DBF Album Reviews
Recent Album Reviews
68
Fantastic Playroom by New Young Pony Club is a dance party album. Nothing more. Seriously, there is nothing more to it. This album will indeed get people moving and the music itself is catchy and energetic, but there is no real depth to the songs and the lyrics go from borderline silly to downright laughable. There really isn't much more necessary to get an accurate overview other than that, to be honest - this record is a one trick pony. Catchy dance music, no depth, terrible lyrics. Full review, tourdates and MP3 samples after the jump.
The album kicks off with ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: 2008, Album Review, Fantastic Playground, New Young Pony Club, Tour Dates
75
The Helio Sequence is a band that has had several indy releases, and Keep Your Eyes Ahead, released by Sub Pop Records is a nice surprise when I threw it on the iTunes for the first time not too long ago. Overall, Keep Your Eyes Ahead is an enjoyable and even record, in that the high points aren't the most awesome, but the low points aren't the most terrible music I have heard this year, either. I think the album suffers a little from the fact that the lead vocals aren't exactly world-class, but they are passable. On the right ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: 2008, Album Review, Keep Your Eyes Ahead, The Helio Sequence, Tour Dates
84
So here’s a little album I’ve been wanting to write about for some time, but didn’t know how to proceed. It may be due, in part, to the fact that it’s been quite a spell since my last hallucinogen-induced bender. Nonetheless, Oracular Spectacular is an encompassing album that is delightfully complex, while maintaining a lightheartedness throughout. Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have done a very impressive of job of creating a mash up of eclectic sounds and styles in a manner that would make a Flaming Lips/David Bowie love child shed a single tear of joy.
Oracular Spectacular starts out with ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, MGMT, Oracular Spectacular, Time to Pretend
72
Lil' Wayne had killer guest spots on two of my favorite hip-hop tracks from last year: Jay-Z's "Hello Brooklyn" and Kanye West's "Barry Bonds". However, much like when I purchased Grand Theft Auto III, I hadn't experienced the first two installments of the trilogy, so I approached Tha Carter III with a fairly open mind.
I nearly experienced immediate buyer's remorse. Album-opener "3 peat" (no word if Pat Riley receives royalties) is a dull, "808+dramatic score" song I've heard roughly 1,000 times before. Weezy offers the inevitable reminder of the chasm between my life and hip-hop in the ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, hip-hop, Lil' Wayne, Tha Carter III
84
Posted June 26th, 2008 by BVaz · 2 Comments
Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Enadalaust - Beggars - 2008
One of the higher profile releases so far this year is certainly this new album from Iceland's Sigur Ros. The kings of dramatic, atmospheric pop have taken a bit of a change in direction on this album, with a few more focused numbers, but largely retains their sweet natured charm of their dramatic soundscapes and they deliver a very solid record.
The first song on the album, "Gobbledigook", was the the first one released to the masses as it was available as a free download on their ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, Sigur Ros, Tour Dates
Posted June 26th, 2008 by BVaz · 2 Comments
I wasn't really going to do a review on this, because it kind of exists outside of the realm of reviews and regular albums that have come out this year simply because of the way it is put together. But since this has been such a controversial release that has been praised by many and panned by many as well, I thought I would throw in my two cents on this album. It was released last week Radiohead style and it is certainly an album everyone should go ahead and pick up, considering the pay what you want ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, Feed The Animals, Girl Talk, Greg Gillis, Mashup
73
I have to admit that I am a Coldplay fan. I loved Parachutes, and with Rush of Blood to the Head, I really felt like the band put the extra emphasis/sound/depth on their already good songwriting that they needed in order to make Parachutes a more complete record. I think X&Y was a disappointment, and the most troubling to me was that the only song on that record which I could say was really good, Talk, was the only song on that record which wasn't wholly written by Chris Martin (I also love the video for Talk - Spaceships? Alien Robot?! Bad ass.) I ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: 2008, Album Review, Coldplay, Tour Dates, Viva La Vida
67
The Raveonettes are yet another band in the long line of bands this year of which I a) know nothing about, and b) who released an album this year. At any rate, the Raveonettes have a decent back catalog (of which I am not familiar), and they are a two-piece band set up with one guy, one girl. Lust Lust Lust is an album with lots of....stuff. There are several solid tracks, and it's a record which starts strong but really wanes in the second half, and there are lots of tracks. There is a lot of stuff going on in these songs. ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: 2008, Album Review, Lust Lust Lust, The Raveonettes
87
Posted June 17th, 2008 by BVaz · 1 Comment
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea - Drag City - 2008
What a great fucking week for album releases (and yes I'm ignoring that whole Coldplay thing). Not only do we have Wolf Parade's "At Mount Zoomer" which I have fallen instantly in love with, we also have another album from the venerable Silver Jews, and I have totally fallen in love with this album also. It is just a great album, so soft spoken, so alt-country, yet so good. There are some humorous moments, some great country jams, and just all around solid songs from top ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, Lookout Mountain Lookout Sea, Silver Jews
93
Posted June 17th, 2008 by BVaz · 4 Comments
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer - Sub-Pop - 2008
At the start of the new year 2008 there were really two main albums that I was anticipating in the upcoming year more than any others: Wolf Parade's new album, which came to be known as "At Mount Zoomer", and Of Montreal's record, which will drop in October. So even before this album was announced I was heavily anticipating it, having just seen the band back in September where they played the majority of these songs, and they just blew my mind. Well, I'm happy to say that they ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, At Mount Zoomer, Awesome, Tour Dates, Wolf Parade
89
As he has never had a show in Dallas, my ony exposure to Lightspeed Champion prior to picking up this album was our own DBF'com's prodigious level of love aimed at Dev and Company. I had sampled a couple of the MP3s from this blog and watched his SXSW acoustic performance, all of which I loved as well. If you can call DBF's coverage of Lightspeed Champion hype, LC is likely the most hyped artist on this blog. At any rate, these accolades are deserved - certainly as far as Falling off the Lavender Bridge is concerned, ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: 2008, Album Review, Falling off the Lavendar Bridge, Lightspeed Champion
76
Not too long ago I got a copy of Headlights' latest release, Some Racing, Some Stopping - halfway in preparation of seeing them live in Dallas on June 11 at the Granada, (opening for Mates of State) and halfway because I really enjoyed what I had heard in the ladyfriend's car. Overall, this is a good album, but in my mind falls a little short of establishing a real identity in the indy/retro/pop genre. Some Racing, Some Stopping has many highly enjoyable tracks with melodies that drift very nicely along, but somehow don't really affirm themselves in the ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Music, Reviews
Tags: 2008, Album Review, Headlights, Tour Dates
84
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges - Ato Records - 2008
Well this week brings a new release from what I would say is by far the most beloved band in the blogosphere today. With the possible exception of Radiohead, I think MMJ is the only band that I have never really read anything negative about in music blogs, with everyone loving on their albums and praising their live shows, and even ripping on bands like Fleet Foxes for being a poor man's MMJ. In my opinion however, they have been fairly overrated. I was never really a ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket
68
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into - Almost Gold - 2008
Quite an interesting album, this one is. I don't really know much about this band at all aside from hearing the album. I missed going to their show at the Mansion a month or so ago, so I really wonder how they are live. This album can really be kind of divided into two parts, with some songs going the way of almost heavy dance-metal ("With A Heavy Heart") and the other songs going in a very strong ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: Album Review, Does It Offend You Yeah
81
Posted June 9th, 2008 by BVaz · 1 Comment
Walter Meego - Voyager - Almost Gold - 2008
It's been a little while since I have reviewed a nice 80s dance party throwback kind of album here on DBF, but fear not, as long as they continue to be made, I will continue to listen to them! Anyway, today we have the latest release from Chicago electro-duo Walter Meego, and I have to say I am really digging this album. I saw these guys open for VHS or Beta last year at Subterranean and I thought they were pretty good, if not a little bit all over the ...
[Read more →]
Categories: Albums, Main, Music, Reviews
Tags: 80s Dance Party, Album Review, Voyager, Walter Meego
>
