There are more two piece bands emerging lately, but very few if any that project such a collosal sound as this Sacramento duo. The album is broad, spanning multiple rock sub-genres. There are modern alternative rock songs like the single, "New Low". There are other tracks infused with a sort of screamo punk and metal. There's no pattern followed with this band, which is rare and interesting. The sounds are progressive as well. Two piece bands like this one really are compelled to be creative with the manner in which they play their instruments. They are tight lyrically as well. There's a decent vocal range exhibited as well as intriguing lyrics. This is only the first studio album by Middle Class Rut, but after a string of EP's since 2006, the band has built a following, particularly in the UK. I would look for the band to sort of continue at this slower pace with actual album production. This is a pair of guys that seem to be much more considerate of content than proliferation.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
N/A

Track:
New Low

The face of Incubus, Brandon Boyd, lives up to the hype on his first solo release. The album, musically, varies very little from an Incubus album. The notable differences are present in the creative process and the actual production. Most artists who go solo still record with a band, but Boyd laid down the instrumentals himself for this record. He works with Dave Fridmann, who has worked more recently with OK Go and MGMT. Listening to this album, one gets the impression that the microphones were turned up just a little too high on  a lot of the tracks. This creates a raw and unpolished feel and was done deliberately with that intent.. The lyrics are the usual artsy, metaphor, and poetry driven content we're used to from Boyd, even quoting Oscar Wilde on the second track, "Here Comes Everyone". The remarkable thing about this album is its simplicity. It was cultivated by primarily Boyd and Fridmann in upstate New York over a couple months, just finishing off pieces Boyd had begun while high on marijuana playing acoustic guitar. The result is a solid debut solo release from one of the most revered vocalists in American music.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
N/A

Track:
Runaway Train

You might ask yourself, "didn't Buckethead just release an album this year?". Yes, Buckethead releases albums whenever he wants to. This album, however, is an obvious tribute to The King Of Pop who passed away last year. Buckethead strays from his usual acid jazz funk rock to a more melodic sensual tone on this album. Everything is a lot slower and mellow on this latest work and it almost sounds like a score for a movie (based on MJ). Even though Buckethead stays away from the craziness on this album, he still has made another unique album. His guitar solos, riffs, and licks are still invigorating as ever. You can really feel the passion behind this album. For Buckethead fans this album will not surprise you with its content, mainly because Buckethead has done many songs like the ones present on this album, he just has never put out an entire album just with slow songs. For newcomers however just sit back, relax, and enjoy this Voyage.

LoopedEyeless

Past Works:
Death Cube K

Track:
Chase The Darkness Out

There are so many things to deter fans of Rock and Roll from listening to this album. The band is fronted by a woman. They are signed to Hollywood Records, the Disney-owned label that boasts acts like Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers. They are from Vermont. Disregard your predisposed notions about Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. They are bona fide rock. The self-titled third studio album is fierce. They ditched their old producer in favor of Mark Batson, the long time producer for The Dave Matthews Band. Lead vocalist, Grace Potter is hot, in just about every sense of the word. Her voice is soulful and piercing, Picture Heidi Klum with a guitar sitting in for Robert Plant and fronting Led Zeppelin. The guitar riffs are so sharp and dynamic on the harder tracks. On other tracks there is a more layed back sound driven by resonating guitar, compelling percussion, and that electric voice. The band released their first album in 2005, and have since made a couple of key personel changes that may be what led to their new and improved sound. They are gaining commercial notoriety and are poised for a big year in 2011, and when all is said and done, Grace Potter will likely be regarded as the one who picked up where Joan Jett and Cherie Currie left off.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
Nothing But The Water
This Is Somewhere

Track:
Paris (Ohh-La-La)

With his eigth studio album, Kid Rock is one of the most prolific recording artists of our time. This is an artist who really shows his personal evolution through his work. His first four albums were mostly about drugs, sex and an overall nefarious lifestyle. He's really grown as a person and it shows in his music, now consisting of more mature themes like personal freedom, family, patriotism, and taking advantage of life. This album continues down the path he's been following, really since his self-titled 2003 release. There's always been a great amount of heart and character in his music, but he's really come into his own in an artistic sense. He's seasoned and it shows. The lyrics here are so broad in nature, but perhaps most enjoyable are the memories he sings of, and how he conveys them in such a nostalgic, bittersweet fashion. A miliionaire many times over, he still embodies that Detroit work ethic. Kid Rock is beginning to express views and themes that can only be appreciated by those who have struggled in some sense. He's gained a lot of substance and soul, and it is prevalent on this album, perhaps more than any album prior...and with cameos from T.I., Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, and Bob Seger, this may be his best work yet.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast
The Polyfuze Method
Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp
Devil Without A Cause
The History of Rock
Cocky
Kid Rock
Live Trucker
Rock n' Roll Jesus

Track:
God Bless Saturday

Oh my. The fourth studio album from MCR is a spectacle. There are so many words that describe this album; orchestral, fantastic, futuristic. None seem to do justice, however, to how epic this release really is. There is a rock-opera quality present in that there is a recognizable uniformity of themes from track to track, like The Black Parade. They show similar technique in the music videos. There are periodic interludes from a feaux radio broadcast centered around a fantasy kind of wild west setting in a futuristic dystopia, called Battery City (and the surrounding "zones"), It's negative in many ways, but so razor sharp. The bad guys have won and we're just fighting to die with dignity in this outlandish thrill of a record. The lyrics are intelligent and thought provoking, though filthy at times. There is just something about this band. They are widely made fun of for their dramatic delivery and a style that could be called mildly androgynous. They do, however posess something more, and its this element that I find deeply satiating in a broad sense.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
The Black Parade

Track:
Sing

This is a self-titled debut album from a new band, but the band's members are seasoned veterans. The duo consists of James Mercer of The Shins and Brian Burton AKA Danger Mouse. This accounts for the album's masterful composition. There is a futuristic soft rock element to this work. It is described as "space rock" by some critics, in fact the video for the single "The Ghost Inside" is about a woman traveling through space in a time where civilian space travel is commonplace. Mercer is the primary singer and has a voice that was pretty much made for this brand of indie alternative rock. Both Mercer and Burton, however, are responsible for production and all the writing. It is the Dangermouse influence that makes this record much more computerized instrumentally than The Shins. Lyrically, the album tells stories respective to each track, and is interesting if examined. If unexamined, it just sounds good anyway.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
N/A

Track:
The Ghost Inside

The sixth studio album from 90's cult icons, Nada Surf is totally unoriginal...but dont worry, they've got it "covered". It is pleasant to hear from this band again, and they've chosen a varied set of tracks to reproduce here on "If I Had A Wi-Fi". There are songs covered from the past three decades (and in three languages), including the more recent "Bright Side" by Soft Pack. Nada Surf really exhibits a talent on this work for making these songs their own. If you had never heard any of these songs before, regardless of their respective era, I'm fairly certain you could be convinced they were from circa 1997. The band's low fidelity vocals and instrumental persistence gives them their signature sound adored by the small, but loyal following amassed since their debut with 1996's "High/Low". Although I would've preferred an original work, there is still a lot to be said for a good cover.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
High/Low
The Proximity Effect
Let Go
The Weight is a Gift
Lucky

Track:
Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode)

I love a one-word title for an album. I also happen to enjoy this album. "Invented" is the seventh studio album from arguably one of the best alternative rock bands of our generation. It's what you'd expect from Jimmy Eat World, now seasoned vets of the music industry after a discography spanning 16 years. There are sharp guitar cuts, intense and melodic riffs. The lyrics are the icing on the cake, so to speak. This is a band that has always had artsy lyrics. This album is no exception, and is perhaps more artistically influenced than past works. It is rumored that lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins drew inspiration for this album from photographic art. I personally think that if you enjoyed "Futures", you will enjoy this album. Although some songs are up-tempo and harder, the majority of the tracks are softer and there are even some tracks with clearly defined folk influence.

RedletterDaydream

Past Works:
Chase The Lights
Futures
Bleed American*
Clarity
Static Prevails
Jimmy Eat World (self-titled)

Track:
Coffee and Cigarettes

If Nick Cave and Trent Reznor got together and made an album it would be this one. Sadly, that will probably never happen but we do have Grinderman, a side project from Nick Cave and "some" of his Bad Seeds. Heavier than normal, this new sound and different style might throw you off if you have listened to Nick Cave in the past. From the initial track on the album, you're dropped into the exceptionally talented and demented mind of Nick Cave...don't try escaping...you can't. Grinderman takes you on a continuation of a journey that started with their debut album. You might feel a bit awkward because you will realize his storytelling is based around  his life. Sometimes it feels like you're listening to a book on tape with hypnotic background music and that make you want to know more. Lyrically, Nick Cave hasn't  veered from his style but musically...it's different.

LoopedEyeless

Past Works:
Grinderman

Track:
Mickey Mouse and The Goodbye Man

Track:
Worm Tamer