Gossip - Live In Liverpool CD & DVD SET

Twist/Columbia/Sony BMG

The sassiest band on the face of the planet finally have an album that gives their untamed energy justice. One of the most powerful live bands that is in existence. The Gossip harnesses the powers that be into a complete assault by way of indie rock, rock and roll, and dissonant power-pop, concocting a furious sexual rage of pure energy.
Playing only as a three piece (guitar, drums, and vocals), the band manages to use their minimal instrumentation to it's full advantage, similar in ways to the White Stripes, but far surpassing what Jack White is only dreaming of. Incredibly well recorded for a live album, I would almost recommend this as an introduction to the Portland based trio.

Various Artists - Temptation: Music From The Showtime Series Californication First Season

ABKCO/Showtime/CBS

This is the soundtrack to the newest David Duchovny venture: Californication. A television show about a sex-crazed Los Angles writer (as if a Los Angles writer who isn't sex-obsessed has ever existed), which I guarantee isn't as good as Duchovny's roll in The X-Files or Twin Peaks, but has still won him a Golden Globe.
The soundtrack, on the other hand, takes on quite a great roster. Opening is the most overplayed Rolling Stones song ever "You Can't Always Get What You Want", which has seemed to be everywhere in the past few years. Also on here is Bob Dylan's "If You See Her, Say Hello,", Warren Zevon's "Mohammed's Radio," and a My Morning Jacket track. Great collection.

Weezer - Red Album

DGC/Interscope/Universal

While I never got into this band at their peak in the end of the last century, they have still yet to get "bad" per say...just slightly less good than the rest of their releases. Stoner/pop punk at it's best, Weezer's created a formula which has influenced massive amounts of music.
With less of the "pop punk", and even less of the "stoner" aspect as well, Red Album takes more notes from early 90's loser rock ala Nada Surf than the Descendants. This is not inherently bad, but just adds new dynamics the world has yet to hear from them. Still using the incredible song writing, still sad lyrics about loving celebrities, and even more: still enough rapping parts to make this certifiably Weezer, this is another solid release form them. Now, if only their next album would just sound like Pinkerton, life would be perfect again.

Angel Band - With Roots & Wings

Appleseed

So I can't tell how much of it is a joke that Angel Band leader Nancy Josephson is a practitioner of Haitian Voodoo, but it certainly adds a better light to With Roots & Wings endless amounts of religious songs.
The group consists of three women (said Josephson joined by Jen Schonwald and Kathleen Weber) backed by a bluegrass/country crossover band, but that really doesn't matter.
The band is based in the trio's harmonization and incredible vocal range. The band has a lot of gospel influence, which I appreciate. Their biggest drawback is an endless amount of cheesy lyrics, which, I guess given the Voodoo context, one could probably overlook.

Pennywise - Reason To Believe

MySpace/Interscope/Universal

As if it wasn't embarrassing enough that bros in white tank tops still can't get enough of this band after 20 years, Pennywise have been released on Myspace Records, seemingly the newest venture of Rupert Murdock's NewsCorp. While I won't go on a tirade about how disgusting it is that punk rock now almost exclusively revolves around a tool of one of the largest capitalists in the world, I can't help but notice similarities between "The Western Wall", the first single off of Reason To Believe, and Bad Religion's "Twenty-First Century Digital Boy," the song that marked the complete loss of one of the best bands to come out of punk rock.
Reason To Believe is what you would expect: Pennywise playing the same music they have since Daria was still on the air, but lacking all of the anger and soul that the earlier albums had. While I still stand by "Brohymn" was by no means their best song, they have done better than this. With that said, it doesn't sound much different than the rest of their records. So if you dug Full Circle, you'll be way down.

John Legend - Once Again

Getting Out Our Dreams/Columbia/Sony BMG

Smooth R&B performer John Legend's second album, while I personally feel is a bit weaker than his debut, is moving more in the direction of pop rather than soul, which I appreciated much more. This isn't to say it isn't good, just different.
And you can't really blame an artist for trying something new, but you can't please everyone. 13 tracks of soothing songs about loving life or love-related issues, and a bit of the Kanye West production that sticks out like a sore thumb in any context.

Paul Van Dyk - In Between

Mute

By far and large one of the best European DJ's at the moment, Paul Van Dyk has mastered the art of techno. Incredibly innovative beats, creative structures, and more bounce than a six year old with ADHD, In Between's sometimes dreamy soundscapes and intense rave-themes have created an album so full and well developed that the envelope of Djing as we know it is readily adapting for a more high-stakes playing field. With some amazing cameo's (members of both the Pussycat Dolls and Talking Heads among others), In Between is Van Dyk's best work to date.
************LATE BUT GREAT***********

Ahn Trio - Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac

RCA/Red Seal/Sony BMG

Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac, while not necessarily my personal preference in the contemporary classical relm, is undeniably one of the best mainstream groups to come onto the scene in the past while.
The Ahn sisters master the art of the trio, constantly working within the constructs of the three instruments (piano, cello and violin) and making it sound full, dynamic, and anything but monotonous. Beautifully crafted instrumentation coupled with a few great covers (Suzie Suh and two Michal Nyman pieces) makes Insomniac by and large one of the most powerful cross-over classical albums of the century.

Armin Van Buuren - Imagine

Ultra

Armin Van Buuren is perhaps the best trance DJ out there at the moment, and for any fans, Imagine will not disappoint. Starting with the epic opening cut, taking on what I know best as the cheesy metal intro of epic proportions and slowly fading into drum and bass infused trance, the album is constructed virtually flawlessly within the confines of the genre, and pushing the bounds of what trance can be.

Becky Schlegel - For All The World To See

Libby Ray/Select-O-Hits/IGO

With one of the most beautiful voices to pop up in country music in the last few years, Becky Schlegel's national debut album For All The World To See is made up of mesmerizing melodies, low-energy americana/bluegrass, and soulful lyrics.
She is most certainly a solo artist, but her backing musicians demanded just the right amount of attention to make the album really flow beautifully. Winner of the most relaxing record of the issue.

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

Fiction/Geffen

Dreamy indie-pop at it's best. England's finest release their first album in two and half long years, which may have been for the best: this is probably their greatest album to date.
Based strongly in a band form (which just gets rarer and rarer these days), Elbow is strengthened by all of it's parts. Vocalist Guy Garvey's voice is reminiscent of Morrissey, but that may be because he is crooning almost from beginning to end of The Seldom Seen Kid. Lots of spacey electronics are thrown in, which are luckily not overused and rarely cheesy.

Thom Rotella 4-Tet - Out of the Blues

Four-Bar

This is straightforward jazzy-blues. Thom Rotella's phenomenal guitar skills carry the piece seamlessly from beginning to end, using a style that is not original, but fully works. Accompanied by legends across the board (Donald Elfman, Roy McCurdy, Luther Hughes, Llew Matthews, and Rich Eames), this is solid in the most basic sense of the word.

Chumbawamba - Get On With It Live

PM/Trade Root

Chumbawamba is one of the most innovative, intelligent, and revolutionary bands that has ever existed. Starting as an awkward punk band, Chumbawamba made a name for themselves in the English peace punk scene, slowly evolving and growing out of their youthful shell and into a band so infused with intelligent politics, interesting sounds, and catchy melodies that even their worst of songs (read: Tubthumping) made the band millions.
Get On With It is one of their live albums, this time playing their new acoustic songs. Male/female vocals play off each other incredibly well, making harmonies work as their signature style. While I thoroughly enjoy the live record, I highly recommend checking out their first album Pictures Of Starving Children Sell Records, my honest favorite release of all time.

Dave Gahan - Hourglass

Mute/Virgin

Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan's second solo album is, well, the work of Dave Gahan. Basically, when you listen to this album, you realize that Depeche Mode is held up almost entirely by their front man. Catchy electronic ballads with the gloomy vocal melodies that is well known to any gothic and electronic fan around the world.
Similar to his full band, Hourglass strikes me as a less good version of what Ian Curtis would have done if limited to only a laptop. Less good only in the sense that Ian Curtis isn't involved. Basically, if you like Depeche Mode, you will like this, just don't expect anything new.

The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Pay No Mind

NorthernBlues/Redeye

Three piece sensational blues project The Homemade Jamz Blues Band are being talked about all over the blues scene. Musically, they are good. Nothing original, no real audible insane talent, but solid heartfelt blues.
Three Perry siblings, which is cool also. But what makes them slowly becoming a household name in the blues world is their ages: singer/guitarist Ryan is 16, bass player Kyle is 13, and drummer Taya is, I kid you not, 9 years old. This only furthers the soul that is infused into all of the music. It will be amazing to see where these kids will go in the next 10 years.

Uh Huh Her - Common Reaction

Nettwerk RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 19TH

The first thing I have is the fact that I knew this band was from Los Angles before I read it anywhere. The sounds is just the epitome of the Los Angles indie rock scene for the past few years. A very Vice Records sound, like something Pitchfork Media would be all about.
Electro-pop revival, but taking on a sound that is more aimed towards modern ears. Almost entirely electronics, drums and vocals, the two piece (Leisha Haily and Camila Grey) are doing the 80's sound surprisingly well, and manage to play off each other's styles as if it was second nature.

Interstate Cowboy - There's A Road

Ranch Rukus

While I have never been all that familiar with western swing, Interstate Cowboy are precisely what you would expect to come from incorporating country feel to said style of dance music, albeit incredibly slow. Some incredible soloing, and a surprising amount of reggae influence are balanced, which gives the band an even more original feel. Moments remind me of Jimmy Buffett, but unfortunately lack the drug-induced lyrics. A little southern twang to the vocals, and you have There's A Road.

Greeley Estates - Go West Young Man, Let The Evil Go East

Science

Greeley Estates thrive on vocals that sounds like cookie monster vomitting, endless amounts of rhythmic open chord breakdowns, and dissonant chords that leave no place for a tolerable melody.
Musically the band manages to bring a new sound to the table, best labeled as "post-metalcore", which shows the failing state of our music scene these days. Sassy and not all the brutal, Go West Young Man, Let The Evil Go East is for people who listen to bands in similar scenes, but not for anyone into anything else.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Saxophone Summit - Seraphic Light

Telarc/Concord

The second release in the collection of the "Saxophone Summit" arrangement is certainly the right direction for jazz. Aiming to where elder Coltrane left off, Dave Lieman, Joe Lovano and Ravi Coltrane construct the endless possibilities of what would have happened if the world had not lost it's greats.
Along with John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, part of the cornerstone of the original Saxophone Summit, passed away in early 2007, leaving the group to carry the torch without him. Seraphic Light does both of the deceased justice, creating movements that you would have expected from the mission statement.

Mess Anger - Black House Mess

Thorns'N Nails/Pyramid/Ecomm/Fontana/Universal

So I think this may be the first time in my life where I felt that idolizing Black Sabbath didn't work out. Mess Anger take all the best parts of Black Sabbath and ruin them with Hot Topic personas and incredibly uninteresting riffs. I try to find the positives in most things, but there aren't many here. There is undeniable charm about the idolization of Ozzy, but the charm left the moment the band left their parent garage

The Smithereens - Live In Concert - Greatest Hits And More

Koch

I'm always a bit saddened when I see this band's name around and it isn't an all female Smiths cover band. Whatever. It'll happen one of these days. Regardless, Live In Concert is the band's first release in almost 10 years (aside from a Christmas album a while back), and is meant as a precursor to their next full length, coming out early next year.
Certainly defined as college rock, The Smithereens write songs that are not quite innovative, but rather solid based on melodies and progressions. On this live album are most of their hits ("Blood and Roses", "Miles From Nowhere," and "A Girl Like You," to name a few) and a handful of brand new tracks, making it perfect for people into the dead genre. center>

***If You Like Music, You're Gonna' Love This!***

I felt the earth on Monday. It moved beneath my feet.
In the form of a morning paper. Laid out for me to see.

Saw his face in a corner picture. I recognized the name.
Could not stop staring at the. Face I'd never see again.

It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over

It's the same everyday in a hell manmade
What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?

The whole world...World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

Medals on a wooden mantle. Next to a handsome face.
That the president took for granted.
Writing checks that others pay.

And in all the madness. Thought becomes numb and naive.
So much to talk about. Nothing for to say.

It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devils on their shoulder

Laying claim to the take that our soldiers save
Does not equate, and the truth's already out there

The whole world,... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

The whole world... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You got to know there's another, another, another, another
Another way

It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over

It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devils on their shoulder

The whole world... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

The whole world... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

Political Article: Cluster Bombs: A Shameful Stance By:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer Back To Top In May, much of the world signed a treaty outlawing cluster bombs, the Nazi-created munitions that injure, maim and kill indiscriminately long after their initial use. Now comes the U.S. government to announce it will improve its cluster bombs. Eventually. The world bans an inhumane weapon. We want to perfect it. Embarrassing. According to The Associated Press, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a policy change that would require technical improvements so that, after 2018, more than 99 percent of the bomblets in a cluster bomb must detonate. That would limit - not eliminate - the danger of children and other civilians later being hurt by the detonation of unexploded bomblets. At the end of the Clinton administration, a similar policy was adopted - with a goal of 2005. A recent Congressional Research Service report questioned whether the 99 percent goal is technically achievable, except in laboratory conditions. U.S. intransigence on cluster bombs is matched by very few nations, among them China, Russia and Pakistan. That's not the type of company we should keep on human rights issues. When the treaty was adopted in May, backers optimistically predicted that the United States would never again use the weapons, no matter what the government might say. Gates' policy change is a dark suggestion that the administration will try to sanitize a brutal weapon just enough to continue its use indefinitely.

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