Allister- Dead Ends and Girlfriends

Readers from my blog over the past few months will remember my review of Senses Fail’s album Let It Enfold You. It was an album that I listened to lots in High School, looking back; I am not sure how I did it. Allister’s debut album is also in that class. It’s not nearly as bad an album as Let It Enfold You; it’s just so juvenile on so many levels. It’s not a shock since the band members were just out of High School themselves when they recorded it. Still, if I was to have created an album fresh out of High School, it would not have included some of the material contained on this record.

It’s really my biggest gripe with the record, its immaturity. I mean, for what the record is, it truthfully isn’t bad. For a pop-punk Drive-Thru records band from the late 90s, it’s actually quite good. The music isn’t the most complicated but at the same time, it’s well-played. You can tell by the record that the guys can actually play their instruments. Drummer Tim Rogner does tend to fall into the typical “punk-rock” style of drumming at times, which is to say he plays as fast as possible while repeating the same basic pattern that will be familiar to anyone who has listened to punk over the last 15 or so years. Other than that, the album’s music doesn’t really make the record stick out, but it’s not a complete detriment to its quality either.

Now we come to the lyrics. Before I start, let me preface this by saying, the cover of the Fraggle Rawk theme song is probably the high point of the album. It doesn’t seem that it was some ploy by the band’s management to try to be “unique”. It’s just funny. Also they covered the Backstreet Boys “I want it that way”. That cover actually was a little creepy, since it sounded almost too much like the real thing.

Since Dead Ends and Girlfriends was released, Allister has created two more albums (with one coming later this year). Their lyrics have grown much more “mature” over the years, but this album is pretty rough. Songs like Jacob Thinks I’m Gay seems like something a 13 year old would come up with. Friday Night is another song that anyone over 17 will roll their eyes at. Here’s a sample “Gonna get loaded...were gonna get f**ked up tonight…” A good soundtrack to a 15 year old getting drunk for the first time, but for the rest of society, it just doesn't fly. Those are just two examples. The rest of the album is similar in tone. Like I said, the album really isn’t all that bad; taken for what it is, there has been worse. The immaturity brings the record down though.

Grade---C-

Sublime- 40 oz. to Freedom

It’s been 18 years since Sublime released their debut full-length album 40 oz. to Freedom, and it sounds just as fresh today as it did back then. If there was ever an album that captured the essence of being young and partying, this is it. For a debut album, 40 oz. really pushes the boundaries. Most bands would show some growing pains in their 1st album, maybe the lyrics aren’t the best, or maybe the record isn’t “tight”. Not so with Sublime’s first album. It ushered in a new kind of music to the mainstream. It took the California ska/punk scene, threw in some reggae, and a bit of dub to create something totally different than anything that came before…or since.

Musically, the album is well-played and it shows that Bradley Nowell could play many styles on guitar and play them all well. Hardcore Punk? Look at New Thrash. Dub Music? Waiting for my Ruca is your jam. Want a ballad? Badfish is one of the bands best songs. It’s really amazing that a band was able to blend so many styles on their first album, while managing to not mess it up along the way. As for the other members of the band, bassist Eric Wilson didn’t bring all that much to the band in terms of innovation, but he did contribute some good solos, especially when they played songs from this album live. Drummer Bud Gaugh is underrated as a drummer. He may not be the flashiest drummer, but the guy can play.

One aspect of the band that people don’t discuss all that often is Bradley’s ability to write deep, personal lyrics. Lots of the focus was on drugs/addiction, as Nowell was battling heroin addiction, which eventually led to his fatal overdose in 1996. In addition to the songs about drugs, most have a real party feel to them. It’s the kind of album that you put on during a party on a warm summer night and just groove to. Also…instead of liner notes thanking people who aided in the creation of the album, the band included “Thank You” as the final track, pretty much an audio thanks to all their friends/family. Pretty unique.

40 oz. is one of those albums that have almost been lost in the desert of popular music. The vast majority of fans who found the band though MTV and heard only the self-titled album really missed out on a true gem. Don’t get me wrong, there have been many people who heard the band via mass media and researched their older stuff and have heard the album, but still for many, they are truly missing out.

Grade---A-

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Stadium Arcadium

As the band’s last album with guitarist John Frusicante, Stadium Arcadium is a pretty good listen for the most part. If you read this blog, you will probably see that I am a big fan of most of Frusciante’s work, and he leaves the band with one of his better performances on record. Anthony Kiedis probably sounds better on this record then he has on any other as well. It goes without saying that Flea and Chad Smith are one of the best, if not THE best rhythm sections in contemporary rock music. In terms of the actual instrumental music, it is a very diverse album. There are elements of pretty much every style of music. Since it is the Chili Peppers, there is definitely a funk influence on some of the songs, along with even some punk undertones. Branching out a bit, there is even a bit of jazz thrown in for good measure, along with the straight forward rock music.

As good as the actual music is, the place where this album comes up lacking a bit is the lyrics. Over his career, Kiedis has pretty much touched on every subject, and it seems that he is running a little dry when it comes to ideas. Don’t get me wrong, the lyrics on this album is still better than many other records released over the last few years, however it seems to evoke a “been there, done that” feeling for the listener. I mean how many songs about California can a person take before it becomes overload?

For a man who once wrote “Party on Your P**sy”, some of the lyrics on the album are almost touching (see: Hard to Concentrate). It shows that Kiedis has matured; of course he is now in his 40s, so you would hope that’s the case. The songs about relationships on the album are probably its lyrical highpoint since its shows his evolution as a writer, but other than that, the lyrics are pedestrian. They just don’t seem as personal as some of his other lyrics, which has been the case in the past.

To me, the best part about this album is the contribution from John Frusicante on guitar/backing vocals. Over the years, his approach to playing guitar has changed, and on this record he goes a little crazy. He has never really been big on solos, but that’s thrown out the window here, as at the end of Dani California (the first track) there is a minute long solo heavy on effects by the end. Throughout the album, he contributes numerous solos which show off the fact that when Frusicante wants to, he can truly carry a record. Not to be forgotten is his backing vocals. It’s interesting to hear his improvement in that regard since re-joining the band in 1998. He seems much more confident and the vocals add depth to many songs.

The album was a bunch of Grammys and it was pretty deserving of them. It’s not the Chili Peppers best album, but it has flashes of greatness and for me was one of the better albums of 2006.

Grade---B+

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quartet- Sepulcros De Miel

If there is one word that describes Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s solo career, it is prolific. Let’s be honest here, he has released eight albums in the past year (with one more coming in 2010 in addition to the two released already this year). It’s amazing he finds time to do anything else in life. Oh wait, he also released a full-length movie in February…and it’s only June. His solo career has been interesting to say the least. He doesn’t just stick to one sound, instead going from genre to genre.

On Sepulcros De Miel, Rodriguez-Lopez enlists the newly created Quartet which includes many of his Mars Volta band mates, and friend/former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusicante. It is one of those albums that it takes a few listens to really sink in. As with most of his solo records, Rodriguez-Lopez pretty much takes convention and throws it out the window. A mixture of electronic music and “progressive” (whatever that means nowadays) rock describes the album in a nutshell.

One of the best things about this album is the price. Free. Well, it can be downloaded for free from his website…or you can donate as much money as you wish to download the album. The donations go to “Keep Music in Schools”, a charity that Rodriguez-Lopez has chosen to benefit from the proceeds from the album. Pretty cool move in my opinion. He certainly doesn’t have to do that, and the fact that the band is giving any money raised to a charity is awesome. If you do decide to download the album, DEFINETLY give over at least a few dollars.

Back to the record…As mentioned, Sepulcros De Miel takes a few times though to really understand it. Actually, scratch that. It’s an album that I’m not sure CAN be understood (even under the influence….tried it….didn’t make any more sense). The most impressive part of the composition is the synthesizer work done by Rodriguez-Lopez and Frusicante. Those two are artists in the truest sense of the word, not just musically (Frusicante paints and was involved with Rodriguez-Lopez’s film as executive producer). Their guitar work is great as well, but coming from those two it’s not a surprise.

In terms of being “accessible”, the album reaches that level to a degree. It’s a bit of a journey, and for those not into experimental rock music, it may be a chore. At the same time, it’s way easier to listen to then Rodriguez-Lopez’s album with Jeremy Michael Ward from 2001. For fans of Rodriguez-Lopez/Frusicante, this album is a definite pick-up and worth at least a B. Still, for the average listener it gets knocked down a letter due mostly due to the fact that most people won't "get it".

Grade----C

American Hardcore (The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986) ---Soundtrack to Film

For those new to the hardcore punk scene of the 1980s, the soundtrack to the film American Hardcore is a pretty good place to start. The movie it is based on is an interesting retrospective look at the burgeoning punk scene of the early 1980s. Being born in 1986, sadly I missed out on being part of the movement. Still, for anyone who listens to contemporary punk rock music, this album should be required listening. It is far from perfect, but it does show the roots of the majority of bands that encapsulate the Warped Tour generation. There are some glaring omissions but for the most part, it serves its purpose of chronicling the major players of the original hardcore scene.

True to the genre on which it is based, the album blasts through 26 songs in less than 39 minutes. It is these short blasts of intensity that characterized hardcore during that time period. Honestly, not much has changed, but it seems like most hardcore today is an imitation of the hardcore of 30 years ago. It is not a style of music that has seen much innovation lately, but the bands of the 1980s were so original that it’s really hard to improve upon the products that bands like Bad Brains and Flipper produced during that time period.

As good as this album is for people who are interested in the punk rock genre; it’s also not for everyone. The songs are fast paced bursts of distortion with slurred/screamed vocals. Those who are not a fan of punk rock will probably pass this album off as a bunch of noise without any artistic merit. In all honestly, some of this is true. Many of the bands were not the most adept musicians on their instruments, but punk rock was/is not totally about technical proficiency, more about the message in the lyrics.

The high points on this album are probably from the bands who could actually play their instruments. I hate to re-name bands in the same review, but Dr. Know of Bad Brains is a good guitarist as is Greg Ginn of Black Flag. They are two of the most influential guitarists in punk rock, and are still going strong today. Most of the bands on this album are forgettable in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, they highlighted different interpretations of the movement, so I guess in that respect they are necessary. American Hardcore is a good album for a person new to punk rock or who wants to get a taste of the beginning of the genre. For most others, the album isn’t the best pick-up.

Grade---B-(for a fan) C- (all others)

Been Gone For A While...

Hey Everyone,

I know it has been practically forever since I updated my Blog with some new reviews. There are quite a few reasons for that, however don't fear....coming soon includes album reviews by the red hot chili peppers, omar rodriguez-lopez and (finally) the american hardcore soundtrack. I usually have done about 12 reviews a month...well I have seven days. Better get to work!!

-Carl