Sennheiser PX100 headphones

Wait... what?!  No; this is not a review of music, but instead a device on which music can be played.  I plan to throw such reviews into the mix once a month or so.

- Average price (CAD, not including tax): $70
- Performance: 8
- Value: 7

Pros:
- lightweight
- very comfortable
- very open and revealing sound quality (high quality recordings sound amazing)
- folding headband for portability (fits into a pants pocket)
- well constructed (high quality plastics, metal hinges)

Cons:
- no noise blocking
- very open and revealing sound quality (low quality recordings sound harsh)
- mediocre handling at high volume
- wire is thin and easily broken, especially at joints
- nearly useless carrying case (but hey, it's included, so no big loss)

The PX100 headphones are very much a niche product.  Given a quiet room (home, office, hotel, etc.) and a good recording, game or movie, they outperform many headphones that cost a lot more.  While they're very portable, they don't sound very good in noisy environments (bus, airplane, city street, etc.), especially with the volume turned up.  Their tendency to reveal every flaw also makes modern (loud, distorted) recordings and low bitrate encoded music tiresome.

Recommendation: if you listen to high quality recordings, watch movies, or play games (and don't need a microphone), in a quiet setting, then you'll love the PX100 headphones.  If you listen to modern pop music while commuting, then you'll hate the PX100 headphones very quickly.

Cake - "Motorcade of Generosity"

- Released: 1994
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 6
- Performance: 7
- Recording: 5
- First Impression: 6
- Staying Power: 6

Before the albums "Fashion Nugget" and "Prolonging the Magic" sold eleventy bazillion copies, there was this, the debut album.  Though not as well constructed as its successors, the enthusiasm and energy of the performance makes it as enjoyable as any low-budget indie recording.  With Cake's trademark latin and funk influences, acoustic and electric guitar juxtaposition, along with a horn section and old school synths, it's irresistibly fun.

Suggested sample track: "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle"

Recommendation: if you're already a fan, then this album is well worth adding to the collection.  If you're unsure, then download a few tracks.  Either way, plug in some reasonably loud speakers, crank it up, and maybe get up and dance while you're at it.

Holy F*ck - LP

(yes; I censored the band name for wholesome family goodness' sake)

- Released: 2007
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 6
- Performance: 7
- Recording: 4
- First Impression: 6
- Staying Power: 7

If the Chemical Brothers got rid of all their computers and instead played everything with live instruments and sound effect boxes, then this is what might be the result.  Though it seems anachronistic to try to create electronic music without... you know... the electronics typically required, these guys not only pull it off but make it sound natural and fun.  My only real complaint, other than the audio quality being intentionally low-fi, is that the vocals stick out like a sore thumb, all but ruining the tracks in which they are heard.

Suggested sample track: "Lovely Allen"

Recommendation: sample a few tracks on Grooveshark.  Go see a live performance.

The Fixx - "Shuttered Room"

- Released: 1982
- Format: standard album (vinyl, cassette, CD or download)

- Songwriting: 6
- Performance: 8
- Recording: 6
- First Impression: 7
- Staying Power: 5

Canadians and Americans in the early 1980's could not get enough new wave.  The Fixx lends proof to this, as a UK band who sold far more albums overseas than at home.  This debut album is a very solid effort, though a bit eclectic, even borrowing a bit of art rock quirkiness from the likes of Talking Heads.  Though it's catchy, the kitschy 1980's sound wears thin after repeated listening (The Fixx perfectly honed their style on subsequent albums, but I digress).

Suggested sample track: "Red Skies"

Recommendation: look for a used vinyl or CD, then give it a spin when you're in the mood for Cold War nostalgia.

Rammstein - "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da"

- Released: October 2009
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 6
- Performance: 8
- Recording: 6
- First Impression: 6
- Staying Power: 7

Forever reinforcing the lederhosen-and-black-clothing-wearing East German stereotype, as made semi-popular by Mike Myers years ago in the "Sprockets" series of skits on Saturday Night Live, Rammstein releases another album that can only be described in the context of their previous albums.  Part industrial, part heavy metal, part synth-pop, 100% Rammstein.  Nothing groundbreaking, really, but just as insane, quirky and enjoyable as their ferocious debut "Sehnsucht".  Now is time on Rammstein ven vee dance!

Suggested sample track: "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da"

Recommendation: if you like Rammstein, then buy this album.  If you don't like Rammstein, then don't buy this album.  If you haven't heard any Rammstein yet, then give the sample track a spin.

Art Brut - "Art Brut vs. Satan"

- Released: April 20, 2009
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 8
- Performance: 7
- Recording: 6
- First Impression: 7
- Staying Power: 8

It's nearly impossible to slap a genre label onto Art Brut.  Indie pop rock, power pop and punk rock come close but don't quite match.  The closest band for comparison might be The Ramones, but even then there's only a passing resemblance.  Lead vocalist Eddie Argos assumes the role of the everyday, working-class, loser, then speaks his stories in time with well-constructed erm... indie-power-pop-punk intrumentals and occasional backup vocals.  In any case, it's accessible, clever, entertaining, funny (in a good way) and bloody addictive.

Suggested sample track: "Alcoholics Unanimous"

Recommendation: sample a few tracks.  If you like them, then buy the album, and also sample some of Art Brut's equally impressive back catalog (namely the albums "It's a Bit Complicated" and "Bang Bang Rock & Roll").

Sufjan Stevens - "Illinois"

- Released: 2005
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 4
- Performance: 7
- Recording: 8
- First Impression: 6
- Staying Power: 4

This is a perfect example of what is wrong with music reviews.  A complicated, pompous, meandering, prevaricating, self-flagellating album gives fodder for many complicated, pompous, meandering, prevaricating, self-flagellating reviews.  The young, white hipsters then have a massive verbal wank-fest over it, declaring it to be the second coming of "Pet Sounds".

The simple question that the rest of us want answered: does it rock?  The simple answer: no!

The first listening is difficult because of the clashing "progressive folk" style.  Subsequent listenings are even more difficult, because the seemingly complex arrangements become repetitive and tiring.  The not-so-subtle, preachy tone of the lyrics puts the final nail in the coffin.

Suggested sample track: "Chicago"

Recommendation: Unless you are a semi-religious, white, trendy, twenty-something (who cries with friends, in a van), this one is not worth more than a cursory glance on Grooveshark.

Isolée - "We Are Monster"

- Released: 2005
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 7
- Performance: 7
- Recording: 7
- First Impression: 5
- Staying Power: 7

By the end of the 1990's I had all but lost interest in electronic music.  It seemed that everything that could possibly be synthesized, sampled, filtered and sequenced was already recorded.  Then along came this album.  Some would try to pigeonhole it into the sub-sub-genre known as "Microhouse", as the tempo is always moderate, and the building blocks are mostly fundamental tones, beeps and clicks.  On top of that, however, is a variety of sampled vocals and real instruments.  This unlikely combination makes it original and fascinating.

Suggested sample track: "Schrapnell"

Recommendation: download a few tracks, then listen to them in a variety of settings.  Resist the urge to dismiss it early, as repeated listening sessions may be needed before it all makes sense.

Saga - "Worlds Apart"

- Released: 1981
- Format: standard album (vinyl, cassette, CD, download)

- Songwriting: 8
- Performance: 8
- Recording: 7
- First Impression: 6
- Staying Power: 8

This album sits somewhere between new wave and progressive rock.  While the former makes some of the songs (most notably the big hits "On The Loose" and "Wind Him Up") immediately accessible, the latter makes it demanding of multiple listening sessions to reveal the detail and depth.  Though the styles of the songs are quite varied, all of them are very good to excellent in their own way.

Suggested sample track: "Framed" (a few low quality versions exist on YouTube) or "Wind Him Up" (not my favourite but readily available on Grooveshark).

Recommendation: make a note to yourself to look for a used vinyl or CD, since the album is out of print as of writing.  Then download the best quality version you can find and play it on a good sound system.

Megadeth - "Endgame"

- Released: September 15, 2009
- Format: standard album (CD or download)

- Songwriting: 7
- Performance: 8
- Recording: 5
- First Impression: 8
- Staying Power: 7

Now this is a what metal album should be: aggressive, blisteringly fast, and loud as hell.  I'm not kidding when I say that this is Megadeth's second best album ever (nothing could ever touch "Rust In Peace").  "Megadave" Mustaine has aged really well, which is to say that he's older, more pissed off than ever before, and channeling all that negative energy into some brilliant thrash metal.  Needless to say, it is a step above that which was recently released by another major metal band whose name also begins with "M".

Suggested sample track: "Head Crusher"

Recommendation: download.  Crank up on loudest speakers available (the recording is stereotypically loud and compressed, so no point in going hi-fi).  Bang head furiously until desired effect is achieved.

Tool - "Ænima"

Released: October 1996
Format: standard album (vinyl, CD, download)


Songwriting: 7
Performance: 8
Recording: 8
First Impression: 8
Staying Power: 6

I was immediately hooked by this album when it was first released, and I feel the same way every time I dust it off and give it a spin.  Its aggressive yet highly intelligent songs are impeccably performed and recorded, interspersed with interludes and sound bites to provide the listener with a much-needed break between each auditory assault.  Regardless, I find it wears thin by the last track, so I have no desire to repeat the experience more than once every few months.  If you're white, male and angst-ridden, then this fine prototype of "new metal" is worth a listen for historical purposes.

Suggested sample track: "Eulogy"

Recommendation: have a listen on Grooveshark. If you like it enough to buy it, then used CDs are not too difficult to find.

Guns N' Roses - "Chinese Democracy"

Released: November 2008
Format: standard album (CD or download)

Songwriting: 3
Performance: 8
Recording: 8
First Impression: 5
Staying Power: 3

I listened to "Chinese Democracy" a total of five times, and this is how it played out:
1. Good job on the recording and choice of session musicians, Axl.  Your compositions come across as severely lacking, but maybe I just need to let it grow on me.
2. Axl, you've let me down - no - you've really pissed me off! 15 years and all you have to show is this festering pile of excrement?!
3. If I listen to it at home instead of on the bus or at work, will it sound better?  I guess it's worth another kick at the cans.
4. You kept me hanging on for 15 years and then you just threw it all away.  I'm never going to listen to another GN'R album again.  My appreciation of music is forever ruined.
5. It just wasn't meant to be.  Live and learn.  There is plenty more music in the tubes, though I'll always have a place in my heart for "Appetite".

Suggested same track: "I.R.S."

Recommendation: save yourself the grief.  Listen to "Appetite For Destruction" instead.

The Dodos - "Visiter"

Released: March 2008
Format: standard album (CD or download)

Songwriting: 8
Performance: 8
Recording: 2
First Impression: 6
Staying Power: 8

These guys know how to put together some great indie/alternative songs.  The instrumentation is mostly acoustic, though you'd be hard pressed to tell from all the crushing distortion in the recording.  No matter.  This album rocks in its uniquely juxtaposed way.  Worth a listen if you want something accessible but completely different.

Suggested sample track: "Red and Purple"

Recommendation: listen to it right now on Grooveshark (http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/search/songs/?query=dodos%20visiter), using the cheesy speakers that came with your computer.

Spoons - "Arias & Symphonies"

Released: 1982
Format: standard album (vinyl, cassette, CD, download)

Songwriting: 7
Performance: 7
Recording: 5
First Impression: 7
Staying Power: 8

Who knew that a bunch of kids from Burlington (a suburb of Toronto), barely out of high school, could create a truly defining example of early 1980's New Wave?  Many of the tracks share the same tempo, time signature and roughly the same chord progression, and yet they are all uniquely detailed, and catchy as a wall of Velcro.  I was drawn in right away, and had to come back for more and then some.  I still find myself humming the hooks at inopportune moments.

Suggested sample track: "Nova Heart"

Recommendation: download the album, or a random sampling of tracks therein. Add it to your playlist for traveling. Hum along. Pay attention to the road and don't get lost.

Talk Talk - "The Colour of Spring"

Released: 1986
Format: standard album (vinyl, cassette, CD or download)

Songwriting: 8
Performance: 8
Recording: 9
First Impression: 6
Staying Power: 8

I'm a child of the 80's, and I don't care who knows it!  Of course when this album was released, I was only nine years old, and chose to ignore it, preferring the more accessible Corey Harts, Bruce Springsteens and Bryan Adamses of the day.  Now that I am older and more of a stick in the mud connoisseur, I find myself rediscovering past recordings like this one.  This is considered by many to be the band's transitional recording wherein they progressed from radio-friendly pop to a more discordant, experimental, unstructured style.  The huge variations from one track to the next are a bit unsettling at first, but repeated listenings bring much satisfaction.  The composition, musicianship and recording (especially the latter) are so meticulous that something new is revealed each time.

Suggested sample track: "Happiness Is Easy"

Recommendation: buy the vinyl or CD, then play it on a very expensive sound system (go to a very expensive sound store if you must).

Kutiman - "ThruYOU"

Released: April 2009
Format: Series of videos posted on YouTube

Songwriting: 9
Performance: 9
Recording: 7
First Impression: 9
Staying Power: 7

It is not often that I am impressed by something entirely embodied by the Internet.  This album (in the rough sense of the word), however, is truly a diamond in the rough.  One fine day in early 2009, Kutiman (Ophir Kutiel) was playing along with a video of a drummer on YouTube.  He then came up with the idea of sourcing guitar, bass and other parts on YouTube to accompany the drummer.  Fast forward two months, and "ThruYOU" was the result.  While the idea of "mashups" of videos is hardly new, Kutiman's work is above and beyond any other I have seen.  The production - both video and audio - is top-notch, considering the mediocre quality of the source material.  The layers upon layers of synchronicity are truly astounding to behold, especially considering Kutiman's claim that he mostly refrained from pitch shifting.

Suggested sample track: "The Mother of All Funk Chords"

Recommendation: attach your best speakers or headphones to a computer in a quiet room, then open http://www.thru-you.com.

Metallica - "Death Magnetic"

Released: September 12, 2008
Format: audio tracks ripped from the soundtrack to the game "Guitar Hero 3"; also available as a regular album (CD or download) for the hard of hearing.

Songwriting: 6
Performance: 7
Recording: 6 (game soundtrack) or 2 (album release)
First Impression: 7
Staying Power: 6

Guitar Hero 3 goooooood!  Album release baaaaaad!

Yes; the opinions you might have read on the tubes are true.  "Death Magnetic" sounds orders of magnitude better as ripped from the game "Guitar Hero 3", compared to the actual album release.  The latter is another victim of the Loudness War (the phenomenon of most modern recordings having the volume maximized with little regard to sound quality).  Thankfully it is technically impossible to so brutally butcher the soundtrack for "Guitar Hero" type games, so the sound quality was mostly spared for the former.  It is more or less in line with Metallica's releases from the 1980's - not fantastic but not horrible.  The ripped version even contains a bonus: two versions of one song, with guitar solos from James and Kirk respectively.

As for the music itself, there is some good to great content.  Nothing really stands out as a masterpiece, but it's certainly amenable to those who fondly remember Metallica's earlier albums.  The songs are long and varied in tempo and mood, often changing mid-song.  While it pales in comparison to the untouchable awesomeness of "Master of Puppets", it holds its own very well and will not disappoint the fans.

Suggested sample track: "The Day That Never Comes"

Recommendation: buy the CD or pay for the downloads to support the artists and the music industry juggernaut.  Then download the version ripped from "Guitar Hero 3" and load that onto your best sound system.  Turn the volume control up to 11.  Raise your index and pinky fingers.  Rock out.

Elbow - "The Seldom Seen Kid"

Released: March 17, 2008
Format: standard album (CD or download)

Songwriting: 7
Musicianship: 7
Recording: 8
First Impression: 7
Staying Power: 7

Best description: "Peter Gabriel meets Coldplay."  I know it sounds like a marriage made in hell, but it works on many levels.  Deep, brooding ballads mix with upbeat and catchy pop numbers.  The assembly of tracks is a bit eclectic, but that just means that as a whole it suits one's mood more often, especially if one has bipolar disorder.  But seriously, everything from the crafting to the performance to the recording is top notch.

As a fussy audiosnobphile, I want to take a moment to proclaim that this is one of best-sounding recordings I have heard in many years.  Though a small number of tracks are loud and compressed in places (typical of almost all recordings in the recent Loudness War), none of them are overly distorted or harsh sounding.  In fact most of them dial it down a few notches, allowing the music itself to dictate the loudness as required.

Suggested sample track: "The Bones of You"

Recommendation: buy the CD or download the highest quality version you can find.  Play it on your best sound system, in a quiet room, with the lights dimmed.

All right, people. Listen up!

Music critics take pride in their ability to postulate, analyze, expound and philosophize on the latest releases by the latest musical artists.  Nowhere else on the tubes, save for parody, will one find a collection more flowery language.  This seems to be the preferred job of those who excelled in high school creative writing class, but weren't good enough to become real writers.  This is fine.

It is also entirely not the point of this blog.

In fact this blog exists to intentionally poke a finger in the eyes of such critics, so to speak, or ahem... type.  So let's cut to the chase.  This blog is simply a collection of my opinions on various musical recordings.  Since I like breaking things down into simple terms that everyone else can understand, I have also devised a simple rating system (which I reserve the right to change or outright disregard without notice).  Each category is scored from 0 to 10, with the former being abysmal and the latter being beyond the capabilities of mere mortals.  Most ratings will fall somewhere in between.  The categories are as follows:

Songwriting- The quality of the compositions.
Musicianship - The quality of the performance.
Recording - The quality of the audio itself (listening with good headphones or speakers in a quiet room)
First Impression - How much enjoyment I had during the first listening.
Staying Power - How much enjoyment I get from repeated listenings.

How can I quantify such an abstract art as music?  Simple.  I'm an Engineer, and an opinionated one at that!

Another right which I reserve is that of reviewing anything and everything that might be music or a reasonable facsimile thereof, without regard to when it was first published or the format used.  MP3, CD, YouTube, game soundtracks, vinyl and others are all fair game.

I welcome your opinions on my reviews, and openly take suggestions for music worth listening to.  Keep the music playing, and have fun, kids!