is supposed to hurt at times while you listen to it because you turned it up for the cool quiet part and didn't turn it down as the guitar slammed back in. Instead, you kind of think, the loud part is about to happen. Then it does. But it just doesnt seem as loud.

Recommend: Yes if you want something generically on the edge.

Single : Beverly Hills - Weezer

Eh... First single from the upcoming Weezer Album. It must be tough, Rivers, to suck all of the interesting parts out of something. I mean, really, bland music, uninspired lyrics, laughable chorus. Oh Rivers, I might say you still have a cool singing voice, but you'd need to try to sing for me to be able to tell. But then, there's that...um...part...that...is...coo--* Oh, I'm nodding off while the song plays. *ahem* I need some coffee and some Yanni to wake me up. *whew* (Yawns)

Recommend? Um, I guess if you like being bored. Or you're trying to learn to play F, B-flat, F, B-flat, F, C over and over at a mid-tempo rock, then I highly recommend this song. Or if you're a zombie. Otherwise, listen to the first two Weezer albums because they're still good, and a startling testament to how you can have it for awhile, and then apparently lose all your talent. (When the Weezer Album comes out on May 10th, buy the new Spoon ablum, which comes out the same day and will be AWESOME. It's called "Gimme Fiction" Curiously, the Weezer album is called "Make Believe." How strange and similar, topically.)

Music CD : LCD Soundsystem - Self Titled

Finally! A dance-punk (disco-punk?) CD that I get into. This CD has everything. Dope-ass beats and weirdo noises, rocking tracks, funky cuts that veer off into strange ambient forays, and a cowbell break in the first song! You get thrown for a loop with every new track. And it comes with a bonus disc of all previous LCD Soundsystem singles. Ch-check it out.

Recommend? Only if you like way cool music can I recommend this. Otherwise, avoid it like the plague: you'll hate it.

Cover Song : Motley Crue - Helter Skelter

On a Whim I listened to this song. I thought, "this should be fun, a hair metal band covering a Beatles song." A few questions linger as the song ends.

Did you listen to this song before you recorded it? Because you got the lyrics in the second line wrong. Know how I know? I have the CD. It has a book in it with the words to all of the songs, and I looked at them. Plus, Paul McCartney isn't that hard to understand.

Do you think of yourself as a hard rock or metal band? Cause if you guys are hard rock, then the Beatles were Scandinavian Death Speed Metal. McCartney screams more and harder, and Lennon shouts at the end of the track that he has blisters on his fingers. What happened at the end of the Crue recording session for this song? Did you gently apply baby powder to each other's bottoms? If this is the devil's music, hell is full of little old ladies who are asleep and you pansies.

Recommend? Yes! Oh man do I ever. Download it illegally right now and slam your long curly hair into the pile of poop I left on your floor. Go suck on a fish.

Album : The Postal Service : Give Up

This is a great album. Crammed full of fun lyrics and digital beeps, this album packs energy, while the vocals are calm and soothing. It's yin and yang, in its most binary form! I wish I could wear this album as an undergarment.

Recommend? YES. It's much better than cauliflower.

Album : Green Day : American Idiot

It's a non-punk punk rock opera!

I liked it pretty good the first time I listened to it, and I liked it even more the second time I listened to it. Nifty, huh?

Recommend? YES. If you don't mind Green Day not being punk anymore. Which I don't.