The Cop-out

reoccurring themes

2007-09-23T03:16:00.000-05:00

For about the... who knows, 5th time in a row, I've worked a 55+ hr work week. The icing on the cake is that I don't get over time. I am that much of a dedicated worker bee. What suffers is the amount of music I can listen to before being too tired and falling asleep... other times what suffers is the amount of sleep I get, it's 4 am right now. Awesome.

Here's some catch up, stuff that I've found excellent, ok, and un-listenable.

New Found Glory- From the Screen to Your Stereo - I'll go ahead and say it right now, it's awesome. I have a soft spot for well done cover songs. I thought I had left New Found Glory behind when I graduated from middle school.

Kanye West- Graduation - I can't stop listening to the song 'Homecoming' which features Chris Martin from Coldplay. While I'm not a huge fan of Coldplay, the song is awesome and for some reason, reminds me of The Police.

The Higher- On Fire - I have to promote this cd to awesome. I literally haven't stopped listening to it for the last few weeks.

Consistent-
The New Amsterdams- At the Foot of My Rival- Not a whole lot of new ground being broken here, but it's a solid release.

Trapped in Oblivion-

The Weakerthans- Reunion Tour - ? I haven't listened to it yet.

A Fine Frenzy- One Cell in the Sea - ? Haven't listened yet, but I heard one song while randomly watching a clip of MTV U's "The Freshmen", that had fellow Columbia University student, Calvin Sun, as a panelist, and it was a beautiful song. One of the few times I'll admit having been recommended something good by MTV. Did my head just explode?

Barcelona- Absolutes - ? Haven't listened to the whole thing. It was pretty good, so far so good.

Hot or not?

2007-08-27T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm really tired. I spent 5 hours climbing today after giving the Broward Blood Center a fresh bag of double red blood cells from my body. I feel like crap, but not crappy enough to tell you about some fantastic stuff.

If you have not heard these albums yet, try to find them/buy them:

Candie Payne- I Wish I Could Have Loved You More
Atreyu- Lead Sails Paper Anchor

Also not bad,

Mae- Singularity
The Higher- One Fire

I've also got these in queue, which I anticipate will be really great once I get around to listening to them.

The Good Life- Help Wanted Nights
Chiodos- Bone Palace Ballet
The Weakerthans- Reunion Tour
The Honorary Title- Scream and Light Up the Sky (actually I listened to a song or two already and it was just so-so).
Keane- The Theft of Octo

ps. I also found this random band called 'Harry and the Potters' and it is kind of awesome in a really nerdy kind of way. You have to be ballsy if you have a song titled "Voldermort can't stop the rock".

End of July!

2007-07-29T03:25:00.000-05:00

I've been too lazy to post things, but since I'm suffering from insomnia I will once again tell you, what to listen to so that your ears don't bleed.

Most Interesting and Worth It

Vampire Weekend- Blue CD-R (This album was so hard to find it made me mad. I couldn't even buy it, and all of these kids on teh internets had it already. I mean for pete's sake I went to school with them and knew them and didn't have the album. I promise to buy the album if it's ever available.)
The Pierces- Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge
Stars- In Our Bedroom (there is a song on this called "Personal", I'm kind of obsessed)

GOOOOOD!!
Anat Fort- A Long Story
Bishop Allen- The Broken String
Cartel- Self Titled
The Honorary Title- Untouched & Intact
Letting Up Despite Great Faults- Movement
Metric- Grow Up and Blow Away
The Rocket Summer- Do You Feel
Sound The Alarm- Stay Inside

Not bad... not bad...
Against Me- New Wave
Aiden- Conviction
Bad Religion- New Maps of Hell
BEDlight for BlueEYES- Life on Life's Terms
Common- Finding Forever (after that last album I was expecting a lot more... a lot more)
Caribou- Andorra
The Enemy- The Enemy
Future Clouds and Radar- Self Titled (I had been waiting for this for a long time, disappointing)
Hidden in Plain View- Resolution
Matt Nathanson- Some Mad Hope (it's pretty good if you like listening to a guy who thinks he's jimmy eat world and john mayer combined into one)

If I had a better recording and more songs I'd think they were good... maybe
Sudden Epidemic- This Calls For An Execution

Finally a June update!

2007-06-23T12:36:00.001-05:00

I've been working really long hours at work, but fear not, I've been listening to tons of new music.

June bands that piss excellence!

Tegan and Sara- The Con
Talib Kweli- Ear Drum
Straylight Run- The Needles The Space
Paramore- Riot!

Also excellent. But not quite as cool.
Sky Eats Airplane- Everything Perfect On the Wrong Day
Silverstein- Arrivals & Departures
Portugal The Man- Church Mouth
Minus the Bear- Planet of Ice
Iron & Wine- The Shepherd's Dog
Circa Survive- On Letting Go
Architecture in Helsinki- Places Like This

Under Whelming :( I'm not saying it's bad...
Yellowcard- Paper Walls

May!

2007-05-06T23:01:00.001-05:00

Update: Praise be music, I found something un-shitty to listen to. Disaster averted. What's up with all the sup-par music being released? And the RIAA wonders why people don't buy cds anymore.

Welcome to May, friends. It's a shame I have to start the week with a cd that is thoroughly unimpressive. Weak.

Sweetness to my ears:

Strata- Presents the End of the World

Good! I guess...:
V/A- Spider Man 3 OST
Fairweather Fan- The Ghost of Honesty
The Sounds Of Animals Fighting- We Must Become The Change We Want To See
New Atlantic- The Streets, The Sounds and The Love

Booooring:
V/A- Punk Goes Acoustic 2

April! Week 4!

2007-04-24T01:51:00.001-05:00

Wow! I made it to the end of April.

So far I've got 2 cd's under my belt, neither one of them was like WABAAM! AWESOME! But instead are the kinds of albums that could provide a steady soundtrack during your morning commute on the train. Hopefully I will stumble upon something amazing, after all, isn't that what we're all looking for?

Out of nowhere on Wednesday night, I followed a link on the Bwog (Columbia's The Blue and White's Blog), watched an admittedly awesome GarageBand scraped together video about Columbia's Frontiers of Science class. One thing led to another and (no I did not start dating her, although that would be awesome) I plopped down $9.90 on iTunes for Reni Laine's album, American Baby. She is currently a freshman at Columbia and has a lovely voice and has been putting in the time to tour the NYC music scene at places like Pianos (which is awesome). I just finished listening and it was awesome, and then out of nowhere my iTunes search filter let in a Wesley Willis song and I was treated to the sweet sounds of Chronic Schizophrenia. Take a listen @ http://www.myspace.com/renij. If there's one thing I do, it's help out my school and support emerging artists.

Hot Stuff!

Reni Laine- American Baby
Spill Canvas- Denial Feels So Good

Not Bad Not Bad.

Rocky Votolato- The Brag & Cuss
The Comas- Spells
Bjork- Volta (I'm on the fence about this, it could be a lot more awesome than I think it is right now)
Rufus Wainwright- Release the Stars

April! Week 3!

2007-04-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

I am falling behind, the music queue is too big!! Here's what's up for next week as I attempt to catch up: Update: WOOO listened to it all. This week produced some for-seriously good stuff.

FANTASTICO!!

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Knives Don't Have Your Back (even though this isn't "new", it's from ~ 6 months ago and I didn't have a blog then, I thought it deserved some recognition)
The Academy Is- Santi (it's not brilliant, but something about it is so good. however this might get demoted to Gouda as the lyrics are at times horrible, worse than the creative writing story I wrote in third grade)
Islands- Return to the Sea (they kind of remind me Death Cab for Cutie... sort of)
Stars- Do You Trust Your Friends? (awesome. remix cd of Set Yourself on Fire, excellent excellent)

Gouda.
Mad Caddies- Keep it Going
Manchester Orchestra- I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
Hilary Duff- Dignity (hm... not particularly interesting though, disappointing but not awful)
Melee- Devils and Angels (almost made it to my very much recommended list)
Army of Me- Citizen
Stars- Do You Trust Your Friends?
RJD2- The Third Hand

April! Week 2!

2007-04-10T00:40:00.000-05:00

WOW.

1997- A Better View of the Rising Moon (new band on Victory Records)
Artic Monkeys- Favourite Worst Nightmare

A little less WOW!

Air Raid Barcelona- Self-titled EP (album is not stellar, but you can tell they are an amazing live band)
High and Driving- 4 Song DEMO
Low- Drums and Guns
Mono- Under the Pipal Tree (kind of like Explosions in the Sky but not quite as interesting and songs are LOONG)

New Category!

2007-04-10T00:20:00.000-05:00

Every recommendation needs a worthy counter balance, which is why I present everyone with a new post category: Worst albums of the month. The first winner for April is.... drum roll...

Avril Lavigne- The Best Damn Thing

Avril, congratulations. Somehow I made it through the entire album, and it hurt me. Hurt me in the same way that eating too much Taco Bell will hurt your innards.

Watch this video: it sums up how awful the entire album is. It's bad when this song is your first single and is only one of maybe two decent songs. It was hard to even pass this off as decent.

April!

2007-04-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

Week 1. Holler at your boy. More to come, wait for me to finish listening to stuff.

Fantastically Awesome:

Bright Eyes- Cassadaga
The National- Boxer
Panda Bear- Person Pitch

Worth Mentioning

Limbeck- Self-titled
Hot Rod Circuit- The Underground is a Dying Breed
Waking Ashland- The Well
LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver

My True Love

2007-04-08T20:38:00.000-05:00

It's become painfully obvious for me and a lot of my friends that once you leave the university environment, your awareness of new music hits an all time low. Even I, who was once on the bleeding edge of music fell victim to real life, my job, and the adult life. With the help of my younger brother who just started college, we will maintain this blog to help you, recently out of school music snob, stay hip and with it. I like to think that we have 2 very good sets of ears and would not steer you wrong, after all, there is a lot of crap out there and not enough time to listen to it all. Onwards!

I will inaugurate this blog with a few new cds for 2007. Rating system of 3 stars, three being the highest.

Tickles My Fancy

Dustine Kensrue- Please Come Home
Explosions in the Sky- All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Ratatat- Ratatat Remixes Vol. II
Rosie Thomas- These Friends of Mine

Won't Make Your Ears Bleed

Arcade Fire- Neon Bible --> ***
Piebald- Accidental Gentleman --> **
The Queers- Monki Brain --> **
Bayside- The Walking Wounded --> **+0.5
Fall Out Boy- Infinity on High --> *** (surprising)
Lifetime- Self-titled --> **
Apostle of Hustle- National Anthem of Nowhere --> **
Feist- The Reminder --> ***
Modest Mouse- We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank --> *** (also surprising)
Morningbell - Through the Belly of the Sea: A Choose Your Own Adventure Album --> **
Yoko Ono- Yes, I'm a Witch --> ***

Walk of Shame

Of Montreal- Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?--> *+0.5