A fresh spin on everything music... Ahhh, finally something refreshing!!!
Cell Therapy 007
LMFAO at their Party Rock album... No, not in a good way!
Here’s where LMFAO comes in, especially their new album titled Party Rock. Starting off with a mix of “Eye of the Tiger” and rhyming about drinking you can tell this is an album fit for the lazy DJs who prefer to just play records. You know off the bat this is an album that is heavily dependent on the beat, which doesn’t take much for a party album. Their lyrical skills are pretty good considering all they talk about is getting drunk and laid, so this does add a plus to this review.
They do get a little lax in their delivery and ability to keep it hype; after a while I don’t feel like listening to songs that’s all about partying, and the duo’s job is to keep the party going. Their production is on point, whoever mixed their album needs to expand past this kind of work because the potential is there. Another thing is subject matter. There’s no storyline, no plot, nothing to keep someone listening to as far as lyrics go. Yes, the group can rhyme, but there’s nothing to listen to. The worst thing to have is wasted talent and this group, if they don't go in the right direction, is becoming a trash can! In the end, I would rather hear this album during my journey to getting drunk and while I’m drunk. No other time. It’s fun, but not that fun.
Best Song – Shots feat. Lil’ Jon: If you want a hype party album, all you need is Lil’ Jon yelling throughout your song. He was definitely needed for this group’s album.
Worst Song – What Happens at the Party: Too lame of an intro, too long of a song. If I hear this at a club, I would get sleepy after the first chorus. It does have a good hook/title though.
Star’s Grade: C-
Is Maxwell's Blacksummers'night Worth All The Tweet's???
One thing I enjoyed about the album is that he taps back into the roots of Black music, with musical ties in gospel, blues, and jazz in his style and production. It is definitely a grown and sexy kind of album, the kind of album the Keri Hilson and Lady Gaga fans may not love, but will respect.
Well, one thing I wasn’t a fan of was his lack of strength in his voice. It seems like the heavy subject matter called for a stronger delivery, a delivery which Maxwell did not give. He came at the album very relaxed and chill, which is cool, but can hurt the listeners who need to listen. The people who really listen to lyrics, and need that sort of food for the soul, will not be convinced that he’s serious about them.
However, if he’s going for a chill, travel/leisure, grown-up type of music, then he got it. You can tell he had fun recording this album, as you can hear in his delivery throughout the album. He gives off this sense of fun, no matter how depressing the subject of the songs will be, which seemed to be the majority of the album; this along with his voice puts the Blues back in R&B. Most of what you’ll hear has to do with forgiveness, living in a crazy world, love (of course), and growing. You get the feeling that he wants to be an inspiration to someone who’ll listen. Hopefully his many followers on Twitter will actually listen to his album instead of his hype because it’s actually a good album.
Best Song – Cold: It was a tough decision to make, but this song comes the strongest in delivery and subject matter. He has so much fun with it, you almost go into the character he speaks of.
Worst Song – Helpsomebody: This was a tougher decision, but this song had the worst delivery, yet this was the song he needed it in the most. The whole “we must save the world” thing is becoming played out. The only way to make someone listen is to tweak it to a particular style or deliver a powerful blow to the listener with strength and range, and Maxwell didn’t do much of either. It was a well-written, strength-lacking song on a beautiful album.
Star’s Grade: B+
Cell Therapy 006
Hip-Hop in Hickville - A Preview
Athens, through all of its rural-ness, has managed to slither in a hip-hop scene different from the major cities in Ohio, and even the major cities in the country. It is arguably a bigger hip-hop scene than A LOT of major cities that hone more projects and drugs than Athens tries to claim. Someone could say hip-hop existed in Athens, but not through it quantity of people; the quality of the music. “When you play some real hip-hop, people are automatically going to raise their ear and want to hear about it,” said Chris “Crispy” Crosby. Crispy is a popular rapper in Athens, although he is a senior English student at OU as well. “People are going to want to hear real hip-hop, forreal-forreal. It’s special to me as an artist when somebody in a four by four is bumping your music after they been mud racing,” he said.
Every other Monday night throughout the fall, winter, and spring quarters at OU is the Hip-Hop Shop at the Union Bar & Grill. It carries an atmosphere that would make you think that’s the bar where all the bikers go, but as you enter comes a different story. You walk in hearing rock music right in front of you, but are gravitated upstairs by the sweet melody of some mellow hip-hop music, like “Passin’ Me By” by Pharcyde. You see people waiting around in booths for the mics to open up. You feel the cool breeze coming from the open door downstairs until someone hops on the stage you can tell is hungry for some hip-hop...