WK24 - Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: End of Day (4)

Released - 9/15/09

Label - Universal Motown Records

BLURB - There was a ton of hype with this record. Kid Cudi's highly touted mix tapes had garnered a ton of steam. I was even lucky enough to see him live over the summer...his show was amazing with a ridiculous amount of energy. There were crazy guest appearances scheduled for this release, awesome remixes and hit singles to be found. The album even got pushed back from it's original August release date several times, just to make sure everything was set up perfectly. This should be the genre mystifying, transcendent album of the year, no? There's one thing missing on this overly marketed, much anticipated album...substance. The whole CD attempts to redefine hip-hop through this monotonous, alternative, down tempo style. It just doesn't work for me.

Rating - 4 out of 10

FULL STORY - Here's my take on this. Over the last few years there has been this sort of indie, hip-hop, alternative, rap counter-culture on the rise. When I grew up, not to sound racist or judgmental, and speaking in the most lamens of terms - but the white kids were listening to punk and skateboarding and the black kids were listening to hip hop and clubbing. Groups like N.E.R.D, Gym Class Heroes, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and such, came into great prominence and reversed everything. All of a sudden you had lots of black kids getting into skateboarding and while not entirely leaving their hip hop obsession, shifted their musical taste to a more alternative, skateboardy, nerdy feel. Meanwhile acts like 50 Cent, L'il Wayne and T-Pain were on a huge tear, dropping tons and tons of club hits. These mainstream names worked their way into suburban America, and all of a sudden every white kid named Zack was standing in line waiting to buy, 'Tha Carter III.' You can look it up - the facts are there. The majority of these huge star, hip hop artists (50 Cent, L'il Wayne, etc.) ended up having their highest sales come from purchases by suburban white males between 15-25.

How does this shift affect Kid Cudi? Well, he came into prominence as the landscape in music was changing. So he not only grew up on hip hop, but he also grew up on indie and punk, as did those that will buy his record. This creates a huge demographic of 15-25 year olds, that like all kinds of music. Where Kid Cudi gets in trouble is trying to appease not only his diverse musical background, but the diverse musical background of hundreds of thousands of potential consumers of his record. 'Man on the Moon: End of Day,' while extremely unique in it's own right, doesn't really accomplish anything. The whole album seems terribly slow and monotonous. Almost every song sounds alike - kind of slow, somewhat emotional, 'look at me' lyrics, with little or no rapping. It's really weird in the sense that this album kind of sounds like a spoken word novel. There isn't a lot of rapping, Kid Cudi doesn't sing, and yet there are these words and lyrics and lines flying all over the place without any real importance on their delivery.

Musically, the record sounds exactly like Kanye West's, '808's & Heartbreaks.' Some parts almost sound stolen. Here's what made Kanye's record great, and Kid Cudi's uninspiring. '808's & Heartbreak' was real, raw emotion mixed with Kanye's, 'fuck-you' attitude. West created a record filled with incredibly basic, yet creative beats and filled them with lyrical themes that really hadn't been explored in the hip hop realm. He didn't care. He was looking for the quickest way possible to get out all of the emotion and stress he was under while dealing with the death of his mother and countless other events that were going on in his personal life. His record was not marketed at all and literally took only a month or so to record and put out. It served as a time capsule for everything that he was feeling at that moment, musically and personally. It 'was' Kanye West at that exact moment.

Kid Cudi on the other hand, obviously heavily influenced by Kanye's musical evolution (he appeared on West's album), and the evolution of music in general, puts out a record that feels forced and uninspired. It's as if he made a product based on what people thought his product should sound like. He's trying to please too many people at the same time, while simultaneously trying to break into the music industry. Take it slow - focus on what your good at, and slowly refine your style.

'C'mon man...Day n Nite and Make Her Say are awesome,' - nameless Kid Cudi fan. I'll give you that one. Keep in mind that both of the songs are old. Both of these songs appeared on mix tapes and as unreleased leaks a while ago. Both of these songs stand out. However, both of these songs ('Make Her Say,' more so) don't gel with the record, as they have a more straight up hip hop feel. This is like waving a donut in front of a fat guy. Look at these awesome hip hop songs, they're awesome...now buy my CD. The whole album, contrary to the singles, is very melodramatic and sullen. He, almost inadvertently, forces all of the attention on to himself as opposed to the music.

The vibe that comes off from this record is so, 'Hey look at me, I'm Kid Cudi, I'm the man, everyone loves everything I do.' Meanwhile, he's really never done anything. I think this album is too ambitious for a debut. It tries to accomplish too many things at once, without really accomplishing anything. Yes, it's a new sound. Yes, it's pushing music in a new direction. Yes, it will appeal to the masses - but don't tell me how great Kid Cudi is. He just showed up two weeks ago, he's not hip hop's messiah. That's Lupe Fiasco. It's interesting to give, 'Man on the Moon' a couple of listens to try and see what is going on, but if you're like me, you'll end up just picking it apart. It's funny reading reviews for this, because every positive review states, 'if you don't like this, then you just don't get the scene.' I beg to differ. Maybe this artist, that every 15-25 year old indie, rap fan adores and has put all of their faith in, just flopped. Don't rationalize a poor effort by suggesting that, 'I don't get it.'

If you're looking for a true genre-bending artist that mixes urban music with alternative and indie, check out Kenna. He was featured in Malcolm Gladwell's book, 'Blink.' The chapter on Kenna revolves around how Kenna mixes all of these different sounds, is infinitely talented and yet has struggled to gain notoriety. His lack of success was blamed on the public's nature to be ephemeral, just giving a quick listen - then moving on. All the while, Kenna was accomplishing everything that Kid Cudi is currently attempting to accomplish...years ago.

And another thing...if you're going to work with MGMT, at least make a decent song.

Tracks

1.) In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)

2.) Soundtrack 2 My Life

3.) Simple As...

4.) Solo Dolo (Nightmare)

5.) Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)

6.) Day 'n' Nite

7.) Sky Might Fall

8.) Enter Galactic (Love Connection, Pt. 1)

9.) Cudi Zone

10.) Up Up & Away

11.) My World

12.) Hyyerr

13.) Alive (Nightmare)

14.) Make Her Say

15.) Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)

WK23 - Brand New - Daisy (8.5)

Released - 9/22/09

Label - DGC Records

Blurb - This comes at you hard. Very Hard. Just listen to the opening track. There's just a piano and female singing and then BOOM! The best and most aggressive song on the album, 'Vices' explodes into your headphones. Yet, this isn't a sign of things to come. This record is very dark, yet musically varied. Brand New does a great job evolving and transcending genres here. 'Daisy,' if predictably, is not your standard emo release. There is a certain grunge and alternative feel to this recording, awakening a genre that was all but dead. Is it there best release? No - 'Deja Entendu' holds that title, but this is definitely up there.

Rating - 8.5 out of 10

Full Story - Angst-ridden and very down tempo, 'Daisy' is the very sought after fourth release from emo-rockers Brand New. The band burst on the scene the better part of a decade ago as an energetic pop-punk band that relied on lyrical connections to their audience and a full throttle live show. As the years have past, Brand New have altered their sound and image, and never relied on producing something that they were supposed to produce. The reason that Brand New is still relevant and successful today, is the same reason that Thursday and Saves the Day aren't. Adaptation and expression.

The new record, 'Daisy,' exploits this feat brilliantly. When I first listened to it, I was like...woah...is this Brand New? There is such a classic feel to this record, not sounding of this decade. The tracks sound something like Nirvana meets Pearl Jam meets Thrice. A very odd formula. Obviously they didn't set out to create this record with the soul intent of appearing to be, 'grunge' now. This is just what is coming out.

With all Brand New records, the focus point tends to be the lyrical content. With this particular release, I feel Brand New did an excellent job providing a more genuine musical tapestry for their lyrics to rest upon. With 'Your Favorite Weapon' and 'Deja Entendu,' when the band wanted to really express themselves, the music was generally either very polished or acoustic. Not the case here. On 'Daisy,' melancholy songs sound melancholy, aggressive songs sound aggressive and uplifting songs sound uplifting. You get the picture. 'Gasoline,' 'Bought a Bride' and 'Bed' are all great examples of their music finally supporting their lyrical content.

For all you old school Brand New fans, I'm not sure if you're going to enjoy this. There aren't any true singles on this disc and the album as a whole is very interpretive. However, if you are open to change and evolving your musical palette, this album is definitely for you. It might take some patience and an open mind, but 'Daisy' is for the music listener that 'gets it.'

Tracks

1.) Vices

2.) Bed

3.) At the Bottom

4.) Gasoline

5.) You Stole

6.) Be Gone

7.) Sink

8.) Bought a Bride

9.) Daisy

10.) In a Jar

11.) Noro

WK22 - Phish - Joy (3)

Released - 9/8/09

Label - Jemp Records

BLURB - A truly amateur effort from veteran jam band Phish has myself questioning, what was the point of this release? With over four years passing since their last (also abysmal) release, 'Undermind,' and various solo projects taking place, one would think that the quartet reuniting for a new release would bring some new creativity and ideas to the table. Au contraire. 'Joy' is a fairly boring record that rarely travels into experimentation and fails to offer up innovative tracks like Reba, You Enjoy Myself or Guyute. Yes, I'm well aware that Phish studio records seldom take from their veritable circus of sounds and jams that their live shows feature, but you've got to do better than a collection of vanilla sounding rock tracks.

Rating - 3 out of 10

FULL STORY - Phish is my favorite band of all time. They have more or less helped shape my musical taste. I spent nearly two years fully engulfed in Phishdom, refusing to listen to any other music and compiling a collection of around 50 live shows. What sold me was the variety. Some tracks were straight ahead rock, some were jazz, some were electronic heavy, some were acoustic, some were experimental, some were forty minute jams, some were hilarious, some took me on a trip...you get the picture. If I had to pick one aspect of their music that failed to be captured on, 'Joy' it would be this variety. Given the fact that all of the band members became deeply involved in various solo projects, I was anticipating a new, fresh-sounding Phish album, with all of these new projects forging into one great release. What I got sounds like four of my Dad's friends recording some 'cool' songs in their basement.

I've noticed several media outlets calling this album, 'grounded' and 'mature.' I don't understand why using these adjectives would give merit to the record. Phish is and never has been grounded. They've been known for pushing the limits of music and sound. Phish, in my opinion, is not and should not be mature. They've been known for doing wacky songs and having fun, while at the same time creating an atmosphere for their listeners, which they could not find anywhere else...one that allows them to escape their maturity, kick back and relax. In fact, during the peak of Phish, one of their most popular songs, 'Simple,' featured a two minute vacuum cleaner solo. I consider this neither grounded nor mature, and yet this was when Phish was putting out their most renowned and influential work. Maybe it's me, but I don't get these reviews. It's like if a restaurant critic would inform his audience that a new restaurant has a really friendly staff. That's nice to hear, but I'm going there to eat, not to mingle.

What I can say for this record is that there is a great potential for these songs in their live shows. Several songs would work segueing into other tracks or becoming jams in themselves, one of which being, 'Time Turns Elastic.' This song (13:30) is a beast in it's own right, but could really become a live spectacle. Some lackluster lyrics and mundane guitar play sort of lulls the listener to sleep for the first couple of minutes, but after that the track starts sliding into a journey of sorts. It's really the only track worth mentioning. 'Time Turns Elastic' has a real, 'Divided Sky' feel to it (for the Phish-heads out there).

The rest of the album is terrible. There, I said it. 'Kill Devil Falls' will help me illustrate this. This is a straight ahead rock song that sounds hauntingly similar to, 'Chalk Dust Torture.' The former feature some uplifting lyrics:

"I step right up to the cliff side, going to learn how to leap. I stared straight into the future. Tell me what do you see? This time will be different."

The general themes and topics in this song revolve around persistence and learning to change. So yes, it's lines like these the critics are attaching themselves to and coining as 'grounded,' but coming from Trey Anastasio they are hard to follow, or more, even relate to. This obviously has some ties to Anastasio's time in rehab, but Phish became Phish well before Trey went off the deep end. Why change the formula that had worked for so many years and suddenly throw in emotion and feelings into the mix? It comes off feeling forced and unnatural. Now the latter, 'Chalk Dust Torture' sounds very much like, 'Kill Devil Falls' but with a couple more twists and turns, and lyrics that, while weird, still were relatable to their audience:

"But who can unlearn all the facts that I've learned? As I sat in their chairs and my synapses burned. The torture of chalk dust collects on my tongue. Thoughts follow my vision and dance in the sun. All my vasoconstrictors come slowly undone. Can't this wait 'til I'm old? Can I live while I'm young?"

'Joy' plays like a journal of ideas and thoughts Anastasio had while finishing up his rehab. Ideas of rebirth and doing the right thing fill the album's ten tracks, making in that sense, a sincere and mature effort to push Phish's music further. The hard part here, is that Phish can't go any further. They've been the greatest, most fun-loving and experimental band out there for the last twenty five years. I don't see the logic in trying to switch up their formula for success so late in their career. The songs have the potential to be decent live, but on, 'Joy' they are just far too boring, uninspired and unimaginative for me.

Tracks

1.) Backwards Down the Number Line

2.) Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan

3.) Joy

4.) Sugar Shack

5.) Ocelot

6.) Kill Devil Falls

7.) Light

8.) I Been Around

9.) Time Turns Elastic

10.) Twenty Years Later

WK21 - Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (10)

Released - 9/8/09

Label - Rounder Records

BLURB - He's back and better than ever. Sondre Lerche returns after a string of successful albums and a film score to release his highly anticipated, 'Heartbeat Radio.' This has absolutely everything you could ask for. Covering every genre from folk to pop to jazz, this album has a soundtrack feel to it, keeping the listener's ears open for the duration of the record. Lerche does a great job at focusing on the minor details and constantly looking for ways to enhance his songs. Some tracks are straight ahead radio pop songs, while others go off onto orchestral tangents and experiments. Move over Rufus Wainwright.

Rating - 10 out of 10

FULL STORY - The first time I saw Lerche was 7 years ago, while opening for the Thrills. He came out to a stereo pumping Beyonce's, 'Dangerously in Love' wearing a white t-shirt and holding an electric guitar in one hand and an amp in the other. No band at all. After his set I bought a CD that I still listen to quite a bit, 'Faces Down.' I've picked up several of his other records and was not surprised when he was asked to score a film a couple years back (Dan in Real Life, featuring Steve Carrell). This project was quite similar to that of Jack Johnson scoring the Curious George film.

Fast forward to the present and we have, 'Heartbeat Radio.' I said that Lerche does well with the minor aspects of his music, here's what I mean. I tried learning a few of his songs back in the day, they are tough. He is always throwing in chord changes in a clever manner. Not just major or minor chords, but diminished, 7th, 9th, 11th and other transitional chords. So you'll be listening to a song, and hear all of these great accents to the melody, only making his songs more dynamic and intuitive. Theory class has now ended.

'Good Luck' is the opening track and enters suspiciously calm. Don't be fooled, this is a masterpiece in the waiting. Soft guitars, followed by a kick drum slowly build as the song builds momentum to Lerche waxing poetic. Chaos ensues after the three minute mark as a full orchestra enters with screeching violins and cellos. As the song begins to conclude this very droll and unimaginative tracks turns into a battle of strings. I can only describe it as something that would be playing in the background of a 1930's dramatic film. The thought process to create this elaborate production and structure is why I like Sondre Lerche. He'll only do this a couple times on each of his records (too much would ruin the album), but I was thrilled to hear this setup on the opening track.

The title track, 'Heartbeat Radio' mocks the music industry and the way in which songs are perceived through mass media today. It's a satirical journey, that ironically doubles as the album's first single. Lerche busts out the acoustic for this tune and offers up some great wordplay.

'I Cannot Let You Go' is the third track on the record and is worked to perfection. Lerche knows how to get everything out of his verses and refrains, and then build a powerful chorus. A faster than usual drum beat and layers of sound really push this song forward. There is also a great little guitar riff that flows in and out of the tune.

This album has garnered a lot of comparisons to The Beatles, actually. I don't know if that's appropriate, but it's being done. If there is any song to best fit this comparison it would be, 'Words and Music.' Here Lerche combines the simple with the complex. A basic chord progression remains steady throughout the track, but there are tiny effects, nuances and changes that would remind someone of the White Album. Once again, a basic song and structure is determined, and then enhanced by Lerche's genius. 'If Only and 'Like Lazenby' could also fall into this humbling category.

'If Only' and 'Easy to Persuade' are also great tracks in their own right. 'If Only' is filled with sudden stops and starts and key changes. The tempo is constantly changing, yet it doesn't affect the general flow of the song. 'Easy to Persuade' is more of a steady, rock-influenced number with a well delivered chorus and an uptempo pace and an amazing last sixty seconds. The two songs here are polar opposites of each other, yet equally great. By pairing them back to back, the listener can really dissect these differing styles and gain an appreciation for them out of their variations.

This would be thirty pages if I kept going. What you need to know is that this is a rewarding record for both Sondre Lerche and the listener. For those unfamiliar with Lerche, his sound on this album has transformed to something of Vampire Weekend, without the pretentiousness, and with more jazz, rock and orchestral influences. His work continues to get better as his career racks up the years. This is definitely up there for best of the year honors

Tracks

1.) Good Luck

2.) Heartbeat Radio

3.) I Cannot Let You Go

4.) Like Lazenby

5.) If Only

6.) Pioneer

7.) Easy to Persuade

8.) Words and Music

9.) I Guess It's Gonna Rain Today

10.) Almighty Moon

11.) Don't Look Down

12.) Goodnight

WK20 - Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement (8)

Released - 9/1/09

Label - Stones Throw Records

BLURB - A very nice debut here from the previously unknown Mayer Hawthorne. This soulful crooner showcases his voice and swagger over twelve tracks of rich R&B and motown grooves. Consider this record to be fusion of Robin Thicke and Amy Winehouse, minus the crack. 'A Strange Arrangement' is definitely a feel good record and very easy to listen to. The production of this album is complete with horns, strings, pianos and filled with 60's Detroit style songwriting. The one knock on him would have to be his voice. When Hawthorne attempts to reach his higher registers through falsetto it comes off a bit nasally, as evident on, 'Just Not Gonna Work Out.' But other than that, this record is very well done, and a pleasant surprise for music listeners everywhere.

Rating - 8 out of 10

FULL STORY - This record opens with numerous, layered vocal tracks preluding the title track, 'A Strange Arrangement.' The flow and the rhythm of this song screams eighth grade slow dance music, but with lyrics suggesting anything but puppy love. The slow pace of the opening tracks may discourage listeners from giving Hawthorne a fair shake, but excellence is just around the corner.

'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out' shows us a solid drum beat and some muted piano chords can go a long way. The potential for this song to be amazing is slightly diminished as the verses find themselves locked in Hawthorne's falsetto, which sounds unnatural and forced. Everything is there for the track to be a success: a solid chorus, some catchy hooks and subtle piano work, but again his voicing over the verses detracts a bit from the song.

After a mediocre opening three tracks, this record really hits its stride and becomes amazing. On 'Maybe So, Maybe No' Hawthorne lets loose and nails the vocals. A collection of big band horns and jazz guitar send this song back to the 60's. 'Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin' is not only the longest title on the album, but it's also the musical standout. After hearing this you'll want to dig out your long poodle skirt, go dancing and buy a malt. Everything on this track is on point. In addition to great songwriting, an incredible bass line and an upbeat tempo, the track also throws in a powerful saxophone solo. You'll definitely want to clap along to this one.

'Make Her Mine' is another great track. Hawthorne uses some clever wordplay that stays relevant in today's music but sounds classic at the same time.

"I may not drive a new mercedes, but I'll chauffeur my girl to the edge of the world. I may not wear a golden watch, but I'll be right on time for a woman so fine."

These lyrics have a very simplified cheesiness to them, but Hawthorne's delivery makes them sound inarguably, cool.

With an opening comparable to Diana Ross' 'Baby Love,' 'One Track Mind' again reaches into the vintage motown vault. While the music is great, the lyrics are sub par. The whole track revolves around a girl that spends all of Hawthorne's money. Real original. But yet again, his delivery and the 'feel' of the song makes it not only listenable, but enjoyable.

As a whole this album is pretty good. Nothing more. But there are about five tracks that are absolute home runs, and have a timeless quality to them, which is very rare. It's a very nice debut, but I'd a like to see some better vocals and some songs that are longer than three minutes. That said, this is still worthy of purchasing.

Tracks

1.) Prelude

2.) A Strange Arrangement

3.) Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

4.) Maybe So, Maybe No

5.) Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'

6.) I Wish It Would Rain

7.) Maker Her Mine

8.) One Track Mind

9.) The Ills

10.) Shiny & New

11.) Let Me Know

12.) Green Eyed Love