Album Reviews – Queensryche’s “American Soldier”

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by Vodes

Artist: Queensryche
Album: American Soldier
Label: Atco Records/Rhino Entertainment
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Decision: 4/5 – Must have for Queensryche fans
Favorite Tunes: “If I Were King”, “Sliver”, “At 30,000 Ft”, “Man Down!”

1. The Background

This is the tenth studio album from Queensryche; technically the twelfth if you include Operation: Mindcrime II and Take Cover. The album centers around the trials, stresses, general torment and complicated decisions that a combat soldier is faced with on a daily basis. Geoff Tate, the singer and songwriter for Queensryche, wanted to musically chronicle the war and expose the feelings of guilt, hate and loss of innocence these men and women experience, from the time they enlist in the forces, through the nightmare of fighting and killing, enduring, until they return home to their family and friends. The war seems even more chilling (and meaningless) from these soldiers’ perspectives.

2. The Substance

This album is extremely intense. The intensity comes in part from the actual voices of the soldiers themselves which are peppered throughout the recording via sound bites from the interviews that Tate conducted with former soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. From the interviews, Tate weaves countless tales of fear, remorse, guilt and tragedy into some very powerful and memorable lyrics that reflect the emotional turmoil and anxiety of soldiers. The album takes you on a journey from the opening command of “On your feet!”, which starts the first song on the album called ‘Sliver’, through the soldier’s declaration that ”…bad things happen at night…” and the whispered “Wake up!” to find yourself in the “Middle of Hell”, all the way to the return home and the hope that the family of the soldier remembers him or her for who they are and not what they’ve done. Regardless of which song you listen to, the chaos of war is very palpable and apparent. The best song on the album is ‘If I Were King’. It starts off with a touching, if not unsettling, testimonial from a soldier who lost his friend on the battlefield. Geoff Tate’s lyrics and voice are particularly poignant on this song and really drive home the love-hate connection of the war and the brotherhood of soldiers.

Long time fans of Queensryche will notice that Chris DeGarmo is not on guitar for this album. I loved the style and virtuosity of DeGarmo, but I feel like Michael Wilton does a stellar job with the six-string duties. And Scott Rockenfield is still on the drums; a great percussionist and long time member of Queensryche. Musically, the album is as solid as any Queensryche album. Overall, the tone of the whole record is pretty dark, but the liner notes really bring the project into perspective and provide a context for all the stories and songs. In the liner notes, you will find the words of Brigadier General Charles M. Burke, U.S. Army (Retired), “Americans owe their freedoms to today’s soldiers. Their voices should always be heard, and this unique project is making that possible.”

3. The Decision

4/5. If you’re a big fan of Queensryche, go out and pick up this album; you’ll love it.  If you have never heard Queensryche before, I would recommend you pick up some of their earlier works, and then come back to this one. This album is solid…great vocals, guitars and drums. Plus, it tells one hell of a story!

Live Music on U Street in DC!

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by Luxi Lauri

Living in DC has many perks: The White House, Smithsonian Museums, Georgetown, and most of all, the Music.  Jazz, R&B, Go-Go, Hip Hop, Latin, Classical, it’s all in Washington DC. There are so many good places to go and hear live music, especially on U St. It does not matter what day of the week it is, you will always find a broad selection on this side of town. U Street is the center of Washington’s music scene, with the Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns, and other clubs and historic jazz venues.

U Street has a collection of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, galleries, and residences located along a nine-block stretch of U Street in NW Washington DC. It extends from 9th Street on to 18^th Street and Florida Ave. On Mondays through Thursdays you can visit Club Pure, Jo Jo’s Restaurant and Bar, or HR 57, and listen to a variety of music.  On Friday thru Sunday, you can check out Café Nema, Twins Jazz Lounge, Indulge, Station 9, Bohemian Caverns, Utopia Bar and Grill and if you don’t mind traveling further than U Street, visit the 18^th Street Lounge. There are also specific groups that perform on certain nights. On Thursdays, The Young Lions give a great show at Café Nema. On Fridays you have the Collector’s Edition at Utopia Bar and Grill, Saturdays are the Twins Jazz Lounge to hear local and national touring jazz greats, and if you want to hear some Go-Go, visit Indulge on Sundays.  It really does not matter when or where you go because there will always be an artist performing there.

Source

If you would like to check out these places visit the links below:

http://dc.about.com/od/washingtondcnightclubs/tp/UStreetNightclubs.htm

http://www.dcjazz.com

Desert Island Songs: The Squeakquel

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by Neto

When Vodes posted his Desert Island list last week, Joey and I thought it was a good list and a great idea.  Joey immediately commanded me to write up my own list for this week’s article and since I had begun thinking up my list immediately after reading Vodes’ post, I thought, “Woohoo easy article!”

Unfortunately, this article was not as easy as I thought it would be.  It turns out deciding on only five songs that I will listen to for the rest of my life (as in as long as the supplies on the plane last cause I’m not much of a survivalist) was not that easy.  My first list mostly represented music from the late 90′s and early 00′s but then I realized I would eventually get tired of all that angst.  I needed to diversify my list and include some more toe-tapping numbers.

My new list is better.  It includes music from more time periods.  It includes some singable songs (for when I get tired of simply talking to my volleyball) and is more of a broad sampling of Rock and Roll.  So here’s my list in no particular order and without any references to LOST.

Come On Lets Go – Ritchie Valens
Its singable, danceable, and gets bonus points for being sung by a Mexican.

Hey Jude – The Beatles
I have to include a Beatles tune though I know “Hey Jude” is kind of a cliched pick.  But what can I say, I really like the “Na Na Na” part at the end.  Its a good song to play if I want to bring my fellow castaways together.

Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
I won’t be able to survive a deserted island if I can’t get the Led out.  It was between this and Black Dog.  I find this song more fun.

Ingrata – Cafe Tacuba
Talk about your fun songs.  I will waste days away trying to perfect the singing of this song.  And then doing a full long performance of it will scare the smoke monster away.

The National Anthem – Radiohead
Finally, when I just want to be alone, this is the song that will be playing in my head.  Played extremely loud, it’s oddly soothing.

Ok, so I lied about the order and the references.

Album Reviews – Radiohead’s “Kid A (Reissue)”

Artist: Radiohead
Album: Kid A (Collector’s Edition)
Label : Capitol
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Decision: 5/5 Amazing
Favorite Tunes: All of them.

1. Background:

It’s been a big year for reissues.  Along with the Beatles’ reissues last week, Radiohead has been staggering reissues of their entire discography all year.  These special edition reissues have been double-sized affairs with the remastered original album and extra discs with live performance, b-sides, and a DVD with video performances.

When it comes to film, I’m not a fan of collector’s edition DVDs with extra material that wasn’t included with the first release so that fans have to buy their favorite movies twice.  But when it comes to music, it actually makes sense.  Remastering technology helps give listeners a new appreciation of the music they thought they were familiar with.  And the extra material wasn’t really available when the albums were released since performances and music videos don’t often happen before an album is released.  Still, I was skeptical about the Kid A collector’s edition CDs.

Desert Island Songs

by Vodes

A few years ago, there was a local radio station that had a nightly feature called ‘The Desert Island’. The idea behind this segment of the show was this: if you were trapped on a desert island and you could only bring five songs with you; what songs would you bring? I always enjoyed this segment of the show and listened to it often. I even sent in my five songs, but unfortunately, my entry was never chosen. But I enjoyed listening to it nonetheless. With this thought in mind, I have proposed the following five songs as my choices of music to be marooned with.

Life by the Drop by Stevie Ray Vaughan. This song is from the album entitled ‘The Sky is Crying’. It is the last track on the album. It’s a very simple song, seemingly sung from the heart. It is just Stevie Ray and a twelve string acoustic guitar. I have to guess that it’s a song that reflects his struggle with substance abuse and how he finally overcame all the addictions and realized what was really important in life. Put this song on, turn it up, close your eyes and lean back and enjoy. I get goose bumps every time I hear this song…no lie.

Sing Me a Song

by Vodes

“Sing me a song, you’re a singer…”; the opening line from Black Sabbath’s song ‘Heaven and Hell’. I remember seeing Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio doing the vocal duties. He was impressive, but pretty far down on the list of what I would consider great singers. I’ve always thought that singing for a band is one of the most difficult jobs because unlike other instruments in the band, it doesn’t require physical dexterity to execute it well. It requires very strong vocal chords…just two little strands of muscle to either sound great or just be another average singer. So, who are the best singers in rock today? Read on and allow me to award medals to the best of the best!

Gold Medal: Geoff Tate. For those of you who may not recognize the name, Geoff Tate is the amazing voice, and backbone, of the group Queensryche. The first time I heard this guy sing, I was blown away. His range is absolutely astounding. And he sounds just as good in concert as he does on the recordings. I was lucky enough to catch Queensryche on the Operation Mindcrime tour. Are you freaking kidding me?!?! My jaw was on the floor the whole show. For some classic Geoff Tate high notes, check out the early stuff like ‘The Warning’ and ‘Rage for Order’. The newest release, entitled ‘American Soldier’, is very good stuff also (and will be a future album review). If you have ever wondered how high the male vocal range can get and still sound as powerful as ever; listen to some Queensryche!

Artist of the Week: Marc Armstead

by Luxi Lauri

Marc Armstead

I have had the honor to meet Marc while I was in LA. He is a true aspiring music who can put you in a state of wonder. His voice is very tender and soft and his words completely make you think about life. Marc’s connection to the guitar is simply amazing, because his skills and chord playing are smooth and emotional. I took some time to ask him a few questions and get his view on things in his life. I love his music, and I know you will too. This is my ARTIST OF THE WEEK!

1. Where are you from? What is your age?

I am from Redlands, California. I am 25.

2. When did you begin your music career?

I began to sing at the age of 2 in church. I have been singing since I can remember, and I play the guitar.

Crüefest 2: Still Going Strong!

by Vodes

Since 1981, Mötley Crüe has been cranking out hard rock and metal music to rabid fans around the world. Now, twenty-eight years later, the Crüe is still banging heads with the best of them. They released a new album and have put together a music festival, modestly named after themselves, with a lineup of some of today’s best and brightest rock musicians. I was lucky enough to catch Crüefest 2 last week and I was not disappointed. Let me take you on a tour of the White Trash Circus:

Crüefest 2 consisted of five bands on the main stage: Charm City Devils, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman, Godsmack and, of course, Mötley Crüe headlining the event. There was also a second stage featuring some good, up-and-coming bands. I checked out a band called Schram, out of Detroit. These guys put on a good show. They had a ton of energy and seemed genuinely happy to get out on stage and play. I also caught a band called Silver Stone, out of Arkansas. They also put on a really good show. The singer was good and the guitar player shredded some pretty killer riffs. They also had a third band on the second stage, but I only caught a few of their tunes. Okay, okay, so I was waiting in the beer line and didn’t get over there in time. What? I was thirsty! Thankfully, the second stage was jamming while the main stage was setting up for the next band. I made my way back and forth from one stage to another all night long…with an occasional stop at the concessions.

Miss Amani!!

by Luxi Lauri

If you like the sounds of Janet Jackson, Amerie, or Rihanna, than you’ll love the music of this up and coming artist, Miss Amani. She is a very energetic performer with a promising music career ahead of her. She is 21 years old, comes from Honolulu, Hawaii and has settled, for the time being, in Los Angeles, California.

On Leaks, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Leak

by Neto

A large leak...kind of...

It has been a big couple of weeks for leaks.  Radiohead and Weezer both experienced song leaks last weeks with varied results.  Radiohead’s song, “These Are My Twisted Words”, was a very good song reminiscent of Kid A, which is my favorite Radiohead album by far.  Weezer’s leak a few weeks ago was less successful musically.  “The Girl Got Hot” was just more run of the mill Weezer from the Green Album rather than brilliant Weezer from Pinkerton (will we ever see that Weezer again?).

More telling than the quality of the songs, though, was the reaction to the leaks or the almost non-reaction.  Leaks have become almost commonplace these days.  Its the price of doing business in these modern times.  And both bands seem to have come to terms with that.