"The Story and the Song" by Between the Trees

Hey all,

I'm sorry for the delay. It's finals week here at UCLA, so my last week has been filled with studying more information than is possible to memorize.

With that, however, I took my last final today and with just one essay left, it's time for another post!

"The Story and the Song" by Between the Trees has been in my iTunes library for years. I had forgotten about it, though, until a couple days ago, when my iTunes started playing a song off the CD randomly. I was shocked that I hadn't listened to them more!

For those of you who have been with the blog from the beginning, you know I am a huge fan of a band called Barcelona. Between the Trees plays with a similar general sound, with the largest similarity being the group's maturity and restraint. There are some great guitar riffs on this album, but they aren't shoved down your throat.

The other great asset of this album is the vocals. They are clearly not auto-tuned, and that rawness gives the frontman's voice a vulnerability that is very refreshing. I love when recording quality is not absolutely perfect. It means what you're listening to is authentic.

All in all, a super solid alternative rock band for the summer!

My three favorite songs are "White Lines & Red Lights," "The Fort," and "You Cry a Tear to Start a River."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/betweenthetrees/music

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

The Best Albums of May 2011

School is almost over here at UCLA, ladies and gentlemen! With that said, I should be studying, so let's get right to it.

"The Way It Was" by Parachute

I've always been a big fan of Parachute. I've had the opportunity to see them live as well, and they're outstanding. That said, I was a little concerned approaching the sophomore album. It's a notoriously tricky album for bands, and, to be completely shallow for a minute, I don't trust albums with a simple picture of the whole band on the cover. I didn't need to worry. "The Way It Was" is the band's best album to date, and they explore a whole lot of new musical tools. 

"Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes

It's been a long time coming for Fleet Foxes' second full length album. Don't worry, the wait was well worth it. Everything you know and love about the group is here. Though they don't necessarily try a whole lot of new things on this album. But, when their other music is as good as it is, do you want them changing the formula a ton? I for one am fine with Fleet Foxes doing what Fleet Foxes do best.

"Rome" by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi

This is probably the least conventional album on this month's list, but it may very well be the best. "Rome" sounds like an ode to spaghetti westerns. There are great vocals by Jack White and Norah Jones, as well as some great elements of classical music. Listening to the album, you feel as though you're listening to a great movie soundtrack, minus the movie. Bravo. 

That's this month! Until next time, keep reading the blog, like the blog's Facebook page, and enjoy the music!

Andrew

"The Way It Was" by Parachute

Parachute has been one of my favorite bands for a while. Their debut album played repeatedly on my iPod for months before I moved on to other things. I still listen to the debut, but for a few months now I had thought that a follow-up album was past due.

Now, with "The Way It Was," Parachute has created a sophomore album that defies the phenomenon of the "sophomore slump."

The band has expanded its melodic repertoire greatly, especially in the use of more "instruments" than the standard band set-up. On the debut album, backing vocal effects (though not lyrics), were used to a certain extent, but this new album takes full advantage of everything the human voice can do beyond simply singing lyrics.

That being said, lyrics are not the strongest aspect of this album. That is not to say the lyrics are not well-written, they certainly get the point across. However, most of the songs revolve around the theme of love (which is an issue that I wish a huge amount of bands could deal with).

Nonetheless, every song on this album is well-executed and, as usual, is extremely catchy. For both longtime fans of Parachute and newcomers to the band's music, this is a success.

My three favorite songs on the album are "What I Know," "Kiss Me Slowly," and "Philadelphia."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/parachute/music

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Magnetic North" by Aqualung

Most of my friends are done with school for the summer. This makes me sad. As a result, IT'S BALLAD TIME.

And, when it comes to outstanding balladry, there are few artists better than Aqualung.

My favorite album of Aqualung's is "Magnetic North," because it has a bit more musical variety than "Words and Music." That being said, the backbone of this album is piano and vocals. Each song is very simple. There aren't too many different melodic ideas in each song, but what's there is really good.

The vocals are delivered in an understated way, with a slight British accent (in my opinion). The lyrics are also extremely well written. The one downside of this album is a result of this understated character of the album. The songs are not necessarily catchy and laden with hooks. You have to think about this music a bit, but if you invest the extra couple of minutes, the investment is well worth it.

There are some great guest vocals on this album as well, the best of which are from Sara Bareilles.

Overall, this album is a deep one, one of the deeper albums I've reviewed in a while, in fact. Trust me though. It's perfect for a cloudy summer day while you sit at your desk and wonder why you're not home for summer vacation yet.

My three favorite songs on the album are "New Friend," "Remember Us," and "Magnetic North."

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Gary Go" by Gary Go

You've all probably heard the song, "Wonderful," by Gary Go. It's been on the Disney Oceans trailer, as well as tons of other commercials that want to make their product or show seem uplifting or inspiring.

What you may not know, however, is that the rest of Gary Go's debut album is also outstanding pop/alternative music.

All of the reasons people love "Wonderful": the infectious melody, catchy hooks, and a chorus that begs to be sang out loud in your dorm room are also present on just about every other song of the album.

The lyrics are not necessarily groundbreaking, but they're sweet in their own way and definitely have a heart to them. No song is phoned in. Every song finds a way to put a smile on your face, whether it be with a beautiful piano line, beautiful strings, or a super-catchy guitar riff.

Gary Go is best known for super happy alt/pop, but he also shows that he can succeed at some slower, more "sad" songs as well.

Overall, this album is a remarkably diverse first foray into alternative/pop music for an artist who is definitely worth keeping track of.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Brooklyn," "Refuse to Lose," and "Wonderful."

Here's a link to his Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/garygo/music

Until next time, enjoy the music and spread the word about the blog!

Andrew