Twostepcublog

I understand the in the world of what I call “prog-metal” there’s a rabid fan base who either loves or hates a particular act over another. And also there’s a “pissing contest” mentality at times (like the oh, I liked them back when so-and-so came out). Anyway, coming from a fresh, objective point, Tool ’s 10,000 Days , while not the easiest listen, does give lots to recommend it. The first thing I noticed about 10,000 Days in comparison to Tool’s previous work is how accessible it is, even without giving up an ounce of vision. In fact, two of the tracks, “ Vicarious ” and “ The Pot ” made into the Modern Rock top-5. “ Vicarious ” is the more guitar-driven of the two, with a lyrics about human (and probably specifically American) obsession with seeing the pain/trials of others. I can see this alluding to either the rise of “reality television” or even the Middle East conflict, where Repuglicants are sending masses of “the other people” to be unneedingly sacrificed. In “ The Pot ”...

In Nashville , once somebody hits big, there seems to be a rash of soundalike artists signed to somehow have “lightning strike twice”. Garth Brooks begat Jeff Carson, The Dixie Chicks even in their own way begat Rascal Flatts, and with If You’re Going Through Hell , Tim McGraw now begat Rodney Atkins . Now Mind you, this isn’t even Atkins’ first trip to the park. Besides a false start in 1997, Atkins’ 2003 album Honesty slowly but surely won over country radio, with the third single (and title track) reaching #4. That album had many gems, and held promise for a building career. Well cue of 2006 and Atkins’ next single “ If You’re Going Through Hell ” became the biggest radio hit of last year, followed by a second hit “ Watching You ”, which held on to #1 for another four weeks. As for the namesake album, Atkins unfortunately forsakes originality for easy success, and while If You’re Going Through Hell has some good moments, too often it falls flat into clichés. Starting with the o...

When I went to read up on the English band Muse , I kept coming across comparisons to Radiohead. Approaching the band through their latest album, Black Holes And Revelations , I don’t get it. I see more of a similarity to a poppier version of Soundgarden than to the properly spacedout-ness of Yorke & friends. Black Holes was the breakthrough to superstardom (at least in the UK ) the band needed, and the album works very well as a successor to such prog-rock titans through the years as Yes, Asia or ELP. The first track, “ Take A Bow ”, is deceiving though, being more of an intro interlude than a proper song itself; taken on its own merits, its actually the low part of the album. Things pick up fast from there, though, with the power-pop of “ Starlight ” (which I could imagine being a dug-up Ultravox tune from back in the day), “ Supermassive Black Hole ” (the most Chris-Cornell-in-his-funkiest-like), and the epic “ Map Of The Problematique ”. After another quieter interlude “ ...

The first thing I could say about Chris Rea is that an analogy of a “poor man’s Eric Clapton” can be said. Second thing is that he’s a “poor man’s Eric Clapton in his wussy My Father's Eyes years”. The Best Of Chris Rea: New Light Through Old Windows is like a studio “hits” concert, with re-recordings of Rea’s past hits as well as some new songs. Released in 1988, it really sounds like it’s from 1988 (in my mind, 1988-1989 were the worst years in pop music ever. Worse than the bathwater-safe early 60s.). His one major hit, “ Fool (If You Think It’s Over) ” is here, though in a safer, smoother arrangement. The comforting ode to getting over a young love is a winner in any form, but it would've been nice to hear the original on here. The rest of the album for me was kind of a bust, almost like listening to Dire Straits outtakes. There’s a couple of OK tracks on here, like the pseudo-rocking “ Working On It ” and the totally dentist-office-by-the-beach breeziness of “ On The ...

Hey boys and girls, it's time for my tunes for the week. This week Justin Timberlake claims the peak position, while Maroon5 (pictured above) jump into the top-10. Some of the biggest jumps are by Maya Azucena, Emerson Drive, Hilary Duff, and Daughtry, while hits by All-American Rejects, Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance, Jennifer Holliday, and the Pet Shop Boys fall off the list. Happy Moms' Day! This Week Song/Artist (Last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. What Comes Around...Goes Around - Justin Timberlake (2) 2. The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani f/ Akon (1) 3. Settlin' - Sugarland (3) 4. U & Ur Hand - Pink (4) 5. Grace Kelly - MIKA (5) 6. Make Me Wonder - Maroon5 (11) 7. Wasted - Carrie Underwood (8) 8. Say It Right - Nelly Furtado (6) 9. Read My Mind - The Killers (10) 10. Good Directions - Billy Currington (12) 11. It's Not Over - Daughtry (9) 12. ...

Blaine Larsen is mostly known as the “how’d that voice come out of that kid” singer who scored a top-20 country hit with the somber “How Do You Get That Lonely”. So to assuage any concerns on how depressing his next album would be, the CD’s aptly named Rockin’ You Tonight . With nary a downnote till ¾ through the album, 19-year-old Larsen definitely has partying on his mind. Starting with “ I Don’t Know What She Said ”, a Kenny Chesney/Jimmy Buffett ripoff that’s overcute by half, Larsen gives competent if not remarkable exercises in the different genres of “polite country”. “ Let Alone You ” alone is the best of those, with the most urgent of production and soft-rock-like singing. Speaking of, Blaine slips in a cover of Mac Davis’ “ Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me ” which actually works better than most of this album. When I said that the downnote comes ¾ through, that’s with the duet “ Lips Of A Bottle ” with Gretchen Wilson, which as subdued as it is does shine compared to the com...

There’s a rare occasion where one song can almost sink an album like the Titanic. To have it happen with a greatest hits set is even more scarce. But so it is with Diamond Rio ’s Greatest Hits II set. Culled from mostly three albums, DRGH2 already is skimpy compared to their first collection. Four of these are previously unreleased, and only one is worth listening to – “ Over You ”, a soft-country heartbreak number, while well-executed, does seem a little like “adult contemporary” radio fodder, and definitely proof that Rascal Flatts totally stole their act. Of the others, opener and single “ God Only Cries ” is a cliché-ridden load posing as a “message song”, and “ Redneck Love Gone Bad ” is a not-horrible but unmemorable attempt to capture the “hick” market. But the coup de grace is the closer “ In God We Still Trust ”. Filled with every incendiary rote talking point you can find, from the victimization crap they try to pull about “everyone taking their rights away” to the “Ameri...