The Libertines - Self Titled

Monday strikes back with a vengeance, as I'm still in weekend mode. The show must go on though - and it goes on with another Suggestion Box specialty. This one again courtesy of Shaqwanda and her request of the Libertines. I'm not sure if it's a theme lately or what, but for some reason I've been hitting a lot of British acts as of late. Add these guys to that list. Also add this band to the stereotypical list of lead singers that have drug problems. The story goes, the band formed around 1997. They began to see some real mainstream success in the early 2000's and dropped a new album in '04 that saw some really positive reviews. All that ended up being for naught, as in 2004 they couldn't get past all the internal conflicts and broke up for a bit. It sounds like they've done some reunion work - and now might even be back together full time. Hard to tell sometimes though, as they make these plans but there is still some animosity left from years back. Stay tuned. Anyhow, this particular album was the 2004 release and the 2nd out of 2 total studio recordings. What do I think of this? I think it's really solid. Top to bottom, only a couple tracks that I've thought of skipping over. They have this great jam quality that makes listening to them fun - but I'm not sure that's it. I think for me it's the riffs and the old school guitar work. It's like the guitar you hear in Johnny B Good, but then made modern and catchy. This is 100% worth checking out today. You might not remember any song individually, but on the whole, an album worth noting.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Can't Stand Me Now
2. Last Post on the Bugle
3. Don't Be Shy
4. Man Who Would Be King, The
5. Music When the Lights Go Out
6. Narcissist
7. Ha Ha Wall, The
8. Arbeit Macht Frei
9. Campaign of Hate
10. What Katie Did
11. Tomblands
12. Saga, The
13. Road to Ruin
14. What Became of the Likely Lads

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Can't Stand Me Now
2. What Became Of The Likely Lads
3. Campaign Of Hate

FINAL RATING:
3.5 out of 5 stars

B Side Presents, "I Want My Retort"

I still love music videos. Heidi states they're not the same as they used to be, and maybe that is true. I personally think they're better. More artists nowadays use them to tell a story - that often actually pertains to the video now. Crazy. The biggest problem is, yeah - no one plays them on tv anymore. Seeing them on YouTube or iTunes doesn't quite have the same effect - but it's all good. Here are my Top 5 music videos of all time. (Oh, and a big shoutout to the Black Keys - Tighten Up. It almost made my list, and is my photo above. Check it out sometime!)

5. Karma Police - Radiohead: What an entertaining video. Of course, almost everything by Radiohead is entertaining. This could pass as a captivating short film, and yet it's a music video. Why is the lead singer so down? Why are we chasing someone?? Where did everyone go??? Excellent work. WATCH

4. Stylo - Gorillaz: Okay, for serious. Who doesn't love the tough Bruce Willis/John McClane type character? Gorillaz brings that in for a delightful romp in video form for Stylo. Not my favorite track, but it's a really fun video. The ending leaves something up for specutlation, but that's part of the fun. WATCH

3. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden: Probably the most iconic video of my youth. The barbie spinning over the grill haunted my dreams for years. The 90's was filled with these sort of weird videos that had absolutely nothing to do with the actual song. It was so creepy and scary if you were little, but you couldn't turn a way. The giant smiling faces, the distorted eyes. The crazy lady chopping a fish that still alive. I watch it to this day and still laugh when the old lady is putting on lipstick watching the guy do pushups. Classic. WATCH

2. Sabotage - Beastie Boys: How can this be number two? Phenemenal video. You'd have no idea this was the actual Beasties in the cop uniforms. I'm not even sure I have the words to decribe how awesome the video is. It blows my mind to this day with how amazing it is. Yet another video you can't seem to tune out of. If it's on, you HAVE TO watch. That captivating. Great song - even better video. WATCH

1. Smack My Bitch Up - Prodigy: Okay, this is why Beasties aren't number one. You might not even recall this video, because MTV pulled it off the air due to some controversy. It's so awesome, I can't even find the real version on YouTube. I hope someone out there can find it, so I can link to the blog. Best video ever.

There are a TON of other music videos that could be on the list. I came up with almost 30 off the top of my head that I loved. Let's hear it, what are your top 5 videos ever?

Heidi Presents, "Friday Gut Check - I Want My MTV"

If video killed the radio star, does that mean that MTV killed the video?

When I was seven years old, I distinctly remember my 12 year-old sister and I sitting on butterfly-filled bellies, our eyes glued to the local Fox station waiting with intense anticipation for the world premiere presentation of Michael Jackson's Black or White video. It was an epic moment. A moment we actually planned our lives around. What could be more exciting to a seven year old than a music video starring Macauly Culkin, lovable Norm from Cheers, dancers from around the world, crotch grabbing and that awesome computer generated face morphing technology that was being used for the very first time to morph faces? I'll tell you what was better . . . nothing. It was huge, it was a music video on BROADCAST television for Christ's sake - well Fox anyway. But, at that moment everyone was watching Michael Jackson remind the world that he was the King of Video. From this moment, who could have predicted that music videos would later become so . . . obsolete?

I'll be honest here, I don't think I've seen a new music video in years, mostly because there is nowhere to watch them. I mean, I saw parodies of Beyonce's Single Ladies, before I saw the real thing (I gotta agree with Kanye, it was a cool video). But, I did watch the MTV VMAs this year (stop judging), and proceeded to see three artists win every damn award. BORING!

I think we're past the golden age of the music video, and most likely, for the music industry in general. But, damn, that golden age was awesome - filled with spectacular artistry launching unknown directors and photographers into stardom. Here's my list of my favorite music videos of all time. . .


1. Vogue - Madonna
David Fincher directed this video! What?! In fact, Fincher directed two videos on my list. Absolutely everything about Madonna is iconic, and absolutely every frame of this video could stand alone as a work of art. I don't know if y'all saw that Glee remake, but I was astounded at how much I remembered from the original video. It's a highly stylized video for a song about style. Brilliant, and unforgettable.

2. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
I was terrified by this video as a kid. I mean, I would turn the channel to make that spinning spooky mad scientist guy go away. But, as an adult, I love it. The song is gritty and layered and has to be edited anywhere it's broadcast. So, the video is equally as gritty and interesting to look with intentionally "censored" scenes.

3. Scream - Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson
Two video gods. Brother and sister for the first time. Dancing the hell out of space. I cried when Janet danced alongside this video at last year's VMAs, and realized that this was my favorite Michael Jackson video. It was a personal and angry song, and a hot video.

4. Freedom 90 - George Michael
Again, from David Fincher. It turns out that perfect way for George Michael to rebel against what MTV wanted him to be was to not appear in his own video, and just let a bunch of supermodels take over. Like Fincher's film work, the video feels dark, minimalist and industrial, while still feeling lush. Every time I hear that song (which is a favorite), I see the video in my head. I also just like to dance around like Naomi Campbell.

5. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
A predecessor of the silly cross dressing videos from those guys who fight Foo, Jane's Addiction's Been Caught Stealing hits this list as my favorite funny video. From the guy who stuffs carrots up his fake pregnant belly, to the Grease-style grocery store aisle dancing, I hands down LOVE this video. I know I said a lot about videos that are serious art, but there is nothing cooler than rock stars with a sense of humor.

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle

In terms of straight up classic rock, Steve Miller Band is a fairly under appreciated band. I'll admit, it's hard for me not to be slightly biased toward ol' Stevie, as he's a good old Milwaukee boy like myself. But the fact is, the music these guys put out for the most part is pretty solid. This album is a pretty prime example, as it came out on 1976 and had bluesy elements, electronic keyboards and then straight up rock all in one. Blues was and still is a big part of music, electronics and synths didn't really hit it big until the 80's and then the rock never dies. They have a very laid back style, something that probably fits anyone's music desires. They've gone through more band members than you can shake a stick at. Steve Miller himself also had a pretty nasty car wreck just a few years before this album came out. At one point, there was serious doubt if they'd ever play again - but 30+ years after, they're still going strong. In fact, they dropped another album earlier in 2010 that was all r&b style covers. I haven't gotten to that one yet, so I'll refrain from commenting until another day. It's hard not to enjoy this album. I'll be the first to tell you that I've listened to Steve Miller so much in my life - that I go through phases where I can't bear to listen to another song by them. Even putting this on today, reminds me of my high school days where I'd pop the Greatest Hits album in over and over. Now, if you're not at that point - I think you'll really groove to this. And even if you're like me, you can still enjoy this one today. If not even the spacey blues, the comfort that you can listen to a rock band and not have any of your senses offended. Solid stuff. Happy Thursday B Siders!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Space Intro
2. Fly Like an Eagle
3. Wild Mountain Honey
4. Serenade
5. Dance, Dance, Dance
6. Mercury Blues
7. Take the Money and Run
8. Rock'n Me
9. You Send Me
10. Blue Odyssey
11. Sweet Maree
12. Window, The

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Rock'n Me
2. Fly Like An Eagle
3. Take The Money And Run

FINAL RATING:
3.75 out of 5 stars

My Darkest Days - Self Titled

Thursday on the B Side brings another Suggestion Box review. This one is from follower Christina, and she recommends the band My Darkest Days. For those who live in or around the Madison area, this is the type of band that would be played on 94.1 - which is mainly a harder rock style station. That station didn't get put into my pre set rotation, as it's really not my genre of choice anymore. But like anything, I find hard rock is a nice change of pace and probably once a week that's the playlist I put on. In fact, just yesterday was a metal day for me. Are these guys right down that line? Not exactly. I guess they have a Linkin Park type feel without the element of hip hop. That's probably the best I can do. These gents are Canadian eh, and they were noticed by Chad Kroger from Nickelback. These guys are almost legendary on the concert circuit - as they've opened for some pretty big acts over the last couple years. Nickelback, Default, Papa Roach and Three Days Grace just to name a few. They have one album out - this one - and it came out just last month. I hadn't heard of these guys before, so this is 100% new to me. Is it amazing? Not really. It's got a few elements to it that I am digging though, and will consider adding this into my rotation. There are a couple tracks that I enjoy. I feel like it's certainly plausible they'd put on a solid show, as they seem like a cool jam band. I'm going to encourage you guys to give them a shot today. At the very least the Top 3 tracks.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Move Your Body
2. Porn Star Dancing
3. Every Lie
4. Like Nobody Else
5. World Belongs To Me, The
6. Save Me
7. Set It On Fire
8. Come Undone
9. Can't Forget You
10. Goodbye
11. Porn Star Dancing (Remix Feat Ludacris)

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Can't Forget You
2. Porn Star Dancing Remix
3. The World Belongs To Me

FINAL RATING:
3.25 out of 5 stars

Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Bruno Mars is the latest pop sensation to clog my precious hip hop radio airwaves. Every city gets pretty much one real hip hop station, and yet for some reason it always ends up getting jammed by artists like Mars here, who have nothing to do with rap or hip hop - but because they're r&b, they think we'll like them too. Newsflash, die hard rap fans, hate this kind of stuff. So already I'm a little jaded toward this artist. Such as life. Pete Hernandez is Bruno's real name, and he's been sitting in the background for a while now. You might have recognized him from his background vocal on BoB's 'Beautiful Girls' or Travie McCoy's 'Billionaire'. If not, he also helped to write Flo Rida's 'Right Round'. He's done a ton of other stuff too, but those are the big ones. With that sort of success, like most other background folks - they eventually want the limelight for themselves too. And Bruno dropped this album just last week. Could it have been part of New Music Tuesday? Sure. Was it? Of course not. 'Just The Way You Are' is the big pop song today, and it's kind of blah for me. It's not overly catchy and lyrically, pretty mundane. There is one track on this album that I surprisingly enjoy - the rest are subpar at best. What I've decided to base my new pop reviews on, is how different this is compared to anything else out there. And this is flat out identical to most other Taio Cruz, Sean Kingston, BoB types out there. This album offers nothing different. I'm going to go out on a limb though with Bruno - and I think this album was solely made to get him on the map. It feels like this kid has a ton more talent, just isn't showing it yet. My guess, you'll hear a lot more from this kid in the future, and it won't at all resemble this album. He'll reinvent himself into something relevant, or so I think. Time will tell. Pop fans, have at this today - you'll love it.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Grenade
2. Just the Way You Are
3. Our First Time
4. Runaway Baby
5. Lazy Song, The
6. Marry You
7. Talking to the Moon
8. Liquor Store Blues
9. Count on Me
10. Other Side, The

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Grenade
2. Count On Me
3. The Other Side

FINAL RATING:
2.75 out of 5 stars

Thriving Ivory - Self Titled

Thriving Ivory is once again, a band I'd never heard of until today. This review comes via Suggestion Box and follower Ashley. A quick note to Ashley, and anyone else who has stuff in the box that I haven't gotten to yet - it's all coming. A lot of the suggestions getting held up in the box are more specialty requests - which are a lot of fun to do, but they take more time and they aren't solely music reviews. My main goal is still to get everyone a couple albums per day to review, with maybe one day a week on the special stuff. So it's all coming, just in time - so don't get discouraged that I forgot about it. =) Anyway, on to Ivory and Ashley's specific request to review the track, 'Angels On The Moon'. These guys are a California based band, that originally formed back in 2003. They released this same record back then under and independent label, and now come back on Wind Up records again in 2008. They just dropped another record as well, just last month. There isn't a whole lot of information on these guys otherwise. The bassist had been with the band for about 7 years - and then decided to quit once they started generating radio play, kind of an odd move there. Umm, not much else. As far as their music, kind of a quasi mood based rock? That's probably how I'd classify them. It's certainly not anything offensive. It's very easy listening, almost has a Matchbox 20 or Rob Thomas solo type feel to it. Something I could listen to for hours, and most likely not get sick of it - but not love it either. As far as the track 'Angels' - it's pretty good. I've listened to that specific track a few times now, and I guess it's more of what doesn't strike me with the rest of the album. It all virtually sounds the same. So that track might stick out to me now - because I listened to it a few times extra per the request. Overall, I think this is good - but nothing super outstanding. Worth checking out for sure, because like I also mentioned with the Goo Goo Dolls, there is a lot of good music that people kind of forget about. I'd put Ivory in that sort of category. Pretty good, but something you'd forget about. So give them a shot today, maybe you won't forget by tomorrow.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Runaway
2. Angels on the Moon
3. Alien
4. Hey Lady
5. Twilight
6. Secret Life
7. Long Hallway with a Broken Light
8. Overrated
9. For Heaven's Sake
10. Unhappy
11. Light Up Mississippi
12. Day of Rain

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Angels On The Moon
2. Alien
3. Unhappy

FINAL RATING:
3 out of 5 stars