Beck - The Information

Hailed as "a deeply natural songwriter" (The New Yorker) who "defies expectations in his
own way" (Time) and "Gen X’s most famous absurdist" (Blender), BECK is the single most
inventive and eclectic figure to emerge from the ‘90s alternative revolution. In an era obsessed with junk culture, Beck seamlessly blends pop, folk, hiphop, indie/underground and electronica with the end result being an authentically uncategorizeable musical style that nevertheless has sold millions of records and scored multiple Grammy awards.

Ocean Way, Hollywood, California (2006). Over a decade of criss-crossing genres makes it
easy to forget that Beck's first big hit was, essentially, a rap song. It's not surprising,
then, that about half of the songs on 2006's The Information are some shade of hip-hop,
house, or dance-floor funk. And while no one's going to mistake Beck for Young Buck, he
brings his own brand of intelligent, laid-back confidence to every track, from the
stuttering brilliance of "1000 BPM" to the lolling funk of "Elevator Music" to the lo-fi
house grooves of "Cellphone's Dead" to the 10 minutes of atmospheric chill-out that close
the album. But the presence of Nigel Godrich--who produced both the most beloved
(Mutations) and underrated (Sea Changes) of Beck's albums--insures that this isn't going to be a one-note affair. Godrich shapes the more pop-leaning songs into low-gloss gems,
exercising both imagination and restraint: the intensity of "New Round" comes not from big,
fancy production but from multiple layers of the same insistent vocal line.

"Think I'm in Love" is a sticky little garage-rocker with a hyper bass line, while
"Strange Apparition" is a bit of Laurel Canyon folk-rock amidst all the funk & crunk.
It's reassuring to know that on his seventh full-length album, neither Beck nor his
best collaborator have run out of fresh ideas.
www.beck.com
Listen:Cellphone's Dead, Elevator Music

Jeremy Enigk - World Waits

Jeremy Enigk (pronounced ee-nihk) is currently the frontman for the melodic rock band The Fire Theft. However, Enigk's biggest claim to fame is his involvement with the now defunct band Sunny Day Real Estate.
Rating:6.8/10
Modern Music Review
I'm sure there are few people know about Jeremy Enigk but doesn't matter because if you want
to listen every artist you really have to spend many times or you have to love music really.As you know there are different fusion of rock music.This is the form of rock with orchestral strings and horns, all the while virtually denying the very existence of grunge, electronica, and other concurrent musical movements.Maybe it seems that it's closer to pop scene so,that's why we call it chamber pop.Also Chamber pop,indie rock,alternative pop/rock styles are too close and there is friendship between them.

Jeremy Enigk's new stuff "World Waits" (2006) is a melody cube which comes from the skies.You feel the mostly high and closer to clouds.Dreams,ethereal lyrics and guitar flowings.The most important melody "Damien Dreams" which is at the middle of the lp,and it's an exclamation about relationship.Following that "Wayward Love" reminded me glorious Syd Barett melodies,this song is a perfect flying.It really fits near an High Llamas song at once,Especially if this song is "Checking In, Checking Out" from High Llamas' amazing "Gideon Gaye".Basically,if you're an High Llamas,Belle & Sebastian,Divine Comedy or Eric Matthews listener you'll roundly love this one.He influenced from Nick Drake but this album the mostly sounds a John Lennon inspiration with lots of piano atractions (Dare a Smile,World Waits).I should add the closing song "Burn" is charming with strong vocals,dramatic pianos.

"World Waits" will touch you.
MM picks:A New Beginning, Damien Dreams, World Waits, Burn

Modern Music Singles

New great rock songs,also some old great classics.
1.Sleepy jackson - Devil Was In My Yard
2.Band of horses - The Great Salt Lake
3.Grizzly Bear - Knife
4.My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes (Flashback!)
5.Pulp - Joyriders (Flashback!)
6.Bob Seger - Wait For Me
7.Lloyd Cole - The Young Idealists
8.The Decemberists - O Valencia
9.Yo la tengo - Beanbag chair
10.Pete Yorn - For Us

Also you can find 50 great mp3 at Unarocks where i found some links to great songs Babyshambles - 'Fuck Forever',Tapes N Tapes - 'Cowbell' and a live 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea'.
I put "Sometimes" because i watched previous day again "Lost in Translation" which is one my fav. movie and i'm sure that Sometimes is a perfect soundtrack song its lyrics full of meaning."Joyriders" because it's the best song in Pulp's His'n'Hers.

The Melvins - A Senile Animal

Rating:8/10
Modern Music Review
I don't know if you listened Melvin's "Houdini"?If you know their "Houdini" you know how powerful/monolithic-sounding crazy band they're."(A) Senile Animal" their first studio album,under the name of The Melvins, since 2002's Hostile Ambient Takeover.

The Melvins' second release of 2006,"A Senile Animal", sees longtime members -- guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover -- joined by both members of noise duo Big Business (bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis).

The album definitely is including some reformist metal sounds which are properly suitable for new alternative metal sounds.Also it feels that you are in a industrial factory with three long closing songs(A History of Bad Men,the Mechanical Bride,A Vast Filthy Prison).You should hear "Civilized Worm" to realize the dark,at the same time colourful drums,guitar solos --amazingly rocking.

They don't reduce their sound plus they add various materials their sounds without leaving heavy metal or grunge.You can find lots of overdone metal bands around,but The Melvins are running on a different lane.Their "(A) Senile Animal" is kicking,beating and burning.Drums are awesome at songs "the Hawk","You've Never Been Right", it beats any bad air that your place has.Also it brings creatures from hell!Listen carefully end of the songs,Yeah i know this drums will explode someday!

Open the gates!"(A) Senile Animal" is coming with rocking non-stoping riffs,head blowing drums.Altogether, it's a lucid work.

MM picks:Civilized Worm,the Hawk,A History of Bad Men
the melvins myspace
Also check out:
Tool- 10,000 days

Lloyd Cole - Antidepressant

Rating:8/10
Modern Music Review
Antidepressant (2006), English cult singer/songwriter Lloyd Cole's eighth album after
the previous " Music in a Foreign Language" (2003) features a lot of calm,beautiful adult alternative melodies.

Pleasant, pure and reposeful new album of Lloyd Cole which he says 'with my medication i'll be fine' in this fresh lp and i should say his voice sounds great.
You feel the light and it caresses you at the same time it touches you. Successful pianos in 'I Didn't See It Coming' and 'How Wrong Can You Be?' are worth to see, also there are bright guitar compositions combine with Lloyd calm, ripe vocals.

'New York City Sunshine' which is a brilliant melody."How Wrong Can You Be?" is at the top with its lyrics and it flying country oriented electric guitars. Album is usually based on singer/songwriting."Everysong" has harmonica tunes and this sounds it's like an Bob Dylan, Neil Young song."I Am Not Willing" is an another song which shows Lloyd's Lou Reed admiration.

"Travelling Light" take you to a short walk around your feelings and this melody proves you can make impressive songs with ordinary melodies. "Rolodex Incident" is another proof for hold this album up and up. Little shining guitars walk around the piano keys and it was absolutely a pleasure to use this new Antidepressant formula of Lloyd Cole. I recommend this one for who believes in power of lyrics.
Official Lloyd Cole
MM picks:Antidepressant,How Wrong Can You Be?,Travelling Light
Listen:The Young Idealist, Woman In A Bar
You may also like:
Leonard cohen - Death of Ladies Man

Yo La Tengo - I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Rating:6/10
Modern Music Review
After over 20 years of never quite being fully appreciated for their often excellent avant-garde indie rock, Yo La Tengo seem to have turned nasty, judging by the title of this latest release.

Yo La Tengo is a good band but still they haven't had an explosion,i've listened a lot of great works of them.However you can find some weak sides in every album of them.Their music so alternative to those sounds and it takes time to eat the melodies."I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One" which was their 1997 lp still my fav. cd."I Will Beat Your Ass" (2006) is complately stunning experience but for listeners who only love to listen some adulterated,noisy music.So it takes too many times to argue about position "I Will Beat Your Ass".

'This is Yo La tengo on snug autopilot.'New Musical Express

Maybe it really kicks ass with songs "Beanbag Chair","The Race Is On Again","Sometimes I Dont Get You".Anyhow,no need to exaggerate the things.Album opening track "Pass The Hatchet" which points some Velvet Underground influence including heavy indie type guitar shooting.Following that soft noise pop melody "Beanbag Chair"."I Feel Like Going Home" which is slower than previous song and absolutely John Cale style melodic piano and violin oriented work.Then we listen "Mr Tough",asking myself what was that?We listened the darkest song
of the album,then Mr Tough comes with its semi cheerful,semi worried tunes.

I should say there aren't any connections between some songs.Sometimes they sound they
come from different albums.They generally blend piano and noise in this one.So it wasn't news for me,that's for sure you're talking about American indie rock band Yo La Tengo.Honestly,this is a good album but i didn't find this one charming or beating ass.Anyway,If you love blended indie music,truly this album is for you!

MM picks:Mr Tough,Black Flowers,The Race Is On Again,Sometimes I Dont Get You
Listen: The Story of Yo La Tango(...)

Counting Crows - Films About Ghosts

Album of the week
Counting Crows always seemed a little older than their years, so it somehow seemed appropriate when they arrived at certain milestones a little earlier than their peers. They released their first live album, an exhaustive double-disc set, just two albums into their career, then, two albums later, they issued Films About Ghosts: The Best of..., their first compilation. Part of the reason they're issuing a compilation after just four studio albums may be that they've arrived at the end of the recording contract with Geffen and this ties up loose ends, but it's also been ten years since the band broke through with their debut August and Everything After and their first hit, "Mr. Jones," so it's a good time to take stock and recap their first decade. Films About Ghosts does offer an accurate summary of those ten years, even if it's not a complete one. While this generous 16-track compilation includes all of the major hits -- "Round Here," "A Long December," "Hanginaround," "Mr. Jones," and even the non-LP modern rock chart-topper "Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)" -- it does overlook three charting singles from their first two albums("A Murder of One," "Daylight Fading," "Have You Seen Me Lately"), substituting album tracks, and two new recordings produced by Brendan O'Brien (the good new single "She Don't Want Nobody Near," an enjoyable but superfluous cover of the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil") instead. Add to this a deliberately non-chronological sequencing that prevents the album from giving proper momentum, and Films About Ghosts isn't as ideal a compilation as it could have been, but these are rather minor issues, since it does contain the great majority of the Counting Crows' hits and concert staples and, in doing so, it provides a listen that's as enjoyable, frustrating, and rewarding as the band's proper albums. And that means it's a fine summary of the group's stint at Geffen, an era that might have resulted in just four albums in ten years, but did provide a bunch of good music, much of which can be heard here.
A great collection.
You may also like:
Van morrison - Astral Weeks

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

The Crane Wife (2006) is the upcoming album by The Decemberists, currently slated to be released on October 3, 2006.

The album was inspired by a Japanese folk tale, and will center around two song cycles, The Crane Wife and The Island, the latter of which is said to be "in the twelve-minute range.
Autumnal songs with old Japanese folk tale.
Rating:7.5/10
Modern Music Review
The Crane Wife refers ten miserable songs to listeners.Opening song and the long second (12 min) are difficult to analyze or understand,actually it paralyses you,complicated folk and indie tunes,screaming vocals.You shouldn't put a long song at the opening of cd.If you do that you encourage people to think like 'This album won't finished' or 'Oh,which song i was listening,i need to look its name'.So listener drowned,you were late."Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" which is a song Duet with Laura Veirs has still the same fagged atmosphere.

Thanks to God!"O Valencia" and "The Perfect Crime 2" have arrived and saved us!Because Sadness and specious joyful balanced in this two song clean up the things.Still "O Valencia" hasn't got such as wonderful lyrics which are mainly so cliche 'Valencia And I’ll burn this whole city down.' but "The Perfect Crime 2" is really attractive,more alive and kicking.Following that "When The War Came" which is vigorous indie pop melody,most notably in the direction of progressive rock with a strong folk influence.The guitars are routinely the same in this song.

After three strong song,The sound changes to folk melodies story goes on with an acustic guitar
on the backround.I liked "Shankill Butchers" more than the two opening songs "The Crane Wife 3" and the other long named one.The Story of the Crane Wife is mostly strong,lyrics are successful.

Quote from "Shankill Butchers":
The shankill butchers run tonight
They're waiting until the dead of the night
They're picking at their fingers with their knives
And whiping off their cleavers on their thighs

"Summersong" is one the strongest effort from The Crane Life,you should listen this one,
enchanting."The Crane Wife" doesn’t seem to push the boundaries as much as Colin would like.
It’s primarily a sad album, with almost every song on the album featuring a deranged or
sad tale.Especially song like "Summersong","The Crane Wife 1 And 2","Sons And Daughters"
are the strongest end of album songs."Summersong" which is so effective and folk influenced
melody.You won't be disappointed with The Crane Wife,because they didn't change the distinctive Decemberists melodies and welcome nice new songs!
MM picks:The Perfect Crime 2,Shankill Butchers,Summersong
Listen:Summersong(...), O Valencia(...)
You may also like:
Neutral Milk Hotel - In Aeroplane Over
Devendra Banhart - Nino Rojo

The Official Decemberists Site