White Chocolate - Brap In Your Ear

You can download my new hip-hop/comedy album "Brap In your Ear" here for free

Album Review - Metric - "Fantasies"

This Canadian Indie Rock quartet's first record in four years has an electrophile slickness, not to mention a set of catchy songs. Fronted by lead singer and resident rock’n roll hottie Emily Haines, this band had a lot to live up to after their critically acclaimed last album “Live It Out”. So the question going into this album was - were they able to live up to the hype they created for themselves as one of most relevant Indie bands around? And the answer is YES and then some.

The album opener “Help I’m Alive” is an excellent kickoff to a three song stretch that reels the listener into the deeper tracks on Fantasies. Emily Haines’ voice is unadulterated ear candy, her raspy whisper threads the verses wrapped around the golden sweet anthemic choruses that fill this record. The obvious choice for second single “Gimmie Sympathy” has Haines begging the question “Who would you rather be? /The Beatles or the Rolling Stones.”

The closer, “Stadium Love”, kicks the shit out of everything I’ve heard so far this year.

Mixed in between some of the lusher tracks like “Twilight Galaxy” and “Collect Call” are heavy hitters like “Gold, Guns, Girls” and “Satellite Mind”.

Everthing on this album is done to perfection. The guitar riffs are in the right spots and never overstay their welcome. The Synths add depth and layers that I haven’t heard in a very long time.

Start to finish, Fantasies will easily make top ten lists in 2009 for its accessibility, incredibly strong writing, and precision production. It is, and I say this without reservation, simply excellent.

Fantasies is a hell of a lot of fun to listen to and is by far my favorite album of the year so far.

Download these – “Gimmie Sympathy”, “Sick Muse”, “Twilight Galaxy”, “Gold Guns Girls”, “Help, I’m Alive”, “Stadium Love”, “Collect Call”, “Blindness”, “Satellite Mind”.

Rating - 9/10

Album Review - The Veils "Sun Gangs"

The Veils have been through many changes since their inception in 2002. But while the band has seen its share of band members come and go, the pillar known as Finn Andrews has remained the same. This time around the band has provided a nice blend of songs ranging from gritty rock anthems, to some more subdued, even eerie pieces, resulting in what can only be described as their most diverse record to date.

Lead singer Finn Andrews, who is known for his vocal flexibility, returns on Sun Gangs with more of the same incredible vocals here. On songs such as "Three Sisters" and "Larkspur" Andrews' voice is at its grittiest, sometimes moving into frantic territory.

On the other hand, songs like "Sun Gangs" and "Scarecrow" expose a softer, more vulnerable side of Andrews' vocals. Appropriately, when the accompanying music is at its softest, Andrews' vocals mimic the mood perfectly, almost as if adapting to circumstances it is put in.

Among the 'rockiest' moments on the album is "Killed by the Boom" which describes the untimely death of some sort of dancer to a wail of screeching guitars and pounding drums.

Two of the albums best tracks, “It Hits Deep” and the 60’s inspired “The House She Lived In” reveal a folk rock side of The Veils.

Overall this is another amazing record from the Veils. My only complaint, is that its too short. 10 tracks just isn't enough.

8.5 out of 10

Download these - "The House she lived in", "It Hits Deep", "The Letter", "Killed by the Boom", "Sit Down By The Fire", "Three Sisters"

Album Review - Lilly Allen "It's Not Me It's You"

Lily Allen hit the scene at 20 with her debut album “Alright still”. The album was a big success not only because of the music but because of her cheeky lyrics. She is back with her sophomore effort “It's not Me it's You”.

The album doesn’t stray from the formula that worked so well for her on her debut. Present are the cheeky lyrics and pop melodies. Allen seems to have found a nice comfort zone for herself and her music and does nothing to stray outside it.

The album is chalk full of pop gems with catchy melodies and lyrics.

Lyrically the album challenges things such as drugs, sex and love, God.

On the opening track “Everyone’s at it” Allen surmises that everyone is on some sort of drugs. On “Him” she wonders what’s in the mind of the worlds creator declaring Gods favorite band to be “Creedance Clearwater Revival”. Lead single “The Fear” has her worrying about being famous and having to shed pounds for a provocative photo shoot. On "Not Fair" she uses a little country twang to question the sexual inadequacy of men. On it she she sings "Oh, I lie here in the wet patch / in the middle of the bed / I'm feeling pretty hard done by / I spent ages giving head”.

Her best tracks however are the driving tracks “Back to the Start” and the melodic “Chinese" and "I could say".

The album isn’t as good musically as her debut but certainly there is a lot to like here. If you were a fan of her debut you will love this.

8 out of 10

Download these – “The Fear”, “Chinese”, “Back to the Start”, “Not fair”, “Everyone’s At it”, “Him”, "Who'd Have Known", "I Could Say"

2008 Albums of the Year

2008 was a good year for Music.

Here in no particular order is my list of best albums from the past year (also a click of the artist and album title will navigate you to their MYSPACE page for a quick listen):

Best albums of 2008

Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All his friends
Download these – Strawberry Swing, Violet Hill, Viva La Vida, 42, Lost, Lovers in Japan, Death and All his friends

Coldplay - Prospekt March (EP)
Download these – Glass of Water, Life in Technicolor II, Rainy Day , Lost +


Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Download these – Grounds for Divorce, One Day Like This, Mirrorball, Weather to Fly, Some Riot

Jason Mraz – We Sing We Dance We Steal Things
Download these – I’m yours, Details in the Fabric, Lucky, Dynamo of Volition, If it kills me, Beautiful Mess

Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
Download these – Cath, Grapevine Fires, Long Division, I will posess your heart, No Sunlight

R.E.M – Accelerate
Download these – Houston, Living well is the Best Revenge, Horse to water, Until the day is done, Mr Richards

Kings of Leon – Only by the night
Download these – Sex on Fire, Revelry, Closer, Use Somebody

Greg Laswell – Three Flights from Alto Nido
Download these – Its been a year, That it moves, Comes and Goes (In Waves), The One I love, Not out, How the day sounds

Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
Download these – Lights and Music, Far away, So Haunted, Hearts on Fire, Out there on the Ice, Feel the love

Portishead – Third
Download these – The Rip, Machine Gun

Kanye West – 808’s and Heartbreak
Download these – Say you will, Paranoid, Robocop, Street Lights, Love Lockdown, Heartless, Welcome to the Heartbreak

Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Download these – The move, Won’t Trade, Believe

Common – Universal Mind Control
Download these – Universal Mind Control, Announcement, Sex 4 Suga, Gladiator

Lil Wayne – Tha carter III
Download these – Got Money, Lollipop

Nas – Untitled
Download these – Fried Chicken, Project Roach, N.i.-.-.e.r. (The Slave And The Master), Hero

The Roots – Rising Down
Download these - Rising up, Get Busy, Birthday Girl, Here I come, 75 bars, Rising Down

John Mayer – Where the Light is – Live in Los Angelas
Download these – Neon, In your Atmosphere, The heart of life, Good love is on the way, Gonna find another you, Don’t need no Doctor,

Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Download these – White Winter Hymnal, Sun it rises, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

Sia – Some People Have Real Problems
Download these – Soon we’ll be found, Buttons, Academia, Go To sleep

TV on the Radio – Dear Science
Download these – Family Tree, Crying, Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Stork and Owl, Lovers Day

Meiko – Meiko (re-release)
Download these – Reasons to Love you, Boys with Girlfriends, Under my bed, Heard it All before, How Lucky we are

City and Colour – Bring me your love
Download these – The Girl, Waiting, Sleeping Sickness, Body in a box, Constant Knot, What Makes a Man

M83 - Saturdays = Youth
Download these - Kim and Jessie, Skin of the night, couleurs, We own the sky, graveyard girl

Vampire Weekend - Vampire weekend
Download these - The kids don't stand a chance, Mansard Roof, Apunk, Oxford Comma, Cape Code Kwassa Kwassa

Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Download these - Harmony Korine, Abandoner, Significant Other, Insurgentes

I don't watch Porn

Its 2:30 am...I just finished recording and production on the first 2 tracks for the new White Chocolate Album.

I have to say I am REALLY pleased with the first two tracks. I'm working with Dan "Mix Master" Mathers on the tracks and he's a genius with the production.

I think we both learned a lot in the first few sessions and I honestly think these are the best WC songs ever. Especially considering ALL of the music and vocals were done by us.

I'm hoping the album will be 12-14 tracks in total and these two are a really great start. I hope to stream them here soon so stay tuned.

The tracks are titled "I don't watch Porn" and "EMPO".

Anyway I'm tired. Good night all.