"Katy!" I'm "The One That Got Away!"

Okay so I was on Youtube this afternoon and came across Katy Perry's page. After I stopped gauking at her picture...

...Okay, before we go any further, I need to be honest with you and just come out with it...
... I have had a crush on Katy since she hit the air waves. Okay better now.

So now let's get back to the matter at hand. Katy will be debuting her next single's video, "The One That Got Away" on November 11th. Katy's sophomore album, 'Teenage Dream" has been killing the charts for while now. The album has had chart topping singles after single, and this next little number will be sure to continue to propel Katy towards pop legend.

Eisley's number 4

Well, what do you know. There is another band that is comprised of siblings and a cousin that isn't "The Kings of Leon." Are you kidding me?!...

...Well believe it or not there is, and that is exactly what the Tyler, Texas band Eisley is through and through.

Eisley became a reality in 1997. Over the course of the 14 years the band has managed to produce 4 studio albums, bringing their alt-folk-indie sound to the masses. For me, one of the coolest projects that turned me onto this little obscure masterpiece was the bands 2007 CD, LP "Combinations". The minute I got my hands on that album I found myself lost in a really creative world that embodies Celtic vocal howls with some killer guitar riffs and fun drum grooves. For me the best track on "Combinations" is "Invasion". That is the song that sold me on Eisley's unique style, so when I heard that there was a new album that hit this year, I was ready to explode.

"The Valley" is another interesting interpretation of the bands very stylized musical approach. It maintains the very deep and personal lyrics that grab the bands listeners into a place of self identification/expression. The band continues to grow in their creative approach of writing, and intertwines fun grooves with some hard hitting content. Eisley is a great find, and if you haven't heard of them take a minute and enjoy. The band finished their "Valley Scapes Tour" this past September. The more you support, the grater the chance Eisley may pop up in your home town. For more information on this 5 piece ensemble, visist www.eisley.com.  

Metalli-Crap

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS MESS? I mean I can't even hide how terrible Lou Reed and Metallica's album "Lu Lu" is. Picture putting a microphone close to your dog while he is taking a poo, and publishing the audio as the newest and most creative thing. That is what this record is. There is no polite way to say it, but this album suck in every possible way. I mean the vocals are off key. The content is odd, and there is no such thing as THRASH METAL COUNTRY. Look if you had issues with Metallica when "Load" and "Reload" came out, you are about to crap your pants with even greater disappointment when you hear this ghastly alt-universe collaboration. This thing is so bad, there should be a new ranking system that awards negative stars for stuff this awful.  

"Ceremonials" or is it "Lungs 2.0"?

"Lungs" was the "machine" that brought Florence and the Machine to the U.S. in a big way. The album is holding 70 on the Billboard 200 Charts still. Her latest LP, "Ceremonials" has yet to makes any waves within the U.S. Billboard charts in any category. So why is that?

Now before I go any further let me just say that I really like the artistic Celtic/Enya influenced sound of Florence, however, "Ceremonials" is a bit lacking in creativity. I was a bit let down when I put the album in car CD player. "Yes I am that guy that still hunts down CD, because I think it's cool so don't judge me."...
...Okay back to the issue at hand. The first track of the album had me intrigued, and I was digging it in a big way, but by the time I found myself on track 8, I was board out of my mind. It was as if every song was just another reinterpretation of the last one. Same grooves. Same vocal and lyrical progressions, Same everything. And then it hit me in a big way...
..."THIS IS "LUNGS" 2.0!" I mean come on man, give me something a little different. Now again I'm not hear hating on Florence and the Machine at all. In fact I really like her style a lot. What I'm trying to say, is that this album could have been something that was even better than the first one. Instead it's musical constipation, in which the creative juices appeared to be cramped in a stalemate position leaning towards a conservative and predictable style that may haunt or even halt the momentum of the "Machine." I would give this album a 3 out of 5 stars. Sorry Florence, I wasn't wowed...

Mylo Xyloto

Coldplay is back with their with their 5th studio album "Mylo Xyloto". Chris Martin and the gang continue to evolve and stretch the boundaries of their musical canvas.

This album is a little heavier, and offers a real balance of synth pads along the way that catapults the album towards the future. One of the more interesting observations of this album is the strong acoustic guitar parts that serve as the melodic foundation for the bands newest project in just about every song. From the fun and moving lyrics of "Charlie Brown" to the pounding anthemic groove of "Don't Let it Break Your Heart", Mylo Xyloto is worth the investment for the most hardcore Coldplay fan to the novice music lover that has never heard of the UK super-group.

The Street

Man, these Brits are killing it. Now I know what you may be thinking. "What are hardcore white British Guys doing rapping?" Well who cares! The fact of the matter is that they are awesome. I was first introduced to The Streets by my roommate in college Lonnie. These guys know how to get a killer mix of beats that will rattle around in your cranium for a while. Remember, don't judge a book by its cover. Give it a listen and take some time to support the cause and "BUY THE ALBUM!"

Old School repsects New School

First it was Legendary Country Music God, Johnnhy Cash covering Nine Inch Nails "Hurt". Now once again one of Country Music's living legends pays an overwhelming homage to Great Britain's super-group, "Cold Play".

Willie does a masterful job of taking one of Cold Play's most recognizable singles, " The Scientist", and makes it an authentic story of intrigue that only Willie can do. There is no mistaking this Country giants haunting voice, as he walks through his journey of loss, regret, love, and reconciliation. For me one of the best musical finds of the year.