Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
June 14, 2008
I was looking forward to hearing this album because Viva La Vida has been on repeat on my iPod for past week or so. However, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I do have a lot of respect for the British band and for Chris Martin, the lead, who has recently collaborated with two artists that I especially admire. Kanye West (Homecoming) and Jay-Z (Beach Chair) – two examples of great cross genre tracks. The sound of the album was a little too experimental and if it wasn’t for Chris Martin, I would have probably dismissed the record altogether. But who knows, maybe it’ll grow on me. Despite a great lead single, I can’t give it more than a 3/5.
The first time I heard Viva La Vida was when it was featured in an Apple commercial. I love Apple’s artsy ads and this one was one of their best. You have to admit, the song is rather catchy. I especially like the strings and the percussion.
Songs worth a listen:
- Viva La Vida (covers: 1 and 2)
- Violet Hill
The rest I can do without.
Interesting fact: Chris Martin’s daughter’s name is Apple.
Some retailers give vinyl records a spin
June 14, 2008
Some retailers give vinyl records a spin – Los Angeles Times
PORTLAND, ORE. — It was a fortuitous typo for the Fred Meyer retail chain.
This spring, an employee intending to order a special CD-DVD edition of R.E.M.’s latest release “Accelerate” inadvertently entered the “LP” code instead. Soon boxes of vinyl discs showed up at several stores.
Some sent them back. But a handful put them on the shelves, and 20 LPs sold the first day.
The Portland-based company, owned by the Kroger Co., realized the error might not be so bad after all. Fred Meyer is now testing vinyl sales at 60 of its stores in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The company says it plans to roll out vinyl in July in all its stores that sell music.
Other retailers are giving vinyl a spin too. Best Buy Co. is testing sales at some stores. And Amazon.com Inc., which has sold vinyl for most of the 13 years it has been in business online, created a special vinyl-only section last fall.
And all the hipsters go rushing to Fred Meyers…
Hey, I actually would love to own a few vinyl records. It’s a whole other listening experience. I just don’t have a record player to play them on.
N*E*R*D – Seeing Sounds
June 11, 2008
The trio that make up N*E*R*D include Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, along with friend Shay Haley. Chances are you’ve listened to their work before. The Neptunes have written and produced a dizzying amount of songs with a discography that’s sure to impress anyone. I’d say their most notable work this year was on Madonna’s album, Hard Candy, of which they have written and produced 7 of the 11 tracks (and fellow superproducer Timbaland responsible for the rest).
N*E*R*D set themselves apart from The Neptunes by crossing genre from hip hop/urban pop to alternative rock. This quote sums them up well:
Along with school friend Shay Haley, Hugo and Williams also started a genre-bending rock band, NERD. It stands for Nobody Ever Really Dies, but the Neptunes are often championed as proponents of “New Geek Chic” – witty and articulate black nerds eschewing hip-hop stereotypes for science fiction and rock’n'roll.
This album is terrific. The album name, if you haven’t already guessed, was inspired by the neurological phenomenon, synesthesia – a combining of various senses (very interesting stuff BTW). I think its very fitting. The songs on the record are of mix of rock, hip hop, jazz, soul, pop and everything in between. The album definitely exceeded my expectations. I give it 4.5/5.
Some songs off the album:
- You Know What
- Yeah You
- Windows
- Sooner Or Later
- Love Bomb
- Time For Some Action – this is the intro track, it’s not really a song but I like the beat
Usher – Here I Stand
May 26, 2008
Here I Stand is Usher’s fifth album, and a follow up to 2004’s Confessions. Usually a step ahead, Usher took two steps back with this release. There was nothing new – just the same old stuff wrapped in a new package. This is the same artist who brought us 8701! The same artist who is often referred to as the Michael Jackson of my generation. How disappointing. I give it 3.5/5.
However, there are a couple tracks that stand out from the mediocrity:
Something Special – I especially like the guitar. I like to think of it as the male version of Christina Aguilera’s Save Me From Myself.
Will Work For Love – a hidden track.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
May 1, 2008
Say what you will about Lauryn Hill, but this album is a classic. I went out yesterday to go bike shopping and came home with a Lauryn Hill CD. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since this disc came out! The album was a critical and commercial success, and rightfully so. Lauryn’s unique vocals and powerful lyrics truly makes this one hell of an album. I give it 6 out of 5 stars. Some of my favourite tracks:
Turn Your Lights Down Low (ft. Bob Marley) - this one’s actually not from this record.
