Vampire Weekend - Contra

Well it's been a couple days since my last post so a couple updates are in order. First of all let me give a huge WHO DAT shout out to my Super Bowl Champion Saints and to the city of New Orleans. I will remember forever my grandpa calling me practically in tears right after they won, he has been a fan since the beginning of the franchise so what a great moment for him. You may be wondering why I wasn't in New Orleans for the game and I actually was living out a longtime dream, being a cowboy for the weekend. I met up with some close friends in Dallas to help out with the Fort Worth Stock Show and work the cattle auction. Yes, I got to put on cowboy boots and herd cows for the day. While I didn't get run over by one (that a boy Bruce!) it was still a blast and something I would do again in a heartbeat.

Well now to the music for today and I think I have picked out a winner in Contra. With all the exciting things happening I have been a very upbeat mood and this album captures that feeling perfectly. This is Vampire Weekend's sophomore album and it is a refreshing dose of indie dream rock. All of these songs have an almost fantastic sense about them and with the exception of the last track they move along at a swift but not forced pace. There are some great beats on every track as Vampire Weekend uses an interesting mix of synths and live instruments. "Holiday" hops along brightly over an offbeat guitar riff while "Taxi Cab" provides an hypnotizing synth melody that draws you into the song for a very chill listen. Vampire Weekend is at their best however on "Giving Up The Gun", a song that features a driving rhythm from the drums and bass with a chorus so catchy it will be days before you get out of your head. And of course Vampire Weekend cannot be discussed without touching on Ezra Koenig's voice and lyrics. While it is an almost female sounding delivery, he is able to project in the higher ranges without sounding whiny. He also delivers some heartfelt and thought provoking lines as there is some poetry hidden within these songs and they are definitely worth giving a closer look at. So check out Vampire Weekend's Contra for a listen into thinking man's indie pop and try not to whistle the songs when you are on the bus to work the next day.

Track Highlights: White Sky, Run, Cousins, Giving Up the Gun, Diplomat's Son

http://www.amazon.com/Contra/dp/B002YP45EQ/ref=pd_ts_zgc_dmusic_digital_music_album_display_on_website_6?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=105271282&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=163856011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=02Q44BVZP479VF8P2643

30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War

I am in Bossier City, LA which is the Vegas of Louisiana. Seriously, there are 6 Casinos within 5 minutes of my hotel. Maybe that explains why this post isn't going up till 1 AM on a worknight? Anyway, Bossier City also happens to be the hometown of everyone's favorite heroin addict in the film Requiem for a Dream, actor Jared Leto. Now you may know this or not but Jared Leto also has quite the voice and is the lead singer and guitarist for alternative band 30 Seconds to Mars. They hit it big back in 2006 with their their sophomore release A Beautiful Lie featuring the songs "The Kill" and "From Yesterday to Tomorrow". Both were huge on MTV and every high school emo punk in America ate it up. Well Mr. Leto and crew just released their third album in late 2009 and it is my pick for guilty pleasure album of the year.

This Is War is an album that critcs love to hate. It is over produced, inconsistent in it's song choices, and tries to be way too epic for it's own good. Well thank God I am not a critic because I freaking love this album. I love that on everything song they go for U2 type heights right out of the gate. I love that Leto has decided that it would be a good idea to throw a children's chorus shouting "This Is War!" on every other track. And I definitely love that Kanye West co-wrote a song, "Hurricane". I guess he heard this album was going to be, well.... epic and he just couldn't resist. But you know what? Who gives a damn that this album takes itself way too seriously, the songs are too catchy to resist and sometimes it's good to have a little fun listening to an album. So pick this one up, try not to think too hard about what the music means, and when he sings, "This is a call to arms, gathered soldiers, time to go to war, this is a battle song, brothers and sisters, time to go to war!", have a little laugh with yourself and go along with the ride.

Track Highlights: Kings and Queens, Hurricane, Vox Populi, Search and Destroy

http://www.amazon.com/This-Is-War/dp/B002XHN776/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1265353755&sr=301-1

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

In music, supergroups are a funny thing. Sometimes they completely kick ass and other times the whole definitely does not equal the sum of its parts. Well I had high expectations for These Crooked Vultures and I am excited to say that their debut album released in late 2009 does not disappoint.

For the uninitiated, TCV put Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), and the legendary John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) in a room together to see what would happen. Well given the pedigree of the musical history in that room it's not surprising something special occurred. What they produced was the punch in the gut to hard rock that had been needed for some time. These are some scorching tracks filled with great musicianship across the board. With Homme on vocals and guitar the songs tend to have a more Queens of the Stone Age type feel but Grohl and Jones Homme team up to provide an epic sounding rhythm section that elevates everything to something entirely different.

What is truly great about this album is that even with amazing talent on each instrument, no one gets in the way of each other. They sound like a cohesive band that is just jamming off of each other. Homme comes up with some great riffs, namely on Elephants, Mind Eraser No Chaser, and the highlight of the album, Gunman. Mr. Jones even gets do to his best Trampled Under Foot on Scumbag Blues, a song that truly sounds like QoTSA got put in a blender with Led Zeppelin. And of course Grohl is amazing as always, showing on each track why he is still one of the best drummers in rock today.

This is a rock album that I can recommend for anyone with no reservations. There is no agenda, no meaning in the lyrics, no deeper level to connect on the songs with. This is the supergroup of rock's past, present, and future and they are here to kick your ass with their own blend of hard rock and leave you wanting more. For our sake, hopefully Them Crooked Vultures is not a one and done side project.

Track Highlights: Mind Eraser No Chaser, Elephants, Bandoliers, Caligulove, Gunman


http://www.amazon.com/Them-Crooked-Vultures/dp/B002VSIOE8/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1265262041&sr=301-1

Gary Jules - Gary Jules

One of my favorite things about going to a concert is the opening act. It's a great opportunity to hear a new artist and sometimes you end up liking them more than the headliner you came to see! That was exactly the case when I went to see Joshua Radin this fall. I had only heard of opener Gary Jules from the movie Donnie Darko. He is the one who does the hauntingly beautiful cover of Tears for Fears "Mad World" at the end of the movie. What I didn't know about Gary Jules is that he is an amazing acoustic songwriter and seeing him live quickly educated me.

My favorite songs that night came from his self titled album so I picked it up and was not disappointed with the album in the least. His voice is not what you would expect from a guy with full sleeve tattoos, it is very relaxed and has a soothing quality to it. He also is very skilled on the acoustic guitar, picking out some nice riffs not just strumming on chords. But what makes a singer/songwriter album is of course the songs and Gary has penned some great ones on this record. One of my favorites is "Wichita" where he perfectly captures the mood of driving across the frozen plains of the Midwest. Another highlight is "Falling Awake", a song about being a first time parent and the fear and joy that brings. I got to meet Gary for a minute after the show and he is a class act, manning his own merch booth in the lobby and signing autographs for fans. For this reason, and also that his music is damn good, I highly encourage you to pick up this album for a very chill acoustic experience.

Track Highlights: Falling Awake, The Devil Keeps Grinning, There's A Hole In The Sky, Wichita

http://www.amazon.com/Gary-Jules/dp/B000QQVV88/ref=pd_sim_dmusic_3

Silversun Pickups - Carnavas

Greetings from Natchitoches, LA and don't even try to pronounce it, it took me a month to get it down. Well last night was Grammy night and I had the misfortune of tuning in for most of it. There were some great performances (Dave Matthews and well.... maybe only one great performance) and then there was Lady Gaga. Would someone please tell me what demon from Hell spawned this creature? I just don't understand why people love her so much, for me she sums up everything that is wrong with mainstream music today.. but that is a discussion for another day.

Up for the Best New Artist Grammy last night was Silversun Pickups for their most recent album Swoon. Unfortunately they did not take home the award so as consolation I picked their first full length record as my album of the day. Carnavas was released back in 2006 and hearkened back to the Smashing Pumpkins of old. This an album that reminds me of being at that point in time before you fall asleep but you aren't quite awake. An almost dreamlike quality accompanies most of these tunes as both the music and lyrics combine to bring the listener a since of comfort but at the same time a strange feeling unfamiliarity. Layers of distorted guitars and fuzz make up the base of these songs but don't let it fool you, there are some killer riffs throughout the album. This band knows how to deliver a track that lets itself buildup to the payoff and much like the Pumpkins knew how to do so well, the sense of melody is never lost even when the screaming gets loud. Case in point is "Lazy Eye" which has been featured in both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. It starts off with a gentle delivery but layers of guitar are slowly added on until the shoegaze explosion at the finale. Brian Aubert's voice is easy to get used to and his delivery of the lyrics makes it easy to excuse their sometimes pointless meaning. Overall, this is a record that will provide at the very least an interesting listen so if you are looking for a different type of rock album then check out Carnavas.

Track Highlights: Well Thought Out Twinkles, Little Lover's So Polite, Future Foe Scenarios, Lazy Eye, Three Seed

http://www.amazon.com/Carnavas/dp/B000X5EOE0/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1265084640&sr=301-2