http://www.facebook.com/worthtaking

Every once in a while an artist appears out of seemingly nowhere with definite talent packed into one EP. Jerod McBrayer is the epitome of that statement in his solo project Worth Taking.

The Anxious EP is full of stirring lyrics evident in “The Battle,” and “A Night Alone.” Writing from experience and an artist’s ear, McBrayer’s lyrics are surely relatable to the listener and will not leave anyone disappointed.

McBrayer’s singing consists of clear tones as made apparent in “Interstate 75.” Never shrill or out of place, McBrayer’s vocals are perhaps the most distinct evidence of the skill and labor put into this EP.

The harmonies in The Anxious EP are also noteworthy. McBrayer’s younger brother Joseph McBrayer makes an appearance assisting with the harmonies of Jerod’s lead melodies. Joseph’s vocals are also clear and perfectly placed to match those of his brother.

The Anxious EP also showcases Jerod McBrayer’s finesse in writing for and playing the guitar. The riffs coupled with the catchy vocals in “Almost 24” are sure to become immobilized in your head after giving the EP one listen.

A guest guitarist also appears in the EP. Jon Schneck (Relient K) is featured in “This Time Around” with a powerful guitar solo.

If The Anxious EP is an accurate representation of Worth Taking’s ability, everyone can look forward to some excellent music in the near future.

]]> http://genevateaparty.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/worth-taking-the-anxious-ep-2/feed/ 2 genevateaparty The Anxious EP http://genevateaparty.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/awaiting-the-flood/ http://genevateaparty.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/awaiting-the-flood/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 05:09:36 +0000 genevateaparty http://genevateaparty.wordpress.com/?p=196 ]]> Hey everybody! My Yelle review is now up on Awaiting the Flood. So, if you didn’t read it on my blog, check it out here. Even if you did read, you should check out the site anyway.

Yelle's pink and black leopard print catsuit matched the theme of Safari Disco Club

Yelle graced the stage of Atlanta’s Masquerade with the promise of giving the best show possible. They certainly did not disappoint.

Originally from France, Yelle brought its electro-pop style to America with nothing lost in translation. The band sings in French, which would lead you to believe that anything they sing would be meaningless to the majority of American listeners who probably only know French words like “oui,” “merci,” or “bonjour.”

However, that was not the case. Constant up-beat songs allowed for everyone to jump and dance however they felt necessary with no translation needed. If you’re attending a concert like Yelle’s, you will not be standing idly against a wall.

Yelle performed many songs from the newly released Safari Disco Club, along with a few pieces from Pop-Up like “Je Veux Te Voir.” Usually, a crowd isn’t keen to the idea of hearing new songs. They want to sing along with the band to songs they actually know. This isn’t the case for electro-pop music. If the crowd can dance and jump to it, they’ll love to hear a new song.

A problem that arises with this kind of music is that if music is too electronic or too edited in the studio, it won’t come across as clean live. More often than not, singers sound too perfect on an album and it’s ruined as soon as they open their mouths on stage. Again, this is not the case for Yelle. Yelle (Julie Budet), the band’s namesake, actually sounds like she does on an album. She knows her music and performs the songs even better live. There’s not a single stagger in her voice, even with all of the dancing she does on stage.

GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier) didn’t miss a beat on his drums and backing vocals matched the perfection heard in Yelle’s. Tepr (Tanguy Destable) played keyboards like a pro, and again, matched the overall perfection that is often missed in a live performance.

Comparing the songs live to on the album, Yelle brings so much energy to the stage. Everyone moves and plays with all they’ve got with no inhibition. If you aren’t a fan of Yelle based on the albums, go to at least one show. The energy alone is worth the price of the ticket. If Yelle is an example of all French bands, France may very well be the lead in creating astounding musicians.

Image from www.whitestripes.com

Yesterday, The White Stripes announced that they will stop making albums and going on tours. I don’t really know what to say about this, so my post will be quick.

On one hand, I’m very sad. I wanted to see them live to enjoy the sweet simplicity of “Little Room” in person. I looked forward to hearing what they had to write after Icky Thump.

On the other hand, they left off in a good place (much like how I feel about The Killers hiatus or whatever they want to call it). I try to look at it like this: They’ve said all they need to say as The White Stripes.

On the band’s website, they (or publicist or whomever) wrote a message to the fans saying:

The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.

At least we have that.

So, here it is. Two months late.

It’s weird saying that I like Weezer. It’s nothing against them or anything, I just never think to listen to them. They’re one of those bands I can remember hearing when I was really young. Their songs would get stuck in my head all the time (and still d0). Then I grew up a little, still hearing their songs and always thought, “Hey, I should really start listening to them”.

So by the time I was figuring out what CDs to purchase, I always forgot about them.

FINALLY, I actually own an album and that is Hurley.

I feel a little strange writing about them because I’m not so familiar with their past works other than a few songs here and there.

However, it sounds how I expected it to sound. When I hear this album I think “Yeah, that’s totally Weezer. Who else would it be?” I’ve come to this conclusion because of Rivers Cuomo.  I have probably said the following several times about different people. (Hold on, I KNOW I have).  He has a distinct voice. I hear him and say, “Hey, that’s very familiar and probably Weezer.” Then, it is.

After that, I listen more critically to the guitar. Again, I think to myself, “That’s very familiar!” and suddenly I’m very certain that I’m listening to Weezer. Recognizing the voice and instrumentation as the same band can’t be wrong!

The problem is that since I haven’t really listened to them much. This is the only Weezer album I’ve listened to critically, trying to pick apart what I can, given my limited background in music.

One of my favorite songs on Hurley is the cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” I do not like Coldplay. I like maybe three or four of their songs. It just so happens that “Viva La Vida” is one of those that I like, even by Coldplay. Since it was covered by a band I actually do like, I enjoyed it even more. It also sounds like it was recorded live, which tells me two things: 1) Weezer can cover songs well, and 2) the song isn’t lost in a live performance so they must be able to play well live.

I’m also very fond of “Smart Girls.” It makes me laugh because it’s fun. It’s not as serious as “Viva La Vida,” and it has a very pop beat. According to Wikipedia, Tony Kanal helped write the song (which is probably why I like it so much). I love when musicians collaborate because it merges different ideas. Weezer and No Doubt are very different, yet a little from each can make a great and very enjoyable song when used wisely, as I believe was done on this particular song.

When I first think of Weezer, I think of college students. That makes me very sad. It seems as if it is a requirement that if you are Caucasian and in college (which I am) you must like Weezer and Dave Matthews Band. I don’t like Weezer because they unofficially represent the musical preference of frat boys. I like them because, put simply, they are good. It is my belief that anyone who has listened to Weezer in college would continue to like them outside of college just the same. They sound great on an album. I’ve heard they sound great live (though I’ve never witnessed it), and they can write (or maybe help write).

That’s good enough for me.

It also has taken me a while to be able to write what you are about to read concerning Brandon Flowers’ Flamingo. I am the bitterest of the bitter concerning this whole Killers hiatus or whatever it is. They are one of the best bands to come around recently. Everything is perfect about them- the writing, the playing and performing.

When “Crossfire” was released, I thought, “It’s decent enough, but could easily be a Killers song, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL STAY WITH THE KILLERS, BRANDON.”

Then I heard the entire album. I saw this as quite a big step. Not only did I listen, but I actually paid for the album. Not only did I pay for the album, but I paid for the deluxe edition.

It turns out that I’m glad I did listen and pay. The writing is still really good. Flowers and a few others contributed to the writing, but from what I have read and can tell, it’s mostly Flowers’ writing. I heard somewhere that Flowers wanted to get more serious and that resulted in his break from The Killers and that is actually very evident in the album. There are several spiritual or religious references. As a matter of fact, “On the Floor” sounds like a song that a church would sing (musically, minus a few lyrics).

I love his voice. I believe that if I heard and angel, it would sound something like Brandon Flowers (or Michael Bublé, while we’re on the angel subject).  He is very talented and he seems to work hard. I don’t know if he has had any training or even cares about singing correctly. However, from what I hear on the album, he seems to have put a lot of energy and work into making this album something of which to be proud. The only problem is that when I hear Flowers’ voice, it just makes me want to listen to The Killers.

It is hard for me to admit that I like Brandon Flowers solo. I didn’t even admit it to anyone until I had the album a few weeks. I’m still bitter. Way bitter. So bitter that you can’t even imagine. However, as I said before, Brandon Flowers is very talented and put a lot into this album. I want to support that, even if it means The Killers are away for a while. (Hey, at least they left on a freaking great album like Day & Age.)

Cover art for Cardiology

Good Charlotte’s Cardiology will hit U.S. stores Nov. 2. Lucky for me, I have my hands on a copy that may/may not be the final mix. I’m pretty sure it is, for the most part.

Anyway, what I have, I like a whole lot. I explained it to Jerod like this: If GC’s debut and Good Morning Revival had a love child, Cardiology would be it. I think it will be an album for older and newer fans.

It holds as much spirit as the self-titled debut, and it is as catchy as Revival. Take the term “catchy” very lightly, though. I think this album could get some successful radio play. If you like well-written and produced pop/rock, you might possibly want to check it out. (I realize that it’s not really cool to like GC anymore, but I pledged my allegiance to them a long time ago and do not intend to stray from that any time soon.)

One thing is certain. It is not Greatest Remixes. I wouldn’t believe it if someone other than the Maddens actually claimed to enjoy that album. (Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun and all, but it’s not the Good Charlotte that I enjoy.)

I don’t know if I can legally release track names or samples, so I will refrain. I will say that if you enjoy “Like It’s Her Birthday,” you will probably love the rest of the album, too. Again, take “catchy” very lightly, but it’s a great album to sing along to in the car….. or at home writing album reviews.

That being said, I was a little nervous seeing Benji and Joel Madden perform live. “What if they are just horrible on stage?” ran through my mind several times. I tried to reassure myself by saying that they’ve had years and years of experience playing live shows now, but that didn’t keep my palms from sweating. Generally, bands do not sound the same live as they do on an album, which was all I really knew of them up until last night.

When we realized that this would be an acoustic set, I was even more nervous. Sometimes acoustic sets, put frankly, suck. Luckily, that was not my experience at all.

Whether talent, skill or genetics had the upper hand, the Maddens sound great together. With a bunch of yelling (mostly drunk) girls, they probably couldn’t hear themselves singing. However, the harmonies were perfect. Perfect is not an exaggeration. They could have made an album off of the set last night and the drunk girls yelling in the background would be the only clue giving away the fact that it was live.

Benji played guitar very well. I don’t think he messed up once. If he did, no one could tell.

All of the songs were easily recognizable and sounded as they should, if not better, for a live acoustic set. They played some from The Young and the Hopeless, The Chronicles of Life and Death, Good Morning Revival, and “Like It’s Her Birthday” from the upcoming album Cardiology.

If I could change one thing, I would have liked to hear something from the self-titled debut. It is my absolute favorite. Jerod explained it like this: he and I were probably the only two people in the building who actually own a copy of the debut, much less know it exists. This one girl kept yelling for them to play “The Day that I Die” and I think she thought she would be the only one who knew what that was.

Okay, we get it. You bought a copy of The Young and the Hopeless. Congrats. So did the rest of us. Mention their cover of “Footloose” and you would be more impressive.

If people like her didn’t exist (and the female that wedged her way in between me and the girl on front of me. At that point, I wished I had a drink to poor down the back of her dress. That was just plain rude!) we would have gone to the after party. That, and I really wanted to leave hearing them on the great level it was. I feel like meeting them the first time I saw them live would take away how special it was. I’ll just wait until next time or at least until I see the entire band live.

Here it is:

I am relieved. I really thought it would be similar to Greatest Remixes, which wasn’t horrible or anything. It was just very club-y and rap-y. I enjoy those in doses, but when I hear Good Charlotte I do not want club rap. At all.

Since this is the pop with which they left before Greatest Remixes, I am very happy. I like the guitar solo (I’m going to call it Billy’s guitar solo, because in my mind I see him playing it in a show. However, I could be very wrong). I think of it as a mix between their debut album and Good Morning Revival. Keep in mind, I’m saying that comparing the two albums to this one song, assuming that all of Cardiology will be similar to “Like It’s Her Birthday”.

That, I can handle. I am looking forward to this album. I do not think that it will disappoint fans, based on this one song. I’m ready for November 2 to be here now.

They sound old to me. (No, Zooey Deschanel does not sound like a ninety year-old.) The sound quality reminds me of old recordings. (Think like Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash before the remastered versions.) I like that about them and I’m glad they kept that same quality for “Volume Two”.

The songs aren’t as sing-along friendly as the songs on “Volume One,” but they are still really good. (I mean, REALLY good.) The writing is still wonderful and She sounds great in the last song “If You Can’t Sleep”. (It’s my favorite on the album.)

To me, Deschanel’s speaking voice is just as great as her singing voice. It’s very warm and inviting. I’ve loved her ever since I first saw her in Elf.

Listen to the album when you get a chance. If you loved “Volume One,” then you’ll at least like “Volume Two”.

She & Him Volume 2