Radiohead - In Rainbows

Pre-review note: Wow, it's been a while since a review. I have been busy lately and haven't got a chance to get on here. Sorry to all my followers and readers that I haven't been getting back to you, when I get the chance, I will get back to you all.

Sample:
"The walls abandon shape / They've got a Cheshire cat grin / All blurring into one / This place is on a mission"
-Jigsaw Falling Into Place

In time for the announcement of Radiohead's new album, The King of Limbs, I will be reviewing possibly my most favorite album ever. EVER.
This is the album that I first heard, and then got sucked into the world of Radiohead.
Now before you listen to this, I am warning you it is not for the light hearted music fan. This music will throw you up then bring you down, and blow your damn MIND with its nearly nonsensical lyrics and layered, varied sounds. What I mean is that everything on here ranges from crazy hysteria, inspiring beauty, and spacey alternative rock that just works in every way. You'll hear things you never thought you could be done with music. You'll hear songs that just sound so incredible in everyway. It WORKS. You will bow down to your new masters after listening to this all the way through.

Then again, this may not be your type of music. That's ok too. :)

Score:
23/10
Yep. Twenty three out of ten.

Led Zeppelin - The Fourth Album

Sample:
"Took my chances on a big jet-plane / Never let 'em tell ya that they're all the same / Hoh, the sea was red and the sky was grey / I wonder how tomorrow could ever follow today"

-Going to California
(You thought I'd quote Stairway to Heaven, didn't you?)

First of all, an interesting fact/background about this album. IT HAS NO NAME. (gasp) You say, "But Chris, I go into iTunes and it says it's called 'Led Zeppelin IV'." Yes, that's because that is what people started calling it because they couldn't see a name on it anywhere, since it came after Led Zeppelin III. Led Zeppelin wanted to make an untitled album to piss off the execs at Atlantic Records. The only indication that it was their work was 4 symbols on the sleeve that represented each member of the band. It became one of their best selling albums. Take that, record execs!

Anyway, to the review!
Casual classic rock listeners probably will only recognize a few songs off this: Stairway to Heaven, Black Dog, and maybe When the Levee Breaks. But listen to this whole thing, and you will find a 70's treasure. Each song has its own layer and unique theme, and Led Zeppelin touch. It's a classic that everyone should hear, and it's a fantastic mix of everything good about classic rock. Heavy-bluesy guitar (Black Dog, Rock and Roll, When the Levee Breaks Four Sticks), Acoustic ballads (Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Stairway to Heaven), and pure awesomeness (Misty Mountain Hop).
Wow, I fit every song in those parentheses.

LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM.

10/10

Blind Melon - Blind Melon

Sample:
"And I always thought this would be / The land of milk and honey / Oh but I come to find out / That it's all hate and money"
- Tones of Home

Blind Melon's self titled debut is a rockin' powerhouse of guitar, blues, and rock. Many songs bring something new to the table, and is even more unique than the one before, but you can't help but feel like you've heard it before. In other words, every song is great, but the albums seems repetitive. Then, once it gets to No Rain, you will be blown away. Quite the fantastic song, on a very enjoyable 90's album that really lets the band show its stuff.

8/10

Dispatch - Bang Bang

Sample:
"I've got bats in the belfry / I'm in the kitchen, boiling society / I'm in the open, catching all the leaves / We all see what we want"
- "Bats in the Belfry"

Here comes another album that is about to get yet ANOTHER rave review. I promise, I will give an album a bad score soon.
Dispatch. Dispatch. DISPATCH! I LOVE DISPATCH! Bang Bang is the essential road trip album, the essential dance-around-your-house-while-no-one-is-home album, the essential album that combines a mix of rock, folk, ska, and everything in between. The songs are delicate yet impactful, gracefully written with some of the greatest lyrics ever written. I'm serious, there's something for everyone here. "Here We Go" is a fast paced rock song about prohibition in the 1920's. "The General" is a civil war folk song about a general who has an epiphany. (Apparently lead singer Chad Urmston liked to write songs about historical events.) "Bats in the Belfry" and "Railway" are awesome little songs that will get you dancing. Every song is inspiring, both musically and lyrically. You do not want to die without hearing this album

10/10

Beck - Guero

Sample:
"See the vegetable man / In the vegetable van / With a horn that's honking / Like a mariachi band / In the middle of the street / People gather around / Put the dollar-dollar-dollar in the can"
- "Qué Onda Guero"

I was interested in hearing some Beck, so I borrowed this album from a friend. I was very pleased. It's an eclectic mix of music from Beck, and one of the coolest albums I've heard in a while. It starts off bold and heavy with "E-Pro", one of the highlights of the album. It transitions into a funky rap with "Que Onda Guero", which translates into "What's up, white boy?" and then lightens up with "Girl". Very interesting start to the album. The following songs all have Beck's trademark touch: The droning (I mean that in the nicest possible way) voice, the synth, and oh it's just incredible.

9/10

About me

I guess before I start to review many albums, I should tell you a little about me

I'm Chris. I love music and have been playing guitar since I was 8. I started out with bass, then electric. I picked up a saxophone when I was 10 and got really into jazz music. Then I started writing my own songs. I made a simple ballad when was 12. I played it with my band, with me on bass. We started writing more and more music and became really popular in my school. I will never forget our first gig. It was wonderful, the feeling of playing on the stage, everyone watching us.

I'm in college and decided to start blogging as something to do, you know to waste a little time, and write some thing down.
This was a little brief, but I'm in a rush, sorry!

The Shins - Oh, Inverted World

The Shins are a fantastic indie band that I found after discovering the song New Slang. I checked out their debut album, Oh Inverted World, and it was fantastic.
The songs have a light and airy feel to them. The only thing is that some seemed to be clones and lacked inspiration, but still, it's nice to listen to. It's upbeat and quirky, of course there is the occasional experimental song, but it's their debut album. The songs that really stick out are Caring is Creepy, which right off the bat, launches the record into melodic bliss. Then there's New Slang. You should recognize these two songs if you've ever seen Garden State, as these were featured in it. Nothing more to be said about this album, other than give it a listen. If it's not your kind of music, that's ok, it is different, but give it a try.

9/10