Converge "No Heroes" (Epitaph) Sounds Like: Another violent Converge album with lyrics you can actually hear. Grade: A-
Epitaph tends to ruin a lot of bands and rob them of their credibility. However, with Converge's new album "No Heroes," it's clear that Epitaph has gotten nowhere near the artistic vision of Jake Bannon and Converge, probably for fear of getting beaten to a bloody pulp.
"No Heroes" is another installment in the violent tradition that is Converge. While the band has been terrorizing hardcore kids for about a decade now, it wasn't until their 2001 release "Jane Doe" that the band crafted their brutal sound and garnered a huge following. "No Heroes" is an album that showcases this murderous sound with a newfound vocal talent, courtesy of their lead singer and writer, Jake Bannon.
The album builds up tension with the standout tracks "No Heroes" and "Vengeance," both of which sound like machine guns assaulting you with Converge's sonic brand of volatile hardcore. The album then hits its peak with the nine-minute epic, "Grim Heart/Black Rose." The track showcases Bannon's vocal ability from actual baritone vocals to his trademark violent screams of horror, all the while singing about the tragedies of life and love.
The album finishes up nicely with the outstanding tracks "Lone Wolves," "Trophy Scars" and "To the Lions," all of which focus on the desperate tone in Bannon's voice that has become trademark of recent Converge albums. The album proves to be another solid effort from Converge and a classic for any hardcore fan.
-CHRIS MORENO
Nina Simone "Nina Simone: Remixed and Reimagined" (RCA/Legacy) Sounds Like: Nina Simone modernized for a new generation. Grade: B
Nina Simone was a legend for her time and remains one of the most influential soul artists today. Her musical style is evident in artists such as Jill Scott and Floetry. With her passing two years ago, the music community has brought her back to life in this tribute album, which has her original songs remixed by some of today's best deejays and producers. The result is a solid album and a great addition to any Nina Simone collection.
The album starts off with the classic track "I Can't See Nobody" remixed to give a dance groove that is sure to have the feet moving. From there the song "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter" comes up as the highlight of the album. The song is infectious, jazzy, groovy and perfect for anyone wanting to show off awkward dance moves in the privacy of their own house.
Classics like "The Look of Love" and "Ooh Child" will have one hearkening back to the old days when parents would play this music. The remix tracks do not take away from the original but put a new spin on them and make them accessible to today's audience. Rather than hearing the songs in the original, somewhat tired format on the radio, the album brings new life to these songs and introduces Nina Simone to a whole new audience.
-C.M.
Mickey Avalon "Mickey Avalon" (MySpace Records) Sounds like: A nihilistic male Peaches, or "Less than Zero" on tape. Grade: B+
On his eponymous release, Hollywood glam-rapper Mickey Avalon oozes sexuality. The former prostitute and drug addict's style isn't exactly groundbreaking, with electro-clash and glam influences paired with extra-dirty hip-hop. But Avalon goes farther than other sexed-up rappers like Princess Superstar or Peaches. Songs like "Friends and Lovers" have the same voyeuristic appeal as Bret Easton Ellis' fiction writing on nihilism and drug culture in 1980s L.A. Judging from Avalon's lyrics, the situation hasn't changed much since "Less than Zero." On the track, Avalon raps: "All my friends and all my lovers are dead/Some from cheap narcotics and others from lead."
Sure, Avalon lost some street cred when the single from his self-titled album, "Jane Fonda," was played on "Entourage." But the track, a dance instruction in the vein of Mac Dre's "Thizzle Dance" or DJ Casper's "Cha Cha Slide," deserves every bit of praise it's getting. After a few listens, it's still pretty unclear about how to do the Jane Fonda, but it involves "working it out" and getting booties on the dance floor.
Avalon may be a fad, kind of like the networking site that put out his record, but his down-and-dirty glam rap is worth at least one dance party spin. Plus, bonus track 69, "My Dick," may be the best playground diss track of the decade.
-JEFF LAMBERT
Various Artists "Laguna Beach: Summer Can Last Forever" (Interscope) Sounds like: Generally unremarkable pop songs that make the perfect soundtrack for generally unremarkable people. Grade: C-
Anyone who watches MTV's hit reality series about this group of excessively wealthy teenagers knows that things always go downhill after Hilary Duff. Duff's "Come Clean," the theme song that plays as viewers are introduced to the cast of "Laguna Beach," is invariably followed each episode by monumental catfights, questionable hook-ups and poor parenting - all set to the unthreatening sounds of Dashboard Confessional and Lifehouse.
Luckily, MTV is out to prove on this soundtrack that summer can in fact last forever. Let the mundane sounds of Ginger Sling and Atherton take you back to those raging nights on the beach when you and Stephen thought you'd be together forever before Lauren swooped in and ruined your life.
Also remember all of the show's great dialogue? Now in 20-second snippets, listeners can peer into the cast members' souls with profound moments such as "Bathing Suit Shopping" and "Tessa's Surprise Party." Particularly revealing is "Going Home," in which heartthrob Stephen confesses he is looking forward to returning to Laguna Beach for "the beach, my own bed, privacy, dude... the girls."
Best of all, the album includes a fold-out poster of all three seasons' casts. A tear-jerking acoustic track from the All-American Rejects is the perfect complement to a sleepless night spent examining the Laguna kids' faces, wondering how so much tragedy could come out of so much beauty.
And when the sun begins to rise over the white, white sands, just switch to Soulkid #1's "More Bounce in California." If "Laguna Beach" can teach us anything, it's that things are always better in the morning - with mom's and dad's credit card and tight new BMW.
-MIA STEINLE
