Music: 8/10 Production: 5/5
Total: 13 of 15: A
Don Ross is a phenomenal acoustic guitar player. He perhaps has the best picking right hand in the business. He has won the US National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship twice.
This is an instrumental album of just Don and his one guitar. There are no overdubs. There are only other rhythm instruments on 2 songs. This is music done in one take. Little mistakes and half notes make it into the recording, but that's what makes it so human and real.
Clearly there are standouts on the album. The opening track "How to Eat an Avalanche" is a fast and furious piece with amazing up and down the fretboard movement. "Tochigi" is a swirling rhythm that hypnotizes. It gets you into a trance and then breaks out into new directions only to come back to the original. It's a very nice ride. Finally, "Never Go to Pernambuco" is a sad and soulful number making you think of loves lost on rainy days.
The only real issue is that it is very hard to write solo acoustic guitar songs that last more than 3 minutes. Nearly all Don's songs top 5 minutes. So, at times songs repeat too much or stay on the same refrain too long. I can imagine actually playing these songs or being in close proximity that it would be easy to lose yourself in the music. But the experience doesn't translate as well to the car or office.
Slightly too long songs is hardly a bad criticism, especially when the guitar is so amazing. If you like acoustic guitar or perhaps want some excellent ambient music, this is fantastic stuff. I highly recommend it and look forward to getting more albums by Don Ross.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Awake and Alert - Devil in a Lambskin Suit: B+
Music: 7/10 Vocals: 5/5 Lyrics: 4/5 Production: 4/5
Total: 20 of 25: B+
Awake and Alert is a fantastic new indie band out of Arizona. Maya Peart fronts the band. She has a tremendous voice. Soulful yet ethereal. Powerful yet beautiful. She is a true talent that hopefully will have a long and successful career.
The rest of the band is good but not fantastic. They do much more than a typical backup band of a Norah Jones or Fiona Apple. But they're not quite a stand alone band either. They provide a very diverse canvas for Maya to sing upon. It ranges from dark and brooding to cinematic and even an occasion at rock.
Being a relatively new band, I see a few junior mistakes. There are definitely hooks in the music and lyrics. But too often it all meanders a bit. All the songs sort of blur together until the hook in most of them hits and then you remember the song. Hopefully they will all find their way on their 2nd album.
The lyrics are mostly personal of relationships gone wrong. Nothing trite and most of the lyrics are original.
One of the highlights is the vastly beautiful "Let Autumn Lift Me". It is a great showcase of Maya's vocal talents. The title track is a nice rocker for the band. Finally, "Hollow Bodies" provides some very memorable music and a great vocal hook in the chorus. These are the three that stand out the most but everything else is good. There are no clunkers on this album.
Given the music industry is in shambles right now, I wouldn't be surprised if this band never sees the real light of day. Especially since they are not mainstream. But, they do deserve better. Hopefully they will get some airplay and be given the opportunity to mature over the next several years. Do yourself a favor and get on board with Awake and Alert.
Total: 20 of 25: B+
Awake and Alert is a fantastic new indie band out of Arizona. Maya Peart fronts the band. She has a tremendous voice. Soulful yet ethereal. Powerful yet beautiful. She is a true talent that hopefully will have a long and successful career.
The rest of the band is good but not fantastic. They do much more than a typical backup band of a Norah Jones or Fiona Apple. But they're not quite a stand alone band either. They provide a very diverse canvas for Maya to sing upon. It ranges from dark and brooding to cinematic and even an occasion at rock.
Being a relatively new band, I see a few junior mistakes. There are definitely hooks in the music and lyrics. But too often it all meanders a bit. All the songs sort of blur together until the hook in most of them hits and then you remember the song. Hopefully they will all find their way on their 2nd album.
The lyrics are mostly personal of relationships gone wrong. Nothing trite and most of the lyrics are original.
One of the highlights is the vastly beautiful "Let Autumn Lift Me". It is a great showcase of Maya's vocal talents. The title track is a nice rocker for the band. Finally, "Hollow Bodies" provides some very memorable music and a great vocal hook in the chorus. These are the three that stand out the most but everything else is good. There are no clunkers on this album.
Given the music industry is in shambles right now, I wouldn't be surprised if this band never sees the real light of day. Especially since they are not mainstream. But, they do deserve better. Hopefully they will get some airplay and be given the opportunity to mature over the next several years. Do yourself a favor and get on board with Awake and Alert.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist: C
Music: 7/10 Vocals: 2/5 Lyrics: 1/5 Production: 4/5
Total: 14 of 25: C
Half of the Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin) return for their first album since 2000. Being arguably the most successful 90's rock band, can this be the reunion to bring the back to their former glory?
First, Billy was never a good singer. So, his voice still sounds like a bandsaw drenched in lemon juice.
Second, Billy never really wrote very good lyrics. Most are horrible and then a few great ones come through.
Third, Jimmy is the best rock drummer alive today. Period.
Forth, Billy plays a real mean guitar.
Fifth, Billy writes some pretty crappy music sometimes.
So, Zeitgeist kind of sums up all of these points. Their good songs are really good, and their bad songs are really bad. Unfortunately, there is more bad than good. Out of the 12 songs on the album, I keep 7 on my iPod though I could easily trim that to 5.
The highlight is "Tarantula". A super saturated guitar with angry lyrics and booming drums. Oh, and lets not forget the rusty chainsaw guitar solo that melts into a turn reminiscent of their awesome song "Mayonnaise". A song that could easily be on any of their previous albums except Adore.
Next is the real oddball "Starz" (yes with a totally 13 year old teenager spelling). The lyrics about, well, Stars in the sky are absolutely horrible. Perhaps the worst he's ever written. But the crunchy guitar is spot on. And the drum. My god the drums. It is a masterpiece in drum work. The music alone makes this song a 10 but the lyrics bring it to an 8.
There are other good songs such as "Doomsday Clock" and "Come On (Let's Go)" which range from pure rock to more pop.
But then there is the other half of the album. I really don't care about Billy's revolution talk in "United States". Just let it rock. It doesn't. Oh, and it's over 9 minutes long. Crappy lyrics. Boring music. Terrible song.
There are others like the plodding "Bleeding the Orchid". Why does Billy love these types of songs? There's always one on every CD and it always sucks (except for the decent "Blue Skies Bring Tears"). Or how about the song that sounds like it was written and recorded in someone's basement "Pomp and Circumstances".
To sum it up, delete half the album and call it an EP and this thing is an A-. Throw in lots of crap? C.
Total: 14 of 25: C
Half of the Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin) return for their first album since 2000. Being arguably the most successful 90's rock band, can this be the reunion to bring the back to their former glory?
First, Billy was never a good singer. So, his voice still sounds like a bandsaw drenched in lemon juice.
Second, Billy never really wrote very good lyrics. Most are horrible and then a few great ones come through.
Third, Jimmy is the best rock drummer alive today. Period.
Forth, Billy plays a real mean guitar.
Fifth, Billy writes some pretty crappy music sometimes.
So, Zeitgeist kind of sums up all of these points. Their good songs are really good, and their bad songs are really bad. Unfortunately, there is more bad than good. Out of the 12 songs on the album, I keep 7 on my iPod though I could easily trim that to 5.
The highlight is "Tarantula". A super saturated guitar with angry lyrics and booming drums. Oh, and lets not forget the rusty chainsaw guitar solo that melts into a turn reminiscent of their awesome song "Mayonnaise". A song that could easily be on any of their previous albums except Adore.
Next is the real oddball "Starz" (yes with a totally 13 year old teenager spelling). The lyrics about, well, Stars in the sky are absolutely horrible. Perhaps the worst he's ever written. But the crunchy guitar is spot on. And the drum. My god the drums. It is a masterpiece in drum work. The music alone makes this song a 10 but the lyrics bring it to an 8.
There are other good songs such as "Doomsday Clock" and "Come On (Let's Go)" which range from pure rock to more pop.
But then there is the other half of the album. I really don't care about Billy's revolution talk in "United States". Just let it rock. It doesn't. Oh, and it's over 9 minutes long. Crappy lyrics. Boring music. Terrible song.
There are others like the plodding "Bleeding the Orchid". Why does Billy love these types of songs? There's always one on every CD and it always sucks (except for the decent "Blue Skies Bring Tears"). Or how about the song that sounds like it was written and recorded in someone's basement "Pomp and Circumstances".
To sum it up, delete half the album and call it an EP and this thing is an A-. Throw in lots of crap? C.
Tokyo Police Club: C-
Tokyo Police Club hails out of Canada. They have a few EPs and singles. I checked out 12 of their tracks which is pretty near their full catalog. Given I only listened to them once, this is an abbreviated review.
The best way to describe TPC is they sound exactly like a clone of The Strokes "Is This It?" In fact, I thought it could be the B sides to that whole album. Everything from the quirky rhythms to the warble of the singers voice. Given the Strokes have moved a bit away from their original sound, this album may be exactly what you need to keep that sound going. Otherwise, buy the Strokes and play that until the bits wear off and leave Tokyo Police Club on the shelf.
The best way to describe TPC is they sound exactly like a clone of The Strokes "Is This It?" In fact, I thought it could be the B sides to that whole album. Everything from the quirky rhythms to the warble of the singers voice. Given the Strokes have moved a bit away from their original sound, this album may be exactly what you need to keep that sound going. Otherwise, buy the Strokes and play that until the bits wear off and leave Tokyo Police Club on the shelf.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Mikado - Maple Shade, NJ: C+
Food: 7 Presentation: 3 Decor: 2 Service: 2
Total: 14 out of 25: C+
Mikado has turned into a local chain of Japanese restaurants. It has a reputation of having good sushi. Given so many top notch Japanese restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia, let's see if Mikado rates up there.
The restaurant is not in a great location next to the mall. Walking into the restaurant there are three sections. Directly in front is the sushi bar. I guess front in center gets your attention. But if I were bellied to the bar, the last place I'd want to be is right in the front next to the people waiting for a table. Horrible location.
To the left is a long, narrow section of booths and tables. It's not very attractive at all. To the right is a separate section with the teppanyaki grills. That was the nicest section. Unfortunately, we were in the tunnel.
I order a California roll and tuna roll. My one table mate ordered a platter of sashimi. My other table mate ordered some form of tempora. All the meals came with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad. We also ordered edamame, chicken yakatori, and some pan fried dumplings.
The tea was generic "asian" tea. The miso soup was also generic with bits of seaweed and tofu. The salad was again generic with that ever-so-popular asian ginger dressing which somehow is bright orange. I could get all this stuff at the mall food court. Oh, and the soup and salad came out together.
Next was the appetizers, oh, and the main courses together. The place was busy but hey not that busy. The table was jam packed with dishes. Insane.
The edamame was fine. Yakatori was fine. And the dumplings were actually pretty good. I could have eaten 10 of them.
My rolls were very good. Not great, but very good. It seems the new way to make many rolls is to finely slice the cucumber/radish so you get a loose bite but a good snap. Same here. The tuna rolls were probably a bit too tightly wrapped. But it was all fresh.
My friend's sashimi was excellent. He commented many times on how good it was. He's very critical of food so this was a great endorsement of their fish.
My other friend was doing most of the talking and we didn't talk about his food.
The check came quickly even though the restaurant was emptying for lunch with no one waiting. The service could have been worse by being extremely slow. This was the opposite and definitely not welcome.
Except for the sashimi, the food was average to good at best. Given I like Japanese food, just not all sushi/sashimi, I was not impressed with Mikado at all. If all you want is raw fish, Mikado is a very good place. But if you're looking for a more balanced restaurant, keep moving.
Total: 14 out of 25: C+
Mikado has turned into a local chain of Japanese restaurants. It has a reputation of having good sushi. Given so many top notch Japanese restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia, let's see if Mikado rates up there.
The restaurant is not in a great location next to the mall. Walking into the restaurant there are three sections. Directly in front is the sushi bar. I guess front in center gets your attention. But if I were bellied to the bar, the last place I'd want to be is right in the front next to the people waiting for a table. Horrible location.
To the left is a long, narrow section of booths and tables. It's not very attractive at all. To the right is a separate section with the teppanyaki grills. That was the nicest section. Unfortunately, we were in the tunnel.
I order a California roll and tuna roll. My one table mate ordered a platter of sashimi. My other table mate ordered some form of tempora. All the meals came with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad. We also ordered edamame, chicken yakatori, and some pan fried dumplings.
The tea was generic "asian" tea. The miso soup was also generic with bits of seaweed and tofu. The salad was again generic with that ever-so-popular asian ginger dressing which somehow is bright orange. I could get all this stuff at the mall food court. Oh, and the soup and salad came out together.
Next was the appetizers, oh, and the main courses together. The place was busy but hey not that busy. The table was jam packed with dishes. Insane.
The edamame was fine. Yakatori was fine. And the dumplings were actually pretty good. I could have eaten 10 of them.
My rolls were very good. Not great, but very good. It seems the new way to make many rolls is to finely slice the cucumber/radish so you get a loose bite but a good snap. Same here. The tuna rolls were probably a bit too tightly wrapped. But it was all fresh.
My friend's sashimi was excellent. He commented many times on how good it was. He's very critical of food so this was a great endorsement of their fish.
My other friend was doing most of the talking and we didn't talk about his food.
The check came quickly even though the restaurant was emptying for lunch with no one waiting. The service could have been worse by being extremely slow. This was the opposite and definitely not welcome.
Except for the sashimi, the food was average to good at best. Given I like Japanese food, just not all sushi/sashimi, I was not impressed with Mikado at all. If all you want is raw fish, Mikado is a very good place. But if you're looking for a more balanced restaurant, keep moving.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Camden Children's Garden: A
I had heard about the Camden Children's Garden but didn't really know much about it. It is right next to the Adventure Aquarium. After looking it up, I decided to head over with my son, Brandon, to check it out. It was awesome!
First, the entrance is through the gift shop. In there they have a Thomas train table which is always a plus. Up along the ceiling is a large scale Thomas train running along a track and a mock up of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Equally cool.
Walking outside, the first thing to see is the fountains. These are the sculptures and holes in the ground that "spit" water every now and then. Kids were running through it, holding their hands over the holes, and getting water shot at them. Brandon could have stayed in this part forever.
Next was the train ride. They have a very nice 3 car train that goes around a very nice track. Throughout are small train tracks in village settings, one through a mountain, a waterfall, etc. Very cool. The ride is $1.50 for each passenger and goes around the track twice. Maybe 3 minutes. It was great.
They have a large covered picnic area which a school group was using. Next is a small butterfly greenhouse with dozens of butterflies and plants. Additional donations taken at the door.
There is a nice "tree house" which is really just a platform overlooking a maze. Kind of neat. The maze is pretty good. Lots of plants and flowers and paths. Some of the paths go through tunnels.
Other rides include a carousel that was unfortunately out of order. Another was a row of seats that shot up in the air and back down. That was off as well. Don't know why.
There is a storybook section which has some "scenes" from Alice in Wonderland, Jack and Beanstalk, and Three Little Pigs. There is also a secret garden to sit in.
The dinosaur section was neat. They have a large brontosaurus metal sculpture. A stone dinosaur with some empty eggs next to it that kids can stand in. And a sand pit with fake bones to discover.
There is also a stage area. There were no shows that day but it was a nice area that could easily hold 100+ people.
Throughout the Gardens are of course plants and flowers. Signs abound on what they are and perhaps some information about them. So, if you looking for garden ideas this would be a good place to take a look.
Overall, the place was awesome. It could use a food court. It is an excellent place to take toddlers through grade school children. Getting there and out are a bit difficult as Camden has no direct route to the riverfront. But, parking is plenty with a garage and ground lot right next to the gardens and aquarium. Also, the price is right. $6 a person. Children 2 and under are free. And a year long family membership is a paltry $40. (All prices from 2007). So, head on over. It's well worth it.
First, the entrance is through the gift shop. In there they have a Thomas train table which is always a plus. Up along the ceiling is a large scale Thomas train running along a track and a mock up of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Equally cool.
Walking outside, the first thing to see is the fountains. These are the sculptures and holes in the ground that "spit" water every now and then. Kids were running through it, holding their hands over the holes, and getting water shot at them. Brandon could have stayed in this part forever.
Next was the train ride. They have a very nice 3 car train that goes around a very nice track. Throughout are small train tracks in village settings, one through a mountain, a waterfall, etc. Very cool. The ride is $1.50 for each passenger and goes around the track twice. Maybe 3 minutes. It was great.
They have a large covered picnic area which a school group was using. Next is a small butterfly greenhouse with dozens of butterflies and plants. Additional donations taken at the door.
There is a nice "tree house" which is really just a platform overlooking a maze. Kind of neat. The maze is pretty good. Lots of plants and flowers and paths. Some of the paths go through tunnels.
Other rides include a carousel that was unfortunately out of order. Another was a row of seats that shot up in the air and back down. That was off as well. Don't know why.
There is a storybook section which has some "scenes" from Alice in Wonderland, Jack and Beanstalk, and Three Little Pigs. There is also a secret garden to sit in.
The dinosaur section was neat. They have a large brontosaurus metal sculpture. A stone dinosaur with some empty eggs next to it that kids can stand in. And a sand pit with fake bones to discover.
There is also a stage area. There were no shows that day but it was a nice area that could easily hold 100+ people.
Throughout the Gardens are of course plants and flowers. Signs abound on what they are and perhaps some information about them. So, if you looking for garden ideas this would be a good place to take a look.
Overall, the place was awesome. It could use a food court. It is an excellent place to take toddlers through grade school children. Getting there and out are a bit difficult as Camden has no direct route to the riverfront. But, parking is plenty with a garage and ground lot right next to the gardens and aquarium. Also, the price is right. $6 a person. Children 2 and under are free. And a year long family membership is a paltry $40. (All prices from 2007). So, head on over. It's well worth it.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Rush: Snakes and Arrows: B+
Music: 8/10 Vocals: 3/5 Lyrics: 4/5 Production: 4/5
Total: 19 of 25: B+
Rush releases Snakes and Arrows 5 years after the much derided Vapor Trails. Interviews with the band leading up to the release, they stated that it would be much stronger and heavier musically and very dark lyrically. Though Rush has never been an uplifting band, they certainly weren't "dark". This raised several eyebrows as to what that meant.
First, the lyrics are very dark. Dealing with themes such as "your best isn't good enough" are throughout the album. Right off their first track, "Far Cry", the lyrics deal with a world that isn't perfect and we fail but keep trying. The title track has the lyrics, "Sometimes the fortress is too strong or the love is too weak." It is so dark that Alex breaks out an acoustic 12 string number called "Hope". This is definitely an album for those harder moments in your life.
Musically this is a very strong album. "Snakes and Arrows" itself is one of their strongest pieces in 15 years. It weaves through thundering rhythms to plodding acoustics to airy choruses. I find it to be a masterpiece of music. There are plenty of other musical standouts on the album including "Faithless", "Far Cry", and "We Hold On".
The true standouts are the three instrumental songs. Alex has his solo acoustic "Hope" which is beautiful. But the "Main Monkey Business" is a tremendous instrumental weaving through several styles and themes. Musically it is amazing. It's no "Xanadu", but then what is. Finally, their jam session, literally, "Malignant Narcissism" is a great funky piece of work.
Given that Rush is made of three of the best musicians in history, no one truly stands out individually. Instead they play off of each other well weaving rhythms and layering textures. It is a mature album that couldn't possibly be created by people 20 years their junior.
Vocally, Geddy puts in a very good performance. He keeps well within his range. But more importantly he stays away from sing-songy choruses that have ruined a few songs in songs in recent memory. Geddy is no pop singer. He stays true to his abilities which is not a master course in singing, but defines Rush very well.
The album is not without flaws. One is its pacing. It starts strong, fades quickly, and slowly works its way back at the end. The 3rd song, "Working Them Angels" is a terrible piece of musical and lyrical work. "Spindrift" should be cool song but it never really takes off. "The Way the Wind Blows" is a horrible hodgepodge of music including a blues riff, straight rock, and acoustic uplifting moments. The wind does blow. Oh, and the phrase "elemental war" should never be used in music unless you're doing Tolkienesque prog rock or death metal. Rush is neither.
Another knock on the album is Alex's pretty much lack of solos. There are a couple of minimal ones but mostly he sticks to strong rhythms and layered guitars that play off each other. I do miss his amazing solos that he is capable of.
Production is light years ahead of its predecessor, Vapor Trails. The tonality is balanced. It's not over compressed. It's not a jumble of noise. You can actually hear what's going on. It's a thick recording with multiple layers which is very hard to produce. I think S&A did a nice job of it.
Overall, the CD delivers pretty well. Cutting out 3 or 4 songs would have greatly improved itself musically and its pacing. I give it a B+ for another excellent piece of work from the longest lasting trio in music history.
Total: 19 of 25: B+
Rush releases Snakes and Arrows 5 years after the much derided Vapor Trails. Interviews with the band leading up to the release, they stated that it would be much stronger and heavier musically and very dark lyrically. Though Rush has never been an uplifting band, they certainly weren't "dark". This raised several eyebrows as to what that meant.
First, the lyrics are very dark. Dealing with themes such as "your best isn't good enough" are throughout the album. Right off their first track, "Far Cry", the lyrics deal with a world that isn't perfect and we fail but keep trying. The title track has the lyrics, "Sometimes the fortress is too strong or the love is too weak." It is so dark that Alex breaks out an acoustic 12 string number called "Hope". This is definitely an album for those harder moments in your life.
Musically this is a very strong album. "Snakes and Arrows" itself is one of their strongest pieces in 15 years. It weaves through thundering rhythms to plodding acoustics to airy choruses. I find it to be a masterpiece of music. There are plenty of other musical standouts on the album including "Faithless", "Far Cry", and "We Hold On".
The true standouts are the three instrumental songs. Alex has his solo acoustic "Hope" which is beautiful. But the "Main Monkey Business" is a tremendous instrumental weaving through several styles and themes. Musically it is amazing. It's no "Xanadu", but then what is. Finally, their jam session, literally, "Malignant Narcissism" is a great funky piece of work.
Given that Rush is made of three of the best musicians in history, no one truly stands out individually. Instead they play off of each other well weaving rhythms and layering textures. It is a mature album that couldn't possibly be created by people 20 years their junior.
Vocally, Geddy puts in a very good performance. He keeps well within his range. But more importantly he stays away from sing-songy choruses that have ruined a few songs in songs in recent memory. Geddy is no pop singer. He stays true to his abilities which is not a master course in singing, but defines Rush very well.
The album is not without flaws. One is its pacing. It starts strong, fades quickly, and slowly works its way back at the end. The 3rd song, "Working Them Angels" is a terrible piece of musical and lyrical work. "Spindrift" should be cool song but it never really takes off. "The Way the Wind Blows" is a horrible hodgepodge of music including a blues riff, straight rock, and acoustic uplifting moments. The wind does blow. Oh, and the phrase "elemental war" should never be used in music unless you're doing Tolkienesque prog rock or death metal. Rush is neither.
Another knock on the album is Alex's pretty much lack of solos. There are a couple of minimal ones but mostly he sticks to strong rhythms and layered guitars that play off each other. I do miss his amazing solos that he is capable of.
Production is light years ahead of its predecessor, Vapor Trails. The tonality is balanced. It's not over compressed. It's not a jumble of noise. You can actually hear what's going on. It's a thick recording with multiple layers which is very hard to produce. I think S&A did a nice job of it.
Overall, the CD delivers pretty well. Cutting out 3 or 4 songs would have greatly improved itself musically and its pacing. I give it a B+ for another excellent piece of work from the longest lasting trio in music history.
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