Alternative Rock music reviews

These guys are good! I didn't realize they were called COG before they changed their name to COURSE OF NATURE, but they're still goin strong! the best one off of this CD i think is Dead End Lights, with some great guitar riffs and a KILLER solo near the end. keep the good stuff rollin'.

Listening to them for the first time, i thought that they were an excellent band. Mark's voice is unbelievable and the rest of the band emphasize it. I give many props to Larry for his outstanding ability on the guitar, to Fish for the way he fingers those bass strings and to Doug for taming those drums.

COG is one of the brightest new bands around. Their sound is crisp and moving.. they perform together like a well-oiled machine.. hense "cog"! Might as well go ahead and get two copies.. one for home and one for your car because you won't want to be without reach of this CD anywhere! Their live performance is amazingly intense!! Without a doubt these guys will be topping the charts very soon!

UPDATE: COG had been signed by Altantic Records and their debut album will be out Februaury 2002.. only one thing, their name has been changed to Course of Nature.. be looking for it everywhere!

"Plantation Lullabies" by Meshell NdegeoCello is a strangely brilliant album. There are moments on the album where NdegeoCello shines beyond belief and it is hard to imagine a better artist. Unfortunately the album also has several dull moments that sound recycled. The instrumentation for the most part is superb and NdegeoCello plays the bass extremely well. It is more hip-hop infused than anything that she has done since. Some may see this as a blessing and others may not like it.

1. "Plantation Lullabies"- A short intstrumental that opens the album nicely. Not as good as some of her instrumentals on later work.
2. "Diggin' On You (Like An Old Soul Record)"- A brilliant album that NdegeoCello infuses with Soul without over-singing. This is the early neo-soul sound. Very good.
3. "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)"- Recieved some airplay. It's a good track and very hip-hop based.
4. "Shoot'n Up And Gett'n High"- A good song that shows NdegeoCello's vocals well. The instruments are good. Some of the lyrics are a bit racist which is kind of annoying as she becomes a bit of a hypacrit.
5. "Dred Loc"- One of NdegeoCello's early beautiful tracks. Her poetry is really cool and her vocals are nice.
6. "Untitled"- A short track that is good. The instruments are very well done.
7. "Step Into The Projects"- possibly the best track on the album. NdegeoCello sounds fresh in this track and sincere. The instruments are cool especially at the chorus.
8. "Soul On Ice"- Good track although a little racist.
9. "Call Me"- Cool upbeat track with good use of instruments.
10. "Outside Your Door"- A very nice track with good use of piano and other instruments. NdegeoCello's vocals sound at their best on this track.
11. "Picture Show"- A bit mediocre. On its own it would be a standout track although it sounds too like a lot of the other tracks on the album.
12. "Sweet Love"- A bit of a reggae vibe to the track which we didn't see again until her album "Comfort Woman". A dark track that sounds good with NdegeoCello's voice.
13. "Two Lonely Hearts (On The Subway)"- A good song that is just a little too cheesy sometimes. It is still good though and the instrumentation is done well.

Overall I think this is NdegeoCello's weakest effort however it is still in no way weak. There are so many standout tracks and the instruments are used well. It doesn't sound similar to anyone that was out at the time it was released and was refreshing in comparison to the hip-hop crap that was being churned out. I personally would have prefered the record if it was less hip-hop orientated but that is personal opinion. I would advice anyone to get the record but to check out "Peace Beyond Passion" and "Bitter" by the same artist before this one.

MARK- 8/10

She is was of the greatest musicians ever, this is one of her best works.

Me'Shell Ndeg�Ocello lays down some of the badest, bad ass funky bass grooves out there. I mean she is up there with the best. Not only is she a poetic genius, a multi-instrumentalist, and a first rate song writer, her bass playing is to me like the female Marcus Miller. She has the funk so deep in her basslines that cats like Victor Wooten with all his pyrotechniques can't even come close to the funk of Me'Shell. Big ups to the queen of funk bass.

Incredible album. I must have listened to it a thousand times, never get tired of it and don't think I ever will. I always find myself putting it on in the car when I get tired of my "new" music. 20 years later it still seems as fresh as the day in 1986 I first bought the vinyl LP. If it weren't for owning a CD copy, I would have worn out my LP long, long ago! "A Secret Wish" is completely mesmerizing and everlasting.

The absolute apotheosis of 80s synthesizer music. One of my favorite and most-listened-to albums by anyone, ever. Atmospheric, expansive, compelling. Redoubtable and Riveting. A work of undisputed genius.

Propaganda never again reached this peak ...But then neither did anyone else. Miss "A Secret Wish" at your peril!

A CD that sounds transcends time really, Secret Wish sounds more like it could be released today, not 20 years ago. It's hard to believe this music was done without MIDI technology.

Perhaps one of the finest synthpop releases of the 80s, dare I say ever. Smart and eclectic, with outstanding vocals. "Duel" is probably one of my all time favorite songs. "Dream within in Dream" provides an outstanding opening, "P-Machinery" is a great dance track, and who can forget the scene in "Some Kind of Wonderful" that features "Dr. Mabuse".

Expertly produced by Stephen Lipson (with Trevor Horn) who worked with Grace Jones and Frankie Goes to Hollywood soon after. Well worth adding to any collection.

Many moons ago, I heard this chick trying to sing a Spanish version of her song "Luka." It really made me cringe like nothing other has since. Try to imagine Wayne Newton singing in Creole or something. It was really bad.

As for the rest of this album, it's not bad in a sort of has-been, washed up sort of a way. Same sort of category of Edie Brickell, Cowboy Junkies, etc. I mean that in a, was-good-at-the-time-only-in-very-limited-quantities-at-that kind of fashion. Vega was by no means a Kirsty Maccoll (R.I.P.) who she seems to have fashioned herself after, even trying to hook up with Billy Bragg as it were. But, I guess she was marginally ok at what she did, for the limited time she did it.

Dig it up for the novelty of it all, try to find the Spanish version and laugh/cringe/cry, and then shove it back in the attic.

"Solitude Standing" must be Suzanne Vega's best sellling album; obviously greatly helped by its hit singles "Tom's Diner" and the international breakthough "Luka". Now almost 20 years have passed since its first release, and still these two fine songs sound important and great. The album in general is probably the one with the broadest appeal given an almost mainstream-production, which is most obvious on the sound of the drums.

Among the other tracks "Gypsy", with its sparse arrangement, stand out - still a live favourite; Also Calypso and the title track have kept a place in her live repertoire.

Overall the songs are tastefully arranged, and the album is clearly a must-have for fans of melodic, folk-inspired songwriting and soft quiet vocals.

Solitude Standing is one of 4 albums from the late 80's (the others being The Joshua Tree, So, and Graceland) that redeemed a pretty worthless decade, musical-mainstream-wise. If "delicate" is not a compliment to you, click away from this screen. Vega's songs are textured like filigreed lace, self-consiously poetic confections that stand alone as perfectly polished gems, but fit together even better as an ensemble. If you came to this album through "Luka," note that it is the hardest thing on the album, in terms of both musical arrangement and the hard-bitten cynicism of its subject matter. Not exactly "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but everything is relative. From there Vega veers off into urban reverie, romantic mythmaking, and literary heartbreak. Hearing her songs, you feel she just put down her Virginia Woolf and picked up her guitar. Her craft works to magical perfection on the title song, "Gypsy," "Language," and to some degree on the #1 hit that made her famous. Other songs sometimes fall apart under the weight of their own pretensions. But Vega never improved the delicate balance of folk sentiment with rock irony, not even when she changed to a more "pop" sound in the 90's.

Good collection. Remake of "California Dreamin'" not as good as I'd hoped it be (really like the original Momma's and Poppa's) but "Country Roads" just kicks it. Thinking of buying stock in Fat Wreck Chords.

This is by far the best cd compilation I own, all the bands are from Fat Whreck Chords, and everysong is awsome, I was given this cd by a friend and she didnt want it, but why not man?! this cd kicks ass, NOFX's older years, hi standards awsome, all the bands rule! Lagwagon is awsome to, BUY THIS CD MAN

If you love melodic punk rock, get this CD! All the songs on this compilation are great! This CD is over 5 years old though, so these songs have been out a while. Chances are you've heard them on the full length CDs from each band on here. There are a few exclusives though. Check out the song "Vincent" by NOFX...probably my all time favorite NOFX song!

Dwight Yoakam has a good ear for what`s quality country, inspired from the "bakersfield school" of great country star`s like Buck Owens,etc. This CD are Yoakam in more or less topform, except for a few letdowns, this CD shines. Track 1 Pocket of a Clown is a good opener, played in a relaxable speed, this one delivers. Yoakam`s voice has a brightness and certain coolnees , which give him a certain sting all trough. But, hey. The best Track on the CD Track 2 Thousand miles from nowhere, is a minor masterpiece when it come`s to "hitsong writing". From the beginning to the end it has flaire and style, marked all over. The windy guitar and Yoakam`s voice delivers something what we can called "outer space "music. The song kicks you off the ground, and you nearly belive you can fly trough room and space when you listen to it. Track 3 Home for sale is an ok slow country song, which doesn`t have a build up to a climax, but are anyway relaxable to listen to. Track 4 This Time, is classical "walkalong" country from the Bakersfield school of music, and Yoakam`s voice has that "Buck Owens" scwung all over.Track 5 Two doors down has much of the same mood all trough, but doesn`t really kicks in gear. Track 6 Ain`t that lonley yet, has much of the same quality as Track 2. That sometimes "undescribable" airy outer space feel, that fill joy into your`e mind and soul, that also Yoakam sings in the song: you hungry for some more.
Track 7 King of Fools are more or less traditional country, but have some weak spots in between. Track 8 Fast as you can, is somekind of an inconsistency style rocken roller, which has some high or lowpoints all trough. Track 9 Try not
to look so pretty are fine and put`s you in a "quiet is the new loud" mood. Track 10 Wild Ride, is a blues rocker, which sounds like "Rolling Stones" on a bad day. With this the 5 stars are gone.Sorry to say. Track 11. Lonesome Day is a letdown too. But hey there. Hi Ho Silver. This is anyway quality country, man !

This is my favorite CD of Dwight's. I love every song on this CD. My favorite song on this CD is A Thousand Miles From Nowhere. This is country music at its best. I love the video also because it has trains in an old train yard and I love trains. Fast As You is also a good song. I love the beat of the song and it is a good song to country line dance to. Ain't that Lonely Yet is also a very good song with a relaxing melody. This Time is a very good song and it is pure country music at its best. It reminds me of Buck Owens singing in the 60's. My least favorite song on the CD is Pocket Of A Clown. All in all this CD is the finest work Dwight has ever done.

Outstanding album; one of the best ever released by any artist. I'd say this is one of the top 3 in Dwight's catalog of releases. There really are no words to describe the sound and mood found on these tracks, but this is definately "it". There seems to be a wide-open, vast, lonely feeling throughout this album, and whether the setting of the song begins in the desert or on a bar stool, you cannot help but feel damn near every word of the songs. I have always felt (and probably always will) that Dwight has no peers; but the mixing and outstanding engineering of the sound found here, deserves special mention. Well worth your money.

As with the other offerings by The Ocean Blue, this album is top-notch, ranking just behind "See" in my opinion. From start to finish, this album is filled with catchy hooks, infectious guitar work, and solid songwriting.

Really enjoyed the futuristic type of music by this group. The beat is soothing but at the same time exilirating. A great purchase.

Erin V. was the name of the girl that introduced me to The Ocean Blue; she is a distant memory, but the music of TOB has stayed with me for the 15 years since we have broken up. I am writing this review in the middle of the fall season and there is no better time to be listening to this album then when the leaves are changing and there is a crisp, chill in the air.

One of my favorites on this album and one of my favorites of all-time is a track called, "Ballerina out of Control". I heard that Deathcab for Cutie is covering that song; which is a shame, because they suck and TOB are exponentially better than them. Anyhow...this album is the perfect compliment to any season, but for some reason, I tend to listen to it most during the Autumn months....

Another standout track on this album is the track, "I've Sung too many songs for a crowd that didn't want to listen" Very long title and long titles are things that Morrissey and the Smiths seemed to get away with and it was quite bold of this group to take on the same bands that started this genre by giving this song such a long title.

I've seen TOB blue just about every time that they come to Chicago and the crowds are getting smaller and smaller and smaller...it really is too bad that the success of this band hasn't stuck around longer. Every person that I recommend this music to becomes an instant fan and comes to their gigs with me. The fans that I have noticed time after time coming to the gigs are loyal as heck and I have total respect for you guys.

Last, but not least...one of the sadist and emotionally inducing songs of all time is called, "A Separate Reality" This is a slow little number with bluesy lyrics and dream-pop acoustics. If you were to do nothing else in your entire life, get your iPod, sit under a tree on a crisp autumn day and listen to that song! It will bring chills down your spine and tears to your eyes, because it is THAT beautiful! Also, if it happens to be a rainy evening; you must give the track, "Hurricane Amore" a listen.

I'm telling you...TOB is soundtrack music to your life and you won't regret purchasing this album and knowing that you have just about every track for just about every occassion in your life. To sum it up, TOB make you feel happy to be alive. Cheers!

It is a classic from first note to last. An unbelievable record that when you stop to think it was their first full length recording, amazes even more. They would have been huge had tragedy not struck. They had it all - great songwriting, great hooks, great melodies, great layering of sounds and a great stage presence. I was lucky enough to see them after the accident when they tried to soldier on as a trio. Despite the near empty room, it remains one of the concert highlights of my life. There aren't too many albums that will take you on an emotional ride like this one. You simply are not a music fan if you don't have it.

If life were fair, For Squirrels would be one of the most well-known bands in American music, they would have recorded several albums, and half the songs on this album would be radio classics.
But....
Instead, this is the sole album For Squirrels ever recorded, back before a tragic accident took place that cut this band's sure path to fame and success short forever.
The band was en route to Florida from New York, when their van blew a tire. The van rolled over, and the band's manager, and vocalist Jack Vigliatura, and bassist Bill White were all killed. Other members of the band were injured as well, and this album was released shortly afterward.
The band also has an e.p., and the surviving members later recorded an album under the name Subrosa, but "Example" remains the best of For Squirrels' work, and will always remain a great album, despite its tragic background.
"8:02 PM" was a college radio staple many years ago and just rocks with a happy rhythmic squall unlike any I've ever heard elsewhere. The guitar is almost indescribable--mirror-clear guitar notes get buried beneath a rush of distortion beneath an onslaught of drums beneath stop/start vocals and alternating speeds. It rocks. "Orangeworker" is a happy little quirky song with a lovely piano line. "Under Smithville" is one of the greatest songs ever--escalating, quirky, exciting, exciting in its progression, and lyrically stellar.
The songs range from quiet and clear and sharp to walls of sounds and distortion. Every song is good, many songs are great, and the album is a must-have for any discerning music fan, especially for any fan of the best of the 1990s.
This a great album, well worth saving from obscurity, well worth listening to forever. Buy it now. Now!

For Squirrels is one of those rare records that only comes along once and can't be repeated, and of course, it is truly tragic to the circumstances as to why this particular feat can't be repeated, or followed-up for that matter. The fact that this album did achieve modest success after it came out was good, but it was sad that some of the people who created it did not live to see that success.
An amalgam of chiming melodies, loud guitars, thrsashy rhythms and a variety of vocal styles co-exist here perfectly. With any other bands, the stylistic differences track-to-track would present a problem, but these guys had the talent to pull it off. The soft verse/loud chorus dynamics are present on many of the songs, as it was on pretty much any rock album released post-"Nevermind," but these guys stood out from most of the post-grunge bands that flooded the market at the time with their songwriting talent. Jack Vigilatura's lyrics and voice are timeless, and though some might say that his references to death and dying in several of the songs are pretty darned eerie, what band, circa 1995 wasn't making at least some sort of reference to death in their lyrics? There are some true gems on "Example" that would have been huge hits in an ideal world. The jangly "Under Smithville" was the track that reeled me into this record. Others, like the Kurt Cobain alluding "Mighty K.C." and "Stark Pretty" not only contain instantly memorable melodies and choruses, but musical twists and turns that imply a band who had been playing together for decades, and to my understanding, these guys had only been together for a few years prior to making this album.
Don't take my word for it, just check out the music and let these guys live on through your stereo.

This CD always makes it back into my CD player rotation. It is one of my favorite worship CDs for these reasons: it is raw but passionate and it is extremely catchy. Being a praise band, I have loved doing covers of I Will Not Forget You, You Are So Good to Me, You Have Redeemed My Soul, Tender Mercy, and I Could Run Away. These are some of the best praise songs of all time! This CD was recorded in a circle (thus the band name) and it is the best circle of the circles by far. I love the unique folksy songs and you can just picture the musicians playing in a circle with their eyes closed praising to the one true God above. Ben Pasley and Don Chaffer have written brilliant songs that will always find a place in my CD player. Only criticism is that the female vocals sometimes sound a bit whiny. But for the most part, everything sounds great and I wish there were more out their singing with such passion!

100 Portraits and Waterdeep have an uncanny way of presenting music that sounds like something God would want to hear! They sing Psalms and praise in such a fresh and simple way. I just love this CD. The simplicity of the songs seems to enable a deeper connection to the Lord while I listen.

'enter the worship circle' is a worship experience you don't want to miss! the lyrics are simple so you can catch on quickly. the music is simple [guitar, i think] and let's you focus on God rather than the music. the worship is so fresh and real that it just draws you in and encourages you to worship God. no fancy sound effects or instruments. there's also a booklet that gives you some advice on how to write your own worship music. it's an amazing cd :) a definite must-have!

This is a great collection by Audio Adrenaline. It is a CD that really rocks. There are a couple of mellower songs also.

Several of the songs have very good Christian lyrics. Some of the songs are really excellent and very catchy. I particularly like the following: 'Big House,' 'Hands and Feet', 'Man of God', and 'Underdog'.

If you like high energy rock with good Christian messages, this is a good choice.

this is the type of c.d. that kinda justs finds it own way into popularity. it just gets you bang'n yo head.the only problem is :WHERE IS THE HOUSEPLANT?! BUY THIS

I bought this CD reluctantly (yes, I'm a music snob) and man, was I blown AWAY! These guys know how to ROCK! Not only that, but their strong faith comes through loud and clear. Fantastic music - I keep a copy of this CD in my car, and another copy at my office. If you're looking for a CD that will make you want to rock out, sing loud, dance AND praise God, then look no further, my friend.

Keep it up, Audio-A!