Including music from The Aliens, Bishop Allen, Fionn Regan, and The Waterboys
The Aliens - Robot Man
I really like this song. It is kind of funky and wacky and has a lot going on. I'm not sure how famous The Aliens are, but this track makes me feel like they are a band a lot of people would enjoy listening to.
Instrumental Aspects: 4
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 2
Overall Sound: 4
The Aliens - Tomorrow
This song is pretty good, albeit a bit slow-paced for my usual preferences. It reminds me a little of The Beatles, a little of Kansas, and a little of the slow part in the Doors' song "Touch Me." There is a definite throwback sound to this track, which the band manages to pull off pretty well. Somewhere around three and a half minutes, the vocals go into a kind of multi-part harmony (which is probably my favorite part of the song) that really makes it sound like some pop ballad from the late 60s. There is also a major western Mariachi overtone incorporating a harmonica and horns that is alright, but that Mariachi schtick seems kind of like a trendy ploy and doesn't add a whole lot to the song. Overall, though, this track pretty good. I would have downloaded more music from this band, but I heard "Setting Sun" first and I thought it sucked so I deleted all the other transfers of their music that were still going.
Instrumental Aspects: 3.5
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3.5
Bishop Allen - Charm School
One of the singers in this band sounds exactly like a guy I went to BU with, but it isn't him. Too bad. That guy isn't a bad musician and I hope he is successful with his music career. This is a pretty catchy tune, but pretty bland content-wise. The main lyric is: "Everybody's sayin' that I'm not so cool so I'm goin' back to charm school." Not that the lyrics in "Robot Man" were that great, but the singers sing these "Charm School" lyrics in a cocky way that says (to me), "ha ha aren't we clever and quirky for writing simple lyrics." I don't really like that crap from bands. But the song is pretty upbeat and fun so it's not all that annoying. I don't like the female backing vocals though. They are too high to really mesh with the rest of the song. It seems to be an ongoing trend for bands to have female back-up vocalists with high, soft voices. For some reason that almost creates dissonance in the song for me. Get someone who can sing in the right key or who has a stronger voice.
Instrumental Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 2
Lyrics: 2
Overall Sound: 2.5
Bishop Allen - Things Are What You Make of Them
Maybe this song is on a commercial or something because it sounds really familiar. Of course, this band does sound like a lot of other bands that are kind of popular now, such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and every band I always confuse with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The opening of this track kind of reminds me of that Marcy Playground song "Sex and Candy" because the singer says "yeah" after every line. Later on it reminds me of the end of the Beatles song "Hello, Goodbye" because there is a lot of "hey-la" stuff going on. This song is pretty simple and unfettered by inappropriate backing vocals.
Instrumantal Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3
Bishop Allen - Ghosts Are Good Company
This track has a twangy sound that is probably the same as one track on every album of every band similar to Bishop Allen. There is also that annoying back-up girl. This song would be better off without her singing, no offense to her. The end actually isn't so bad because she and the dude sing in rounds, but that only makes the song sound like it is reaching an epic point where it really isn't. It is kind of a novelty song about getting old or somthing, which is not epic at all. I do like the last maybe 20 seconds of the track, though. I am kind of a sucker for choruses singing over twangy guitars.
Instrumental Aspects: 3.5
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3
Bishop Allen - Click Click Click
A total novelty song. But not necessarily bad. The verse lyrics are kind of good but the chorus lyrics suck in an annoying, cutesy way. There is also some magical, quirky keyboard stuff going on in the background. I hate to be so critical of this band because they really aren't bad. They are just totally unoriginal. See, I used to work at a college radio station and I was sometimes around people who ate this stuff up because it was new and "unique." But only unique in that it doesn't sound like, say, My Chemical Romance. But, see, Bishop Allen sounds like every other generic, trendy indie band that is supposed to be "fun" and "quirky." Their songs are catchy but I can't really appreciate them just for that. I expect more originality, or at least enough to differentiate them from every other indie band out there.
Instrumental Aspects: 2.5
Vocal Aspects: 2.5
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 2.5
Bishop Allen - The Chinatown Bus
Starts off with a high xylophone note being played in the background, which I feel is also an annoying, trendy ploy, but I'll get over the genericalness of this band because this is their last track I downloaded and therefore the last one I am reviewing. This track totally sounds like something Connor Oberst would write. There are long streams of lyrics about things that someone is thinking about and observing as he rides along in a taxi (ironically not a bus from what I gather). I actually like this song for what it is, even with the back-up vocals girl making an appearance. It is kind of sweet and well-executed.
Instrumental Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3.5
Overall Sound: 3.5
Fionn Regan - Campaign Button
This guy sounds a lot like Devendra Banhart, except he's from Ireland. This song is pretty but also catchy and has fairly thoughtful lyrics. I actually really like this song for some reason. It is just one of those "dude plays a guitar and sings" songs but it stands out from the others in the melody and the slightly gritty sound of Mr. Regan's voice.
Instrumental Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 4.5
Lyrics: 4
Overall Sound: 4
Fionn Regan - Noah (Ghost in a Sheet)
Mr. Regan's voice sounds a lot less cool in this song. He is a good singer and everything, but he sounds more generic on this track, like Chris Martin and a lot of other guys from the British Isles. This is a good song, but it didn't impress me the way "Campaign Button" did.
Instrumental Aspects: 3.5
Vocal Aspects: 4
Lyrics: 4
Overall Sound: 3.5
Fionn Regan - Hunters Map
I really like this guy. He reminds me a little of Paul Simon and Van Morrison. This song is also very basic as far as instruments are concerned. The guitar on this is really beautiful but I guess this guy's songs are kind of like the antitheses of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound thing. This track again makes me think of Chris Martin (the guy from Coldplay). If he did a solo album, I imagine it would sound something like this.
Instrumental Aspects: 4
Vocal Aspects: 4
Lyrics:4
Overall Sound: 3.5
The Waterboys - The Man With the Wind at His Heels
I got three songs from this band but deleted the other two after listening to them once. This track isn't so bad. The singer almost enunciates too much, but he is British or Irish or something, so it might just be his accent. This is a moderately pretty song. If you have ever seen one of those movies about Ireland where there is an aerial shot of the ocean and the green coast, then you have probably heard on the soundtrack an epic song incorporating Uilleann pipes. This song is pretty similar to what you would hear in the movie, but with deliberate vocals about how there is a day for everything. Kind of like the Byrds song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" Some of the lyrics (and the way they are sung) sound a little creepy but they aren't really that distracting. I don't know much about this band, but after hearing how horrible their other two tracks were, I think this may be their only good song.
Instrumental Aspects: 4
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3
(All of the numerical ratings are out of 5, with 1 being the lowest possible score.)
The Aliens - Robot Man
I really like this song. It is kind of funky and wacky and has a lot going on. I'm not sure how famous The Aliens are, but this track makes me feel like they are a band a lot of people would enjoy listening to.
Instrumental Aspects: 4
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 2
Overall Sound: 4
The Aliens - Tomorrow
This song is pretty good, albeit a bit slow-paced for my usual preferences. It reminds me a little of The Beatles, a little of Kansas, and a little of the slow part in the Doors' song "Touch Me." There is a definite throwback sound to this track, which the band manages to pull off pretty well. Somewhere around three and a half minutes, the vocals go into a kind of multi-part harmony (which is probably my favorite part of the song) that really makes it sound like some pop ballad from the late 60s. There is also a major western Mariachi overtone incorporating a harmonica and horns that is alright, but that Mariachi schtick seems kind of like a trendy ploy and doesn't add a whole lot to the song. Overall, though, this track pretty good. I would have downloaded more music from this band, but I heard "Setting Sun" first and I thought it sucked so I deleted all the other transfers of their music that were still going.
Instrumental Aspects: 3.5
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3.5
Bishop Allen - Charm School
One of the singers in this band sounds exactly like a guy I went to BU with, but it isn't him. Too bad. That guy isn't a bad musician and I hope he is successful with his music career. This is a pretty catchy tune, but pretty bland content-wise. The main lyric is: "Everybody's sayin' that I'm not so cool so I'm goin' back to charm school." Not that the lyrics in "Robot Man" were that great, but the singers sing these "Charm School" lyrics in a cocky way that says (to me), "ha ha aren't we clever and quirky for writing simple lyrics." I don't really like that crap from bands. But the song is pretty upbeat and fun so it's not all that annoying. I don't like the female backing vocals though. They are too high to really mesh with the rest of the song. It seems to be an ongoing trend for bands to have female back-up vocalists with high, soft voices. For some reason that almost creates dissonance in the song for me. Get someone who can sing in the right key or who has a stronger voice.
Instrumental Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 2
Lyrics: 2
Overall Sound: 2.5
Bishop Allen - Things Are What You Make of Them
Maybe this song is on a commercial or something because it sounds really familiar. Of course, this band does sound like a lot of other bands that are kind of popular now, such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and every band I always confuse with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The opening of this track kind of reminds me of that Marcy Playground song "Sex and Candy" because the singer says "yeah" after every line. Later on it reminds me of the end of the Beatles song "Hello, Goodbye" because there is a lot of "hey-la" stuff going on. This song is pretty simple and unfettered by inappropriate backing vocals.
Instrumantal Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3
Bishop Allen - Ghosts Are Good Company
This track has a twangy sound that is probably the same as one track on every album of every band similar to Bishop Allen. There is also that annoying back-up girl. This song would be better off without her singing, no offense to her. The end actually isn't so bad because she and the dude sing in rounds, but that only makes the song sound like it is reaching an epic point where it really isn't. It is kind of a novelty song about getting old or somthing, which is not epic at all. I do like the last maybe 20 seconds of the track, though. I am kind of a sucker for choruses singing over twangy guitars.
Instrumental Aspects: 3.5
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3
Bishop Allen - Click Click Click
A total novelty song. But not necessarily bad. The verse lyrics are kind of good but the chorus lyrics suck in an annoying, cutesy way. There is also some magical, quirky keyboard stuff going on in the background. I hate to be so critical of this band because they really aren't bad. They are just totally unoriginal. See, I used to work at a college radio station and I was sometimes around people who ate this stuff up because it was new and "unique." But only unique in that it doesn't sound like, say, My Chemical Romance. But, see, Bishop Allen sounds like every other generic, trendy indie band that is supposed to be "fun" and "quirky." Their songs are catchy but I can't really appreciate them just for that. I expect more originality, or at least enough to differentiate them from every other indie band out there.
Instrumental Aspects: 2.5
Vocal Aspects: 2.5
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 2.5
Bishop Allen - The Chinatown Bus
Starts off with a high xylophone note being played in the background, which I feel is also an annoying, trendy ploy, but I'll get over the genericalness of this band because this is their last track I downloaded and therefore the last one I am reviewing. This track totally sounds like something Connor Oberst would write. There are long streams of lyrics about things that someone is thinking about and observing as he rides along in a taxi (ironically not a bus from what I gather). I actually like this song for what it is, even with the back-up vocals girl making an appearance. It is kind of sweet and well-executed.
Instrumental Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3.5
Overall Sound: 3.5
Fionn Regan - Campaign Button
This guy sounds a lot like Devendra Banhart, except he's from Ireland. This song is pretty but also catchy and has fairly thoughtful lyrics. I actually really like this song for some reason. It is just one of those "dude plays a guitar and sings" songs but it stands out from the others in the melody and the slightly gritty sound of Mr. Regan's voice.
Instrumental Aspects: 3
Vocal Aspects: 4.5
Lyrics: 4
Overall Sound: 4
Fionn Regan - Noah (Ghost in a Sheet)
Mr. Regan's voice sounds a lot less cool in this song. He is a good singer and everything, but he sounds more generic on this track, like Chris Martin and a lot of other guys from the British Isles. This is a good song, but it didn't impress me the way "Campaign Button" did.
Instrumental Aspects: 3.5
Vocal Aspects: 4
Lyrics: 4
Overall Sound: 3.5
Fionn Regan - Hunters Map
I really like this guy. He reminds me a little of Paul Simon and Van Morrison. This song is also very basic as far as instruments are concerned. The guitar on this is really beautiful but I guess this guy's songs are kind of like the antitheses of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound thing. This track again makes me think of Chris Martin (the guy from Coldplay). If he did a solo album, I imagine it would sound something like this.
Instrumental Aspects: 4
Vocal Aspects: 4
Lyrics:4
Overall Sound: 3.5
The Waterboys - The Man With the Wind at His Heels
I got three songs from this band but deleted the other two after listening to them once. This track isn't so bad. The singer almost enunciates too much, but he is British or Irish or something, so it might just be his accent. This is a moderately pretty song. If you have ever seen one of those movies about Ireland where there is an aerial shot of the ocean and the green coast, then you have probably heard on the soundtrack an epic song incorporating Uilleann pipes. This song is pretty similar to what you would hear in the movie, but with deliberate vocals about how there is a day for everything. Kind of like the Byrds song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" Some of the lyrics (and the way they are sung) sound a little creepy but they aren't really that distracting. I don't know much about this band, but after hearing how horrible their other two tracks were, I think this may be their only good song.
Instrumental Aspects: 4
Vocal Aspects: 3
Lyrics: 3
Overall Sound: 3
(All of the numerical ratings are out of 5, with 1 being the lowest possible score.)
