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Dave Matthews Band - (BMG Crescendo)
****
South Africa-born
Dave Matthews’ acoustic rock instincts with strong
jazz-cum-freak-out leanings helped his music stand out from other
jazz-rock bands. His first major-label album Under The Table And
Dreaming sold three million copies in the USA alone. The band has
released its fourth studio album titled Everyday. The album definitely
marks a major change in their sound that now is more electric
oriented. Now with a new producer Glen Ballard (Alanis Morisette,
Aerosmith), the band has 12 songs in a searing rock album. It is an
infectious album that offers plenty of ear candy for longtime fans.
The album with the
psychedelic track I Did It, offers some of the best lyrics
Matthews ever wrote. Unlike the live versions of Dave Matthews Band,
the songs of Everyday are short and sweet. The songs focus on Matthews’
guitar and vocals, which sound more than ever like Eddie Vedder.
Surprisingly, violinist Boyed Tinsley and saxophonist Leroi Moore don’t
figure in most songs. They only get a chance to play on the
jazz/blues-based Angel and Sleep To Dream Her, a
Dylanesque lilt that highlights impassioned violin work. And calling
in a favour from Carlos Santana (on whose Supernatural Dave
Matthews appears), the guitar legend offers his trademark style to Mother
Father, a catalogue of Matthews’ social, political and
environmental queries. On So Right, a song that seamlessly
blends the Dave Matthews of today with that of yesterday, he sings,
"Tomorrow we may die, but tonight we’re dancing in the faint
light." Textural creativity at its best.
O-Town - O-Town (BMG
Crescendo)
**
The members of this
Orlando-based pop outfit were the five chosen from the eight
semi-finalists selected from hundreds who auditioned for ABC TV’s Making
The Band. At the end of the series, the group was seen signing a
recording contract with Clive Davis’ new venture J Records. Taking a
step past saccharine pop, O-Town’s debut album features more mature
subject matter than one might expect from a brand new average pop
band. The first single Liquid Dreams is already a best-selling
hit. O-Town ventures into a glossy Girl (a Michael Jackson
inspired R&B track), piano-driven balladry All Or Nothing and
even straight-up rock Love Should Be A Crime, which could
easily be mistaken for a Bon Jovi track. The band digs a little deeper
with its R&B/ hip-hop beats on the 70’s laced funk Take Me
Under, dance classic Every Six Seconds and the Diane
Warren- penned Baby I Would. An album worth checking out.
Steps - Buzz (HMV)
***
When a formula works,
why change it? This has probably been the philosophy behind Steps’
third album. In the run, Steps has managed to sell more concert
tickets than Spice Girls and more albums than Westlife. Undoubtedly,
the group is today one of the most successful pop bands. Like both of
their previous albums, Buzz starts off with their most recent singles,
and probably the strongest songs on the album. The opener Stomp is
a 70’s disco-influenced track with a lot of punch. It’s The Way
You Make Me Feel was the band’s Christmas single for the year.
It’s particularly reminiscent of ABBA with well-crafted pop hooks. Summer
Of Love seems to be a successful attempt to treat the listeners
with Latino music. Better The Devil You Know will sound
familiar, a remake of Kylie Minogue’s 80’s hit track. You’ll
Be Sorry offers some fairly catchy melody but somehow fails to gel
with the soul-stirring lyrics. Learn To Love Again is a Marc
Almond’esque song written by band member Ian ‘H’ Watkins. The
other member Lisa Scott- Lee showcases her writing skills in Never
Get Over You. Wouldn’t Hurt So Bad and If You Believe are
perfectly handled ballads. The album is overall a mixed bag. A song
each to suit everybody— have your pick.
Album of the month
Coldplay -
Parachutes (Virgin
Records)
Just an album old and
this talented bunch of Britons are already being hailed in Britain as
the next Radiohead or Travis. Their version of moody melodic rock with
melancholy lyrics does resemble Radiohead at times, but behind
Coldplay’s music lies a thematic element that embraces optimism in
the face of desperation. The sound of the album is dominated by Chris
Martin’s commanding vocals that helms the endeavour with the sweetly
serene crooning, pushing Coldplay over the edge and into that abyss
where the term infectious becomes the most accurate way to describe
the manner in which these songs suddenly become potent.
The album begins with a track titled Don’t
Panic. Subtle, yet paced, the track is an excellent sign of good
things that lie ahead. Utilising Martin’s high vocal range, Shiver—
which in terms of feel and tempo is by far the disc’s most outwardly
zippy track— moves from impassioned but delicate desperation to a
doleful lower octave: "So I look in your direction/ And you know
how much I need you/ But you never even see me." Spies jumps
back and forth between acoustics to tom-toms and electrics which
matches the paranoia tone of the lyrics, while Sparks slows the
pace, down to almost comatose. Wonderfully placed piano work makes the
lyrics of Trouble quite profound before the album turns to be a
bit darker. A ray of optimism is seen at the end when Everything’s
Not Lost assures you that everything will be all right. Our
personal favourite is Yellow, a song that is jaw-dropping in
its perfect blend of voice, lyrics and music. It begins with mid-tempo
ambling acoustic guitars, breaks into full-on guitar mode, then crests
to a chorus, striking in its poignancy. Everything said, the album
garners our vote as one of the top albums of all times. Brilliant
stuff.
— Saurabh
& Gaurav
The
Grrr…eat Music Zone Quiz
1.Name
the latest album by Radiohead.
2.What
Beck Song lyrics does Travis use in the song Slide
Show?
3.Which
famous musician played bass guitar on Peter Gabriel’s second
self-titled album?
4.What
is the name of the duo formed by Gus Gus members Biggi and Herb
Legowitz in the early ’90s?
5.Which
major line of clothing has Liam Gallagher of Oasis modelled for?
6.What
was the name of the album that Yoko Ono recorded right after
John Lennon’s death in 1981?
7.In
which film did Nick Caves And The Bad Seeds appear?
8.What
was The Carpenter’s first album Ticket To Ride originally
titled?
9.Name
the band that Mark Hart was a part of before Crowded House?
10.
Who is the lead singer of Dru
Hill?
Answers
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1. Amnesiac
2. Devil’s
Haircut
3. Tony Levin
4. T-World
5. Versace
|
6. Season Of
Glass
7. Wings Of
Desire
8. Offering
9. Supertramp
10. Sisqo |
Top 10 singles |
1.
All For You Janet Jackson
2. Survivor
Destiny’s Child çè
3.
It’s Raining Men Geri Helliwell
é
4.
Uptown Girl Westlife ê
5.
Don’t Let Me Be The Last Britney Spears é
6.
This Is Where I Came In BeeGees
l
7. Angel
Shaggy çè
8. Jaded
Aerosmith ê
9. Mad
Season Matchbox Twenty
l
10.
My Way Limp Bizkit é
é Climbing
up ê Falling
down çè
Non-mover
l
New entry
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