Keeping Rock n' Roll Alive…
DoesItRock.net
This user hasn't shared any biographical information
Posts by DoesItRock.net
Does It Rock? July Round-up
Aug 3rd
We have uncovered some great albums of 2010 this month as well as appreciating the finest from July. So we here at DiR.net have hand picked the best tunes to bring you this handy Spotify playlist!
Listen now >>> DoesItRock.net – July 10 Mix
1) Fang Island – Daisy … Thin Lizzy guitars lines, indecypherable lyrics, abundance of energy and amazing musicianship make this my tune of 2010!
2) The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Love Turns to Hate … Close behind in #2 is 80′Matchbox’s, superb blues rock romper.
3) Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare … Since spotify has mislaid the bestter moments from A7X’s much improved return LP, here is the lead single!
4) Foals – Miami … Oxford’s indie kids have created a genious set of slower melodic tunes for the thinking man.
5) FACT – Slip Of The Lip … Suprisingly impressive mix of styles from metal to pop-punk from this great Japanese band!
6) Audrey Horne – Down Like Suicide … underappreciated norwegians folk inflected hard melodic rock is captivating and catchy.
7) Drive-By Truckers – Drag The Lake Charlie … Americana’s deep south storytellers are back with more antics.
8) Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Pain (Feat. Iggy Pop) … Iggy guests on this rockin’ tune with an indie backbone.
9) Bombay Bicycle Club – Ivy & Gold … Folky acoustics, galloping melodies and fragile vocals are the staple of new album Flaws
10) Rolo Tomassi – Unromance … Experimentalists of crossover-metal unleash this unhinged crazed blast of intensity.
11) Sigil – Letters In Stone … Superb Finnish rockers love their Wah-Wah as much as their thundering hard rock!
12) My Epic – Lower Still … My Epic’s Epic track Lower Still is unsuprisingly…Epic! Pleasing slow building rock!
13) Seth Lakeman – The Watchman … Fiddle figures prominently on this english folk gem
14) The Rocket Summer – You Gotta Believe … MoR radio hit which is undoubtable uber-infectious
15) The Classic Crime – Vagabonds … Pop Punk Anthem of the month returns!!
Album Review: The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
May 15th
Probably the best bar band in the world ever are back with their literate indie rock and roll.
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
RockOSaurus Says:
“Oh…where for art thou Franz” is the first thing which stands out on first listen to Heaven Is Whenever. Without it’s moustache sporting keyboard maestro many of the backing vocal led woah-a-woah-a-longs have gone and its seriously blunted their pop edge. Replacing them are bigger riffs which I would normally lap up, yet something doesn’t feel right. Their classic rock sound is fuzzier than usual and sounds like it was recorded in a tube tunnel. The production is purposefully more alternative than previous outings and I have to say I’m not a fan.
This is not saying Hold Steady have lost their touch completely. Tunes like ‘Soft In The Center’ & ‘Rock Problems’ are still packed with attention grabbing melodies and Craig Finn’s lyrical gift is more than a good reason to give this a try.
What the album is missing is some urgency despite the amping up of the record! The majority of the tracks ramble along in a mid-tempo groove that fails to pick-up when the going gets tedious. Even their ballads have lost their poignancy displaying vividly the hole left by their enigmatic piano player. A good album by anyone else’s standards, but for The Hold Steady this can only be a disappointment.
Mr Flowers Says:
The album starts with the relative slow-burners, Sweet Part Of The City and Soft In The Center, which give you an idea of what the album offers: less action, less excitement and probably fewer of those massive nights.
Now minus a keyboardist, the Steady seem to have compensated with crunchier guitars and a higher solo quota, with varying degrees of success. The Weekenders comes closest to getting back to the sound that made the band so well loved, while there’s some hope for the new formula with the rocky riffage and nice use of the cow bells in The Smidge, and the sweet solo in Rock Problems. Listening out for the numerous name-checks of We Can Get Together is amusing for a minute or so, but the song meanders and never reaches the sweet spot. It signals a string of similarly disappointing songs where a noticeable lack of hook works to the band’s detriment and unfortunately ends up defining the album.
It’s a shame it’s ended up like this, as previous Hold Steady albums would have gotten some 8s, 9s and even 10s on these pages. Let’s just hope the downward trend shown in this album isn’t part of some systemic problem for this much-loved band.
RockOSaurus: 6/10
MrFlowers: 6/10
DoesItRock Overall Score: 6/10
Album Review: MGMT – Congratulations
May 4th
Electro hitmakers MGMT return for their hotly anticipated sophomore LP.
MGMT – Congratulations
RockOSaurus Says:
Listening to Congratulations is like unwrapping a really large shiny Christmas present you saved till last to open, only to find it contains an Air-fix model. The hype has been immense, yet to really enjoy this album you really have to spend plenty of time to ‘learn to love it’.
Gone are all of the elements which made their debut such a hit single machine. No funky keyboards and instantly catchy tunes. Instead they have been replaced with jingly guitars and mundane melodies. Their quirkyness and likability is still intact on tunes such as the rampant standout track ‘Brian Eno’ & the surf electro-pop opener ‘It’s Working’.
But with tracks as dull as ‘I Found A Whistle’ and as bloated as Siberian Breaks (a 12 minute epic adventure) it feels as if they are purposefully being weird for the sake of being weird. Attempting to jettison your current fan base to upgrade them for better models may be cool and hip, but when this record divebombs their third outing must surely improve.
Sadly Congratulations is one to file next to Be Here Now.
Mr Flowers Says:
MGMT return with a concept album, whose concept is to apparently strip out any standout pop tracks. The result is an album a kin to all the troughs of Oracular Spectacular with out any of the peaks. Brian Eno (the track), comes closest to lifting the dullness, a comparatively fun, fast-paced song with 80s punk overtures. The 12 minute marathon that is Siberian Breaks that goes through some distinct phases like some kind of Simon and Garfunkel-gone-prog love child, but never really does enough to grasp your attention.
If you liked the first album you might be able to be a bit more positive with this latest offering, but for those of us in the other camp will find this a struggle.
RockOSaurus: 3/10
MrFlowers: 2/10
DoesItRock Overall Score: 2.5/10
Album Review: Meat Loaf – Hang Cool Teddy Bear
Apr 24th
Mr ‘Rock Opera’ the inimitable larger than life ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ singer Meat Loaf is back with a new LP, this time he has friends!
Meat Loaf – Hang Cool Teddy Bear
RockOSaurus Says:
The round one is back! Hand Cool Teddy Bear is a glorious and star studded return to from from the larger than life american classic ‘rock opera’ star. His storytelling pop musings are everpresent but with the helping hand from some friends this album is a real treat of hard hitting rock and roll.
The collaborators range from guitarists Jon Bon Jovi (co-writing the showstopper Elvis in Vegas) to Jack Black & American Idoler Kara DioGuardi (sinigng backing vocals), plus every one’s favourite TV Doctor Hugh Laurie even takes a turn tinkling the ivories quite beautifully on If I Can’t Have You. Don’t let the mix of artists fool you this is definitely a Meatloaf record, just with some added oomph!
Justin Hawkins is the only guest who really stamps his style on the album with his trademark falsetto, unmistakable guitar sound, plus his tongue in cheek man rock lyrics on California Isn’t Big Enough (Hey There Girl). The real treat is the Justin collaboration Love Is Not Real with its huge riffing and stunning solo’s from guitar legends Brian May and Steve Vai.
Yes it’s big! Yes its slighly cheesy! Yes it’s suprisingly good! Meatloaf has finally stopped trying to recreate Bat Out Of Hell and is now firmly rocking it in the modern day!
Mr Flowers Says:
What’s with this spate of rock gods returning with an army of collaborators these days? Meat Loaf returns with his rock opera sound perfectly intact after over 4 decades. The chances are you’ll already know if you like this or not.
The duet with Kara DioGuardi doesn’t quite match the highs of the duets that defined Meat Loaf’s career, but she equips herself well and belts out the rock choruses well. The Jack White collaboration on Like A Rose is probably the most modern sounding on the album, and Elvis In Vegas ends the album with a fittingly epic Springsteen-like effort. Another highlight is California Isn’t Big Enough, one of the Justin Hawkins penned songs on the album, whose chorus features the brilliant lyric, “I can barely fit my dick in my hands, ooowoahh”. Some of the ballads don’t work so well, but it’s not anything that can’t be rescued with a guitar solo here or there.
So it’s an album with some pretty good songs on it, but if you’ve never been a Meat fan there’s nothing here that’s going to be changing your mind.
RockOSaurus: 8/10
MrFlowers: 7/10
DoesItRock Overall Score: 7.5/10
Album Review: Slash – Slash
Apr 16th
The most iconic modern guitarist has gone solo, well sort of! He has enlisted the help of a huge number of superstar singers to craft what is one of the finest Hard Rock release of the year so far!
Slash – Slash
RockOSaurus Says:
Slash himself provides the guitar wizardry and his signature sleazy blues, stunning soloing and wah wah inflected mega riffing is stamped firmly over the whole album. Yet far from being a one dimensional release, songs range in styles from his staple classic hard rock to blues, pop, metal, prog and even country.
The guest list of this album reads like a who’s who of both classic, modern rock and pop. It’s these collaborators who have defined the albums style more so that slash himself with each track playing to the strengths of the vocalists. Now this can be seen as either lazy on slash’s behalf or a decision taken to produce the finest album possible with the talent available.
The albums opening riff on Ghost is a typical high squalling Slash product and with The Cults Ian Astbury providing the vocal muscle this sets the tone for a polished, hard rock effort packed with hooky pop choruses.
Fergie’s turn on Beautiful Dangerous work surprisingly well and her sultry voice leading a promiscuous riff and blistering solo. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 leads an understated ballad showing blazing guitars can be scaled back to equally good effect, while By The Sword is a trippy meandering acoustic come hard rocker led very fittingly by Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale. There is surprisingly little filler here with only I Hold On with Kid Rock & Chris Cornell led Promise not living up to potential.
Slash is at his best when producing those mammoth rock numbers and the man who compliments him above all else is Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy. This is proven with 2 stunning tracks Back From Cali & Starlight both infected with a slow building bluesy swagger and stratospheric chorus’s!
When the pop edge is finally jilted, the back to basic rock spirit really revels on the superb Doctor Alibi featuring Motorhead’s Lemmy and the metal thrashing is unrelenting on the chugging Nothing To Say, showcasing Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows vocals perfectly & Slash’s axe versatility.
There is something here for everyone and not to like this is criminal as it is a perfectly crafted set of epic rock tunes with huge variety, mass pop appeal and a thumping rock and roll heart!
Mr Flowers Says:
Reliably, Slash’s guitar parts can’t be faulted and each song is appropriately infused with each of it’s collaborators hallmarks. For the most part, the all-star cast bring a lot to the table; Crucify The Dead’s macabre vibe would have been a corn-fest had it not featured one of the men who pioneered it all, and Doctor Alibi is easily one of the most exciting songs on the album with the undeniable vocal tones of Lemmy backed by a crunching 4 power-chord riff. Even Fergie assumes the role of rock goddess convincingly on Beautiful Dangerous. Unfortunately, sharing songwriting duties back fires a bit on Gotten, which sucks slightly *because* it sounds like Maroon 5.
Starlight’s slow-fast combo works well, with its sweet intro and blues/gospel style, and the Iggy Pop collaboration, We’re All Gonna Die, is great too. You could argue having a record written by such a disparate set of songwriters means you can never get a coherent album experience, but as a set of individual songs there’s hardly a foot misplaced.
RockOSaurus: 9/10
MrFlowers: 7.5/10
DoesItRock Overall Score: 8.25/10
Album Review: Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Apr 13th
UK folker Laura Marling returns with her sophomore effort
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
RockOSaurus Says:
Starlet of the UK’s resurging folk scene Laura Marling latest album shows much growth from the debut but it is shrouded in a whole lot darker light. Gone are the wistful whimsies pop songs of mercury award nominated debut and in its place are sullen downbeat tunes. This is not to be entirely unexpected given her recent love split with Noah & The Whale frontman Charlie Fink who wrote almost an entire album worth of breakup songs.
Looking beyond the darkness it tricky but the production values are greatly improved with plenty of dramatic addition of string instruments and floaty backings. The Devils Spoke is a feisty single which shines brightest with its subtle acoustics and swelling cello.
This is a complex richly textured album of many heartfelt emotional outpourings (see breakup song Blackberry Stone), leading to a rather alluring listen. But at the end of the day, without any real fireworks this album is best kept for those days when you feel no-one else feels as bad you do… because apparently they can!
Mr Flowers Says:
This is an album full of some beautifully-crafted songs, but I fear you probably need to have a more discerning ear for folk music then I have to fully appreciate it.
Devil’s Spoke is rollicking jam by folk standards which builds like a storm of ominous vocals with banjos and acoustic guitars, and Blackberry Stone has a great melody which really shows off Marling’s soulful and amazingly mature-sounding voice from the off, but as a whole the album is simply a bit short of stand out songs to truly mark it out.
RockOSaurus: 6.5/10
MrFlowers: 6/10
DoesItRock Overall Score: 6.25/10
Listen to Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can now on Spotify!
Album Review: Streetlight Manifesto – 99 Songs Of Revolution
Apr 6th
Ska Punkers and all round good time posse Streetlight Manifesto release new album full of covers.
Streetlight Manifesto – 99 Songs Of Revolution
RockOSaurus Says:
The greater Streetlight Manifesto collective have taken on an ambitious covers project, this being the first release of that series. Now despite these songs not being written by the band themselves, vocalist Tomas Kalnoky has stamped his rap come punk vocal authority all over this album by picking well suited material to re-work.
Their brass heavy antics have most of the album packed with melody and fun time feelings. This is even to be said of their inspired uplifting cover of Radiohead’s hit Just complete with tenacity and a joyously fuzzy guitar/trumpet assault.
Where I feel this album lacks is that a lot of the songs do not really test the musical sector of the band. Reggae inflected Skyscraper (Bad Religion) and the acoustic Linoleum (NOFX) do not shine brightly on their talented musicians. Others feel like slightly above average ska punk numbers where Streetlight haven’t done so much as reinvent material, rather just play it. Some tracks work well like Punk Rock Girl (The Dead Milkman) and Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard (Paul Simon). But offset against The Troubadour (Louis Jordan) and Birds Fly Away (Mason Jennings) the album is flatter than your average Streetlight Release.
If you like ska punk this is still a great release of lesser know tunes given the uplifting happy brass work over, but it is unlikely to win over any new fans!
Mr Flowers Says:
A compilation of ska-punk covers from Streetlight Manifesto. The result is a enjoyable album, but what did you expect when you take a collection of already popular songs and re-release them?
None of the covers are necessarily better than their originals, but are suitably fun ska romps in their own right. There’s not a huge amount of originality there, either in the concept or how they’ve reimagined the songs (Just with trumpets – Mark Ronson, anyone?) but at the end of the day, who cares? It’s fun and if it allows some people to rediscover some old songs like Paul Simon’s Me and Julio then this album deserves at least a few listens.
RockOSaurus: 6.5/10
MrFlowers: 7/10
DoesItRock Overall Score: 6.75/10
Listen to Streetlight Manifesto now on Spotify!
Does It Rock? March Round-Up
Mar 29th
Plenty of great albums were released this month and we here at DiR.net have picked the best of the bunch to bring to you in a handy Spotify playlist! The widest variety of music in one playlist your likely to find!
Listen now >>> DoesItRock.net – Mar 10 Mix
1) Airbourne – Raise The Flag … Get your beers and raise them to the sky to salute Australia’s “new” Hard Rockers of distinction. DiR? Review
2) Jimi Hendrix Experience – Sunshine Of Your Love ... New album from the legend and this cover is proof to show why he is ‘the’ original guitar god!
3) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Mama Taught Me Better …Coming out of their folk doldrums this tune is a kick back to those early years DiR? Review
4) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Mourning In America… Indie rock with pop flowing though veins feeding a bold punk heart, DiR? Review
5) Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk … Huge dancefloor filler of the electrock variety from promising uk band.
6) Gorillaz – Stylo (Feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack) … Albarn and co. are back with more hip-hop pop DiR? Review
7) The Automatic – Interstate … Going electro has added a cool edge to their once monotonous guitar pop. (Plus its sounds a bit like Motion CIty Soundtrack)
8) Lifehouse – All In … American radio hit for certain, catchy chorus…check, deep booming vocals…check, pop guitars…you get the picture…
9) Alphabeat – The Beat Is … Thoroughly disappointing second album from the once happiest band ever, this is a rare gem from said record.
10) Blood Red Shoes – Don’t Ask … More pop than punk but still can craft a chunky riff or two.
10) Laura Marling – Devil’s Spoke … Beautiful melodies, bleak landscaping and impassioned vocals from the slightly sombre uk folk starlet.
11) Goldfrapp – Rocket … 80′s electro-pop is the latest trend for Goldfrapp ditching the atmosphrics of their previous album.
12) Tunng – By Dusk They Were In The City … Scandinavian indie pop, melodic and too cool for school.
13) Efterklang – Raincoats … Even more from the Nordic countries, this time its Erfterklang’s turn to sprinkle sparkling pop on the masses.
14) Liars – Scarecrows On A Killer Slant … Potent alt fuzz rock from the ever morphing meld that are Liars
15) Jimi Hendrix Experience – Bleeding Heart … Its not very often I’ll be able to say ,”Taken from the new Jimi Hendrix album” so I’m making the most of it! Psychedelia in its prime!
16) Titus Andronicus – A More Perfect Union … Prog rock meets indie and with this much energy and invention these guys will do well!
17) High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine … Wade through the heavy sludge metal to find an amazingly technical and fiery tune!
18) Scorpions – Raised On Rock … Aging German rockers proves there is still guitar gas in the tank as they churn out a cracking tune.
19) Broken Bells – The High Road … When the Shins got involved with Dangermouse this bright tune was the outcome.
20) Streetlight Manifesto – Just … The Streetlight gang have given the Radiohead classic a super happy ska punk makeover!
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Sunshine Of Your Love
Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk
Tunng – By Dusk They Were In The City
Lifehouse – All In
Alphabeat – The Beat Is
Efterklang – Modern Drift
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Mama Taught Me Better
The Automatic – Interstate
Gorillaz – Stylo (Album Version) (Feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Mourning In America
Blood Red Shoes – Don’t Ask
Laura Marling – Devil’s Spoke
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Bleeding Heart
Goldfrapp – Rocket
Efterklang – Raincoats
Liars – Scarecrows On A Killer Slant
Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk
Tunng – By Dusk They Were In The City
Lifehouse – All In
Alphabeat – The Beat Is
Efterklang – Modern Drift
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Mama Taught Me Better
The Automatic – Interstate
Gorillaz – Stylo (Album Version) (Feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Mourning In America
Blood Red Shoes – Don’t Ask
Laura Marling – Devil’s Spoke
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Bleeding Heart
Goldfrapp – Rocket
Efterklang – Raincoats
Liars – Scarecrows On A Killer Slant
