Can't Review Them All: Present Tense Aritists Of Today

As I begin a new year and reading through best of 2011 blogs from around the net world I have come to the conclusion that I am really running out of time to really sort through all the praises being bestowed upon Adele. I guess the Amy Winehouse comparisons to her 19 album made me think I can basically live without that or 21, which seems to be a shoo in for Grammys TM this year.   TAD reviewed the new Grace Potter but I don't think I really liked her first album all that much either.

Brantley Gilbert/Jason Aldean/Josh Thompson  Or the new Trailer Park Country Posse.

Farce The Music has such a hatred of Brantley Gilbert that it seems that perhaps I should take a listen to what he has out. A closer listen to Halfway To Heaven seems to be more in line with hard rock Mellencamp or Kentucky Headhunters but his lyrics a bit more country cornporn than the average Toby Keith.  More southern rock to these ears rather than real country.  Jason Aldean and Josh Thompson share one thing in common, if they name check Johnny Cash or Waylon Jennings then they think they can be called country.  Didn't like Johnny Cash the song off Relentless although Aldean got Miranda Lambert to sing on a track off that album.  He got his fans and they will defend him to the very end and you cannot beat fans like that.  But as for me I don't care for his music.  Lose the cheap goatee and cowboy hat and maybe name check somebody from the past that you don't hear of, try Roy Acuff  THE KING OF COUNTRY MUSIC next time Jason and you might get points from me, but probably not my time nor attention to listen to your music.

As for Josh Thompson, if Waylon Jennings was still alive he be coming out to kick your ass for having the most cliche country album of last year Way Out Here, which sounds like bad Georgia Satellites.  Whatever you're playing Josh, it's not country, it's crap.

The Cure:

Sorry to hear they didn't make it to the RnR HOF and someday Robert Smith will but the only album that I ever enjoyed listening to them was the Staring At The Sea best of that came out way back in the mid 80s.  Yeh you can't escape Friday I'm In Love (which isn't bad) but Lovesong has never been a favorite of mine nor anything off Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me.  At least Depache Mode got commercially better whereas The Cure simply sold out for radio airplay and kudos.

Nickelback:

They are this generation's rock and roll band of today but they are hated for Chad Kroeger's vocals and lyrics.  I guess you call it the perfect rebellion since they can't get a decent review and was even booed at halftime at the Thankgiving game at halftime in Detroit.   How You Reminded Me, broke them big and then broke them from the critical reviews.  One of the longer lasting bands on Roadrunner Records, if I chose a album to listen to, perhaps The State might be that one.  They were hungry back then.  Robert John Lange helped them on Dark Horse which would be my number 2 but now they're back to producing themselves.  It's not supposed to be everybody's agreeable band folks, that's why they call it rock and roll.  If I was about 20 years younger I'd be more of a fan but nowadays so much music and bands, so little time......