Saturday, February 28, 2009

What I Can't Stop Listening To: February 2009

now playing: Accept - Balls to the Wall

Hoo boy. It's been a while, hasn't it? Rest assured I still have a few more posts under my belt. There's a few very interesting albums coming out in the next couple months that are definitely deserving of review, including but not limited to the Ghost Hounds' debut album and a new EP from the Sterns. I've also got one review in the pipes for Canadian thrash/melodeath band The Agonist's Lullabies for the Dormant Mind. March will see a lot more activity; this I promise. But until then, here are the five songs I can't stop listening to for February 2009.

05) The Lonely Island - I'm On a Boat (feat. T-Pain)


You already know The Lonely Island, even if you don't realize it. These guys are the comedic geniuses behind the Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts "Dick in a Box" and "Jizz in My Pants". The SNL roots of this group (current cast member Andy Samberg and two writers, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) has helped these three guys get some major star power, including Jack Black, Justin Timberlake, and Natalie Portman. "I'm On a Boat" is an anthem about how great it is to be on a boat. It also features T-Pain making love with AutoTune (and nautical creatures) to great effect. It's a simple concept that is completely vulgar and completely works. You can buy The Lonely Island's debut album, Incredibad, on iTunes.


04) Ben Folds Five - Alice Childress


I've known about this song for a while, but I went to a Ben Folds concert two weeks ago (which I plan to write about) that rekindled my love for this song. Is it the best song named after a girl that Ben Folds has written? I don't think so. But there's something about the harmonies in the chorus and the soft, quick piano solo that keeps me coming back. You can buy Ben Folds Five's debut album on Amazon and if you're lucky, you can catch the tail end of Ben Folds' current tour.


03) Fleetwood Mac - The Chain


Of course, what can I say about Fleetwood Mac's Rumours that hasn't already been said a million times over? Just because I'm not going through a breakup doesn't mean I can't enjoy the best breakup album ever made. Like many others before me, it's the chorus and the bass breakdown that keep me coming back to this song time and again. If you're one of three people in America who don't already own this album you can buy it on Amazon or iTunes.


02) Coheed & Cambria - Justice in Murder


I've had a lot of people tell me that "Justice in Murder" is the weakest track on No World for Tomorrow, but I have to disagree. Yes, it's simplistic, but I think that makes it easier to digest. Sometimes I don't have the mental wherewithal to take in a half hour of modern prog rock at its best, which is why "The End Complete" falls to the wayside in favor of this song. I'm not a particularly hardcore Coheed fan, but if you are, don't miss your chance to pick up the special edition of Neverender, a 5-DVD, 4-CD box set chronicling last October's four-night performance of the story of The Amory Wars in New York.


01) Repo! The Genetic Opera - Zydrate Anatomy


I feel positively dirty supporting anything that involves Paris Hilton singing, but this song is as addictive as the drug it describes. I haven't seen Repo!; this is the only experience I have with the movie, but what an experience it is. The bass hits hard courtesy of Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne) and what little guitar there is comes straight from Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets). One listen to this song will have you telling everyone around you how zydrate is packaged for weeks on end. (It comes in a little glass vial.) You can get Repo! The Genetic Opera on Amazon in film and soundtrack form.


That about wraps it up for February. I'll see you guys in March with more reviews. Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies.

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