Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime II

Progressive

Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime II

Operation Mindcrime may very well be my favorite concept album of all time. That being said, my first impression of Operation Mindcrime II is that not everything is better off having a sequel.

You can purchase Operation Mindcrime II @

Death Cab For Cutie – Plans

Alternative + (Written in Dec 2005)

Death Cab For Cutie – Plans

I had been seeing this odd band name ever where I looked online and had no idea who they were. I was immediately curious about a band calling themselves Death Cab For Cutie, but short of going to their website, which would have ended my curiosity infinitely sooner, I still hadn’t heard them. Then I was flipping stations on XM and finally ran head on into Soul Meets Body. I wasn’t immediately hooked, but the tune stayed with me and as I kept hearing it, I kept wanting to hear it more.

Nothing here is overdone. Lyrically, the album is intelligent and yet not pushy with it’s intelligence. The vocals, like the meanings, are subtle and understated yet not lacking in any way. The words are really poetry here and could live on their own outside the music…thankfully, they don’t have to. Instrumentally, the arrangements are breathy and sparse yet very intimate.

One of my favorite tracks is, I Will Follow You Into The Dark. One acoustic guitar and one voice. Very simple, very clean and amazingly tender lyrics.

Plans is just a brilliant album.

You can purchase Plans @

David Gilmour - On An Island

Rock

David Gilmour – On An Island

In lieu of a new Pink Floyd album it’s a decent enough appetizer, but not really meaty enough to hold up as a meal.

You can purchase On An Island @

New on the pod

New on the pod

Jazz: Manu Katche – Neighbourhood
Instrumental: Joe Satriani – Super Colossal
Lilith: Beth Orton – Comfort Of Strangers
Lilith: KT Tunstall – Eye To The Telescope
Alternative + : Muse – Absolution
Jazz: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – The Hidden Land
Prairie Music: Jake Shimabukuro – Dragon
Rock: David Gilmour – On An Island
Unsigned: Fear The State – Trust Nothing
Tributes: One Way Street – Tribute to Aerosmith

Manu Katche – Neighbourhood

Jazz

Manu Katche – Neighbourhood

Not even done, but I just wanted to say that I think it’s very cool. The tracks I’ve heard so far are very airy and almost ethereal. Manu Katche is a great drummer and musician. His drum tracks are so subtle and yet so intricate. His cymbal work is really outstanding, which I know sounds weird but it’s true. He plays drums like a person would talk…very, very expressive. Definitely worthy of a listen.

***I'm done listening now, and it's still definately worthy of a listen.***

You can purchase Neighbourhood @

Joe Satriani – Super Colossal

Instrumental

Joe Satriani – Super Colossal

Let me start by saying that I love Joe Satriani. He is one of my favorite guitar players on the planet and any new album he puts out will always find its way into my collection.

Super Colossal is his 10th studio album and his most recent since 2004’s Is There Love In Space. Sonically, the album is great with awesome guitar sounds and arrangements.

This album shows us a more mature instrumentalist and song writer. In some ways, it’s a more subtle Joe Satriani. He has continued to work on building a good song as opposed to just showing off his technical mastery of the instrument. That being said please don’t think that Super Colossal doesn’t showcase some incredible guitar playing…because it does. It’s just not in your face all the time, it’s in its place as part of something larger than itself.

In my opinion, this album is like a continuation of a conversation he started a few albums back. He’s not trying to impress us with the fact that he can play, by the tenth album we either know that or we don’t. This album is like the middle act of a trilogy, it’s all about character and plot development. It doesn’t necessarily have all the action and intrigue of an opening or closing act, but it doesn’t need it. It is part of the larger story that is Joe Satriani and hopefully we won’t see a closing act anytime soon.

You can purchase Super Colossal @