Barenaked Ladies: Born on a Pirate Ship

It might be due largely to the fact that my formative years occurred primarily during the '90s, and as such there's a certain nostalgic value when I now listen to the music from that decade, but I am an ardent fan of '90s music. For some reason, though, '90s music--especially '90s pop--has unfairly earned itself a pretty bad rep.

Personally, I've never understood this. Perhaps it's because there were a lot of one-hit-wonder bands during the '90s, but even that doesn't justify it, seeing as those one-hit-wonders were all sorts of fantastic. I mean, think about it. If you're somewhere in the age range of 18 to 30, chances are pretty good that, as you're perusing radio stations in search of something other than today's tween sensations (Justin Bieber, anyone?), some of the songs that most catch your attention are straight from the '90s.

Admit it. You know you leave the station where it's at when you hear Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy" or "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something.

Now, somewhere in the midst of all the artists who came along in the '90s, leaving their mark on the music world with one (maybe two) big hit, there were a few bands who managed to consistently crank out stellar single after stellar single. One such band, however, managed to never quite get the attention that their music warrants. I'm talking about the Canadian band Barenaked Ladies.

Barenaked Ladies first hit the scene back in 1992 with the release of their first album, Gordon, featuring the still hugely popular single "If I Had $1,000,000." That song set Barenaked Ladies rolling with a series of single releases that all did pretty well. Interestingly though, despite the fact that several of their albums made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard charts, most of their albums seem to have gone relatively unnoticed by the general public. Really, the only one of their albums that I recall being talked about widely was 1998's Stunt, which, I'll admit, was in fact a very good album.

That being said, though, I strongly suggest that BNL's album Born on a Pirate Ship be given another listen by the masses.

I was eight years old when Born on a Pirate Ship was released in early 1996, and I remember instantly falling in love with the song "The Old Apartment" the first time I heard it on the radio. The track was played on a consistent basis for about 6 month, and then...nothing. It just sort of fizzled out. I'm pretty sure it's been years since I've heard "The Old Apartment" even randomly played on the radio. "Shoebox," the only other single from Born on a Pirate Ship, generated some buzz when it was on an episode of Friends, but aside from that, the album garnered little attention.

To be frank, the fact that Born on a Pirate Ship went so unrecognized is a downright shame. This is an album that has a little bit of everything in it, and it's all executed amazingly. You've got a touch of folk with the track "Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank," lighthearted pop with "Stomach vs. Heart" and "Call Me Calmly," an utterly heart-wrenching ballad in the form of "Break Your Heart," and a nice bit of introspection with "Same Thing." Throw in the strong vocal work of Steven Page, instrumentals that are catchy and completely unique on each song, and you've got a fusion of musical elements that make Born on a Pirate Ship a great listen the entire way through.

Where BNL's real genius lies, though, is in their lyrics, and on Born on a Pirate Ship they completely nailed that aspect of their music. The lyrics take on a serious note when necessary, but for the most part are driven by very well utilized sarcasm. They lyrics are humorous, often biting and tongue in cheek, witty, and thought provoking, even when they don't entirely seem like it on the surface.

Honestly, I have never been able to find a reason why Born on a Pirate Ship didn't receive more accolades, or why Barenaked Ladies remain (at least in my humble opinion) one of the most underrated bands in the music biz.From beginning to end, Born on a Pirate Ship is a fun, entertaining album without being cheesy or camp, and Page's voice perfectly conveys whatever emotion is called for in each song (believe me, the power and raw emotion in his voice on "Break Your Heart" has moved me to tears on more than one occasion).

As I said, Born on a Pirate Ship was released when I was 8 years old. I'm now 22, and it remains one of my most consistently listened to albums--and it's not just the sentimental value of listening to an album from my childhood that makes it such. Everything about this album is so spot-on to begin with, and yet I find something that strikes me differently, something I appreciate more, every time I listen to it; Born on a Pirate Ship gets better with every listen. Regardless of whether or not you're into '90s music, whether or not you enjoyed Barenaked Ladies at the height of their career, Born on a Pirate Ship is definitely an album worth revisiting.

Capelle: Money Now, Money How, Money When

I don’t think anyone will argue with me if I make the claim that there’s a lot of very good music out there. Every day, new artists break onto the scene, hopefully bringing something fresh to the music world. However, while a lot of the new music we’re graced with is good, not all of it has that extra something that makes it truly pop out from the rest.

Who knows what exactly defines that extra something, but whatever it is, Capelle has it.

Money Now, Money How, Money When, the debut album from British band Capelle, has everything one looks for in an album: stand-out vocals, excellent instrument playing, lyrics that grab your attention, and a perfect synchronization of those elements that results in a record that keeps the listener hanging on the entire way through...MORE

MGMT: Congratulations

My first exposure to MGMT was three years ago when they opened for Of Montreal at a show at The Pageant in St. Louis. Oracular Spectacular had been released about a month earlier, but there were still only murmurings about this band that was bringing a 60s, psychedelic feel back to music. Having seen Of Montreal before, I knew how brilliant of a live show they put on, and that whoever opened for them would have to be pretty outstanding to compare.

When MGMT took the stage, I was absolutely blown away. They brought a fresh sound and stellar stage presence, and genuinely seemed like they were having fun while they performed. I was hooked instantly. Needless to say, I was more than a little excited when I heard MGMT was working on a new album.

Well, the new record, Congratulations, was released on Tuesday and, honestly, it's a little disappointing.

What shot MGMT to fame with Oracular Spectacular was the style of their music. While reminiscent of music from the 60s, it still felt completely new; it was catchy, it was fun, it was different from most other stuff out there. With Congratulations, something got lost.

The sophomore effort from any band is always the most challenging, especially when the band started out with a strong debut. On Congratulations, it's fairly evident that MGMT was well aware that they had to make a good follow-up to Oracular Spectacular-- maybe too aware of that fact.

Congratulations has a more mature vibe to it than Oracular Spectacular, and one can understand how a band that gained its popularity thanks to catchy, danceable songs would want to make an album that portrays them as more serious musicians. However, in their attempt to do that, Congratulations ended up with an overall feel that the guys of MGMT were taking themselves too seriously when they were making the album.

There are a few standout songs, such as "Flash Delirium" and "Song for Dan Treacy," but as a whole, Congratulations falls short of the expectation listeners would have based on Oracular Spectacular. There's no doubt that MGMT consists of talented musicians, but Congratulations just feels like they were trying too hard to make sure their listeners realized what they already knew.

Congratulations isn't a terrible album, but it's not great either. Sit down, have a listen, appreciate the fact that MGMT is trying to move forward artistically-- but don't expect to have your socks knocked off.

Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow

If you're a fan of Coheed and Cambria, you were no doubt anxiously awaiting the release of their fifth album, Year of the Black Rainbow. On Tuesday, the highly anticipated album finally dropped in stores and hit iTunes. Of course, if you've been looking forward to the album, you already know that. What you're really waiting for is some idea of what to expect when you get around to buying (or downloading) the album.

Year of the Black Rainbow is an interesting album, particularly for those who have already established a fanship of Coheed, due to the fact that it's sort of an in-between album. What do I mean by that? Well, the album isn't entirely what we've come to expect from Coheed and Cambria, but at the same time, Year of the Black Rainbow doesn't go in an entirely different direction from what Coheed fans are used to.

In case you didn't know (or never realized), Coheed and Cambria's first four albums were highly story-based, with each album being a concept album that connected to the stories of the other albums. Year of the Black Rainbow was made as a prequel to the series of stories, yet it doesn't maintain the same story-telling feel of its predecessors. Instead, this album is more of a stand-alone, which isn't a bad thing, just different from what fans would expect.

Musically, Year of the Black Rainbow is very much the same Coheed and Cambria we've known for years, but with a few tweaks made here and there. Coheed has always had a sound that is distinctly their own--due both to their instrumental styling and singer Claudio Sanchez's easily recognizable voice--and that sound remains in Year of the Black Rainbow. However, there is a much heavier feel to this album than previous ones.

Where Coheed's prior albums had a definite catchiness factor to them, with some songs being on the verge of peppy, Year of the Black Rainbow keeps things a little darker. The extra edge actually works pretty well, except for the fact that, if listened to straight through, the songs blur together a little bit. It's as if Coheed found a new sound they liked, but didn't quite know how to proceed further with it.

Even Sanchez's voice takes a different approach on this album. Rather than getting the frequent high notes that distinguish Sanchez's voice from any other singer's, listeners get to hear his voice brought down just a few notches, and kept at a more even level. It would be impossible to completely overhaul Sanchez's characteristic vocals, but there is a change that, while subtle, is still noticeable.

While it's clear that Coheed and Cambria were trying to take things in a new direction with Year of the Black Rainbow, it does feel as though they played it safe and didn't push the envelope as far as they could have, which is unfortunate because the album ends up being left in a mild state of limbo between their older stuff and something really different.

All told though, Year of the Black Rainbow is a solid album, especially when you start to feel more familiar with the newer sound. Coheed and Cambria definitely deserve credit for trying to change things up at this point in their career, and Year of the Black Rainbow is worth the listen.

The Sojourners: The Sojourners

Do you ever find yourself just needing to listen to some straight-up feel good music? You know, the kind that puts a smile on your face and makes you want to bebop along with it as you listen? If so, The Sojourners self-titled album is a must-listen.

The Sojourners is a brilliant fusion of the sounds of southern Gospel and the blues, with a slight hint of doo-wop thrown in for good measure.

The vocals are smooth and passionate, with a joy and exuberance behind them. Listening to the strong voices of Will Sanders, Ron Small and Marcus Mosely, you can tell you are listening to artists who are genuinely enjoying what they do—the pleasure they take in their music really can be heard in their voices and the emotion they express...MORE

Jeff Callahan: Empty Swings

Jeff Callahan is a talented poet. That fact cannot be denied. However, based on what his audience gets with Empty Swings, I’m not sure the same can be said of Callahan’s musicality.

Empty Swings is a spoken word album, so rather than hearing Callahan sing his poems as lyrics, the listener gets Callahan reciting his poems as poems.

This in itself is by no means a bad thing. However, the music that accompanies the spoken word throws off the entire album.

On Empty Swings, Callahan’s poems are backed by the music of B.D. Lenz. Just as Callahan is a gifted poet, Lenz is a skilled musician. The problem is that the work of the two artists doesn’t mesh very well...MORE