BEST NEW-AGE CD TO CATCH IF YOU DIG WEIRD AL YANKOVICMatthew Ebel – Goodbye Planet EarthBy:Michael Trimboli Contributor
No matter what your style, some jams just manage to capture one’s soul.
Matthew Ebel fashions one of those jams in his newly-released CD, Goodbye Planet Earth, by blending many diverse human emotions into a single album. He even transforms the common CD into a device for conveying attitudes and sentiments about current politics by dropping subtle references about our president, life, addiction and robots.
While Ebel certainly has a style which cannot be classified easily, he seems to blend the rhythms of many musicians such as Weird Al Yankovic and Pink Floyd in Goodbye Planet Earth and Falling to Earth. Like liquid, his songs segue from one to the next perfectly, with tracks such as Wordsworth – a deep, dark spoken-word poem created just to act as a transition between two tracks.
This is Ebel’s fourth album following Beer & Coffee, so he’s already gotten his feet wet in the music world. But one can argue he’s only where he is now because of 15 years of piano lessons, six years of vocal lessons and one trusty piano.
Matthew Ebel is a new-age artist whose ability to break the mold is a refreshing escape from the muddle of mass-produced, over-played, cookie-cutter junk. It’s uplifting to hear someone with real talent who loves what he or she does enough to share it with the world.
“Goodbye Planet Earth” can be purchased at Matthew Ebel’s Web site: http://www.matthewebel.com or http://www.goodbyeplanetearth.com
BEST CD TO TRICK YOUR DATE INTO THINKING YOU’RE CULTUREDEl Guincho – AlegranzaBy: David Shrevey Staff Writer
To any bummed-out hippies who’re convinced that music’s prime died out decades ago, Alegrnaza is the hard slap to the face that’ll send them out of their slumber.
El Guincho is but one man, Pablo Díaz-Reixa, whose anonymity in the English-speaking world is all about to change. Although originating in the Canary Islands, he produces music from Barcelona, which is interesting considering the album’s title, Alegrnaza, is itself an uninhabited Spanish Canary Island.
This debut album is packed with so much power it’ll even make those hippies shake their hips to the tropical beat. It’s this simple, lighthearted fun that makes the album work. Every loop and repetitive sample is intentionally meant to be played at parties and other joyous events.
Alegrnaza makes you want to visit every island south of America without just stopping at just one. The movement and joy is immediately present: the first track, Palmitos Park, kicks off with a promise that this will be a “basket of cheers.” Even tracks like Fata Moragan, which begin with an ambient tribute to young love, quickly morphs into another tropical parade. And why shouldn’t it – the clue to El Guincho’s intent is in the album’s Spanish title, which translates to “joy.”
All but two tracks are available in their entirety on El Guincho’s MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/elguincho
Release Date: March 4
BEST CD TO SATISIFY NOSTALGIA CRAVINGS Michael Jackson – Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition By: Anthony A. Choman Contributor
Since the dawn of recorded sound, there has been only one pop-luminary whose astral brilliance radiates throughout the world, blinding the likes of The Beatles, Elvis Presley and fans alike… Michael Jackson.
Mr. Jackson’s Thriller (1982) featured seven top-ten singles, two number one singles, won eight Grammy awards in one night (all-time record) and is well on its way to becoming the only album to ever eclipse the one-hundred million mark in sales.
On February 12, The King of Pop released Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition, a collection of the original album, interviews and four remixes by present-day artists.
Kanye West takes a stab at “Billie Jean,” missing widely and cutting himself in the process. Two other new ’08 renderings on the album include Fergie’s lame attempt at “Beat It,” and Will.i.am.’s massacre of “The Girl Is Mine.” The lone re-success on the album is Akon’s take on “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”
Fortunately, for the dignity of both the artists and fans, all of the remixed tracks on Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition are re-titled with “2008” following the original title.
Thriller is quite simply one of the top five recordings of sound the world has ever heard, and it is of such substance that the likes of a similar or superior album may never be seen.
The King of Pop is, and will always be, worthy of his royal surname. Now, beat it.
BEST CD TO GET AWAY FROM THE NORMXiu XiuWomen As Loversby Alex McKenzie Staff Writer
Xiu Xiu has always been a tad strange, but I’m sure they could care less if people didn’t listen to them. They would continue crafting fine music regardless. But people do love them, and they’re quickly becoming one of the more popular indie bands.
Xiu Xiu (pronounced “shoe-shoe”) have actually created a much more accessible album with their sixth studio release, Women as Lovers. I might even go as far as to call it “pop music” (if pop music started wearing its mother’s clothing and dropping acid, that is).
Women as Lovers is an anxious, dissonant stroll through the park of pop and folk music. You’re constantly bombarded by strange electronic noises and discordant horn sounds that keep your senses on their toes. That being said, the album is downright infectious. For every bit of ruggedness this release throws at you, there’s a beautiful and utterly catchy part that pushes right back. Singer and founder Jamie Stewart has a fantastic voice, and it’s showcased throughout.
The album’s lovely highlight is “I do what I want, when I want.” Well, about as lovely as a song containing a metaphor about hog-tying a person could possibly be, anyway. Take these lyrics: “Could it be you were the one / who is waiting insanely for me / to bind your limbs stoutly / to feign deafness to protest.”
Your music collection is getting stagnant and you’re tired of the norm? Keep an open mind and Women as Lovers might become one of your favorite new albums.
BEST CD WORTHY OF A REPLAYBlack Mountain In the Futureby Irene Medina Staff Writer
Black Mountain is a band not afraid of experimenting with different sounds and instruments. If you googled them, most reviews would tell you they’re an “indie band” hailing from Vancouver.
But they’re more than that. They’re not just an “indie band” that you’ll find playing at Warped Tour. Their sound is so different and eclectic that it’s practically impossible to define them and pigeonhole them into one genre.
Their newest LP, In the Future, kicks off with a psychedelic rock sound in “Stormy High,” while their second track, “Angels,” exudes this melancholy vibe accompanied by the singer’s sad voice and a string orchestra in the back. The third is an eight-minute song varying in sounds more outta whack than Britney Spears’ mental capacity.
Black Mountain closes the album with “Night Walks,” a song that uses almost no instruments and is so soothing it’ll compel you to relax for a solid hour, then press replay for yet another hour of enjoyment.
BEST CD UPGRADE FROM A FRATERNITY HOUSEThe Whigs Mission Controlby Irene Medina Staff Writer
Athens is not only the capital of Greece, but it’s also a city in suburban Georgia that serves as the hometown of The Whigs – a new band that’s currently splashing its music across the radios of America.
They recorded their first album inside an empty fraternity house with equipment bought on eBay back in 2005. But three years later, they’ve come up with a new album along with a new sound: Mission Control.
“Like A Vibration” kick-starts the album with a very upbeat tempo and grungy guitars in the background that pay homage to bands like Nirvana. Meanwhile, “Production City” transitions the album from grunge to pop, but without letting go of the rock portion.
The songs fade into a slower kind of mode until you hit the very last song, “Mission Control.” The track reinforces the title of the album and also summarizes all the genres combined in the CD for one last good listen.
