Thursday's Track Reviews

The Good: Jay Reatard - "You Mean Nothing To Me"; This is the latest in the ongoing string of Jay Reatard B-sides from his singles series. It's yet another solid showing from the Reatard, but anyone who's surprised by that after so many awesome singles is just plain crazy. This tune is driven by some funky keyboards and some hand claps and it's just freakin' awesome so start listening!
Grade: A

A-Trak (feat. Lupe Fiasco) - "Mastered"; As Kanye West's touring DJ, A-Trak has been exposed to one of the biggest stages in the world, but he doesn't really shine as bright as he can until he starts doing his own thing. Enter his Nike commissioned Running Man, an album to run to or dance to or just plain bounce to. Whatever you're planning on doing with it this track, featuring the always excellent Lupe Fiasco, is absolutely bumping! You can see why this dude won the DMC World Championship at age 15! Now get running!
Grade: B+

Birdmonster - "Born To Be Your Man"; Okay let's go down a brief list of blog phenoms and see how they are doing; Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - your second album blew, Tapes 'n Tapes - you second album was one of the biggest pieces of shit of the year, Birdmonster - holy shit this track is actually really fucking catchy, WTF! I was all set to write off Birdmonster, they had been over hyped the first time around and really weren't quite the anointed ones other blogs made them out to be. But lo and behold, this first song of their new album is insanely catchy. A lot more Americana then their first record, a little clap happy, an unnecessary guitar solo, but an all around solid start. Maybe now I'll actually have to listen to the second album, and maybe you should brace yourselves for a shit storm of more blog love for these San Francisco fellas!
Grade: B

Nas - "Queens Get the Money"; If you've been keeping track at home, you probably know that the new untitled Nas album has been leaking track by track for the last two days. I think we have six or seven of them in our pockets now, but I think this may just be the hottest of them all so far. Over just a simple piano line Nas rhymes and he rhymes hard! Trying to revive hip-hop, attacking presidential candidates, just shooting it straight and with so little to back him up! This track is sick for all the right reasons.
Grade: A

Kid Cudi (feat. Wale) - "Is There Any Love"; I'm not completely sold on this song. There are a few moments where Kid Cudi is a little weak with what he's spitting, but overall the beat is strong and Wale and Cudi have a lot of good things going on. They aren't at Kanye or Lil' Wayne level, but they definitely have something going on here. It's good, just not great.
Grade: B-

Beck (feat. JackWhite) - "Ninety-Nine (live)"; I don't normally post live tracks here, but with Beck and Jack White getting together I just couldn't pass up the opportunity! The intro here is pretty funny, but the song itself is hot. That's a sick little guitar riff there, and though the quality isn't the greatest it's pretty solid. I like it a lot!
Grade: B

Annie - "My Love Is Better"; Oh man do I love me some Annie! This girl can do no wrong in my eyes and this tune just continues to prove that! It's a great little dance pop number that's addictive and catchy and sugary and pretty much perfect. I think you'll enjoy it plenty.
Grade: B+

Track of the Week: Love Is All - "Wishing Well"; Thanks to my brother for sending this track over because this shit is quickly becoming my new jam! This is the first track off Love Is All's new record and it's been released as part of that covers EP over on eMusic, but this is freakin' sweet! Peppy, spunky, upbeat, and catchy this song has it all!It's twee, it's pop, and I'm addicted, what can I say!
Grade: A+

Old School Track of the Week: Vitamin C - "Graduation (Friend's Forever)"; My little brother graduated from high school last week. Ten years ago last week I graduated high school. It seems crazy, so I thought this tune would be timely and appropriate (though I probably should have posted it last week).
Grade: B+

The Bad: UNKLE (feat. Josh Homme) - "Chemicals"; For the first 2-minutes of this song I quite enjoy it. It's dark, it has a lot of depth, but it's also kept fairly simple with a beautiful string bit and Homme's gentle vocals, but then the guitars come in at the 2-minute mark and absolutely ruin this tune. They just make no sense being on this track or the beginning makes no sense, one way or the other it just doesn't work.
Grade: C

Michael Jackson (feat. Akon) - "Hold My Hand"; Let me get this out of the way. I don't think Michael Jackson should be offering to hold anyone's hand. Okay now that I got that off my chest let me tell you what I actually think of the new Michael Jackson tune. It's not a bad pop song, nothing from Michael Jackson is ever completely bad (except Bad, har har), but there's something about it that is reminding me of Vitamin C. No not the supplement, the pop singer (see above). Come on MJ, you don't need to be copying any one-hit wonder!
Grade: C+

Calamity Magnet - "Baby You Forgot"; Sarah Radle of The Rentals got herself a new band so I thought I'd check out the first tune of the new album. I don't think I'll be doing that ever again.
Grade: D

Death Vessel - "Bruno's Torso"; I still can't believe that's a dude behind the vocals on Death Vessel, but I'm also still not sold on the band at all. This track is pretty boring and it seems that people like it as a shtick more then anything. Maybe it'll change someday, or something will click inside of me with this band, but that day is not today.
Grade: C-

Dr. Dog - "The Ark"; There are some bands that I have tried to like, I have gone to their shows, listened to their music, and tried to convince myself that they might turn it around. Dr. Dog are one of those bands. I honestly can't tell you why I have subjected myself to this jam band as much as I have, but after listening to "The Ark" I think I will officially give up on Dr. Dog. I know this may piss off more then a few of you, but this band is flat out boring. No matter how many stage antics you have, it doesn't save the music!
Grade: D

John Legend (feat. Andre 3000) - "Green Light"; I once stood next to John Legend at an Arcade Fire show at Judson Church. He was there the whole show right next to me and I didn't say anything to him. What do you say to John Legend at an indie rock show? Congrats on all the Grammy's? I dunno, he'll probably win another one for this song especially with the street cred he'll get by having Andre 3000 on this tune. I don't hate it, but I'm definitely not in love. It's very repetitive.
Grade: C+

Video of the Week:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

No Age - "Eraser"; Last week I told you all that Nouns was my album of the year so far, now the band has released a video for my favorite song on the album and I am just eating that shit up. Forget for a minute that this video was premiered on the new Pete Wentz MTV show, and realize that it's a freakin' sick video! Extended intro, disjointed editing, running around, it has it all! And it has that awesome guitar riff!!!