**The Friday-cuz-I’ve-Been-Swamped Edition**

Apparently, February is a slow month for the mainstream music industry. Which is a shame. I know, I know, everyone wants a spring release, or a summer release, or a Christmas release. But holy crap, what I wouldn’t give for a great new album right now to liven up the snowy, cold, gray drudgery that is the misbegotten month of February. Its a slow month for film releases too. The only thing that isn’t lacking in luster this February seems to be television: we’ve gotten Lost back, and with quite the bang; Heroes is running strong; Thursdays on NBC couldn’t be better with Earl, the Office, and 30 Rock; and King of the Hill has finally returned to Sunday nights on Fox, creating the two hour animation block we’ve all been yearning for (thank God they finally moved “The War at Home”).

In spite of the lack of stellar releases, I’m going to do my best to give a quick review / roundup of the few notable albums that have been released this past Tuesday.

Here goes nothing.

Anberlin, “Cities”

In prepping for the Tues Revue, I spent some time looking through the weekly ads on Monday. This one was in both Best Buy and Target. The group’s name was interesting, the CD cover was cool, and I quite liked “Some Cities” by the Doves, so I thought “what the heck, let’s see what this one is all about.”

Unfortunately, it’s not about much. Remember the end of 80’s hair-metal, when there were like five thousand miscellaneous bands riding on the dying breath of the genre, and nobody could keep them straight anymore, in no small part due to overwhelming sameness of all the music they produced and the style they touted? Well friends, we’ve entered that same period with so-called nu-metal and emo (or the combination of the two, screamo). Both genres have become so saturated and redundant that you could quite easily exchange a CD by one band with another and think you were listening to the same group the whole time.

It’s not that Anberlin’s album “Cities” is bad. It’s just that its boring. We’ve been there, and we’ve done that some 600 times. I have to believe that even the Hot Topic crowd is getting tired of this shit. I mean, do bands like Hawthorne Heights and Thursday still have a strong following? Or am I just becoming a cranky music snob as I’m nearing my 30s? (of course those who know me know I’ve always been a cranky music snob…shut up).

The only two bands who (I believe) fall into the Emo or pop-punk genres and that deserve some recognition are “Fall Out Boy” and “Panic! at the Disco.” This is not to say I adore these bands… point in fact, I don’t think I would ever consider buying albums from either. However, both bands have exceeded in breaking out of the mold and doing something more: they’ve made good, solid pop music, and they’ve added a flourish of creativity in the process. At least both these bands realize that their genre has become a cliche, and they’ve gone out of their way to make their work interesting and unique, right down to the song titles. That’s more than can be said about Anberlin, who insist on pushing out tracks with names like “Hello Alone” and “Inevitable.” Ugh.

While “Godspeed,” the opening track, is fast-paced and slightly catchy, and “Unwinding Cable Car” is a pretty little ditty, the album just leaves you feeling like you’ve heard it all done before, and better, by someone else. I mean, didn’t the Fray just get popular with a song called “Over My Head (Cable Car)”? And “Reclusion,” near the end of the record, sounds remarkably like a watered down version of a Jimmy Eat World song.

Thanks for the memories Anberlin, but I have to give you one star (out of five).

»Listen to Tracks

Explosions in the Sky, “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone”

To some, Explosions in the Sky isn’t news. To me, they are. Apparently I really am getting as out of touch with the music scene as I joke that I am. “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone” is the sixth full-length album from the Austin, TX foursome. When I started listening to this album, I was immediately reminded of another band, “Godspeed You! Black Emperor”. If you don’t know who they are either, no worries, that’s what we’re here for.

In short, Explosions in the Sky is typically categorized as a post-punk, prog-rock, or some other other hyphenated adjective instrumental group. What exactly does that mean? Well, in layman’s terms, it means they apply rock sensibilities (guitar, tone, tempo) over the skeleton of classical music. Think of it as the Rolling Stones moonlighting as a string quartet. They’re songs rise and fall in volume and speed, and they’re at times structured in movements or sections, just as one of Beethoven’s symphonies might be. The difference being that Beethoven stuck to strings and piano, and Explosions in the sky throw in a drum kit, an electric guitar, and a bass.

The result is an interesting, pretty one. It makes for an excellent album to listen to while reading, or meditating, or to just get lost in. If you’ve always felt like you should listen to classical music but you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it, pick up or download a copy of “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone.” I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, and you will have succeeded in adding something completely different of high quality to your collection. Four (out of five) stars.

»Download free MP3 | »Listen to Tracks | »Buy on Amazon.com

Kidz Bop 11

Why am I writing about Kidz Bop Vol. 11? An internal cocktail of sheer disgust and disbelief, that’s why. How the hell have they managed to produce 11 of these things? Obviously they’re making good money on the concept. But have you seen the commercials or heard the music? They’re basically really bad covers of Top 40 pop songs sung with a chorus of elementary school kids. Kidz Bop is to pop music what Girls Gone Wild is to pornography. This latest installment features, among others, versions of Gnarls Barkley, KT Tunstall, JoJo and Kelly Clarkson songs.

This is not to say I’m not supportive, or even enthusiastic, about unusual covers of great songs. I own several tribute albums, and I’ve recently indulged in the guilty pleasure that are the “String Quartet Tribute to” albums. These, I feel, attempt to present the songs in a new light, and from a different angle. Ideally, they are not cheapening the songs, but are rather proving that the songs have such strength that they are still enjoyable when performed in a different context from the original.

Kidz Bop does not do this. What Kidz Bop does is bank on the “cute factor” appealing to parents of young children. Do not misunderstand me: I am all for exposing children to music, especially great music. I am in full support of the arts being integrated into the education system. But where I draw the line is crap being produced soley for the sake of commercial gain. Parents, respect and love your children. If you think the music is good and safe enough for your kids to listen to on a Kidz Bop album, its quite likely the music is just as good and safe enough to be played for them in its original form.

If I am misunderstanding or misjudging the Kidz Bop phenomenon, please feel free to comment. But if I’m not, spread the word. Warn your friends and family: Kidz Bop is not to be trusted. Do not turn your back on this fiendish concoction of kiddy choruses and pop fodder. It will only leap upon you and bite your squishy flesh. Zero (out of five) stars.

»Listen to Tracks

In Conclusion

That wraps up this week’s “New for Tues Revue.” If I haven’t already alienated you with my tardiness in posting, I hope you’ll join us for next week’s installment as we cover, at the very least, the new Kaiser Chiefs album and “The Essential John Denver.” Hurray!

This entry was posted on Friday, February 23rd, 2007 at 11:20 am and is filed under music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.