The BurgerBlog

Thanks to The Wombats, a British three-piece indie rock/pop band, we can see why they would “want to go back to their bar in Tokyo.”

X-factor runner up sings poppy indie music (that’s actually good). I wouldn’t say that he’s terribly original, but his music, nonetheless, is fun.

You might remember “You Stole the Sun From My Heart” back from the 90′s or “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next”, but the Manic Street Preachers are back with a new album and crisper sound.

Manic Street Preachers – (Its Not War) Just The End Of Love

Yes I know that the music video and song is insanely politically charged and that it’s a bit old (’08 politics), but this song is both powerful and fun to listen to.

Hey folks! So because no one ever reads the full reviews, I’m just going to start a new song of the month/week/day/whatever I feel like.

On that note, I would like to introduce you to Les Jumo, a French Dance band from the Caribbean. If this doesn’t make you at least bob your head, you have no soul.

After a few-month stint in China, I’m happy to say that I’m back to the blog. You’ll start to notice some updates around the website so stay tuned for upgrades!

Tom Gabel ends his latest album in defiance of some inevitably disappointed Against Me! fans: “Don’t let them tell you who you are.” An appropriate statement as he closes the poppy punk rock album, White Crosses, that deems pre-New Wave Against Me! dead to the punk world. Indeed, Against Me! has sold out to the mainstream rock producers in flaccid hooks and sing-along choruses, but in doing so the Green Day/Smiths-inspired anti-jingoistic rockers have matured into a widely enjoyable talent.

Take “Ache With Me.” Oh yeah: blues progression, 50s feel, acoustic guitar, mosh-pit ending slow-dance song. But in slowing the album down to explore the contemplative and perhaps prettier side of Against Me!, they showcase their ability to redefine their punk-rock ballads for a wider audience. Without falling flat like more current Green Day, “Ache With Me” succeeds.

In keeping with their political inspirations, “White Crosses” and “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” address abortion and rebellion in a similar fashion to pre-New Wave Against Me!: chirped imagery-laden storytelling. Folky—yes—but enjoyable.

Is the whole album fantastic then? The middle section slows a bit much and admittedly White Crosses brings little novelty to the band’s discography, but with “Rapid Decompression” to liven the album up in 1:45, and the hands-down best song on White Crosses to close (“Bamboo Bones”), this is a solid fifth album from newly reformed staple of punk-rock, Against Me!

Rating: B+

Recommended Tracks: Bamboo Bones, White Crosses

Loyal music blog readers, I apologize for being inactive for so long. As many of you know, I am currently studying abroad in Beijing. Though this has distracted me from my BurgerBlog duties, it has also offered me new opportunities: an “in” to contemporary Chinese popular music.

After many hand gestures and broken sentences in Chinese and English, the clerk working the music stand showed me her favorite band, Fairyland in Reality (hereon out, F.I.R.). Though the band is Taiwanese (arguably Chinese, but we won’t get into that), it gives a good insight into what a popular indie band in China sounds like.

I will be the first to admit: this album is dated. “FIR’s Album” was FIR’s debut, which was released in 2004; their most recent and fourth album, Let’s Smile, was released this past Christmas. It is important to acknowledge that being a half-decade old, this acts as a representation of interests six years ago, and perhaps not now.

Unlike traditional Western rock songs, FIR is highly orchestral; the piano and violins guide the band as opposed to a plugged-in guitar, bass, and heavy drums. An Evanescenceish operatic woman’s voice crows over the variety of genres that FIR presents.

The poppier songs, like “Flame”  and “Your Smile” are appealing as they encroach the familiar. The clear Western influences, like post-grunge guitar licks and flashy synths, take away from the flair of the album, but for those interested in popular Western alternative, these are the songs for. Disclaimer: “Flame” will get stuck in your head, regardless of if you understand the lyrics or not.

The ballads are a bit painful and formulaic; they start with quiet piano and then burst into harmonies, strings, and synths. Think Disney.

Check out “Revolution” for something pretty different. “Revolution” sounds like it could have been featured in a modern version of Phantom of the Opera, whereas many of the other songs are just fillers.

Though I don’t feel well qualified enough to rate this album yet, after the release of FIR’s Album, FIR was named “Best New Mandarin Artist” by the Golden Melody Awards.

fun.

There comes a time, as a critic, when you have to bow your head down to an album that has shattered the constraints of modern sound and introduced a new approach to music that works well. fun., in their debut album Aim and Ignite, has been able to do this through their fantastic sense of composition, variety, and sheer talent.

The band members are not new to show business; the musicians hail from former bands The Format, Steel Train, and Anathallo. As they are musical veterans, they are not afraid to dabble in the unknown. Mixing the sounds of Vampire Weekend, Queen, and an eccentric symphony composed of harpsichord twangs, oboes wails, accordion clangs, and the sweet sound of Belle and Sabastian-esque guitar.

fun. isn’t afraid of tempo changes, difficult vocals (Nate Reuss is the new Freddie Mercury), or not producing a single made-for-radio track. What they are afraid of is the “less is more” ideology. Amidst the chaos of brilliant composition, there is hardly space for air as the tracks build (almost every track starts with quiet vocals and then crescendos into a theatrical finale). There is more room for simplicity; sometimes, like in “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be,)” fun. can afford to tone down the musical genius to allow for Reuss’s vocals to shine above the complex wall of sound.

The standout track for this album is “Be Calm,” Aim and Ignite‘s opening track. Aside from the romantic Russian-influenced mindfuck, the lyrics and vocals make this ballad. “Be calm/ Take it from me, I’ve been there a thousand times/You hate your pulse because it thinks you’re still alive/and everything’s wrong/It just gets so hard sometimes/Be calm.” Obscure references litter the rest of the album as well. In soft-spoken “The Gambler.” Reuss croons, “I swear when I grow up, I won’t just buy you a rose/I will buy the flower shop, and you will never be lonely.” The ever-confident romantic, Reuss refuses to allow himself to become corny and overdramatic, yet he still allows for love to permeate his words.

Aim and Ignite is not only my pick for album of the year, but also of the decade. It is intelligent, well composed, and thoughtful. A thorough listen will prove that the album has little flash, games, or gimmicks; it is a pure composition of lyric genius and good ole fun.

Rating: A

Recommended Tracks: Buy this album

Paramore

If Hot Topic could create their perfect band, it would probably be Paramore–maybe that’s why they’re so easy to hate. The cookie-cutter pop-punk quartet, headed by lead singer Hayley Williams, is a modern Avril Lavigne: strong female vocals, a teenage angst focus, and rockin’ attitude. Featured on modern teen idols like the Twilight movie, Paramore’s new album, brand new eyes, doesn’t reveal anything new about the genre.

That’s not to say the album isn’t fantastic if cookie-cutter pop-punk is your music of choice. The best song on the album and second track, “Ignorance,” is a complex, lyrical rock anthem for the dumped. “The same tricks that, that once fooled me/They won’t get you anywhere/I’m not the same kid from your memory/Well, now I can fend for myself.” Coupled with slamming drums and catchy riffs, this track is already all over the radio and there to stay; be prepared to be sick of it by Thanksgiving.

“Brick by Boring Brick,” “Where the Lines Overlap,” “Playing God,” and “Decode” continue to showcase Williams’s strong vocals and lyrics, along with catchy guitar riffs and drummed out accents. These songs showcase the band’s self-assessment of maturing beyond Riot!.

However, maturity certainly isn’t something Paramore has mastered. “Looking Up,” “The Only Exception,” and “Misguided Ghosts” are dull attempts to seem “well-rounded.” It might fool the fourteen and fifteen year olds who masturbate to MTV’s qualifications for ‘good’ music, but it doesn’t fool those who know that even balance of ballads and rock songs does not make a good record. The juvenile lyrics on these songs only further detract from brand new eyes as a whole.

Luckily, as stated earlier, Paramore provides a variety of fist pumping teen anthems. brand new eyes does not provide for anything new, thought provoking, or inspiring, but it does rock hard enough for those older than fifteen to appreciate. Paramore has potential; as the band ages, they will likely produce better and better music. Until then, we can only hope that they stay together long enough to see that to fruition.

Rating: C+

Recommended Tracks: Ignorance, Brick by Boring Brick

Toss These Tracks: The Only Exception, Misguided Ghosts

K'naan

It’s been a hard knock life for rapper K’naan. Unlike the often-referenced Bronx or ‘ghetto’ childhood found in many current rap and hip/hop songs, K’naan references his childhood in Somalia, as described in the Blockbuster Black Hawk Down. Despite his violent background, K’naan has taken his experiences and African heritage and cultivated it into artistic expression. In his second album, Troubadour, K’naan raps, sings, and rocks to his heritage, and he brings the beat to his listeners.

Before I pick K’naan apart, let me make this very clear: K’naan is an A-grade rapper. He best flexes his musical talents in “I Come Prepared’ and “ABC’s,” where he grooves to heavy bass beats and mimics Will.I.Am and M.I.A. in his rap style. He sputters, “And Africans love them some B.I.G./But Tupac is official H.N.I.C./And my job is to write just what I see/So a visual stenographer is what I be.” Well done, K’naan.

Well, K’naan knows that it’s well done, which unfortunately detracts from his album. He claims that he’s going to get as “big as a Beatle,” which is not going to happen. His ego also inspired “If Rap Gets Jealous,” which is a seriously misguided throwback to rock/rap (he even incorporated Metallica’s guitarist Kirk Hammett). No go. The transitions are awkward, and K’naan’s ego gets in the way of good music. In a radio interview with NPR, he called American rap ‘cute,’ discounting the lives of current rappers. 50 Cent will cut a bitch.

Despite K’naan’s hubris restraining him from quality music, K’naan does produce a variety of quality tracks, my favorite being “Wavin’ Flag.” In a laid-back reggae, K’naan preaches love for war stricken areas (once again harking back to his childhood in Somalia). It’s peaceful and melodic, and justifies why he’s on tour with Lenny Kravitz.

“Wavin’ Flag” is the transition to the second half of the album, where K’naan backs off the aggressive rap and hip/hop, and infuses Caribbean reggae and African drums to convey music about love and harmony. Though this would probably appeal more to mainstream music, it’s not where K’naan’s talents lie; he is a rapper. If he wanted to make a separate album for more chill music, I invite him to, but as of now it doesn’t belong on Troubadour. Perhaps if it divided the rap-heavy songs earlier in the album, it would make for more engaging placement; the Black Eyed Peas have done this well in some previous albums.

K’naan should have ended his album on a solid note: “Take a Minute.” Instead he closes on an R. Kelley drama. Okay, “People Like Me” isn’t 12 minutes long, but it’s preachy, prolonged, and painful.

Troubadour isn’t a bad album, but it’s definitely a sophomore effort.

Rating: B-

Recommended Tracks: Take a Minute, Wavin’ Flag, ABC’s

Toss These Tracks: People Like Me, If Rap Gets Jealous