RAMBLING ON MUSIC

I've added Haloscan commenting to Rambling On Music. I should have done this when I first launched this site, but I didn't. Haloscan is much better than Blogger's commenting system, that's for sure.

Anyways, a few guidelines for comments here:

---No racial or sexist comments will be appreciated.

---Don't post as "Anonymous". Make up some fake name like "Patches Dickinson". Something. "Anonymous" just doesn't work here.

---Bring something to the table. I know I'm always bringing something here. You can too.

We do appreciate comments here. Don't be shy, if you have any questions or comments, just post them in the comments boxes. Or e-mail us (our e-mail addresses are at the top of the page).

One more thing. We're not Blabbermouth.net. If you think that Lars Ulrich sucks, explain why. It could be because his drums on "St. Anger" sound like crap. That's fine.

That's it, that's the list.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch the Ashlee Simpson SNL clip.

No, I'm not talking about The Cars "Let's Go", although that was a good song.

I'm talking about Trick Daddy and Lil' Jon's track "Let's Go", which samples Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train". I really want to hate this song, I really do. But for some reason, I just can't hate this song.

I blame Dave Chappelle for this. He's the man who introduced people like myself to Lil' Jon. I can't get enough of Lil' Jon. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! OKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!

I can't say I'm a master of the crunk. But I will say that I can appreciate most forms of music. I've never been a music snob and I'm not going to start being one now.

Audio links to "Let's Go" (Windows Media and Real Media)

Philadelphia is known for cheesesteaks, Will Smith, and insane sports fans.

But in a matter of months, Philadelphia will also be known for the up-and-coming band Silvertide.

I first heard of these guys on Music Choice (check your local cable listings) and they remind me of the Black Crowes. When I get the chance, I'm picking up their debut album, "Show and Tell".

But until then, I'll just have to live with their e-card. The e-card features 4 tracks, "Ain't Coming Home", "California Rain", "Mary Jane", and "Devil's Daughter". "Ain't Coming Home" is Silvertide's first single and I'm just blown away by this track.

Not only does the e-card feature those 4 tracks, the e-card also features a live video of "Ain't Coming Home" and a 10-minute interview with Silvertide.

I'm going to go ahead and call it right now, Silvertide is going to be very successful in the coming months. Silvertide doesn't seem to care about their image, they just want to rock. I can always respect bands like that.

Once I get "Show And Tell", I'll have a review up in no time. Until then, I'll just settle for the e-card.

Halloween weekend is here.

My costume? Poor college student.

Thank you and good night.

No, I have some free rambling to do. Enjoy.

---I like A Perfect Circle. They've released two solid albums, "Mer De Noms" and "Thirteenth Step". But I'm so ready for a new Tool album. Do any of you realize that it's been almost 3 and a half years since there's been a new Tool album on the shelf? Then again, it took 5 years to release "Lateralus" after 1996's asskicking "Aenima", so maybe I shouldn't complain too much.

---If there's one band that I need to see live, it's Tool. I've already seen great bands live such as Metallica, Rush, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, and Godsmack. But when Tool ever gets around to releasing a new album, I'm definitely going to see them live. I'll probably have to make a trip to Memphis to do that, but it will be worth it. Besides, Memphis is much better than Little Rock. Not that I've ever been to Memphis.

---While I hate the living hell out of their cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", Shinedown has earned my respect because of their outstanding track "Fly From The Inside". I had no clue that it was Shinedown who did this track until today. They're in Little Rock this weekend with Velvet Revolver, Chevelle and Earshot. Tickets are still available. No, I won't be going, unless in the next 36 hours or so somebody hooks me up with a ticket. (Shinedown official site audio link here)

---I was flipping through the channels on my TV earlier tonight and all of a sudden, I find Metallica's James Hetfield on CMT "Outlaws". Hetfield being on CMT doesn't really surprise me. But what gets me is how country acts Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson are allowed to be on the same damn stage as Hetfield and Hank Williams, Jr. Same goes for Kid Rock, who for some reason is dabbling in country. What's next, polka, Bob Ritchie?

---What's in my head right now? Frankie Valli's "Grease", that's what. Grease is the word, is the word that you heard, it's got a groove, it's got a meaning. Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion. Grease is the way we are feeling. (If you hum "Grease" from here on out, go ahead and blame me. Like I care.)

---For the record, I love "Grease". But I hate "Grease 2".

---So Lindsay Lohan is launching a music career. That's just great, isn't it? It's not like anybody is going to focus on her, uh, vocals. Hey, I'm just being honest. Personally, the whole Lohan hypemachine ended for me when I found out that she was dating Fez.

Fez.

---You don't have to like Eminem, but you sure as hell better respect him for the fact that he has balls. Just check out his scathing video "Mosh", mocking our current President. Well, President for the next few days, hopefully.

---NO, WE ARE NOT A POLITICAL BLOG. THAT IS THE ONLY POLITICAL STATEMENT I WILL EVER MAKE HERE. TRUST ME. PLEASE, NO POLITICAL COMMENTS IN THE COMMENTS THREAD. THANKS IN ADVANCE. (caps off)

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On that note, I'll end this post.

Have a good Halloween weekend. Eat all the candy you can stomach. And well, ramble on and listen to some music.

From Blabbermouth.net via MTV News:

MTV.com reports: An Ohio musician has filed a petition in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against STAIND, claiming that the band obtained legal use of the name STAIND through fraudulent practices. If Jon Stainbrook, who fronted a band called the STAIN, wins, Aaron Lewis' band could be forced to change its name. Stainbrook had prevailed previously in a similar dispute, resulting in the Los Angeles band LIT having to change their name from STAIN.

Whether they will remain known as "Staind" is besides the point.

I just don't want to have to put with another album from this band that features crap like "So Far Away". Man, I can't begin to explain how disappointed I was about their last album "14 Shades of Grey". I loved the first single, "Price To Play". But then Staind decides to release "So Far Away" as a single. It doesn't help that the small-market radio stations decided to play that song over and over again.

Basically, Staind's next album has to have more songs like "Price To Play".

Got it? More songs like "Price To Play". Less songs like "So Far Away". I hope I'm being clear on this.

No, not Springer.

Jerry Cantrell is scheduled to release his forthcoming album in 2005, the follow-up to 2002's "Degradation Trip". On Blabbermouth.net (a hysterical site full of Lars Ulrich and Tommy Lee bashers), there's rumors that Cantrell has talked to Dropbox's John Kosco about possibly appearing on his new album.

It's a little funny if you think about it.

---Godsmack has been compared to Alice In Chains
---Godsmack's Sully Erna discovered Dropbox
---And now Cantrell has asked Dropbox's lead singer to appear on his new album

First of all, the Godsmack comparisons to Alice In Chains are lazy at best. I've seen Godsmack live (this past spring in Little Rock) and they kicked major ass. They've always produced solid material and will continue to do so for many years to come hopefully.

Dropbox is solid as well. If you haven't already, go pick up their self-titled album, "Dropbox", ASAP. It's still pretty cheap as far as I know. Believe me, the album is more than "Wishbone".

Point being, I can't wait for a new Cantrell solo album.

GENERATION TURNED A CHEMICAL TRIBE
DON'T REALLY CARE IF WE LIVE OR DIE
GENERATION TURNED A CHEMICAL TRIBE
BEEN SOLD OUT AND IT'S NO SURPRISE

On the cover of "Lemonade and Brownies", Nicole Eggert.

She's a winner.



SO DON'T YOU DARE MESS WITH MY MEAN MACHINE

DON'T F**K WITH IT!

Because "happy" is just overused and tired.

Extreme "Hole Hearted"
Incubus "Wish You Were Here"
U2 "Two Hearts Beat As One"
Red Hot Chili Peppers "My Friends"
Phil Collins "Two Hearts"

To explain why I like the term glorious better than happy, it just sounds better to me. If I were "happy", I'd be lying. Glorious to me means that I'm feeling good, although at the same time, things can be better. But for the time being, things are glorious.

Yes, glorious.

THERE'S A HOLE IN MY HEART AND IT CAN ONLY BE FILLED BY YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

(Extreme, underrated. And they were based in Boston.)

I'm sick and f**king tired of these pre-packaged, pop tart, media hyped, overrated, record industry darlings taking up all of the damn airtime on radio and music television.

So when Ashlee Simpson's performance on "Saturday Night Live" went bad, I was laughing my ass off. I didn't see it live, but I have seen this video link many, many times over the past couple of days.

I could care less if she wasn't feeling well. This is just too damn funny and she will never be able to have a legitimate career in the music industry again. Girl you know it's true, ooh ooh ooh, you got owned!

Yep, it's Tuesday evening on the West Coast, Wednesday morning here in Arkansas. I'm bored as hell. I think I'll have to watch this clip a few more times...

Some musical thoughts while watching Game 1 of the World Series.

(For our sporting views, check out Sports and Bremertonians)

---Here's the official soundtrack listing for "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas".

A few of the tracks that will be featured in the "San Andreas" soundtrack box set:

Alice In Chains "Them Bones"
Soundgarden "Rusty Cage"
Toto "Hold The Line"
Heart "Barracuda"
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Freebird"
Helmet "Unsung"
Living Colour "Cult of Personality"
Guns N' Roses "Welcome To The Jungle"
Rage Against The Machine "Killing In The Name"
Cypress Hill "How I Could Just Kill A Man"

The game comes out this Tuesday, the 26th, but the soundtrack won't be released until November 23.

---"Uno, dos, tres, catorce!". You've probably heard the intro of U2's "Vertigo" more than a few times over the past few weeks. Yes, "catorce" is 14 in Spanish. 4 is "cuatro". But the fact is, Bono can do whatever the hell he wants. So he didn't say "cuatro" after "tres". Big deal. Oh, and U2's new album "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" is out November 23.

---It seems like everybody is releasing something on November 23. Incubus will release "Alive at Red Rocks", a CD/DVD package on November 23. Incubus performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this past July. Here's the tracklisting for "Alive at Red Rocks:

Megalomaniac
Nice To Know You
Idiot Box
Just A Phase
Priceless
Beware! Criminal
Wish You Were Here
Here In My Room
Drive
Vitamin
Pistola
Stellar
Made For TV Movie
Talk Shows On Mute
Sick Sad Little World
A Certain Shade Of Green
Pantomime
The Warmth
Pardon Me
Pantomime
Follow
Monuments and Melodies
Are You In?
Circles

Good stuff indeed.

---In another Incubus-related note, "Here In My Room" gets me every single time.

---FOX just played Stevie Nicks "Stand Back". Personally, the only Stevie Nicks solo tracks I give a damn about are "Edge of Seventeen" and her duet with Tom Petty "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around".

---And yes, Destiny's Child pissed on "Edge of Seventeen" when they came out with "Bootylicious".

---The Clinton Presidential Library will open up in Little Rock on November 18, but the night before, there will be a free concert in downtown Little Rock with Better Than Ezra and the North Mississippi All-Stars. Better Than Ezra are solid. I don't know a lot about the North Mississippi All-Stars though. It should be a fun show. Hopefully it doesn't get cancelled (rimshot).

---Oh dear god, there will be a 4th season of "American Idol". The show is good for the first month when they show the horrific auditions. Who can forget Keith from Atlanta destroying Madonna's "Like A Virgin"? I know I can't. After they get the bad singers out of the way, the show is not watchable anymore. At least for me it isn't.

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That about does it here.

I have nothing left.

Later.

The first of many lists here at Rambling On Music.

1. Alice In Chains
2. Sevendust
3. Faith No More
4. The Cult
5. Toad The Wet Sprocket

This is the fourth full-length album from this fun group of Canadians. The album is named UN volunteer Chuck Pelletier of Victoria, BC, who helped "save [their] asses" from an eruption of gunfire in the Congo (they were filming a documentary there), as quoted in the liner notes. The experience that the band had in Africa has no doubt manifested itself in this album. It's fairly dark, and there's nothing as bouncy and happy sounding as a "Fat Lip" (though those lyrics were probably more mean than happy) on this album. As a result of what they'd been through between albums, the lyrics on this record seem to have more of a point (sans "Hell Song" and "Still Waiting" off of Does This Look Infected?). Now they aren't angry just for the sake of being angry. There's nothing here as juvenile as "You look like ass/You smell like sh**/So why are you such a d*ck?!" as there was on the last album. Also, it seems this album more broadly covers the emotional spectrum. There's probably no unequivocally happy songs, as I've said, but there are a couple of slower poppish tracks on the album. As an added bonus, the boys toss me a nugget in the form of their metal roots busting out on a couple occasions, to the tune of straight-up near-shred guitar solos by Dave Baksh, most notably on "The Bitter End" and "88."

About the album and the band members (no creative nicknames like Stevo 32 or Dave Brownsound this time; no names at all are given in the liner notes)
Running time -- just over 37 minutes

Deryck Whibley -- guitar, lead vocals
Dave Baksh -- (lead) guitar
Cone McCaslin (usu. known as simply "Cone") -- bass guitar
Steve Jocz -- drums

I've added this line here after writing the rest of the review. It occurs to me that it might be completely unfair. Why? I heard what I was hearing in the songs and took down the other songs and bands that came to mind as a result. So this review may come off as saying it's a complete ripoff of all the other songs I've listed, which is more than likely unfair. To say that they may have been influenced by the other bands I've listed, however, is probably not. That said, some say the Cult (a band whose every album I have) made a career out of ripping off other bands (i.e., the "Love Removal Machine" riff compared to the world-famous "Start Me Up" riff, and that "Take the Power" solo that you could swear Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots was playing). In defense, picking up a guitar and trying to write a song that sounds like it's ripping off someone (at least vaguely) is a lot harder than it sounds, and I know this from personal experience. It's hard, and the ability to do it consistently is a gift.

Now I'll try to go track by track...

1) Intro (0:46) -- This album doesn't kick off with the bulldozer that was "Hell Song." This intro is a few strummed chords which are somewhat melancholy in tone. Keep in mind what I said about the music being more broad in terms of emotion, or maybe I should have said it's more dynamic. Anyway, the intro gets the listener ready for...

2) No Reason (3:04) -- ...this one's the "Hell Song" of this album. The catchy chorus, the catchy riff, the ability to make the listener feel like they've been through something afterward. It's faster than "Hell Song," though, and all the repeating of "hey" has got to make it a live favorite when they tour with the incorrigible Good Charlotte. "Hell Song" had a point to it (and a very personal point to the band members themselves), and this one's got a point as well.

3) We're All to Blame (3:38) -- The first single. You may have seen the video on MTV(2) with all the Solid Gold dancers, and the '70s-style filter on the camera (or maybe they just used old cameras). By this point, people will probably realize that Sum 41 isn't just writing songs about "that guy sucks," "authority sucks," or anything that they've been stereotyped with. This song sure as hell isn't about breaking up with a girlfriend.

4) Angels with Dirty Faces (2:23) -- A slow, dark starter. There's something Linkin Park-y about the chorus (remember that whole secondary yelling thing in the chorus of "One Step Closer"), which I'm not suggesting is a bad thing. There's a number of moments on this album that sound like other bands.

5) Some Say (3:26) -- I can imagine Liam Gallagher singing the verses in this song. There's something quite Oasis-like about the beginning of the song, and Deryck's vocal delivery seems like it may be taking a page out of Liam's book. There's a nice melodic lead for the bridge of the song as well, and some nice lead fills during the final verse. Okay, this song might be about breaking up with a girlfriend, but you could also say it's about taking responsibility too, so it's not blatant.

6) The Bitter End (2:51) -- This is the song that grabbed me the most on the first listen because I'm hoping Sum 41 matures into an all-out metal band. There's some definitely Metallica-sounding moments. The first riff sounds like a variation of the opening of "Through the Never." The first solo is reminiscent of the first solo from "Battery." The second (extended) solo has somewhat of an identical framework to another later solo in "Battery." Then the "Through the Never"-like riff is played again toward the end, and the end movement is a lot like the end movement of "Battery." Some might call it somehwat of a rip-off, but from these guys I call it pure fun.

7) Open Your Eyes (2:44) -- I know System of a Down didn't invent hyper hi-hats during the verses, but it's nicely used here. Man, this one's got a catchy sing-along chorus too. I have to note that I thought the chorus was going to go half-time on me when I was just listening to it, but it stayed at full speed. Nice bridge is here, along with a neat melodic solo, evoking a memory of the end of Tom Morello's solo on "Like a Stone."

8) Slipping Away (2:29) -- This one starts with acoustic guitar, and an effect on the vocal (think start of Foo Fighters' "Doll"), which is a departure. Definitely conveys a feeling of helplessness, as indicated by the title. The strings section adds to this, and the notes are ominous when they're brought forward in the mix. The song seems to end a bit prematurely, but to expect longer songs from a band whose songs never crack 3:30 is a stretch.

9) I'm Not the One (3:34) -- This one might be as memorable as "Hell Song" or "No Reason." Again, I'm getting this feeling of Linkin Park ("Faint" this time, maybe) in there. Ah yes, metal-style palm-muting in the bridge. Good stuff. I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what other song ends with those three notes, and I'll probably edit this post when I finally remember it.

10) Welcome to Hell (1:56) -- As you can tell by the time, it's a shorty. Cone has a spotlight moment here with a little fill over just the drums. Nice buildup for the bridge of the song with the space-outty guitar. Also, I'm pretty sure I heard double-bass drums in the song (yeah!!).

11) Pieces (3:01) -- The beginning of this one reminds me of the beginning of the closing track off the last album. Deryck's softer, more tame voice is maturing quite nicely. This may be the most poppy song on the album. This is also the second song that's on the sticker on the front of the album. I hope they don't get pigeonholed by this song. We saw what happened to Staind -- "It's Been Awhile" took off, and now the public en masse (though definitely not the best connoisseurs of music) won't deal with anything other than a slow ballad from them ("So Far Away"). And that's a shame because Staind did rock at one time.

12) There's No Solution (3:18) -- There's something a lot like Linkin Park "Crawling" during the verse in this song: the vocal delivery, the drum beat, the high instrumental notes (trade in sampler for guitar). Definitely no lung-shredding chorus in this song, however.

13) 88 (4:40) -- There's a really nice chord change in the first part of the first verse (during which there is piano). The first solo has an effect on it that reminds me of the first solo of "Go With the Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age. And then they end the album on a crushing note. I think the first solo after the 2-minute mark reminds me of a lead on "The Four Horsemen" by Metallica. And the final solo is very Hammett-esque, with wah-wah pedal and everything. After the solo ends, the song slows to a feedback spaceout, much like the end of the album version of Weezer's "Undone - the Sweater Song." Creepy use of strings is once again incorporated.

I think album as a whole is better than its predecessor, the solid Does This Feel Infected?. As I've said, the lyrics seem more thoughtful and inspired. There's stuff in it to satisfy the core fans, there's stuff to satisfy the people who hope they're on their way to going metal (hand raised), and there's stuff suggesting that they're maturing (in songwriting AND lyrically) musically. I like to judge the consistency of albums, and I'd have to listen to this one a few more times through to get a hold of it. After about a handful of listens, though, it seems to be average to above average in terms of consistency. In terms of stretching themselves out musically, though, I think Sum 41 did a pretty good job, showing that they can slow it down a notch and still be themselves.

[Edit 17 Oct -- I thought wrong. An article in Guitar World reveals that the album was done before Sum 41 left for the Congo, but Deryck penned "We're All to Blame" after the band got back from Africa. Though that song is the only one that directly reflects their feeling after the journey to Africa, it has been hailed as the one song that is the essence, or the album as a whole.]

When the "Daredevil" soundtrack came out in March 2003, I stuck my nose up at it. I didn't think the soundtrack was going to be good at all. I didn't give the movie "Daredevil" a chance either.

But I'm here to tell you, I'm an idiot.

Sometimes, it is OK to be wrong. And boy, was I wrong here.

I picked up the "Daredevil" soundtrack earlier this week at my college bookstore. It was on sale, as the bookstore is trying to get rid of all of their CDs. I do feel sort of guilty for getting it on sale instead of paying full price for it, considering how much I like this album.

The "Daredevil" soundtrack features 20 tracks, clocking in at just over 74 minutes.

My favorite tracks off of the "Daredevil" soundtrack:
(track number, band name, song, review)

1) Fuel "Won't Back Down" --- A great opening track. "Won't Back Down" reminds me why I like Fuel. Easily their best song since 1998's "Bittersweet". If I were a stadium or arena DJ, "Won't Back Down" would definitely be played. I'm shocked that this song hasn't been used more in stadiums and arenas.

6) Drowning Pool with Rob Zombie "The Man Without Fear" --- This was Drowning Pool's first single since the death of their former lead singer Dave Williams. Rob Zombie did the vocals on "The Man Without Fear" and just proves once again that he indeed rocks. Listening to "The Man Without Fear", I couldn't help but think about whether Zombie should have joined Drowning Pool on a permanent basis. I digress.

7) Nappy Roots with former P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel "Right Now" --- Nappy Roots and Marcos work very well together. Marcos was featured on Nappy Roots' rock remix of "Awnaw", from the "Watermelon, Chicken, and Gritz" album. Nappy Roots called on Marcos one more time, this time for the "Daredevil" soundtrack. "Right Now" is my favorite track off of the soundtrack. I've told anybody that would listen that P.O.D. minus Marcos equals sh*t. I will not debate this, because I know I am right on this issue.

9) Evanescence "Bring Me To Life" --- Let's just say that the "Daredevil" soundtrack helped this Arkansas band. Well, it certainly helped Amy Lee.

11) Hoobastank "Right Before Your Eyes" --- Somebody check my head, because I love this song. "Right Before Your Eyes" fits perfectly on this soundtrack. I don't think Hoobastank could have released this on any of their albums. It's almost a shame that "Right Before Your Eyes" wasn't a huge single, yet "The Reason" was.

18) Finger Eleven "Sad Exchange" --- The 2nd most underrated band in rock music today. The first one is Sevendust. But as far as these Canadians go, they are good. Damn good.

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I have not seen "Daredevil" yet. But I know that I'll give it more of a chance now that I've listened to the soundtrack. I'm interested to see how the music works in the movie.

Rating for the "Daredevil" soundtrack? I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars. As with every movie soundtrack, there is useless filler (Moby hello!). But in addition, most movie soundtracks have some gems. The "Daredevil" soundtrack is no different.

We appreciate all comments. Leave your comments in the comments box below. Appropriate comments only. No spam of any kind will be appreciated.

And you can't call it "now that's what I call crap".

People like to make mix CDs for their certain someone or a friend. Me? Since I'm single, I don't have a certain someone to make a mix CD for. But I made myself a mix CD earlier tonight. Again, this falls into the "I'm not doing jackcrap" file.

I hope you enjoy my list of songs so much that you'll want to listen to them yourself after you're done reading this post. Granted, there's probably 8 of you total that are reading this. But whatever.

Jeremy's mix CD, Fall style:

Loudmouth "Fly"
Coheed and Cambria "A Favor House Atlantic"
Sevendust "Separate"
Queens of the Stone Age "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret"
Offspring "Nitro (Youth Energy)"
Radiohead "High and Dry"
Everclear "Heartspark Dollarsign"
Green Day "She"
Queens of the Stone Age "Feel Good Hit of the Summer"
The Cult "Fire Woman"
Michael Penn "No Myth"
Godsmack "Vampires"
Pearl Jam "Red Mosquito"
Sponge "Plowed"
Queens of the Stone Age "In The Fade"

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3 out of 15 songs on my mix CD are from Queen of the Stone Age's "R" album. Sue me. I've been playing the hell out of QOTSA lately.

I wanted to hate Coheed and Cambria, but I just can't. I'm going to get "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3" soon enough. "A Favor House Atlantic" is brilliant. You can't lose with lyrics like "good eye, sniper. I shoot, you run".

Michael Penn's "No Myth" is a great song. I listen to a ton of hard rock, but I do branch out into other styles of music. It keeps me sane.

Have a good weekend. Go Seahawks.

"Nicotine, valium, vicadin, marijuana, ecstasy, and alcohol"

First off, I'd like to say hi and thanks for visiting Rambling on Music. As Jeremy has said, we've ranted and raved at Sports for over a year at Sports and Bremertonians, but we've got a lot of thoughts about music swimming around in our heads as well. Tonight, I unveil to you my first contribution.

Ozomatli is a multiethnic band whose music is a gleeful mishmash of many many genres across the musical spectrum. To give you an idea of what goes into the music, here's the lineup of the band, as given in the foldout --

Wil-Dog Abers: bass, background vocals
Raul Pacheco: guitar, tres, jarana, lead vocals
Justin "El Nino" Poree: percussion, rap vocals
Asdru Sierra: trumpet, lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar
Ulises Bella: saxophone, background vocals, requinto jarocho, keyboard, melodica
Jiro Yamaguchi: tabla, percussion, and background vocals
Mario Calire: drums
Sheffer Burton: trombone
DJ Spinobi: turntables
Jabu: rap vocals

Songs listed as "written and published by Ozomatli" have the names of Abers, Bella, Poree, Sierra, Pacheco, and Yamaguchi on them, indicating along with the back cover photo that they are the core members of the group.

Ozomatli is from Los Angeles, and are a decidedly left-leaning band on the political spectrum, much like Rage Against the Machine was. However, along with Rage, they also played in the impromptu concert outside the Democratic National Convention in 2000 at the Staples Center. But no matter what anyone's political beliefs may be, Ozomatli deserves your attention. Why? They're a feel-good band with purpose and a love of music, and dammit, that goes a long way.

So now, I'll try to hack up a track-by-track review of Ozomatli's latest album, Street Signs, which I found at my local Circuit City for $9.99. I own both of Ozomatli's two previous full-lengths, so I come into this Ozomatli album with a little familiarity as to how they work.

1) Believe (5:02) -- An interesting thing that comes to me as I listen to this song is the strings section, which adds another facet to the music. A catchy chorus is also involved. The Allmusic.com review suggests this should be a huge radio single, but radio these days just sucks. What I also couldn't put into words was expressed by their review also...Ozomatli is highly danceable.

2) Love and Hope (4:24) -- The string section is apparent in the beginning once again. Some beautiful harmonies in the pre-chorus, and another catchy chorus. Nice touch with the kids singing along with the chorus during the outro.

3) Street Signs (3:44) -- Piano, drums, and hand claps in the intro. A very catchy chorus once again, and the verses are rapped.

4) (Who Discovered) America? (4:35) -- A lyrically smart song. America is referred to as a beautiful and amazing woman, and the obvious double meaning is America as a nation itself. A lyrical triumph.

5) Who's to Blame (3:13) -- Chali 2na is no stranger to Ozomatli, and he appears on this track. This song has almost a middle-eastern feel to it. I've looked in the foldout, and "Egyptian Rhythms" is the "original track."

6) Te Estoy Buscando (3:50) -- A slow little ballad here, again with strings. It's a nice change of pace, which corresponds nicely with the next two songs.

7) Saturday Night (3:59) -- Here's a head-bobber. Rapped hook. Horns mixed with electric guitar in a nice combination.

8) Dejame en Paz (3:28) -- My favorite off the album. For me, this one's exactly what I listen to Ozomatli for. It's fast, it's catchy, it's playful. Most of all, it's impressive. I'm drained after every time I hear this song.

9) Santiago (5:09) -- Some beautiful flamenco guitar starts this one out, and the playing continues throughout the song. There's some nice piano fills in there, too.

10) Ya Viene Del Sol - The Beatle Bob Remix (3:38) -- Clever sample of a pre-concert introduction thrown into the mix. Another head-bobber, of which there are many with this band. Then there's the sitar (or whatever instrument it is) that throws another flavor into the mix.

11) Dona Isabelle (1:04) -- It's merely a little piano instrumental that segues into the next track, But it's a nice one by Eddie Palmieri, a jazz pianist who also appears on the next track.

12) Nadie Te Tira (4:47) -- Again, it's fun like most of the other songs on the album, except with skilled and inventive piano additions by Palmieri.

13) Cuando Canto (4:40) -- You know this one works because it feels like a closing track. In all my years of listening to music, I haven't been able to figure out the mechanics behind closing songs, but this one's got it. It's a little slower, and ends with strings.

Okay, it's my first review in a while, so it probably sucks. This album, however, does not. Most of the stuff I listen to has hard guitars involved, but when I got my first Ozomatli album a few years ago (my prior experience with them was doing security at their Bumbershoot gig), I was hooked. I branched out musically, and these guys didn't disappoint. If you feel the need to branch out musically, give these guys a chance. At least pull up some of their clips on Amazon or something beforehand. They're deserving of your time.

Here's the first album review at Rambling On Music.

It's Green Day's "American Idiot". Released last Tuesday (Sept. 21), "American Idiot" is Green Day's first studio album since 2000's "Warning".

The word on "American Idiot" was that it is a "rock opera", similar to The Who's "Tommy". Well, "Tommy" is on another level. But as far as this era goes, "American Idiot" is this generation's "Tommy".

The album is based on a character called "Jesus of Suburbia". There's many references to the J.O.S. throughout the album. The second track of "American Idiot" is called "Jesus of Suburbia", which clocks in at 9:08. Who knew that Green Day would ever do a song that is over 9 minutes?

"American Idiot" can also be considered a political album, if you want to go that route. If you're paying attention, it's a given that the title track and first single "American Idiot" is about George W. Bush. However, I won't get into any political issues here, simply because I prefer not to talk politics.

I've listened to "American Idiot" too many times to count over the past week and a half. Quite simply, it's the best album that has been released so far in 2004. It's a very creative album, something you don't see these days in the music industry.

Highlights of "American Idiot":

"Holiday" --- The first thought i had when I first heard "Holiday"? This is going to be a huge single. It just has the makings of a huge single. Expect "Holiday" to hit radio stations, MTV, and Fuse in the coming weeks.

"Are We The Waiting"/"St. Jimmy" --- I combined these two songs for a reason. "Brain Stew" and "Jaded" were back-to-back on 1995's "Insomniac" and were released as a single. "Are We The Waiting" is brilliant on many levels. It's a perfect buildup for the very fast "St. Jimmy". I refuse to play one song without the other. It's "Are We The Waiting" then "St. Jimmy". I will not debate this.

(Unrelated yet related note...Other great buildup songs? Van Halen's "1984" which leads into "Jump". Queen's "We Will Rock You", then "We Are The Champions".)

"Give Me Novacaine" --- I was expecting Billy Joe to just blurt out "...in the howling wind, comes a stinging rain!" in the beginning. The intro reminds me of U2's "Bullet The Blue Sky". SKY!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! BULLET THE BLUE SKYYYYYY!!!

"Extraordinary Girl" --- I love the guitar work on this track, just love it.

"Wake Me Up When September Ends" --- This has "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" potential. It's almost a shame that they couldn't have released this as a single right now. After all, September is now over.

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"American Idiot" is Green Day's best album since "Dookie". That's saying a lot, considering how good their post-"Dookie" efforts are. This band has grown up big time in the past 10 years. The maturity with Green Day started with 1997's "Nimrod". It certainly hasn't stopped.

There have been a few good rock albums that have been released in 2004. But "American Idiot" is the best album I've heard so far this year. From start to finish, it's a winner. I'll definitely play the hell out of it for the coming weeks and months.

Welcome back, Green Day. Although they never really left us.

Welcome to Rambling On Music, a blog that features the ramblings of two friends who like to ramble on about music.

We also ramble on about sports at Sports and Bremertonians, where we hit on the Seattle sports scene. But if you want our musical takes, reviews, news, etc., come here to Rambling On Music. Call it ROM if you want to, it doesn't matter to me.

Anyways, there will definitely be some rambling on music here. We welcome all music fans. It simply doesn't matter. Music is a very beautiful thing. I love listening to it as well as talking about it. This is going to be interesting to say the least.

Ramble on.