The Lonely Island - The Wack Album

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-wack-album/id656352348

These dudes.

When Andy Samberg left SNL, fans instantly mourned the loss of the digital short. To cushion the blow, I present "The Wack Album".

Honestly, is there anything more entertaining than self-aware rappers? No. The answer is no.

Like the other Lonely Island albums, there are a few SNL shorts, all-star guest vocals, jokes, and the answers to some lingering questions about who really runs New York.

Guest spots include Maroon 5's Adam Levine, Robyn, Pharrell Williams, T-Pain, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, and Solange. Basically, artists coming from every direction.

This album goes deep. "Semicolon" explores rappers making grammatical errors in their lyrics. The Adam Levine assisted "YOLO" flips Drake's "The Motto" into a cautionary tale about the dangers of the world. "Go Kindergarten", a club anthem that takes instructing listeners on how to act to a new level, is one of the best songs on this album. And of course, The Wack Album is home to the continuation of the Justin Timberlake trilogy with "3-Way".

I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm clearly a fangirl, but I am right about how nothing is more entertaining. Even if you aren't a fangirl I'm sure you'll agree with me. So go and download this and laugh and sing along and turn it up in your car until you can't hear and roll down the windows and look like a badass.

Cautioners - Conditional Identity

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/conditional-identity-ep/id656391001

In a world where we can fix everything with Pro Tools, existing only online is a risky move, but the UK band Cautioners have done it flawlessly. When their debut EP "Conditional Identity" dropped they hadn't played a show yet.

EP's don't give you a lot of time at live show and they don't provide a whole lot of material to get a feel for a band, but this EP is one of the better executed. With only six tracks Cautioners manage to give a taste of everything with tracks ranging from guitar heavy instrumental driven to soft and soothing vocal driven.

The range doesn't give you an unsettling feeling though; every track seems to flow into the next effortlessly. The EP starts out with "Staging Area", an appropriate title for sure as it sets the theme with it's melancholy opening building to a pop-rock vibe climax. From there it slides into "The Build Up" and "Iteration V", carrying you on a wave of building and backing off.

I would have to say the best moments are found on "Man of Science" and I would tell you to go download this track, but I feel that to really appreciate it you need the experience of listening to the whole EP straight through.  Ride the wave.

Favorites: June 7, 2013

After being caught off guard by "Kill The DJ" and then having the trilogy dropped into obscurity after that whole rehab incident, I kind of gave up on this record. Until it popped up in my recommendations on Spotify.

I had actually kind of forgot to listen to it... To be completely honest, I still haven't listened to the other two. I wouldn't say this is any great Green Day endeavor, but when you take the name off of it there are some solid tracks. Angel Blue, Stay the Night, Rusty James; they may not be Green Day gems, but gems nonetheless.

Get it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/uno!/id542873746

Favorites: May 31, 2013

Anarbor is one of my favorite bands and they just happen to have a new album out June 4th. So, in anticipation, I've been listening to "The Words You Don't Swallow" on repeat.

This is one of those rare records that just doesn't have a bad song on it. If you're into the grunge thing, jam to this for a bit. Trust me.

Get it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-words-you-dont-swallow/id485973082

www.anarbor.net/
twitter.com/Anarbor
facebook.com/Anarbor

Favorites: May 24, 2013

This week: Go Radio's "Lucky Street".

Jason Lancaster: Mayday Parade had him, he was good. Now Go Radio has him and he's great. Combining pop-rock music with poetic lyrics, the album has kind of a vintage feel, well captured by the worn design on the cover.

Listen to it and buy it:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lucky-street/id434786807

wearegoradio.com
twitter.com/goradio
facebook.com/goradio

Dana DeStefano & Dollparts, March 27, 2013

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dana-destefano-dollparts/id627973172

It's still not an easy world for a female rocker. No matter how talented you are, you can still be victim to degrading comments and Taylor Swift references, especially when you don't exactly sound like a rock star.

Although there are small technical issues commonly associated with independent releases, Dana DeStefano and Dollparts first album combines punk attitude with pop instrumentals, effectively destroying musical stereotypes.

There are brief moments on songs like "Change the Theme" and "New Years Eve" when the music is too much and overpowers the vocals, as well as an audio quality difficulty on "Trouble Sleeping", but for a group just starting out these moments are surprisingly rare.

The album gets better as it progresses with standout tracks like "Trailer Park Sharks", lyrics like "I hope you die" paired with a catchy pop tune, and "Naperville", a rebellious breakout from social norms.

This record is worth downloading at the very least for it's potential. This band knows what it's doing and there is a real lesson here about doing what works instead of what is familiar and overdone.

Dana DeStefano and Dollparts are out on tour this summer. For updates on their stops check out Facebook.com/DanaDeStefanoDollparts

Favorites: May 17, 2013

This week: radiosepia's "Digital Scars".

I've probably listened to this album twenty times this week. It's good for your imagination. It sounds like nature, but not like someone recorded crickets chirping in their backyard. It sounds like nature translated into music, which makes it a perfect soundtrack for basically everything.

Listen to it and buy it.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/digital-scars/id574904508

radiosepia.com
twitter.com/radiosepia
facebook.com/radiosepia