A Whole Lot of Music - June Reviews

Once: Music From the Motion Picture
This is a great soundtrack to the indie-musical, Once. I don’t know much about the story of the movie, but the songs are fantastic. I’d guess it’s a love story because the songs reflect that love. Both the man, Glen Hansard (of the band, The Frames), and the woman, Marketa Irglova, have solid, folksy voices.

Solid Tracks: “Falling Slowly” - “When Your Mind’s Made Up” - “The Hill” - “Leave” - “Once”
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Truth in Sincerity by Amber Pacific
I first became aware of the group, Amber Pacific, while on vacation in Wisconsin. My cousin Beth was convinced that the song we were listening to was by Amber Pacific, but I doubted her – I didn’t believe there was even a band called Amber Pacific. Turns out I was wrong. And that, wow, they are pretty good. They sound a lot like Yellowcard and New Found Glory. It’s just great, rockin’ summer music.

Solid Tracks: “Summer (In B)” – “Temporary” – “You’re Only Young Once” – “Follow Your Dreams, Forget the Scene” – “Fall Back Into My Life” – “Watching Over Me”
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Riot! by Paramore
Earlier on I proclaimed my love for Paramore’s first CD, All We Know Is Falling. Their second release blows their first clean away. It’s fantastic. It’s one of those CD’s you can listen to, and listen to, and never get bored with– at least, I haven’t yet. This CD will have a permanent place in my bike tunes for the summer! (If you purchase the disc at Best Buy it comes with three bonus tracks – 1 extra track, 1 live cut, and 1 demo.)

Solid Tracks: “For A Pessimist I’m Pretty Optimistic” – “Hallelujah” – “When It Rains” – “Let the Flames Begin” – “We Are Broken” – “Fences”
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Icky Thump by The White Stripes
The White Stripes have always been “mood” music for me. Their brand of fuzzy rock is something I enjoy only when I’m in the mood for that type of rock. That said, this is a pretty good album. I am enjoying it more than I did Get Behind Me Satan, but not as much as Elephant. It's classic White Stripes, with a bit of a European folk sound on a couple of tracks. If you enjoy the band’s music, the CD is worth purchasing.

Solid Tracks: “Icky Thump” – “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)” – “Conquest” – “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn” – “A Martyr For My Love For You”
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Easy Tiger by Ryan Adams
This album falls somewhere between Adams’ more rocking sound (Gold) and his more country sound (Cold Roses). Not quite as enjoyable as Gold, I still found this to be a strong album. Adams keeps pumping the music out – at least a CD a year – and if you can handle that country/folk/rock blend, then that’s a great thing for you.

Strong Tracks: “Goodnight Rose” – “Everybody Knows” – “Halloweenhead” – “The Sun Also Sets” – “Pearls on a String”
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My December by Kelly Clarkson
It’s a shame Clarkson had to cancel her tour supporting the new album because it’s not half bad. In fact, I enjoy it quite a bit. Clarkson has a very nice voice – easy to listen to. Sure, some of the songs have lame lyrics, but I can overlook that if they sound nice to me. The album is just as entertaining as Breakaway, even if it doesn’t have as many “radio” songs on it.

Strong Tracks: “Never Again” – “Sober” – “Haunted” – “How I Feel” – “Yeah”
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Live at the Gorge 05/06 by Pearl Jam
I love that Pearl Jam keeps releasing entire concerts live on CD. This 7-disc collection covers the band's performances at the Gorge, an outdoor amphitheater in central Washington, from September 5, 2005 and July 22 & 23, 2006. I’ve only made it through the first three discs, but the band knows how to put on a live show. This feels like the ultimate collection for any Pearl Jam fan. Now, if I could just actually see them live…

Strong Tracks: every single one – it’s a love letter of sound to a Jam fan