“Whiplash”

“2014 is totally the year of the drummers.” This was the headline that was read on the title of a story posted by Grantland.com, and it couldn’t have been more right. I am looking at one example that really sticks out in giving drummers everywhere the attention they deserve. I’m talking about the thrilling, emotional movie: Whiplash.

Whiplash, is a movie, released in 2014 and directed by Damien Chazelle. The movie stars Miles Teller as Andrew Neimann and JK Simmons as Terrance Fletcher. The movie is about first year student and jazz drummer, Andrew Neimann, making his way through Chaffer Conservatory, or, the top music school in the country. He is discovered by the psychotic and driving band director, Terrance Fletcher. The movie is a constant battle of Neimann and Fletcher going back and forth with one another, and never knowing who is going to come out on top. Fletcher trying to get Neimann to reach his full potential by creating a living Hell. It’s two hours of blood, sweat and drums. Lots of drums. Oh, and lots of top quality insults, but I don’t want to give any of them away.

My favorite, “underlying,” factor about this movie is that, although it is a fictional story, it is based, loosely on the story of the great jazz saxophone player, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker. The story of Charlie Parker goes that when he was still a fairly new player, he went to a jazz club to play with the house band. The particular night he went to play, they had a guest drummer, Jo Jones. Jones was a perfectionist. When Parker got up to play his solo – there really is no other way to say it – he fucked it up. He played so bad, Jones threw a cymbal at his head, and Parker had to walk off in pure embarrassment. Then he goes away, and practices, and practices and practices. Then, a year later, he goes back to the same jazz hall that laughed him off stage and played the most beautiful jazz solo that had ever been produced on a saxophone.

That is basically what Terrance Fletcher is setting out to do: find a student who has potential, and rip it out of him using any means necessary. 

Now, not to get personal on a movie, but this movie means a lot to me. Being a drummer of now 11+ years is one thing that I always like to tell people. It gives me great pride to say I started out barely knowing how to hold the sticks and now being able to play every rudiment, playing rock, jazz, whatever genre it may be, I have confidence that I can play it. Being a drummer is something that defines me, and will for my whole life. My favorite thing is to get behind my drum set, forget everything else around me and just play. Something that has always really, REALLY pissed me off is when people say, “Oh the drums, that has to be the easiest part of the band. You just sit there and hit things.” No offense, but if you say that you sound and look like a genuine jackass. The drums are what keep a band in time, they are what give the tone and groove to the music you love. Don’t get me wrong, guitar or bass is nothing easy to play, and piano is whole other beast, but the drums are by far, the most demanding instrument you can play. You have to be able to move every limb, in sync with one other, keeping time and not slowing down or speeding up. Plus, you have to do all that while still trying to look cool, but being a drummer that shouldn’t be hard. I guess thats why the drummer sits on a “throne.”

Whiplash is not only a phenomenal movie with phenomenal actors, it gives light to a side of music that is dying. It shows how moving and artistic jazz music is and it also shows how drumming is an art form itself.  Miles Teller drives home the role of the drummer, having all the passion, anger and triumph that comes with the instrument. JK Simmons masters the form of all band directors, bringing out everything his students have. There’s a reason he won an Oscar for this movie as Best Supporting Actor. I deeply encourage anyone who reads this to go watch this movie. It is a movie that is sure to change the jazz industry and the drumming industry. Full of emotions, music and energy, you’ll have the whole seat to watch this movie…but only need the edge.

Top 10 Albums of 2014

From The New Pornographers to the great Pink Floyd, 2014 held all sorts of new music and great new releases for you to pleasure your ears with. I have compiled my top ten favorite albums from this past year. When I choose my top ten, I think to myself what albums I would be able to live with if I was stranded on an island with only those ten albums and a record player. These are my choices for the 2014 island get away.

(From top left, clockwise) Smashing Pumpkins, Against Me!, Run the Jewels, Beck, Spoon, Ed Sheeran. These are just some of the many bands that released a new album in 2014.

Starting off my list, at number ten, is a band I have just recently been getting really into a lot. A band that when I’m feeling tired, I just put one of there records on and I’ll be wide a wake and full of energy. I’m talking of course of Smashing Pumpkins. “Monuments to an Elegy” was the latest release from the band on December 5th. Recording for the album started in March when the band signed to the record label BMG. To be honest, I thought I had my list pretty well set in stone by the beginning of December, then I listened to this album and my list quickly had to be reorganized. Ironically enough, I had just started listening to the Smashing Pumpkins, on a regular basis in October, when I listened to their 2012 album “Oceania.” This record made me like this band on a whole new level. When a band makes a record that makes you wish you would have listened to them a long time ago, they have done something very right. That is exactly what “Monuments to an Elegy” did to me. From the second the ambient progression started on the first track “Tiberius,” I knew that I was in for a ride. The whole album is a great jam; loaded with energy and a lot of attitude, Smashing Pumpkins really hit home with this album. My favorite song on this album is track three, “Anaise!” Driven by a dirty bass guitar, a mean drum beat, and Billy Corgan’s in-your-face vocals, the song is a funky-punky ball of perfection. If you haven’t yet, treat yourself to this magnificent record.

Next, at number nine, is a band that hits close to home, quite literally. I’ve seen this album on a number of other list for this year as it rightfully deserves. The Black Keys “Turn Blue,” was the driving Rock and Roll album that could be heard at graduation parties all summer. I’ll admit right now, with Dan Auerback and Patrick Carney both being from Akron, Ohio, I’ll always keep this rock duo close to my heart. Even if this album was a bomb, I still would have at least recommended it to people. Luckily, this album was everything far from a bomb. This album was pure rock. We can all agree that the single “Fever” was a great introduction to the album and great way to get us fans excited for the album. However, once the album was released, “Fever,” was merely just a tease for the great jams that all of “Turn Blue,” offered. With no disrespect to “Fever,” when I heard songs like “Bullet in the Brain,” or, “In Time,” the single quickly took a backseat. With each Black Keys album that comes, the change in their song style always fascinates me. This album has some of the most diverse music yet presented by the duo. With that being said, it is still just as grooving as the others, and leaves the listener wanting more and more.

For number eight, I’m bringing in one of the greatest voices in the history of Rock and Roll. The man who lead one of the most iconic and influential bands of rock, is back at it again with this great work of art. Robert Plant (the voice of Led Zeppelin in case you really didn’t know) released his newest album back in September, titled, “Lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar.” Led Zeppelin holds a special place in my heart and I will forever love anything that Robert Plant does. The first experience I had with this album was when I was in the car and his single off the album, “Rainbow” came on. That was all I needed to hear to go out and buy the album. With this record, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Plant. This is no replica of Zeppelin, not even close to it. I wouldn’t even call  this album a rock album. It has its moments where it really jams, but there is a lot more ambient nature to it and even sometimes, a more folky side. One song will have a driving electric guitar and then the next will have nothing but a swelling synthesizer.  You don’t know what comes next from song-to-song. Plant really has outdone himself with “Lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar.” It was the perfect album to end the summer with.

The New Pornographers was always a band that I thought had one of the oddest names ever, plus, whenever I heard it, I giggled. I had always heard about them but never listened to their music, and now they’re in my top ten list at number seven. When I went back to college on August 24, I wanted some new music to start off the semester. Well two days later, August 26, I saw from Pitchfork that The New Pornographers had released a new album, “Brill Bruisers,” and that is exactly what I wanted: a band I had never listened to with a whole new arsenal of songs. So I went to Spotify, pulled up the album, and I never listened to it until December…I still don’t really know what happened, but I can say that I regret putting off listening to this album for so long. When I finally did listen to this album the whole way through it was a lot like my Smashing Pumpkins experience of, where has this been all my life? “Brill Bruisers” can easily be summed up in one word: fun. From start to finish, it is moving, energetic and “bouncy.” You can’t help but head-bob during the hole thing. Combing electronic sounds with some grooving drums and bass and gorgeous vocals throughout. Track eight on “Brill Bruisers” entitled, “Born With a Sound” is my favorite off the album. The instrumentation is fairly mellow but then put together with the vocals makes it all crescendo till the end of the song in a beautiful way. If you’re like me and you’ve heard this band name and just laughed, do yourself a favor and listen to this album.

Number six on my list is the one that is the most out of my normal listening. I have never been a real avid listener of rap music, with some exceptions of Rick Ross, Cudi and the duo that comes in now, Run The Jewels. Run the Jewels is made up of El-P and Killer Mike, and this year, they released their newest album, “Run the Jewels 2.” I had never heard of these guys until I saw that they did a song with the Rage Against the Machine frontman, Zack de la Rocha. RAGE is one of my all time favorites, being one of the first bands I ever owned all the discography of and the first band I ever covered with a band. When I saw that he was in new song, I had to check it out. Appearing on the track, “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” De La Rocha brings all the angsty and in-your-face attitude he had  always delivered in RAGE. The thing is though, that one track is packed full of attitude, power and the energy you’d expect from Run the Jewels, and its only ONE song. The entire “Run the Jewels 2” is a wild ride. “All Due Respect” is track eight on the album and it features Blink-182 and Transplant drummer Travis Barker. The minute the drums start smashing, the song takes off. El-P and Killer Mike build on top of one another with some of the meanest rhymes I’ve heard on a rap album. They speed through line after line and when you think they’ll slow down, the next one goes even faster. As stated earlier, I may not be the biggest listener or rap and hip-hop, but this is one record that is a must for anyone’s collection.

My top five on this list weren’t hard for me to decide on, but it was hard to figure out what order to put them in. Number five is a band that I always found to be unique. They are a four piece band made up of a keyboardist, two guitars and a drummer, but their set up is so different. Their drummer doesn’t use cymbals, a few times on the record he does, but live, almost never. The guitars are always in a weird tuning and even the vocals are just a hole new level of different. I’m talking, of course, about alt-J.  I remember hearing their first album “An Awesome Wave” and just being blown away. I had some fairly high expectations when I heard that they were coming out with a new album. I had been wanting more, and when “This Is All Yours” came out, I was beyond excited. This record did more than hold up to my expectations, it superseded them. It was a perfect follow up to “An Awesome Wave.” The percussion was even more intense and intricate, the vocals were still a flowing mess of random words and the music as a whole was a very flowing piece of art. One thing I like in particular was the track on the album entitled, “Bloodflood, Pt. 2.” It was really cool because on their first album, they had the track, “Bloodflood.” It was really cool to see the continuation of that particular song. The song that impressed me the most on the record, however was the track called, “Hunger of the Pine.” It has one of the best builds for their songs yet. It starts off in the most mellow way possible and then the drums come in and then more sound effects and it boils down to a single drown until it fades off. “This Is All Yours,” was a real masterpiece for alt-J. An album that can easily be appreciated by anyone.

The solo musician who’s newest album comes in at number four is a guy who fascinates me to no end. I’m going to cut to the chase right now and say that Ed Sheeran is a musical genius. I got the opportunity to see him back in September playing all new material from his new album “X” (Multiply). I had never seen a performance like his. I knew he played acoustic guitar and sang but I had no idea what else he did. On his two albums, “+” and “X” he had backing instrumentation and I was curious to see who his backing band was. Well when he came on stage all he had was his guitar, six monitors and about nine different loop stations. He didn’t need a band, he was a band. This gave me a whole new perspective to “X” and also to “+.” When was first introduced to Sheeran, I didn’t like his stuff at all. I thought he was just another acoustic act that sang about being drunk and I could have cared less. Then, once “X” came out, I gave it a real good listen, I even went into the process of looking up words for some of the songs. After finding out what a lot of those songs meant I went back and did the same thing with his first album “+.” I have no problem stating that after I realized what he wrote about and why he wrote, I felt like a complete and udder jackass for ever stating that he was just another, “solo artist that I could careless about.” I can now gladly say that Ed Sheeran is one of the most influential people in music right now. Yes he does write some songs about girls and what not but then he has songs like, “A Fire Love,” which is track 12 on “X” and it talks about the sorrow he faced when losing his grandfather. Its a beautiful song. Or his song “The Man” where he deliberately calls out what his life would be like if he hadn’t made it in music. He is a very down to earth musician who will hopefully stay in the scene for a good long while. With such a soothing voice that can get right in your face in the blink of an eye, I already can’t wait for whatever is to follow “X.”

I have to make this real quick note about my top three albums of 2014. These specific three albums are exceedingly cool for me to talk about. 2014 was such a cool year of music for me because my three favorite bands all released albums. With that being said, these are obviously a little biased since I automatically loved them. Arranging them into which one made number one was a challenge but I wanted to state that these are my three favorite bands and I hope you like my choices!

With that disclaimer being said, lets have number three be a real grooving and rocking band. One that ended their short lived hiatus with their new album. Wolfmother is a band that I can define with a single word: boogie. You can’t hear a Wolfmother song and not just want to start dancing and jiving. Their 2014 album “New Crown” really reassured that statement. Wolfmother frontman, Andrew Stockdale, declared Wolfmother over back in 2012 and that the third album would be released under his own name. Stockdale released his solo album titled, “Keep Moving” in 2013. This was his follow to the previous two Wolfmother albums “Wolfmother,” and “Cosmic Egg.” His solo album had very little commercial success, and at the end of 213, Stockdale announced that Wolfmother was back and that a new album was in the make. After anxiously waiting for two long years, “New Crown” was released for digital download on SoundCloud and Bandcamp in early March. The physical record was released in late May. “New Crown” went back to the roots of Wolfmother. It was just a trio like the first album. Stockdale did a lot of the editing on his own with some help from former friends. The entire album is a jam. You wont be able to walk away from this album without singing at least one song in your head. It was the Wolfmother we had all known and loved when they first graced our ears with their presents. This album can easily go down as a legend, in that it uses some more classic rock elements but still brings that new wave sound.

When it came to number one and number two, this took me a long time to decide which one of these two would be ranked as number one. These were my most anticipated and listened to albums of 2014. Coming in at number two is an album that can already be defined as a legendary rock and roll album. The great Pink Floyd released their long awaited follow up to “Division Bell,” and also their last album ever in 2014 entitled, “The Endless River.” The album consisted of recordings done by the late Richard Wright after the “Division Bell.” The two still listed members of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, took this recordings and made one of the best Pink Floyd albums ever. The two simply took the keyboard recordings of Wright and put all new music too them. The entire album is entirely instrumental, until the last song which is entitled, “Louder Than Words.” The track talks about the struggles a band has faced for years, but even though there are internal and external troubles, the music they make is music that will never be forgotten. It is the perfect song to end their Pink Floyd Career with. Now I can admit, when I first listened to the album, I was kind of uneasy. Thats because I tried to just listen to it in the background while doing other things. When you listen to “The Endless River,” you have to be focused on what you’re listening too, at least for the very first time you listen to it. You can hear Gilmour and Mason pouring their hearts and souls into every single beat of the album. The coolest thing I have discovered with this album is that if you listen to this album and “Division Bell” back-to-back, they play into each other perfectly, which makes sense. If you’re a Pink Floyd fan, you needed this yesterday. If you’re not a Pink Floyd fan, you need to do some reevaluating.

 

Before I reveal my number one album of 2014, I wanted to say a couple honorable mentions. As I stated at the beginning, a lot of great bands released albums this year. Future Islands released their newest album entitled, “Singles.” The album is packed with passion and emotion and is beautifully done throughout. Spoon released “They Want My Soul” back in August. If you’re a fan of indie music, this needs to be in your collection now! The album is a fun and moving listen. You wont be board with this album on. Beck also released a new album in 2014 called “Morning Phase.” This album all in all being a fairly mellow and laid back listen, but still has all the Beck qualities we love. Jack White released his newest album, “Lazaretto” right at the beginning of summer. With the hit single off the album being an instrumental jam (“High Ball Stepper”) one knew that this album was going to jam. There are even more great albums, but I had to say the ones that I listened to and loved listening too.

 

Now we have reached my number one. This choice will not come to a surprise to anyone who has read anything I’ve posted from a year ago. This is the band that pacts a punch of attitude into every song, has passion in every note played and can completely destroy a stage all while having a blast. Against Me! is my one of the leading bands in true punk rock and in 2014, they released their long awaited new album, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues.” The album tells the story of a transgender prostitute trying to make it. This album has a whole other meaning because, as I wrote a year ago, lead singer and the face of Against Me! Laura Jane Grace, came out as being transgender back in 2012. After facing many tough times and undergoing almost a complete band makeover, Against Me! released this masterpiece to the world. With Grace’s soul screaming yells, James Bowman’s iconic distorted leads, Atom Willard beating the hell out of the drums and Inge Johansson slapping everything out of his bass, the album is 28 minutes of loud, fast euphoria. The moment you put on the album and the drums start for the first track, which is also the title track, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” until the very last track when Grace screams a chorus heard around the world in “Black Me Out,” you know you’re in for a great album. Against Me! is a true power house of energy and all out fun and are already working on a follow up album. A live album is suppose to surface in 2015, but until then, treat yourself with “Transgender Dysphoria Blues.”

U2 “Songs of Innocence”

If you have been on iTunes recently, you may have been surprised. Not but some new update, or by a new look or anything like that. Instead, you would have found free music. Now whats better, an update or free tunes? If you had to think about that, well shame on you.

On September 9th, iTunes users opened their iTunes to see that there was a new album in their Library by the band U2. Users wondering, “How did this get there? Was I really smashed last night and downloaded stuff? Or is my computer haunted by Joey Ramone?” Luckily, the answer to that is neither. It was simply a great gift from a great band.

U2 teamed up with Apple to release their new album “Songs of Innocence.” This is the bands newest album in five years. At an Apple event to release their new products, U2 made a surprising performance at the end, playing the first track on the album “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone).” After the performance, the band, and apple CEO Tim Cook, told the audience that they can have that song and many more for free, right then and there. They then released “Songs of Innocence” for free to every iTunes users. All they had to do, was open iTunes .

 

There has been all sorts of articles and reviews about this recent marketing stunt and whether it was a good idea, or just a sellout scheme. My thought on that is, who really cares? Some have written about the music but it usually leads to a discussion about whether or not this was a good idea. Seriously though, why not just tell about the new tunes? Well that is exactly what I’m going to do now.

 

When I saw on Facebook that U2 had released an album and it was already on my computer, I for one, was over joyed. U2 was one of the first rock and roll bands I had ever heard when I was little and had loved them ever since. My family has always been huge fans of the band and they have played a significant role in my musical career. So I knew that this new album was going to be flawless.

After my first time of listening to the album the whole way through, I actually had to immediately listen to it over again. Then I couldn’t stop. I probably listened to it four or five times in a row. It was art, it was beautiful, it was rock and roll.  All 11 tracks seemed to tell a story, a beautiful story of music being this joy to save lives. It was a masterpiece.

I can’t even chose a favorite song off the album. Each song was a piece to this puzzle that was “Songs of Innocence.” They all were moving and phenomenal pieces of music. Although I can’t choose a favorite, the song that really stuck out to me would be track nine: “Sleeps Like a Baby Tonight.” It is this mellow grace that starts with what sounds like a small string section, then is overlaid by Bono’s smooth vocals. The drums are an aggressive beat, but not aggressive as in Larry Mullen Jr. is beating his drums to death. Rather, aggressive in the sense that the rhythm is pushing everything forward. Then a heavily distorted guitar comes out of nowhere and The Edge rips out this lead line that somehow seems to fit perfectly together with all the background music. Then close to the end, this guitar solo emerges from the background and just sends us off to the end of the journey.

So, if you have been following along in the reading you now know that I think “Songs of Innocence” is a must have, and luckily for some of you, you already have it. The album is to be released as a physical copy on October 14. Everyone should have this in their collection. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you listen too, everyone could appreciate and enjoy this work of art. Now I usually put a link to a song I rather enjoy at the end of the post, but since some of you already have it, I’m just going to let you listen and experience this ear candy on your own. For those of you who don’t have it yet, countdown till October 14! And if there is anyone who hasn’t heard anything about this album or for the matter, if there is anyone that doesn’t know U2, there is this brand new invention called the Internet. Try it out and find this masterpiece.

“Frozen”

Being my first movie review on this blog, I figured I’d start with a movie that really is a manly film. Packed with high speed races against the clock, romance so passionate, it’ll pierce your heart, and of course a hero with his trusty stead. I’m obviously talking about the hit new, Disney musical, “Frozen.”

 

I recently watched the new Disney masterpiece and was wondering if it was going to hold up to all the hype. Saying this with every ounce of manhood, this film was too good for words.

Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee  have outdone themselves with “Frozen.” The story of “Frozen” is about princess Elsa and her born-with powers of being able to generate snow, ice and a massive winter blizzard. After Elsa is unable to control her powers, she fleas her kingdom. Elsa’s sister, princess Anna, finds out about her sister’s powers and must help her embrace them along with dangers that await back in their town. Anna is played by Kristen Bell and Elsa is played by Idina Menzel. Both actresses present stunning, and perfect performances throughout “Frozen.”

Now What would a Disney movie be without having a little bit of romance? The two leading men in the movie are prince Hans and a ice salesman named Kristoff. Hans, played by Santino Fontana, is a prince from a different kingdom who befriends Anna early in the film. Later, Hans is given a choice to make, and is discovered to have not been all that he was thought to be.

Kristoff, however, is the true man in this film. Aided by his trusty steed, Sven, who is a rain deer. Kristoff and Sven are shown at the beginning of the movie as children and we see them again when they are grown up. Kristoff accidentally meets Anna when she is on her way to find Elsa. Kristoff ends up being Anna’s true love and is pushed by Sven to head back to her before it is almost too late. Jonathan Groff does the voice of Kristoff and adds every bit of perfection to his performance.

Now the character that every audience member can love, whether it be a 5-year-old child, or a 21 year old college student. is Olaf. Olaf is a snowman that was made by Elsa and Anna when they were children. When Elsa runs away and Anna goes to look for her, it turns out he came to life and aids Anna on her quest to find Elsa. Olaf is easily the most lovable character of the movie because every situation that happens, he has a smile on. He is an extreme optimist and adds a high comic relief to even the somber moments of the film. Olaf is able to make anyone fall in love with him and gets you excited every time he appears on the screen.  Played by Josh Gad, Olaf adds that true “Disney Magic” to “Frozen.”

“Frozen’s” real magic comes from the music and songs throughout the film. The time and effort that went into the music of this movie is exceedingly moving. The hit that “Frozen” has become known for is the song “Let It Go.” “Let It Go” is performed in the movie by Elsa, therefore, being sang by Idina Menzel. This song and clip from the movie has over 190 million views on Youtube. After seeing this musical, I can see why. Not only is this song catchier than all get out, its the definition of fun! If you don’t want to get up and sing along, you need to go find your soul and fast.

 

“Frozen” is one of those movies I’m going to have to watch again and again. You read that right. I LOVE this movie! It was fun, moving and is what Disney is all about. Magic! It is a feel good movie, good for all ages. Truly a five-star movie and a Disney masterpiece. “Frozen” should be on everyone’s shelf back home.

 

 

Bruce Springsteen “High Hopes”

It’s the man, the legend, the Boss: Bruce Springsteen. Back in January, to start off this new year, The Boss released his brand new album entitled, High Hopes. I realize I am late on this album, but I finally got a chance to listen to it, which, I must say, I wish I would have listened to it sooner.

Being completely honest, I was never an avid listener of The Boss. I thought his music was great, he was a phenomenal singer and guitar player, and I did own a couple CDs of his. However, I could never say I was his “biggest fan,” or I, “worshiped the ground he walked on.” I think he’s great and definitely something special, but I was just never100% hooked.

Now with all that being said, High Hopes is like a drug. Its straight up addicting. I first heard the song “High Hopes,” on the radio back in early January and I remember hearing the announcer say that it was a new Springsteen song featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. I am a huge fan of Tom Morello. He is one of the primary reasons I, and my good friend Jeff Trompeter, got into playing guitar. I heard that song and loved every second of it. It was moving, fast and left me in shock. I mean this in the most respectful way, but to hear a guy pushing 65 to be able to shred on a guitar and belt out those vocals like he did was incredible. His voice has no signs of being strained or weak, in fact, it sounds boomier than ever.

The song on the album that really caught my attention was “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” I first heard that song a number of years ago on the 25th Anniversary of the Rock N’Roll Hall of Fame. It was on TV and I remember The Boss coming out with Tom Morello. This is when I was going through a really big Rage Against the Machine phase. Springsteen and Morello, who is also known as the Night Watchman, performed “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” together. The song, which is originally by Springsteen, was covered by Rage Against the Machine; so to me, it was incredible to see Morello play it along side its creator. Both of them sang and played incredible solos. I remember the ending was Morello doing one of the most creative guitar solos I’ve ever heard/seen. It was pure creative genius.

Now when I heard this song was on the album, I was really curious to see if Morello’s solo was the same. At first, I just wanted to know if Morello was performing on that song at all. Obviously he was, and he ended the song with the same, note-for-note solo that he had performed a number of years ago. It put the perfect edge on the album. Having two of the most musically inclined geniuses of modern day ripping together on one song was a great piece for this album.

One factor that I must mention is that of Clarence Clemons. I remember when he died a number of years ago and everyone thought that would be the end of the E-Street Band. After further research, Springsteen did have previously recorded material from Clemons for both the Wrecking Ball album and for High Hopes. It just wouldn’t have been the same without Clemons, and Bruce does a great job of honoring his memory though not only this album but all of his music.

Overall, this album was phenomenal. I am perfectly comfortable with saying that this is the best Bruce in years. To me, this is better than the previous years. Magic was another masterpiece and Wrecking Ball was a truly rock-driving album. Working on a Dream wasn’t my favorite album ever, but it was still classic Bruce. High Hopes is the perfect follower for Wrecking Ball. Rock N’Roll at its finest. The album knows when to go fast and mean and knows when to slow it down for a more new age feel. I’m not usually a fan of the slower songs on a rockers album, but the track entitled “Hunter of Invisible Dreams,” is such a beautiful song, it can’t go unrecognized. I recommend this album to anyone who have never heard The Boss’s stuff and also to the die hard fans. This is an album that you just can’t go wrong with. It has energy, drive, passion and a strong element of fun. If you don’t like new things and haven’t heard High Hopes, you are missing out.

Against Me! “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”

Against Me! is a band that I have held near and dear to my heart since my sister showed them to me when I was in seventh grade. I remember hearing, “Up the Cuts” off their album New Wave and immediately fell in love with it. Then, when Against Me! dropped the album White Crosses when I was a sophomore in high school, they were officially my favorite band. That album was just such a work of art I couldn’t get over it. Since then, I have been an avid listener and supporter. Against Me! was the first band that I learned how to play all of their songs on the drums and they are the ones who I base the songs I write off of. After White Crosses I was already excited to hear what was next, but honestly, I was never expecting what was to come later.

I remember like it was yesterday. It was just a couple weeks after my junior year of high school had ended and I was on stereogum.com browsing through a few articles. I was scrolling down reading this one article and I saw a thumbnail of Tom Gabel, former frontman of Against Me! Just seeing that made me have to click it. I somehow forgot to read the title of the article at first, I guess I was to indulged  in finding out what was going on. My first thought was that it was the announcement of their new album. When I finally calmed down and stopped hyperventilating I read the title and was utterly confused. The title read:

Against Me! Frontman to Change Genders

I read that and had to sit back. I didn’t know what that meant, like, Tom Gabel, the man who’s heavier than most metal bands with just his voice and an acoustic guitar, is changing genders? He’s becoming a woman? I was seriously, utterly confused.

That being said, never for a second did I not support what he was deciding to do. I may not fully understand, but I support what she is doing. I later read an article in Rolling Stone about her  becoming female. She also said what her name would now be Laura Jane Grace. She spoke about going though Transgender Dysphoria all her life in the article with Rolling Stone. It was an exceedingly powerful article. After all was said and done, she then announced the work of a new Against Me! album that would be entitled Transgender Dysphoria Blues. No release date was given but the work of a new album was now in progress.

Needless to say, after reading that article, I was tremendously excited. I couldn’t wait to hear what was next. I knew that it wouldn’t be till at least 2013 when I would hear any of the new tunes.  However, in the mean time, changes where happening to Against Me! The drummer, Jay Weinberg, son of E-Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, announced that he had left Against Me!, via Twitter, in early December of 2012. Weinberg was replaced by drummer Atom Willard,

drummer for Angels and Airwaves. Then, in early to mid 2013, bassist for Against Me Andrew Seward announced that he was leaving the band. He was replaced by “Fat Mike” of NOFX for a few songs on the album. Against Me! than picked up Inge Johansson as their permanent replacement for the tour.

Laura had a Facebook post saying that if they weren’t so far into work on the album, she would have called it quits on Against Me! But she had to get this album done.

Well Today, January 21, 2014, Transgender Dysphoria Blues has come out. As soon as I woke up this morning, I got on iTunes and purchased the album. I saw Against Me! live on January 14 in Cleveland at the Beachland Ballroom and have had a countdown to the CD release ever since. The show was driving, energetic, the most ass-kicking show I have ever been too and the album is just like that. The album is about 28 minutes in length and portrays Against Me! at their best! The album has on overall story of a transgender prostitute going through her struggle of Transgender Dysphoria. Every Against Me! album is full of songs with meanings behind them, but this one, sticks out from the rest. Its not just political based songs or anything like that, it shows the message to never be ashamed of yourself. I know it’s biased being that they’re my favorite band, but this album is the best I have ever heard. 

I’ve been waiting four years for the new Against Me! and it couldn’t have been better. It was truly a work of art and a masterpiece, to say the least. I don’t know what will be next for Against Me! or Laura for that matter, but I only hope the best and they keep writing music like this. If you haven’t listened to them before, start with this album. I promise you, you’ll be hooked.

Top 10 Albums of 2013

With the end of the year approaching, it’s a time to look back on all the new music that was released. Hundreds of albums were released this year, some that were just terrible and some that were truly works of art. I have made my own top 10 best albums of 2013 list based on creativity, and overall music.

Starting off my list, at number 10, is Daft Punk’s album Random Access Memories. When I first heard this random act of genius, it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be at all. I was expecting the next “Robot Rock” or “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” to come out of this album, but I had quite the surprise. The song that became their hit off the album was track eight, “Get Lucky.” This was completely different from their previous hits. It had an actual vocal line and not just a talk box vocal. There was an excellent rhythm and groove to the song, with this perfect, catchy vocal part and still that Daft Punk feel that we love. My favorite song off the album, however, would have to be track one, “Give Life Back to Music.” Obviously, this was the first song I heard off the album, but it really stuck with me. The way the song starts immediately grabbed my attention. With the use of a guitar and heavy drums, topped with the over laying synthesizers made me excited for the musical journey I was about to embark on.

Number 9 on my list comes from the genius minds behind Deerhunter, with the release of Monomania. I can’t listen to this album without a smile on. I heard the album and it was just pure fun. I would find myself putting this album on just to sit around to when I just wanted to listen to music. No matter what was going on, the entire album could put me in a good mood. This was the first album I heard by Deerhunter and it made me instantly want to hear more. My favorite track off this album was “Dream Captain.” It was one of those songs that you know they had to have a fun time writing and can just make you want to groove.

Artpop by Lady Gaga comes in at number 8 on my list. If I could describe Lady Gaga with two words they would be, hot damn! Yes, I’m in love with her. I think she is a phenomenal singer/songwriter and is extremely talented. I’ve been listening to her since I was 14 when she released the hit party song, “Just Dance.” Artpop is another master piece by Miss Gaga. Every song made me want to get up and boogie. That’s right, boogie. The hit single off the album, “Applause,” at first didn’t catch my attention. Then I started listening to it more and hearing it transition on the album and fell in love. My first original thoughts of the album were that it wasn’t as good as her previous ones, and just like “Applause,” after I listened to it more and more, I thought it was another great work of art. Lady Gaga never fails to amaze me. It is a fun album and leaves me wanting more Gaga!

Number 7 on my list is the National’s album Trouble Will Find Me. Anything sang by Matt Berninger is automatically a soothing work of art. When The National released High Violet in 2010, I was blown away. Truly an astounding group of musicians. This new album has been even more powerful. The National has always had a mellow sound to me, and it picks up throughout their songs. The song off Trouble Will Find Me that I could keep on repeat for hours is “Demons.” Throughout the song there is a continuous loop of these guitars that are echoing off of one another while the drums keep the same intricate  groove and beat throughout. The booming bass vocals of Berninger add the overall ominous feel to the song. The whole album is a very relaxing listen and another great work by The National. 

Vampire Weekend is a band I hold near and dear to my heart, and Modern Vampires of the City should be in every top 10 list. It comes in on my list at number 6. I could probably write a book on how much I like this album. I thought it was genius. As Vampire Weekend’s third studio album, it is the best yet. Every song is an enjoyable listen. “Obvious Bicycle,” is a song that I can just wake up to. The rather simplistic sound to some of their songs make all the odds and ends that come out even more interesting. Vampire Weekend never fails to amaze me with their vocals. When I listen to an artist, I usually focus more on the music than the vocals and words, but with Vampire Weekend I always like to see what the songs mean and what they’re saying. Modern Vampires of the City should be in everyone’s collection because it is an album that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Number 5 on my list is Kings of Leon with their album Mechanical Bull. When this album was released back in September, I got it for myself to start off the new school year with some good music. I must say, it was a great choice. Mechanical Bull is a perfect combination of talented, well put together music, and meaningful lyrics. To me, some of the songs still had a summer feel to them, like they were written right in the heat of the summer. I love that. It was perfect to go from summer to the school year. The song “Rock City” was my favorite off the album. It is the perfect example of a summer song. With the verse being more laid back then with kicking guitar solos and clap along riffs, the song is always good for a fun time or even if you just need a pick me up. Kings of Leon always amaze me with every album. This one is no exception. Its a masterpiece. 

When I’m looking for interesting and slightly random drum parts, driving yet funky bass lines, a heavy guitar and modulating vocal part, Arctic Monkeys are were I turn to, and they are number 4 on my list with the release of their album AM. Arctic Monkeys have always been a fun funky band to jam around to. When I first heard their song “Dancing Shoes,” years ago I was hooked. This album presented me with a whole new slue of songs that I was hooked on. With songs like “I Want It,” and “R U Mine?” the album had me along for the ride. Overall, the album was a lot different from what I was expecting.  The Arctic Monkeys seemed to take a mellow approach to this album. A lot more slower songs were featured and ambiance was a main feel. It was a different direction for the group but they pulled it off perfectly. The album still covers the grooving side of the Arctic Monkeys while showing the mellow side of the group. The group has put out a phenomenal piece of work, and I already can’t wait to see whats next.

To start out my top 3 albums of 2013, I have to start with one of my favorite bands, Grouplove, with the release of Spreading Rumors. Grouplove really got their name heard with the song “Tongue Tied,” off their last album Never Trust a Happy Song. With Spreading Rumors only being their second studio album, it is, in my opinion, the most fun album of 2013. They have definitely got another hit on their hands with the song, “Ways to Go,” which is track four on the album. The song is exactly what you want from Grouplove, fun, full of energy and a great boogie! The whole album is just solid! From beginning to end, the album just keeps driving! Starting with the highly intense piano solo to start off “I’m With You,” and ending with the exceedingly mellow yet meaningful song, “Save the Party,” the whole album is a crazy ride. The song that made me most amazed was the song, “Borderlines and Aliens.” The song is this intense looping guitar riff, followed by heavy drums that continuously changed time and tempo and yet keep it all fitting together. Grouplove is one of the most talented groups out there right now, and this album is a goldmine of their talent. If you ever need to hear something fun, Spreading Rumors is the way to go.

Coming in at number 2 is a true masterpiece and great work of art. Arcade Fire is just an outstanding group of musicians and their new album Reflektor blew my mind. I had first heard “Reflektor,” when it was released as a single, and I was immediately excited and anxious for the album. When Reflektor was released, the first thing I did was listen to it the whole way through with the no pauses. Every song was a tremendous  work of art that I couldn’t stop listening to. It got to the point for a while were I couldn’t listen to anything else. All I wanted to hear was Reflektor! The album is a two disc set with 13 songs total. The set starts with the song “Reflektor,” and the whole set ends on disc two with the song “Supersymmetry.” The transition of each song into another was the definition of perfect. It made the album fly by. The song “Awful Noise (Oh Eurydice)” is the second song on disc two and the song is moving. The drums are this intense sixteenth note to eighth note pounding throughout the entire song, and the synthesizers and vocals add this echoing, spooky tone to the whole performance. Reflektor is a hard act to follow. Arcade Fire fully deserves best artist and their work never fails to be a flawless piece of art.

The number 1 album of 2013 on my list is a piece of art that from the minute I heard it, blew me away. Trent Reznor is a man of musical genius, and when Nine Inch Nails released Hesitation Marks it was an instant masterpiece. When I first went and bought the album, I was a bit confused. I actually found out that it had been released under four different covers, one four each different format. Not even hearing the music yet and the album had already shown to be exceedingly creative. I wouldn’t expect any less from Nine Inch Nails. The music on the album was something that is hard to describe. The album starts out with the song “The Eater of Dreams,” which sounds like random noises and almost a sound check, but the entire time there is this rather spooky beeping sound that introduces a subtle but creepy synthesizer that crescendos until the song comes to a stop. The entire album presents a rather spooky feel to itself but still packs quite a punch. The album ends with an instrumental song called “Black Noise.” This song presented Nine Inch Nails as I had always heard them. The song is only a minute and a half long but it starts with a basic drum and synth groove that stays the same throughout. As the song progresses, feedback comes out as well as large static and the song transpires into a huge mass of noise. The song then comes to an abrupt, sudden stop thus ending the album. The whole album is that NIN sound with heavy synthesizers and Reznor’s booming vocals. The words on all the songs really display a story to the whole album and Reznor presents them in the powerful way he always does. Hesitation Marks showed the most creativity, talent and work this year.  It is a masterpiece and the best Nine Inch Nails yet. Trent Reznor has never made a bad piece of music and this album really show cases that. Truly a tremendous piece of art.