We've been discussing the best hip-hop albums, pop tunes, and indie music, but 2010 was also a great year to rock out. Which of these rock albums was your favorite one to play your air guitar along with?
Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2010 polls!
With Eclipse hitting theaters in just a little over a month, fans have been anxiously anticipating the soundtrack to accompany the third film in the Twilight saga. We won't get a chance to hear the tunes until June 8, but today the full track listing has been released!
I'm a fan of the New Moon soundtrack, and its follow-up sounds equally promising. Muse is back for another go, but the rest of the list are newbies to Twilight. I'm particularly excited to see Sia's name in the midst of rockers like The Black Keys, Beck, and The Dead Weather and also stoked to see a contribution from Florence and the Machine. The biggest head-scratcher here might be Vampire Weekend; aside from the obvious tongue-in-cheek similarities, the band's music seems a bit too uptempo for the dark subject matter. That said, I'm looking forward to hearing what they came up with. Check out the full playlist and tell me what you think!
To see the full track listing, just read more
I've already shared the latest DVDs to hit shelves, but if you're more in the mood for some tunes, this week's music releases are ready to rock your socks off.
Violets are blue: Indie rockers The National bring us their fifth studio album, High Violet. It's predictable in the best way possible, with lead singer Matt Berninger crooning out more anthems for the lovesick and heartbroken. The opening track, "Terrible Love," is indicative of the band's knack for writing songs that are catchy and depressing at the same time, but check out "Bloodbuzz Ohio" for something a bit more upbeat. I'm also loving the stripped down ballad "Runaway."
See Jack play: Jack White's other other band, The Dead Weather, returns with its second album, Sea of Cowards, and it's a rough and tumble ride. That is entirely a good thing — because this is real rock 'n' roll. "Blue Blood Blues," the opener, is a fittingly harsh, sexy introduction. "Die by the Drop" uses its every riff, every lyric to batter you around until you're screaming the chorus along with Jack and lead singer Alison Mosshart, while Mosshart snarls seductively over "The Difference Between Us," my favorite track.
One more to check out when you read more
I don't know what it is, but Coachella's second day felt even more crowded and crazy than the first! Audiences kept the energy pumping into the wee hours, and yes, the glow sticks came out. I need a breather after all the excitement, but it's your turn for a taste of the mania. Here are the five big acts that had fans bouncing and clapping all day long (and don't forget to follow me on Twitter for festival updates and celeb sightings — yesterday I snapped photos with Rachel Bilson and Kellan Lutz who was hanging in the H&M tent!).
As much as I love to see one of my favorite bands put out their latest album, the most wonderful thing about the music world is that new artists continue to emerge. A very special few come out of nowhere and manage to blow your mind — so tell me, whose debut do you think is the best breakthrough album of 2009?
Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!
Some of these gifted artists may be bigger than what you consider "indie," but they all captured the spirit of the genre in '09. It's hard to pinpoint why they're just so cool, but they make it seem effortless. Personally speaking, I've been listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix and It's Blitz! by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on a repeat loop, but there were plenty of other albums to choose from. Which one is your favorite?
Don't forget to check out the rest of my best of 2009 polls and Best of the Decade community group!
Jack White is a bit of a jack of all trades. Last week his band The Dead Weather released its first album, but that's hardly the only thing on his plate. He's been rocking riotously with former flame Meg White in The White Stripes for more than a decade, jamming with Brendan Benson, Patrick Keeler, and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs for about half as long, and popping up occasionally on the big screen in the meantime. That's quite the eclectic résumé. For me, Jack will always mean The White Stripes, but I'm also really digging this Dead Weather CD. How do you take your Jack?
Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download.
Something unique: The Dead Weather is another of Jack White's projects, and man does this band rock with a dark, sexy style that's completely their own. I like this description I found in a review of the album, Horehound: "All the members' earlier bands, save the Raconteurs, traffic in sex, threat and kink. But none has done so with the devilish abandon these guys achieve together." Right on. There's some rough-sounding rock ("Treat Me Like Your Mother"), some sultry stuff that reminds me of the '70s ("60 Feet Tall"), and plenty of dramatic sensuality ("Rocking Horse"). But the sounds on this album can't be categorized too neatly. It's just a great mishmash of something totally new.
Two more to chat about if you read more
