Keane - "Under The Iron Sea", "Hopes and Fears": They're the next Coldplay, I guess. Or so they say. But just one listen and you can see why people might think so. My goodness, what a clean, full, and enjoyable sound. You can relax to it during a meal, or listen more attentively to the content and musicianship. They're good.
Favorites: What's not to like? :) But if I have to pick... From "H&F", This Is The Last Time, Bend & Break, Somewhere Only We Know, Everybody's Changing. From "UTIS", Crystal Ball, Is It Any Wonder?, Nothing In My Way, A Bad Dream, Broken Toy.
Maroon 5 - "Songs About Jane", "It Won't Be Soon Before Long": Yeah, yeah, don't even. They're packaged and pop. So, okay. I still like 'em. :) They do easy ballads just as well as they do uptempo thumpers and every bit as well as their Stevie-Wonder-ish moderate funk.
Favorites: What's not to like? :) But if I have to pick... From "H&F", This Is The Last Time, Bend & Break, Somewhere Only We Know, Everybody's Changing. From "UTIS", Crystal Ball, Is It Any Wonder?, Nothing In My Way, A Bad Dream, Broken Toy.
Maroon 5 - "Songs About Jane", "It Won't Be Soon Before Long": Yeah, yeah, don't even. They're packaged and pop. So, okay. I still like 'em. :) They do easy ballads just as well as they do uptempo thumpers and every bit as well as their Stevie-Wonder-ish moderate funk.
And without seeing them... I'll bet they put on a good show, too. Too expensive now, though. I'll stick to CDs.
Favorites: from "SAJ", She WIll Be Loved, Sunday Morning, This Love. From "IWBSBL", Won't Go Home Without You, Better That We Break, Back At Your Door, Makes Me Wonder. The rest of the tracks on each CD are still strong, just don't stand out quite like these do. Good windows-down, summer-driving music, all.
Favorites: from "SAJ", She WIll Be Loved, Sunday Morning, This Love. From "IWBSBL", Won't Go Home Without You, Better That We Break, Back At Your Door, Makes Me Wonder. The rest of the tracks on each CD are still strong, just don't stand out quite like these do. Good windows-down, summer-driving music, all.
Bon Iver - "For Emma, Forever Ago": He was the opening act at Rock the Garden in June, and while the crowd went nuts for his "Skinny Love", he seemed very spare in his orchestration, with a voice that had a quality reminiscent of playing a saw with a bow. So I wondered if that was just a live thing or if his studio effort was similar.
Pretty much, yeah. He sure is hot right now, and is really developing a following, though I'm not sure why. He sounds like he's singing in a tunnel, and the songs are a bit shapeless. Yes, it's interesting that he composed the songs while wintering in a cabin in NW Wisconsin, but.. does that make the music good? Ehh. I really only liked Lump Sum, Blindsided and For Emma.
Eric Clapton - "Unplugged": Wow. He can really play (and sing) the blues. And not just the grinding Chicago or bayou styles - the fun stuff, too. :) I think the reason this album was so successful and spawned a series of imitators was that you never thought of the guy just playing acoustic and singing.
But he's so good at it! He even does one of my favorite renditions of Over The Rainbow (not on this CD, but - get it from iTunes!) which was the concert closer from his most recent tour. Even for a live CD (which I usually avoid), I love all this stuff, but my favorites are Tears in Heaven, and Old Love. Just great.
Eric Clapton - "Unplugged": Wow. He can really play (and sing) the blues. And not just the grinding Chicago or bayou styles - the fun stuff, too. :) I think the reason this album was so successful and spawned a series of imitators was that you never thought of the guy just playing acoustic and singing.
But he's so good at it! He even does one of my favorite renditions of Over The Rainbow (not on this CD, but - get it from iTunes!) which was the concert closer from his most recent tour. Even for a live CD (which I usually avoid), I love all this stuff, but my favorites are Tears in Heaven, and Old Love. Just great.
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