I’m back, I think!

 

I’m going to do my best and rekindle this blog over on Substack!  I promise, it’ll be free.  I can’t say for certain whether or not my writing or reviewing have gotten any better, but I can guarantee you 100% less DMCA takedown complaints!

Twitter

Follow me on Twitter to toss me album reviews and stay in the loop on future posts.  I'll be looking to review a mix of established and unsigned artists in the hopes of finding great music and helping bands get their music out there.

Follow @burkus

Alkaline Trio - My Shame is True

As my first blog back, it's only fitting that I start with one of my favorite bands of all time: Alkaline Trio. My Shame is True is a great album to get me back in to the swing of things. Musically the album picks up where This Addiction left off. The perfectly choreographed layers of Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano vocals never miss a beat while the frantic bridges play off a steady verse...classic Alkaline Trio. If the instrumentation brings it up to par for the rest of their discography, it's the lyrics that propel it towards the the top. The difference is the pain of a break-up that Skiba sings about; and this isn't your 20-something pain, this is your "I got a divorce, found something beautiful in life out of it, and was crushed when it ended." This is big-league, adult break-up, and I guess as I get older, I can relate to it a bit more. There are songs that may sound indifferent, like "Midnight Blue," but if you've been there in that position, you know that it speaks honestly to that situation. I highly recommend this album for any Alkaline Trio fans, and anyone that needs a pick-me-up coming out of a crappy relationship. Misery is a dish best shared. Unfortunately, it took this type of situation to see Skiba and Co. at their best, but as a fan, I'm glad he made it and sounds like he pulled through okay.

 1. She Lied to the FBI
2. I Wanna be a Warhol
3. I'm Only Here to Disappoint
4. Kiss You to Death
5. The Temptation of St. Anthony
6. I, Pessimist
7. Only Love
8. The Torture Doctor
9. Midnight Blue
10. One Last Dance
11. Young Lovers
 12. Until Death do Us Part

  Stream it here on Youtube (and buy it on vinyl)!

Starting anew

Yo, I'm restarting the blog. Why now? Because I miss writing, and there's a ton of music that the world should know about. Spread the word, and let me know what's good in the 'hood. I'd like to keep to indie/punk, but I'll review pretty much anything, new or old. It's been a long time friends, and although I probably won't be updating daily, I want to re-discover my love for music, and help some folks along the way. I won't be posting full albums or anything like that (RIAA has a bounty on my head), but Youtube and links to the band's sites should do the trick, if only to hear them. If this turns you off, sorry, but hey, check out my reviews, and I'm sure you'll find the album somewhere; hopefully it's at their table at their show. Let's kick this pig. I'm going to need your support on generating interest if this little experiment in independent music reviews will work...

The End

All, I'm taking the blog offline due to money and time. Take what you can, it'll be coming off-line Sunday night, U.S. EST. It's served up over a quarter million downloads and had almost half a million visits (that's a ton for what I wanted this to be). Keep hitting me up on last.fm, user: ninjas1981 and I'll keep you all posted on future blog projects I come up with.

Rock on,
Lucas

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

I would say the most anticipated albums of this year (the ones I'm aware of): Lupe Fiasco, Blink 182 (to see what they come up with), and the Ataris. I was looking forward to the new GUK, but after listening to a few times...eh. I'll probably post it later. But for now: LUPE MOTHER F'N FIASCO. Far and away, the best album I've listened to in this young year, the music industry as a whole will have to come up with nothing short of extraordinary to top this one. While the aforementioned albums have really piqued my interest in 2011, Lupe's teasers on Facebook, myspace and a massive guerilla social network marketing campaign has had myself and many others salivating for this album. Every track is strong, mixing politics (or a-politics), life and love into a suave, confident and...baller...album. Beats are familiar and new at the same time, with an air of unexpected predictability that doesn't let go. His blend of his alt rock/punk background and phenomenal hip-hop career resonates in a hopeful, self-confident album that has just as much pop as anything else, yet somehow appeals across a very broad swathe of music genres. I mean, the guy sampled Modest Mouse. With a whos-who supporting cast of John Legend, MDMA and some solid producing, Lupe has managed to create a great album that I would put at the top of my list for 2011, and one of the best pop or hip-hop albums (albeit I don't listen to too much hip/pop-hop to quantify that statement) I've listened to since Blueprint 3 and The Adventures of Bobby Ray. Until I hear something better (which I hope I do), this is the album of the year. Standout tracks: "Words I Never Said," "Till I Get There" and "Never Forget You."

1. Letting Go feat. Sarah Green
2. Words I Never Said feat. Skylar Grey
3. Till I Get There
4. I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now feat. MDMA
5. Out of My Head feat. Trey Songz
6. The Show Goes On
7. Beautiful Lasers, (Two Ways) feat. MDMA
8. Coming Up feat. MDMA
9. State Run Radio feat. Matt Mahaffey
10. Break the Chain feat. Eric Turner & Sway
11. All Black Everything
12. Never Forget You feat. John Legend
Bonus:
13. I'm Beaming
14. Shining Down feat. Matthew Santos
15. Go to Sleep

Link:
Comments

The Boxer Rebellion - Union

So at the behest of my friend Gav, I finally watched Going the Distance. Having been in a long-distance relationship awhile back, I can say that the movie is probably...75% accurate. I thought the good-bye airport scenes could have been better done, among other small things that are pretty big when separated by distance.

In any case, this is a music blog, not a movie blog so I will save that rant for another day. One thing the producers did do well was picking out a soundtrack, and prominently featuring Brit indie rockers The Boxer Rebellion. I had heard OF them, but never really took time to listen to any of their stuff...my bad. I've been on an indie rock kick lately and I don't know what it is about this band that sets them apart, which I suppose could be good or bad depending on how you look at it. The thing that stands out to me the most (in stark contrast to the previous post of EITS) are the lyrics. The expansive sonic landscape also intelligently provides room for singer Nathan Nicholson to practice his trade with wide-ranging and far-reaching tonalities; check out the tracks "Misplaced" and "Evacuate" to see (what I believe) are the best at showcasing the talents of the band. Additionally, "Spitting Fire," which was also on the soundtrack, is superbly put together.

On a side note, I threw in another track from the soundtrack, "If You Run" because I just thought it was a beautiful song.

1. Flashing Red Light Means Go
2. Move On
3. Evacuate
4. Soviets
5. Spitting Fire
6. Misplaced
7. The Gospel of Goro Adachi
8. These Walls are Thin
9. Forces
10. Semi-Automatic
11. Silent Movie
Bonus: If You Run

Link:
Comments

Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

To be honest, I've been looking forward to this album for quite some time (and their tour, which I don't think I'll be able to hit up). As a quick summary of the album, it's awesome. There's more layers than previous albums in the form of background filler, but with post-rock, more layers makes up for the lack of lyrics. EITS' traditional story-telling epics are beautifully crafted with an almost symphony-like approach; each instrument providing an integral sound (and often multiple sounds) that are slammed into bouts of crescendos and diminuendos. I'll be honest, this is not my favorite album by them (that belongs to The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place), but Take Care definitely highlights the progress the band has made over the past decade or so to expand their sound, while staying true to their elaborately constructed, yet "simplistic" instrumentals. It's a great album, and if you're able to, go to one of their shows for me.

1. Last Known Surroundings
2. Human Qualities
3. Trembling Hands
4. Be Comfortable, Creature
5. Postcard from 1952
6. Let Me Back In

Link:
Comments

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Sweden's Kristian Matsson is a indie-folk prodigy of the highest degree. He epitomizes that old adage that "no matter what you do, how little you have, if you do it with heart, it'll sound awesome." Corny, I know, but his albums are a sort of victory for minimalists, almost what I feel like Conor Oberst strives for with Bright Eyes. This album in particular, I found on someone's "Best Of" list on Last.fm.

*Sidenote: I've been getting into Last.fm a lot more, and a lot of you are sending me your demos through that site; I promise I'll get to all of them.

Anyways, Matsson has created an album that could be the soundtrack to my life; both in the honest lyrics and simple guitars. It sounds like it was recorded on tape, which if so, only supports the overall motif of simplicity. It can be loud at points ("You're Going Back") without being too loud; it can be soft, but still be heard. He has incredible range to hit it all, keep it interesting, which is a quality that is hard for a one-man band to nail down. Matsson definitely does, much in the same fashion of Bob Dylan, without the extra instruments. Much like Dylan, there are few layers: it's purely Matsson and his guitar/banjo/piano. No gimmicks, no recording tricks, nothing unnatural. And for a indie-folk album, unnatural sounds will destroy it. It's a grey and rainy Sunday outside, and this album is the perfect companion for me in my living room.

1. The Wild Hunt
2. Burden of Tomorrow
3. Troubles Will Be Gone
4. You’re Going Back
5. The Drying of the Lawns
6. King of Spain
7. Love is All
8. Thousand Ways
9. A Lion’s Heart
10. Kids on the Run

Link:
Comments

Menzingers - Chamberlain Waits

I've heard rumblings on the grapevine about this working-class four-piece from Scranton, PA for quite awhile, but never really got around to listening to them. And that was my loss. These guys exude that snotty melodic-punk attitude, somewhere between I Am the Avalanche, The Lawrence Arms and the more punk side of Against Me!...if you could take all that in. Rousing, full choruses define the tracks, which showcase a decent amount of musicianship and foot-stoping beats. The band's sound appeals to the inner blue-collar in me, with simple songs full of energy and drive, propelling from one track to the next, with only short stops for respite ("Male Call") before launching into the next vocal blitz. Like all great albums, it is over entirely too quickly, and whilst satisfying, leaves you wondering what the boys from Scranton will bring next time. I am definitely a fan, and look forward to any upcoming tours. Great tracks: all of them, but pay particular attention to how each chord and riff in "Time Tables" plays off the vocals. It's the little things in a song that can separate it from an album, and I believe "Time Tables" does just that.

1. Who’s Your Partner
2. I Was Born
3. Home Outgrown
4. Deep Sleep
5. Time Tables
6. Male Call
7. Tasker-Morris Station
8. So It Goes
9. No We Didn’t
10. Rivalries
11. Come Here Often?
12. Chamberlain Waits

Link:
Comments

Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours

I will do you all a solid to make up for my past few months absence and let you try out Cold War Kid's new album, "Mine is Yours." I've been a long-time CWK fan, and this album in particular gives me hope for 2011's musical offerings. Nathan Willet's distinctive voice smoothly dances around the various indie-pop riffs and beats. This by no means one of their rough EPs: it is a well-produced and artfully crafted album, with layers upon layers of harmonies and instruments. CWK's oft-neglected style of blending blues, rock and indie tonalities has been honed since their first full-length, Robbers and Cowards. Lyrically, Willet does well to capture feelings and moments, and places them in carefully constructed songs, nothing out-of-this-world, but still impressive and very catchy. Hands down, favorite track is "Skip the Charades," mostly for the lyrics. "Bulldozer" and "Royal Blue" are also great in their own right. I have more 'favorite' tracks on this album than any other I've listened to in a long time, if that means anything. Check it out.

1. Mine Is Yours
2. Louder Than Ever
3. Royal Blue
4. Finally Begin
5. Out Of The Wilderness
6. Skip The Charades
7. Sensitive Kid
8. Bulldozer
9. Broken Open
10. Cold Toes On The Cold Floor
11. Flying Upside Down

Link:
Comments below.

Ataris 7"

Check out two tracks from the Ataris 7" streaming on ThePunkSite.com. To quickly sum it up: both tracks are awesome, and are a huge departure from their last album (which I didn't find very good). As for the era, I'd put it somewhere between End is Forever and So Long, Astoria. "All Soul's Day" is...awesome. This album has definitely moved into my most anticipated of next year. I hope the rest doesn't disappoint, but from the word on the street, Kris Roe and Co. are taking it back to their punkier roots.

In other news, expect the top-10 list of 2010 to come out soon-ish. Hope everyone that celebrates it had a great Thanksgiving. I spent mine in Hong Kong...to any HK fans, your city is a healthy mix of class and debauchery. Both HK and the new Ataris get the sickalbums Seal of Approval.

The Ataris link:
http://thepunksite.com/theataris.php

Coleman Hawkins - Body & Soul

While I have my favorite genres of music, I will admit (and maybe you can tell) that I am a fan of ALL music. Well, most all music. This album is a break from the norm, but brilliant nonetheless. I'll be straight with you up-front: It's a jazz album. But it's classic jazz from a brilliant saxophonist, Coleman Hawkins. There's an old-school, airy feel to the entire album; an upbeat tempo with a horns section that fills in for lyrics. If you're in the mood to expand your musical horizons with some class, please go get this album on vinyl. It truly is easy listening, and because I don't know too much about jazz, there's not much I can say other than, "I've listened to jazz before, and this is definitely awesome stuff." It's great as background music, but to be really appreciated, you have to sit and actually listen to it, because the instruments do the singing, vice a...singer...Coleman Hawkins is one of the great musicians that the more well-known "greats" learned from (he influenced Louis Armstrong among others). He's brilliant, and although jazz (to me at least) seems oftentimes random and disorganized, the Hawk brings it all together with his sax. One of the few musicians that I've heard that speaks through his instrument (Clapton is another, but even he relies on lyrics). Get it.

1. Meet Doctor Foo
2. Fine Dinner
3. She's Funny That Way
4. Body and Soul
5. When Day Is Done
6. The Sheik of Araby
7. My Blue Heaven
8. Bouncing with Bean
9. Say It Isn't So
10. Spotlite
11. April in Paris
12. How Strange
13. Half Step Down, Please
14. Angel Face
15. There Will Never Be Another You
16. The Bean Stalks Again
17. Body and Soul
18. I Love Paris
19. Under Paris Skies

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?by6bryxi0dcyx84

Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

This album comes courtesy of my good friend Jordan, who knew I enjoyed a good folk-rock ensemble. Before I got the album, one reviewer had said the quartet was "gutsy," and I couldn't agree more. Think of the Avett Brothers, but with a Brit accent and more layered instrumentation. Muted acoustics play back and forth with the mandolins and banjos, alternating between verse and chorus. Those that are regular readers of my blog know that I'm not a huge fan of multiple layers on a track, but this is the exception, because I've seen their live performances (online), and they're good. Lyrically, the usual topics are encompassed throughout the album: love, relationships, etc. But what really sets this band apart is their use of the instrumental off-set between the chorus and the verse. Listen and you'll hear it...the verses set up the rest of the band so sweetly for loud, crashing choruses. "White Blank Page" probably describes this the best. All-around, just a great, great folk-rock album. Variation is heavy throughout, which will keep your attention and leave you wanting more. FYI, "Little Lion Man" is a fantastic song, and if you really want to see their talent, listen to the song, and then watch them live. Barely a difference between the two...

1. Sigh No More
2. The Cave
3. Winter Winds
4. Roll Away Your Stone
5. White Blank Page
6. I Gave You All
7. Little Lion Man
8. Timshel
9. Thistle and Weeds
10. Awake My Soul
11. Dustbowl Dance
12. After the Storm

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?noom9oumes2bbuv

I am the Avalanche - S/T

My best friend JJK pointed out that he couldn't find I am the Avalanche on the blog, which I thought was complete BS: How could I not post one of my favorite albums? Well, I hadn't. So here it is, I am the Avalanche's self-titled debut. If you're a fan of the Movielife, you'll like this even more (same lead singer, slower, more melodic pace). Bold claim, I know, but every song on this album is choking on energy, lyrics and guitars. Post-hardcore is a genre I've always appreciated, the balance between the harmony and brutalization of punk. At this, I would put IATA as one of the best in the genre, and this record one of the best in that category as well. I'm usually pretty good at picking what tracks I think should be singles from an album, but with this one it's too difficult. "Wasted" is definitely one, but then again, any of the others could make it as well. Try "New Disaster" as well. It has a chorus that is both energetic and melodic, all set over loud guitars.

1. Dead And
2. New Disaster
3. Murderous
4. Green Eyes
5. I Took A Beating
6. Wasted
7. Always
8. This Is Dungeon Music
9. Symphony
10. Emergency
11. Clean Up
12. My Second Restraining Order

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?zu14j445g4r598c

Funeral Party - S/T

Be prepared for a barrage of energy from the sound of this record. Funeral Party, an LA-based trio/quad, has made headlines around the world based on their EP, and reception has been outstanding within the ever-expanding "indie-scene." Their music can definitely be categorized as post-punk revival (Killers, Frans Ferd, Rapture), with scratchy vocals, harmonic interludes and electronics support by clockwork drumbeats. But the energy is really what sets this band apart as a premier dance-punk group. Never missing a beat or slowing down, this record is more at home in a small dance hall than a U2-sized stadium. The music is definitely in your face, up close and personal. I highly recommend it for a nice kick to your ears when you're feeling lethargic.

1. NYC Moves to the Sound of LA
2. Car Wars
3. Finale
4. Where Did it go Wrong?
5. Just Because
7. Giant Song**
8. City in Silhouettes
9. Youth and Poverty
10. Relics to Ruins
11. Golden Age of Knowhere

**This record's numbering is off and I'm not sure if I'm missing a track, but I also think it's more of a compilation. No worries, it's still awesome.

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?b37e1ngc33ajrrf

The Movielife - Forty Hour Train Back to Penn

The Movielife definitely has that edge that I've been missing lately. Hands down, one of my favorite bands is I am the Avalanche, and this band was the precursor. By that fact alone, they're up there with the best of them; underground, rough and honest melodic hardcore for the selective masses. These guys were already established on Long Island before TBS and Brand New started duking it out for LI supremacy. The lyrics are a first-person analysis of a variety of relationships, mostly ending terribly, jumping between hate and sorrow. Of course, for those non-emo kids out there, it's wrapped in a tightly produced post-hardcore package, boxed in snares and hammering power chords. The beat is relentless, and any breaks almost seem naturally placed for the listener to take a second to re-group before being audibly assaulted. The only time the backing instruments fade is to allow the snarling lyrics of vocalist Vinnie Caruana to break through. The energy in Caruana's voice does a great job of keeping the music going forward, without lulls which often punctuate some post-hardcore albums. Great record, and "Hey" is fairly accurate. I'll warn you, the quality isn't 192 VBS or anything, but it does the trick, because it's post-hardcore, and I'm a proponent of less-is-more when it comes to anything related to hardcore.

1. Face and Kneecaps
2. Jamestown
3. Spanaway
4. Kelly Song
5. Takin' It Out & Choppin' It Up
6. Scary
7. Hey
8. Jamaica Next
9. It's Something
10. Keep Never Changing
11. Ship to Shore

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?768b7iwwyx6sxq2

One more thing...

I added the easy "Share" console below each post (next to the Comment pencil), so please spread the good word however you want. Thanks!

Frank Turner - Love Ire & Song

Now, there's a few Frank Turner albums I could have picked from, but this one (especially now) has a little more meaning to me. Frank Tuner, across the board, is an emotional songwriter, but not 'emo.' If you've never heard of him, he's an English singer/songwriter, and while he has a full band, the music is acoustic guitar-driven. Song topics hop between politics, love and relationships, but Turner spends a little bit more time on the relationships aspect on this album. Upon first listen, you'll be able to hear the conviction in his voice, both in verse and chorus, especially in the anthems. This is the common theme found throughout all his albums, but this one is particularly catchy, mixing straight acoustic ballads infused with an edge of English-folk. His lyrics on this album are full of hope with relationships, which I think hits a lot of the returning readers of this blog, and why I'm posting this specific one. And for the record, "Substitute" is my favorite Frank Turner song.

1. I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous
2. Reasons Not To Be An Idiot
3. Photosynthesis
4. Substitute
5. Better Half
6. Love Ire And Song
7. Imperfect Tense
8. To Take You Home
9. Long Live The Queen
10. Love Worth Keeping
11. St Christopher Is Coming Home
12. Jet Lag

Link:
His record label didn't like this.

Tigers on Trains - Grandfather

If you haven't heard this album, you need to. It's acoustic indie-folk, and definitely one of the best I've heard (and I've heard quite a bit). Tigers on Trains are now part of the larger Republic of Wolves, but the Long Island duo have really hit their mark with Grandfather. The layered vocals of Mason Maggio and Christian Van Deurs provide variation that solo acoustic artists sometimes lack in indie-folk records, yet don't push the instrumentation out of the way. It's a delicate juggling act, and the band does it very, very well. I guess Cassino is the closest I can compare them to with a band I've reviewed. Go to their myspace page, check it out. It's awesome. Mature lyrics dash in and out of acoustic chords and harmony, to create a smooth, quiet album that never breaks the steady cadence that is intertwined throughout the album. Listen to it and you'll know what I mean. It just "flows."

I'll be honest up-front: the link below takes you to Simple Stereo to buy the album (instant digital download). It's $6.50, which for an album nowadays is legit. I don't have any monetary stake in Simple Stereo, it's one of my best friend's site, and if you haven't checked it out, please do so; lots of stuff related to the music you all listen to (based on you reading this), plus art and more.

There's no corporate record company standing behind any of this, just two guys making music, and my friend's appreciation of their work. Do them a solid, help them out.

1. The Grammarian
2. Sea Weed
3. Ship Shape
4. Muhammad
5. False Teeth
6. Silk Road
7. Reverend William Buckland
8. Painted Face
9. Just Be Glad That No One Saw You
10. A Year In The Garden Shed

Link:
http://www.simplestereo.com/?p=123