Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: album reviews, At War with the Mystics, Black Moth Super Rainbow, bonerama, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, damian kulash, Dave Fridmann, Funk, jazz, MGMT, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, Oh No, OK GO, Releases of the Week, Rock Band, Sparklehorse, The Flaming Lips, TV on the Radio, Weezer
OK Go's latest album is full of pleasant surprises
PREVIEW: VISIT OK Go’s MySpace
WE GIVE IT: 14/20 Watts
Between Surfer Rosa references, Rock Band, New Moon, treadmills and a five-year wait, I (and probably everyone else) was more than willing to write off OK Go’s latest album. Too bad it’s too good.
Of the Blue Colour of the Sky succeeds for not just its consistency as an album, but for how OK Go have pulled away from the generic power pop of their self-titled debut and sophomore effort Oh No in favor of a more dance-y, inscrutably diverse sound. The band derided for aping ’00s Weezer have crafted a diverse, synth- and hook-laden third effort — shockingly easygoing, and more fascinating than any other mainstream release so far this year. Continue reading
Filed under: Editor Picks, Industry News | Tags: Editor's Picks, Guns'N Roses, Metallica, Phantogram, Ra Ra Riot, Rock Band, The Beatles
I only recently started my obsession to Rock Band 2, and admittedly, I don’t care if I’m addicted. Rightfully so, it pissed me off when I found out Axel Rose wants to spread his cancerous “Chinese Democracy” onto my beloved video game. Granted, I would have to download the new songs onto my Xbox 360 after April 14th, but just the thought of that, makes me squirm.
I don’t want to get into the story of Axel Rose’s delayed release of “Chinese Democracy” and how disgraceful it was that he tried pulling it off as a legit Guns’N Roses album. Whatever, I’m over it. Axel’s a douche, and he needs to cut that awful hair.
However, it made me think how awesome it would be to play Rock Band 2 (or some updated version) to small indie bands like Ra Ra Riot and Phantogram. God, that would be so much fun. Eventually this will be possible, but until then, Rock Band will continue to become just another promotion launch-pad for over-the-hill bands.
Be honest, does anyone care about the upcoming Metallica Rock Band video game? Honestly, I loved (key past tense) Metallica for a long time, but they’re way over the hill, and their songs are too one-dimensional for a single video game. I am, however, very excited for the Beatles Rock Band game set to release on September 9th. I mean, cmon, it’s the Beatles. I know my roommate already wet his pants when he found out about this.
–Jett Wells, Co-Reviews Editor
Filed under: Industry News | Tags: Beastie Boys, DJ Hero, DJ Shadow, Guitar Hero, Mixmaster Mike, Rock Band, Scratch
While scouring the Internet for this weeks most pressing music industry issues, I found myself swimming in a sea of upcoming rhythm based music video games set to launch within the next year. Poised to ride the coat tails of already successful music video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, faux DJ games “DJ Hero” [Activision] and “Scratch” [Genius Products and Seven Studios] are two turn-table based games about to break onto the scene.
I never really got the hype with all these fake music playing games. Why people love spending hours learning and perfecting how to tap colored buttons instead of learning to play the real instrument is beyond me. Putting that aside, it looks like “DJ Hero” is more about reaching the core-DJ fans by harnessing well known DJ’s to help brand the game such as DJ Shadow and Z-Trip. Although “Scratch” does the same thing, using Mixmaster Mike of Beastie Boy’s fame, the tracks linked to the game seem much more mainstream then those of DJ Hero, such as Flashing Lights by Kanye West and Let’s Get It Started by The Black Eyed Peas.
Get ready everyone its time to start spinnin’ hot tracks on fake turntables!
– Michael George, Industry News
20 Watts 