Reviews

This week, Mike Sos examines in brief three different albums from a comic rock duo, a straight ahead metal band, and an experimental indie band. The albums in question are They Might Be Giants self released Podcast Highlights, Downlord's Random Dictionary of the Damned, and Hella's There's no 666 in Outer Space.

The Good, The Bad, The Queen The Good, The Bad & The Queen Rating: 4/7 I have long considered Damon Albarn to be a rare contemporary artist, able to transcend his own egotism by consistently taking risks and staying open to new ideas. When the old Blur/Oasis feud was happening in the mid-90’s, I watched as Albarn’s band effortlessly cycled through new styles with every album, while the Gallagher brothers continued to rehash their own tired ideas. And though his Gorillaz project has defied some critical disdain and pretty much all common sense in becoming a hit, I always knew it wouldn’t be too long before he jumped ship for a new course. So it was with great anticipation that I picked up this new release, the unfortunately-self-titled debut, The Good, the Bad, & the Queen, from his new band.

Piebald Accidental Gentleman. Rating: 4.5/7
After 2004’s mediocre follow-up, All Ears, All Eyes, all the time, Piebald returns with their sixth studio album, 2007’s Accidental Gentleman . Sticking to a mix of radio-friendly indie/punk rock with the occasional piano and idiosyncratic songwriting, Accidental Gentleman is a good but not great album. The band focuses enough on hooks and mixing up tempos within songs and throughout the album to keep the disc listenable.

Alkaline Trio Remains Rating: 6/7
Did Matt Skiba, Dan Adriano and Derek Grant hear all of that whining and crying from the band’s diehard A3 fans after the release of Crimson? Is that why we’ve been gifted with these colossal Remains? Twenty-two tracks or one hour, nine minutes and 46 seconds of some of the best A3 songs all on one slick disc, plus a bonus DVD and packaging that includes lyrics and commentary from Skiba, Adriano & Grant on each song.

Drake Bell It's Only Time Rating: 5/7
Drake Bell’s major label debut, It's Only Time shows he has plenty of potential to keep expanding and growing as a singer and songwriter. Tracks like “It’s Only Time” and "Up Periscope" show Bell’s talent as both a guitarist and lyricist. Here’s to hoping that his sophomore effort on Universal is even better than It’s Only Time.

Incubus Light Grenades Rating: 5/7
Thanks to the ability to skip tracks, Light Grenades is a worthy listen. When Incubus is on, they're really on. They've brought new sounds to the mix, and proved they can still make solid and interesting music while doing so. If they have to release a few clunkers in order to get out the good stuff, that's fine. Let's just hope that they keep their wits about them in the future and retain their ability to create with emotion.

Yo-Yo Ma Appassionato Rating: 6/7
The songs on pioneer cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s newest album, Appassionato, tell stories about relationships, travels and cultural experiences. With various pieces ranging from Vivaldi to John Williams, and recordings from 1978 - 2006, this 11 song effort is one of the strongest collections from Ma’s prodigious cello career, which has spanned over five decades.

Dim7 contributors Mike Sos and Elizabeth Elliot examine in brief three alternative rock albums from the later part of 2006. This week's albums in question are Opeth's re-release of 2005's Ghost Reveries, experimental metal groups Sunn 0))) and Boris' collaboration Altar, and Boston street punks The Street Dogs latest release, Fading American Dream.

Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny
Rating: 3/7
Tenacious D is a shiny new link to a very short chain called Mock Rock. It starts with Frank Zappa, and subsequent links include Captain Beefheart, The Residents, Devo, Foetus, Pussy Galore, Ween, and Guitar Wolf among others. This chain is made of gold and holds a pendant that is the word ABSURDITY. It would be ridiculous to call The Pick of Destiny anything but the film's musical highlights. It's a gimmick to subsidize the profits of the forthcoming film.

Rx Bandits ...And The Battle Begun Rating: 6/7
With 2001's Progress, RX Bandits proved their commitment to humanity and compassion, feeling and emotion, over an excellent-yet-standard post-reggae post-ska backdrop. With 2003's The Resignation, they twisted this commitment into a desperate cry for humans to connect with one another, and the music spastically followed suit. While a reggae groove was audible throughout, a brilliantly tangled mess of quick changes and heart-wrenching decrescendos defined the music.