Rogue Wave - "Asleep At Heaven's Gate": The opening act for Death Cab For Cutie. Very, very nice. Liked them better than DCFC (which seems to be normal for me - preferring the opener to the headliner.)
This is a great CD, full of sound, with soaring vocals (which blend with the band so well they become another instrument at times), although less intense than the concert version of the same songs. Favorites: Harmonious, Chicago x 12, Like I Needed, Lake Michigan, Christians in Black (these two both rare rock songs in 6/8 time!) Really swell band and good music.
Tori Amos - "Under The Pink": Yes, her again. I know, I know, I already reviewed her. But J1 sent a CD of hers home with D from California that she was ready to part with, so.. once more for Tori. This CD is a little mellower than some of her others, less quirky and more approachable in general. Favorites: Pretty Good Year, Cornflake Girl (a big hit for her), Bells For Her, Past The Mission, Baker Baker, Icicle, Space Dog, Yes Anastasia (which is almost symphonic at nearly 10 minutes.) Nice CD all around.
And, from the J2 collection...
Amalgams - "Closer", "Play The Man" (7 song EP): Closer is mediocre at best. Makes you wonder how they got a recording contract. It's mostly Christian Emo which I don't think works at all. At least not when it's done this unremarkably. They also dabble with reggae, punk, hip-hop, etc. - but do none of them well.
I don't doubt the band's sincerity, but they sound like they should be playing for high school dances. Eh. Play The Man is better, a step up, but... still not ready for prime time. A few tracks here are worth a listen: Last In Line, Blinded Castle, Pathetic Me. I'd skip Closer and go straight to the Play The Man EP. :)
Augustana - "All the Stars and Boulevards": Better. Way better. Still Christian emo-rock, but more sophisticated songs and better played. iTunes thinks they're a midwestern version of Keane or Coldplay. I wouldn't go *that* far. Maybe after more road and studio time, perhaps, but not just yet. Tracks I enjoyed: Boston (this one got some solid radio play), Hotel Roosevelt, Stars and Boulevards, Wasteland, Sunday Best, Coffee and Cigarettes. Good CD from a band on the verge of breakout.
Jimmy Eat World - "Chase This Light": Um... iTunes says they're a melodic punk band embraced by the emo community before being accepted into the alt-rock mainstream. What the heck is that supposed to mean? This CD is Power Pop if I've ever heard it. :)
Big sound, catchy songs, decent vocals, strong playing, mostly uptempo, pounding tunes. Good, good. Favorites: Big Casino, Let It Happen, Always Be, Carry You, ... well - I kind of like them all. Worth having in a collection. Thanks, J2 - now they're in mine. ;)
There. Now I'm caught up with recent events. Back to working my way through the stack of stuff I've tagged for exploration. :) Sort of like my summer reading pile. This might be slow going, but I'll keep at it. One chapter at a time, one CD at a time.
Hm. Maybe I need to start doing book reviews! Currently in process: "Founding Mothers" by Cokie Roberts, and "Silence" by Shushaku Endo. Both are good so far. Mother Teresa's "Come Be My Light" will follow next. Stay tuned...
And tonight! Ingrid Michaelson at the FineLine, with her friend Greg Laswell. So you can guess what I'll write about tomorrow. ;)
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