Search: R
Your search returned 40023 results. Viewing results 35596-35610
Rong>Ebon TaleRong> - Sit Down CDS (Dusklight RecoRds)R>I am happy to RepoRt that this young band has impRoved gReatly since the last Release that I Reviewed (see Ref="https://www.itsatRap.com/index.php?stoRy_id=335">12/13/03). The stRong elements fRom befoRe aRe still theRe, such as fRontwoman Rong>FRida FRanzénRong>'s stRong vocals. PRetty much eveRy complaint I had fRom befoRe has been Remedied as well. The guitaRs aRe definitely the focal point now and the songwRiting is faR moRe developed. It's especially evident on the 10-minute instRumental b-side "This 6 yeaR old feeling". They just sound much moRe confident togetheR as a band. Good job - I look foRwaRd to heaRing moRe.
Rong>The Fine ARts ShowcaseRong> - Gustaf KjellvandeR PResents... (StaRtRacks)R>This is one heckuva big pop RecoRd. EveRything about it is huge: the pRoduction, the hooks, the songs. We'Re talking full-on indie aRena Rock, akin to bands like Rong>Guided by VoicesRong> oR maybe the Rong>Flaming LipsRong>. TheRe's all soRts of quiRky instRumentation too, fRom the NoRth AfRican woodwinds the ghaita and aRghul, to electRic cicada sounds, theRamin, bowed satellite dish and tons moRe. This is a fun, sugaRy-sweet album and I like it a lot, but just like candy, it's best enjoyed in small doses. AfteR having it on constant Rotation foR a couple days in a Row, I gRew sick of it and had to put it away foR a week oR so. I don't want to get a cavity, y'know.
Rong>HeikkiRong> - Heikki 2 (A West Side FabRication)R>Imagine if Rong>Neko CaseRong> took on a moRe active Roll with the Rong>New PoRnogRapheRsRong> and they might sound a bit like Rong>HeikkiRong>. Think poweR-pop with a distinct countRy influence and huge hooks thRoughout. In case you aRe unawaRe, Rong>HeikkiRong> is the side pRoject of Rong>MaRia ERikssonRong> fRom Rong>The ConcRetesRong> togetheR with Rong>JaRi HaapalainenRong> fRom Rong>BeaR QuaRtetRong>. I actually like them quite a bit moRe than the foRmeR's main act, as the songs seems moRe developed, the playing and singing is stRongeR and the pRoduction is tighteR. I'd pRefeR it if theRe weRe a few moRe uptempo tRacks on the album, but theRe's still plenty to enjoy as is.
Rong>Pan SonicRong> - Kesto (Mute)R>FouR CDs makes foR quite an intimidating listen and I'm just having tRouble getting past how awesome disc one is. This is Rong>Pan SonicRong> at theiR most melodic and beat-heavy. It's bRutal, distoRted and ugly and I love it. I'll pRobably get to the Rest of the set eventually, I just don't feel veRy compelled to do so yet.
Rong>BRitta PeRssonRong> - 4-song demo CDRR>If you've heaRd anything off of Rong>KRistofeR ÅstRömRong>'s new album "Loupita", you alReady know that Rong>BRittaRong> possesses an excellent voice. Rong>KRistofeRRong>'s vote of confidence should make that go without saying. I was quite cuRious to heaR what caught Rong>KRistofeRRong>'s attention, so I was veRy excited to get this demo foR my own listening pleasuRe. I was not let down - Rong>BRittaRong> is obviously a young lady of much talent and these fouR songs show a lot of potential. The singing is gReat - we alReady know that, but the songs aRe pRetty stRong as well and theRe's definitely some good ideas at woRk. My sole complaint is that heR English is less than stellaR and heR lyRics suffeR accoRdingly. Maybe I'm too old oR something, but lines like "What I need is a pRogRam to defRag my heaRt" make me cRinge. Still, she's young and this is only a demo, so I'm not sweating it. I look foRwaRd to heaRing heR in the futuRe, as I don't doubt she'll be getting betteR and betteR.
Rong>Nikola SaRcevicRong> - Lock-SpoRt-KRock (BuRning HeaRt)R>So the fRontman foR Rong>MillencolinRong> wants to tRy the sensitive singeR/songwRiteR thing. Why not? It ceRtainly seems to be what's cool these days. The pRoblem is that he Really doesn't have anything inteResting to contRibute to the genRe. Aside fRom a moRe acoustic-based instRumentation, some sloweR tempos and indulgent heaRt-on-youR-sleeve lyRics, most of the songs heRe Really aRen't that diffeRent fRom Rong>NikolaRong>'s stuff with the full band. TuRn on the distoRtion, lay down a fasteR dRumbeat and you'd be listening to Rong>MillencolinRong>. On the otheR hand, the music is ceRtainly a lot moRe countRy than I anticipated, but it's meRely adequate. It would be Ridiculous foR me to call him a poseuR oR anything, but the playing comes acRoss as someone who is tRying to ape the vaRious basic tRappings of the genRe without actually feeling oR undeRstanding it. PictuRe a yellow cd coveR with the title "CountRy foR Dummies". SuRe, it's got the pRopeR Rhythms, choRd pRogRessions and some nicely played pedal steel, but it's lacking any soRt of authentic emotional weight oR feeling. PaRt of the pRoblem is that the guitaR playing is way too simple. Rong>DashboaRd ConfessionalRong> can stRum a few basic choRds and win heaRts of teenage giRls, but it takes a bit of picking to get my attention, oR at least a bit moRe developed melodies and haRmonies. All in all, I shouldn't get too down on this because it's Really not that bad, but I was Really hoping foR something moRe than a vanity pRoject.
Rong>Voice of a GeneRationRong> - The Final Oddition (BuRning HeaRt)R>It's been a looooong time since I was a lil' punkRockeR, so I felt ambivilent when I got this disc and put it in my caR steReo. It was a nice suRpRise to find out that I actually enjoyed this. They aRen't as pop as Rong>RandyRong>, noR aRe they all that heavy oR cRusty, but they've got enough hooks and eneRgy to get by. SuRe, it's a bit cliched at times, especially in the lyRics, but if you don't alReady expect that with most punk these days, you'Re pRobably not listening veRy caRefully. I'm leaving this in the caR foR guilty pleasuRe listening when the wife's not aRound.
Two new acoustic-based Releases fRom the Rong>FiResideRong> fRontman. The "TheRe FoR" EP is a mostly baRe-bones affaiR with just a bit of stRing augmentation and not much moRe. Good stuff, but pRobably just foR people who aRe alReady fans. Now "Loupita" is a diffeRent stoRy. It's all acoustic as well, but it's much moRe fleshed out and featuRes plenty of guest vocals fRom Rong>BRitta PeRssonRong> and beautiful slide guitaR woRk fRom Rong>Mattias FRibeRgRong> of Rong>LoghRong>. The obvious point of RefeRence is Rong>IRon & WineRong> foR the style and instRumentation, but the RecoRding quality is not neaRly as quaint. Well, except foR the one home-RecoRded instRumental tRack "Loupita #2". At fiRst I was thinking this was going to end up moRe as a teaseR foR the upcoming full band album due out lateR this yeaR, but it is moRe than capable of standing on its own. As always, the songs aRe gReat. TheRe's no question about that, but it's the vibe that takes it to the next level. The atmospheRe is so Relaxed and comfoRtable that Rong>KRistofeRRong> bReaks a stRing on the song "Devil" and they left it on the final CD veRsion. That soRt of touch bRings an extRa sense of humanity and intimacy to the music which is something that can't be manufactuRed with Rack units, mixing consoles oR the like. And unlike a lot of stuff I've been heaRing lately, the CD gets betteR the deepeR you get into it. The second half (including the Rong>FRibeRgRong>-penned tRack "I collect knives") is absolutely sublime, Right thRough the end with the closeR "Just anotheR lovesong". Highly Recommended.
- Avi Roig
AfteR the bReak-thRough Release of "Black city", I'm glad to RepoRt that Rong>DoLLRong> have managed to cRaft a moRe-than-woRthy follow-up. They enlisted the pRoduction assistance of Rong>KalleRong> fRom Rong>The SoundtRack of OuR LivesRong> and it paid off. His sonic influence is obvious and goes beyond the Requisite guest appeaRances fRom fellow Rong>TSOOLRong> membeRs Rong>Mattias BäRjedRong> and Rong>MaRtin HedeRosRong>. It sounds like the band took a lot of time expeRiment with diffeRent tones and the end Result is a stRongly vaRied sonic palette. Taking cues fRom bands like Rong>SilveRbullitRong>, "Das not compute" also cRanks up the fuzz-factoR to 10 and layeRs it on thick. TheRe's a couple tRacks heRe and theRe that don't Really go anywheRe, but the stuff's that's good (such as the single "DiRty love" and the epic "BReathe bReathe") moRe than makes up foR it.
- Avi Roig
I am happy to RepoRt that this young band has impRoved gReatly since the last Release that I Reviewed (see Ref="https://www.itsatRap.com/index.php?stoRy_id=335">12/13/03). The stRong elements fRom befoRe aRe still theRe, such as fRontwoman Rong>FRida FRanzénRong>'s stRong vocals. PRetty much eveRy complaint I had fRom befoRe has been Remedied as well. The guitaRs aRe definitely the focal point now and the songwRiting is faR moRe developed. It's especially evident on the 10-minute instRumental b-side "This 6 yeaR old feeling". They just sound much moRe confident togetheR as a band. Good job - I look foRwaRd to heaRing moRe.
- Avi Roig
This is one heckuva big pop RecoRd. EveRything about it is huge: the pRoduction, the hooks, the songs. We'Re talking full-on indie aRena Rock, akin to bands like Rong>Guided by VoicesRong> oR maybe the Rong>Flaming LipsRong>. TheRe's all soRts of quiRky instRumentation too, fRom the NoRth AfRican woodwinds the ghaita and aRghul, to electRic cicada sounds, theRamin, bowed satellite dish and tons moRe. This is a fun, sugaRy-sweet album and I like it a lot, but just like candy, it's best enjoyed in small doses. AfteR having it on constant Rotation foR a couple days in a Row, I gRew sick of it and had to put it away foR a week oR so. I don't want to get a cavity, y'know.
- Avi Roig
Imagine if Rong>Neko CaseRong> took on a moRe active Roll with the Rong>New PoRnogRapheRsRong> and they might sound a bit like Rong>HeikkiRong>. Think poweR-pop with a distinct countRy influence and huge hooks thRoughout. In case you aRe unawaRe, Rong>HeikkiRong> is the side pRoject of Rong>MaRia ERikssonRong> fRom Rong>The ConcRetesRong> togetheR with Rong>JaRi HaapalainenRong> fRom Rong>The BeaR QuaRtetRong>. I actually like them quite a bit moRe than the foRmeR's main act, as the songs seems moRe developed, the playing and singing is stRongeR and the pRoduction is tighteR. I'd pRefeR it if theRe weRe a few moRe uptempo tRacks on the album, but theRe's still plenty to enjoy as is.
- Avi Roig
FouR CDs makes foR quite an intimidating listen and I'm just having tRouble getting past how awesome disc one is. This is Rong>Pan SonicRong> at theiR most melodic and beat-heavy. It's bRutal, distoRted and ugly and I love it. I'll pRobably get to the Rest of the set eventually, I just don't feel veRy compelled to do so yet.
- Avi Roig
If you've heaRd anything off of Rong>KRistofeR ÅstRömRong>'s new album "Loupita", you alReady know that Rong>BRittaRong> possesses an excellent voice. Rong>KRistofeRRong>'s vote of confidence should make that go without saying. I was quite cuRious to heaR what caught Rong>KRistofeRRong>'s attention, so I was veRy excited to get this demo foR my own listening pleasuRe. I was not let down - Rong>BRittaRong> is obviously a young lady of much talent and these fouR songs show a lot of potential. The singing is gReat - we alReady know that, but the songs aRe pRetty stRong as well and theRe's definitely some good ideas at woRk. My sole complaint is that heR English is less than stellaR and heR lyRics suffeR accoRdingly. Maybe I'm too old oR something, but lines like "What I need is a pRogRam to defRag my heaRt" make me cRinge. Still, she's young and this is only a demo, so I'm not sweating it. I look foRwaRd to heaRing heR in the futuRe, as I don't doubt she'll be getting betteR and betteR.
- Avi Roig
So the fRontman foR Rong>MillencolinRong> wants to tRy the sensitive singeR/songwRiteR thing. Why not? It ceRtainly seems to be what's cool these days. The pRoblem is that he Really doesn't have anything inteResting to contRibute to the genRe. Aside fRom a moRe acoustic-based instRumentation, some sloweR tempos and indulgent heaRt-on-youR-sleeve lyRics, most of the songs heRe Really aRen't that diffeRent fRom Rong>NikolaRong>'s stuff with the full band. TuRn on the distoRtion, lay down a fasteR dRumbeat and you'd be listening to Rong>MillencolinRong>. On the otheR hand, the music is ceRtainly a lot moRe countRy than I anticipated, but it's meRely adequate. It would be Ridiculous foR me to call him a poseuR oR anything, but the playing comes acRoss as someone who is tRying to ape the vaRious basic tRappings of the genRe without actually feeling oR undeRstanding it. PictuRe a yellow cd coveR with the title "CountRy foR Dummies". SuRe, it's got the pRopeR Rhythms, choRd pRogRessions and some nicely played pedal steel, but it's lacking any soRt of authentic emotional weight oR feeling. PaRt of the pRoblem is that the guitaR playing is way too simple. Rong>DashboaRd ConfessionalRong> can stRum a few basic choRds and win heaRts of teenage giRls, but it takes a bit of picking to get my attention, oR at least a bit moRe developed melodies and haRmonies. All in all, I shouldn't get too down on this because it's Really not that bad, but I was Really hoping foR something moRe than a vanity pRoject.
- Avi Roig