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Music Review: Brandy’s New Album, Human

Daniel Dessinger — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:11:48 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

December 31, 2008

After a 4 year hiatus, Brandy is back with her 5th studio album, Human. It’s an extremely personal effort that sounds like entries ripped from the singer’s diary. Brandy fans will be happy to hear that her voice has matured and rides the beat effortlessly as she sings of love, hope and new beginnings. Human has Brandy linking back up with producer Rodney Jerkins on several songs including the title track “Human”, in which the singer urges listeners to embrace her flaws and all.

Brandy’s voice shines on the beautifully crafted “A Capella (Something’s Missing)”. She sings the entire beat with the faint help of an electric guitar. It is one to keep on repeat in the iPod. “Camouflage” is a lovely track that flows like Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” but talks more of self discovery than boastful bravado. Her vocals on the powerful “Fall” make you want to fall in love with the random guy drinking coffee next to you.

Where Brandy’s voice is always flawlessly clear, the actual material is not moving. The lead single “Right there departed” irritated me to no end. The up tempo ballad didn’t inspire me to move, dance or smile. It just went on and on about nothing. “Long Distance” was another stinker. It was supposed to be presented as an emotional heartfelt ballad but came off as dull and lifeless. It was very hard for me to make it through the entire album. “Piano Man” was clever but one catchy tune does not make a great album. It is sad that a vocalist of her caliber was unable to make her comeback album more believable.

All in all, Brandy has a presented a vocally impressive yet dull album that is anybody’s guess to its chart success. My guess is Brandy won’t lose any fans with this effort but she won’t gain any either.

written by Dominique Henry

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Music Review: The Weepies’ Hideaway

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:05:24 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

May 23, 2008

Hideaway is the follow-up to The Weepies' critically acclaimed 2006 album Say I Am You. You know it was critically acclaimed because you could barely throw a rock without hitting a TV showing a mainstream drama featuring a track from the album. But seriously, they were slapping The Weepies all over Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl because Say I Am You is a great CD full of melty, minimalist indie-folk tunes about falling in love and being in love.

Hideaway is another charming release from husband and wife duo Steven Tannen and Deb Talan. That may sound patronizing, but it's not how I mean it. The album plays to their strengths–tight songwriting, beautifully layered harmonies, and the kind of sweet, introspective lyrics that tug at your heartstrings. What they do is not groundbreaking, but it is infinitely satisfying. I am a sucker for a well-written song that inspires me to feel something, and The Weepies do not let me down.

Hideaway, like the rest of The Weepies' catalog, is the kind of album that makes it hard for me to choose a favorite. The first stand-out track, "Wish I Could Forget," has a catchy hook and upbeat feel–it's a song I find myself humming for hours after I listen to it. The opening track "Can't Go Back Now" may be my favorite, however, setting the lilting, unique vocal harmonies and wistful lyrics against delicate acoustic guitars and a sparse arrangement. “Antarctica” is another favorite of mine, featuring well-crafted, melancholy lyrics and soaring vocals.

“How You Survived the War” is perhaps the most reminiscent of the stand-out tracks from Say I Am You—the vocals are incredibly tight, almost melted together so you cannot tell where Talan's voice ends and Tannen's voice begins. I really like the way The Weepies record their vocals as a whole. The lead vocals are usually double-tracked and meticulously layered with the harmonies, which can create a lovely effect reminiscent of Brian Wilson's vocals on Pet Sounds.

Say I Am You continues to be my favorite effort from The Weepies thus far, but I applaud the latest addition to their discography. If you're looking for a solid, enjoyable album, look no further than Hideaway.

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Music Review: Mountain Battles by The Breeders

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:18:28 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

April 18, 2008

I’ll be perfectly honest—I have a giant girl-crush on Kim Deal. It first started when I was in junior high and The Breeders’ smash hit “Cannonball” was all over the alternative airwaves. I was absolutely devastated when I was forbidden to attend Lollapalooza ‘94 to hear them perform live. It really should have been no surprise given my overprotective mother and her dislike of my music. In retaliation, I picked up The Pixies’ 1988 album Surfer Rosa after learning that Deal was the bassist and backup vocalist, and she quickly became my idea of the coolest girl in the world.

Mountain Battles is the first post-Pixies reunion Breeders album, and the only one I’ve really enjoyed since 1993’s Last Splash. I was pretty bummed out when The Breeders went on what I suspected might be a permanent hiatus after Deal’s twin sister Kelley was involved in a drug bust and carted off to rehab. Even though Last Splash stayed in rotation on my CD player, The Breeders fell off my radar until a few years ago. 2002’s Title TK was only mediocre, but I had high hopes after Deal was reported to be writing new music and her sister rejoined the band.

Mountain Battles has a very spare, lo-fi feel to it that conjures up the earlier days of garage rock. Kurt Cobain would have loved it, having been a big fan of Deal and her songwriting before his death in 1994. I love it too, because it takes me back to the days when the label “alternative” really meant something and The Edge wasn’t owned by Clear Channel.

The opening track, “Overglazed,” lets Deal’s voice float over a driving guitar line and crashing drums in a catchy refrain. It is surprisingly short, as are many of the songs on the album. The longest cut is the title track, clocking in at just under four minutes and highlighting Deal’s voice over sparse, subdued instrumentals. Most surprising is the track “Here No More,” a folksy acoustic tune with simple harmonies that sounds like it could have come straight out of the ‘60s.

The album still rocks, however, with tracks like “It’s the Love,” “Bang On,” and “German Studies.” “Walk It Off” is probably my favorite song off the album, calling back to the sound that made The Breeders popular in the first place.

Overall, the album is eclectic and fun, with something to please both new fans and old. Deal is on to something with this latest release—Mountain Battles brings in the darker feel of Title TK and combines it with some of the snappy, sarcastic flavor of Last Splash. It’s full of catchy hooks, transitions and guitar lines that sound like both the best of 1994 and the best of today.

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Music Review: Counting Crows’ Saturday Nights

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:57:43 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

April 11, 2008

Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings is the first new studio release from Counting Crows since 2002's Hard Candy. Unlike Hard Candy, which I didn't particularly care for, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings really takes me back to the earlier, less saccharine sound that made Counting Crows instant stars on the alternative airwaves–and instant must-haves in my music collection.

I purchased the album off iTunes, where I received two exclusive bonus tracks, a digital CD booklet and a track-by-track video interview with Adam Duritz. It is divided into two themed sections; Saturday Nights features a driven, harsher rock sound, while most of the songs in Sunday Mornings take on a dreamier, country-infused acoustic tone. I think both themes suit the band very well, especially lead singer Duritz. He can wail over a hard guitar line or gently croon along to a fingerpicked guitar with equal measures of success.

For me, Counting Crows has always been a go-to band for the kind of evocative lyrics that I have always wished I could write. I spent many nights in high school and college with my headphones strapped on, listening to August and Everything After and Recovering the Satellites on repeat, scribbling furiously in one of the notebooks I kept stacked around my room.

Given my past with the band, I think I prefer the Sunday Mornings songs. The lyrics are never more heart-wrenching when they're paired with a stripped-down instrumental, allowing Duritz' mournful voice to really shine. The delicate acoustic guitar and piano on "Washington Square" marks the line in the sand between the album's themes, taking you from a late night rock concert to the slow, soft beginning of the morning after.

I do like the Saturday Nights tracks a lot, especially when I'm driving. The fast drum intro and catchy guitar riff of the opening song "1492" is one that really wakes me up in the morning on my daily commute, while "Los Angeles" has a very bluesy feel, reminiscent of Ryan Adams in a smoky club.

The two themes could have made it sound schizophrenic, and thematic albums can be risky moves for artists. (Tori Amos, I’m talking to you.) But I think the varied pace of the album makes it a well-rounded, enjoyable listen. Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings was a long time coming for Counting Crows fans, but I think it was worth the wait.

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Music Review: Dropkick Murphys

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:38:05 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

March 7, 2008

March should a month to celebrate the Irish heritage – including its music. With a name as Irish as mine, it would be almost blasphemous for me not to celebrate my green blood. This usually involves green dyed hair, green and white beads, my “kiss me” t-shirts, Celtic jewelry, large quantities of Guinness and Harp (ask for a black and tan if you are in an Irish pub) – and music.

There are a few bands that have successfully intertwined Irish culture with modern rock and kept the music accessible to the mainstream. Ashleigh Holmes did a review on a movie about undoubtedly the most successful Irish rock band of all time, U2. U2 is also the most traditional sounding – a completely different sound than Celtic Rock bands like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphy’s. Nevertheless, the band does celebrate its roots. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” sends a strong message about the troubles of Northern Ireland and its struggle to end British occupation there.

Beyond U2, however, is the swirl of electric guitars, drums, bagpipes and fiddles that is Celtic Rock. Dropkick Murphy’s mix punk rock vocals with Celtic folk and traditional rock. Most recently, they released a limited edition of their album Meanest of Times. If you like Flogging Molly, you will probably like this as well. Listening to the album makes you feel as if you are in an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day. The ones were the patrons still sing the Irish drinking songs. If you have Irish blood, it will get it pumping. If you aren’t Irish, it will make you wish you were. “Famous for Nothing” is a song to kiss your Guinness to, as is “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” which was featured on the soundtrack of Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.” “Forever” is the band’s love ballad; a piano replaces the electric guitar.

The Dropkick Murphy’s will be in Dallas on Saturday, March 8th at the House of Blues.

dropkickmurphys.com
myspace.com/dropkickmurphys

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Music Review: The Bird and the Bee

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:24:01 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

February 1, 2008

The Southern California duo of Inara George and Greg Kurstin, better known as the bird and the bee (humbly titled with no caps in the name) released their self-titled debut album in the US on January 23rd. This album blends a lot of interesting sounds. Think jazz meets electronica and you might have an inkling as to what these buoyant and smooth tunes sound like. Inara George’s vocals sound languid and deceptively sweet in “F-cking Boyfriend” while “La La La” will get your hips moving despite yourself. “Polite Dance Song” is a nearly satirical response to “put your hands in the air” type rap songs.

My personal favorite on the album is “Because” because of the simple, syncopated vocals mixed with an electronica beat and classical piano interludes. The two picked an appropriate name for themselves – their tunes seem to float on air despite being having a stream of consciousness as thick as honey. It’s the kind of album that gets better with multiple plays. I’m betting you’ll be hooked by the third play.

www.myspace.com/thebirdandthebee

www.thebirdandthebee.com

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Music Review: The Velvet Underground

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:44:19 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

January 25, 2008

David Byrne (Talking Heads) said that rock and roll as he knows it is dead. It may be true that we no longer have the vastly influential music of the 60’s being created, but that music still influences modern rock. Rock seems to have forgotten its roots. The Velvet Underground were largely commercially unsuccessful at the time during the late 60’s when they were producing music but those with keen ears and eyes for influential art took notice of them.

Other vastly influential artists such as Andy Warhol and Brian Eno connected with the Velvet Underground when it was still beatnik poetry set to music and guided their success. Warhol opened many doors to the Velvet Underground during his time as
their manager, including a record deal with MGM’s Verve Records, and designed the artwork for the album now known as “the banana LP;” a now iconic symbol of 1960’s rock. Eno claimed that the thousand people who bought The Velvet Underground’s album all went on to create bands of their own.

Apparently, many of those bands went on to wild success of their own. The Cure, David Bowie, The Pixies, The Strokes, Interpol, The Cars, Nirvana, and even the Talking Heads were all part of genres that were heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground. Their umbrella of influence in modern rock is overwhelming. Rock music like the Velvet Underground is timeless, but with so many commercialized, financially driven platitudes parading as rock music streaming through our radios it’s easy to believe that rock has breathed its last breath.

The truth is probably a little more frightening. Rock and Roll is not dead. Music never dies. It has been buried alive by commercialism. But digging into bands like the Velvet Underground is the key to its resurrection.
Enjoy.

Tunes to check out:

The Velvet Underground – Pale Blue Eyes
The Velvet Underground – Rock and Roll
The Velvet Underground – Crimson and Clover
The Velvet Underground – I Found a Reason

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