Album A Day: …

Well, it had to happen eventually. I went away for most of the weekend, and only got back within the last hour, and am just functional enough to type this blog. Suffice it to say, I haven’t done my usual album listen for today. Luckily, I’ve got a safeguard in place, so the project stays [...]

Album A Day: The Foxboro Hot Tubs – Stop Drop and Roll!!!

Ending a week of Green Day albums with some quasi-Green Day that offers a sharp left turn from what anyone expected. For all their faults, and they certainly have faults, Green Day know how to keep their fans chomping at the bit. In case you were completely ignorant to the realm of popular music last [...]

Album A Day: Green Day – Bullet in a Bible

When this came out back in 2005, I was very apprehensive about the music on it. In some ways I think I still am. I think when Brandon Flowers (from The Killers) said that there was something messed up about Billie Joe Armstrong encouraging a group of British kids to sing “American Idiot” loud enough [...]

Album A Day: Green Day – Warning

If you’ve noticed over the past few days that posts are coming later in the day, there’s a reason for it extending beyond laziness. I’ve got a legit job for the summer, meaning that I’m sitting at a desk reading transcripts of audioconferences from 9 to 5, 5 days a week. Thus, blogging must wait [...]

Green Day Breakdown 21st Century, Expectations, And Then Some

Throw out your expectations. Anything you might be going into 21st Century Breakdown expecting…forget it. Don’t lower your expectations; don’t raise them. Throw them out. Act like they never existed. Because that’s what Green Day is doing. If you start listening to 21st Century Breakdown with anything from its predecessor in your mind, it’ll seem [...]

Album A Day: Green Day – Nimrod

What a difference a couple years can make. By the beginning of 1997 Green Day had effectively reached the summit of mainstream punk rock. They had a small army of singles, worldwide fame, and a nice collection of hardware, all the result of the band’s trademark bratty, raucous style. So what next? Find a new [...]

New Singles From Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, Plus Paramore’s New Album

2009 seems to get a little more interesting in terms of album releases with each week. Between the returns of Green Day and Eminem in the next week, reunions popping up all over the place, and the usual run of new material, we’ve still got plenty to get excited about in the coming weeks and [...]

Album A Day: Green Day – Insomniac

If there’s a case to be made that says Green Day ever sold out, Insomniac might be a good place to start compiling evidence. It’s not that their follow-up to the megahit Dookie is bad, it just…doesn’t really sound like Green Day. I mean, it’s still the high-octane three chord punk filled with lyrics about [...]

Album A Day: Green Day – Dookie

Fundamentally there isn’t a tremendous shift between Green Day’s early releases and Dookie. Tre Cool took over on drums and the band made the jump to a major label, resulting in slightly better production quality, but at their core its still the same Green Day that rocked Gilman Street a few years earlier. Billie Joe [...]

Meg & Dia Sound Like Other Sister Duos Here, Here and Here…Well, Everywhere Really

One would think that between The Veronicas and the sonic attack of their power-pop and the more subdued, thoughtful alternative sound of Tegan and Sara, there wouldn’t be much room for another sister duo that make catchy pop rock with lyrical depth and unconventional harmonies. With here, here and here, the major label debut from [...]