The Wonder Years Deliver Masterpiece
By Ethan Walshe Editor-in-Chief “I ended up as food for wolves for trying to take the world on” proclaims Dan “Soupy” Campbell, vocalist for the Pennsylvania based pop punk outfit The Wonder Years, who dropped their fourth full length album The Greatest Generation via Hopeless Records on May 14. The Greatest Generation concludes the trilogy of albums chronicling the band members’ lives as they deal with teenage angst, growing up, and the whole new slew of problems that come with becoming a more well-known group. The latter is the focus of this latest album. Led by the single “Passing Through a Screen…
Vampire Weekend create a modern triumph
By Jocelyn Cote Reviews Editor Today, May 14, indie rock sensations Vampire Weekend release their latest album, Modern Vampires of the City. The New York City natives have become forerunners of the city’s indie scene since their formation in 2006. Both their 2008 self-titled album and 2010 follow-up Contra have achieved both chart and critical success, and Vampires is set to continue that streak. Style-wise, the album picks up where Contra left off. The band has expanded upon its original straight guitar/bass/drums formula to include more electronic elements such as additional layers of synthesizers and artificial beats that only add…
Fall Out Boy fail to Save Rock and Roll
By Amy Keum Staff Writer Pop punk band Fall Out Boy have released their highly anticipated comeback album, Save Rock and Roll, which hit the shelves on April 12th. After more than a two year break, the band come back together to produce a completely new and somewhat generic sound, making this album fall just short of its bold title. When the Chicago-based band released their second album From Under the Cork Tree in 2005, Fall Out Boy broke out of the underground scene and became one of the biggest pop punk acts of the time. The album reached double platinum status, selling 2.7 million copies…
“Comedown Machine” takes a step in the right direction
By Amy Keum Staff Writer New York based indie rock band The Strokes have released their fifth album, Comedown Machine, which hit the shelves on March 26th. This latest release has improved by leaps and bounds from their last effort in 2011, Angles, by bringing back their original sound which had once captivated listeners. When the five-man band released their debut album Is This It in 2001, their sound became a sensation as the group transformed dull New York rock into a thrilling symphony of bright guitars and catchy tunes. They were seen as the saviors of rock music and their debut…
Pickwick releases debut
By Craig Brinkerhoff Staff Writer “You said your works in the air, touch me to complete the current sound,” Galen Disston begins “Halls of Columbia” with this line, setting in motion the sound and style that will encapsulate Seattle based indie rock band Pickwick’s debut album Can’t Talk Medicine. Pickwick plays standard indie rock with a heavy emphasis on soul and blues. The band released the album on Tuesday, March 12th. “Halls of Columbia” begins with a biting piano bit, but soon transitions into quintessential soul rock, with clean guitars and the piping vocals of the ever talented Disston. The song fades off into distorted rhythms and…
David Bowie stuns fans with release of “The Next Day”
By Jocelyn Cote Reviews Editor Today, March 12, rock legend David Bowie released his first album in ten years, titled The Next Day. Since the release of his last album, 2003′s Reality, Bowie has kept a low profile, leaving many to believe he had retired from the music industry for good. The Thin White Duke took both fans and critics alike by surprise in January when he announced the album, which was recorded over the course of two years in secret with producer Tony Visconti. Despite being 64, Bowie’s vocals are still as impressive as ever and retain the singer’s…
Go Radio try to “Close the Distance”
By Ethan Walshe Editor-in-Chief Tallahassee based pop-punk quartet Go Radio are set to release their sophomore album Close the Distance via Fearless Records on September 18. This latest effort is a bit of a departure from their first full length, 2011′s Lucky Street, as the band’s sound has taken a turn for the mainstream, moving towards more radio friendly tracks. Gone are the days of the 2010 EP Do Overs and Second Chances, which was full of thick pop-punk riffs coupled with frontman Jason Lancaster’s tremendous pipes. While there are glimpses of the older sound for Go Radio, the entire feel of Close the…
Two Door Cinema Club miss the mark with ‘Beacon’
By Jocelyn Cote Reviews Editor On September 4th, Irish trio Two Door Cinema Club released their sophomore album Beacon on Kitsuné Records. The highly-anticipated followup to their 2010 debut Tourist History is a fine listen, but overall leaves something to be desired when all is said and done. Two Door fans got their first taste of Beacon on their 2011 world tour, which I attended myself. The songs “Handshake,” “Settle” (then known as “This is Moon”), and “Sleep Alone” all made regular appearances in setlists across the globe. The latter has translated best from the live to studio setting, while…
Augustana’s New Self-titled Album is a Dud
By Lauren Hartnett Staff Writer Augustana, an alternative rock band from San Diego, CA, just released their new self-titled album. The band’s fourth full-length album consists of calm melodies and meaningful lyrics. But in general, the album winded up being mediocre. Augustana is most known for their hit song Boston, which was popular 6 years ago when their first album came out. You’ll probably recognize the song if you listen to it, if not by name. But each of Augustana’s albums sounds completely different from the last, so their new CD barely sounds anything like their first album that Boston…
Lasers: a Beaming Success
By Kyle Auger Staff Writer Lupe Fiasco’s new CD Lasers is a great album that was just released March 8th and I instantly enjoyed the new style. On the album, my personal favorite was “Words I Never Said” and “ State Run Radio” although their styles are deeply contrasting; I love the beat and pace of “State Run Radio”. The only song I didn’t enjoy was “Out of My Head” featuring Trey Songz. At first listen, I instantly connected the CD to a lot of recently released albums. The choruses have their roots in techno and auto-tone. This new phase…
Non-mainstream essentials: March 2011
by Nick DiNatale Music Editor February’s largest success: Bayside’s Killing Time Killing Time is the next jump forward for Queens-based Bayside, following 2008’s Shudder. With a new label to back them up (Wind-up Records), Bayside returns with yet another memorable alt-rock release to accompany them.
Diddy releases hyped album Last Train to Paris
by Andy Dunn Staff Writer The artist formerly known as Sean Combs, Puffy, Puff Daddy, and P. Diddy is back with a new name and a new album-Last Train to Paris by Diddy and Dirty Money. Diddy makes his comeback from his last album which got mixed reviews, Press Play in 2006. He co-stars in the album with the group Dirty Money, composed of Kalenna Harper and Dawn Richard. Diddy is one of the most successful rap artists ever. Even when he pushed across his arguably weakest album Press Play he still hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 with…
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