Sell Out Records - A Music Review Blog

In June 1996 the band Stavesacre released an album that would become one of the most eclectic , strong, and impressive records of all time. I’m not alone in saying this. The Los Angeles Times would write of the band summing up the one line that I tell a lot of people about, “The Best Band No One’s Ever Heard Of”. It’s so true, and the guys in Stavesacre know this all too well. For all the work and incredible elements that they pushed through in their careers, they never got the mainstream success that they should’ve received. In fact, it was on “Friction” that comparisons to Tool started, and you know what? Tool should’ve had these guys open up for them, as they would have been huge! “Friction” starts powerfully with the track “Threshold”. This guitar and bass heavy track is precisely the same style that Tool and other prog-metal bands were putting out in the mid and late 1990s. From the opening track, you are taken on a progressive metal and hard rock ride that you cannot mirror a...

As vinyl records keep getting pushed into the mainstream, you are going to no doubt want to pick up a player. However, if you’re not really going to commit to buying a hi fi option, you’re going to need to look into the entry level options. There’s a lot to look into, and so here’s the start of a series of reviews for those that want to pick up a low cost record player. We’re starting with the Jensen JTA-230 3 Speed Stereo Record Player . This is an option that is listed at around $80, but you can get it for at least half of that if you look. Amazon, for instance has it for $45 at press time. The Cost Break Down For the highest fidelity, you won’t want to pick this up. However, if you aren’t going to spend a lot of money, or you want something to get you started, this works well. For the price, you will get a fully working machine, with plug in and play features. It also converts your records to MP3 if you want to do that, and it has a lot of control over tone and pitch. You can...

I recently took a chance and joined the Vinyl Me Record Club. I saw ads, I talked to someone on Twitter about it, and finally caved in when I saw that they were going to release a supreme reggae record. “Super Ape” is a record I reviewed for an up and coming blog “For The Fan”. It’s one of the best records from the Island era, that I have heard, and it was nice to get the updated treatment. However, the last two records from the club have been, meh. Here’s my simplified review of this service. Pay Under $30 For starters, you can join month to month all for the price of 1 full priced vinyl record. Like many other clubs, you can keep your subscription and keep getting vinyl or you can quit before the month’s done and just get 1. When you sign up, you will get a newsletter, access to a member’s only store, and a lot of cool little notes. The member’s only store is lackluster to me. There are some good records to explore, but it’s not nearly as grandiose as I thought. I thought I wou...

P.O.D. has been going strong for a long time. I remember hanging out with Sonny and the boys way back when they were playing shows up and down the West Coast with Dogwood. That’s a long time ago, and since then, the guys have been packing away some of the most powerful songs. This time around they have gone full tilt with a concept album called “The Awakening”. It’s equal parts metal, rap, hardcore, and reggae. The band has really fused together some of their best elements, and has really ramped up the production this time around. The band is absolutely at their most melodic, and urgent with this one. If you are a fan of the Deftones recent pushes, you’ll absolutely love this record, because it very much feels like a brother of Deftones and Incubus right now. From the start of the record, you are going to get hit with a reggae and hard rock blend. “Am I Awake” is a beautiful concept, with a mix of media sounds and the powerful elements that have made P.O.D. so poignant in the past...

Christian music can be laughable . Millions of people dismiss it. I don’t. I don’t dismiss anything, I love music, and if it’s defined as “Christian” so what? I want to hear whatever the musicians have to say, and play with. Plus, if they truly praise the “creator of music” wouldn’t they have some incredible tracks? Whatever the case is, I have always had a love and hate relationship with Jars of Clay. They put out some amazing records, then put out some things that didn’t really hit me as hard. The band put out one of the best records ever with “The Long Fall Back To Earth” . That thing is a stellar record that is deeper than the genre, and absolutely worth everyone’s attention. They really broke through with that, and have evolved as artists. With the “Closer EP” , they put out a taste of past and present, and really positioned themselves with a taste of their full length. Usually, when you get the EP ahead of the LP, you end up with 4 or 5 songs that are supposed to make you exc...

Some analysts will scoff at the notion that ska music could’ve been perfected by an American band such as The Slackers. However, if you put in their release, “Redlight” from 1997 into your record player, you will realize that the band not only took elements of ska, they mixed in valuable potent elements of jazz, punk, reggae, and even a little calypso into a melting pot of music that you cannot deny is simply divine. Like a fine wine, even though I hate wine, this record has found a home in the hearts of underground music fans. “Redlight” was a nice companion piece for me , but I didn’t hear it until around 2006. As far as these types of records are concerned, you have to go back in time to a different place. At the time, as Reel Big Fish, and the swing craze hit, bands like The Slackers and others got a major push into the mainstream. That didn’t last too long though, as you barely hear Reel Big Fish’s “Sell Out” on alternative rock radio any longer. In fact, if you are using the...

Ditch the Drake, and Kendrick Lamar for a moment, and get your speakers turned up as loud as possible to hear 3 hip hop tracks that are absolutely grand. They are conscious hip hop songs that are going to talk about more than just drugs, women, sex. I know that many people won’t see this, but if you love hip hop and you want new music, here are 3 tracks that are going to absolutely floor you, because they floored me absolutely. Wow, where are these tracks when you need them in the mainstream? These are solid, listen to them, buy them, share them, let someone know! Murs “Surprises” My man Murs knocks it out of the park with this incredible offering. The chorus is amazing, and you’re going to be introspective upon hearing it. Murs delivers his signature rhymes, and “Ryan “Myagi” Evans drop some knowledge about this. Tedashii “Dark Days, Darker Nights” A man looking back at the heart break and lows that come with excess drinking, sex, and more. It’s rare to find rappers that flo...

I remember the first time I saw Sonia (friend from college). I believe it was the first day of college. She was the female version of me. I was intimidated by her immediately. She was hot, I was a bumbling idiot, and I couldn’t get the courage to talk to her. She talked to me though. I think I stuttered. I was wearing a Juliana Theory “headphones” shirt , and she commented on it, said it was cool. I remember the elevator opening and I ran. Eventually I would get to talk to her as we shared some classes, and befriended her. I recall she got me to do things no other girl ever did, mainly ditch class. One day we ditched and ended up at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. I never asked her out. I don’t think she even liked me. I remember one time she got mad that I called what she did and or liked “cheer leading”. It’s not. I want to say she punched me, but I don’t recall to well on that. I recall thinking she was amazing. I should’ve asked her out. Anyways, that’s all to talk about how The Alk...

There hasn’t been a lot of punk or even pop punk bands that have captured my attention quite as much as this band. Local Resident Failure first caught my eye because their drummer posts a lot of videos in which he drums full albums in various styles straight through. Well, the band has just put out one hell of a record and I don’t see a lot of people talking about it. “This Here’s The Hard Part” mixes everything that you could possibly like about punk and pop and throws into a blender of chaos. It’s a chaotic mix that is very well aware of how good music works. From the first track, “Around The World”, you get that angst, the honesty, and the incredible push forward of punk rock fury that you found when you first listened to Green Day’s “Dookie”. This record is by far the best testament of a lost 1990s or early 2000s record. You are going to listen to every single song over and over again like you did with Nofx’s “Punk in Drublic”. Mark my words, Local Resident Failure's ...