For years there have been certain bands that for whatever reason draw vicious fire from the critics. Creed, Limp Bizkit etc. One such band happens to be my all time favorite … Nickelback! These guys flat out rock. Their music is charged with energy as well as passion. As some of you know I had the pleasure of spending the day with them as well as Puddle of Mudd when they toured through NC a couple years ago. It was a memorable experience and one I hope to re-live again someday. So to the critics .. I say.. eat my ass! To the band, crew and significant others I had the pleasure of meeting… Love Ya’ll! Today I review one of my favorite bands of all time .. Nickleback. There are even mp3 samples and videos below for ya! So come on … Let’s have a listen and look at one of my all time fav’s!

As I have stated before, I don’t put much stock in the reviews I typically read on the music industry sites and in this case it is especially true. I can’t figure out why a band that puts on amazing live performances, and churns out music that is “popular” is so hated by the so called experts / critics. Pure and simple … Nickleback is one of my all time favorite bands. Some of their music energizes me while other songs bring me to tears… and they have been doing this album after album. So have a listen above to their latest CD titled Dark Horse and check out the reviews below from Sputnik & Rolling Stone … I may not agree … or even understand their reviews ( LOL! ) but I want to give you guys as much info as possible.

If your interested in picking up this CD or individual .mp3′s the best deal I have found has been through Amazon >>

Here are a couple of videos for your enjoyment!

Nickleback Review From Sputnik:

A recent LA Times feature (yeah, yeah, I’ll get my coat…) on the rise of “flyover rock,” a title invented for the purposes of the article, tries (and fails) to answer a question that’s perplexed music fans for years but is impossible to answer without sounding like a complete snob: who actually likes Nickelback?

Leaders of the mainstream rock scene in the States by sales volume, as well as any other conceivable measure, the Canadian four-piece have subtly evolved over the years, gradually discarding the gruff Vedderisms of old for a more natural, melodic style. Tentative strides into the realm of country have been made, with the grungey acoustics of ‘Someday’ et al. seamlessly substituted for something a little more jangly, while frontman Chad Kroeger has even begun to sport something akin to a twang on tracks like ‘Never Gonna Be Alone’ from their latest LP, Dark Horse. But probably the most predictable development of all has been the increasingly overbearing presence of cock rock in the mix: where the band would, in the past, have explained away their heavier rock tendencies with token nods to Metallica and other universally-respected metal icons, Dark Horse sees the band come clean about their true influences, drafting in Def Leppard producer Mutt Lange for a much-needed injection of sleazeball sex.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s always been more or less understood that Chad Kroeger is a complete horndog, but it’s only recently, with the trailblazing success of ‘Crazy Bitch’ and ‘Get Stoned,’ that casual misogyny has become popular again on rock radio and safe territory for Nickelback to mine. ‘Something In Your Mouth’ kicks the album off with characteristic blunt force, telling the story (read: fantasy) of the stripper who just loves to tease (like there’s any other kind): “Tease them all while sucking on your thumb [...] ‘Cause you look so much cuter with something in your mouth.” ‘Shakin’ Hands’ proceeds along similar lines, though the subject in this case is a high-class hooker who makes ”six figures workin’ three days a week” and ”didn’t make it this far by just shakin’ hands”. She made it this far by shaking something else! It’s never explicitly stated, but it’s also implied that she loves it. ‘S.E.X.’ is the closest Kroeger comes to actually saying something explicit, so it stands to reason that it’s the least explicit of the three named songs in terms of imagery, although he does wonder aloud if he’ll ever get to have an unnamed body part (we’re thinking asshole) under his tongue (why under?). We can only assume that she will love it, although it sounds uncomfortable.

From the opening bars of ‘Something In Your Mouth,’ Lange’s expansive arena rock production is a major factor in the album’s dynamic, with a booming, synthetic drum sound, gang vocals and the obligatory hand-clap percussion section recalling his former charges at their sugar-pouring best. The guitar riff sits somewhere between the country-funk of ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’ and whatever squealy mosh riff Zakk Wylde happens to be hammering out at the time, while the stop-start chugga-cuhhga of ‘Burn It To The Ground’ bears more than a passing resembles to Pantera’s epic ‘Walk.’ The latter could easily be an outtake from Motley Crue’s 1994 self-titled (when they briefly beefed up with second guitarist/singer John Corabi), while ‘Next Go Round’ is reminiscent of the Crue’s similarly ill-fated (but inspired) sojourn into industrial metal, Generation Swine. There are few audible traces of the band’s post-grunge past, aside from the swampy picked-guitar patterns of druggie’s lament ‘Just To Get High,’ while the rest of the disc is solid pop-country, from the ever-optimistic Lonestar-like lead single ‘Gotta Be Somebody’ to the sweeping Nashville harmonies of ‘Never Gonna Be Alone.’

There’s no question about which side of the disc is the more interesting- sleaze beats manufactured sentiment any day- but ultimately it’s the country half that most people will pay attention to, and to that end there is very little to actively criticise. Nickelback have always had a flair for inoffensive MOR pop, and in truth there is very little to tell between songs like ‘Photograph’ and ‘Gotta Be Somebody.’ Cynical though it is, Nickelback have had to adapt, and adapt quickly, in order to remain on top of their game; they’ve always been a musically eclectic bunch, so there was scarcely any doubt they’d be able to handle the transition. The “down and out but searching for meaning” schtick Kroeger’s got going on is a necessary counterpoint to the crass misogyny that he boasts elsewhere on the album, but the price of such base-covering is that it’s hard to know what to believe and what not to believe. And so, the problem that plagues Dark Horse is the one that’s plagued Nickelback records for years: no matter how strong the musicianship and how infectious the melodies, it’s practically impossible to relate to any of it.

The question remains, unanswered: who actually likes Nickelback?

Nicleback: Dark Horse Review From Rolling Stone:

What’s a poor rock band to do when your last album sold 8 million copies at a time when nobody buys CDs anymore? You can hire a guy who produced AC/DC, Def Leppard and Shania Twain albums that sold even more. On Dark Horse, “Mutt” Lange lightens Nickelback’s dreary post-grunge plod, applying guitar shimmer to prom ballads and detonating big beats under frat-party shouts and raplike vocal parts. Lyrics revel in dorkitude, hair-metal style: “No class/No taste/No shirt/’N shitfaced.” The two liveliest songs celebrate getting wasted with the bros; the most melodramatic laments a friend’s overdose. Lange keeps things rolling — and to his credit, Chad Kroeger gratifyingly comes off as more of a regular guy than a rock star.

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Early in 2009 on WEBN out of Dayton, they ran one of those dig it or ditch it deals… You know.. they play a new song from some new band and people call up and let them know whether they like the song or hate it. Well on this night they played Cage the Elephant and I was Hooked! They remind me of the Violent Fems for some reason.. They have this Rock / Punk vibe that I’m lovin!

Early in 2009 on WEBN out of Dayton, they ran one of those dig it or ditch it deals… Y0u know.. they play a new song from some new band and people call up and let them know whether they like the song or hate it. Well on this night they played Cage the Elephant and I was Hooked! They remind me of the Violent Fems for some reason.. They have this Rock / Punk vibe that I’m lovin! So have a listen above and check out the reviews below from Sputnik & Rolling Stone … I may not agree … or even understand their reviews ( LOL! ) but I want to give you guys as much info as possible.

If your interested in picking up this CD or individual .mp3′s the best deal I have found has been through Amazon >>

Here are a couple of Cage the Elephant videos for ya!

Cage the Elephant Review From Sputnik:

Cage The Elephant is a multifaceted band. They ironically don an ill-suited moniker; Cage The Elephants they may, but their music refuses to be caged by genre or label. It is not so much that Cage falls into multiple genres, but rather, Cage so seamlessly combines blues, funk, and punk stylings that they transcend genre itself; there is no way to describe Cage The Elephant’s music without referring to Cage The Elephant itself, and in this we find a band that is truly deital. There is no “blues rock;” there is only Cage The Elephant. “Funk Punk?” No, friend, that’s the visceral joy that is Cage The Elephant. Truly, never before has a band so exuded the sweet juices of so many different musical styles while managing to retain its own distinct flavour.

The opener, “In One Ear,” is primal and furious. Vocalist Matt Shultz, with aggression no doubt fueled by centuries of Jewish oppression, angrily decries the ones who stood as obstacles in his path to musical expression. “It goes In One Ear/And right out the other/People talkin’ ***/They can kiss the back of my hand” he says with generation x defiance reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. In fact, Shultz, practically channeling the Godlike Cobain’s spirit itself, proclaims a message that is beautiful in its convolution; he doesn’t set up an existential target for his hatred. No, he just hates, from the record industry, to the social commentators, and finally the very “crowd” he’s singing for. The “stupid ***” that goes in one of Shultz’s ears and out the other may be white noise, but this music certainly isn’t. It’s a sonic, masochistic assault; it masticates the ears while paradoxically pleasuring them.

The opener is a perfect overture to a grand symphony of faux political self abrasion; the rest of the album follows suit beautifully (and brutally). From the caustic lyrics of “James Brown,” which paints a picture of the legion of indie generics, to the harsh reality of “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,” which vividly paints the musician’s Mona Lisa picture of the hypocrisy of society, Cage The Elephant completes what it sets out to do brilliantly. It’s all but planned; it’s not a carefully designed political commentary. It’s not coherent, and it’s not academic. It’s complete recklessness, utter abandon; it’s a sincere expression of the aggression and perspective of the seeds of “generation x.”

Cage the Elephant Review From Rolling Stone:

Matt and Brad Shultz, the brothers behind this Kentucky-bred garage-punk quintet, grew up in cramped confines with a pious dad who didn’t like secular music — a good recipe for acting out later. Despite callow lyrics and what sounds like an unfortunate Nineties rock-rap influence — “In One Ear” sports G. Love and Special Sauce-style rhyming — Cage the Elephant make a fine mess on their debut: Singer Matt Shultz, a vocal dead ringer for the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, conjures white-blues forebears and barks with abandon on songs like “Free Love,” a skronk-y cut about a lady who “like(s) it rough” that rocks so enthusiastically you wonder if the band thinks it’s breaking new ground.

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Kings of Leon Sex on Fire. There has always been a connection between music and adult entertainment … I happen to be proof positive! Today I review one of my favorite new bands and their hit album. There are even mp3 samples for ya! So come on … Let’s have a listen and look at the Kings of Leon and my favorite song Sex on Fire!

I don’t put much stock in the reviews I typically read on the music industry sites. Far too often they sound like overly hip reviews of the latest urban art. And if the band doesn’t hold true to some political or social groupthink then forget it .. they are doomed! my music tastes are diverse and I like music that moves me. I don’t care if it’s arts fartsy or if it holds some agenda .. it must move me! Which brings us to one of my new favorites… Kings of Leon! Their critically acclaimed album Only by the Night is acclaimed for a reason .. It Rocks! So have a listen above and check out the reviews below from Sputnik & Rolling Stone … I may not agree … or even understand their reviews ( LOL! ) but I want to give you guys as much info as possible.

If your interested in picking up this CD or individual .mp3′s the best deal I have found has been through Amazon >>

Here are a couple of videos for your enjoyment!

Kings of Leon Review From Sputnik:

The curious thing about claiming the title of ‘most improved’ is that it means admitting two things; that you once sucked, and that if you want to be considered truly great then it means that you need to keep improving. This is how posterity meets Kings of Leon in 2008 – unquestionably 2007′s most improved band, their last album Because of the Times was so exciting and surprising not just because it came from a band who were previously so incompetent, but also because it appeared to promise that the necessary upward curve would undoubtedly follow. For a band who’d had a hit single with a song containing just two notes, and a singer who had been doing a seriously convincing impression of somebody who can’t sing, that was crucial. Because of the Times was no one-shot wonder album that left the band with nowhere to go; it genuinely sounded like a step on the way to bigger things.

The headline spot at this year’s Glastonbury noted as an aside, those bigger things have arrived with Only by the Night. Literally everything about this record is bigger than all its predecessors – the melodic scope, the ambition, the production, the lyrical range, the pool of influences, the lot. And accordingly, it’s better to boot, with each of the first six songs outstanding in its own right. Opening track “Closer” rides a Tom Morello-in-Audioslave-ballad-mode guitar line to stunning effect, “Crawl” is a glammy relative of The Who’s “The Seeker”, “Sex on Fire” is one of the most immediately arresting singles released all year, “Use Somebody” is a tender, big-hearted ballad that works as an approximation of what Coldplay’s Parachutes might have sounded like if it had the ambition and production of Viva la Vida, and so on. And while the quality may slump slightly on one or two later tracks (“I Want You” sets up a good idea and then goes nowhere with it), the highlights of this album come thick and fast. It’s always impressive, occasionally breathtaking.

What binds it all together, though, is Caleb Followill, who quite simply turns in a performance you’d never have imagined possible. Once upon a time, his singing style consisted of deliberately garbling words he seemed embarrassed by and relying on ticks and quirks to lend his band’s music a degree of personality. Not any more; finally, Caleb Followill has discovered his true identity as a vocalist. Throughout this record, he is confident, clear, and proud, discovering and displaying unexpected subtleties in his bluesy rasp. It’s actually a little hard to focus on what the rest of the band are doing for the first couple of listens, because his presence is so dominant. His vocal melodies, too, are more expressive, expansive, and considered than they’ve been before, or that they’ve even hinted at being before. And with lyrics like those on “Cold Desert” (‘Jesus never loved me/No-one ever carried my load’)? Quite honestly this is the best performance from a rock frontman I’ve heard in 2008.

As for the band? On their last album, they showed that they were turning into the kind of rock band that frequently nods toward the work of other great artists without ever outright imitating them – in other words, the best kind. That trend continues here. Interpol and U2 remain as perhaps the two biggest influences, as they were on Because of the Times, but there are all sorts of influences working alongside one another here. “Revelry”‘s exotic guitar sweep is surely a result of listening intently to Arcade Fire, the snarling bassline on “Crawl” can be traced to Radiohead’s “Bodysnatchers” (in tone, at least), while some of the more skyscraping melodies and fiery lyrics call to mind Pearl Jam, Neil Young, and Tom Petty. And throughout, bassist Jared Followill conjures up reminders of Queen’s John Deacon, nowhere moreso than on “Seventeen”.

If the second half of this record was as good as the first I’d probably be proclaiming it as the rock album of the year. It may yet claim that crown anyway. As it is, it’s a very fine record from a band who are seemingly growing in stature, confidence, and ability by the day. And to think, this is the same band that once generated so much skepticism in some quarters that they were branded garage rock’s answer to Milli Vanilli. If you were one of the people who saw past the image and the immaturity back in those heady days of 2003, and predicted that Kings of Leon would go on to have a long, fruitful career, then I doff my cap to you.

Kings of Leon Review From Rolling Stone:

Free from their strict Pentecostal father, Kings of Leon’s Followill brothers (plus cousin Matthew) spent their first two records establishing themselves as horny Nashville youngsters with a neo-garage-rock style that got them tagged as the “Southern Strokes.” Nowadays, the Kings are feeling a different sound: Like last year’s Because of the Times, Only by the Night is long on astral, arena-ready largeness, with blippy keyboards, droney guitars and whoa-oh-oh backing vocals. Frontman Caleb Followill cranks up his Allman Brothers howl, turning out big choruses with sometimes tough-to-parse lyrics and deep-feeling melodies reportedly influenced by pain meds he began taking after shoulder surgery. The revamped sound doesn’t always work: Cuts like the slow-burning murk-fest “Cold Desert” feel like sub-John Mayer soul — bland and overly ponderous. But when the Kings find a gussied-up groove with teeth — like the effects-laden Zeppelin stomp of “Crawl” or the pulsating, New Wave “Sex on Fire” — they sound like rock heroes experiencing the joy of well-manicured sound.

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