411 Music Roundtable: May/June Edition

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 06.10.2008

A double-packed edition of the Roundtable, as the staff looks back on the domination of Mariah Carey, the dissolution of Velvet Revolver, the ongoing R. Kelly trial, the next Nas album, My Chemical Romance controversy, the rise of the Ting Tings and more, plus June releases by Disturbed, Rev Theory, Shinedown, Lil' Wayne, Plies, Little Brother, Opeth & others!!!

Hello worldwide audience, it's another edition of the 411 Music Roundtable, where the award-winning and/or piss drunk Music Zone staff look back on the news of the last month and forward to the new releases of this one.

On with the show!


MAY/JUNE 2008


BIGGEST WINNER OF THE MONTH


Bands Reunited
Blake Lauderback: It is that time of year again. Time for bands of glory days passed to slap together a quick reunion tour in hopes that they can tolerate each other for the summer months in order to make a massive pay day. We have already seen Jane's Addiction and Rage Against the Machine together once more, and now there are goings on about the inevitable Stone Temple Pilots reunion, and the much less likely Guns N' Roses meeting.

Mariah Carey
Dan Haggerty: For a woman who was written off a half a decade ago, she is doing pretty damn well for herself. #1 album (again), record first week sales, broke Elvis' record for #1 hits, and I'm fairly confident she's now official had the most appearances as a 'Piece of the Week' every Friday in the 'Quick ‘N' Dirty News' report. Speaking of the Q'N'D News Report, us writers in the music zone have had to keep our editor Mitch under continuous surveillance because of her marriage to Nick Cannon...we fear of Nick's safety. Seriously, Nick - Just walk away man. You don't know who you're messing with.

Dan Marsicano: What a busy month for the diva. Her new album, E=MC² is #1 on the Billboard charts for the two weeks in a row, with almost 700,000 copies sold. That should be enough for an amazing month, but then a report came out that said that she was married in late April…to Nick Fucking Cannon! I won't get into the fact that it's Nick Cannon we're talking about, but Carey's life seems to be going in a positive direction and she's looking to be the most dominant diva out there today.

Michael Jackson
Dan Marsicano: We all make fun of Jackson for his personal life, and all the shit he has done, but we sometimes forget the contributions that Jackson made to music. This past month, Jackson's masterpiece Thriller was added to the Library of Congress. That means that the album will be preserved forever and is now considered a "national treasure." Hell, I can't argue with that. I may be a metal guy at heart, but I've always had a soft spot for Thriller. It has nine perfect tracks, one building off another, with no slow moments. It's a classic, one that definitely deserves its place in the Library of Congress.

The Ting Tings
Dan Wilcox: Although their album is yet to drop in the States, this pop duo has had a fantastic month in the UK. First of all, their first single knocked Madonna and Justin Timberlake off the top spot of our singles chart. That might be enough to be called Winner of the Month alone, but then they scored a #1 with their debut album We Started Nothing and on top of that have had two more tracks enter the UK singles charts way before their official release date, and had a couple of their songs featured on many TV adverts for products such as Apple's iPod. So in short, they've made an absolute ton of money in the last month.

Saigon
Phil Watts, Jr.: After years of setbacks, lame excuses, and corporate B.S., Saigon finally had enough and decided to dump his label once and for all. Over the past several months, Saigon and Just Blaze (who produced his Greatest Story Never Told album) have fought a hard battle to not only leave Atlantic Records, but also keep the masters of their album as well, leaving the label with nothing. Now, hopefully, he'll be able to find a label that actually cares (or better yet, release the album himself). There was once a time when Atlantic Records, like most other prestigious labels of the past, actually cared about the development of their artists. Now it seems that any semblance of artistic development Atlantic ever had went right out the window the moment the late Arif Mardin left them.

David Cook
Ben Czajkowski: Yeah, I should just jump on the 411 Bandwagon and hate on "American Idol", but I won't. I am actually in a supportive mood of people with talent (Chad Kroeger, take notice). I cannot overlook David Cook's mastery of the Idol games. Obviously, he sucked the most viewer cock among the contestants and immediately won their hearts. He debuted on 11 separate Billboard charts; this is the most in 50 years. Since the Beatles did it with 14, I do believe. Cook demolished the previous record of six simultaneous Hot 100 debuts held by boob-queen and Mitch Michaels' wet dream Miley Cyrus.

Nas
Patrick Robinson: For changing his album title. Now, hear me out before you start criticizing me about him censoring himself. The point behind Nas' latest album was to present a message. Nas was not only going to be doing this with the album title, but with the music on it as well. The problem was, many retail outlets would have been extremely reluctant to carry an album called Nigger and those that would, probably would have kept a limited stock, or faced criticism from external parties. Nas is a winner in the sense that by changing the album title, and thereby sacrificing part of his message, he will ultimately allow the REAL message in the music itself to be heard by a greater audience.


BIGGEST LOSER OF THE MONTH


Amy Winehouse
Dan Haggerty: Can we please just give this girl a lifetime achievement award as a Loser so I can stop voting for her? Seriously, the only thing she hasn't put into herself lately is her husband. Just make a picture, put that cute 411Mania Elite gold ribbon on it with a big 'L' in it. At least Britney has the decency to do something stupid in new and fun ways, but Amy just recycles the same shit over and over again. In other words, she can't even screw up properly.

Richie Sambora
Dan Marsicano: Good job, jackass. You are a famous guitarist for one of the most popular rock bands in the world, and what do you do? Decide to go driving drunk with a woman and two kids in the backseat of your car. Fantastic! I really wonder what people are thinking sometimes. Yeah, he made a mistake, but it could have been a life threatening one. The fact that children were involved only makes this situation even worse. I hope Sambora learned his lesson and gets the help that he needs.

The N.Y.P.D.
Phil Watts, Jr.: And people wonder why rappers make song fanaticizing about killing police officers. In case you haven't heard (of maybe you just turned off the news because of how depressing it is), the cops mowed down a man named Sean Bell and were recently acquitted for it. Now, let's say for the sake of argument that Sean wasn't exactly innocent. Let's say that he was acting unruly, and probably had some dirt in his past which made the cops suspicious of him. Let's say that he did indeed have a weapon on him. Okay. Fair enough. If he had a gun in his hand and was uncooperative, then yeah, give him a couple of shots to some key areas, like the leg, the arm, or something. But come on---50 SHOTS?! WTF?! It says something when even the L.A.P.D. handled Rodney King with far more restrain than this! It's stories like this that show why the police get such a bad rep.

R. Kelly
Dan Marsicano: After years of waiting, his trial accusing him of having sex with a minor finally started. And, like most of us assumed, it isn't looking good for the R&B superstar. If he is found guilty, he could find himself in jail for up to 15 years. Now, it has come out that he has been doing this for years, so you knew it was going to catch up with him. I don't know if he enjoys giving anal, but if he goes to jail, he may soon find out the hard way if he likes taking anal.

Ben Czajkowski: He sure has a purtay mouth. There is no way he's not gonna get raped in prison.

My Chemical Romance & Emo
Dan Wilcox: So a teenage girl kills herself, and the media blames a music artist. That's nothing new. MCR made a statement defending themselves and that's all well and good. But that's also a lot of negative press they're getting, and then their "suicide cult" fans pretty much embarrass themselves as well as the band by throwing on makeup and skinny jeans and going and sitting on the sidewalk outside the Daily Mail offices, just to prove that My Chemical Romance does in fact save lives. But with a new live set on the way next month, things should soon be looking up for MCR fans.

Lil' Wayne
Phil Watts, Jr.: The things people consider "relevant" these days. After putting out millions upon millions of mixtapes telling everyone that he's the greatest rapper alive (after all, if you tell a lie often enough…), Lil' Wayne makes the brilliant decision of telling all those DJ's responsible for all those mixtapes to go screw themselves. "I created the mixtape game, but I'm not into that no more…I'm doing Lil' Wayne. I'm against it, anti-mixtape dude. I don't know no mixtape DJs." "I CREATED THE MIXTAPE GAME"?! I don't have to tell you how absurd that quote is (although I shudder to think that there are lots of people that believe him). Even worse, he does this just as he's in the middle of promoting his upcoming coaster, Tha Carter III (which has what is probably one of the dumbest album covers in recent memory). Expectedly, the DJ's didn't particularly like it very much, so they responded by leaking his album! A classic example of what happens when you bite the hands that feed you. If it weren't for all those DJ's flooding the market with millions of Lil' Wayne mixtapes, he'd still be seen as Juvenile's weed courier.

Velvet Revolver
Blake Lauderback: In a story that will just not fade away, Velvet Revolver continues to disintegrate in front of our very eyes. Band members harassing each other in the media, insults and blame hurled about, and news of an upcoming (albeit short) jail term for Mr. Weiland. All in all, not the best time to be a (former) member of the (former) band Velvet Revolver.

Suge Knight
Patrick Robinson: If you believe the theories that Suge Knight had a hand in 2Pac and Biggie's murders, or simply for the fact that he's caused so much angst throughout the years, seeing him laid flat on his back, knocked out cold on the concrete was extremely satisfying.


BIGGEST MUSIC NEWS OF THE MONTH


New AC/DC Album
Dan Haggerty: *Jumps up and down like a retarded child on Christmas morning*

Velvet Revolver Parts Ways With Scott Weiland
Dan Marsicano: The month started out with the most unsurprising story in a while, as frontman Scott Weiland was basically fired from Velvet Revolver. All throughout March there were rumors that the band was not gelling well together and were getting into internal conflicts. So, on April 1st, Weiland was fired and the band is now looking for his replacement. This could be a crucial time in the band, as the singer they choose could determine their future plans.

Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier
Phil Watts, Jr.: I am kicking myself for not covering this weeks ago. Here you have two of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time in a DJ battle, which happened on April 18th at LA's Crash Mansion. No beef, just two hip-hop legends in a competition to see who can get the crowd lifted. They played a lot of classic material, from golden oldies to the many hits they produced over the past 18 years. From the looks of things, it seems like Premier won it, but if you ask me, the true winners were the people that attended the show. THIS is what hip-hop is supposed to be about.

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz Get Married
Dan Marsicano: It was the wedding that was kept secret, yet most people in the music industry knew about it. The rumor was that Simpson was pregnant, which is why the wedding happened. At first, it was denied, but after the wedding, it came out that Simpson was indeed pregnant. So it all made sense, but still, two people who seem to like each other got married. The fact that Fall Out Boy is on hold for a while because of the marriage is a blessing in disguise and makes this story the more huge.

Bo Diddley Dies
Dan Wilcox: The music business lost a legend recently in Bo Diddley. I could go on about what a loss it is, but I did cover it in the news report last week and Dan Haggerty wrote an even better tribute to the man here.

Nas Buckles - Nigger Album Now Self-Titled
Phil Watts, Jr.: After months and months of promoting this as his futile attempt to lessen the power of the word Nigger, Nas finally gave in to the pressure and killed the title of his upcoming album. The album is still being released (slated for early July), and the basic "kill-the-power-of-the-N-word premise is still there (along with the mediocre producers)…only it will just be a self-titled album from here on out. There where too many obstacles the other way, as many stores threatened not to sell the album if it had the word NIGGER printed in big bold letters, so this is good for Nas as far as that goes. Besides, if it's sold at Wal*Mart, the N-word would get edited out anyway.

Festival Lineups
Blake Lauderback: It seems that with every passing year another twenty or thirty music festivals pop up. Between news of a two day Ozzfest lineup featuring co-headliners Metallica and the Ozzman himself, (In my back yard none the less) Bob Dylan and Iggy & The Stooges joining what was already a ridiculous line up at the Virgin Music Festival, and blame being spread around already for poor ticket sales for Glastonbury, the festival scene is alive and kicking in the music world.

Metallica
Ben Czajkowski: With the band heavily talking up their new album, Lars Ulrich promises a "dynamic" new disc that has even the most mediocre fans talking about the band. It can't be any worse than St. Anger, right? Now, there is even talk and a release date of a Metallica "Guitar Hero". The yet-untitled album is slated for a September release.

R. Kelly Finally Goes To Trial
Patrick Robinson: Six years after he was initially charged with child pornography, R. Kelly finally went to trial last month. Since then, there have been a number of developments ranging from the alleged victim testifying FOR R. Kelly, to the validity of the tape in question. Whilst the prosecution made their final remarks last week, the defense is yet to get underway. Judging by the revelations in the case, combined with the FBI being unable to confirm the identity of the man on the tape, it's looking like R. Kelly could be found innocent in the end after all.


MOST NOTABLE RELEASE OF THE MONTH


Death Angel - Killing Season
Dan Haggerty: 80's thrashers returned with their sophomore release following their comeback several years ago. This is also a return to their thrash roots, offering up what could laterally be considered an album that would have been produced in the early 90's as the evolution of thrash as a genre. In other words, this is classic thrash with a bit of advancement to the sound. And that sound absolutely SMOKES. The band just bashes through riff after riff, sometimes that riff might be scorching and fast, while others it might be meaty and heavy. Sometimes both. This owns and is the easily the best metal album to be released in April.

Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright
Dan Marsicano: It was a really slow month in the world of music (and May wasn't much better), but there was one release that stood out to me. Billy Howerdel, guitarist for A Perfect Circle, was able to go out on his own and released a debut album that stands up to any of the Perfect Circle albums. Keep Telling Myself It's Alright is dark, foreboding, and surprisingly catchy as hell. Howerdel also sounds great on the lead vocals, being able to step behind the microphone for the first time as lead singer and nailing it perfectly. I see great things in the future for the band.

9th Wonder & Buckshot - The Formula
Phil Watts, Jr.: The Blackmoon front-man and Little Brother's former producer member have returned with an album that's much better and more polished than their last one. Even though Buckshot's voice has changed over the years and he's a lot more reserved with the cussing than he used to be, he's still got the patented sinister flow that's made him a legend and even reverts back to singy-song flow he had in the "I Gotcha Opin" remix. And 9th steps it up and gets a little harder on the beats to better compliment him. Yeah, there are a few questionable chorus singers that show up and ruin a few tracks, but still a solid album and one of the best of the year thus far.

10 Years - Division
Dan Marsicano: This month was full of some decent albums here and there. However, one stood out to me and that was alt. rock/metal 10 Years' new one. It took a few listens, but I started to enjoy the album more and more. 10 Years is one of the best new rock bands out there, and you people also seem to think so, judging by the position on the Billboard charts the first week (#12, for those unaware). Division is a natural progression for the band and an album that gets better and better with repeated listens.

Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll
Dan Wilcox: Very few albums were released last month that really caught my interest or surprised me in terms of their quality, but this effort from Green Day's latest side-project was surprisingly good and in fact is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Packed with old school goodness, Stop Drop and Roll is a little bit of vintage Green Day meeting a more 70's style of rock and roll. It's a great album, and one that I recommend you check out if you haven't all ready.

Al Green - Lay It Down
Phil Watts, Jr.: 2006 saw Earth Wind & Fire return to form with Illumination. 2007 saw the return of Chaka Khan, doing a colab with Mary J Blige, and reuniting with guitarist/vocalist Tony Maiden of Rufus with Funk This. Now, Al Green is back. Granted, he never left, as he's still the amazing singer that he's always been. However, it's been decades since he's had the proper music that makes him that much better (remember when he tried to get into the New Jack Swing with the Al B. Sure-remix of "As Long As We're Together"? OUCH.) Thankfully, ?uestlove and the gang have taken painstaking efforts to bring that vintage sound back. Hopefully, this resurgence of veteran artists will continue.

Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch
Blake Lauderback: Not too many bands are given a second chance at the spotlight. Even fewer still happen in a manner such as this. Tom Petty, an original member of the band Mudcrutch, called up his former mates and decided that it was high time to get together and jam. Petty, along with fellow "Heartbreakers" Mike Campbell & Benmont Tench, ended up back together with the band they last played with in the 1970's, before achieving greatness as part of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. The album, featuring Tom on bass instead of his usual Rickenbacker guitar, is a great example of down to earth jamming, and how, even three decades removed, when the pieces fit, magic can happen.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Ben Czajkowski: Trent Reznor "slipped" one by record labels in the early parts of May with the release of this entirely free, multi-format CD. It was his gift to fans, telling them "This one is on me." Reznor and company continue to stick it to the greedy man. A physical release is set for sometime later this summer.

Usher - Here I Stand
Patrick Robinson: Usher has long been known for making tracks about cheating or fling relationships. His personal life in recent years though, has seen marriage and the birth of his son. This album not only presented a stronger outing in terms of his vocal presence, but also maturity in terms of lyrical content. The album also sold well, bringing in over 440,000 copies in the first week of sales making it a critical and commercial success.


MUSIC DVD OF THE MONTH


Muse: H.A.A.R.P
Dan Marsicano: Muse released their third DVD, this time in a CD/DVD package, filmed at Wembley Stadium in June 2007. It's a great concert, with the high definition video looking fantastic. The band is in top form, plowing through 20 tracks, and sounding about as well as they ever have live. Seeing over 100,000 people crowd into a football stadium to watch the band is a sight to behold. I would have wished for the whole show to be included (4 tracks are missing), but I'm still satisfied with what is here.

HIM: Digital Versatile Doom - Live at the Orpheum Theatre
Dan Wilcox: I don't often pick up live music DVDs, but I picked up this one because HIM are awesome and it was relatively cheap. The CD portion is lacking some key HIM tracks but overall the live takes are pretty good. The DVD itself is pretty much the best of a live HIM show, 17 kick ass songs played at a time when Ville Valo is not high or drunk and thus making it a slick performance. The extras are pretty good too with some rare interviews with all of the band members and some entry videos of some fan competition making for pretty good viewing.

Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock
Blake Lauderback: What better way to kick of this year's festival season than by checking out the closing act of the greatest festival in the history of rock and roll. The DVD includes footage of Jimi on stage with his newly formed Band of Gypsys, and is also jam packed with interviews with everyone from the promoters and fans to the musicians that shared the stage with him. For everything that could have gone wrong under the circumstances, Jimi took a rough situation and turned it into a career defining moment.

Lacuna Coil: Wacken Open Air
Ben Czajkowski: I don't know if this exists in a physical copy or not, but I picked up a bootleg version of this live set. I have to say I continue to be impressed with the live show this band puts on. Cristina Scabbia has such a beautiful live voice, and seeing the sea of thousands and thousands of people just dwarfs any concert I have ever been to. Gives me chills.

Jay-Z: Fade To Black
Patrick Robinson: In November 2003, Jay-Z threw what would become a legendary retirement party at a sold-out Madison Square Garden. Joining him for this monumental musical celebration were Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Missy Elliott & R. Kelly along with P. Diddy, Kanye West, Damon Dash and more.

Narrated by Jay-Z himself, Fade To Black captured the onstage performances that night, the entire cast in candid backstage moments and also chronicles the process of creating The Black Album. Also included are the "Encore" music video as well as the story behind the performance itself. The DVD is a really interesting look into what goes on in the mind of Jay-Z during his creative process as well as a damn fine show to boot.


CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE MONTH


Immortal - Son's of Northern Darkness
Dan Haggerty: Black metal's renegade son's of all that is frozen and extreme, but here they cross over a bit with huge spiked fists of more tradition metal fare to chew on. Well, not exactly, more a nuance to the solid production and stellar war-torn writing. Only Immortal could dress a song in the minimalist wall of sound that is the black north while hitting you over the head of a solid rhythm in "Tyrant". Anyway, this just throttles you front to back. Kick ass or have your ass kicked. Immortal own you, you just didn't know it till you heard this album...

Kreator - Extreme Aggression
Dan Marsicano: The last Kreator album of the 1980's ended the decade at a high note for the thrash metal legends. The album is absolutely a metal monster, with riff after riff flying out at you with no pause or rest throughout its running length. The single "Betrayer" is one of the best songs the band has ever written and became a big hit for the band and gained them popularity amongst metal fans. If you are a fan of thrash metal, run to the store and pick up Extreme Aggression.

The Sylvers - The Sylvers I, II, and III
Phil Watts, Jr.: To refer to this group as Jackson 5 clones is to not give them the credit they deserve. Yeah, they were a black teen music sensation, but their early music delved more into funk with a little 5th Dimension thrown in for good measure, especially with the first three albums. It sucks that none of this material has ever made it to any Best-Of compilations, nor have they ever been reissued, which means you have to either try your luck on eBay (and trust me---IT AIN‘T CHEAP!), or go to the nearest pawn shop and pray that you find a copy (and it hasn't been scratched up too bad). You can check out snippets of the albums right here: Sylvers (1972), Sylvers II (1973), and Sylvers III (1974). Now get digging!!

Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
Dan Marsicano: It isn't that old of an album (it came out in 2000), but the fact that the album was re-released this past month brought me back to fond memories of it. It is the album that had the band straddling the Pink Floyd-ish sound they were known for early in their career. The solos, not usually a PT trademark, are great and show a more technical side of Steve Wilson that wasn't normally shown. The songs are great, "Shesmovedon" being my personal favorite, and the band had never sounded better.

Cute Is What We Aim For - The Same Old Blood Rush
Dan Wilcox: To coincide with the live show of theirs I attended last week and the release of new material ahead of their sophomore album in July, this album has found itself in my rotation a lot recently and it still kicks a lot of ass with clever lyrics, massive hooks and smooth vocals. "The Fourth Drink Instinct" makes for a decent little ballad and is a song I drastically overlooked when I first heard the album three years ago. "Curse of Curves" and "Sweat The Battle…" are still highlights of the album, dripping with summery goodness, while "Newport Living" is still probably my favorite track. While silly in places and very much too pop punk for most people's liking, it's an inoffensive album that makes for great summer listening, and I can't wait for the new album Rotation to drop in next month.

The Lootpack - Soundpieces: Da Antidote!
Phil Watts, Jr.: This album, which was given 2-mics by the Source Magazine (Benzino era), was the beginning of a new movement. This trio consisted of lyrical acrobat Wildchild, sometime MC/full-time crate digger Madlib, and DJ Romes on the cuts. The trio spends most of the time going on a wack MC slaughter fests, which was understandable considering that this was the late 90's, which wasn't exactly a bright period in hip-hop. The album consisted of many underground classics, such as "Question" and "Long Awaited" featuring Dilated Peoples, back when everybody wanted Evidence to drop a guest verse on their 12-inches. Madlib would ultimately become the breakout star, as his constantly evolving beatwork would carry Stones Throw Records for the next 9 years (and counting). While the three are still on good terms and still drop in on each other's solo projects, hopefully they will drop a long-overdue follow-up sometime before we're eligible for Social Security.

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
Blake Lauderback: The last time Sir Paul McCartney came away from a messy split similar to the way he did recently from his nut job ex-wife was when The Beatles hung up their instruments. Within less than a year, Paul had formed a new band alongside his wife Linda called Wings. Wings' first big success came on the back of 1973's Band on the Run, featuring songs like "Jet," "Let Me Roll It," and the title track, "Band on the Run." McCartney proved that he could survive without The Beatles. Here's hoping he can pull of a similar trick in the near future.

Incubus - A Crow Left Of The Murder
Ben Czajkowski: I picked this album up for the first time in about a year, and I cannot put it down. This is my favorite Incubus album, completely solid all the way through. Songs like ""Megalomaniac", "Agoraphobia", and "Sick, Sad Little World", for me, put Incubus into the top ranks of the rock world.

Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Patrick Robinson: Reasonable Doubt is generally classified as Mafioso rap because of Jay-Z's prevalent references to crime within his songs. The production relied on soul, funk and jazz samples of artists such as Isaac Hayes, the Ohio Players and Ahmad Jamal. The hooks of a few songs contained vocal samples of rappers including Nas, Fat Joe and Snoop Dogg. The album was a fantastic collection of gritty street tales, combined with the natural flair and swagger of Jay-Z, made it an essential album of the 90's.


LYRIC OF THE MONTH
Dan Haggerty: "We've taken care of everything/The words you hear, the songs you sing/The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes... It's one for all and all for one/We work together, common sons/Never need to wonder how or why..." - Rush, "2112"

Dan Marsicano: "Can't find the answers/I've been crawling on my knees/Looking for anything/To keep me from drowning" - Godsmack, "Running Blind"

Dan Marsicano: "She changes every time you look/By summer it was all gone - now, she's moved on/She called you every other day/So savour it it's all gone - now she's moved on" - Porcupine Tree, "Shesmovedon"

Dan Wilcox: "So the rest is up to you and don't forget to/Check the obvious/We are so serious/So I guess it comes down to how curious you can b" - Cute Is What We Aim For, "There's A Class For This"

Phil Watts, Jr.: "Neither party is mine/not the JACK-ASS or the ELEPHANT!" - Public Enemy, "By The Time I Get To Arizona"

Blake Lauderback: "Johnny's in the basement, mixing up the medicine/I'm on the pavement, thinking about the government./The man in the trench coat, badge out, laid off/Says he's got a bad cough, wants to get it paid off/Look out kid, it's somethin' you did/God knows when, but you're doin' it again/You better duck down the alley way, lookin' for a new friend/The man in the coon-skin cap in the big pen/Wants eleven dollar bills, you only got ten" – Bob Dylan, "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

Ben Czajkowski: "When the time that's wasted comes back to haunt me./And I'll deserve every bit. because I'm not spiritual yet./I'm just reading the lines they gave me from the pulpit." - Dead Poetic, "Glass In The Trees"

Patrick Robinson: "Summers eve, I drop degrees chill/Come four by four, lose one like Dru Hill/Stay fly till you air sick, now that's ill/Two choices, either squeeze or peel, now that's real" - Lady Luck, "Simon Says Remix" (by Pharoahe Monch)

NEXT MONTH'S NEW RELEASES


Disturbed – Indestructible
Dan Wilcox: I would have a hell of a lot more to say about this album if the website I pre-ordered it from would only get their act together and actually send it to me. You know, when I pre-order something weeks before it is released, I expect to get it either the day it comes out or at latest the very next day. Nearly a week after this dropped and I'm still waiting for it. That said, the few tracks I've heard are decent if unspectacular, but the band has failed to put out a bad album yet so I do have pretty high hopes for this one.

Ben Czajkowski: Reality needs to set in for Disturbed fans: this self-produced album is sub-par for a band that some of you call "the face of modern rock."


The Futureheads – This Is Not The World
Dan Wilcox: This album was released a couple of weeks ago in the UK and it's pretty much more of the same from The Futureheads. "The Beginning of the Twist" is a fantastic opener and "See What You Want", the closing track is another great effort. Unfortunately, a lot of what comes in between is filler and it seems that not too much effort has gone into it. There are a handful of at least good tracks here but ultimately, it's fairly forgettable.


The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
Dan Wilcox: My review of this is available here and if you're too lazy to read it, I'll just say that this is a fantastic pop record that will be the best in its genre come year's end. I don't know what sort of hype this has had in the US, but this album is already a big-seller over here and I can see it doing well over there too. There's nothing to dislike about this album as it's not so long that it becomes an annoyance and every song is pretty much a winner.


The Offspring - Rise & Fall, Rage & Grace
Dan Wilcox: For all the praise Smash receives, I've never understood what it is that some people like about this band. There are few bands that I truly loathe but this is one of them. I might download the album for free just to see how bad it is, but I don't look forward to hearing this stuff live at Download this weekend.


Rev Theory - Light It Up
Dan Wilcox: The only stuff I've heard from these guys are the songs used by WWE this year. Unfortunately, "Voices", Randy Orton's swank new theme song, is not on the album but the title track is a real gem, although I have a bias towards it solely because it was used as the WrestleMania 24 theme song. I expect this to be a decent collection of hard rock songs and I have high hopes for it. Although none of the usual online retailers I use seem to be stocking it, so it may be a while before I get my hands on it.


Adele - 19
Dan Wilcox: Really? You're only just getting this in the States? It's been polluting UK charts for a very long time now and has practically no redeemable qualities. "Chasing Pavements" is the track you'll likely hear the most of on the radio, and it's an absolutely awful song. I've heard about half the album and all the songs are pretty awful in fact. Avoid this one at all costs, folks.


Shinedown - The Sound Of Madness
Dan Wilcox: How have I not heard anything from this yet? I didn't think it was out until much later in the summer. Anyway, Leave a Whisper was great and I also enjoyed Us and Them so this is another record that I have very high hopes for.


My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Dan Wilcox: My Morning Jacket are an absolutely awesome band. It's been three years since they released a studio album (although 2006's live album Okonokos makes up for it) so this one has been a long time coming, and from the brief snippets of the album I've heard all ready, this should be another great album to follow up on Z. I'll be seeing this band twice in the space of three days later this month as well, so I'm very much on a My Morning Jacket kick right now.


The Fratellis - Here We Stand
Dan Wilcox:I wasn't into the Fratellis until I heard their first single from this album, "Mistress Mable", but now I'm really liking their sound so I'll be picking this one up this week. I've already heard some really good reviews of this album so if the album is as good as the hype, it'll be one of the best of 2008.


Sign - The Hope
Dan Wilcox: Sign are a band I'd never even heard of until it was announced that they would be playing the main stage of Download this weekend. The Hope is their second album to be produced in English (the band are Icelandic) and from what I've heard it's pretty good. "Misguided" is a great rock track and there's a couple of other decent tracks that I've heard, but it's got me hyped for this album's release.


Feeder - Silent Cry
Dan Wilcox: Oh yeah, Feeder are back, baby! Their sixth album Silent Cry is being hyped as their best yet, and if the two singles "Miss You" and "We Are The People" are anything to go by, the hype is not worth listening to, because they're both pretty weak tracks. Having said that, I'm sure that there'll be at least a couple of good songs on here to keep me entertained.


Sigur Ros - With A Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly
Dan Wilcox: That would be the English translation of the album title, but regardless a new Sigur Ros album is very much welcome. This is a band that I only discovered earier this year and so far I love everything they've put out so I don't see why this one should be any different.


The Subways - All Or Nothing
Dan Wilcox: This album has been a long time coming and I can't wait for its release at the end of the month. Everything I've heard from the album so far is top-notch stuff. The band are playing in my hometown of Gloucester as well as the Download festival this month so I can't wait to hear some of the new stuff live because The Subways are also a great live band. "Girls & Boys", the opening track, is a beast of a song and will be on my summer playlist for many months. This one should be good.


My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade Is Dead!
Dan Wilcox: Anyone who hasn't seen MCR play as The Black Parade live is missing out on a fantastic show that combines awesome theatrics with great music, and so it's awesome that their amazing live performance has been captured on released on DVD at last. This should be a great way to close out The Black Parade era and will be a real treat for fans. This is a must-buy because My Chemical Romance are one of the best live bands around today.


Fightstar - Alternate Endings
Dan Wilcox: Make no mistake about it, Fightstar are a great band. But this collection of remixes and B-sides will, in all likelihood, be just like all the other collections of B-sides and remixes released – crap. This is really just a way of making some more money. I'll buy it anyway, just in case there is something good here, but I'd be surprised.


Little Brother - And Justus For All
Phil Watts, Jr.: Last year around this time, LB was planning on releasing this mixtape to get people ready for Getback. However, because of the news of the RIAA's war on mixtapes (and DJ Drama getting arrested with his mixtapes confiscated), LB decided to release it as a FREE DOWNLOAD. Now, you have the opportunity to purchase it (and put some change in their pockets as they go searching for a new record deal). While there have been a few songs that have been cut from the album (like "Last Day", Phonte's hilarious look at his last day working retail), they do have a few songs that weren't on the download, like "Cool As A Fan", "To Late For Us", "Lose It", and "Stylin'".


Bobby Digital - Digi Snacks
Phil Watts, Jr.: "BODOBODOBODOBODO!!!" Ugh. The release of Bobby Digital In Stereo nearly a decade ago was the beginning of the Wu-Tang's downward spiral, as the RZA veered away from the crates and used more synths in his music, butchering the Wu-Tang sound in the process. (To me, that album's only redeeming value is the cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz). They were never really the same since (although Ghostface would bring the group back years later). Now, months after the colossal failure of 8 Diagrams (which showcased an unmotivated Wu and RZA's most uninspired production), RZA wants to give his Digital alter ego another whirl. It's no secret that the RZA will surprise us again, but will it be in a good way or a bad way? I really hope he does come through this time.


K-Def Presents Beats From The 90's
Phil Watts, Jr.: Years ago, K-Def was rolling with Marley Marl and the House Of Hits, making hits for Lords Of The Underground, LL Cool J (the GOOD songs from 14 Shots to The Dome), and as part of Real Live. This release compiles some of the unused instrumentals from this period. K-Def was vastly underrated, and I wish he needs to return to this production style. This sound is solely missed.


Craig G & Marley Marl - Operation Take Hip-Hop Back
Phil Watts, Jr.: On one hand, it's great to hear that Craig G has reunited with Marley Marl. On the other hand, I wish they would talk about something else, since KRS already brought that point across last year. I'd like more "I Drop Science" and less Hip-Hop Lives Part 2. It's time to stop talking about how fucked up hip-hop is and give the dead some LIFE.


Weezer - Weezer
Ben Czajkowski: A solid effort from a band that fell off the map for a while.


Jewel - Perfectly Clear
Ben Czajkowski: After being honored for her record sales exceeding 18 million, Jewel is going to finally get some of the recognition she deserves. She doesn't take her clothes off, get trashed, or let people take pictures of her wearing a diaper.


Opeth - Watershed
Ben Czajkowski: Best. Metal. Album. Of the year.


Radiohead - The Best Of
Ben Czajkowski: I don't support this album at all. It's just another sham of the record labels to make some money on something they've already cashed in on. There is no new work here, and the band itself is outraged by it.


Gavin Rossdale - Wanderlust
Ben Czajkowski: The Bush/Institute frontman is back with his first solo release that does not meet my expectations at all.


Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
Patrick Robinson: Easily one of the most anticipated albums in years, Tha Carter III has extremely high expectations to live up to. Lil Wayne has been proclaiming himself to be the best rapper alive for some time now, but has yet to back that statement up with a strong full length, studio album. This could well be "that album".


N*E*R*D* - Seeing Sounds
Patrick Robinson: I caught the lead single "Everybody Nose" on MTV the other day, and felt the strong urge…to change the channel. I've always found Pharrell's music to be hit or miss, and this one's gearing up to be a miss.


Plies - Definition Of Real
Patrick Robinson: Plies' latest album seems to be geared towards the ladies more than being an example of how "real" he can be. Unless he is all about the ladies, in which case he's really just an annoying version of Nelly.


Immortal Technique & DJ Green Lantern - The 3rd World
Patrick Robinson: Immortal Technique has been absent for the last few years from music in terms of new material (apart from the occasional conspiracy theory track). I'm hoping that this album isn't full of the conspiracy theory stuff, and is in fact, a return to the more diverse and poignant lyricism he's displayed in the past.


Keak Da Sneak - Deified
Patrick Robinson: Ok, does anybody else think Keak Da Sneak sounds like a rapping corpse?

THE END
And that'll do it for this month. Join us next month for another awe-inspiring edition of the 411 Music Roundtable!