Wait, those could be out of order. It doesn’t matter, they’ll both happen one way or the other.

Track Listing:

1. Never Again **
2. Change for You
3. Nobody Understands
4. Fireflies
5. Unaware **
6. Can’t Stop Walking Up to You
7. Holes
8. Where did We Go
9. Hold My Head Up
10. Fire Keeps on Burning **
11. I Know
12. No Crying

**Clear Favorites

I was first told to listen to The Midway State by a fellow classmate. She and I share similar tastes in music, and so when she offered me her iPod to listen to The Midway State in class, I eagerly agreed. I tried to listen to the album, but simply too much was going on during the class, and I couldn’t give the album the attention that it deserved.

Months later, I started hearing “Never Again” on the radio, which is a single from The Midway States newest album “Holes.” I liked the pop-y bounce beat, and I have a weakness for guys that sing in a higher range (I think past reviews can speak for themselves). At the same time, Theresa had a request that I get my hands on the album for her, because she’s too busy with school at the moment. “Two birds with one stone!” I thought to myself.

Yeah so I guess I missed one of the birds with this one.

See once I started listening to the album, I realized that I wasn’t really being moved by the album at all. I’ll admit that I was working through 6 hours of Photoshop homework at the time, but I still gave much of my attention to the music. Like I said at the beginning, I wanted to like this album but it just wasn’t doing it for me.

I searched for a term I could use to describe this album; a silly notion, you would think, trying to summarize an entire musical album with just one word or phrase.

Turns out I managed to do that for Holes; that word is “Listless.”

Other than the first track, none of the band members really seem to want to be there. The singing seems half-hearted, and the music itself is almost depressing. This is despite the happy pop bounce that exists within a fair portion of the tracks. Now there are some more mellow tracks with goals that seem to be primarily in making you feel like your dog just died. In these cases, the depressed, almost bored sounding singing almost fits the bill. Too bad that this effect was probably achieved unintentionally.

What makes it all the more sad is that If i tried to make a comparison to other bands, I could. The problem is that I even though I can compare them (Killers meets The Editors, if you’re wondering), the bands I am comparing them too are just so much better than this one. It sounds like they want to be awesome, but they just don’t have the heart. The end result of the music just falls flat to me, which is a shame given the obvious potential.

To try and be positive, I can see where the appeal in this album would be. It’s fairly mellow, with much piano use and toned-down melodies throughout. The singing itself is much the same, giving the whole album a very subdued feel throughout it. Even the stings of electrical guitar that happen throughout don’t really take away from that. The music does seem carefully thought out in both mood and arrangement. Credit where it’s due, I’m sure this is what they were going for and in that respect they nailed it.

Overall I’m really sad I couldn’t like this album more, because usually I can find the good in most music. Sadly there’s nothing in Holes that makes me want to keep it on my hard drive.

2/10

Thankfully after my faithful wait, I have been rewarded with his new release: Sycamore Meadows. After giving this album a couple of listens, it has quickly become one of my favorites for all time. It’s both amazingly happy and startlingly deep, many times simultaneously.

Track Listing:

1. The Weight Of Her **
2. Going Back/Going Home **
3. Here Comes The…
4. Ponce De Leon Ave.
5. Ships In A Bottle **
6. Vessels
7. Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought Of You **
8. The 3 Kids In Brooklyn
9. Summer Scarves **
10. A Song For The Metalheads **
11. Closer To The Truth And Further From The Sky **
12. ATL **
13. Untitled (Hidden Track)

**Clear Favorites

Once again, I’ll try and avoid gushing like the ridiculous fan-boy that I am for Butch Walker. It’s just so hard when he’s so god-damned good.

Wait, that wasn’t biased was it? Nah.

So … Sycamore Meadows. How can I describe this? Well it’s an label-free release by Butch Walker, newest in the line up (as of this post in any case). It’s far more “home-grown” than his previous stuff, with a lot more country influence than anything else he’s put out. After much consideration, I’ve opted to class this as a fusion between blue-grass and alt-rock. I’m sure blue-grass and alt-rock fans will both probably hate on me for saying that. Yes, I just said “hate on me.” Live with it.

I’ve been listening to this album at least once a day since I got it ( which isn’t as much as you’d think, as it came out in November. Shipping was painfully slow) and I have finally managed to clearly define what songs that I cannot live without, and what songs I simply cannot stand. Others require a mood for me to enjoy them, otherwise they are very quickly skipped over. I have this nagging feeling that I won’t be alone. Much like his other albums, Butch seems to have a knack for being very hit or miss with his songs. He also has a knack for making sure that these songs hit and miss differently.

One thing that has been constant throughout all of his work though, is that every track has a personal touch. There have been many a time where I have sat there wondering “did this actually happen to him or what?” The fact that I have such trouble discerning between fact and fiction only helps to demonstrate that everything feels like it was pulled from his past, dusted off, and arranged around. ATL is by far the best example of this, and the video for Ships In A Bottle was filmed in the ruins of Butch’s former home. It’s the little things like this that really help make you more than just listen to the album; you feel it as well. This is probably what sets him apart as a fantastic musical artist in my mind.

I think the only complaint I can actually have with the album is literally that some of the tracks are almost entirely unlistenable (I am very sure I just made “unlistenable” up). Ponce De Leon Ave. ranks top on my list of “cannot stand whatsoever” with “Here comes the…” coming at a close second. Everything else that wasn’t starred simply requires me to be in the right mood.

Regardless of the hit and miss nature of the tracks, I implore any and everyone who likes alternative, country, blue grass, Alt Rock, Indie, and just plain ol’ good music to give Sycamore Meadows a listen or three.

9/10

Datarock is easily one of my new bouncy favorites. The only way I can describe them is disco acid pop. There’s probably a better way of explaining them, but that’ll work for lack of the creation of new words.

As an aside, I want to apologize for the title of this post. I’m using the normal format, but their first album is actually called “Datarock Datarock” so it makes for some crummy article titling.

Track Listing:

1. Bulldozer
2. I Used To Dance With My Daddy **
3. Computer Camp Love **
4. Fa-fa-fa **
5. Princess
6. Sex Me Up
7. Nightflight To Uranus **
8. Ugly Primadonna
9. Maybelline
10. Laurie
11. The Most Beautiful Girl **

**Clear Favorites

If ever there was music to be played at a club, remixed for clubs, and then have those remixes remixed 3 more times, then Datarocks debut album “Datarock Datarock” is exactly that music. Much of the album is bouncy almost to the point of fault. Much of it makes you want to get up and dance until you seizure. Even some of the more subdued tracks are prime candidates to have the crap mixed out of them.

This mixibility makes for an interesting listen. Everything is drum machines, 8-bit sounds, synths and guitars. I guess that’s understandable considering the band is officially comprised of two people (I’m aware the Wiki mentions a third person, but the official site does not, so I’m going with that). When you only have two people, you have to get creative with your tools. They do that alright; with some interesting beat combinations Datarock manages to bring a unique feel to many of their songs. There’s a personallity to each track, and I think that that takes a lot of talent.

Another major boon for this album is the lyrical application. When you can successfully write about ones computer camp love affair in a hip hop style, you are reaching a lyrical level that makes my heart glow. The only people I’ve seen do what Datarock does with their writing are bigger names like Jason Mraz or Cobra Starship. If you pay close enough attention to actually hear what the singer is saying, I can guarentee that you will be well-rewarded. The fact that ‘Maybelline’ actually has the “maybe she’s born with it” slogan within it is proof of this.

My biggest issue with the whole album is that it’s pretty much impossible to listen to the entire album in one sitting without wanting to take a hammer to either you or your musical device. I know that sounds harsh – probably because it is – but hear me out. The big issue with the album is that it all starts to sound like noise after a while; things blend and the magic is lost. You start to phase it out because that’s what your brain DOES with excess noise.

Great for single tracks, well-written and unique. I’m waiting for them to have some remix albums come out.

6/10

Recently, I found an all-classical FM station broadcasting out of Toronto that I can actually listen to in Brantford, Cambridge, and Kitchener-Waterloo. This may not sound like anything impressive – who even listens to FM radio anymore – but if you have ever tried to listen to Toronto-based radio in those areas, you would know what I’m talking about. There is something about this strip of land that just destroys radio signals.

Regardless, since I’ve found this station, I have yet to change it back to the others that I listen to. Classical 96.3FM does an amazing job of not only featuring brilliant classical music, past and present, but also features spots like “Sunday night at the Opera”, “The Greatest Music Of All Time…” and spoken poetry. How can you not love this?

Though I feel their website could use a little information architecture – It’s rather busy and cramped in some places- they offer a surprising amount of content for a radio station website. They have an online listening section as the Internet radio is all the rage now, and even the “What Was That Piece” list: a minute to minute feature of every song they’ve played throughout the day and the entire week previous.

I must also mention that though they play the typical classical music, they also feature some fantastic choice music, moving opera pieces, and even arrangements from movies (Lord of the Rings, Forest Gump, and Star Trek to name a few). I actually got home and sat in my car for an additional 6 minutes to listen to the end of Misere Me, Deus by Gregorio Allegri, a moving choir piece. The best part is that I have no idea who that is yet, but thanks to the station and their website, I can find out.

If you’re in the mood for some audible culture, Classical 96.3FM is a station to tune into. If you aren’t in the Toronto area, attach yourself to their Internet radio player.

P.S. be warned: All of the personallities they have working there can hypnotise you with their voice. Every damned one.

Track Listing:

1. Never Felt So Lucky **
2. Into Pieces **
3. Movin’ On **
4. Today (Perfect) **
5. Letters
6. Brighter Side
7. Broken Smile **
8. Song From The TV
9. All Of The Riches
10. Ask Myself **
11. Take It Slow **

**Clear Favorites

How can I describe this album? I guess it’s Indie, but not really. It really has a bluegrass/pop/alternative blend that really defies clear classification. Brian O’Neal (way to hard to find his real name, Jesus), who goes by Roark, does a fantastic job of delivering heart-felt song after heart-felt song. Each track sounds like he means every word, which is a rare treat in this day and age. Though he is technically a solo artist, Brian does have someone helping him in the studio for these songs. All the songs on the album tend to offer up some sort of combination of guitar, piano, and drums (with extras thrown in where needed) and it helps give a unified feel to the whole CD.

Most of Break Of Day offers up what I can only describe as a “hopeful vibe”. Listening to this CD makes me happy inside for reasons I cannot accurately articulate. The light sound and use of the guitar and piano really help deal some of the uplifting mood, but Brians voice itself seems to embody something that completes it all. The music and his voice mesh so well together that it’s nothing short of impressive. He knows how to write music to match him both on a mental and a physical level.

My clear favorite from this CD is easily ‘Broken Smile’ which is, admittedly, a rather depressing song. It talks about a girl whos obviously been hurt deeply. We don’t know the whats or whys. All that is given is the fact that people want to help, but she can’t bring herself to ask for help. It’s nearly 6 minutes long, and I love every second of it. The music itself isn’t complex, but it feels totally honest and you can’t help but feel for the girl. It’s an amazing track, and sealed the deal for me.

My only real complaint with the album is that most of the tracks sound very similar, so if you aren’t in love with the album, you’ll start getting annoyed after about 3 tracks. Other than that I can’t really find anything wrong with Break Of Day.

If you’re in the mood for something soothing and uplifting, Break Of Day is totally worth listening to.

7.5/10

Pros

• Fairly large library to choose from.
• Making playlists is easy.
• Music player is on every page, either featuring music, or displaying yours.
• Adding Songs to a play list is all inline, and doesn’t require any sort of popup or extended form. Search, Add, Select profile, OK. That’s all
• Built in profile, preferences, user base, messaging, other web 2.0 stuffs.
• Available in a snot-load of languages (with a few spelling hiccups)
• Player is somewhat robust, sporting repeat, shuffle, pause and preview options.
• Ability to upload your own MP3s, which are stored privately for you only. Part of this scares me, as cool as an idea that it is.

Cons

• Some of the worst UI decisions I’ve ever seen, some very unintuitive locations.
• Some rather funny spelling mistakes
• Everything is in flash.
• Some of the most annoying ads that actually break the page and stop it from loading until you close it. Go to hell milk ads.
• Community aspect sorta sucks, as there’s no real way to get people interacting. All users must be found via search, which makes it hard to get participation up.
• Weird lack of rather common songs.
• I’ve manged to totally bugger up their player by clicking to fast.

last.fm

Pros

• Clean, simple interface
• Downloadable program to stream music from program instead of browser. Program also relays what you play in programs such as iTunes, and saves your tastes.
• Wide and diverse musical library
• Great user interaction. Friend listening lists etc. Good community aspect.
• swappable theme (stupid, pointless, and sweet)
• Excluding the music player, everything is HTML (not Flash)
• The player will slowly introduce new music/bands/artists that are similar to your choices, allowing you to be exposed to more artists.

Cons

• Distinct lack of common songs
• The program doesn’t allow for the picking if individual songs, nor does the browser player
• Adding songs to your library feels like a chore, and has a few too many clicks.
• Creating playlists is way more buried than I would have expected.
• Their new layout feels a little TOO minimal to me, and I feel a little lost when trying to get around. The dropdown list beside your name is not what I would expect for navigation.
• Player doesn’t have a pause. What the hell.

Which would I choose?

It actually depends.

If I’m in the mood for a type of music, then last.fm wins hands down. If I want specific songs, then Deezer is actualy more of a playlist-oriented system. Last.fm has a much stronger community function-base, which is great if you’re looking to connect with other people over music. Deezer, though it features community fetaures, it’s not nearly as stong as last.fm. It’s playlist pick and choose style is fantastic if you want to simply listen to your favorites (if they’re there). Deezer allows you to store your MP3 onlines, making it’s playlist features that much stronger.

Moods, friends, factoids: last.fm

Songs, playlists, storage: Deezer

Track Listing:

1. Life in Technicolor
2. Cemeteries of London
3. Lost! **
4. 42
5. Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love **/**
6. Yes **
7. Viva la Vida **
8. Violet Hill
9. Strawberry Swing
10. Death and All His Friends **

**Clear Favorites

There are a slew of hidden/extra tracks depending on what version of Viva la Vida you have (buying from iTunes seems to be the best bet… assuming you pre-ordered it). My version actually has an extra track which is an acoustic version of Lost! entitled “Lost?” which I find fantastic. Track five (Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love) is actually two tracks in one, and there are also two hidden tracks contained within “Yes” [Chinese Sleep Chant] and “Death and All His Friends” [The Escapist], making this a much fuller album than what one would initially presume.

The best term I can use for this album is ‘solid.’ From start to finish, It’s actually quite an impressive listen. The music carries a certain vibe throughout the entire album, which really unifies it into one extended experience. Their title track, “Viva la Vida” sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. Watching the video blew my mind as well.

The tracks tend to alternate between harder and softer, but they all seem to lead into one another with a musical polish that I’ve not heard from many albums. Obvious care was put into track ordering, blending, and final touches. The album still carries that soothing Coldplay feel that we’ve all come to know (if not actually love) making every track sound very “Coldplayish.”

Interesting usage of instruments can be found throughout the album, proving that they aren’t just a piano-driven alternative band.. at least not anymore. Viva la Vida shows a lot more in the ways of experimentation instrumentally, though not much changes vocally. I’m not going to say whether that’s a good thing or not, because it really depends on your perception. Personally I wish the vocals had been a bit more experimental so as to match the album, but I can’t complain about that.

What I can complain about (see what I did there?) is Violet Hill. This was the single debuted in my area (Toronto/London radio stations) and it was played to hell. As it turns out this is also my least favorite track on the entire album by a long shot. I can’t really place why I dislike it so much (read: overplaying) but if I had to take a stab at it, it would probably be the attempt at telling a story in a near-narrative format. I know they thought they were doing something cool, but the result just hurts my head. If I could pretend that wasn’t on the album It would make it that much better.

Considering my only real issue with the entire album is one track, I’d have to say that that give’s it a pretty solid score. It’s worth listening to, so long as you’re into the alternative scene, or you’re already a fan of Coldplay. If you’re as much a fan as I am/was it’s still worth listening to because I can assure you that you’ll have some new favorites to add your your song listing.

8.5/10

Track Listing:

1. Fell In Love Without You
2. This Is For Real
3. It Had To Be You **
4. Last Night **
5. Calling All Cops
6. Can’t Finish What You Started **
7. The Conversation
8. Broken Heart **
9. Hello Helicopter **
10. Where I Belong **
11. Point Of Extinction
12. Antonia **
13. Even If It Kills Me

**Clear Favorites

Their newest album doesn’t really introduce much new, other than a couple slower piano tracks and a slightly softer feel. MCS know what their sound is and they don’t really seem to want to step away from it too much at the moment. I’m not saying that that’s a bad thing, though I think that at this point you could start to find their music exhausting. My only complaint with MCS is that they sound pretty much the exact same every song. Sure you change up the words and the chords, but it’s all the same. This is also a great aspect though because you know what to expect and so a returning fan knows what they’re getting themselves into.

I also have to note that “Last Night” sounds eerily similar to The Starting Lines “Photography”.

My bitching aside, “Even If It Kills Me” is a solid album. I did notice that “Even If It Kills Me” seems to be a little slower, a little softer, and a little more toned down then its brethren, which I wasn’t fully expecting. I really liked the step into different territory by going with a couple piano-driven tracks, which bring about a totally different feel to what would be a purely typical album by them. The whole album seems a tad more reflective than the others, which is always a good thing in my mind.

I’m still not sure what they were trying to accomplish with this album. Did they mean to make it sound more reflective? Or was that just a side-effect of something else? Where did the piano-driven songs come from? Why the detachment from the norm? I have a feeling that the whole group just wanted to aim for something different, but didn’t want to step too far outside the comfort-zone that is their sound. I can’t blame them, but it does make what could have been an amazing (or disastrous) album, and settles it into the ‘pretty good’ category.

7/10

1. We’re So Starving
2. Nine In The Afternoon **
3. She’s A Handsome Woman
4. Do you Know What I’m Seeing? **
5. The Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed) **
6. I Have Friends In Holy Spaces **
7. Northern Downpour **
8. When The Day Met The Night **
9. Pas De Cheval **
10. The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know
11. Behind The Sea
12. Folkin’ Around **
13. She Had The World**
14. Form A Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins
15. Mad As Rabbits

**Clear Favorites
The only thing that sounds the same between the albums is the singers voice. Everything else about “Pretty. Odd.” is totally different from its predecessor. It’s so different that I refuse to compare the two, simply because it is like comparing an Air Rifle to a Railgun. Sure they’re both guns, and they have triggers, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

To start, gone are the head-bopping hyper-beats of the first album. They’ve been replaced with a much more slowed and controlled flow. There is heavy use of acoustic guitars, harmonies, and random background noises such as birds and trains. There is even an introduction of brass in some of the songs, which I appreciated. All of the tracks show a stunning advancement in maturity for the band, and it shines through in how tight all of the musical areas are pulled together. The melodies are much stronger, and far more complex than before. The singing has been slowed down, and though the language is still as intelligent as it always was, it’s slow enough that you can actually tell what they’re saying this time.

Throughout the whole album is a very strong folk-feel. All of the songs sound like they could be sung around a campfire (if you had enough alcohol in you at least) and fill you – or at least myself – with a warm , fuzzy feeling. Where the first album was all about throwing unique music in your face, “Pretty. Odd.” does a good job of bringing you along for the ride instead of being subjected to itself. It’s much calmer, partially because of the use of ukulele, tambourine, and fiddles. This is not music you are going to hear played in clubs all that often, that’s for sure.

There is still a large influence from music long since past. Many of the songs feel reminiscent to early 90′s T.V. themes or movie themes from the 80′s. Pas De Cheval sounds like the band watched every episode of Bonanza before going to the studio.

One thing I noticed was the strong introduction and use of harmonies with the band. Other members are given ample chance to sing their own parts, varying the experience of the album greatly. ‘Behind The Sea’ is a perfect example of this. The lead singer only sings backup during the entire track, giving the others a chance to really shine as the singers that they are.

An issue I have with the album is the fact that there are 15 tracks. This is nice, since you now get more music for your money. It’s also a pain because now you have more music on the CD. There is a reason that artists tend to limit the number of tracks of their CDs. If you have too many tracks, people will start to get bored which results in their turning off, or tuning out the rest of your hard work. I can see that happening with “Pretty. Odd.” really easily. I don’t see this album getting as boring as “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” or at the very least, not as fast, but it’ still possible.

I’m shocked with how much I ended up liking “Pretty. Odd.”. With a complete departure from their first album, they’ve managed to re-invent their sound and probably earned some new fans (and lost some old ones). You need to listen to the album yourself to really come to a decision yourself, because this is an album that will divide people down the middle. I personally like this album far more than their first one, and I used to love their first album.

8/10

1. Rise
2. Beauty Queen **
3. Let Me Out **
4. Carry On **
5. Find Me An Angel
6. I Am Who I Am
7. Home
8. Bad Dream **
9. Live
10. God By Another Name **
11. Harmonica In F (Interlude) **
12. Time **

**Clear Favorites

The whole album is very mellow, and I could almost class it as an ‘easy-listening’ but it doesn’t quite fit. The songs all feature a slightly slower beat, and there is emphases on strong musical usage. The singing is put almost as a second thought, much like the way that The Strokes perform their music. The music comes before the singing, but they don’t conflict. There is heavy usage of the piano, which stands out as the major player within most of the tracks. The lyrics are well-written and executed, and anyone can find meaning in them. The singing reminds me a lot of Coldplay or Snow Patrol, as they are a little grainy, and full of emotion.

The whole album has a near-sad feel to it, mainly due to contributions from certain tracks (Bad Dream and I Am Who I Am come to mind). As a result I don’t suggest listening to “Beta Male Fairytales” if you’re in a low, unless you feel like throwing yourself further into despair. It’s not even the lyrics that really do it, but the mood of the songs

One problem I have with the album (which is a problem with many albums of a similar nature) is that I can only listen to it once through before I start to get sick of it. This is not a CD that you can leave on repeat in the background, as it will start to feel very repetitive. Every track does start to feel like every other on the CD as you continue to listen to it. It’s definitely an album where favorites will be picked, and the other tracks skipped for the rest if their existence.

Overall, a very calm, almost sad album with heavy piano use and wonderful lyrics. It’s worth a listen to, even if you only come away with three songs that you like. In the end you’ll love those tracks dearly.

7/10