10: Atlas Sound: Logos- A complex, densely layered atmosphere of gorgeous sounds..gets better with repeated listens
9: Sonic Youth: The Eternal: This band never seems to disappoint
8: Dinosaur Jr: Farm: I thoroughly enjoy listening to the way J. Mascis trys to sing over his distorted melodies, and trys to convey beautiful melodies in the sonic disturbance of these songs
7: Passion Pit-Manners: An eye opening musical pallette of ideas and thoughts and longings on love done with great vision and excitement
6: Muse- The Resistance: Anyone who trys to convey a message through music with a sonic onslaught and over the top melodies in mind is ok by me
5: Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest: Totally dig the sophistication of singing, songwriting and use of instruments..terrific album from the get go
4: Pet Shop Boys- Yes: Nothing like sophisticated electonic dance pop of the highest order..the Pet Shop Boys remain the kings of this genre
3: St. Vincent- Actor: Each song presents it’s own imaginary world where you can dive right on in..compelling, enchanting and downright disturbing at the same time..
2: Mastodon- Crack the Skye: A mammmoth onslaught of sound, tightly knit with a crack the whip band whom never seem to disappoint..scary how good these guys are
1: Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion: And what makes this album number one in my book is not just the singing and songwriting accompanied with gorgeous melodies, on each and every song: but also its staying power, and that it was officially released back on January 20…and it still sounds fresh and clean…an awesome achievement!!

Killer hooks, killer riffage, killer band indeed…

Talk about being pleasantly surprised….Lacuna Coil’s 5th album is arguably one of their best- terrific songs, all bringing a heavy impact to the mix- with down-tuned riffs encompassing the whole.

Yes Cristina brings a lot of moxy to the front lines- terrific singing with a true passion to all of the songs…but you definitely can’t overlook the heavy duo guitar combination of Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi- they definitely punch up the songs with a heavy flavor that leaves you wanting more… A lot of thought went into the production, the “clean-ness” of the sound and the overall concept of the album, dwelling in superficiality and just plain bullshit that we are naturally up against.

I like how overall, the band delves deep into the songs, adding key interplay, even when it appears, at least on paper, that it could all be just mundane- or “been there, done that”. Absolutely positively not the case at all, and of course most of the accolades must go to Cristina, her dynamic vocal range dexterity and interpretation of the lyric being absolutely riveting to listen to…even over repeated listens..

I believe it unfair to continue to lump this band into the gothic rock, or heavy gothic rock genre- this brings to mind Evanescence and Amy Lee for that matter- and in no way is Lacuna Coil anything like them at all-PERIOD.

You’ve got to like the spirit and passion of this band…maybe the close-knit feel springs from their Italian roots..whatever- they are a damn good band writing damn good songs…go enjoy!!

So I’m in one of my favorite newstands, in the Music section, and I come across the latest edition of Mojo, a terrific music publication out of the UK, and I look through the table of contents to the music review section, and see this title: “Depeche Mode delivers another clunker.” I immediately start laughing out loud, because without even hearing the songs on the album, except for “Wrong”, I feel relaxed, and not anxiety ridden on what to expect before the album actually comes out. I get worked up before an album from one of my favorite artist’s comes out, usually just hoping for great expectations, good songwriting and such…

I have to say that even though it’s not another “clunker”, it’s nothing earth-shaking either…it starts off fair enough, with a blippy intro going into “In Chains”, with Dave Gahan singing mournfully and seductively as always…but I want something more…I want to hear this band dance and swing like I know they can..good driving music with a steady backbeat…this is what is in my head prior to hearing the actual album…instead I’m hearing slowed down keyboard arrangements, except for a handful of tunes, like “Wrong”, and “Fragile Tension”…”In Sympathy” is quite captivating…but-but…I don’t know..I’ve listened to the album in its enirety 4 times now over the past week, thinking maybe I’ve got it wrong, or listening with an open mind…yet, I can’t get that phrase out of my head: “Another Clunker”..

Man, talk about an extraordinary show Saturday night (April 4th 2009)… I must’ve seen Morrissey , The Smiths around 18 times by now… And as far as Morrissey solo, this ranks way up there as far as best performances. Yes, everyone knows the Aragon is acoustically challenged and the like…. Yet Morrissey insists on playing at this venue most of the time, and I bet if you ask him, he loves it for the charm, the history, the bells and whistles…

If you know anything about Morrissey, you know the excitement leading up to the actual performance… Such as the song selections from the mixing board before the opening act, the video montage before Morrissey hits the stage and so on. It’s important to reflect on this, besides the actual performance, because Morrissey gives out little clues about his likes and wants, and he treats this with the utmost thought into his overall presentation.

When walking into the venue of the Aragon, and approach the dance floor; For the next 40 minutes all you hear is spoken poetry. Not poetry slam like Mark Smith at the Green Mill (Which, by the way is an extraordinary time if you have not gone), but old English, UK-ish stuffy yet pertinent spoken word…. Unfortunately, not many standing early on got it… Too much jostling for position in front of the stage and so on… So no one could really hear this… But if you paid attention, you’d understand why he presented this… It’s obvious that he cares deeply about words, and poetry – and lyrics – and how important they are, as much as actual music. Then comes your typical mix of music before the opening band, for maybe a half hour consisting of rockabilly, show tunes and the like. Even this is given care, with thought in mind… What stands out in this mix is Tom Jones, singing The Bond theme “Thunderball”, circa 1965, and it was played Loud with a capital “L”. Now why you may ask? Lots and lots of reasons… First and foremost – a crooner with a booming voice, octaves all over the place, fearless in approach, balls out singing, and, still singing to this day… and even though Morrissey is nothing like Tom Jones, he has an affinity for this type of music, whether male or female.

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Generally, the Single arouses suspicion.

I know it’s meant as an offering of pleasures to come. A taste of what-is-anxiously-awaited or something-altogether-different. Or reassurance that the artists we love haven’t lost their touch. The Single is a glimpse into the yet unknown whole. But as fans and listeners, can we trust it? Is it an accurate representation? Is it too canned, too distant? Does it push the limits enough? Is it as good as anything on the last album? And really, we just hope it doesn’t sound like crap.

Suspicion was once again aroused a few weeks ago when Tennessee- hailing Kings of Leon released their single “Sex On Fire,” from their recent album Only by the Night. I like those boys. I like the story of their unconventional rise to fame, from Southern evangelical preacher’s sons to genuine rock stars. I like their hair. I really like the drummer (he is one talented dude). But would this be just another “likable” single, a prelude to another enjoyable, if somewhat predictable, Kings album?

Nope. I love this Single. I mean, love. “Sex on Fire”’s hammering wall of sound, wailing lyrics, and insides-squeezing emotion came in way above expectations. I was lying in bed when I first heard the song played on the radio; I bolted straight up, stared intently at the stereo and demanded: “WHO is this? I didn’t know Kings of Leon did this!” In the age of mp3 and instant digital downloads, I chose to lie in bed for another 3 hours waiting to hear it again, with a sense of childlike exuberance. And I had a feeling that over the next few weeks, I would probably be hearing a lot of it.

BUT…what does it say about the album yet to come? Is this it? Would this hook be the best of it? Have I really fallen for a radio single?

Well, after a week of steady listening, I’m pleased to report that Only by the Night does not disappoint. The second single “Use Somebody,” is another step in the right direction, though neither single is the best or the worst of the collection – “Manhattan” and “Revelry” are also excellent standout tunes. Without a doubt their best effort so far, Kings of Leon gets a new, heavier grip on their rock n roll roots.