popwreckoning » rock http://popwreckoning.com without music, life would be a mistake. Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:15:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Clay Hughes – The Whether Machine http://popwreckoning.com/2011/09/21/clay-hughes-the-whether-machine/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/09/21/clay-hughes-the-whether-machine/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:11:02 +0000 Melissa Cowan http://popwreckoning.com/?p=36500

What do , and have in common?

Seemingly nothing. Except they each contribute to Clay Hughes’ genre-bending The Whether Machine.

Released on June 7 through Sharp County , various Midwestern musicians came together for the project, including producer JKR70, Lennon Bone (Ha Ha Tonka) and Mac Lethal, to name a few.

This cross-genre collaboration is just partially the reason this album could appeal to a wide range of lovers. The other reason: singer and guitarist . His low, soulful voice could be featured over any backdrop, attracting kids with tracks like “The Love I Gave Ya,” which predominantly embraces instruments, and hip-hop fans with tracks like “Confessin’,” highlighting emcees Johnny Polygon and Jabee.The fluid movement is sure to keep you interested and engaged, even if the style is not something you usually listen to – I knew when I first saw live that I had never heard quite like his (and I’ve been hooked since).

You’ll want to experience this unique record for yourself. Pick up The Whether Machine at sharpcountyrecords.bandcamp.com and keep up with Clay Hughes on Facebook.

Tracklist:

1. Plaster (ft. The Phantom*)
2. The Love I Gave Ya
3. Bitter Pills (ft. Mac Lethal)
4. Walking, Understood
5. Confessin’ (ft. Johnny Polygon and Jabee)
6. Hippy Chic
7. The Replacement
8. Gotta Soul (ft. Lucid and Irv Da Phenom)
9. This Is Beautiful

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/09/21/clay-hughes-the-whether-machine/feed/ 0 Koo Koo Kanga Roo Launch “Bestest Friend” Cover Song Contest; ‘Midnight Slushie’ Out Sept. 13 http://popwreckoning.com/2011/08/06/koo-koo-kanga-roo-launch-bestest-friend-cover-song-contest-midnight-slushie-out-sept-13/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/08/06/koo-koo-kanga-roo-launch-bestest-friend-cover-song-contest-midnight-slushie-out-sept-13/#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:00:59 +0000 Devon Mueller http://popwreckoning.com/?p=35856

Koo Koo Kanga Roo is all about dancing, yelling, and bringing the party. Founders Bryan and Neil won’t be satisfied until the entire room has joined in on the fun. Think the multiplied by plus the driving dance beats of and the live show antics of the .

Performing in an was fun…for a while. Then the constant lugging of gear, half an hour sound checks, and an audience who was only ever half interested in the they were playing began to take its toll. Bryan and Neil agreed there was more to being in a than just playing music for their fans. The goal was to create the most fun interactive live show that no one had seen before. The tools to accomplish that goal were; a giant roll of paper (to their dorm walls with ideas), a few sharpies, their super weird imaginations, and no rules. A few months later, with those goal accomplished, a dance duo was formed, and that duo was Koo Koo Kanga Roo.

Koo Koo Kanga Roo’s Midnight Slushie will be released on September 13th and features a guest appearance by of . 

Koo Koo Kanga Roo have just launched a “Bestest Friend” cover contest and the winner gets a Koo Koo Kanga Roo show at their house. The band wants you and all of your friends to cover their new song “Bestest Friend” off their new Midnight Slushie which comes out September 13. Click here for the song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wGcmW5A5CI

 It’s only 3 Easy Steps:

 1. Tape a One Take, Single Shot of you and all your friends covering “Bestest Friend” live on your instruments and stuff. (No Edits, use your computer camera, etc.)

2. Post on Youtube with the Title (Koo Koo Kanga Roo “Bestest Friend Cover” – Name of your group)

3. Email the link to your video to kookookangarooparty@gmail.com 

Here’s a link to additional info and a message from the band: http://kookookangaroo.com/bestest-friend-bestest-cover-contest.

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/08/06/koo-koo-kanga-roo-launch-bestest-friend-cover-song-contest-midnight-slushie-out-sept-13/feed/ 0 Peter, Bjorn, and John – Gimme Some http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/30/peter-bjorn-and-john-gimme-some/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/30/peter-bjorn-and-john-gimme-some/#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:00:49 +0000 Jeffrey Whitelaw http://popwreckoning.com/?p=35279


I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to Peter, Bjorn, and John’s sixth record, Gimme Some. I was prepared to hate it, and was mildly dreading writing this . Instead, the record is a surprising sprint through a variety of genres all culminating into well played songs. Like, , , and the , this further proves my theory that some of the best being made today is coming out of .

Gimmie Some really does run the gamut. There are traces of , mainstream , a couple different varieties of , plenty of wave, and even a bit of good old American pop. It’s all a bit fascinating. I hear a variety of influences, but can’t quite place my finger on any of them. It’s all filtered together quite well.

The begins with “Tommorow Has to Wait” which sounds like a marching band on tranquilizers.  The song starts with a fuzzy guitar line, before a single drum starts being beaten, a female harmony joins, and then the male vocal begins singing the lyrics: “I don’t think you are sorry for what you did.” It’s blissed out noise, and it’s beautiful.

Immediately after, ”Dig A Little Deeper” starts with a guitar line out of the ‘60’s. It has a surf sound reminiscent of pop songs from that decade with a more modern edge.  I adore the chorus: “all art has been contemporary/dig a little deeper” complete with plenty of “whoa ohs.”

Late in the album is “black book” which is ‘80’s hardcore softened slightly, but quite good. This album is truly all over the map. I can’t imagine it’s easy to tackle this much territory, but Peter, Bjorn, and John do so. My favorite song on the album, “Down Like Me,” starts after that. It’s a chugging thing that would’ve easily fit on The ’ 69 Love Songs. It ends in incoherent guitar lines behind a temperamental beat that is completely great.

If you’re into weird, challenging pop music this is your thing. I’m excited about this album, and the fact that they have five others. This is going to be with me for a while.

Track listing:
01. Tomorrow Has to Wait
02. Dig a Little Deeper
03. Second Chance
04. Eyes
05. Breaker Breaker
06. May Seem Macabre
07. (Don’t Let Them) Cool Off
08. Black Book
09. Down Like Me
10. Lies
11. I Know You Don’t Love Me

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/30/peter-bjorn-and-john-gimme-some/feed/ 0 Man Man – Life Fantastic http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/29/man-man-life-fantastic/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/29/man-man-life-fantastic/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:54:42 +0000 Jeffrey Whitelaw http://popwreckoning.com/?p=35253


is an from Philadelphia. Life Fantastic is their .  They play a brand of alternative that is reminiscent of the mid-90’s. It all sounds very clever, as long as you don’t pay attention to the lyrics.

The album starts well with a keyboard and a drumbeat before a xylophone descends, and the song starts. It has a bit of a gypsy thing going on, and it sets the stage for the remainder of the album.

The best thing here is “Oh, La Brea”. It ends the album on a pleasant, quiet note. It’s a bit jazzy, and obviously influenced with its gruff vocals, and shout outs to Los Angeles streets. The song is something of a lullaby, and it wouldn’t be completely out of place on Waits’ Nitehawks at the Diner.

Another highlight is the druggy “Dark Arts.” The song is full of doom, or trying to avoid doom. It’s the sound of a man in a Mexican wrestler’s mask stampeding through a ballet.  The song is about surviving, somehow living despite the crazy shit the narrator has lived through. It’s fast paced, and a little surviving.

That song ends, and the xylophone returns. That strange instrument guides the song, as the carnival sound continues. This song, “Haute Tropique,” contains the albums best line: “I eat my peas like a good boy’s supposed to.” The singer barks the lines. It’s a fucking carnival.

The best thing about this album is the variety of instruments. What at first sounds like , full of inconsequential nonsense quickly turns into a game of “name the sound.” By the time the song “Shameless” hits you’re on your knees with the band, and your head is in the clouds. Your brain is full of strange sounds, and you’re begging for more.

Track List:
01. Knuckle Down
02. Piranhas Club
03. Steak Knives
04. Dark Arts
05. Haute Tropique
06. Shameless
07. Spooky Jookie
08. Eel Bros
09. Bangkok Necktie
10. Life Fantastic
11. Oh, La Brea

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/29/man-man-life-fantastic/feed/ 0 Set Your Goals and Hot Topic Stream Band’s New Album for Charity http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/27/set-your-goals-and-hot-topic-stream-bands-new-album-for-charity/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/27/set-your-goals-and-hot-topic-stream-bands-new-album-for-charity/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:00:21 +0000 Devon Mueller http://popwreckoning.com/?p=35222

Fans can now stream the upcoming Burning At Both Ends by  while raising money for a good cause at the same time. With every 100,000 streams (up to 200k) the will donate a dollar for every album sold at during the week of to , a non-profit benefiting the awareness and research of breast cancer. You can currently stream Burning At Both Ends in full by going here.

The album hits stores June 28th via and offers thirteen tracks of  melodic with rousing sing along choruses. You can pre-order the album now by clicking here.

In addition, Set Your Goals will be spending the summer months entertaining their many dedicated fans and winning over new ones across the on the .

For a complete list of Warped dates at which you can see the band, visit www.setyourgoalsband.com/tour

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/27/set-your-goals-and-hot-topic-stream-bands-new-album-for-charity/feed/ 0 Foo Fighters – Wasting Light http://popwreckoning.com/2011/04/12/foo-fighters-wasting-light/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/04/12/foo-fighters-wasting-light/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:00:52 +0000 Abby Williamson http://popwreckoning.com/?p=33437

“These are my famous last words!”

That’s how the ’ record begins.  It’s a rather stark and haunting coincidence, since the record comes out April 12, just a week after the 17th anniversary of ’s death.  Plus, ’s other former bandmate was a guest musician on Wasting Light. Whether or not that was planned is beyond my knowledge, but it certainly added another layer to an already great .

This being the Foo’s seventh studio album, a question of longevity rather than innovation is what’s at the forefront of Wasting Light. The innovation came in the marketing strategy, which played out like a game of Clue, with Easter eggs hidden all over the Internet, and short clips of songs leaked to their own website, giving the fans just a taste of what was to come on Wasting Light.

In true Foo fashion, the album begins with a swift kick to the stomach with “.” And it doesn’t slow down much from there. “” has more attitude than a lot of the newcomers with their precisely quaffed hair. I guess the attitude comes with age, at least in Grohl’s case. A slick intro partnered with a driving rhythm makes it a perfect second track (and I can only imagine how awesome it will be live).  “Dear Rosemary” is a lighter track, with a heavy hook, but is still signature Foo.

Honestly, the greatness of the Foo Fighters comes from their performance. I’ve only ever seen recordings of their live shows, but their albums are meant to be performed, not over-mixed in the studio to make certain instruments sound better than they naturally would. Whether it’s a softer song like “I Should Have Known” or a frantic metal-tinged hit like “White Limo,” the Foo Fighters sound like they do live – energetic, passionate, and like they’re having fun. Grohl may be one of the best drummers of our time, but he’s also one of the greatest front men.

“Arlandria” and “Back and Forth” are two of the catchiest tracks on the album, easy to sing along to, and “A Matter of Time” hints at older tracks like, “Times Like These” off One by One and “Monkey Wrench” off . By the far the darkest track on the album, “Miss the Misery” brings in some of the influences Grohl gained from his time with Them Crooked Vultures and mixes them with the Foo Fighters’ undeniable energy.

Sure, the album doesn’t necessarily break any new ground for the Foos, but it’s a perfect example of what they do best. The Foo Fighters need no prefixes to their brand of rock ; they just rock.

Track listing:

1. Bridge Burning”
2. “Rope”
3. “Dear Rosemary”
4. “White Limo”
5. “Arlandria”
6. “These Days”
7. “Back & Forth”
8. “A Matter of Time”
9. “Miss the Misery”
10. “I Should Have Known”
11. “Walk”

Go to http://wastinglight.foofighters.com/

 

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/04/12/foo-fighters-wasting-light/feed/ 0 Low Anthem – Smart Flesh http://popwreckoning.com/2011/02/22/low-anthem-smart-flesh/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/02/22/low-anthem-smart-flesh/#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:00:05 +0000 Jeffrey Whitelaw http://popwreckoning.com/?p=31997

Last year, I spent a lot of time trying to wrap my head around the last , Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. It had a great title, some high points, but really only one truly great song. It was a bit of a mess to be honest. I’m happy to report that Smart Flesh is a much stronger record.

It starts well, with a nice piano ballad, “Ghost Woman Blues.” It’s very mellow and easy to sink myself into it. Generally, a decent start to the album.

Next is “Apothecary Love,” a traditional ballad driven by an acoustic guitar. I like the concept behind the song, as the lyrics go: “if you see me down by the apothecary again/I can’t find a cure for the shape that I’m in.” An apothecary is an interesting place to begin a doomed relationship.

Next up is “Boeing 747.” Finally, the album starts to wake up. The guitars sound like they’re being played violently in a way that I enjoy.  The whole thing-drums, bass, horns-is produced in a way that kind of mashes everything together. It’s obviously done on purpose.  The lyrics that begin the song are great, as well: “I was in the air when the towers came down/in a bar on the 84th floor.”

Track 8 is called “Hey, All You Hippies.” The title alone had me sharpening my knives before I actually heard it, but it isn’t bad. It’s a pretty standard ‘70’s style number.

This album is generally pretty solid throughout. It’s nothing mindblowing, but it’s enjoyable. There are no real missteps, either. As much as the album doesn’t really dazzle at any point, it doesn’t fail, either. If you enjoy relatively standard folk/country/rock stuff, you could enjoy this.

Track listing:
1. Ghost Woman Blues
2. Apothecary Love
3. Boeing 737
4. Love and Altar
5. Matter of Time
6. Wire
7. Burn
8. Hey, All You Hippies!
9. I’ll Take Out Your Ashes
10. Golden Cattle
11. Smart Flesh

Find more from Low Anthem here.

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/02/22/low-anthem-smart-flesh/feed/ 0 Red Line Chemistry @ Crosstown Station, Kansas City MO http://popwreckoning.com/2011/01/28/red-line-chemistry-crosstown-station-kansas-city-mo/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/01/28/red-line-chemistry-crosstown-station-kansas-city-mo/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:30:52 +0000 Bethany Smith http://popwreckoning.com/?p=31314

group Red Line Chemistry played a hometown show at . They shook up their usual set by performing acoustically.

Photographer Todd Zimmer was there and shares these photos reliving the event:

2011_01_07 0323 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0320 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0316 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0313 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0311 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0309 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0308 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0306 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0304 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0302 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0299 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0297 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0291 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0289 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0280 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0278 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0275 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0273 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0271 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0267 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0262 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0259 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0255 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0252 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0250 RED LINE CHEMISTRY 2011_01_07 0248 RED LINE CHEMISTRY

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/01/28/red-line-chemistry-crosstown-station-kansas-city-mo/feed/ 0 Cage the Elephant in Photos @ the Beaumont Club, Kansas City MO http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/02/cage-the-elephant-in-photos-the-beaumont-club-kansas-city-mo/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/02/cage-the-elephant-in-photos-the-beaumont-club-kansas-city-mo/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:04:12 +0000 Bethany Smith http://popwreckoning.com/?p=26068

The Kentucky rockers in Cage the Elephant, popular for hits such as “In One Ear” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” played ’s with a high energy set filled with big guitar solos and bluesy vocals. Photographer Todd Zimmer captured the event:

by Todd Zimmer

by Todd Zimmer

2010_06_24 299481 CAGE THE ELEPHANT by Todd Zimmer 2010_06_24 299456 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299431 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299393 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299392 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299376 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299341 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299339 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299325 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299312 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299301 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299291 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299289 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299276 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299272 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299271 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299248 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299231 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299220 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299208 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299205 CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2010_06_24 299204 CAGE THE ELEPHANT by Todd Zimmer

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/02/cage-the-elephant-in-photos-the-beaumont-club-kansas-city-mo/feed/ 0 Clay Hughes – ‘Sunday Stroll’ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/04/02/clay-hughes-sunday-stroll/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/04/02/clay-hughes-sunday-stroll/#comments Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:55:01 +0000 Bethany Smith http://popwreckoning.com/?p=23185

’s Dave  Matthews-esque recently released this for “.” You can check out more great alt-/alt-rap tunes from Clay off his Burn here.

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