La Rocca, The Truth
La Rocca is one of those bands that’s hard to describe, not because its sound is one-of-a-kind, but more because its music draws from almost every rock genre possible.
My best attempt to classify the Irish band’s debut album, The Truth, would be poppy folk rock ‘n’ blues.
“”Sketches”” opens the album, and its catchy melody will stick with you for a few hours. The album is produced by Tony Hoffer, whose former work includes Beck and Belle and Sebastian, which rubs off on the likes of “”Sing Song Sung”” and “”Non Believer.””
The lead singer’s voice is hard to place, but if Bono, Bob Dylan and the lead singer of Jet morphed their voices, this is what you would get.
Although La Rocca is not terribly unique, it’s nice to listen to a release that is a happy medium between the recent crappy pop rock and experimental electronic rock releases.
Rating: 8/10
– Lauren Hillery
Beyonce, B’Day
B’Day is more than just “”Bootylicious.”” Her diva attitude and provocative lyrics makes this album stand out from those of other pop princesses.
Beyonce released B’Day on Tuesday to coincide with the celebration of her 25th birthday, which was on Monday.The beats Beyonce sings to are far fiercer than anything on her 2003 solo debut, Dangerously in Love. Track 12, “”Ring the Alarm,””is the album’s spiciest song. Beyonce tells her cheating man, “”I then put in a call/’Cuz you ain’t never seen a fire like the one I’m gonna cause.””
B’Day is a step up from Beyonce’s days with the pop group Destiny’s Child. The album has 13 club-rocking tracks that dignify her as an aggressive singer and songwriter. You might want to check your volume before popping in this R&B album.
Rating: 8/10
-Katy Graham
The Grates, Gravity Won’t Get You High
Although the upbeat and funky sounds on this Australian trio’s album may not physically get you high, they will at least make you snap your fingers a little bit. The wild “”19 20 20,”” and the banjo-infused “”Sukkafish”” and “”Science is Golden”” on The Grates’ album Gravity Won’t get you High will have you tapping your feet and bobbing your head with joy.
The Grates sound like an amateur version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but they don’t have as much melodic texture and still need to solidify their musical identity. The vocals of Patience Hodgson take a bit of getting used to, but once she infects you with her rock girl tone, you’re in for good.The songs are as simple as songs gets, yet there’s a solid infrastructure under the guitar strums and beatings of the drum that is respectable. The vocals bring the tracks together for this feel-good album of 2006.
Rating: 8/10
-Ernesto Romero
The Roots, Game Theory
Oh, so you “”don’t listen to rap?”” You think rap is just a bunch of guys venting about “”bitches and hoes?””
First of all, get over yourself – you don’t have to be from the hood to like rap. And while you’re at it, maybe you should try listening to The Roots. They’re different. So let’s just put it out there: no other recent hip-hop or rap group can beat The Roots. Their music is meaningful, original and is always a merging of genres other than rap and hip-hop. Unfortunately, Game Theory, their latest album, isn’t the best Roots CD of all time, but it’s still The Roots, which means a quality album. Their songs have significance and implications. The track “”Take it There,”” for example, goes, “”A people disenfranchised from the free world/oil for food, but they’re still hungry/no democracy, they said one vote equals one voice/the villains abandoning the planet and the people.”” Yes, it’s social criticism and it’s something The Roots do best. “”Game Theory,”” “”Don’t Feel Right”” and “”In the Music”” are the best tracks from the album.
The latest CD might not equal the brilliance found in past records such as Phrenology or The Tipping Point, but never do The Roots have a bad album. They are just too good for that, and Game Theory is an excellent album that deserves to be heard.
Rating: 8/10
-Amy Wieseneck
