Year Of The Comeback: Blink-182 - Neighborhoods

This band. Yes, this band. They defined me from the moment I got Enema Of The State for my birthday. They were the voice for a growing smart-ass like myself. We just fit together. Even now, over ten years later, those albums just make me smile whenever I hear them. The music has never been brilliant, but it doesn't matter. It's just fun. Fun is all it aspires to be. And it is.

The Mark, Tom, & Travis Show will forever be a favorite no matter how old I get. And I wear that with badge with honor. As a 23 year old (that nobody likes) I am proud to say that I still love Blink-182, and for that reason, I was terrified when I heard Up All Night, the new single, and I didn't love it. It scared the shit out of me. It's not a bad song, but it's not a first single. It's not Dammit, it's not Feeling This, it's not The Rock Show, and is definitely not What's My Age Again?. I instantly feared the worst.

Neighborhoods has finally hit the shelves. The results are in. And it's not what I expected. I don't think it's what anyone expected. I'll admit I wasn't a huge fan of their self titled album in 2003, after hearing it some more I realize that it's a decent effort, I just wasn't into it at the time. It didn't catch my attention, and I kinda skipped through it.

But in the case of this new album it just feels darker. No more dick and fart jokes... At least not on the studio album, I expect that the live show is a whole different story (I look forward to that). The boys who went streaking have kinda grown up.

Nobody expects a Blink album to be a musical masterpiece, and it isn't. But it is surprising how much they've progressed yet kept themselves faithful to their musical style. From the opening drum beats and melodies you can clearly hear their distinct sound, and Ghost On The Dance Floor is a very nice first step back.

Right off the bat, you can tell that the album is carried by Travis Barker's beat heavy and diverse style, along with Tom DeLonge's and Mark Hoppus' joint vocal melodies. It's just like it's always been. Just musically better. The potty humor might be missed at times. It's not that they take themselves seriously, but we're just not in the 'porn stars on the cover' era anymore. And the music reflects that.

Travis easily steals the spotlight on another Blink album, the guy is as dynamic a drummer as you'll find these days. But Mark and Tom have really upped their game as well. It's not like he's carrying them around anymore. They're nothing spectacular, but they do what they need to do, they play to their strengths and they do it well.

The rest of the songs are spread pretty well in what is a mostly upbeat album. Some may be more memorable than others. Heart's All Gone and Snake Charmer come to mind as really interesting songs. While others like Kaleidoscope keep true to the Blink formula we all know and love.

My one true gripe with Neighborhoods is the album length; the deluxe edition clocks in at almost fifty minutes, with the regular version barely cracking half an hour. It may be the norm for a pop-punk album, but it shouldn't be. If you want to make two minute songs, then make more than fourteen of them. It's not very motivating to spend money on something that would keep my attention for less than an hour.

With this new album Blink-182 have once again proven that the pop-punk genre can mature and keep itself relevant. They may have (temporarily) moved on from their fun and crazy antics, and it's quite refreshing to know that they can. I can appreciate a band trying to reinvent themselves, and I think they did a great job.

Neighborhoods might not be the instant classic that Enema Of The State was to me... But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. It's almost a whole different band, and it should be. You can't do the same thing forever.

6/10

Year Of The Comeback: Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra

Do you guys remember when Limp Bizkit was the biggest thing in music? When they were kicking boy bands in the ass? When we used to root for them on TRL every afternoon? I do.

I was almost in my teen years at that point, and I thought they were amazing. Significant Other was one of the first things I had to buy for myself and at the time, it was the greatest thing I'd ever heard. I remember throwing together a last minute Fred Durst outfit for Halloween one year.

My point is, I was a fan.

But 2011 is a whole new world. I'm older, and I'm (supposed to be) wiser, so when I heard that Gold Cobra was on the way, I guess I was slightly indifferent. I mean, after 2003's Results May Vary I was just about done with the band, I didn't like that album at all. Since then they put out The Unquestionable Truth (Part I) which I didn't even listen to, and from what I've heard, I made the right choice.

So why would I even give Gold Cobra a chance? Well, it carried some interesting hype with it. The first thing that got me interested was the fact that Wes Borland was back with the band. I've always been a fan of Borland's guitar work. And he's probably the best thing on the album.

Gold Cobra has been touted as the comeback of the old Limp Bizkit sound, and I agree with that. The problem is that I'm just not interested anymore. Yes, I do go back and listen to Significant Other, Chocolate Starfish, and Three Dollar Bills from time to time. But it's really just a few select songs, and almost purely for the nostalgia.

This new album really does go back to those roots, but it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. Every couple of songs you get some good stuff from Borland, which quickly crumbles back into the dried routine. John Otto also shines in certain spots; his drumming has really come along since the last album, but it's still not enough to stop me from wanting to skip through these songs.

My thoughts on Fred Durst haven't really changed through the years. I've always said he's a much better singer than he is a rapper. And it has always dumbfounded me that he insists on rapping 80% of the time. He does have a unique sounding voice, and when he sings, it's pretty good. But he rarely does it. It would be a much better album if we got cool vocals instead of weak repetitive rhymes all the time.

So, is Limp Bizkit back? Well, yes they are. But the real question is, do I care? No, I really don't.

The music is as good as it was I was in my teen years. But I'm at a point where I'm realizing that the only value those records have to me now is purely nostalgic. And unfortunately Gold Cobra will never have that sort of value for me. Maybe if it had come out in 2003 instead of that crap Results May Vary I would be into it. But this is just too little too late. I'm sure there's a group of people out there that are really enjoying this comeback. I'm just not one of them.

3.5/10

Year of the Comeback: Bush - The Sea Of Memories

Is it just me, or does every band I used to really be into have a new album all of a sudden? I got three new albums last week, all of them from bands that I got into right around the fifth grade, all of them considered 'comeback' albums.

The one I was most excited for would have to be The Sea Of Memories by Bush.

Bush isn't exactly one of those really well known bands, but they've always held a soft spot for me. They were one of those groups I just happened to stumble upon just as I was really getting into music. They also happen to be one of the most consistent bands I know. Through their four albums spanning from 1994's Sixteen Stone, to 2001's Garden State they not only made good music, but more importantly they kept their sound fresh. Ten years later, they're finally back, and they have a lot to live up to.

I've known this album was coming for a long time now, it's been delayed a couple of times. I'm never one to complain about delays on things like this, when it's done it's done. But in this case it caught me by surprise, because apparently I'd been hearing the single for the past year and I didn't even know it was Bush, because it really doesn't sound like them. Afterlife has a much more mainstream pop sound than what we're used to from these guys. It's not a bad song at all, but it just doesn't sound like this band, and it almost doesn't fit in with the rest of the album. You can really tell they were recorded in different moments, almost a year apart. It's a testament to how much a band's sound can change in a year.

The second single The Sound Of Winter is a much more accurate representation of what the new album sounds like. It's catchy a riff heavy alt rock at it's finest. Once you hear it, it's like Bush never left.

Gavin Rossdale is still just as good at what he's always done. He's never had the most amazing voice, but he really knows how to use what he has and make it sound great. He just has one of those unique sounding voices that just gets stuck in your head, and it just makes the songs that much catchier. And I really do think it's what carries the band.

The album itself keeps true to the Bush sound. Some have said it's their best since their first, I'm not sure I agree, being quite partial to The Science Of Things. But I will say it is a good album. Like I said before, more than anything, Bush is consistent. Their sound doesn't feel dated at all, and the sound still holds strong.

I can't complain though. It's not every day that a band you like this much makes a comeback album this good. It saddens me to say, that most comeback efforts end up quite disappointing (trust me, more on that in the next posts). So, all in all, Bush is back, successfully. And for those of you who know me, I'd like to inform you that my tiny man-crush on Rossdale had no impact on my rating this album. I swear. 

He's just so pretty.

In my book, The Sea Of Memories is quite enjoyable. Not their best, but a welcome return.

6/10

Netflix Reviews #5

The Conspirator

I saw the trailer to this movie a couple of months back but when I watched it I had forgotten about most of it. Just remembered that it was sort of a court room drama that had to do with the assassination of President Abe Lincoln. Director Robert Redford assembled a really talented cast that includes James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, among others. They all do great work together, especially between McAvoy and Wright. You can almost feel the conflict inside of her as she juggles her love for her son to her duties as a mother. The same can be said about McAvoy who plays an ex-military lawyer who has to defend the mother of a traitor as she is accused of conspiracy. The movie is pretty straightforward in its delivery with no real surprises, but we see characters like McAvoy's Frederick Aiken go from one end of the spectrum to sacrificing his own future in order to defend someone who everyone else thinks is guilty. It was a pretty good movie that I'd recommend to anyone who is a history fan or a fan of court room dramas.

7 out of 10

Battle Los Angeles

I wasn't looking forward to watching this that much. From the trailer, it seemed like a lot of special effects and no substance, and that is pretty much what you get from this one. Jonathan Liebesman, who also directed horror movies like Darkness Falls and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, didn't really make me any more confident that this was going to be any good. This movie didn't really feel like a sci-fi movie but it was more like a straight up war movie that just happened to have aliens. The effects throughout the movie were very well done. The emotions in the movie were hokey at best. Truth is, I can't remember anyone other than Aaron Eckhart's character. It was just a war movie with no filling. Nothing to make it memorable at all.

4.5 out of 10

Sucker Punch

Ever since I saw the Dawn of the Dead remake that Zack Snyder made back in 2004, I knew this director would go on to do good stuff. After that, both 300 and Watchmen were two of my favorite graphic novels that he turned into movies, but even better than that, into good movies. Sucker Punch is a strange one. It's a strange movie in the way it is told. It's basically a fantasy within a dream. Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung and Vanessa Hudgens do a good job here, nothing amazing, but good. I would have liked to have seen some more back story given to the girls but as an action movie, it's okay. The really great thing about this movie are the fantasy sequences. Giant stone samurai, zombie nazis, robot guards... it all looks incredibly cool. I have to admit, even thought there's a lot of faults and stuff I could find wrong with this movie, I couldn't help but enjoy the movie.

6.5 out of 10

Biutiful

There are movies that have sad endings, there are movies that have incredibly sad scenes, and then there are movies that make you want to cry yourself to sleep and never ever wake up. This is one of those movies. Javier Bardem plays Uxbal. He lives in the fringes of society doing anything he can to feed and give a nice life to his children. Uxbal has an ability, though, he can communicate with the dead. It isn't long before everything goes haywire and we find out that there is something incredibly wrong with Uxbal. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is used to making movies with doomed characters just trying to get by but this movie takes the cake. It's a great movie and Javier Bardem does a wonderful job, but this is a really really depressing movie. It reminded me of Never Let Me Go in terms of how depressing it is. I could understand why people wouldn't enjoy this movie, but it's also hard not to be enthralled with it. I sort of wish they would have focused some more on Uxbal's ability. Maricel Alvarez is also pretty good as Bardem's love interest Marambra. The movie doesn't deal with black and whites but with shades of grey, a lot like the real world.

7 out of 10

I Love Muppets - The Green Album Review

When I was a kid, The Muppets were everywhere. From The Muppet Show, to the Muppet Babies, the ride at Disney's MGM Studios, and the numerous movies. Not Ninja Turtle level stuff, but they were still something I looked forward to watching.

With the first Muppet movie in over ten years coming up this November, obviously the Disney promotional machine is in full force. We're getting bombarded web shorts and creative promotion for what I consider a huge comeback film. And with that promotion comes what they've called The Green Album, which is an album of twelve classic Muppet songs covered by contemporary and indie artists.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love good cover songs, especially when done in creative fashion. I'm a big fan of compilation albums where interesting artists play songs that you would never expect from them. Sometimes it just takes a good cover to remind you how much you really love a song.

I'll be honest, I bought this album (Yes, again, I did buy this) just to hear Weezer sing Rainbow Connection. And it is by far the song I've heard the most off the album. It's always been my favorite Muppets song and I might even like this better than the original. No offense to Kermit, but Rivers Cuomo has a much better voice. This might also be the first time I've really enjoyed Hayley Williams from Paramore. The song just sounds so pretty, and I've caught myself just listening to it over and over at times. But I was really surprised with the rest of the album as well.

Notable mentions on  here go to OK Go for their very interesting take on The Muppet Show Theme. It actually opens up the album, and it sets the mood wonderfully for what turns out to be quite the quirky trip. I give them credit because taking on a theme song, especially one everyone has heard doesn't sound like an easy task.

I'm not big on Alkaline Trio, but their version of Moving Right Along is deadly accurate to the point where they're flat out quoting The Muppet Movie. And I respect an accurate cover, especially when you're mimicking Fozzy Bear half way through.

Without a doubt the funniest, and yet most puzzling cover on the album is by The Fray. I mean, The Fray is a band known for their melodies and lyrics. So obviously they cover Mahna Mahna, which has no words at all. It just proves that not all bands take themselves that seriously. It's a refreshing attitude and great to see a good band goof around and have some fun while making a really catchy tune.

The rest of the album is good, nothing spectacular. It's obviously meant to be a fun listening experience, full of nostalgia. Anyone looking at a Muppets album looking for musical brilliance is seriously misguided. We do get nice performances from Evanesence's  Amy Lee, My Morning Jacket, and a great rendition of Bein' Green by Andrew Bird.

The only problem with The Green Album is that it's for a very niche crowd. If you don't like the Muppets, this album obviously isn't for you. And if you don't like contemporary/indie music, then this album isn't for you. But if you're into both, then you're set for the month. For someone like me (who's smack-dab in the middle of both those categories) it's a very enjoyable experience. As nostalgic as watching Power Ranger reruns.

With that said, I'm going to have to pull a page out of Fefi's playbook and give The Green Album two scores: One for that niche crowd that I'm proud to belong to, and one for the rest of you sad, sad people.

And by sad people, I of course mean these two.

Chiko's personal score: 7/10
Statler and Waldorf score: 4/10