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The Voices of Reason
Top First Three Albums
Many a band have put out a great debut album. A few have followed that up with a second. But three? This week, the Voices name the bands with the best three albums to start their careers. Read more.
Click here for next week's Voices of Reason question regarding the definition of sport.
Rant and Rave: Rave—The Weezer album Make Believe—In keeping with my reviews of discs that can't seem to find their way out of the CD changer in my car, I bring you the latest release from Weezer. Most of the summer I was listening to The Green Album on a regular basis, but when this album came out, it permanently took its place. By now, many people have heard the song "Beverly Hills,"—a song I still really enjoy, despite it being a bit overplayed—but the rest of the album is just as good. "We Are All On Drugs" and "Perfect Situation" both show off the band's uncanny ability to write pop music, as does the track "This Is Such a Pity." In fact, the latter song sounds like it belongs on The Cars' 1984 album Heartbreak City, a vintage pop album in its own right. There are some softer, more sensitive songs too, like "My Best Friend," "Pardon Me," and "Freak Me Out," which are also good. Somehow, they all come across as more sincere than sappy, which is testament to the songwriting skills of frontman Rivers Cuomo. He is truly the master of walking the fine line between being cheesy and being clever. I've heard it said that Make Believe is not vintage Weezer, but I disagree. It may be lighter and happier than their past work, but the core sound is still there; it's just a bit different than their past albums. But for me, being different is what Weezer has always been about. |
Thirty-Four Albums That You Might Not Own but
Probably Should, and
Slim Rectangular Images of Household Objects
Typically these types of lists come out every ten years, celebrating the underrated music of the past decade. Jeff couldn't wait five more years, though; plus, many of these albums are from the 20th century. Read More.
Interpol at The Greek
Read Dileep's account of Interpol's recent show here in Los Angeles, as well as why they should be proud to be Joy Division: The Sequel. Read More.
Ten Reasons Oasis Never Caught On in
the United States
Why did the mother of all British bands over the last decade fail to conquer the U.S. in the same way they dominated their homeland? The housing market. Read More.
