Alternative Rock music reviews

keri noble opened for jonny lang at the house of blues and she blew us (my husband and i) away! her voice is rich and full of the blues! the song writing is impressive to say the least. i love to play this one very loudly and sing along! there is an almost theraputic feeling to this cd and i always feel better for having listened to it. enjoy this one loudly!

This album is a hidden gem. Do yourself a favor and go get it. She has an amazing voice and a knack for writing. You won't regret it.

I love her sultry voice, poetic lyrics, and the way her songs make me feel empowered. When buying a CD is rare because only one song is good, it's refreshing to find 100% quality.

Listening to "Free Mars" by Lusk takes a bit of work and, but the payoff is worth the investment for those willing to make more than a casual effort. The sound is a sonic sundae, infused with psychedelic elements, layers of swirling sounds, and processed vocals that conjure up memories of early Brian Eno ("Here Come the Warm Jets," "Taking Tiger Mountain") but that sound modern, crisp, and well-thought out.

Harps, cellos, odd percussion, and horns round out the core sound built around guitars, keyboards, and electronic treatments. It's clear that there was quite a bit of studio time involved in getting these tracks in present form, and one can only wonder at what was edited in the process. (It would not have been a great loss if some of the studio banter had been also been chopped out.)

It's hard to pick a favorite track---I keep changing my mind---and the hidden bonus track called Blair's Spiders is hilarious (though not something that merits repeated listening, which makes it the perfect bonus track).

On another note, the packaging and design of "Free Mars" merit close inspection and reflect some inspired thinking.

This CD is a decent mix of pop sounds and harmonies culminated from inovators of yesteryear (see ELO, THE CURE, PINK FLOYD, etc.). An interesting sonic battery of plushy songs flow along at a nice clip yet maintaining individuality and memorable melodies. Formed from then members of TOOL and REPLICANTS, LUSK creates it's own personality with its syrupy la-la song structure and thick production. These guys are pretty good, it would be nice to hear a sophmore record even though they have already graduated from the school of pop song construction. An extremely listenable disc that's user friendly and a cool addition to any alternative collection.

I miss Meral! Where is she! Oh yeah love the cd (meral gave it to me). Tell her I love her if you ever see this!

Bill Deasy is an incredible musician. Don't know why more people haven't discovered Bill Deasy. This CD will not leave your player for weeks. His God-given talent is undeniable - singing, guitar, song-writing all top notch. I'll Rescue You, Blue Sky Grey, The Gift of Seeing Through - all of it simply beautiful songs. This CD can put anyone in a delightful mood. I can't wait to get back in to the car to hear some more. Bill was previously with the Gathering Field. Some things in life just don't work out the way you planned. This CD shows that Bill can deal with life's challenges - and so can you. If you like Springsteen, Tom Petty, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Young, Dan Fogelberg, the Clarks, any of it - you will love Bill. Buy it and buy another one for a friend or family member. They will love his sound. I have given away at least 4 - My dad, my brother, my best friend - EVERYONE has said "great CD!"

This music is great! My favorite song on the CD is Blue Sky Grey. (I like the chorus alot!) My entire family loves his music. We have all his CD's (including the ones from when he was on THE GATHERING FIELD band.) Two of my favorite songs are Blue Sky Grey and I'll Rescue You. I've met him... at my house! My mom knew growing up. [...]

I'm sure all of the other reviews have already praised this album more than I can here, but all of it put together can't be as much as it deserves. If you were in a situation where you weren't sure where your next meal was coming from, I'd suggest you put aside such concerns and spend your last few dollars on this CD. It would be worth starving over.

This album is by far their best album. Unfortunetly, they have sold themselves out and signed a record deal with MCA Records and will now be heard on the radio. But their earliest albums are still good.

I've been a devout H2O fan for years, but I've only recently completed my H2O full length collection by picking this up. I must've been insane to have lived without this CD for so long. Obviously (look at my username), H2O has had a huge impact on me as a person, more specifically the lead singer Toby Morse. I think I'm lucky that I haven't seen H2O live while this CD has been absent from my collection (actually I'm seeing them live for the first time in August), and here's why:

There isn't one bad song on here. Of course, with the exception of Go, you can pretty much say that for all of their full lengths. Most specifically, their debut album is NYHC with a little more cheerful mood to it, if you will. Songs like "Spirit of '84", "Surrounded", "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow", and especially "5 Year Plan" and "Family Tree" have extremely infectious choruses or just "crew" vocal parts in general that beg you to memorize every word. Yeah yeah yeah, so what? This can be found in every hardcore band, right? Maybe, but I can only think of a few bands, namely Warzone, that incorporate true and positive lyrics in a such a catchy yet serious manner. Sorry if that didn't make any sense.

Another great thing about this CD compared to the others is that it's FASTER. Positive, catchy, and fast is the way hardcore should be, and even if this isn't really a hardcore album, H2O stays true to their roots and delivers in a truly distinctive way.

first off, let it be known that my music tastes are completely polar from any resemblance of hardcore. but, $hit! this is a great cd. i had heard the cd several times following its release, but disregarded it due to its hardcore style. then i actually took time to listen. from beginning to end the subjects of the songs are great. several years later i still drop this cd in to the deck and put it on repeat. any young man will identify with the content of h2o's material, and anyone with a pulse will sing along.

This is possibly the 97's best & a must have in the alt country genre. Back before they signed a major label deal & descended into pop rock radio fare these guys made a few records that had brains, soul spirit & twang to spare. Don't hesitate... it'll make you smile & forget all the bands that tried to follow.

If you're an alt.country fan and you don't own this album, then what the heck is wrong with you? This ranks up there with any of Uncle Tupelo's albums, though certainly different, but equally as good.

I knew little about the 97's when I bought this album. A friend of mine recomended that I go out and purchase an album of theirs, and this was my first. I went out the next day and bought all of their other albums, driving all across town to complete my collection.

This album has a very distinct Texas sound, and I knew right away where these cats were from...ok well the title helped a bit too.

If you've never heard of the 97's then start here. This album is the best of the best, and they start to go downhill after this, with maybe the exception of Too Far to Care. Not to say that the other albums are bad. On the contrary, actually, each are very distinct and good within their own right, but when you make an album as perfect as this it is hard to follow up. Don't buy just this album, go get 'em all!

Galloping 97s tunes from the early days. Breakneck banjo and mandolin picking on a softer version of Doreen. The fiddle on Hands Off soars....it reminds of the fiddle music the Dead used on Wake of the Flood. Rhett's singing is less varnished than the later efforts....but always to good effect. CD is worth owning just to hear his enunciation of "lizard boots"

Being a fan of Howlin' Maggie since long before their major label debut - still looking for copies of the seldom played 'Wedding Gown' and hoping they might record a version of a song they used to play live that had something to do with a gay superhero - I was both excited and scared to listen to their sophomore effort. I was nervous that the new band would not have the same excitement and energy of the initial incarnation, but Hyde exceeded all of my expectations.

Honestly, it took me a little time to get into the disc, initially hearing 'Elephant' which blew me away and rocks harder than any previous material. But, after a short period I couldn't listen to one song on the disc without wanting to hear the whole thing from beginning to end. Happy's lyrics are deeper and more thoughtful than anything on Honeysuckle and they illustrate the maturity in Happy's songwriting. Listening to 'Nobody Calls Her Baby' - a song that was originally dissed by Columbia - makes me cringe at their ignorance with its thoughtful storytelling and rawkin' choruses. Other favorites include, 'Lookin Out My Window', 'If I Could Murder the Right Man', 'On the List', 'I Fall in Love With My Friends', and 'Is It Really Right', but no song on the disc is a throwaway.

I am looking forward to Happy's upcoming solo effort and think that this disc definitively marks Howlin' Maggie's arrival as Columbus, Ohio's premier rock band.

Every once in a while a special album comes along that takes us all unawares and unites us in our appreciation. Howlin' Maggie's stunning sophomore album 'HYDE' is one of these rare treasures. From start to finish this album intrigues the listener with gorgeous vocals, interesting layers of music using trombones and what sounds like actual recorded elephants rampaging.Harold Chichester has the gift of a vocal range that can rock with the best of them-griity and strong, yet tenderly hit falsettos that would make Prince and doves cry, and he has a beautiful mid-range voice that is full of exxpression. I have read that Chichester's next project will be competely solo...Wow! I can not wait to hear what he comes up with!

The world is a small place. Thankfully there are people out there
who are capable of making it look and sound a little bigger than it is.

One of the most intriguing bands of the year, Howlin' Maggie's HYDE deals in funky, driving guitar music fronted with the unconventional vocal and lyrical style of singer Harold "Happy" Chichester. His range crosses the great divide previously only crossed by Prince. The songs are remininscent of the Pixies,
young Rolling Stones, and have the lyrical depth of Tom Waits.
From somewhere in the Midwest, I think Columbus, OH, Howlin' Maggie are able to take the listener to a place no other artist
can. Their sound is all at once rock, funk, dance and yes,
ambient.

I live in France yet used to live in Seattle where Ifirst heard of Howlin' Maggie and I highly highly recommend this CD.

First, before reviewing this wonderful album, a few words for the un-initiated about Jonathan, who is way too childlike to address as Mr. Richman. Jonathan is a boyish, charming singer-guitarist who wears his heart on his sleeve. His voice is seemingly untrained, his guitar playing unsophisticated, but his songs are honest and emotional. What Jonathan lacks in musicality, he makes up for in passion and personality; more than any other performer I know, he lets us right into his heart. Depending on the listener's personality, this sloppy sentimentality is either a complete turn-off or a reason to keep showing up at his concerts.

On this album, "I, Jonathan," (1992) he continues to chronicle conflicts in his marriage with Gail. We see his then-wife mentioned by name in a previous album, "Modern Lovers '88" (1987), in a celebratory song which has only the lyrics "Gail Loves Me" repeated over and over. In his 1991 live album "Having a Party", he sings of how he got together with her just for fun, but Gail treated the relationship more seriously, and she never laughed at his jokes. In other songs, Jonathan reveals himself to be an ENFP on the Myers-Briggs personality scale - a emotional, intuitive, feeling, perceiving person, in essence, a man-child. Gail - as Jonathan describes her in song - comes across as sober, cautious in action ("Make a Mistake for Me Today", on 1989's "Jonathan Richman" album), conservative in dress ("Everyday Clothes," also "Jonathan Richman"), perhaps even a bit icy ("Closer," also on "Jonathan Richman"). Gail is an INTJ - introverted, intuitive, thinking, judger - close to the opposite of Jonathan. Benny and Joon these two are not. Gail is the grown-up.

On this album, "I, Jonathan," Jonathan again addresses themes of personality conflict, of his free spirit bumping into the constraints of Gail (and others') logical, orderly and organized thinking. Even on songs which are not relationship songs, these issues of freedom and judgmentalism percolate to the surface. He celebrates the seminal rock band "The Velvet Underground" for being "wild like the USA ... bold and brash, sharp and rude." In "Rooming House on Venice Beach," he reminisces about a simpler, happier time when he was unencumbered by possessions, money, locked doors, or... relationships. "Parties in the U.S.A" describes the police breaking up a quiet coffee-drinking gathering of innocents, wrongfully accusing them of being too loud. In "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar," he contrasts the laissez-faire, hip-shaking, rock-and-roll bar with a more conservative, uptight, and self-conscious bar where patrons drink in sips. Is this how he views his marriage to Gail? In the swooning "That Summer Feeling," he pleads (apparently in futility) that sentimentalism and nostalgic revelry will overcome and soften the listener (Gail?). Jonathan's longing for freedom is crystallized in "Tandem Jump," about parachuting. (This latter song is thematically connected to "Floating," on "Surrender" (1996), in which he invisions himself physically distanced from his family.) Jonathan's free spirit is in chains.

On his relationship songs, he addresses these ideas more directly. He sings "'You Can't Talk to the Dude' and things will never be right until you go." Someone can't converse, someone else's sense of humor has gotten worse. The pronouns are changed around, perhaps, but when he sings about the dude's bad eating habits (cross-reference "I Eat with Gusto!" on "Jonathan Richman"), it becomes clear that Jonathan is the dude who can't communicate. Gail, being straight-laced, can't stand his manners (or lack thereof) and his inability to communicate is as annoying to her, as her mincing his words is annoying to him.

Even in the song "Higher Power," which thematically and musically parallels "Gail Loves Me," Jonathan celebrates his initial meeting with Gail. "It's magic, it's magic, the way we got together," he exclaims. But ... "I knew it from that first kiss, so stingy and so spare," and most tellingly, "I knew how it would be, the way she hated me."

All told, these are brilliant, wonderful songs; I've been listening to this CD non-stop for several months while driving around in my car. The music itself, even when singing about sad and troubling things, is happy and uplifting. The emotional honesty here is breathtaking, but it is the sadness and knowledge that the relationship is ultimately doomed (as chronicled by later Jonathan albums), which helps this album stand up to repeated listening, as it mixes the sour into the sweet.

More than anything, this music makes me feel like I have a friend who understands me, in Jonathan Richman.

If you are a fan of the boston music scene then check out these amazing albums:
1) Surfer Rosa by The Pixies
2) Lyres Lyres by The Lyres
3) Low Rises by Baby Ray
4) Vs. by Mission Of Burma
5) Fig. 15 by The Human Sexual Response

This is one of the warmest, friendliest, most enjoyable albums I have ever heard, and the album that really got me into JR. From the familiar bass line of the opening track to the captivating bedtime story of the final cut, with the standout "That Summer Feeling" in between, Jonathan immediately becomes an old friend. He really is a national treasure, as anyone who has seen him live will tell you. A QUESTION: Has anyone else had problems playing this CD? I have owned two copies (I bought the first one used, and thought that might be the problem, so I gave it to a friend and bought a brand new copy) of this disc, and both seem to stutter and skip at the same places. The problem is worse on some CD players than others but is always there. Anyone else had this experience? My car stereo has a similar problem with Yo La Tengo's "Upside Down" EP, and has had it from the beginning.

This is probably one of Ween's most interesting albums. In the cover there is a story of the brothers Dean and Gene Ween and their encounter with Boognish, who is displayed on the front cover of the album. They go on to say that Boognish is the embodiment of two extremes: Good and Evil. The musical styles of this album are more or less a reflection of this concept. The gist of this album is punky, funky, and ultimately delerium, ABSOLUTELY a Ween album to say the least. There is even a funky cover of Prince's "Let me lick your p***y". This is definetely an album for Ween affecionados. Those who are recently tuning in to the band may do well to pick up "Chocolate and Cheese" or "White Pepper". Like the title of one of the albums songs, this disc is like a mushroom festival in hell. Hail Boognish!

This album blew me away when I first heard it 12 or 13 years ago, and I still think that it is Ween's masterpiece, and one of the best rock albums of the past 15 years. So unique, so ambitious, so funny and so very irreverent. The range of musical styles and the freakiness of the lyrics placed Ween in a category all their own (although some might argue that Frank Zappa had lain the groundwork).

I don't think Ween has ever matched "God/Satan" for sheer start-to-finish genius.

ween without a doubt began with what I call un polished music music you can do from home on a 4 track. before them most artists always had to resort to expensive studios making great but usually polished music even 70's 80's punk music. I was so relieved when I first heard the first three ween albums all around 1991 1992. I was like finally the home recording to do what ever you wanted regardless of what is sounds like. i just got into the moldy peaches i mean they are more regressive than ween because ween can really write and play and sing....however when I heard chocolate and the country album I went oh no they want to go the polished way. I wish they kept making music like the first three.

There's some "DJ" fans who will only listen to their early albums, but I actually really enjoy everything they've done, and this is no exception. "Hand It Over" is probably most similar to "Without A Sound", which would make sense. In fact, "Nothin's Goin' On" is kind of the "Feel The Pain" of this album, to my ears anyway. "Never Bought It" is a great track, as is "Mick", and "Alone" has the old "Neil Young" epic feel to it. The only track that's a bit jarring is "I'm Insane", mostly because it has horns on it, which some may like. I'd say if you're a fan of 90's "Dinosaur Jr.", you'll want to dig this up. They do have a collection out also.

This may be the most underated Dinosaur Jr album that J Mascis and co. would release. People had so-so thoughts about how this would turn out and it turned out to be another more exprimental album.

Even though the sound is almost completely oppisite to the Bug/Where you been sounds it can still be something. The guitaring is there and so is the lyrics/vocals but the only thing different is the sound. It's nothing to complain about and it's nice to hear what J would try before he disbanded the group and went solo. This is alot like what J Mascis does with the Fog but with a more authentic Mascis trademark. Meaning it's what Dinosaur Jr would probably sound like today.

There are a few filler songs on the album. Mick and I Don't think are examples. I don't Think isn't s very strong opening track to get someone into the album and Mick just kinda goes on and on. The last track Gotta Know and I'm Insane are my favorite tunes on the album. Gotta Know has a great sound to it and the it just ends the album very, very well. I'm Insane sounds more pop-rockish with the trumpet and harmless sound. While other songs like Can't We Movie this and I know Yer Insane is just POWER. Same with Loaded to a lesser extent.

Either way, it's a great way to end what was a great group.

This album was a good in terms of the fact that dinosaur was finshed (J mascis isnt finshed yet) and the songs were like a mix of the years past the bug-era. My favorite on the CD was Im insane and nothings going on. J mascis is a true singer and he is doing great with is new band. Also check out the BBC sessions and martin and me for the last taste of dinosaur.

I'm a huge fan of everything from Priest Driven Ambulance to date, I have all the albums and I've seen the band live. In my honest opinion, Hit to Death just doesn't measure up to any of these other albums; it was a step down from Priest and luckily their sound was refined and rescued by Satellite Heart a year later. I know some of the die hard fans will disagree but I really think this album is not on par with the rest. The Sun?? come on. Gingerale Afternoon?? you can do better than that. Some of this is recycled crap and regardless of how much you worship the Waynester and believe the band can do no wrong, this album is just plain boring in many spots. I've tried to get into it for the last five years but I just can't. Exceptions of course are the terrific tracks Deathporn Blues, Hit Me, Felt Good, and Barbary Coast.
Save your cash and buy Clouds Taste Metallic!

ladies and gentlemen, this is a great album. no questions asked. but if you're new to the flaming lips, exposed first to the soft bulletin and yoshimi like me, this might not be a good place to start. compared to the lush, layered sonic palettes of bulletin and yoshimi, this is indeed organized but not as much. the guitars range from squelchy to piercing, with all kinds of effects and noises thrown in at spots, but not in a bad way, in more of an adding to the song type way. Standout tracks include Hit Me Like You Did the First Time, Halloween on the Barbary Coast, Frogs, and The Magician vs. the Headache. but if you really want to get into the lips after you've experienced bulletin and yoshimi, start off with the clouds taste metallic album and work you're way back. either way you go, if you like the lips, you'll be happy.

The Flaming Lips' fifth album, Hit to Death in the Future Head, is, to start, a surprisingly coherent and brilliant album from a
time in the Lips' musical career when they were still transitioning from something like alternative grunge to electronic pop. It gives a tantalizing taste of the care-free subjects of their next album, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, while mixing some of the left-over grunge from In a Priest Driven Ambulance with an overall mellower sound similar to that of more recent albums. However, by no means should this be mistaken for one of their latest works. It bears little or no resemblance to the oft-loved and emotional Soft Bulletin, nor to the experimental Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It is unique in its own right, as a little-known hybrid of changing styles in the middle of the Flaming Lips career.

This fact becomes readily apparent in songs like "Gingerale Afternoon," an amazingly laid-back tune (despite its apparent speed) that sparks memories of nostalgic summers, and the most impressive work on the album "Halloween on the Barbary Coast," a deceptively smooth song that hides brash and noisy chords reminiscent of Lips' previous albums. Though many of the songs here have apparent differences in subject matter, they seem to have an overlying blanket of similar song character, and they compliment each other well. For instance, the unhurried and majestic "The Sun" makes for a very good lead into the almost overly-calm and slow f***-it-all "Felt Good to Burn." One song just gets you in the mood for another.

Interestingly, throughout much of Hit to Death in the Future Head, Coyne's trademark slightly off-key and quirky singing style from earlier albums is gone, replaced by a much calmer and dignified voice. In all truth, his vocals sound oddly similar to Bob Dylan's. Whether or not this is a good thing, however, depends upon your taste in music. By taking such a large departure vocally from the last album, you may find yourself dismayed by this change, or, possibly, pleasantly surprised. That's not to say that his voice is always like this ("The Magician vs. the Headache" is a notable exception), but it certainly feels this way in some of the slower songs in the album, like the previously-stated "The Sun" and "Felt Good to Burn," which in a strange way end up feeling like songs by Bob Dylan being covered by the Flaming Lips.

As a side note, this was one of the final albums in which the Flaming Lips was a four member band. Their fourth member, guitarist Jonathan Donahue, whose very noisy and bizarre guitar work made Hit to Death in the Future Head and the more critically successful In a Priest Driven Ambulance arguably some of the Lips' most memorable work, left almost immediately after the release of this album to pursue his own musical career. He was replaced by Ronald Jones for the next two albums, who then himself left the band, reportedly having suffered from paranoia and severe agoraphobia.

However, the album is not without its problems. The vocals are almost all un-listenably distant; whether this is purposeful or just a product of a poor recording studio at the time is uncertain. Also, anyone who started at either spectrum of the Flaming Lips career, either with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and Soft Bulletin, or Hear it Is might be put off by just how different is from either of them. The Flaming Lips have been an amazingly adaptable band throughout their lifetime; their beginning works and more recent are near polar opposites. If you have started at one extreme end of their career, it would probably be advisable to just work you way in one direction, one album at time so as to make the transition between musical styles less abrupt.

With this album the Flaming Lips have once again displayed their seemingly endless ability to completely revamp themselves from release to release. This over-looked classic is must-own for any Lips fan, and may just be the right place to start for those looking to discover all that their music has to offer.