Soundtrack - Rock of Ages

Let me be clear - I heard that this was a bad film. I haven't seen it yet, and let's just say that after listening to soundtrack, I'm no more motivated to. Like the film, the soundtrack, critically speaking, is rather bad as well. There's no that much to be said for Tom Cruise and Russell Brand singing along to songs you already heard, after all.

But.
There's something to be said for sing-along-ability. Also known as the ability for the listener to easily understand the words, recognize the melody and sing along with little or no vocal prowess required. And that's where this album scores very, very high.

Almost every song is one you've heard before, and probably loved. And this version is louder, more Glee-esque, and much much easier to understand (did you ever hear Def Leppard's Joe Eliot enunciate 'Television lover, baby, go all night'?). And, it follows, much easier to keep up with.

So don't delete this from your collection. Rather, the next time you're on a long drive, or feeling a bit low, put this on and belt out all the rock n' roll greats (Paradise City, Don't Stop Believing, Hit Me With Your Best Shot - take your pick). The album won't win any Grammys and you won't get on The Voice - but who cares?!

David Grohl's Letter After the Grammys

Word for word, this could not be a more perfect ode to music. I'm posting the whole letter here, and I'd urge you to read word for word - it's worth the effort, trust me. Full respect to you, Mr Grohl!

Oh, what a night we had last Sunday at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. The glitz! The Glamour! SEACREST! Where do I begin?? Chillin' with Lil' Wayne...meeting Cyndi Lauper's adorable mother...the complimentary blinking Coldplay bracelet.....much too much to recap. It's really is still a bit of a blur. But, if there's one thing that I remember VERY clearly, it was accepting the Grammy for Best Rock Performance...and then saying this:     

"To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of music is what's important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most important thing for people to do... It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer. It's about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head]."

Not the Gettysburg Address, but hey......I'm a drummer, remember?

Well, me and my big mouth. Never has a 33 second acceptance rant evoked such caps-lock postboard rage as my lil' ode to analog recording has. OK....maybe Kanye has me on this one, but....Imma let you finish....just wanted to clarify something...

I love music. I love ALL kinds of music. From Kyuss to Kraftwerk, Pinetop Perkins to Prodigy, Dead Kennedys to Deadmau5.....I love music. Electronic or acoustic, it doesn't matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that ALL human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician's personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and.....human. 

That's exactly what I was referring to. The "human element". That thing that happens when a song speeds up slightly, or a vocal goes a little sharp. That thing that makes people sound like PEOPLE. Somewhere along the line those things became "bad" things, and with the great advances in digital recording technology over the years they became easily "fixed". The end result? I my humble opinion.....a lot of music that sounds perfect, but lacks personality. The one thing that makes music so exciting in the first place.

And, unfortunately,  some of these great advances have taken the focus off of the actual craft of performance. Look, I am not Yngwie Malmsteen. I am not John Bonham. Hell...I'm not even Josh Groban, for that matter. But I try really fucking hard so that I don't have to rely on anything but my hands and my heart to play a song. I do the best that I possibly can within my limitations, and accept that it sounds like me. Because that's what I think is most important. It should be real, right? Everybody wants something real.

I don't know how to do what Skrillex does (though I fucking love it) but I do know that the reason he is so loved is because he sounds like Skrillex, and that's badass. We have a different process and a different set of tools, but the "craft" is equally as important, I'm sure. I mean.....if it were that easy, anyone could do it, right? (See what I did there?)

So, don't give me two Crown Royals and then ask me to make a speech at your wedding, because I might just bust into the advantages of recording to 2 inch tape. 

Now, I think I have to go scream at some kids to get off my lawn. 

Stay frosty.     

Davemau5

The Skrillex Experience: Bangarang

I'm going to keep this (as) short (as possible) and sweet.

I'm not into EDM or EMO or whatever club music is called these days. I went to an Electronica night once and found myself wondering what I was doing there. In fact, I find the whole 'dance' word in EDM to be a little ironic, given that for the most part, you end up bobbing your head or shaking some part of your body to whatever beat you can find in it, all the while trying to zone out and not make eye contact with anyone! 

(Right, I promised to keep this short - sorry)

Anyway, the point is: I'm not a new-age-trance-weird-music kind of person, at all.

But I still love Skrillex.

First, the man.

This is someone who has an interest in all kinds of music. Who likes throwing different sounds and genres together and sees what comes out. He was recently quoted in a Rolling Stone feature as saying that he didn't see himself as linked to any genre - the next piece of music that came out of him could be entirely different to this. Not only do I respect that about him, but it's reflected so completely in this album.

Now, the album.

It takes a little getting used to, yes. My first reaction to the first Skrillex track I heard was, wow that's loud - and with all that scratching and electronic distortion, is that really music? I downloaded the Bangarang album more as an experiment. After digesting it, there's no going back: I'm a fan.

It's not just dance music. There's some stuff in here that can absolutely make your next house party's play list ('Devil's Den', 'Right on Time'). And then there are these gems that came out of his musical mixing. Take 'Breakn' a Sweat', for instance. It's Middle East meets rock n' roll meets futuristic meets reggae - all rolled into one, somehow. And get this: It sounds really good! For a completely different take, try 'Skrillex Orchestral Suite' - you won't know you're listening to dance music at all (and yet it sounds like him, still). Then there's 'Kyoto', this heavy, angry mix than sounds more like it should sit near Linkin' Park rather than David Guetta on the record shelf. And of course, there's THE 'Bangarang'. Not to be too popularist, but this still is my stand-out track. It's an adrenaline-burst of attitude, energy, beat and funk, and it's a song you'd never have imagined, conceived of or thought to enjoy - unless you're Skrillex.

What kind of artist is this guy? It's hard to tell - and that's what I like. What's this album? It' interesting, edgy and unlike anything you'd have heard before.

I'll end this review with a quote from Skrillex out of that same Rolling Stone Q&A: 

"[My music] doesn't have to sound like anything at any certain time."

Perfect sum-up of everything I love about this album.

Javier Colon: Come Through For You

If I had one word to describe this album, it's the same I would use to describe Javier Colon: honest.

I, along with millions of viewers, felt like I came to know Javier Colon on The Voice, and this album is consistent with what I thought I know of him. 'Echo' is the best example of that - it's a song he wrote his wife, and it fits him like a glove.

Mostly, it's a pleasant listen. Nothing fantastic, I'll admit, nothing mind-blowing, but enjoyable all the same. 'Life is Getting Better' is a great example of that. So is the duet with his coach Adam Levine, 'Stand Up'. Upbeat and fun, there's more where that came from on this playlist.

To my mind, songs like 'Sinner' and 'Come Through for You', the title track, does a lot more for this guy, though. His forte is his voice, the nuances with which he sings, and the affection and sincerity that comes through. Less elaborate arrangements and softer tones suit him - and when I heard these tracks, I was reminded of why I liked him so much.

Then there's a gem of a song, which appears out of nowhere called 'Okay, Here's the Truth'. Many musicians would spend careers trying to produce as authentic, as moving, as honest as this track. Listen to this album JUST for this song if for nothing else.

This album may not burst onto the charts. Nor will it be nominated for a Grammy. But that doesn't take away from this man's enormous talent. He's a musician, that's clear. And hopefully this foray into the industry won't be the end. He'll be great one day. This is a small, authentic and very promising start. May there be lots more to come!

Kelly Clarkson: Stronger

Kelly Clarkson has such a great voice. It has such range and grit and personality, you know? Not many people can sing like she can, she has a real gift.

So why on earth does she sing such nonsense?

Honestly, I wish she'd fall in love with a rock and roll or blues producer, and make an album just to indulge him. It would be magical and path-breaking.

So I like Kelly Clarkson, but this is not her best work. This album is too pop for me, in all the wrong ways.
1. Every song sounds the same, to the point where you can predict exactly what will happen next and how.
2. She belts. Too much, for too long and too far.
3. It's mostly about love and how some guy did her wrong. Yawn. Didn't you already sing about that on the last album?

There are some rare exceptions. 'Don't You Want to Stay' (a duet), and 'Standing in Front of You' at least are interesting, rather than the same cookie-cutter approach. But even they aren't stand-out songs in their own right. It's like something you find at a junk sale: They only sound good in comparison to the rest of the nonsense fare on this album. 'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger' sounds like a winner only because you've heard it so many times on the radio that it's frivolousness is less apparent by the 36th listen.

PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. Listen to her singles on the charts when they play on the radio and move on. And hope - desperately - that she hooks up with a real rock and roller! :)

PS: "I may not be Einstein, but I know that dumb plus dumb equals you." Real lyrics quoted out of the many forgettable tracks on this album. I mean, come on!

Florence and the Machine: MTV Unplugged

Here's the thing. Each song is a craft in and of itself, it is a layered myriad of instruments and sounds. Much of this gets lost on us amateurs - we typically only hear its nuances on big-ass stereo systems.

Or, in an unplugged session.
Here, you can hear loud and clear all the instruments that would otherwise be lost. You pick up the nuances of the singer's voice. You listen to lyrics much more carefully. Each song becomes an individual jewel in and of itself. And this album lives up to all those elements, beautifully. Each song is special, and makes for really pretty and interesting listening.

There is only one small one problem. Florence Welsh's voice.
Don't get me wrong. We all recognize what a beautiful voice it is. Personally, I'm a huge, huge fan of her undeniable talent. But she has a tendency to overdo it sometimes. I love her most of all at her most restrained moments. The more quiet she is, the more lovely she sounds to me. But there are a lot of occasions when she gives in to her urge to indulge herself and us, and just belts. Ouch.

So like I said, each song in and of itself on this album is interesting - with some real highlights, like Florence's version of 'Jackson', 'Try A Little Tenderness', and the faithful 'Dog Days are Over'. But listen to several of them strung together, and it'll get a bit much. For that reason alone, I would recommend listening to this album in parts instead of as a whole. Florence       and       The            Machine. Much better, thank you!

Madonna: MDNA

Welcome to Madonna's breakup album. Revelation of the day: Even if you're pop music royalty, and more famous than most prime ministers, you can still get your heart broken, and come out hurt and angry.

The best thing about the first lady of pop has always been her ability to be fresh, to be cutting edge, to serve up something that no one thought of doing. And to suddenly make whatever she did so cool that everyone wanted to be a part of it. 'Frozen' made Hindu mysticism cool, 'Don't Tell Me' made pop-star-does-country-track cool, and 'Confessions on a Dancefloor' was an out-and-out dance-music album that wasn't afraid to say so, miles before the Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta started dominating the charts with club and electronica.

For me, thought, that's the biggest element missing in this album: the freshness.In today's musical landscape, it doesn't stand out as anything different or exciting. It sounds predictable, studio-hashed and honestly, boring.

There's only one song that counters my critique, one shining spot of edginess on it for me, and that's the 5 minutes and 26 seconds called 'Gang Bang'. Sung by a woman who's just killed her husband - with a Southern accent, very nice touch! - I found it clever, dark and curious as hell. The lyrics are gorgeous ("Bitch out of order, Bat out of hell, Fish out of water, Scared, can't you tell?") and the delivery is suave. If the album's first single, 'Give Me All Your Luvin', was North, then this is as South as Antarctica (thank God!). I only wish there had been more of where that came from.


Sadly, though, the rest of the album is nothing to write home about. 'I'm Addicted', 'Some Girls', 'I don't Give A' are standard 21st century dancefloor fare, with a lot of post-marriage angst built in. It's great fodder for the media - lines like "Lawyers, suck it up, Didn't have a pre-nup" are doing the rounds - and there's loads more where that came from. But instead of coming across as sassy, to me it sounded lame. You're 53, mother of three kids, and this is your second divorce, and yet, you're out to sound like an angry 18 year old. Not cool. Then there's 'B-Day Song', where she's trying to be Brit and telling someone to lick the icing off her cake. Maybe she's trying to be cheeky and taking a dig at Mr Ritchie? By this stage, I really don't care.

Things get so bad that by the time I reach 'Give Me All Your Luvin', its sheer familiarity makes it sound almost good to me. That's when I realize how musically shallow this record is. (I reviewed the single when it first came out, and my opinion hasn't changed.)

If anything, the slower and more quiet numbers are the only place where I pause and listen. 'Masterpiece' has some depth, and 'Fallin Free' is pretty. 'I Fucked Up' is honest and makes you feel, for the first time, like she's stopped trying to be cool and is giving us an insight into what's really going on. It seems like Madonna's hurt comes out better, musically, than her anger.


In a career as stupendous as Madonna's, one or two average albums will get swept away, explained or forgotten. This is one such example. MDNA may sell a lot of records - I think that'll depend a lot on what songs the label decides to plug next; my advice: Avoid the dance nonsense - but even so, it's likely to be remembered for no other reason than because it was about Madonna's breakup with Guy Ritchie. And that will be that.

As a fan, I've already started waiting for the next album, in hopes that the edge that we know Madonna possesses will come out stronger next time around. For now, put this record back on the shelf, please.