Ya-Ne-Zniyoo - All is Not Lost - CD
(Ya-Ne-Zniyoo)
Infectious is a good description of this CD. I don't know what it is but
the tunes just take over your brain. The first track is a good example.
While the lyrics seem off center at first, they keep popping up in my head.
I mean what the hell is "Razor dog, Razor dog, get out of here with your
sharp claws," suppose to mean anyway. Still I find myself singing the words
all the time, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend.
I believe the secret is the catchiness of the music and how well the lyrics become a part of the music via the sound of the individual words. With is city-scape drum beats and snap shot lyrics, "Cop Show" is a song that gains greater meaning with each listen and is by far my favorite tune on this release.
I'm hard pressed to come up with a band that has a similar sound, which means this group gets another point for originality. While I didn't get too much into the slower tunes, I still feel this is a wonderful CD overall.
And for those wondering where in the hell the band got it's name from,
or what it means. All I can say is I don't know.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
Yellowcard - Paper Walls - CD
(Capitol Records)
Yellowcard is back with a followup to their huge release Ocean
Avenue. Paper Walls is very similar, but with less emphasis on
the violin and a bit more variety and musical growth than their last disc.
My favorite track on the release is "Light Up The Sky" which I
think has the same potential as "Ocean Avenue". A couple of the
songs "Shadows and Regrets" and "Dear Bobby" go for
emotional sentament and just come out sounding cheap and bathetic. Overall
I really like Paper Walls and the unique sound that Yellowcard
brings to punk-pop.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Yohimbe Brothers - Front End Lifter - CD
(Rope A Dope
Records) This disc is a collaboration of ideas from Vernon Reid
(Living Coulor) and DJ Logic (Eye and I). Together they form
something new that combines the talents they are known for, excellent guitar
playing and superior disc spinning. They have a host of people helping out
on bass and other instruments and effects and when it all comes down this
works out great. I was surprised to find out how much this all grew on me.
With each listen I hear something new and get drawn in even more to the
infectious grooves. This is not only one of the best releases this year,
it is also one of the most original and inspired releases.
-- Grog Mutant (2002)
Calvin Yordy - Lost in the Dirac Sea - CD
(Calvin Yordy)
The music is typical "this is my first band" rock, in playing and presentation.
There's a youthful intenseness to the music and vocals that I've heard so
many times before. The vocals are not all that strong and give every song
on this release a sense of sameness ness.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up - Homemade Drugs - CD
(Absolutely
Kosher) The Jim Yoshii Pileup is an emo band that is pretty typical
of the gendra. I like emo, but these guys just don't stand out among the
throng of emotional drenched vocals, shoegazzing, melodically layered guitar
playing fools. Still these guys from Berkeley are fairly interesting and
if you love emo then this will not be an exception. Hmmm, I thought Holiday
Matinee PR had the whole emo movement to themselves, but it seems like
this band slipped by...
-- Grog Mutant (2002)
Young Stunna - The Best Of Me - CD
(RJM Records) This
is one of those releases that's hard for me to review. It's fairly standard
rap / R&B with a smooth voiced male flowing rhymes over some looped backbeats.
Everything sounds fine to me, but nothing pops out. I'm sure if this was
a genre that I was really into I could give a decent representation of the
sound. However, the rap and R&B I listen to is either a blend with rock
styles or of the more popular radio airplay type.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
The Youngs - The Youngs - CD
(Mimicry Records)
When The Youngs stick with the tweaking traditional song structure they
are wonderful. Some of the songs especially "Cold Wind" reminded of Laurie
Anderson meets Eleni Mandell. However, too many times they decide to get
experimental and long-winded, which kills the overall listening experience.
-- Mite Mutant (2004)
The Youth Class - This Is What I Remember - CD
(The Youth Class)
When it comes to instrumental pieces, very few punk bands can pull it off.
This is one of those bands that can't. Heavy on the instrumentals this release
is nothing more than lame punk that tries to be artsy. The sound is muddled
and boring basic punk 101.
-- Mite Mutant (2004)