See Green- Ultramarine

“Are you happy now? Are you happy now?” Well, if you aren't you will be after listening to Ultramarine, See Green's debut EP.

See Green is actually the stage name for L.A's Courtenay Green and Ultramarine is her shamelessly sugar pop album.

The moment you hit play you know that it is going to be fun, pop and catchy. This made me a little hesitant about reviewing it, because pop music does get that repetitive, sounds- like- every- other- pop- song- on- the- planet sound but I am glad I stuck with the EP and listened to the whole thing because it doesn't feel like that at all. Yes, it is catchy, sounds like it should be played at a teenagers drunken party but See Green is really fresh and doesn't fall into the monotonous stack of pop that is discarded two weeks later. I think it is the best pop I heave heard in quite a while.

Opening with “Are You Happy” it sets the bar pretty low for the rest of the EP. It is the weakest of the four songs but is full of jollity and catchy lyrics and music. Not a bad song, just the weakest link.

“The Neighborhood” is easily twice as good as “Are You Happy,” it is more synthesized, has stronger lyrics and is just cooler.
“You build your fortresses
Your walls are creaking
Did you close the window shades?
Are your children sleeping?
You think its over
But its not going to go away”
It seems she has decided to put the weakest song first so that every song afterwards is twice as good as the last.

“Closer” is my favourite on Ultramarine because it fits into my expectations better and is a little heavier on the music side, almost stretching itself into pop rock. It starts with guitar and then moves onto synthesized tunes and a good drum beat. The lyrics are more punchy with more attitude. In short, what you want from decent pop music.
“You walk in and walk out
And everything you pick up
You put down
Never made a wrong move
Until now
Isn't that unusual
So your talking, okay
You think you are in control no way”

“I Meant It” is just as good as “Closer” musically. The punchy melody and boppity beat is infectious.
“When I said I would
I meant it
When I had the time
I spent it
You can make yourself
Believe it
But you will never know
Until you see it”


Ultramarine is strong vocally, in tune, in time with the music and it just fits. See Green is certainly something to watch, I can see this getting signed because of its great pop sounds but fresh take on the genre. It is also a cool artist/EP name to say together because of the rhyming scheme. Give it a listen and tell me what you think.

--Koala

Buy here: Ultramarine

Cynics- Stones I've Thrown

Have you noticed how portable technology has really revolutionised the world? It is so easy,  portable and convenient, unfortunately it can make you want to hurt someone. Picture this- you have just been given a brilliant album with acoustic sounds you are pretty sure you could mimic them, so you reach for your guitar. Only to remember that you are in the library because your internet is down. It's not my laptop's fault but the rage I felt...

Stones I've Thrown was the Cynics previous release and in preparation for the release of the full length Don't Need Much it has hit my playlist and I am thankful for it! It is like a faster paced, ten times more fun version of No, Really.

One, Two, Three, Four! And we kick off with “14 Coleman St.” This sets you up for the upbeat, mood lifting music that follows. With beautiful acoustics and great vocals, it is off to a great start.

My biggest regret in life is not being born ten years ago when there was brilliant music and so much happening. The Cynics seem to agree with me! “You're Alright” is the definitely a highlight on Stones I've Thrown and seems to be sung directly to me-

“Write a list of your favourite chords, I know you love you love writing lists”

“Its better to be alone, than miss someone,
But not if you know what your missing”

For those of you who are curious, my favourite chords are
1.    G maj
2.    C maj
3.    B6
4.    B aug
5.    E min
(Feel free to tell me yours)

“Be Excellent To Each Other” continues the catchy lyrics and instrumental talent that Stones I've Thrown is showcasing.

“If our buses stop at the same time, would you stand up and wave?”

“Memorial Day” wraps it up and so warmly. You really got to love the upbeat, acoustic sounds that send vibrations through your ears.

Now, I will link you up!

You can see/hear a song from the soon to be release “Cider For Breakfast” performed here-
http://www.bigcheesemagazine.com/features/article/exclusive-cynics-cider-for-breakfast
And...
Download their music here-
http://ihatecynics.tumblr.com/releases

No need to thank me.

-Koala

DRAKE Is 'GQ'-ing Up The Red Carpet

Check out DRAKE, or Drizzy-Drake, on the red carpet. Dressed in all-black couture, it's a long way from wearing the street clothes. So you can say that Drake.... cleaned up a bit.

I must note how well the outfit is put together; I like how the suit is played up with a low-cut T-shirt and simple jewelry. Well done, bro...

Pic: NecoleB***hie

BIG SEAN's 'Ice' (Jewelry) from 'Do It Big' Video

Big Sean is a rapper from Detroit and while my blog doesn't cover music, it does cover people of music who are 'fashionable'. So check out Big Sean showcasing his pieces in his 'Do It Big' Video. The pieces featured range from the Rolex watch (above), Chanel bracelet, to Cartier eyeglasses.

That's a lot of ICE. 

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries: A Stylish Couple w/ A Huge Height Difference

For some of you who don't know, Kris Humphries is reality star Kim Kardashian's fiance and Kris was recently featured in the GQ magazine for style and Kim... well, I don't need to introduce her.

And check the huge height difference-- Kris is 6'9 and Kim is 5'2. I wonder how that works when...

NEVER MIND.

But check out the classics that these this now-famous couple is wearing: Kris in the YSL logo tee for $285 and Kim in the black Uggs. NIIIICE.

Pic: UpscaleHype

GHOST TOWN

On a more reasonable note of racial harmony and how it should work, The Specials' Ghost Town is 30 years old this week.

White, black, didn't matter, they united in a love of British Ska and fusion.

OK, so like most in the 80's, they were left wing but at the time, as they say, the devil always has the best tunes.

Enjoy, and happy 30th Ghost Town!

HAIR

I am in a state of disbelief over the latest ruling from the courts.

A 13-yr-old boy was told that he couldn't wear a cornrows hairstyle at his school because it contravened uniform rules.
The judge, Mr Justice Collins, sitting in London, ruled that the hair policy was not unlawful in itself, "but if it is applied without any possibility of exception" such as in the case of SG, "then it is unlawful".

Let's read that again: "but if it is applied without any possibility of exception" then it is unlawful".

I'm sorry but have I missed something here - school uniform rules are exactly that, rules.

With certain exceptions on grounds of religion (and I am not talknig about headscarves - pre-pubescent girls should not have to wear them whatever their belief system), uniforms and dress codes are enforced for reasons of discipline, identity and wealth.

Wealth? Well if everyone is wearing the same clothing then a poor kid without the best kicking clothes and shoes does not feel like an outsider.

Secondly, the judge ruled that the school should have taken into account individual pupils' family traditions.

The kid's solicitor told the BBC: "It makes clear that non-religious cultural and family practices associated with a particular race fall within the protection of equalities legislation."

I'm sorry but what? A fashion statement is now cultural practice? In the 70s Afro's were in, 80s, buzzcuts and so on. Where the hell is the cultural practice in cornrows?

Sikhs and Rastafari have specific religious reasons for having long hair, I honestly cannot see where a haircut can be equated with the same?

Also family practices are just that, family practices. They are not indicative of race, they are indicative of a family's way of behaving.

Tyler, The Creator – Goblin

 

Talk about someone who has blown up.  When I first started listening to Tyler, The Creator in early 2010, when he first released his debut album Bastard, he and his cohorts in his collective, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, had barely made a dent in the music world.  Now it seems like they are making an asteroid-sized crater on the musical industry.  Whether it is from Kanye West tweeting that Tyler created the best music video in 2011, to Diddy saying that they are the future of music, to Sony partnering with the group to create their own label, Odd Future records, it just seems like they are on a high that will never go away.  However, Tyler proves on his new release that what glitters isn’t always gold.  Goblin is boiling over with Tyler describing his internal struggles with his newfound “fame”, however slight that fame might actually be.  The finished product is an album that is long, angry, and sometimes even challenging to listen to, but at the same time rewarding, interesting, and an insightful glimpse into the life of Tyler.

Right off the bat, you can tell that Tyler is not going to change his style just because he has gained a certain level of fame among the musical blogosphere.  The title track is a near-seven minute rant about his fame, fortune, friends, fans, mindset, and everything else that just happened to pop into his head.  He is just as terse and furious as he was on the opening track on his 2009 album Bastard, not afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and let you know that he isn’t impervious to the world around him.  He readily admits that he is just a nineteen-year-old kid, not a role model; in fact, this is the very first thing he says on Goblin.

For the most part, this release delivers in every manner possible.  There are the typical Tyler songs that are slow, dark, introspective tableaus of self-loathing (Goblin, Nightmare, She, Golden).  Then, there are the tracks that are quicker paced, and the beat and lyrics will stay lodged in your brain for days, never mind how morbid or inappropriate those lyrics may be (Transylvania, Sandwitches, Tron Cat, Analog, Her).  Also, the fact that he wrote and produced almost all of the songs on the album is incredibly impressive.  Tyler makes a giant leap from Bastard to Goblin as a producer.  He has found his own sound, and has been slowly perfecting it over the last few years, and it is most certainly showing on this album.  Finally, there are tracks that go above and beyond in all aspects.

"Nightmare" is the one track that perfectly sums up the album.  The song is a track that, like others on both of his albums, has him talking to his “therapist”, Dr. TC.  It is one of the very few tracks on this album that has a hook on it, and it is one of the more depressing hooks I can think of when placed in the context of the song (“I told her I’m her worst nightmare/This is hell you don’t ever got to fight fair/My spirit floats around in the night air/Or in your daydreams, that’s how death seems”).  However, then Dr. TC brings up the mysteriously missing OFWGKTA member Thebe Kgositsile, AKA Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler launches into a rant about parents blaming him for messing up their kids.  After this he continues his own downward spiral of self-loathing, with lyrics about drinking to forget his problems (“My nigga Jasper said if I drink and get drunk enough I won’t feel the feelings I be feeling when I sobered up. / But that’s a fucking lie, why would he say that I’m as emotionally strained as Travis when he’s…”), his loss of his missing “brother” Thebe (“Don’t look at me, I’m 6’5” about to fucking cry about another guy”), and his OF brothers leaving LA (“I finally had a family.  But, Domo’s in another state, and where the fuck is Riley?”).  All in all, “Nightmare” is a perfect summation of the album as a whole.

With Goblin, Tyler, The Creator solidifies his continued rise from a kid rapping for fun with his friends to someone who is perfecting his craft at an alarmingly quick rate.  Tyler is already at work on his next album, tentatively scheduled to be called Wolf and to be released in 2012, so he has seemingly not lost any of his hunger to be the best.  All we can do is listen to Bastard and Goblin and imagine where he can go from here.


--Genesis

Buy here: Goblin (Deluxe Edition) [Explicit]

Peter Tosh Legalize it (Legacy Edition) and Equal Rights (Legacy Edition) to be Released with Special Ripple Exclusive Giveaway of the Ultimate Peter Tosh Collectors Package!!

Peter Tosh-Legalize It (Legacy Edition) and Equal Rights (Legacy Edition) available June 21


On June 21, 2011, legendary reggae artist, Peter Tosh’s, first two critically -hailed solo albums, Legalize It and Equal Rights, will be commemorated by Legacy Recordings. These “cornerstones of the roots-rock-reggae movement” will include previously unreleased material from the original recording sessions as well as essays by Reggae scholar Roger Steffens and former manager Herbie Miller.

“A quarter century later,” Steffens writes, “[Tosh’s] songs ring eternal with millions of strugglers worldwide, still crying out for equal rights and justice with the words of the immortal Minister of Herb.”

To Celebrate the release of these two essential albums, The Ripple Effect is running an exclusive giveaway.  You won't find this baby anywhere else.

We'll be giving away one copy of the new Legacy Edition Legalize It, one copy of the new Legacy Edition Equal Rights, and as a special bonus, one Limited Edition Colored “Record Store Day” vinyl 7".

And all of this will go to one lucky waverider.  All you have to do to win is go to the Ripple Effect Facebook page, like us over there and make a comment on the Peter Tosh Giveaway post.  One lucky waverider will be selected at random to win this ultimate Peter Tosh package!



Don't miss out on this killer giveaway.  Go to facebook, like the Ripple, make a comment and you'll be entered to win. We'll run the contest until release date, June 21st, so hurry on over and like The Ripple Effect today.


www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ripple-Effect

Artist Website:
http://petertosh.com/

Follow Peter Tosh’s Official Twitter:
http://twitter.com/petertosh

Become a fan of Peter Tosh’s Official Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/PeterTosh


Pre-order Links:
Equal Rights is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?cid=lg:78i&ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FEqual-Rights-Legacy-Peter-Tosh%2Fdp%2FB004UIFZPS%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fs%3Dmusic%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1308084534%26sr%3D1-1&tag=legacy_recordings-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Legalize It is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?cid=lg:78m&ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLegalize-Legacy-Peter-Tosh%2Fdp%2FB004VH656G%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2%3Fs%3Dmusic%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1308085064%26sr%3D1-2&tag=legacy_recordings-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Fash, Crash, and Burn: 50 Cent's Hair

Check out 50 Cent's new hairstyle if you haven't already. i don't know if it's for a movie role or something; I hope it is.

If it's not and he thinks it's okay... well, I have one thing to say:

NO.

NOT EASY BEING GREEN

ht: Bleeders

ASTERIX THE THUG

I am glad to see that academics have some time on their hands to work this one out:

A group of academics have analysed the traumatic brain injuries in the Asterix comics, identifying 704 head injury victims in the 34 books.


A paper published in the European Journal of Neurosurgery, Acta Neurochirurgica, examines the much-loved books in detail, discovering that of the 704 victims, 698 were male and 63.9% were Roman. One hundred and twenty were Gauls, 59 were bandits or pirates, 20 were Goths, 14 were Normans, eight were Vikings, five were Britons and four were extraterrestrials.

I mean, and...?!?!?
ht: The Guardian

RAVEN-SYMONE Shows Us Her Curves (She Put A Lil' Meat Back On Her Bones)

Check out Raven-Symone in the picture above; she looks like she either put just a little meat back on her bone or she hit the gym to tone those muscles.

Typically, when people lose a lot of weight, they look a little funny, even sickly-looking even when they're not sick. That's why it's important that being in a 'new body' has to come with a gym membership to tone up the otherwise flabby muscles and skin.

Good look, Raven. 

Pic: Google / MediaTakeout

Twisted Sister – Under The Blade

 

I’m sure you’ve heard of Twisted Sister but do you know about Twisted FUCKIN Sister? Twisted Sister is the band you saw on MTV and heard on the radio starting in 1984 but loooong before that Twisted Fuckin Sister were blasting fast n loud in the bars and clubs of the tri-state NYC area. In the late 70’s/early 80’s heyday they were one of the heaviest bands out there. They battled against demon disco forces and helped make heavy metal a huge phenomenon on the east coast. They played 4 or 5 nights a week in any dump that could contain them and their ever growing fan base of rowdy sick motherfuckin friends (S.M.F.’s).

I’d heard the name and legend from older burnouts in high school but was first indecently exposed to them when they appeared on the short lived Flo & Eddie TV show. I was already a huge Alice Cooper fan and when I saw Twisted Sister on TV I knew these freaks would be right up my alley. They were introduced and then exploded into the song “Under The Blade.”  It made my little 9th grade mind explode and I went berserk in front of the TV. Luckily it was late at night and no one could see me headbanging and jumping off the couch in my pj’s. Not long after that I tracked down this album, the band’s 1982 full length debut album Under The Blade. Twisted Sister had been releasing singles on their own labels for years but was unable to get a record deal. Finally, a punk label from England called Secret Records (home of The Exploited) took a chance on them. Long out of print, Under The Blade is back and better than ever. 

Under The Blade has always suffered from a thin, low budget sound but the songs are so full of aggression and belligerence it’s never been a problem. The album was produced by Pete Way of UFO but who knows how sober he was during the recording. Twisted Sister had been playing these songs live for years so he probably stayed out of the way and made sure they were fired up enough to deliver good takes. “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)” was their set opener at the time and issues a challenge to rock out or get the fuck out. When I finally got to see Twisted Sister for the first time at Lamour in Brooklyn Dee got right in my face and screamed the line “HOW DO YOU LIKE IT SO FAR?” I like it just fine and still do!

Catchy tunes like the AC/DC influenced “Bad Boys (Of Rock N Roll)” and “Shoot ‘Em Down” point towards the commercial direction that would eventually make them huge stars a few years later. Great songs, but hardcore S.M.F.’s like me always went ballistic for the Judas Priest inspired “Sin After Sin” and the always intense title track. “Destroyer” is probably the heaviest song they ever wrote. Slow and powerful with creepy heavy breathing during the intro, it’s obviously Black Sabbath influenced but sounds more like the Cro-Mags. This was always a major crowd pleaser with a sea of fists pumping the air. “Run For Your Life” starts out slow and heavy before shifting into major high gear. But my favorite Twisted Sister song has always been “Tear It Loose.” It’s a major headbanging boogier. Just imagine if Motorhead was drinking some of Jim Dandy’s moonshine while imbibing some pure crystal meth. You don’t even really have to imagine it since Fast Eddie Clarke plays dueling leads with Jay Jay French on it. “The Day Of The Rocker” is the last song and thuds along like AC/DC or Rose Tattoo at their blusiest.

Even better than having the album back in print is the bonus DVD of Twisted Sister’s notorious set at the Reading Festival in the summer of 1982. I had seen the photos in Kerrang magazine and heard that they blew away the crowd. The footage is everything I had hoped for and more. They come out blazing and basically destroy the audience with full on MC5/Ted Nugent energy and attitude. English festivals are notorious for the crowd throwing shit at bands. Within seconds rolls of toilet paper and eggs are flying up on to the stage. The band never flinches and Dee even challenges the entire crowd to fight after the show. They blaze through 7 songs from Under The Blade with supreme gusto and confidence. To jack up the energy level even more they end the set with their raucous cover of “It’s Only Rock N Roll.” During the breakdown who strolls out on to the stage but Pete Way, Fast Eddie Clarke and Lemmy. Not only do you have a triple axe attack but three bass players, too. Fast Eddie had quit Motorhead not too long before this show and this was the first time Lemmy and Eddie appeared in public together. Not a bad show, eh? The rest of the DVD contains interviews with the band about the Reading Festival and the making of Under The Blade. Great stuff, but the live footage is nothing short of totally mint deluxe.

Fans of Twisted Sister and Twisted FUCKIN Sister are ordered to pick this muther up at once. You won’t be sorry. Other good news for S.M.F.’s is that Rhino is FINALLY releasing an album from the landmark shows recorded at London’s Marquee club in March, 1983. Some of the recordings turned up as B-sides but never a complete show. Until that comes out, keep blasting this one and your worn out tapes of the killer 1982 WBAB radio broadcast from Hammerheads on Long Island. If you need a copy, lemmy know. I’d be glad to hook you up.

--Woody

Buy here: Under the Blade

RIHANNA Before/After LOUD Concert in Auburn Hills, MI

She's out doing her thing, EXPOSED and all (see pic above). She's even doing her thing at her LOUD concerts (which I went to at the Palace of Auburn Hills on June 14!!). Rihanna was hott and way awesome and the visual effects and props in the show played a big role in contributing to Rihanna's creativity.

Gotta hand it to her... it sure takes a lot to do a concert... I can't imagine remembering every lyric, dance step and running back and forth on the stage, let alone doing 50+ shows almost consecutively. 

Pic: Rihanna Daily

Peter Tosh Legalize it (Legacy Edition) and Equal Rights (Legacy Edition) to be Released with Special Ripple Exclusive Giveaway of the Ultimate Peter Tosh Collectors Package!!

Peter Tosh-Legalize It (Legacy Edition) and Equal Rights (Legacy Edition) available June 21


On June 21, 2011, legendary reggae artist, Peter Tosh’s, first two critically -hailed solo albums, Legalize It and Equal Rights, will be commemorated by Legacy Recordings. These “cornerstones of the roots-rock-reggae movement” will include previously unreleased material from the original recording sessions as well as essays by Reggae scholar Roger Steffens and former manager Herbie Miller.

“A quarter century later,” Steffens writes, “[Tosh’s] songs ring eternal with millions of strugglers worldwide, still crying out for equal rights and justice with the words of the immortal Minister of Herb.”

To Celebrate the release of these two essential albums, The Ripple Effect is running an exclusive giveaway.  You won't find this baby anywhere else.

We'll be giving away one copy of the new Legacy Edition Legalize It, one copy of the new Legacy Edition Equal Rights, and as a special bonus, one Limited Edition Colored “Record Store Day” vinyl 7".

And all of this will go to one lucky waverider.  All you have to do to win is go to the Ripple Effect Facebook page, like us over there and make a comment on the Peter Tosh Giveaway post.  One lucky waverider will be selected at random to win this ultimate Peter Tosh package!



Don't miss out on this killer giveaway.  Go to facebook, like the Ripple, make a comment and you'll be entered to win. We'll run the contest until release date, June 21st, so hurry on over and like The Ripple Effect today.


www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ripple-Effect

Artist Website:
http://petertosh.com/

Follow Peter Tosh’s Official Twitter:
http://twitter.com/petertosh

Become a fan of Peter Tosh’s Official Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/PeterTosh


Pre-order Links:
Equal Rights is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?cid=lg:78i&ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FEqual-Rights-Legacy-Peter-Tosh%2Fdp%2FB004UIFZPS%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fs%3Dmusic%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1308084534%26sr%3D1-1&tag=legacy_recordings-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Legalize It is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?cid=lg:78m&ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLegalize-Legacy-Peter-Tosh%2Fdp%2FB004VH656G%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2%3Fs%3Dmusic%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1308085064%26sr%3D1-2&tag=legacy_recordings-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz

The career of the enigmatic Sufjan Stevens is a long and storied one.  Starting off as a simple singer-songwriter with the album A Sun Came, greatness was not necessarily expected of him.  As far as that album goes, it is a straightforward folk album with its share of highs and lows, but mostly nothing to special.  However, his next album, Enjoy Your Rabbit, explored his love of electronic music, branching out from his folk roots.  Then came his 50 states project, his plan to write an album for each of the 50 states, beginning with Michigan.  This is where Sufjan began to flourish as not only a musician, but an all around great songwriter as well.  This theme carried on to what many consider his opus, Illinois, a sweeping 73:59 album, ripe with orchestral arrangements, and bursting at the seams with great storytelling and themes centering around the state of Illinois.  So, when The Age of Adz (pronounced “odds”) was released, many were disappointed to see him abandon the 50 states project for a run of the mill album.  Even more people that had grown accustomed to his knack for combining  indie folk with string arrangements were taken aback by his near abandonment of that sound in order to incorporate some of his previous sounds from Enjoy Your Rabbit: drum machines, synthesizers, and the likes of that.  However, what is birthed from that combination is an overall fantastic album that does not disappoint.

Listening to the opening track on The Age of Adz, “Futile Devices”, more of the same is expected out of Sufjan.  The standard folk kit is employed here, bare of anything but guitar and vocals.  However, outside of the opener, no song on the album is stripped down to those, for lack of a better word, “simplistic” features.  The following song, “Too Much”, introduces you to Sufjan's electronic side with squelching synthesizers and a choppy drum beat.  However, once the vocals kick in, you get the same sense that this is his style of music, just adapting to new instrumentation.  And, just because Sufjan has left the standard instrumentation behind does not mean he has left behind his sense of composition.  Songs on this album may use samplers and synthesizers, but he pieces them together beautifully, just as if he was conducting his own miniature orchestra.

Other highlights of the album include “I Walked”, a reflection about a love lost.  This is a theme that carries throughout the entire album.  In fact, as a whole, this album is much more personal than anything he previously released, allowing the listener a glimpse into his personal life.  This is also shown on the album closer “Impossible Soul”, a twenty-five and a half minute track that seems much shorter than it actually is because of the technical prowess he displays when weaving his lyrics together with his instruments, knowing the perfect times to stop for an instrumental breakdown, or when to use soft, slow, pulsing synth beats to drive the soft-spoken lyrics to the forefront of the listeners focus.  Even autotune is employed, but he uses it as a tool to accentuate what is essentially an a cappella section of the song, rather than punch you in the face with it like some artists love to do.

However, nothing on the album can compare to the track “I Want To Be Well”.  For people who know of Sufjan, he is known as a devout Christian.  So when listening to his music, you expect that same tone, which for the most part you do receive.  He is not in your face with it, in fact he never really mentions it, but it is an underlying tone throughout all of his work.  So, when listening through this song, it sounds like a mostly upbeat song if listening to the music.  However, in contrast with the music, Sufjan employs some pretty sullen lyrics.  Also, near the end of the song, it is extremely jarring to hear Sufjan say over and over, “I'm not fucking around”.  It is not just saying it for the sake of saying it like many bands would do.  When he says it, it has a certain power behind it, possibly due to the fact that I can't think of him even saying “damn” in any other track of his.

All in all, this is album is another entry into the already storied music career of Sufjan Stevens.  It will be interesting to see where he goes from this album to the next, whether he carries on with the digitized sounds, or moves back into his comfort zone with a guitar.  I would love for him to continue on this same path, delving more into his personal life, and getting more introspective looks into the life of Sufjan.  But as was proven with the release of The Age Of Adz, no one can ever really know what to expect out of Sufjan Stevens, other than consistently great music, no matter what the format may be.


--Genesis

Buy here mp3The Age of Adz:
Buy here vinyl: Age of Adz (2xLP)

TELEGRAPH

OK following on from Superman's pants, the Telegraph has now noticed that Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) is going to walk again in the DC revamp.

Who is the geek at the Telegraph?

BTW I haven't talked about the 52 relaunch because, quite frankly, they've shafted JSA by the looks of it, and the whole thing looks like a mess at the moment - where are we in the timeline? It doesn't seem to look like everyone is starting at the beginning - Essentially it appears that DC is making exactly teh same mistakes they made 26 years ago with Crisis!

Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers

I bet you already know one song from Fountains of Wayne’s 2003 album Welcome Interstate Managers. Here’s the first verse and part of the chorus:

Stacy can I come over after schoo-oo-oo-oo-ool,

(After school)

We can hang around by the poo-oo-oo-oo-ool,

(Hang by the pool)

Did your mom get back from her business trip,

(Business trip)

Is she there, or is she tryin' to give me the sli-i-i-i-ip,

(Give me the slip)

You know I'm not the little boy that I used to be,

I'm all grown up now,

Baby can't you see.

[Chorus]

Stacy's Mom has got it goin' on,

She's all I want,

And I've waited for so long,

Stacy can't you see,

You're just not the girl for me,

I know it might be wrong,

But I'm in love with Stacy's Mom. 

The reason you know “Stacy’s Mom” is MTV President Judy McGrath.  In 2003, she liked the obscure tune so much that she championed the making of a music video that starred Rachel Hunter as Stacy’s Mom and the single went gold.

Ahh, Rachel Hunter!  With a body like that who was listening to the music? Maybe it was due to the incessant airplay of the music video that we all learned “Stacy’s Mom.”  It might not have been on purpose.  It was background music so we could stare at Rachel Hunter.

As catchy and as popular as “Stacy’s Mom” is, it is far from the best song on Welcome Interstate Managers. You can even argue that it is not one of the top five of the fifteen (eighteen if you include the Japanese edition bonus track “Elevator Up” and the tongue in cheek "Adam's Mom (Stacy's Mom Remix)") tracks (do you really care or are you still looking at Rachel Hunter?  I thought so.))

Songwriters Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood played together, went their separate ways and then reformed as Fountains of Wayne in 1996, disbanded after a couple of uneventful albums, and then reunited in 2001.  The band consists of members Collingwood, Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.

In addition to “Stacy’s Mom” on Welcome Interstate Managers  “Mexican Wine” also garnered  significant airplay.  The music video for the song spawned controversy. It showed young children singing the lyrics "think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine" and guitarist Porter catching a drink on the bare stomach of a woman lying on a beach.  Due to the controversy Fountains Of Wayne’s record label, S-Curve Records, pulled the video from circulation.

Yet, even “Mexican Wine” may not make the album’s top ten songs.  If you really want to hear great pop rock with intelligent writing about timely topics ,and hear great harmonies and instrumentation, just listen to “Bright Future In Sales” about a young road warrior sales recruit trying to justify why he does it, or queue up “Little Red Light” about losing your girlfriend while working in New York and commuting to a dismal job.   You can truly drop the needle anywhere on this one and hear great music. 

Others agree.  The TV series “Scrubs” used “Hey Julie” and “All Kinds of Time” in episodes of its show.  The NFL also used “All Kinds of Time” (an amazing song about a football quarterback making a perfect play in slow-motion) in its 2004 league promotional video.  L.L. Bean used “Valley Winter Song” in a commercial and Kate Perry covered “Hackensack” on “MTV Unplugged.”

Hey, look!  Eyes down here! I’m still telling you about Welcome Interstate Managers.  I know you are still looking at Rachel Hunter and maybe that is Fountain of Wayne’s biggest problem.  They are so good at their craft that others quickly grab their music to take advantage of this band’s incredible talent.  They don’t need Rachel Hunter but, hey, if you got her you don’t give her away.

Okay, you can now return your eyes to the picture of Rachel Hunter or you can watch and listen to one of the band’s videos below.

- Old School

Buy here: Welcome Interstate Managers
Buy here mp3: Welcome Interstate Managers

MEAGAN GOOD: The Most Beautiful Dressed Down Girl... Seriously.

When it comes to dressed-down celebs, no one can do it on consistently like my girl MEAGAN GOOD. She doesn't need to dress up in haute couture or wear some ASTRONOMICALLY-PRICED ANYTHING... just either legging or jeans and a fitted T-shirt and she's lookin' hotter than most girls around her...

GOTTA LOVE HER LOOKS...

Pic: Google

DC RETIREMENT

Should have done a geeks hit

Ht: Geeks

THE DOCTOR: KINDERGARTEN

OK forgive me, but this is…

Some lad does Pandora's Box for his talent show



ht: Geeks

More Revenge of the Quick Ripple Bursts - Featuring Acid Bath, Autistic Youth, Black Spiders, and Brutus

Acid Bath – Paegan Terrorism Tactics

Nola Stoner Rock is the genre that pops up on my iTunes when Acid Bath comes up and I ain’t gonna argue.  Mean, nasty, throaty, fuzzy, and heavy.  “Paegan Love Song” runs through its riff with the intensity of a felon dashing from the law.  Drums blitz me like bullets from the outlaw’s guns.  Bass thunders like the getaway car’s motor.  It’s impossible not to wrapped up in this song, slash the sleeves from my tee-shirt, go out and get tattooed and join the gang in nefarious pursuits.  “Bleed Me an Ocean” is even heavier with a riff so covered in fuzz it sounds like it was gargled from the bowels of Hell.   Vocalist Riggs screams with the torment of a thousand souls wailing in the shady abyss.  Pain, torment, suffering, and massively distorted, sludgeified Sabbath riffs.  Not new, but recently re-mastered and re-released. Well worth tracking down.

buy here: Paegan Terrorism Tactics
buy here mp3: Paegan Terrorism Tactics



Autistic Youth – Idle Minds

Coming from Dirtnap records, one of  the best purveyors of punk out there today, we got this raging platter of pure hardcore aggression mixed with enough smoothness to make Leatherface proud.   Think Adolescents here, then keep thinking of them as the bass blasts out in galloping runs, the guitars slice like cutting buzzsaws, and the singer manages to find melodies where no melodies should rightfully be.  Pure, unadulterated punk and viciously cool because of it.  The lead-off 2:26 of “Soldiers” just may be my favorite punk anthem of the year.  Powering three-chord blitzkrieg with scattershot drums and hyperkinetic bass should keep the pit moshing with years to come.  Flying elbows and fists, dislocating limbs and loosening teeth.  Beautiful.

Buy here mp3: Idle Minds
Buy here vinyl: Autistic Youth - Idle Minds - LP


Black Spiders – Sons of the North

Tearing up the stage and magazines currently.  Hailed by the high and mighty like Ozzy and Duff McKagan.  Featured on a recently cover-mounted CD with Classic Rock.  It’s all enough for The Ripple not to write about these guys.  After all, we are the best music that you “haven’t “ heard.  But truth be told, Black Spiders are too good not to appear in these pages.  A while back, my brethren the Pope predicted that real rock and roll was destined to make a comeback blowing the over-produced schmaltz off the charts and heralding the return of gut-check rock and roll.  Black Spiders are proof.  With raw, BTO- Blue Oyster Cult riff mongering like “Stay Down” and “Just Like a Woman,” this is pure-retro 70’s mashed with hair metal ‘80’s rock madness.  Special mention has to go to “Kiss Tried to Kill Me,” an unadulterated riff-fest about being chased cross the country and hunted down and murdered by Gene Simmons.  With the chorus “Kiss tried to kill me/It was Gene not Paul/Kiss tried to kill me/It wasn’t Ace’s fault” this song is a can’t miss stab at the most memorable rock song of the year.  Jump on the bandwagon now.

 Buy here: Sons Of The North

Brutus – Demo 2008

Inseminated by Blue Cheer.  Raised in the womb of Sabbath.  Suckling at the teet of Grand Funk.  That’s a pedigree that we can get behind here at the Ripple, and it’s a pedigree that sums up Scandinavian’s Brutus to a tee.   To me, these retro-stoned rocks sound like a perfect incarnation of the bluesy 70’s approach of Stone Axe and the dreamier, fully-stoned psychedelia of Dead Man. Somehow, their original 2008 5-track demo found it’s way onto my hard drive and I could be happier than a pyromaniac in a candle factory.  Huge retro riffs spun with fuzzed out perfection and bottom heavy grooviness.   Apparently, the cats had gone on from here to release their first full-length CD and vinyl with Finnish Svart records and have a split 10” coming on Transbutans with Graviators.  If this demo assortment is any indication, both are a must by for the retro-stoner minded.

Get demo for free here

--Racer