February 2012
1 post
4 tags
January 2012
2 posts
List - Generic Lebowski
If there’s one thing I love talking about, it’s music. I will often bring up music in everyday conversation, and my peers will have very little clue as to what I’m referring to. Well now, here’s your chance to reach into the mind of Lebowski and find out what makes me tick; included are 10 of my favorite albums in (roughly) order of quality. This list isn’t...
Philbin’s Top 7 Albums of the Library
I don’t need to remind you that we have a lot of music in the library. Most of could spend years rifling through albums and still miss some incredible gems. So for the musically curious DJ out there, I and the rest of the assistant MDs have come up with a list of our favorite albums in the library right now. So please read and stay tuned for more to come.
7. Calculating Infinity – Dillinger...
September 2011
4 posts
New Music Reviews! (Hardcore Edition)
Touche Amore - Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me
Just like last week, I was drawn to this record by the influences. This time, comparisons were drawn to Revolution Summer bands like Rites of Spring. Plus, I’d heard good things about this band, so I decided to check it out. My first impressions before even playing the music were good; the album has 13 songs, but is less than 21...
Oh my!
So the next couple of months are going to be crazy good for new music.
We just got the new Opeth and Misfits album into the station. Look for those to be on the new rack soon.
Also, we will be getting the New Bjork album in mid-October and an album by Brite Futures (formerly known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head) in mid-November.
Lastly I’ll be trying to acquire the new...
More 90's Influenced Rock!
Sainthood Reps - Monoculture
Initially, I was drawn into this album by the impressive list of influences on the CD sleeve: Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard, Built to Spill, and more. So I sat down, and gave this album a listen. The first song gave me good faith in the rest of the album, with a very Jesus Lizard-like rhythm section of destruction, heavy bass and drums in front of scratching guitar...
New Music For This Week
The new music blog has gone silent for the last month or so, but it’s back with a simple list of some of the great music that has come in at the station for this week.
Primus - Naugahyde
VHS or Beta - Diamonds or Death
JJ Grey and Mofro - Brighter Days
American Goldwing- Blitzen Trapper
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical
Big Harps - White Hat
Waters - Out In The Light
Gabriel...
August 2011
1 post
New (Old) Vinyl
Otis Redding / The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Historic Performances Recorded At The Monterey International Pop Festival, 1967
Sometimes I sit in my room and cry a tear for the deaths of Joe Strummer of The Clash and three of the four original Ramones and the overwhelming feeling of emptiness I get when I realize that I’ll never get to see these bands live. So I end up throwing on...
July 2011
1 post
My Ears are Happy! *(Mostly) New Music for 7/26*
This week’s ADDs blew me away! Then I also got a CD with copyright date 2009 that should be a lot more popular than it is.
Regional at Best is the second album released by Twenty One Pilots. Their songs are a fusion of indie pop, electronic, and rap. In general, many of their lyrics are consciousness put into words. It’s difficult to really name any kind of genre or style of music,...
June 2011
1 post
New Music This Week
It has been sooo long since we have posted. This week I was inspired by some great albums that came in.
The one I want to gush over is the Limited Release EP by Bear Cub.
This band consists of pop-punk vocals and folk-y instrumentation. If someone were to say that to me, I would ask “How does that work?” but it does. The lyrics are full of emotion, and every song tells a story. I...
April 2011
2 posts
Wiz vs. Del
Del the Funky Homosapien- Golden Era - This is hip-hop without the gimmicks, without the awful sampling of popular 80’s pop songs, and with the brains it takes to make a good track. Del is the guy who gave the Gorillaz’ hit “Clint Eastwood” its psychotic charm, and continues to keep the integrity of his business. The influence from artists like Ice Cube (Del’s...
Revenge of the 90's Indie!
Obits - Moody, Standard & Poor
Obits is a “veteran” indie rock band, featuring band members from Hot Snakes, Pitchfork, Edsel, and (one of my personal favorites), Drive Like Jehu. Their sophomore effort, Moody, Standard & Poor improves upon their debut album, I Blame You. I Blame You had catchy songs, but the production was somewhat lacking. On MS&P, though, Obits have...
March 2011
2 posts
"Method reviewing: Become the album. Live as an LP...
The Sounds- Something to Die For- New Wave electro rock with a female lead who conveys a punk rock attitude. This album is a bit of a throwback to late 80s-early 90s rock, and a nice alternative to the softer indie rock currently trending. Check out “Better Off Dead,” “It’s So Easy,” and “Something to Die For.” RIYL: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blondie
The...
Injured Ninja Vs. Skylazer
I know that I’ve been MIA with the whole album review thing. That is because, honestly, I felt like I could never do a proper review of the music coming in. After listening to each album in the past I felt like I had nothing to offer because the music didn’t move me, it didn’t make me think, and I was left with nothing to write about. With that said, After listening to Injured Ninjas’...
February 2011
3 posts
Music Reviews for Your Ultimate Convenience
Adele- 21 - She’s only 22 years old, and somehow Adele manages to capture the spirit of songstresses three times her age. I enjoyed every minute of this album because of the emotion and sass reminiscent of the 60’s era. “Rolling in the Deep” is nothing short of awesome as well as “Set Fire to the Rain” and “Someone Like You.” If you...
Guest Review: DJ H-Bomb on Devin Townsend
Artist: Devin Townsend Project
Album: Free Online LIVE EP http://www.insideoutmusic.com/specials/DTP/
Released: February 15th, 2011
Labels: HevyDevy, Century Media, InsideOut
While we wait for Devin Townsend Project, aka DTP, (fronted by Devin Townsend of Devin Townsend Band, Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine, Punky Brüster, Steve Vai) to simultaneously release their two (yes two) double albums...
Music for the Post-Snowpocalypse
Pendulum- Immersion- This album is much different than Pendulum’s 2008 release In Silico, so if you’re looking for songs like “Propane Nightmares” (which I’ll admit I was) you may be disappointed. They opt out of highly dynamic beats for more atmospheric ones paired with vocals coming from members of Prodigy and In Flames. It gives me sort of a Linkin Park vibe when...
January 2011
4 posts
New Musix (and more to come!)
Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean- A good companion to The Decemberists’ recent release “The King is Dead,” Samuel Beam brings a slower indie to the party. There aren’t any tracks that really jump at me, but I’ll accept “The Tree by the River.”
Vanity Theft - Get What You Came For-Four girls, including LaLaine (aka Miranda from “Lizzie...
How about some Content?
Gang of Four - Content
Back in 1979, Gang of Four released Entertainment!, an album that forever changed the face of music. While most punk bands were starting to sound very similar, the Communists from Leeds breathed new life into the genre, mixing the extremist politics and tension of punk with downright funky drums and bass. Even now, you can still hear bits of Entertainment! in many other...
Some new additions from our friends over at...
Now, Now - Neighbors Overall a pretty good album for those who are looking for a mainstream rock sound with a prominent female lead. Their song “Giants” stood out the most with me. The album features an acoustic version of that song as well. Check it out. 40 Watt Hype - Push I’m not the biggest fan of Hip-Hop or Latin music, but I can dig this album. It definitely has an abundance of...
The Start of a Good Year
Break is over, and the new music blog is back in business. We’ve got a variety of music this week, so ch-ch-check it out!
The Decemberists- The King is Dead- The Decemberists bring back the folk rock complete with harmonicas, acoustic guitars, and some good-old-fashioned studio mixing. Their single, “Down by the Water” is a good one to start off with, but make sure to try...
December 2010
3 posts
And now, a word from Mogli
Mogli here again with some reviews long overdue. Ethan beat me to the Cloudkicker review, but here are a few other albums that I’m finally getting around to writing about.
Underoath – Disambiguation
A small disclaimer: this band, as Soda said, is ostensibly Christian metalcore. I, being an atheist metal elitist, would be given to a bias against this band. But for the purposes of being a...
Dead Week Music
Daft Punk- Tron: Legacy Original Soundtrack - Whether you like Daft Punk or not, I highly encourage you check out this soundtrack to the new Tron movie. This is not another Daft Punk album, this is a soundtrack produced by two men who know music. It provides a background for a sci-fi setting without overdoing the synthesizers. Remember Brian Eno’s Small Craft on a Milk Sea that came out a...
Some new stuff for ya'
Mnemonic Sounds- Muscle Memories- Electronic pop slightly reminiscent of Owl City, but don’t let that throw you off. The vocals are not heavily auto-tuned and I doubt a million tweenage girls would be throwing themselves at these two. Mnemonic Sounds is made up of Peter Suk and Megan Ouchida and while the synthesizer is heavy in a few tracks, Ouchida’s vocals are sweet and not laden...
November 2010
3 posts
MORE MUSIC FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
This weeks adds:
Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer- I apologize in advance for my babbling, but this album is fantastic. Cee-Lo certainly lives up to the Soul genre by putting his entire heart and soul into every song. While “Fuck You,” his viral video from the summer, has been tamed to “Forget You,” the song’s beat and the rest of the songs on the album make up for...
Cloudkicker - Beacons
Cloudkicker is the name of the one man project by Ben Sharp. In the past, Sharp always released his music for for free via download, which is impressive considering the professional quality of the recordings (these definitely aren’t your “garage band demo tapes”), but Beacons, his second full length album, is his first album that is available in CD/vinyl format. Though, you can...
October 2010
12 posts
Ethan's msc rvws fr ths wk.
Sweet Nasty - Life on Fire Not a bad jam-rock album. Features a very intriguing and engaging rhythm section with plenty of cool instrumentation, like every jam band should, with some western/country flavor mixed in. It’s worth a listen and on-air time if your looking for a laid back/mellow sound. RT # 2, 3, 4 The Jezabels - Dark Storm Very mellow, laid back rock with a strong female vocalist....
Late Reviews for the Week
Don’t get too excited….
Clea Roddick- Songs of the Year: Vol. 1- As soon as the first track started playing I immediately thought of Regina Spektor. Soft female vocals with a piano accompaniment, it’s cute and upbeat. Check out “Astronomy” and “Chickadee”
Small Black - New Chain- Fairly eclectic for a synth-pop album, Small Black mixes 80s- inspired...
Short Reviews by E
Uz Jsme Doma - Caves Progressive Rock - Uz Jsme Doma is one of those bands that has a sound that is so hard to place. Fans of King Crimson’s older work, Magma, and any progressive rock band from the 60’s and 70’s will feel right at home with this album, Caves. The album features odd rhythms, a very prominent, upbeat horn section, and a very unique vocalist. I can’t say too much more other than I...
Shrt Rvws By E
Underworld - Barking Electronic/trance - Underworld is the collaboration of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, both of which have been producing music since the early 80’s. Though I have not listen to much electronic music in my day, I can certainly recognize the catchy appeal of this album and I’m sure that those wanting to put new electronic/trance into their libraries should pick this album up. RT #1,...
We've got a variety of stuff in this week....
FEATURED ALBUM
We Landed on the Moon!- This Will Be One For the Books- It may be a bit of shameless promotion for the upcoming Freaker’s Ball (OCTOBER 29th at the MOOSE LODGE), but in all honesty, this album is a really good one. If you’re unfamiliar with WLOTM, their sound is an ambient rock similar to Ida Maria or the Grates. The lead singer has a strong voice that is very...
Get Excited for MUSIC!
Afraid of Figs - Radio Sampler
This promo consists of three incredibly sarcastic tracks. My favorite is a tie between the first and last: “I Ate a Vegan” where the band makes fun of “being green” and “Don’t Want to Be Your Facebook Friend.” These tracks are not melodic; they’re more upbeat ska punk. The sax is definitely a trademark of the songs.
...
Quick Reviews by Ethan
The Vita Ruins - A Day Without a Name
Electro-pop, indie. This is a relatively dark album with an atmospheric feel to it. Though the album has its moments, the energy level and the dynamic range remains limited. Not to say it’s a bad album, some of it reminds me of Muse’s older work, but just less interesting.
Still, check it out. You might find exactly what you are looking for.
RT...
MORE NEW MUSIC
“A Little Messed Up” - The Dollyrots
I tend to appreciate lyrics (funnier/dirtier=better) and vocals and this album doesn’t disappoint. There is definitely a strong sense of humor, especially in the last track “Om Nom Nom,” which is very pleasantly dirty. The whole album is pretty 80s-ish punk/alternative rock and the female vocalist takes advantage of what I would...
And now a word from Mogli
Mogli here to do some brief reviews of some metal that has come to the station. The Sword – Warp Riders The Sword have earned the label “retro-metal,” but not in a derogatory way. Their Black Sabbath/DeepPurple/Cream worship combine with a few modern metal sensibilities to create metal that sounds very classic, yet has never really existed before. The band have filled this void very nicely in all...
GUEST REVIEW!
Straight from the real word, our friend Knuckles has kindly graced us with his thoughts on some new music this week:
JOHN LEGEND AND THE ROOTS - Wake Up! After years of dancing around in the same ballroom, John Legend and The Roots have FINALLY partnered up to put out an album of covers, Wake Up. Here at Albums on the Hill, this was easily one of the most anticipated albums of the month, and...
September 2010
11 posts
Short, Sweet Reviews by Ethan
The Upsidedown – The Town with Bad Wiring
Alternative Rock – With the exception of a few tracks, most of this album can be described as spacey and ambient. There really is no define, outstanding instrumental parts and most of the lyrics are indiscernible (or just plain silly), which really is the character of the album. Really good to listen to if you just want to mellow...
Quick Reviews By Ethan
Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
Pop-punk. Indie Rock. Very upbeat, high tempo rock. I’m not a fan of this genre, but anyone looking to put some new pop-punk into their personal library should look into this album. Check out the first track called “Digging for Something”.
Lazerbeak – Legend Recognize Legend
Electro-rock/electropop. The first two tracks of this album speaks volumes (ha… get it?)...
Like Folk Music?
Check out Neptune’s Car. Acoustic folk/country. Very smooth. I recommend “Strawberry Moon.”
A Few Recommendations from Ethan
We Know Mason – Tread Carefully
Generic Rock. Definitely influenced by classic rock and older acoustic rock. The vocalist has a very mick jagger feel on some of the louder songs and at times reminds me of Dylan on the softer, acoustic tunes. Personally I like tracks 1, 7, and 9.
Various – Jerry Jams for Rex (Various bands playing Grateful Dead songs live)
Anyone that is a fan of the Grateful...
MORE!
Thanks to Mr. Jackson-
Mumford & Sons - Sigh no more: Upbeat, Thoughful Folk song sung by English indie group. Songs that make you feel sad, but are decisively beautiful and great to listen to. Track 13 is the radio cut of the single. Jukebox The Ghost - Everything Under the Sun: Indie Piano-Driven Pop with catchy lyrics. Their first effort “Live & Let Ghost” was filled with...
Hey There
Welcome to KMNR’s New Music Blog. From here on out, this will be the place you can go to see what your fellow djs think about KMNR’s newest music. In the near future, we’re going to try and get errybody’s opinions, but for now, if you want to voice your opinion on some new tracks, send us an e-mail at music@kmnr.org and we’ll make sure to incorporate your thoughts...