Foster The People- Torches (Album Review)

One Hit Wonder?

This is a One Hit Album and you are better off just buying “Pumped Up Kicks” and saving your money on the rest or just buy the EP that they put out because those are the best three songs (Helena Beat, Pumped Up Kicks, Houdini). The rest of the album is quite lackluster and mediocre. It is not as if the other songs are awful or embarrassing or anything but no one would have noticed this band if not for the amazing song Pumped Up Kicks. Many of the other songs are actually piano led instead of the synth and bass delight fed by Pumped UP Kicks. The vocals are actually not that great without the talk box effect on them. This album also seems like it could be one that you would dance to and groove with, but most of the songs are just observed rather than participated in.

The Good!

Pumped Up Kicks is an amazing song and towers over the other songs on the album. The rest of the album plays around with many different sounds in the electronic digital world. Randomly, random noises are used to add excitement to the sound. The vocals are pretty solid throughout but sound the best with the talk box effect on them.

The Bad...

With such a great and amazing song you go into the album hoping for something incredible. You go into it expecting great treasures and gems inside but the chest you saw was the best that was offered. The other songs on the album lack intensity, and mystery and often chords are just hammered out. I do not like the crunchy and dirty guitar power chords played in ‘Don’t Stop.’ Also they add noises like monkeys, giggles and screaming which is just used to make the music feel big at times

Overall?

1.5 out of 5. I really just wasn’t impressed. I was excited, I was pumped, but ultimately I was let down by mediocre songs that were hard to listen through. After I would get to the 4^th song I would really just want to go back to song number two. Oh, I would have given the EP a 4 out of 5 because those were the only good songs on this extended album and again Pumped Up Kicks makes up 3.5 of that rating. It may not be quite as bad as I am making it out to be but I was really hoping for so much more from this album.

The Tallest Man On Earth- The Wild Hunt (Album Review)

Boom!

How can one guitar and one man’s voice be this entertaining? When you are listening to the album you almost forget that it isn’t a full playing behind Kristian Matsson. There are a few rare banjo parts too and on one song he plays only the piano. Even though the music is stripped down, the vocals and catchy rhythms fill out the sound. Kristian Matsson native of Sweden has often been compared to Dylan and it is to be expected due to the folk style he plays. The Wild Hunt is the second LP that has been put out and 2 other EP’s have been released from the Tallest man on earth. This album is the most widely known and acclaimed of them all.

 

The Good!

New folk music that is relevant today and exciting to listen to. The vocals are unique and slightly cutting but easy enough to listen to once you are familiar with the tone. The guitar parts are moving with finger picking along with interesting strumming patterns. The lyrics are introspective. The songs flow together creating one great album. You will dance, move, and tap your toe to an acoustic guitar and a smile will be put on your face when you listen to this album.

 

The Bad...

The vocals take a minute or two to get used to because of the cutting tone that they have. Well if you don’t like folk, if you don’t like the acoustic guitar, and you don’t like music then yeah this album is bad.

 

Overall?

5 out of 5. The play count on this album keeps climbing rapidly even though there are many albums that I desire to get through. It is just so easy to put this album on in any situation because it is an acoustic album even though this album has so much life in it. It is creative and fresh from much of the muddled and clean cut auto-tune jumble that is out there right now.

NPR.com for Music (Web Review)

The National Public Radio (NPR) website is absolutely fantastic for music fans. There are a plethora of features and sections that make this website one that I check often. I have just started using this site within the past three months so I am definitely not a veteran to the site but I have poked my nose around enough to be familiar with it.

Concerts

This is the best website that I know of apart from youtube to go to find a concert. It has the pretty much the best quality of sound that you can get for a live concert and the music player that they have is great. The player has a Q and so you can get a nice long set list going for yourself. There is such a wide variety and if you think NPR is just for Classical music you were wrong, it is one hip site. The variety includes classical, blues, jazz, rock, pop, hip-hop, and some folk action, and everything else. The hosts of the Concerts are great and intro the bands nicely and give you a sense of what is going on before the concert begins.

Free Downloads!

The best part of the concerts and this site is that there are many free shows to download. I have personally downloaded about 50 concerts for free from bands such as The Avett Brothers, Tallest Man On Earth, Dirty Projectors, Spoon, Dawes, Phoenix, Jonsi, Low Anthem, Adele, The XX, Iron and Wine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs!, David Bazan, The Antlers, and well…. so many more. It is always interesting to hear a live performance and better when you get to keep it. It took a little doing to find all of these performances but look up your favorite band and see if they have one, or look through the entire list of concerts and choose the ones you like.

First Listen

Before a CD is released on this website you can get a First Listen to many albums. Just recently they previewed Panda Bear, Fleet Foxes, and The Antlers. The entire album is available and so you can see if you actually want to buy the album before its release date. This has made me want to purchase some music while deterred me from others and is definitely a valuable tool to use.

All Songs Considered

This is actually a program that does just what the title implies: people talking about music, bands, and of course, songs. It is nice to not have to blindly search the internet to find new music alone and nice to have some suggestions from others. This is a show that does that very well. They also play it 24/7 on the internet and it is available on podcast so you can listen anywhere you would like. It has been going on for 10 years and it is still going strong.

Settlers and Carcassone: Free online games on Asobrain.com (Web Review)

 The website asobrain.com would be an amazing site if the hosts were more forgiving. The site allows you to play the amzing games Settlers and Carcassonne but they are called Xplorers and Toulouse. Oh…They also let you play two other games that are clearly not as awesome: Match and Roadblock.

Settlers/ Xplorers

In this game players try to collect victory points by collecting resources to build towns and cities. Players roll the dice to see what resources are produced but each player can finagle their way into trades to benefit themselves. You can only keep 7 cards in your hand without fear of losing half from the Robber if a 7 is rolled. This is an exciting and in-depth game that calls for a begging plan, trading skills, and a bit of luck from the dice.

Carcassone/ Toulouse

This is a tile based game in which player chose a random tile to add on to the board. Then they get to claim a part on that tile and build it to completion to earn points. There is no dice and it is all up to the tiles you draw and the placements that you choose. Players play until all the tiles are used and then count to see who has the most points. This game calls for spatial thinking, patients, and the luck of the draw.

Match/ Sets

In this game you match three cards that have everything the same on them or everything different just like the game sets. It is not that fun and you can tell because no one ever is seen playing on it and it is always at 0/50 players.

Roadblock

This game is worse than match and you try to move your cars from one side of the board to the other against someone else. It has about the same equivalence as Sorry! and is worse because you don’t even play with real people.

Online Board Game Glory

There are usually at least 500 people on at all times playing the first two games with about 400 playing Xplorers and 100 playing Toulouse. At any time of the day you can go on this site and play board games with people from around the world. There is a chat set up in the game rooms and Xplorers allows for trading in the game and so there is often discussions going on. But if you don’t feel like waiting for real people to take the normal amount of time (usually people are good about this and there are limits anyways), you can always go on and play against computer players and the games go by faster. The games that you play with real people are ranked and you get a score. With this score you can play against people who are at your skill range and you can always get better and play against harder opponents. The game play is fast and the site is well made. The rules of the game are exactly the same as the real games and I don’t know why the site doesn’t get shut down by the creators of the game, but it is nice that they don’t.

The Kicker

This site does not allow for new users to join. I am sorry if you have been reading this whole time and were thinking about going and getting an account but you can’t. The hosts of this website got mad at some of the conduct of those using the site, and in order to stop this from happening they kicked them out and stopped giving out new memberships also if you didn’t play in 6 months they just deleted your account and would not give it back. I think that these were very harsh actions to take and nothing is being done about it and no end is in sight for now. Hopefully they will get this site allowing new users as it is really great. The site is sustained by donations to keep it running, and you get a special heartbeat symbol by your user name if you contribute so they really aren’t in it for the money. They have been bribed to open accounts but this has now worked for people. So good luck and E-mail them if you would like to try to get this site open for new users, if you like these games then it would be worth your time to send an email. Good Luck.

Brand New- The Devil and God Are Raging Inside of Me (Album Review)

Late…

I know that this review is 5 years late and Brand New has come out with a new album but honestly, I have just started to get into this album. I was a big fan of the album “Your Favorite Weapon” and a Huge fan of “Deja Entendu”. Then this album came around and I skipped the songs before they were over and then gave the CD back to my friend and never had the desire to hear it again. Then I heard one of the songs a year latter a few years after that I remembered parts of the song and needed to hear it again. I streamed the album, I bought the album, I listened often. I have now really come to love the first half of the album and like the second half. 

A Dark Angst

This album has a darker feel to the music and not just the lyrics. Though Brand New has always been known for singing about some of the darker sides to life, you really feel that darkness in the music. But those monotonous and droning melodies that Jesse Lacey sings put you on stable ground. They put themselves in the common category of rock with this album but they do it in a bold and solid way that makes them distinct in such a huge category of music.

The Good!

The build ups and breakdowns that you expect from Brand New. This album can sneak up on you and you can find yourself craving the dreary mood that comes with it. The hard crunchy guitars, searing solos, and driving drums are surprisingly calming. Lacey’s vocals are probably what make it smooth and calming amidst the chaos of the music and the world that he sings about. The two guitar parts on Jesus Christ blend into one addicting melodious part. There are parts that crescendo into a scream and feel big and not as if they could have been bigger like so many other band need. It is the same old Brand New doing different things witch is refreshing after their second album is French for ‘Already Heard’.

The Bad…

The subjects that are sung about really aren’t that uplifting and definitely are dreary. The change from the first two albums was difficult for me to jump past as it may have been for so many other people. Also the second half of the album looses my interest and there is a swing of 8 play counts less from the first song compared to the last on my playlist. I just can’t stay in the mood that they created for so long though I do crave it at times.

Overall?

3.5 out of 5. The album does perplex me and I can’t quite put my finger on it. That is probably why it keeps calling me back but I can hardly ever get though it. There is mystery in this album that has taken me 5 years to even get into and who knows how long before I can actually wrap my head around it.

PinCodeReseller.com Review

It Works!

This site uses Paypal! I have used this site multiple times and it has worked great every time. At first I was a little nervous to use the site as I had never heard of it before. I was directed to Pincodereseller.com by Payplay.fm and was a little scared to use the site. Then when they were using Paypal I felt assured about what I was getting into. Paypal has always been a reliable source for me and it is safe to use. So, I tried it and it worked great. PinCodeReseller really is a great website though you do have to pay for their services.

The Cost...

As the Web site lets you know there is a 5% fee to use their service and it costs just that. I bought a $30 code and spent $31.50 and one for $50 and paid $52.50. There were no hidden fees or a bunch of spam emails sent to me after that. It is really a great deal seeing as how I used it for Payplay.fm and got $10 free dollars for the $30 dollar code and $20 free dollars for the $50 dollar code.

The Stock

They were out of $100 codes when I was there and this is the only down side to the site. They state on the site that they never know when a stock of codes is going to be re-available there but they do let you know just how many codes they have to use at the time. So if they are getting low in a certain increment, then you can purchase one fast. However, they do get refills of their stock of codes and they currently have up to $100 dollar increments.

How To Use it

What you do to purchase a code is go to the site PinCodeReseller.com. The have instructions on the site but I will explain them again here. 1) click on the dollar amount that you want to buy. 2)Fill out the information and choose your payment option. 3) Go to your e-mail address that you gave them and the code will be there. 4) Rest assured that your information is safe and that nothing bad will happen to you because it did not for me and I used the site multiple times.

Go For It

This site has really worked great for me and has worked wonderful through Payplay.fm and got me a ton of great music. I love both sites and would recommend them to everyone. In fact I have mentioned it to everyone on my Facebook page twice! I have no vested interest in the companies, just a love for music and these companies have really helped me out. And when you are using PayPal.com you know that you are safe and that they will back your purchases if something goes wrong. So use this website with confidence and just go for it.

Sleigh Bells- Treats (Album Review)

Dance!

This album makes you want to get up and move! If you aren’t moving then this album is not doing what it is supposed to. There are dirty electric sounds, drum machine beats and soft melodic vocals that blend together nicely. The sound is very hard to classify and even the two members Derek E. Miller (guitar, writer, producer), and Alexis Krauss (vocalist) can’t really describe it. The best that I can do is call it noise pop and let it be what it is. The style is unique and exciting the first time that you hear it, creating an instant love for the band (or the opposite...). This is their first full length release though they had an EP but many of the songs were redone to form this LP.

The Good!

The music is creative and combines instruments and styles that you would not have been expected to merge. The combination and the beats really do make you move and you can feel the music all the way to your bones. The vocals are also a strength in the music and they are very easy to listen to even when the music gets harsh at times. The song ‘Rill Rill’ is the easiest to listen to and doesn’t have some of the more annoying noises that some of the other songs have, it is definitely more accessible though if every song was like this they would be forgettable.

The Bad...

The music can get repetitive and just noisy at times by using shrill alarms and screeching guitar parts. If you are not in the mood to dance, move, or at least bob your head a little then this music may just annoy you. The music is not easy to sing to and it is also not easy to remember. The lyrics are simple, often can’t be distinguished and one song just repeats the same line the whole time.

Overall?

3.5 out of 5. Very exciting the first time you hear it but the novelty wears off. Yet, every time a  dance party happens you can always put it back on and remember why you liked it in the first place. If they tone down the noise part of the band and focus on the dance pop sound then they will be a band that many more people could listen to and more ticks on the play count.

Battle of the Bands- Waging war with Music

WAR!

Armies have been gathered and the battle lines have been formed. The battle-axes are drawn to their ready positions. The peace negotiations have all failed and there is no going back. This is WAR. The battle beat begins driving the troops forward. Now play those guitars fast make them slash make them wail. Thump that bass loud until it brings down the house. Use the swell of the organ to repel the opponents. And sound the battle cry, there can only be one winner and the rest will die. No need to be perfect just be better than the people around you, and sabotage when possible.

A Crime…

I think that battle of the bands competitions are a crime against music and the creative writing process. Instead of artists working together to share their resources and fan bases, the artist try to tell their fans how bad the other bands are and how much better they are. Then there is only one winner and the rest of the people go home as losers. This is not how music should be viewed. The creative process is about expressing experiences, emotions, life lessons, and new ideas. These are not things that should be used to just be better than another band or to convince fan bases not to listen for but only how bad they are. It is really a self-defeating purpose. Music should be for enjoyment and new artists should be appreciated for what they do, not where other people are in there musical journey.

Online Competitions

I have to say that I think that the online battle of the bands competition is even worse than the live ones. These do not show how much skill a band has or how good their show/music is. It really comes down to how many people they spam on social networking sites. I can’t count how many messages and wall post that read something like this: “Please!!!! I NEEEED your vote now and for the next 150 days. Go on fill out this application, then click then answer some more questions and then do that over and over again. If you really are a human being you will do it, and if you are my friend, you will have all your friends do the same thing…” So, if you do that enough then you will be able to actually play your music somewhere and compete yet again for a spot.

Isn’t this how the music industry is?

Someone might say that it is just how the world works and bands just try to sell records by being better than the competition. I would say that I have a problem with the mainstream music industry as well and that the sole purpose of music is not to make money. Though I realize that it is an important part to keep bands creating and distributing music but I am also a believer that music will never die. Even as the money in making music dwindles due to the internet, good music is being made and produced. When music is truly an art form instead of a business then it is what it was meant for. Competition in music only promotes stealing, sabotage, and division. The true purpose of music is to unite people and for enjoyment. Battle of the band competitions should be avoided and real shows should be attended instead.

Cloud Cult- Light Chaser (Album Review)

MN, Music

This is absolutely wonderful Minnesota music. Though it may not be clean and crisp enough for the mainstream audience, Cloud Cult finds ample air time on MN radio station 89.3 the Current. They have been making music together since 1995 and though they had record offers they turned them all down. Their latest album Light Chaser continues to delight previous fans and win new ones.

The Good!

The creativity of the album is refreshing with many different instruments played and highlighting electric guitars and a string section combination. The lyrics are not cliché like my writing but they are heartfelt and inspiring. Though you aren’t going to walk away from this album singing the songs, the melodies are strong yet subtle. The focus is on the instrumental unity and complexity. The album plays into itself nicely one song after the other and they also do many part II to earlier songs. The album tells the beautiful story of someone trying to figure out life with all the ups and downs.

The Bad…

It could use a bit more production, I know it is cool to do your own thing and let the art shine through…I think that the album would be smoother and be strengthened as a whole is a producer could cut out some awkward parts and clean up the vocals a little. On the vocals, they are very interesting but maybe just a little bit to much. The album has lots of back tracks of a talk radio show, a stream, running with wolves, and nature sounds which could have been cut out and I would have been fine with it.

Overall?

4 out of 5. I like the album a lot but it just needs to be cleaned up. They are mainly a local band and it is clear by the album. It is a really fun, energetic album that I enjoy listening to but when I play it for my friend they don’t give it a chance because they can’t get over some of the flaws. Just a plug for the Current, way to go on playing such great music even if some people can’t get into it.

Kings of Leon- Come Around Sundown

 Production!

This album is beautifully produced. It has a very clean and crisp sound in production without cleaning up all of the dirty rock that Kings of Leon have been producing for years. Though there are some songs that are different like Mary, which has that wall of sound and even bubble gum pop sound. Birthday also has a feel-good sound and even by the title it explains what it is all about. In the song the chords are bright and the key is major. This is still the Kings of Leon we have come to know and love but they definitely have cleaned up there music just enough to have a wider appeal to the masses. Even the cover art is a nice retro picture of palm trees by water rather than a Rorschach test or breaking light bulb. 

 The Good!

The guitar parts are interesting and talented. They don’t just shred meaninglessly fast notes to show how fast their fingers can move but they are melodic but not boring. As talked about the production level of this album is amazing and does wonders for the music. The drum sounds are fabulous and consistent. This album, as expected from Kings of Leon, has that dark yet intriguing feel to it. Not that it is depressing, but they are singing about real life and not the suit and tie business world.

The Bad…

Though I like the production level, some hardcore and more dedicated fans may be disappointed with the direction that the Kings of Leon are taking and could say that they are selling out (though I think it is mainly just in how it was recorded, and they are clearly writing their own music). Not much…Not much at all.

Overall?

5 out of 5. This album is just about perfect for the genera that it is in and I really can’t point out anything that I would change. I do have to say that I don’t listen to this kind of music that much but it is the best in its league. Creative, clean, intriguing and what can I say, moving, I really do want to do something after listening to this album.

Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More (Album Review)

Lots of Hype...

This band received a lot of hype fast! A friend told me about them a year ago and he said “You have got to check out this band, nobody has heard of them but they are so good!” I forgot the band name before I got to my computer and did not care that much. Then about six month latter, Boom, they were everywhere and everyone was talking about them. This band has been together since 2007 but have received much attention after there first full length release of Sigh No More in the UK in October 2009 and in the US in February 2010. I tried to resist the hype thinking they were a one song internet boom but finally bought the album. The hype they have received is well worth what they have created. When a band gets popular fast and is going on large tours, one wonders whether they will be like all the other one hit wonders. But the whole album is SOLID and there is not a bad song on it. So, I am not worried that they will fade into cyber oblivion and can vouge for their musicianship.

The Good!

Like I said this album is solid all the way through.  This is clearly shown by the 4 singles released from this single album. This band creates catchy melodies that are memorable and singable, while not creating a sing-a-long that gets stuck in your head and then you start to despise the one who wrote that melody. The instruments create an energetic base for those catchy melodies. Their sound though not necessarily new but they use the banjo and horns to set themselves far enough out in the folk category to be recognized over everything else on the radio without going to far to lose a mainstream audience. The lyrics are inspired largely by Shakespeare and give the lyrics a timeless element to them. And what about those harmonies and vocal swells, beautiful!

The Bad...

I can say though I have faith that Mumford and Sons won’t sell out and play music that the producers make them play, yet with such fast fame one wonders how much they will be effected by this boom in exposure. Back to the actual music, the album does mope a little bit at times speaking of remorse and tragedies. The banjo is good but overused for my taste.  I also do not understand why they drop the F bomb in their music in Little Lion Man though no other profanities are used, I personally like a live version where the word “messed” was replaced, I think it had about the same effect.

Overall?

4.5 out of 5. Great album, great songs, and I can play the album over and over and I can’t get sick of it. It is interesting the whole way through. The lyrics are inspiring. This is one that you should have in your collection even if it is just to document the times in your collection.

Iron & Wine- Kiss Each Other Clean (Album Review)

Intriguing

At first I hated the album and wondered what Sam Beams was doing by doing the full band thing like everyone else. Then I listened to it again, and again, and again. I just couldn't help it. There is something about this album that just keeps you coming back for more. I wouldn't say that it is his coming out album or the one that ruined the band either.

The Good!

Sam Beam's soft and delicate voice still holds his listeners from start to finish. Even when there are funky beats being played and swanky saxes playing that voice is what you look for. The album is great because it is different from the other albums and so it keeps things fresh. The harmonies are also wonderful and when you get a couple of Sams going at the same time the blend lulls you into a clam mood.

The Bad...

What is that swanky sax doing anyways... I just can't get into it. And all those funky beats, I just don't get it. There are only about 3-4 that are funky but it is a couple too many for me. I also am not a fan of the vulgar profanities that get spewed on the rare occasion. Not that profanities bother me necessarily but this is a album that I could put on when my mom is over for dinner in the background but I don't think that I will take the chance that the conversation will wane just when the word is in full force. You know it would happen.

Overall?

3.5 out of 5. I have to say that the rating could change after a few more listens. As I get deeper into the album I start to forget about the sax and the funk and get back to Sam. So, it is growing on me and I think that you would enjoy it more if you get past those hurdles.

The Current 89.3- MN Radio

Best Radio Ever!

The Current is the best radio station that exists. With a AAA format they play music that is not played on many other radio stations. Yet, it is not the garage band quality music that you might expect. The selection of the host is amazing and they are always playing new songs (thus the name the current). They have a lot of great shows that explore many different varieties of music including the shows: Teenaged Kicks (80's music), United States of Americana (the rooty side of the current), Redefinition Radio (rap), and Local Current (Local stuff).

Local MN

This station is dedicated to giving local musicians a chance for air time. I have actually found that I enjoy the local music the best and it is really great. It reminds me of how many talented musicians are out there and how local music is so vital to communities. If you are not from MN you will still enjoy this station and you can stream it online. It is better that just using Pandora or some other sites because they have actual human beings choosing the music. They also play music that has not made it to the internet distributers yet. Nationally they are great, Locally they are amazing! Also, they host many different in-studio performances that are free to listen to on their web site. They also put on shows in the Twin Cities that are always fun to go to.

Member Supported

They are a part of Minnesota Public Radio but most of their money comes from member supporters. This means that there are no commercials! The draw back is that every few months they have a member drive. But I mean come on, giving a few dollars a month for such a service is worth it, supporting music, artists, and radio is worth not having business men control what gets played and heard.

Cities 97- MN Radio Review

AA Radio Format

Cities 97 plays AA Radio, bands that aren't quite mainstream yet or fit into their chill rock sound. They often play bands like U2, Coldplay, Train, Augustana, Matt Nathanson, Jack Johnson, The Decemberists, Adele, and the like. They do give smaller bands a chance but overplay the hot songs. If I would have heard Train's 'Soul Sister' one more time....
A few great shows they have are Freedom Rock and the Local Show. On Freedom Rock they play music from unknown bands from around the world. In this show they truly give the little guys a chance to get some Air time. The Local Show is as you can guess local music from the great state of Minnesota. I was surprised by how much quality music the area produces with bans that I love such as Cloud Cult, Jeremy Messersmith, Tapes n' Tapes, an Trampled by Turtles.
The most notable thing that Cites 97 is their music sampler. Artist that are in town often visit Studio C (their personal studio) and record a few songs. The best of these performances get put on a CD and sold for people in the area at local Targets. They currently on Sampler Vol. 22 and they sold out of the 33,000 copies in the first day. The current total dollar amount raised for charity is over $8,000,000. There is a long list of charities that receive this help. The CD's sell out so fast and are somewhat hard to come by. They can be found resold at double or even triple the original price. Yet, due to copyright laws they are not able to make more CD's for everyone to get one. However, you can go and look at many live performances online and many videos are also available.
Overall, this is a great radio station and one of the best. However, I personally enjoy 89.3 'The Current' more and you can check out my hub on that radio station as well. Cities 97 is definitely in it for the money and it losses its pursuit of art at the cost of the $. However, they do not sell out completely and just play top 40 stuff. Check out the station and tell me what you think of it.

PayPlay.fm- Cheap music (Web Site Review)

Check it out!

If you have not heard about this website you need to check it out right now. Stop reading and go give it a look. Then come back and let me tell you how great it really is.
With a plethora of music being released and so many great bands putting out albums, it is hard to keep up when albums cost an average of 12.99 a pop. The idea of stealing music is repulsive and digging in thrift stores is painstakingly slow, especially when you have to wait 5 years to get a new release. This is where payplay.fm come into play.
If you have not heard about this website you need to check it out right now. Stop reading and go give it a look. Then come back and let me tell you how great it really is.
With a plethora of music being released and so many great bands putting out albums, it is hard to keep up when albums cost an average of 12.99 a pop. The idea of stealing music is repulsive and digging in thrift stores is painstakingly slow, especially when you have to wait 5 years to get a new release. This is where payplay.fm come into play.

The Cost?

All albums only cost $3.33 and tracks are $0.33. This site is legal and bands choose to put their music on this site. Better yet, if you put $30 up front they will give you $10 extra bucks to spend. That means you can get 12 albums for $30. They have a very wide selection, though not everything. Some bands choose not to sell on this site and I can understand why they are hesitant about it, but when the price is right many more people will be able and willing to pay the price for the product.

My Use.

I have used this site for a while now and other than a few bands that I still have to pay i-tune’s pricing for, I have no complaints. I once downloaded an album that had really bad quality, but when I e-mailed the company they refunded me and I got to keep the tracks as well. What great customer service! The tracks are also compatible with all mp3 players. To top it off, you can re-download the music if it gets lost or deleted from your computer for no extra charge. There is no monthly subscription so you can keep the music for all time, unlike many sites like Napster, or Zune.

pincodereseller.com

The best way I have found to load money on Payplay.fm is to go to pincodereseller.com and purchase a pin that is e-mailed to you and then you enter it in at Payplay.fm. On pincodereseller.com you can use Paypal and it works great! You receive the bonuses once you enter the code in at Payplay.fm. Good luck and I hope this helps. All I have left to say is check it out and then comment so that people know that it is a great site.

The XX- The XX (Album Review)

Dreamy

This album starts out in a dreamy mood and then take you on a journey through that dream the rest of the songs. The album is stripped down when it comes to the number of instruments played at a time. Hardly any guitar chords are actually played and most of the time there are just running and moving single notes played. There is usually a synthesizer or the bass that holds the melodies of the song together, and a drum machine to take care of most of the beats.

The Good!

The stripped down style that the band implements creates a unique sound that is fresh and exciting. It is not the four cord strumming that many musicians fall into. The mood of the album really carries through the whole making everything just feel right. This is a mellow album with a drive behind it, the music is going somewhere yet there is no rush to get there or even a real destination. This is a great driving album to play at night on a solitary road.

The Bad...

The vocalists don't enunciate very well so the lyrics are hard to understand. It also can leave you feeling embarrassed if you sing what you thought that you heard and someone who got the booklet corrects you. The mood that they create is great if it is right for the one that you are in yourself, but if you are feeling really cheery or something then this album just wont do it for you. Also, the novelty of the exciting stripped down sound wears off after a while.

Overall?

4 out of 5. This is an album that you can play hundreds of times the first couple of weeks you have it and then it is put on the shelf without too much need to go back and listen again. Basically it is a great but might not have the lasting effect as some other bands.

Arcade Fire- The Suburbs (Album Review)

Best Album?

Is this really the best album of the year? Well at least it is better than Eminem and Lady Gaga. It is creative, alternative and a solid album. I wouldn’t have put it as the best album of the year but out of the nominees it was a great choice. Also, it is interesting that The Black Keys won the best alternative album of the year, though Arcade Fire was also up for that award. Normally the artist who wins the "Best" also wins the subcategories they were in. So does that mean that Arcade Fire is no longer alternative? Who knows... Both bands are great and deserve the recognition that they received it is just funny how award shows and ranking things work sometimes.

The Good!

This is a creative album with tons of great songs, in fact 16 of them! Wow, you really get your money out of this album. The songs still have the Arcade Fire flare, yet it seems to have wore off a little bit and has taken on a more mellow mood. This is an album that grows on you and the seems more epic than catchy.

The Bad...

I just isn’t Funeral…

Overall?

4 out of 5. It is a good album and goes in with the collection of Arcade Fire nicely. An album that you can play over and over and not tire of.

Augustana- Augustana (Album Review)

What Happened?

This album is different from everything else Augustana has put out. Actually all three of their albums are completely different. This time they cut out the piano and replaced it with lame guitar solos. If you can get over this, or if you never really enjoyed piano rock then you will love this album. Also, only two original members are a part of the band with the addition of two regularly. If you watch the Jay Leno performance they have other musicians join them as well.

The Good!

This album has the great melodic hooks that link all of the albums together and give Augustana a recognizable sound. They also implement a more Americana and rootsy sound. Many people say that they sound like the Killers and though this may be true about Steal Your Heart, and Shot In The Dark over all they have a different sound. Plus who doesn’t like the Killers. Most songs are solid and the album as a whole is quite strong.

The Bad...

The lyrics are the most distracting part of the music, with clichés bursting forth everywhere, and rhyming schemes that could make you vomit. Next are the uncertain guitar solos as mentioned before. The guitar’s just don’t seem to know what they are doing and the piano is missed to smooth the sound over. One last little negative is the songs seem to end awkwardly and the instruments just fade out, seeming like they just don’t know what the proper outro should actually be.

Overall?

2.5 out of 5. This album is a mediocre one. It is not bad and is still creative but it doesn’t have the zip that the first album had. It is definitely better than what is playing on the top 40 but there are a lot better and more creative bands that have a nice sound to them. I would just buy the hits Steal Your Heart and Shot In The Dark.

Dawes- North Hills (Album Review)

Get the Old Before the New!

The album North Hills is one you should pick up before Dawes comes out with their second album this Summer. It is always great too follow a band and see how they progress. It is best to do this while the band is putting out their music. There new album comes out June 7th and is called "Nothing is Wrong."

North Hills

What a great American 'chill rock' album. Though they pick it up in a few songs, this is a great relaxing album. Put this one on a summer night while sitting around the fire with your best friend. It is interesting enough to listen to when the conversation is low and not distracting enough that you can't talk.

The Good!

This album has smooth guitar parts and beautiful, raw vocals. The album doesn't have a bad song. The lyrics make you think with lines like "Anyone that's making anything new only breaks something else" "The only thing worse than dying is not dying at all." This album shows the raw talent of the band without all the over production that most albums have these days.

The Bad....

The album seems to get a little repetitive at the end and would have been solved by cutting the 12 tracks down to 10, but then again which one would you cut out. The single for this album does not show what the album is all about. The single is one of the only up beat songs with the majority being down tempo songs.

Overall?

4.5 out of 5. The only thing that could make this album better would be a few more up beat songs to match the single. A great first album and I am anticipating their sophomore release.

Emery- We Do What We Want (Album Review)

Continuing to Deliver

Emery has continued to put out hardcore music that is accessible to many people by including a lot of singing. This album has many more breakdowns than Emery has had in the past and have included metalcore type of drum beats and guitar parts. It has the creativity that Emery always does and they keep it interesting even though it is their 5th full length album.

The Good!

Shredding guitars, double bass parts, break downs, smooth vocals, and intense screams make this album intriguing. The first 8 songs are intense and make you want to get in a pit and start thrashing. The last two songs bring it down a bit and are more acoustic which is a nice end to such and intense album. They always sing about such relevant topics and are not afraid to say what needs to be said, no matter what anyone says about them.

The Bad...

A few too many break downs makes the structure of the songs similar at times, and they blend in to one another. I have always thought that the guitars could have done more in Emery's music and a few more interesting solos would make this better as a whole, it is the same with this album.

Overall?

4.5 out of 5. If you liked what Emery has done in the past you will like this album. If you don't like hardcore music and screaming then you will not enjoy this album. The scream and singing combination of this album keeps Emery relevant in the music scene.

Grouplove- Grouplove (Album Review)

Energy!

This could be the summer EP that you are looking for with all the cheery sounds you want in your music. Acoustically driven, this album is clear, yet the electrics come in to really fill out the driving parts. When the song Naked Kids comes on you can’t help but smile and chuckle to your self a little. Maybe we could all use a little more freedom sometimes.

The Good!

This really does have energy behind it that is really fun. The lyrics are heart warming talking about love for brothers, kisses for mothers, and band members that are soul mates. The duet between Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi is beautiful with Hannah soaring over the solid Christian. 

The Bad…

Some of the cord progressions get a little repetitive and are slightly too simplistic, yet maybe that is the beauty in the songs. I know one downside for sure, 6 songs, I am always left wanting more. That’s about it…

Overall?

4.5 out of 5. This is a great album to pick up for the summer. It couldn’t make the perfect because 6 songs can’t be repeated to long before you realize that you know the songs in and out. Put it on in the car and drive fast, laughing at all the cars you pass.