Beck - Guero (2005)

Beck (born Bek David Campbell), is an Alternive Rock/Anti-Folk musician from Los Angeles, California. He first began his career in 1988 and has been active ever since. He is best known for his songs "Loser", "E-Pro", and "Girl" among other songs. He currently is focusing on his side project called "Record Club". He is currently signed to Interscope Records.

Beck's 2005 album "Guero" was his ninth full-length release overall. The album debut at #2 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and at #15 on the UK charts. "E-Pro" was Beck's first #1 hit since his song "Loser. The album contains 13 tracks (up to 20 if you get the special edition ones) and consists of "E-Pro", "Qué Onda Guero", "Girl", "Missing", "Black Tambourine", "Earthquake Weather", "Hell Yes", "Broken Drum", "Scarecrow", "Go it Alone", "Farewell Ride", "Rental Car", and "Emergency Exit". The version that I am reviewing today is the UK release and contained the bonus tracks "Send a Message to Her", and "Chain Reaction". The album also had collaborations with The Beastie Boys and Jack White. The album has a much more mellow feel than any of the albums that I've reviewed. It's the type of album which you would listen to after a long and tiring day just to feel good. The only problem I had with the album was one of the bonus tracks (yes, only one problem). The song "Chain Reaction" felt as though it didn't belong on the album. All of the other songs are calm, relaxing, and soothing to a point, whereas "Chain Reaction" is fast, hyper, and just unpleasant on the ears (mostly a fast guitar riff with Beck shouting CHAIN REACTION!!!!). Other than the one track, it's a great album.

Overall, it's an album that you should at least rent or borrow from a friend. If you're into Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Eels, Blur, Ween, Soul Coughlin, or Gorillaz, then you should be listening to Beck. The album was released on March 29, 2005 and is available on iTunes and Amazon.

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0

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Beck's Website

The Birthday Massacre - Violet (2005)

This shall be one of those times where I don't review a Metal album, but something that's good nonetheless. For those of you who haven't heard of The Birthday Massacre, they are a 6 piece Goth Rock/Synthrock/Alternative Rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They used to be called Imagica, and got the name from a Clive Barker novel. They formed in 1999, have 3 albums, 1 live album, 2 ep's, and are in the works of their fourth album. They are currently signed to Metropolis Records. They consist of Chibi (Vocals), Rainbow (Guitar, Programming, & Vocals), Michael Falcore (Guitar & Programming), O.E. (Bass & Vocals), Owen (Keyboards), and Rhim (Drums). And now for the review.

Violet is The Birthday Massacre's second album (Nothing and Nowhere being their first release). It was originally released as an EP in 2004, but was re-worked, had tracks added, and was re-released in 2005 as a full length album. The album consits of 13 tracks (originally it had 9 on the EP), which are "Prologue", "Lovers End", "Happy Birthday", "Horror Show", "Violet", "Red", "Play Dead", "Blue", "Video Kid", "The Dream", "Black", "Holiday", and "Nevermind". The album was recorded with their current line-up, but without Owen, and O.E. (the original bassist, J. Aslan, played on this album). This album has a sort of mellow feeling when you listen to it. It's one of those albums you can kick back, put it on, and relax. It does have it's heavy moments though, mainly in the first single released from the album "Blue". You've probably seen the video on YouTube, and if not, click here to watch it. It's got a killer guitar riff that's simple yet profound, and the keyboards throw it over the top. Even Chibi, who normally sings in the higher tones, gets into the lower darker parts of the song, and she even growls the vocals at some points. The album, in my opinion, is one of the best (if not the best) album that the group has put out.

Overall, the album just kicked ass, sure it's Goth Rock and has Keyboards in it, but that just adds to the overall tone of the album. If you're into bands like Mindless Self Indulgence, VNV Nation, Jack off Jill, Zeromancer, Collide, Ayria, Cruxshadows, or Deadstar Assembly, then you'll want to pick this album up, it was released on August 9, 2005 and is on itunes and amazon.

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5

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The Birthday Massacre's Website

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - Danza II: The Electric Boogallo (2007)

Figure I'll give this band a different introduction than the other ones. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is currently a 3 piece Experimental Metal/Grindcore band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They formed in 2004 and have released 3 albums, two of which are on their current label "Black Marked Activites" (the albums being 2007's Danza II: The Electric Boogallo, and 2010's Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events) and one was on their old label "Corrosive Recordings" (the album being their self-titled release in 2005). The band consists of Jessie Freeland (Vocals), Josh Travis (Guitar and Bass), and Mike Bradley (Drums). And now we shall pass from this segment into the review portion.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's second full-length album "Danza II: The Electric Boogallo" consists of 13 tracks. Those tracks include "T.R.O.U.B.L.E.", "You Gonna Buy The Beers Or The Whole Damn Bar", "I Don't Mean To Impose, But I Am The Ocean", "Go Greyhound", "Top English", "The Electric Boogaloo", "Crunchy Black Did Me In At Midnight Madness", "Mad Max Beyond Superdome", "Carroll 14 Wossman 7", "Nobody Eats BBQ Two Days In A Row", "Shot Of Whiskey", "Rollin' And Tumblin' On Satan's Rotisserie", and "The Louisiana Dive Bar Massacre". The album consists of 4 tracks that are either the intro track (T.R.O.U.B.L.E.), an outro track (The Louisiana Dive Bar Massacre), or just a short skit (both Top English and Shot of Whiskey). Those four tracks somehow manage to hold the album together and almost tell the story of a man walking into a bar trying to mind his own business (T.R.O.U.B.L.E.). That man then goes to play pool, says that the ball isn't getting enough spin and that it's English (Top English). Later the man sits down at the bar and keeps trying to order a shot of whiskey before grabbing the bartender and the bouncers and beating the living hell out of them (Shot of Whiskey). Then finally he gets a chainsaw, kills everybody in the joint and then cracks open a beer, drinks it, and walks out (The Louisiana Dive Bar Massacre). The songs that aren't skits are unique in their own ways. On a whole, Jessie Freeland's screams sound like the earlier works that Matt Heafy did with Trivium (where it was mostly screams). The guitar work is fast and brutal, and I couldn't really find any negatives with the album, I especially enjoyed the last track (The Louisiana Dive Bar Massacre) because after the skit in the beginning, there's a sort of acoustic/blues jam at the end which oddly enough fit with the album.

Overall, this album was kick ass from start to end. If you're looking to pick up the album, it was released October 16, 2007, you can get it on amazon and on itunes. Definitely pick this up if you're into Trivium, Machine Head, (just because I forgot to in the last two reviews) SLAYER!!!, if you're into Grindcore or the whole Experimental Metal genre, hell, pick this up even if you're a fan of Tony Danza. Why? Cause who's the boss? TONY DANZA'S THE BOSS BITCH!

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5

Buy the album
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's Website