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Julian Casablancas
Phrazes for the Young
RCA
2009

Grand Theft Auto III was an awesome video game, complete with an attitude nothing else on the market could mess with. After racking up so many hours playing, it became clear that the game could use a change of scenery. Raunchy Liberty City got old. When Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released, complete with a 1980’s setting and shiny new weapons and cars, the results were electric. The swagger was back.

You might be able to guess where this is going.

The Strokes were an awesome band. But the New York City rockers burned out (third album, 2006’s First Impressions of the Earth, well, sucks). The members needed a change of scenery and we got solo attempts and side projects from all of them, except lead singer Julian Casablancas. Until now. Finally, Casablancas delivers Phrazes For The Young, complete with 80’s synths and shiny production. Yes, the results are electric. But is the swagger back?

Only eight songs long (the “deluxe” version has three bonus tracks), Phrazes will leave you drooling for more, whether that means another Casablancas solo record or a fourth Strokes LP. At the same time, this is not Is This It? Casablancas. Production has caused some of his edgy vocals to become, put simply, less cool. More President Obama than candidate Obama.

You might not notice, though. Album opener “Out of the Blue” is truly a great rock song. The Strokes’ who-gives-a-you-know-what attiude shines immediately as Casablancas states “yes I know I’m going to Hell in a leather jacket, at least I’ll be in another world while you’re pissing on my casket.” Then, somewhat unexpectedly, a soaring… plea? “How could you be, ooooohhhhhhhhh, so perfect for me?”

It’s better than anything from The Strokes’ last effort.

Then comes the memorable electro beat in “11th Dimension,” Casablancas’ first solo single. And ”4 Chords of the Apocalypse,” although not anything too mind blowing, is notable for its kick-ass guitar solo at 2:14.

Afterwards, Casablancas gives a bit of a history lesson on the Lower Eastside of New York in “Ludlow St.” Here he throws in a out-of-nowhere country twang. It’s not like Casablancas could show up to the CMA’s with a cowboy hat on and win best new artist (unlike Hootie of the Blowfish), but it’s still a surprise.

And while the song is one of the most interesting parts of Phrazes for the Young, it also uncovers one of the album’s downfalls, that Casablancas goes overboard at times. He uses what sounds like anything and everything that was available in the studio, sometimes building too many layers. Meanwhile, that exact drawback becomes a strength on the epic “River of Brakelights.” It’s a materialism lesson just in time for Black Friday shoppers.

On “Tourist,” which closes Phrazes, Casablancas seemingly tells the listener he’s not comfortable anywhere in an ever-urbanizing world (“I feel like a tourist lost in the suburbs, soon the whole world will be urban sprawl, feel like a land lover out on the ocean, feel like a teardrop streaming off your chin”).

That made me wonder if Casablancas had lost his swagger. Luckily, bonus track “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” kicks in, a “Saturday Night Live” cover. I wondered no longer. Only an artist like Casablancas could pull that off.

It all goes to show that, well Phrazes for the Young isn’t perfect, at least one member of The Strokes still has the swagger that helped make the band famous. Casablancas just needed a change of scenery.

8/10

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30 Seconds to Mars
This Is War
Virgin/EMI
2009

“War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.”

- Thomas Mann

After the incredible success of 30 Seconds to Mars’ sophomore album, A Beautiful Lie, actor/musician Jared Leto could have easily been at peace. Recognizable actor, millions of records sold — what’s not to like?

Instead, he and his band turn to songs about religion and war. Maybe it’s because 30 Seconds to Mars went through a lengthy, ugly battle with their label (ultimately settling and re-signing). Or maybe what really set them off was that A Beautiful Lie simply didn’t deserve its success, especially after their boring self-titled debut. There were a few emo, radio-friendly singles. And that was it.

Four years later, the band gives us This Is War. Buzz had built up around the album, thanks to the inclusion of their fans (both singing as a choir on the record and as 2,000 different album covers) and that lengthy break. So I had high expectations that 30 Seconds to Mars could release a decent, complete, listenable album.

And amazingly, those high expectations weren’t shot immediately.

The first four songs are enjoyable. “Escape” opens with fans singing somewhat dramatically over an atmospheric texture. “Night of the Hunter” has some woman speaking in French (the chick from Lost?) and features Leto’s best vocals on the album (that was difficult to write, keep reading). Lead single “Kings and Queens” is spacey and U2-ish, with lyrics about broken promises and a lesser society. And then the title track annoyingly opens with fans screaming, features a terrible bridge, and somehow ends up being the best thing on the album.

If only it ended there.

Good luck getting through this thing. Two of the last eight songs (“100 Suns” and “Vox Populi”) aren’t really worth a listen. “Search and Destroy” and “Alibi” build up to absolutely nothing. “Stranger in a Strange Land” features electronic drum beats and sounds like a poor Radiohead impression — that lasts for seven minutes.

Besides never holding back on his soaring, dramatic, and mostly painful vocals, Leto bragged to MTV back in April that, “The longest song on there is, like, eight minutes. The shortest, probably five. … I don’t think we have one under five, that’s for sure.”

Unfortunately, he wasn’t kidding. By the time album closer “L490″ tries to tie everything back to the start, you won’t remember the beginning. ”Hurricane,” the most interesting track on the last two-thirds of the album, has its moments but lasts six minutes with more of the fan choir in the background.

I’ll admit 30 Seconds to Mars’ effort is far from cowardly. The effort is obviously here, even if there’s very little payoff. But like all wars, this one is a mess.

3/10

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1. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The results of the French pop-rockers finally living up to their potential? The best album of the year. 2000’s United was something worth listening to. 2004’s Alphabetical was much improved. 2006’s It’s Never Been Like That was the best Strokes album ever made. Who could’ve guessed Phoenix’s fourth studio album would be a masterpiece?

It kicks off with two easy contenders for song of the year. “Liztomania,” referencing composer and virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt, immediately has the listener hooked. During the bridge, a soft piano bounces in the background as vocalist Thomas Mars sings something that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. And anyone who has heard the album will sing along as Mars states, “I’m not easily offended, know how to let it go,” in the coolest way possible.

Stunningly, it gets better with “1901.” Once again, no idea what the lyric “Past and present, 1855-1901″ means, but it has to be the catchiest line of the year. The track buzzes all the way to “Fences,” a silky-smooth number that is also as good as anything else Phoenix has done.

Maybe silky-smooth would be the best way to describe the rest of the album, too. Any of the last five songs could easily become a favorite of the month at any given time. “Girlfriend” and “Armistice?” My June and July, respectively. Even the mostly-instrumental “Love Like a Sunset” is beautiful, slowing the album down a bit in the middle before ramping it all back up.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a treasure and the sound of a band hitting their stride. It’s everything you usually want an album to be: intriguing, genuine, catchy, and tight (it all clocks in at around 36 minutes). It’s easy to recognize it as the best of ‘09.

2. Passion Pit – Manners

After the Chunk of Change EP, it was easy to expect a good debut album from Passion Pit. Instead they put out an amazing debut album. For a first time listener, hearing the falsetto voice of lead vocalist and songwriter Michael Angelakos must be a surprise. One might expect the whine of Adam Young’s band Owl City or even The Postal Service’s Ben Gibbard. But then again, the music is happier sounding than Owl City and easily more upbeat than The Postal Service.

But behind the quick tempo, electronic hooks, and children’s choir featured in a few songs, the album contains some truly soul-searching lyrics. It’s often easy to forget what you’re singing along with. Conversely, on a bad day, Passion Pit’s music can easily return a smile to your face. Then again, the opening of “Little Secrets” always puts a smile on my face, reminding me of playing the fast and stressful later levels of Pac-Man back in the day.

In “The Reeling,” which is receiving some surprising radio play, Angelakos asks “Is this the way I’ll always be?” to a resounding “Oh no!” from the children’s choir. It’s uplifting and a clear example of the power of music. Standout “Sleepyhead” still sounds as good as it did on the band’s original EP. Closing tracks “Let Your Love Grow Tall” and “Seaweed Song” make it easy to hit repeat or toggle back to the start on your iPod and take Manners for another spin. And with each listen it gets better and better.

3. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

The best love song of the year opens Middle Cyclone — from the point of view of a tornado. Not joking. “This Tornado Loves You” is reason enough to listen to Case’s fifth studio album. With almost every song, it feels as if you’re sitting next to Case, listening to amazing imagery on every track, except the last; “Marais la Nuit” is a 30 minute recording of nature sounds at a pond on her farm.

4. Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Kasabian suffered from the sophomore slump with 2006’s Empire. But third album West Ryder… is also the band’s best effort yet. The energy is finally contained — in a good way. On a song like “Fire,” it’s easy to wish you were seeing the band live. And finally, Kasabian have made a complete album. There’s just not much filler here. An interesting instrumental (“Swarfiga”) is about it. It’s a band that might not ever break the United States. Which is unfortunate, because Kasabian is easily one of the best proper rock bands left in the world.

5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion

A Pitchfork fad? Nope. This is Animal Collective’s eighth LP and it’s experimental bliss. Everything sounds like it’s from another planet. One of those albums you must look up the lyrics to just to know what’s going on. For the first time, it sounds as though Animal Collective knows exactly what they’re doing. Precisely. Down to every note. Complete confidence. On first listen, many will think “this is weird.” Only a short time passes before it usually turns to “this is amazing.”

6. Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You

Forget Talyor Swift. Lily Allen is 50 times more interesting and a 100 times more entertaining. Case in point: It’s Not Me, It’s You. Lead single “The Fear” shows Allen’s blunt honesty as she sings, “I want loads of clothes and fuckloads of diamonds,” all in that soft British accent. But the album is far deeper than honestly. Allen added some electropop to her second LP, adding to the catchiness of her debut Alright, Still. She even does politics. “Kabul Shit” might not make you think for hours, but it’s easy to relate to. “Fuck You” is even better, with Allen sounding ever so polite while telling a certain former president what’s what.

7. Metric – Fantasies

It doesn’t get much more slick than this. From “Sick Muse” to “Gimme Sympathy,” it’s hard to see why a bundle of songs here didn’t take radio by storm. Nonetheless, Fantasies deserves to mentioned with the best of the year. On a song like “Blindness,” Metric know when to hold back, letting vocalist Emily Haines take the spotlight with lyrics to sing that are more interesting than on any other Metric album.

Honorable mentions:

Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Discovery – LP
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Jet – Shaka Rock
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
Muse – The Resistance
U2 – No Line on the Horizon
Noel Gallagher – The Dreams We Have As Children (Live For Teenage Cancer Trust)
Steel Panther – Feel the Steel
The Lonely Island – Incredibad

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Relient K
Forget and Not Slow Down
Mono Vs Stereo/Jive
2009

After 2008’s double-EP cleverly titled (sort of) “The Birds and the Bee Sides,” every Relient K fan out there knew it wouldn’t be long until a new full-length album. “Forget And Not Slow Down” arrives following the somewhat Christian rock-pop-punk-whatever group’s most successful two albums. 2004’s “Mmhmm” reached 15 on the charts and went gold while 2007’s “Five Score and Seven Years Ago” reached a surprising number six. As with those two albums, there aren’t any vintage Relient K pop culture songs here. Instead, they release their most complete, mature album to date.

Complete with intros and outros to several songs, the whole thing clocks in around 45 minutes. The first two of the bunch, “Forget and Not Slow Down” and “I Don’t Need a Soul,” are the best two tracks the band has produced since “Be My Escape” and “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” from five long years ago. I got to hear both these songs during their show with The Classic Crime and Owl City in Seattle earlier this year and they come off as well on the album as they did live (that’s a compliment). “Candlelight” is memorable in that Matt Thiessen manages to get “moths” into his lyrics in the most happy-sounding tune here. It’s followed by a little, peaceful outro before “Part of It” kicks in.

And it becomes obvious that this album is most certainly about Thiessen and his ex-fiancé (they split after he cheated on her). He sings, “When a nightmare finally does unfold/perspective is a lovely hand to hold,” before again going into another outro that calms the mood down and lasts a minute too long. “Therapy” is by far the most Christian this album gets (“cause you won’t hear me out and that makes God the only one left here listening/to me”). It’s a nice track and undoubtedly the lead single for Christian radio stations across the nation. “Over It” is a forgettable sing-a-long (“over it/yeah I’m finding out I’m just over it”).

Then the second half of the album begins to pick up, starting with “Sahara,” a fast-paced, guitar pop-rock, standard (that’s a good thing) Relient K track. Then a dull intro leads into the most interesting song the band has made in a long time, “Savannah.” For some it will be a great Jason Mraz tune and for others it’s going to come off as the worst song on the record. With an outro it all adds up to six minutes of waiting for the best closing to a Relient K album ever. “If You Believe Me” rivals the opening two tracks of the album with some memorable piano added in for good measure.

Closers “This Is the End” and “(If You Want It)” are actually one brilliant song. Thiessen concludes with just his vocals and accompanying piano – “I met the devil and I stared into her eyes/Her hair had scales like silver serpents high as statues, stood there/mesmerized.” And coming full circle, Thiessen, as the title suggests, moves on – “Nourished back to life by life alone/With one shake of the mane regain the throne.” Whether you take the Christian meaning in it (Chronicles of Narnia?) or not, it’s hauntingly beautiful. And it’s a reminder that the toughest parts of life can be turned into great music.

7/10 (the Amazon mp3 version includes the song “Terminals,” produced by Owl City)

http://bryden13.wordpress.com/

Weezer
Raditude
Geffen
2009

“Here, it’s clear, that I’m not getting better,” sings Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo on “Put Me Back Together,” the best track from the band’s seventh studio album. You have to wonder if Cuomo knew how true that line was when he wrote it. If the “Red Album” was the band in a midlife crisis, then “Raditude” (named by actor Rainn Wilson, go figure) is the sound of a band needing therapy, stat.

Okay, that might sound overly negative. This is the best Weezer album since 2001’s “Green Album.” But it’s far from what fans clamor for: a return to the sound of the ”Blue Album” and “Pinkerton.” In fact, it feels highly doubtful that Weezer will ever return (it’s been 15 years since the band’s debut). Instead, we get Cuomo playing the best prank of 2009 (take that, Balloon Boy). Very Weezy, er, Weezer.

It’s true, rap mega star Lil Wayne is featured on the track “Can’t Stop Partying.” It seems odd coming from a Harvard graduate (“I gotta have the cars, I gotta have the jewels”). It’s power-pop that’s poking fun at the mainstream (the joke’s on you, Lil Wayne). So is “I’m Your Daddy” (likely the second single) and “The Girl Got Hot.” Both are ridiculous. Both are catchy. Both are at least worthy of the Weezer name. First single “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” is the second best of the collection. Cuomo relives his awkward teens and continues to keep Weezer relevant, releasing one of the catchiest songs on radio this year.

Then there’s the second half of the album. Two songs here are good enough for inclusion (“Trippin’ Down the Freeway,” “Let It All Hang Out”). But the inclusion of “Love Is the Answer” is inexcusable. It may be the worst song Weezer has ever recorded. It sounds like it belongs in an awful Youtube video consisting of the best moments of some Bollywood movie. Between the awfulness that is Cuomo singing nonsense (“Love is the answer/makes no difference what you have heard/love is the answer/you have got to trust in the world”), Hindi singing is also included. It’s the worst possible response to The Beatles’ “Within You Without You.” Warning: your ears might bleed.

“In the Mall,” written by drummer Patrick Wilson, is almost equally terrible (“Now we’re ready/in the mall, I was in the mall/keep it steady/in the mall, I was in the mall”). Closer “I Don’t Want to Let You Go” was better and more heartfelt on Cuomo’s 2008 solo album “Alone II.” Another warning: stay away from the deluxe version of “Raditude.” The bonus tracks aren’t really worth a listen unless you enjoy the feeling of sharp pains in your ears.

Alright, this review sounds mixed. Probably a lot like what’s going on in Rivers Cuomo’s head. “Raditude” is the sound of a band in midlife crisis, but every Weezer album has felt that way for the past decade. You could take two or three songs from each album after 1996’s classic “Pinkerton” and come up with a greatest hits collection almost worthy of the original Weezer. Instead, we get another disappointment. Or at least it would be that if there was anymore room for disappointment.

5/10

http://bryden13.wordpress.com/

Passion Pit - After getting Ra Ra Riot's single Can You Tell, which featured a remix by Passion Pit, I checked them out and was blown away by their EP Chunk of Change and debut album Manners. It's as if Owl City and MGMT got together and did cocaine (that's a compliment). Every song is spectacular, but the real standouts so far have to be Moth's Wings, The Reeling, and Sleepyhead.

Voxtrot - The modern-day The Smiths if you ask me. Melodies that dance in my head all day with lyrics delivered like Morrissey. I've only listened to their two EP's so far (they have a album out from last year), but Rise Up In The Dirt and Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives have been on constant repeat.

Phoenix - Their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is my favorite of 2009 so far. The first two songs, Lisztomania and 1901, are ridiculously addicting. The last half of the album includes a britpop-sounding tune, Lasso, before the tracks Girlfriend and Armistice take my imagination and make it dance.

In other developments...

- I still can't stop listening to Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line
- Finally saw a band I've loved since I was 13 or 14 years-old, Relient K. They were amazing live and opener The Classic Crime was great as well (they have a couple terrific songs).
- Been listening to The Dodos and Rogue Wave a little bit... Lake Michigan is beautiful.
- Looking forward to Kasabian's new album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum that comes out tomorrow!
- Favorite songs the last few months have to be Wild Light's California On My Mind, Relient K's Devastation And Reform, Band of Horses' The Funeral, and Oasis's My Big Mouth (now that it is rightfully back in the set list for the stadium tour).

Back to studying for finals!!

Wed 22 Apr – The Killers
Doors open at six, everyone gets past the less than polite WaMu security. Only then does everyone walk in and find out that the event is not seated (except the very back of the auditorium), which makes one wonder why there was a presale in the first place, and why there are rows and sections listed on the tickets.

The mass of people that stood to watch the performance in front were great all the up until The Killers were about to come out, when older, obnoxious drunk people would try to push their way to the front of the stage, ruining it for tons of people. It was a mess, really disappointing.

Other than the venue, staff, and pathetic drunk 40-year-old's, the opener (Wild Light) was boring. Very average. Most the crowd was sick of it after one song. They finally ended their set and it took nearly half an hour for The Killers to take the stage (possibly because of throwing out the first pitch at the Mariners game next door). They opened with Spaceman and immediately had the crowd hooked with their set, lights, and flare. Brandon Flowers has certainly grown into one of the better frontman's in the world. Highlights were Mr. Brightside, Human, a very emotional A Dustland Fairytale, the acoustic version of Sam's Town, and of course every song on the back end of the set list (Read My Mind, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I've Done, Bones, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, and When You Were Young). Outstanding show by one of the few great bands to emerge this decade.

SET LIST (they may have played Sweet Talk, I just can't remember)
Spaceman
This Is Your Life
Mr. Brightside
For Reasons Unknown
I Can't Stay
Joy Ride
Bling (Confessions of a King)
Shadowplay
Smile Like You Mean It
Human
The World We Live In
A Dustland Fairytale
Sam's Town (Acoustic)
Read My Mind
Somebody Told Me
All These Things That I've Done
ENCORE
Bones
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
When You Were Young

1. Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Simply beautiful and haunting.
2. Jimmy Eat World - Always Be
Really describes how I've felt this month.
3. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Runnin' Down a Dream
Classic.
4. Stereophonics - Just Looking
Getting into them a lot lately.
5. The Killers - Why Do I Keep Counting?
Underrated track from an epic album.
6. The Fray - You Found Me
Great comeback single.
7. Travis - The Humpty Dumpty Love Song
Crept up on me... in a good way.