MUSIC

Esquire’s Music & Fashion issue with Ne-Yo & Wiz Khalifa

Hip-Hop & R&B Superstars Wiz Khalifa and Ne-Yo have surely made names for themselves over the past couple of years and cemented themselves firmly into that music industry. Wiz is riding high with the birth of his son Sebastian with girlfriend & model Amber Rose. Ne-Yo has a ton of projects in the works, one notably rumored joining the next season of X-Factor set to take place in September. Both of them are featured in the upcoming fashion & music issue of Esquire magazine, on stands April 23rd. Here are some of the topics that eac of them talked about-

Wiz Khalifa on his big moment: “Performing with Snoop at Coachella [in 2012] was crazy. I grew up listening to Snoop and idolizing him. But not only did he bring me out that night, he brought out Dr. Dre and freakin’ hologram Tupac. To be in that sentence is pretty amazing. Pinch yourself? I had to slap myself.”

Wiz Khalifa on getting his: “I like learning new things. Right now, I’m learning to sue people and get my money. After talking to people who work for Donald Trump – smart, successful people – I’ve realized I gotta go after all that. That’s what I’m going to do that I didn’t last year.”

Ne-Yo on his dancing: “I’m not a natural. I had to teach myself – or be taught – everything I do. I just spent hours and hours in the mirror mimicking Michael Jackson.”

Ne-Yo on Sammy Davis, Jr.: “I grew up in Las Vegas. My mom worked in pretty much every casino on the Strip. She brought home the Rat Pack stuff. Sammy was the only one that looked like me, so I naturally gravitated to him. Sammy made it cool to be black at a time when, let’s just say it, it wasn’t very cool to be black. His name was on the front of the building in lights, and he had to go in the back. But you never saw him sweat.”

Want to read more about their stories? Click on each link below to find out more.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/wiz-khalifa-0513?click=mid

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/ne-yo-0513?click=mid

The 2013 MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet

by Ryan Shea

The 2013 MTV Movie Awards were last night at the fashion never fails to intrigue me. The MTV Movie Awards bring out all walks of the celebrity life. From movie stars to musicians to your favorite reality stars. There were a few great ensembles on the red carpet last night and, true to Movie Awards tradition, there were some outlandish fashion train wrecks!

Actress Crystal Reed looked classy and trendy in her coral and nude lace overlay dress. The bottom was pumped up with a tulle and looked like a beautiful tutu. And the nude pumps made her legs looking miles long!

Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy rocked all black with gold accessories. I think the was a great pick for Melissa the funny girl looks slim and glowing!

Model Karlie Kloss’ all white skirt and crop top was sexy! The shoes were by far my favorite part of the outfit! I am obsessed with ankle straps right now! So chic.

My best dressed male goes to my secret crush … The legendary Taylor Hanson! He is so handsome and well dressed. This MMMbop boy surely grew into one handsome man.

And now for the worst of the worst … drum roll please !

Ke$ha…

What is this chick thinking? I think she is so talented and beautiful and yet she insists on looking like a hobo.

You would never believe this girl had hit songs almost every other month. Apparently hippies have gone goth, which is not a good look! I don’t know what the worst part of this look is … the hat … no the fringe vest … nope definitely the pants … This outfit is just all wrong!

This next one is really hard for me to do … I am absolutely head over heels with musician Macklemore. I think his style and look are perfection, most of the time. I love his swag and his ginger features! But his outfit last night was really disappointing. The royal blue did look cool but the cape was such a let down. I would have rathered a big fur jacket and a onesie.

Don’t worry though I still love you!

There’s always one who has to be a statement maker, and expecting it to be Lady Gaga again, I was surprised to see a burnt cigarette butt hat on Pitch Perfect’s Hana Mae Lee. Lee was one of my favorite characters in Pitch Perfect and her one liners were the most laughable moments in the movie. My favorite line “I ate my twin in the womb.” Befitting to her character’s, shall we say, uniqueness, Mae Lee rocks a interesting hat at the Movie Awards.

Last night’s MTV Movie Award fashion definitely had some note worthy looks. But the overall trend for the awards had to be the pointy toe pump. I have to say I was a little worried about this trend coming back but the new style of pointed toe pumps has a shorter point and is something I am actually excited to try out.

Kim Kardashian really was the first celebrity to rock this look when she stepped out in her neon green Loubitan’s. Last night she showed off her baby bump in a sleek black dress and black satin pointed toe stiletto’s.

Carrie actress Chloe Moretz kept it casual in a denim romper by Louis Vuitton and stunning t-strap pointed toe pumps. The shoes were the focal point in this outfit, beautiful!

Kim K in training younger sister Kylie Jenner looked fabulous in her nude pencil skirt and white crop top. The nude pointed toe heels were to die for! I am absolutely passionate about these pumps. I must go buy a pair now!!

I have to say, I am totally into trying out this re imagined trend. The only issue I have is after I take my shoes off at the end of the night they usually get thrown in a pile of my collection of shoes and then they get all smushed. After they are flattened enough you can never get your toe in right and if someone steps on it, forget it, a little heel dent can ruin a pair of pointed toe heels. Luckily in my never ending online shopping habit, I found the answer! http://www.tiptopshoesaver.com/ sells all different tools to keep your hoes in new condition. Their product, conveniently titled, The Tip Toe Shoe Saver, is a triangular piece that you insert into the toe area of a pointed toe shoe to keep the shape. I ordered a pair and can’t wait to use them in my new heels.

So all in all, I think the fashion at the MTV Movie Awards last night was interesting, but slightly disappointing. The one’s that got it right last night definitely brought in the Spring 2013 trends. White was big and nudes, as well. For accessories, I was happy to see the ankle stap and pointed toe heels were back and modern.

*Just on a side-note, I’d like to send my prayers out to the families involved in the tragic terrorist bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon today. This is a sad and frightening event and if there is anyway I can help I will and hope my fellow Americans will do the same.

Album Review: James Blake – Overgrown

by Rio Toro

James Blake: Overgrown

Similar Artists: Joni Mitchell

Genre: Singer-Songwriter, R&B

Label: Polydor

Over the past two years, there is no album in my library that I have played as many times as James Blake’s eponymous debut album. For the record, I have listened to it upwards of 200 times, yet I have still been unable to release myself from its grasp. The sounds seem to always be in the back of my mind, haunting me to take one more listen. And how could I refuse such an offer? After all, each listen was sure to reveal yet another layer of Blake’s virtuosic keyboard playing and brilliantly designed chord patterns. Although upon its release, many referred to it as a singer-songwriter/dubstep hybrid, it actually exists outside both of those genres. After my long term examination, it is quite clear to me that James Blake was the best album of 2011. *Hands over award*

Unfortunately, many others do not share my opinion. As critically acclaimed as the album was, it also received a resounding amount of backlash. As a means of therapy I will release my anger at the tyrants who hated on James Blake now: Shame on you fools! How dare you say that the album is overly spacious and full of half-finished songs? Seriously…who do you people think you are? I should come over there and beat your whiny asses right now! And don’t even say that his EPs were better, because they don’t hold a candle to the beauty and originality of this full length! And so what if I’m an addict who needs psychological help? At least I can tell a good album when I hear it. Grrrrr……………..

Ahem, so anyway, you could understand my intense anticipation for his 2^nd full length. In hindsight, based on how rapidly this producer changes his artistic direction, I should have known that Overgrown wouldn’t consist of the same pleasures of his debut. Although this will be seen as a more subtle departure for him compared to his genre shifting string of 2010 EPs, this is without a doubt an entirely different beast than its predecessor.

Although we haven’t heard James Blake go full on dubstep since the very early days of his career, his music has always made it easy to identify him as one of the most talented bass producers in the world. This is not the case with Overgrown, as Mr. Blake is much more concerned with embracing his inner Joni Mitchell than repeating his previous successes. This relates to his newfound vocal prowess and song-writing ability. On the “Enough Thunder” EP, he released a wondrous cover of Joni’s “A Case of You”, and on this album it seems she has made her mark as one of his primary influences. In the relatively short time since James Blake, he has learned an astounding amount of vocal tricks; each one perfectly complementing his electronic palette. As nice as his voice was on James Blake, the real surprise there was that he knew how to sing at all. Here, he delivers a much more commanding and difficult performance that even overshadows his production.

Don’t get me wrong, the production is still stellar, but more often than not, the keyboards are used as leverage for the vocals rather than taking the lead. A large portion of the album represents shimmering minimalism evocative of cold desolate landscapes. As atmospheric as it is, Blake never truly shows off with his keyboard skills, instead, he has crafted a record that is much more moving and intimate than his previous work. Since many songs seem to relate to aspects of his own life, it will also most likely go down as his most personal.

Aside from the vocals, the album’s defining feature is the lyricism. Well over half the tracks have analysis worthy lyrics. I certainly don’t remember using the word provocative to describe a James Blake track before. Through “I am Sold”, Blake repeats the line /and we lay nocturnal, speculate what we feel/, later in the song, he brings up that we need a /constellation that shows us where we are/. The album’s main theme seems to be the inability to convey emotions. The album references this in regards to how we talk to other people as well as how we see ourselves. On the piano led “DLM”, Blake pleads /Don’t let me hurt you more, it’s at your stare and at your core/. On the album’s astronomical centerpiece “Retrograde”, Blake sings about finding ourselves by separating from the physical world /Suddenly I’m hit! It’s the Starkness of the Dawn, you’re friends are gone, and your friends won’t come, show me where you fit in/. It’s the album’s defining and most contemplative moment – it’s also the most profound thing Blake has written to date.

Oh yeah, and there’s also a RZA track that kinda, sorta ruins the mood, (although not as badly as you might expect) – but in the end, it’s not really worth dwelling over. James Blake has pulled off the impossible. Once again, he has made an album that exceeds our expectations – but not because we didn’t think he could do it, it’s because we didn’t know he could in the first place. Now we are left to ponder what other skills this mutant must have hidden up his sleeves. Here’s to finding out in 2015! *cheers*

Track Listing:

1.) Overgrown*

2.) I Am Sold*

3.) Life Round Here

4.) Take a Fall for Me (Feat. RZA.)

5.) Retrograde*

6.) DLM

7.) Digital Lion*

8.) Voyeur*

9.) To the Last

10.) Our Love Comes Back

* – Album Highlight

Is Macklemore the new Eminem?

by Ryan Shea

I don’t think that title is really premature in saying what a lot of people are thinking. Macklemore really can be the next Eminem if he plays his cards right. The Seattle native continues to take 2013 by storm again last night with his performance of his new single “Can’t Hold Us” featuring Ray Dalton at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards. Many said that was the highlight of the night and this is a freaking movie award show (then again it’s MTV, so we are lucky it wasn’t a Best Teen Mom Shore Buckwild Show).

Macklemore was known by many a hip-hop tastemakers for a while now but no one really understood who this guy was until late 2012 whe a song about a thrift shop came into play. Little do people know this guy, who turns 30 later this year, has been in the game for over a decade now, right around the time that Eminem broke through.

He released his first full fledged EP back in 2000 under the name “Professor Macklemore”. He quickly dropped the professor aspect of things but substance abuse plagued his chances of really becoming the star that he is today. These substances had him relapse on a number of occasions, most recently in 2011. Yet during this time he released some truly amazing music, such as “The Unplanned Mixtape” and “The VS Redux” in 2009 with his constant companion and DJ Ryan Lewis. That is some of his best work in my opinion, as you can tell what he was going through during that time.

Now with his album “The Heist” in full swing, “Thrift Shop” topping the charts for weeks and his subsequent song “Can’t Hold Us” climbing up the charts, we gotta wonder, is he the next big thing? The next Eminem? Let’s weigh this in and see.

Going beyond race, Eminem truly defines what an MC is and how, at least for my generation, he was our Kurt Cobain. He was our Elvis Presley, he was our Michael Jackson. He was a movement in itself for the simple fact that he went so far outside the boundary lines of what an artist is supposed to do and speak from his heart on what he was going on. “The Marshall Mathers LP” and “The Slim Shady LP” are in my opinion two of the best hip-hop albums ever with the former being the best one to be released in the new millennium. He has even impressed as a featured artist on other people’s tracks, most notably Drake’s “Forever”. He truly understands his gift of gab and uses it to its best extent.

What i just wrote is something that Macklemore is getting the hang of. “The Heist” is an amazing second album and is reminiscent of things that Eminem did. They both have that juxtaposition of being able to do funny songs (Thrift Shop) and then serious ones that really make you think (Wings). The stand out track here is “Same Love”, written in the support of same-sex marriage. It’s truly an amazingly written song and something really out of left field when it comes to a straight dude and hip-hop head writing about a very controversial topic. This can parlay to any of the controversial topics that Em wrote about, including anything from “Love The Way You Lie” about domestic violence and “Stan” about a deranged fan. Regardless, they make you think, something other rappers can’t seem to make you do.

So what is the verdict overall with this? Macklemore could no doubt be the next Eminem in my book. No doubt, even though he has been in the game for a minute, that he will be all over the Best New Artist categories at a ton of award shows and be on everyone’s forefront similarly to how Eminem is. Could they do a duet one day? Only one can hope. For me, he’s got it in him to go the long haul. Best of luck to him in the future.

Como Brothers Band New EP- Worth the listen!

by Ryan Shea

I have been able to interview some pretty big talent out here on Long Island, but the Como Brothers Band truly define what it means when persistence meets talent. I talked to them back in November about a bevy of different topics such as them winning Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands for last summer’s Vans Warped Tour to them having one of their own songs be playing on the uber successful E! reality show “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”. All of their music they have put out thus far has had great melody, amazing guitar playing and smooth vocals that really show their talent and skill. Their persistence is the ability to get their name out on a more national level, and hopefully soon an international level.

Now they have something great for their fans to devour. The Como Brothers Band have released their new EP called “Still Waters”. It is a 6 track album showcasing an even more mature sound from their last release. All of them are standouts, but to me my favorite song is “Parachute” which sounds like a haunting version of an early Daughtry record. It has a great beat and introduction that is more than worth the listen. Another great track off of the EP is “Bad Karma”. A great line off of it is “Leave her for me, so I won’t see her lying in her vanity”. LOVE IT. These guys really are a blend of a lot of what is current and popular right now in the pop-rock circuit yet they do it originally, something a lot of other artists don’t do. This is definitely an album worth cruising down the road to with the top down now that summer is rapidly approaching.

Keeping on the reality circuit, on March 27th of this year their song “You Are My World” was featured on the MTV documentary series “The Real World- Portland”. They have also unveiled their brand new website for everyone to check out. On top of all of this, they will be doing a radio tour culminating with a huge performance at The Bitter End in Manhattan on May 31st. For a great TV spot they will be on WTNH New Haven Channel 8 Style on May 23rd, so there are a ton of different venues to check them out! Check out the website to hear the new EP and everything else Como Brothers Band.

Twitter.com/ComoBrosBand

Facebook.com/ComoBrothersBand

Rihanna and Chris Brown Split- WHO THE F CARES

by Ryan Shea

I have had my fair share of stating how I feel about not only Chris Brown but Rihanna in the past couple of years, and when I heard all over the news this morning from The Wendy Williams Show to Newsday to E! that they had broken up yet again so Rihanna can focus on business opportunities I literally LOL’d. Here comes my rant about how I feel about these two, so buckle down everyone.

I have said this before and I will say it again, I DON’T GET HOW CHRIS BROWN IS STILL RELEVANT. How in gods name is a man who brutally and viciously beat the living hell out of a woman still celebrated, awarded and adored by millions of people who can blindly look past what he did? On top of that, he’s a wannabe thug who has gotten into so many altercations with people who actually merit respect and should be celebrated for their talent (Miranda Lambert, Frank Ocean, Robin Roberts). So once again, like Aubrey O’Day on Rupaul’s Drag Race this year, what is their appeal?

What is his appeal exactly? Can someone explain it to me? He wins the Grammy last year for Best R&B Album for an album that was all synth and nothing R&B. He won because The Grammy’s wanted to stir commotion and get viewers, so I get that. When every other person winning an award that night and getting standing ovations up the wazoo and people are barely clapping for you, how do you take that? When are you actually going to wake up and realize all of these childish, petty things you have done since you beat her up still don’t warrant a real apology or anything of the sort? I don’t get it.

As for her, I have my own personal feelings. She has her own issues with press I get it, but beyond that I really just can’t stand her attitude throughout all of this. If someone had beat up my sister and then tried to get back together with her, it wouldn’t happen. Doesn’t she have anyone around her telling her this isn’t right? A good girlfriend, family, SOMEONE. I mean I know she is grown and all, but the fact that no one seemed to stop this from happening over and over again really says something. And the fact that she really is “unapologetic” really says a lot about her character and how she really doesn’t want to be viewed as a role model no matter what.

This is just my gist on how I feel. Everyone is different, but quite frankly it bothers me that this continues to be headline news. It shouldn’t be. There are bigger things in the world to deal with than the modern day Ike and Tina continuously breaking up and getting back together for nonsense reasons. That’s it.

Album Review: The Knife – Shaking The Habitual

by Rio Toro

The Knife: Shaking The Habitual

Similar Artists: None

Genre: Experimental

Label: Brille

Leave it to The Knife to create the most divisive and puzzling album of the year. Last week, when the Swedish siblings’ long awaited 4^th album became available for streaming, message boards instantaneously became flooded with polarizing viewpoints regarding its quality. While many seemed unable to form an opinion at all, others attacked the group by stating the album was overloaded and pretentious. Indeed, at nearly 100 minutes, Karen and Olaf certainly are testing our patience. At times, such as the 20 minute drone piece “Old Dreams Waiting to be Realized”, it is even tempting to feel as though the two are playing a trick on us. Believe me though, “Shaking the Habitual” is no April fool’s joke – The Knife have never been more serious.

The Knife have been devoted to their own brand of weirdness for some time now, so it’s not entirely a surprise that this album is as frightening as it is. The surprise with Shaking the Habitual comes with the absence of anything that could be considered within the realm of pop. “Silent Shout” was already otherworldly, so in order for the group to continue to defy expectations they have stretched their trademark sound to incomprehensible means.

About 2/3 of the album is jarringly inaccessible experimentalism. It is easy to see why the group considered releasing the album under a pseudonym, because this acts as the antithesis of their previous work. The 13 tracks range from being confrontational (Full of Fire) to barely rising above a whisper (Cherry on Top). While I love experimental music as much as the next music critic, not all of these tracks truly work.

Regardless, I can without a doubt claim that this album has groundbreaking moments on it. That may be more than I can say about any album that has come out this year. With that said, there are other sections (specifically the droning ambient pieces) which have been done to a far more interesting degree by other artists. This can make for a frustrating listen, but I was never tempted to skip tracks like many other people seem to be doing. The album is meant to be listened to in its entirety. For instance, “Raging Lung” acts as a monumental payoff after the aforementioned 20 minute drone track. The album wouldn’t contain the same specific appeal if the quieter pieces were cut out. There is a sense of scope here only possessed by a handful of albums; most recently, Swans’, “The Seer”.

Perhaps the album’s most interesting aspect is its message. Shaking the Habitual is about realizing how you are an evil, selfish being. “Ready to Lose” is a song about how we must learn to rid ourselves of our dirty habits for the bettering of humanity. For instance, if you are white, you must realize that you are given certain advantages not afforded to others, and you are merely lucky for having this inherent advantage within society. Refusing to believe this fact means that you are racist and a supporter of our evil capitalist society.

The topics brought up throughout the album include gender issues, patriarchy, male hegemony and so forth. This is an incredible, AOTY worthy basis for an album, however, the abstractness of the music makes it very hard to grasp in its entirety. In fact, if it wasn’t for interviews where Karen and Olaf explained the origins of the album, it would be hard to decode at all. The Knife have a message that is meant to be heard by everyone, but it’s going to be heard by very few when they refuse to work within a digestible framework.

It is easy to see why Shaking the Habitual is made up of such cold, unsettling music. If the album landed The Knife another hit such as “Heartbeats”, their message towards the destruction of the wealthy would have proved hypocritical. Nearly every political album has fallen flat for this reason, so it is a testament towards The Knife’s vision that nothing on this album could top any chart. It is also startlingly brave to potentially isolate your fan base by putting out a record as daunting as this. It turns out The Knife are even more fearless than we thought, and they managed to make some spectacle worthy music while proving it. When looked at by these means, “Shaking the Habitual” is a complete success; unfortunately, it won’t change the world.

Track Listing:

1.) A Tooth for an Eye*

2.) Full of Fire*

3.) A Cherry on Top

4.) Without you my life would be Boring

5.) Wrap your arms Around me*

6.) Crake

7.) Old Dreams Waiting to be Realized

8.) Raging Lung*

9.) Networking

10.) Oryx

11.) Stay Out Here*

12.) Fracking Fluid Injection

13.) Ready To Lose*

* – Album highlight

Summer Music Festivals 2013- When and Where

by Ryan Shea

For all you music nuts out there, Summer seems to be the one season each year that brings out the best music festivals and the best artists at that. If you are local to New York, you are in for a treat. Some of the biggest music festivals are here or making their way through here. So if you want to find which ones are the best to go to, take a look at the following festivals and see for yourself why music and summer go uber well together like a yummy Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich-

Credit to: Governor's Ball Music Festival — Credit to: Governor’s Ball Music Festival

GOVERNOR’S BALL- JUNE 7TH-9TH, RANDALL’S ISLAND

This is one that yours truly is beyond excited for. The event takes place in early June, and this year is featuring the creme de la creme of awesome alternative artists and some of the biggest global superstars in the world. Going on over at the beautiful Randall’s Island, the festival highlights artists that have been popular since the early 1980’s. Which one in particular? That would be Guns N Roses, who are set to perform on the 8th along with other superstars from Kendrick Lamar to Nas. Opening day highlights Grammy winners Kings Of Leon as well as Feist and Erykah Badu. Closing day brings in Kanye West as well as The Lumineers, Cold War Kids and Twin Shadown to name a few. Looks like an amazing three day lineup that I for sure won’t miss. Tickets are still available via The Governor’s Ball official website.

VANS WARPED TOUR: JULY 13TH, NASSAU COLISEUM

The Vans Warped Tour is ultimately a celebration for all things alternative. The tour, going on for over a decade now, highlights some of the best alternative talent on a national level and a local level. Famed for its “Battle Of The Bands” with founder Kevin Lyman putting out a content for bands to perform at their local venue, it is really the one festival where dreams can come true for said band. This year’s highlights include Denver’s very own 3OH3, The Used, Reel Big Fish and more. Log onto The Vans Warped Tour website for more info.

ELECTRIC ZOO: AUGUST 30TH-SEPTEMBER 1ST, RANDALLS ISLAND

Being one of the few festivals that I know of where the only real transportation there is by ferry, the Electric Zoo celebrates all things EDM. Held at the beautiful Randalls Island right outside of Manhattan, this three day festival plans to host some of the biggest acts in EDM today. Ones ranging from international superstars like David Guetta, Skrillex and Diplo come to mind for all you big EDM fans that seem to populate a lot of what is popular in music right now. Go the the Made Event homepage to get tickets!

Let’s not forget that the MTV Video Music Awards is finally coming back to New York this summer. About damn time, I have no idea why it landed in LA in the first place as that show is designed to be here. Hope everyone goes to at least one of these and has a damn good time!

Album Review: Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience

by Rio Toro

Justin Timberlake: 20/20 Experience

Similar Artists: Beyonce, The-Dream, Michael Jackson

Genre: Pop, R&B

Label: RCA

The past six years have been kind to Justin Timberlake. While he was always known as a talented performer with a silky smooth voice, his ambition has grown tenfold to where he is now recognized as a talented actor, producer, and a suit & tie wearing entrepreneur. He is a man who has gradually shifted his image to the point where the clan of haters that spawned against him during his intrepid N’Sync days no longer have means to continue hating him. However, to be an artist who can no longer be reviled is both a blessing and a curse.

Even for those of us who weren’t teenage girls in 2002, ever since the Timberland produced stunner “Cry Me a River”, JT’s appeal has become hard to resist. In 2006 with FutureSex/LoveSounds, JT broke free of being a guilty pleasure act and put out an honest-to-god brilliant record. Music fanatics left and right were coming out and renouncing their love for the singer. His hiatus brought upon further analysis that has led many to feel that FutureSex is one of the quintessential pop albums of the 2000’s. Although his presence in social media never escaped us for more than a moment, (and as funny as some of those SNL skits were) we soon missed hearing him in his pure non-comedic vocal mode. Regardless of whether this album is good or bad, no one should still be questioning whether it is worthy of your attention, like any highly talked about pop album, the question is if this release is worthy when compared to the anticipation and hype surrounding it.

So now that we are listening to the new album, is it really all that big of a deal? Actually, it really isn’t, and that is disappointing for those expecting something profound. Aptly titled the 20/20 experience, the album represents a glimpse into a perfect life — the problem is, perfect can be pretty boring when taken in art form. This dullness is especially apparent from a lyrical standpoint, because while hearing about perfect marriages and soul mates is lovely, it doesn’t quite get under your skin. This would be forgivable if the album was emotive or even catchy enough, but nothing here proves to be grasping on a deeper level. It’s not from a lack of ambition though, as only “That Girl” could be considered a concise radio-friendly pop song. The tracks mostly hover around the 7 minute mark, but unfortunately most are not worthy of their extended time. A few songs do prove to be sprawling spectacles of sound, but it is solely because of the production rather than song writing or vocal performance – both of which are surprisingly lazy.

And yes, this album has ridiculously good production, but would you expect anything less? I mean, just look at the amount of top-notch producers who worked on every track — it almost feels too obvious that this album is incomparably smooth and gorgeous. It doesn’t take away from the experience while listening, but I wish I had something real to hook me in that wouldn’t disintegrate with time like the beats surely will. I’m being a bit too harsh actually; the album’s saving grace comes near the end with the penultimate track “Mirrors”. It is a truly heartfelt and drenching love song that you will wait patiently to hear every time you play the album. While the rest of the songs are a mixture of fun, inventiveness, and sexiness, their most defining characteristic may be that they are hollow.

Track Listing:

1.) Pusher Love Girl

2.) Suit & Tie

3.) Don’t Hold the Wall

4.) Strawberry Bubblegum*

5.) Tunnel Vision*

6.) Spaceship Coupe

7.) That Girl*

8.) Let the Groove Get In

9.) Mirrors*

10.) Blue Ocean Floor

* – Album Highlight

Album Review: The Mavericks – In Time

by Pamela Gordon

The first time I heard The Mavericks I was sitting in my car listening to my favorite radio station WFUV, and couldn’t believe my ears. It was a hybrid of sounds, that was joyously complex, melting both the old and the

new, and the “North” and the “South”.

After a seven-year stretch of no music, The Mavericks have ironically come back with the album “In Time”. It truly was only time that changed since their last album, maintaining their original and unique sound that can only be descried as The Mavericks. Raul Malo’s vocals exudes sex and desire, track after track with his Elvis and Ray Orbison like sound. With the accompaniment of a Ska strumming guitar, Latin brass section and great harmonies, the Mavericks surely are not to be reckoned with.

As you may know, I cover country music here on Manhattan Digest. When you listen to this album you may say to yourself, just as I did, “That can’t just be country, can it?” The truth is, it’s not, The Mavericks are so versatile, they can’t be labeled under just one genre. Their span of style covers Country, Ska, Rock and Banda. Banda you ask me, Banda is a type of music that is brass based, mostly Mexican, and has had a large presence in Mexican Pop.

I spoke with others and asked their opinion on what genre they thought it fit under. After different answers it finally clicked, The Mavericks. That’s what they are, mavericks, “One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group.” The definition itself sounds a bit abrasive, but because of this characteristic they have created a real name for themselves.

With tracks like “Back In Your Arms Again,” and “Born To Be Blue,” the desire to to soulfully sing along is turned all the way up on the dial. The tracks not only want to make you sing but dance as well. During the demanding yet convincing track “Come Unto Me,” my passion to dance the Rumba throws chills from my neck to my feet. I had even brought the track to my dance class where others agreed that the song bled sexuality and masculinity. There is a soft side to The Mavericks as well, during “Forgive Me” Raul Malo masters his vocals, gliding whimsically through lyrics of repent and yearning while accompanied by the tip-toeing of the piano.

If I had the convincing power to make you all by one album that I have wrote about thus far, this would be it. It may have been a long time since The Mavericks have come together to put out an album, but it goes to show good music can not be rushed, and it will come “In Time.”

MUSIC

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