Muse - The 2nd Law: Unsustainable (Song Review)

Well. What can I say about this. Oh, I know, MUSE-STEP. This is something i'm really looking forward to, only because I loved the old Muse but now I am dumb founded. The whole dub step genre alone can, in my opinion, only be handled in small doses. With this, i'm going to be straight up and as brutally honest as I can.



Muse will be releasing an album due out on October the 1st, called The 2nd Law (Review will be up when released), and from hearing their first track Survival, one is to question the quality of what this album will be. Unfortunately the old riffs, catchy drum beat and beautiful bass lines has all gone, instead we have, like I have said MUSE-STEP.

The words I describe this song, are Horrid, Horrible, Disgraceful, Crap, Terrible, Trash, this list can go on and on. Dub-Step, is suppose to be a genre you relate to slow beats with heavy drops. But this. This is just piss poor. They say that all inspiration for the track I am reviewing is the dub-step king, Skrillex. Fair enough for inspiration but not this. Why does a band, who 4 years ago were known as the best live act ever and had 4 albums that you could listen too back to back, think they have to sell out and make them more popular. This doesn't give them the need to do dub-step.


Okay, to the song. The 2nd Law: Unsustainable, is the 12th track of their new album and by the sound of the song, it is the 1st of a two part song. The song starts of with very quick strings setting a scene, being very orchestral. Although this is a majority of the first minute of the half with the vocals, well, you cant classify it as vocals as it is a news reporter reading headlines of certain stories (assuming they were made up and filmed by Matthew Bellamy), then once the reports are finished all music stops and you hear, a robot saying the word Unsustainable with the guitar kicking in and drums having a constant beat and the bass being very basic, causing it too sound like dub-step. Then once the dub-step faze stops it is just goes to a normal paced drum beat and base mixed in with the strings and you can hear Matthew Bellamy's voice just singing constantly. Then, once he has had his moment it turns it to UNSUSTAINABLE with the almighty and powerful (sarcasm) dub-step returns.

So with that why don't I like this song? Simple, listen to it, its just in short horrible. I cant stress this enough. I gave the other Muse song a 1 out of 5, and now looking back on it I think i was too harsh, cause at the time it was probably the worst Muse song I have ever heard, but now, this is the worst Muse song to ever be written.

I am going to plug the song, only because even though it is in all honesty brutally crap, you have to listen to it for yourself.

The 2nd Law: Unsustainable will be released with the album and is only available on YouTube.

Rating

0/5

By Dylan

Unsustainable - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_xdvn52As

Crystal Castles - Plague (Single Review)

Alice and Ethan return to the music scene with their new single “Plague”, where we see the duo dance with the dreaded witch-house genre, and the results are some what frightening, but not in a good way.

Being a huge fan of their last album entitled “Crystal Castles II”, their was always going to be high expectations from me, and Plague doesn't quite make the grade. 

What is an attempt to move their sound in a new, freakier direction comes across as a plodding, lazy 5 minutes of what sounds like Baptism recycled into a throw away B-Side they didn’t use on one of their earlier albums.

The track itself though, is interesting enough but doesn't quite make the cut, and i am anxious to see what will come from their up coming LP.

Plague is available on iTunes

Rating

2.5/5

By James

Plague - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx2lJIOTBjs

The Cast of Cheers, Django Django - Gig Review (31st of July 2012, Corner Hotel Melbourne)

Coming off recent sets at Splendour in the Grass, The Cast of cheers and Django Django's. It was their first intimate gig on Australian Soil, and where else to kick it off than Melbourne’s Corner Hotel.

As soon as The Cast of Cheers took stage, their own excitement to be playing swept the room and they instantly captured all eyes and ears with there mix of creative electronic loops, varnished lead and rhythm guitar work, cooperative drum and bass and standout lyrics all in which only became sweeter and sweeter as their set progressed. But it was to be 'Animals' and 'Trucks at Night' which created most enthusiasm amongst the Irish 4. They finished off their set with dancy improvisation that created a buzz in the room and high expectations for the main act of the night Django Django. 

Entering the stage wearing matching purple and red t-shirts and starting their set with “Hail Bop”, the English based foursome had the packed out Corner Hotel hanging off every note. Django Django produced a set which not only contained all their songs off their self titled debut album but improvisational synth elements and catchy percussion which left them energetically bopping around the stage. Too much highlight was 'Skies Over Cairo' which made you feel and dance like an Egyptian as well as 'Silver Rays' which incorporated energetic synths. Giving a convincing "Goodnight" the corner remained in an anticipating darkness and on return to the stage wailing sirens sounded and they flung themselves into 'WOR'. Django Django convincingly met high expectations and with many references of the night in regards to a return to Australia. The funny thing was that they were announced a week later on the Bill for Falls Music and Arts festival line up, for this up and coming summer so keep a eye out for them.

Get on Cast of Cheers debut album 'Family' and Django Django's self titled debut album both of which are available on iTunes.

Rating

4/5

By Blake 

Childish Gambino - Black Faces (Song Review)

Oh man, can Gambino rap! This guy is born talented. Hands down one of the most down to earth rappers there is.

Childish Gambino is Donald Glover, the actor who got his rap name from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator. Donald Gloved has written for the television show 30 Rock, starred in the hit TV Show Community and is a stand up comedian. But, his best talent is rapping.

This song is from his latest mix tape, Royalty. The whole song, is just awesome. I love the beat. The only downside to the song is that it is only three and a half minutes long, cause this song could go for longer and have just as much potential.

It features rapper Nipsey Hussle, who is an up and coming rapper.

I can't say much about this song cause when writing this I just want to listen to it over and over again.

Royalty the mix tape is available on Childish Gambinos website for free.


Rating
5/5

By Dylan

Black Faces - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN2UnUoM1g0

Favourite Friday - Dylan (Stranger Things Have Happened, Foo Fighters)

This is the first of favourite Friday and it has to be kicked off with arguably the greatest rock n roll band on the planet, the band fronted by one of the most decorated musicians on the planet, the one, the only, the Foo Fighters.

The band consists of Pat and Chris on guitar, Nate on bass, Taylor on drums and the almighty Dave Grohl on rhythm and vocals. Of course if you know the Fooies well you will know that they have some great track from each album but this one I'm reviewing, is in my opinion one if the best Foo Fighters songs ever.

A little back story, the band released a record in 2005 called In Your Honor, a two sided CD that contained songs like Best of You, DOA and No Way Back. People who have purchased or listened to the record know that one CD is completely acoustic music, none of the heavy rock music they have perfected, but the music that is so personal and delicate to listen too. With this, they went on a world tour which was an acoustic masterpiece that featured orchestras and band mates reuniting. After the tour was complete, they went back into the studio where they worked on a new record. Dave Grohl wanted to have the same format as the last album, with acoustic and rock being released together, well, Echoes Silence Patience and Grace had that.

I'm not hear to review the album or the band as it may seem, but I'm hear to review arguably the greatest Foo Fighters song ever written.

Stranger Things Have Happened, is the 6th track of the album Echoes Silence Patience and Grace. If your a Foo Fighters fan, you will think songs like The Pretender or Cheer Up Boys Your Make Ups Running are the songs that make the album, well guess what they don't. Now I'm not saying these songs are bad, I'm saying that Stranger Things Have Happened is just the stand out track on it.

The song starts of quiet softly with Dave tapping his guitar for a beat the guitar can go along too, with this Dave starts to song, and it's not the usual voice you would associate with Dave, but something about it makes you want him to do these songs more often. As the song continues, his voice itself becomes a lot more Dave like, without the screaming of course, but still he really can do anything. The guitar itself is great too, with either Chris or Pat coming in and being the second guitarist with Dave, it shows the amount of chemistry they have together as a band. This whole song is an absolute classic, the only thing is that it's a shame it's over shadowed by other tracks, but that makes it more exciting when you discovered it.

We also rate the normal songs we do out of 5, but this is out of 10 and there will be a rating in where it sits in our top songs of all time.

Rating
10/10

It is probably my favorite song of all time.

Top 5 of All Time

By Dylan

Stranger Things Have Happened - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEIeb85DkCs

What is Favourite Friday?

Okay, we know usual music blogs review current singles and albums, we do that, but we thought we would do something different, we thought we could start our own concept, it is called, Favourite Friday. Each week, one of us, will be reviewing one of our favourite songs. You will be surprised from us, with what we think, we will give you the rating out of 5, and we will give the rating on where it stands in our personal favourite songs of all time. Peace xo

The Presets - Youth In Trouble (Single Review)

This is a lot tougher than other reviews. I can't stress to you enough the honesty I'm giving here. This isn't a song that can just be reviewed and be left at that, this is a song that needs to be analyzed properly.

I consider The Presets too be one of, if not, the greatest Australian act in the past 5 years. It is as simple as that. Apocolypso is the greatest dance album I have ever heard. If you haven't heard the album, you havent fully understood the potential of The Presets. Beams, there first LP, was great, tracks like Are You The One, Down Down Down, Girl In The Sea and I Go Hard or I Go Home, those four tracks sum up beams, however Apocolypso, it's album doesn't stop, with My People, Talk Like That and Eucalyptus, they are just 3 of the tracks you need to listen too.

I feel like I have been ranting on for a while, but when I heard The Presets are coming back, I was excited as anything, than I hear they have released a song called Youth In Trouble. I'm gonna be brutally honest, terrible song name. When I think of The Presets, I think of names that make you wanna go hard and not go home (see what I did there a little Presets Pun). Like the old saying, you cant judge a book by its cover, you cant feel like you don't want too listen to the song, cause of a title named Youth In Trouble.

Okay, here's where we get into the review. Youth in Trouble has a beat that reminds me of nothing. It doesn't. It is original. I give the Presets one point for originality, cause each of there albums has tracks that are similar in some way, and with that, this song could hopefully be a direction that is new and unique to The Presets. When I listen to this, I think 90's dance scene, where people are in clubs who are going all out and don't give a care in the world. Bravo Presets, your constant tempo and quick beat is a killer. There is only one criticism to this (I said I'm gonna analyze each little aspect), there is a beat without bass, played when the vocals are on. Once the vocals are over, you expect one of the Presets drops. Unfortunately you get the same beat as normal. Im gonna take half a point for that.

Now, the lyrics. What can i say about the lyrics. Nothing. Its basic. Its catchy. Its The Presets all over. Well done for backing up your style with easy lyrics that are not complex enough for people to hate. This is just superb. I do not care what anyone says about songs that have limited lyrics, if you can make it work, than do it, cause these guys can do it, and they are the real deal.

I have to be short about reviews cause sometimes they get boring. You have read what you have read, I am not gonna wrap it all up like I usually do, I am going to give the rating and thats it.

Youth In Trouble is available world wide now.

Their new album Pacifica, is available in September

Rating

4/5

Youth In Trouble - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59VaXUt-yMg


By Dylan