Boston Skyline Records

Recent Singer-Songwriter album reviews

admin — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

With Angel Olsenâ€™s latest album â€œHalf Way Home,â€ the Chicago songstress channels the dynamic compositional chops and dramatic vocal range of the late Roy Orbison coupled with a style entirely her own. From the first song, â€œAcrobat,â€ it is clear that Olsen is in a league all by herself. Her phrasing, lyrics and vocal style all seem to come unfiltered from an interior zone unburdened by the weight of current trends or any sign of self-pity.

Amidst a sea of mediocre vocal talents, you may be shocked when you hear a woman who can actually sing.Never heard of this before? Get up to speed here. Although her voice is strong enough to front a whole symphony orchestra, the instrumental arrangements backing her voice on the album are quite spare and seem happy to hang back and create an impressionistic background of strummed chords and unraveled notes. One can imagine the huge potential of Olsenâ€™s music if it were augmented with more detailed, or larger instrumental arrangements. Luckily, the live incarnation of Angel Olsen’s stage show is becoming more and more dynamic and catching up to the power of her voice and her songs.

If you have become jaded as a listener and overdosed on too many Joan Baez or Bob Dylan knock-offs, Angel Olsen is sure to remind you that real, raw, and extremely gifted musicians still exist and can revive the sometimes stale genre of â€œsinger-songwriterâ€ back into a crucial art form.

Angel Olsen comes to play Boston at The Sinclair on Friday, May 17th.

Recent Pop album reviews

admin — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

There have been some wonderful pop albums hitting the charts for the summer. The romance is in the air in some areas. Party anthems are afloat in other spots. The recent albums that are dropping will provide something for everyone.

At the top of the list is American Idol winner from the first season of this popular show. Kelly Clarkson has went on and shown that she really has what it takes to sell albums. Her recent Stronger release shows just that: a strong woman behind the music.Want more? Click here{{/tag}

There is another link to the American Idol machine that is blowing up the pop charts. It is not with former winners, however, in the spotlight. Today there is a big deal with the Jennifer Lopez, also known as J.Lo, on the music scene. The girl is lighting up the charts will multiple singles. She is back on top after a drop from the pop charts in recent years.

One Direction is taking over the pop charts in a major way as they hit it big with all of the teenagers that are in love with them. There smash single Beautiful was a well rounded starter to a summer of magical music.

Recent Metal album reviews

admin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The band, Arch Enemy released Khaos Legions this year. It’s a great overall testament to their heavy metal powers, a great, vibrant lively album. Scar Symmetry put out, The Unseen Empire earlier this year. This album is easily the bands best to date, a lot of new original never before heard material. Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand released Primordial, and as usual that band, doesn’t disappoint. There is not as much black metal fixtures in this album, but the band sounds a bit better this time around.Additional information can be found at http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/07/19/scar-symmetry-fans-are-butthurt/. Strtovarius had a big comeback this year, with the release of Elysium. This is a truly powerful album, and the cover features some outstanding artwork. A very progressive metal album this year was Never be Tamed by Conflicted. Truly a brilliant album with extremely difficult technical elements, not to be missed by metal fans. Probably the best album that Edbuy released is their current album, Age of the Joker. Really outstanding vocals in this album. A group of different metal members formulated, the band, Stargazery, their current release is, Eye of the Sky, it’s a truly remarkable effort, very interesting mixture of sounds, and makes one think of great bands of the past.

Recent Hip-Hop album reviews

admin — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The current state of Hip Hop is anyone’s guess. The game has been saturated with so many artists. Many people are downloading music online, but there are still some releases that get people to dig into their pockets.

The long-awaited Kanye West and Jay-Z titled “Watch The Throne” is stirring up a lot of buzz. People are definitely tuning in to hear what one’s of hip-hop’s top producers has done with one of the most popular artists in the rap game. The first track is called “Otis”, and it’s a track that fits the type of sample production that West is known for in previous Jay-Z collaborations.

Lil Wayne is also back with the Carter IV. The first single and video is a surprising departure from lots of the gangster imagery that characterizes Little Wayne tracks. The album has a mirage of guests, but Wayne proves that he’s the star of the show.

Another notable hip hop album is the “The Red Album” by The Game. It’s moving units that may overshadow the efforts of both Lil Wayne and the Jay-Z Kanye West compilation. These three show a strong presence from the south, east, and west coast hip hop masterminds.If you like what you see, keep going: Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV Smashes iTunes Record

Recent Folk album reviews

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

For the fans and enthusiasts of folk music, you are going to love the great sounds by your favorite artists, and the new tunes which they have to release on record. So, if you are considering getting a new album from your favorite group or artist, prior to going out and spending the money on it, you may want to consider getting reviews by other fans, who have already heard the album, or have already purchased it themselves, and are willing to share their reviews about the album, to fans who are considering buying the album for themselves as well. The best reviews are going to come from those who have already purchased or heard the album, so if you are looking to get the reviews, these are the fans you are going to want to listen to, and pay attention to what they have to say.

So, no matter how great your favorite artists are, they may not always put out the greatest records. For this reason, rather than spend the money, and end up not liking half the songs on the album you buy, make sure to get fan reviews from those who have already heard the album.

Your Favorite Bands…From Boston

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

You say you’re a Boston music fan but you may not know some of your favorite artists are from Bean Town. If you want more information about any of the following Boston bands get to http://www.satellitestarinternet.com/ to sign up for home internet so you can do your own research – we can’t do it all for you!
Black Helicopter: this Garage Band has developed quite a following over the years and nowhere more so than in Boston. They’ve got their own blend of hard rock and grunge and it’s easy to catch them still playing live at one of Boston’s many late night venues.
Godsmack: Didn’t know your favorite heavy metal band was from Boston? Godsmack spent much of their early career here and actually recorded two of their studio albums in Boston. How’s that for home town recognition?
Guster: The darlings of alternative rock are born and bred Bostonians and many of the members still reside her today. They played in a garage until they were old enough to make a break for Cali and the rest is history

It’s Record Review Time!

www.bostonskylinerecords.com — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

BostonSkylineRecords.com turns its keen eye on new releases and tells you what’s worth your money. We’ll start with the impressive box-set Coals to Newcastle, a complete retrospective of British post-punk group Orange Juice. The set comes from Domino Records, a British indie label started in 1993. Given our penchant for classic underground music, sets like these often catch our eye, but Coals to Newcastle stands out from some others thanks to an important detail: the music. Orange Juice truly epitomized the term “alternative,” combining the popular post-punk sound with funk and pop. The box-set has a retail price of 70not bad for a compilation of the band’s early singles, a CD of radio sessions, four remastered studio albums, and a bonus DVD.A slightly-later, slightly-more popular indie rock group returned in 2010Superchunk, presenting their ninth studio album Majesty Shredding. The band manages to retain their early energy and style, even though it’s been nine years since the band’s last album, 2001′s Here’s to Shutting Up. Some listeners today may not even be familiar with the band, even though several bands on their label have achieved indie superstar status (The Arcade Fire, Spoon, and She & Him among them). As a reintroduction to a seminal group, and one of the greatest bands to ever come out of North Carolina, Majesty Shredding is well worth plunking down a few dollars for.Kings of Leon released their 5th studio album, Come Around Sundown. If you heard lead single “Radioactive” on the radio, you’ve pretty much gotten the gist of the album. There’s nothing on here that surpasses the band’s earlier material, and little that lives up to it. Many have pointed to the band’s massively successful Only by the Night as the reason, seeming to think that the band was unprepared for being hauled into the spotlight. Whateverwhile the band’s earlier albums are fine for what they are, we can’t justify this one even as a guilty pleasure.For winner of the most poetic album name of the year, we’re definitely going with Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird EP by The Tallest Man on Earth. Luckily, the music backs it up. At only 5 tracks totaling a little over 17 minutes, you definitely don’t have much to lose by checking this one out. The Tallest Man on Earth is the pseudonym of Swedish folk singer Kristian Matsson, whose star has been steadily rising after touring with Bon Iver in 2008 and John Vanderslice in 2009. On this EP, Matsson breaks out the electric guitar for the first time, but doesn’t sacrifice the mystique he’s built up on his two full-length acoustic albums, Shallow Grave (2008) and The Wild Hunt (2010). Our guess is this record will convince you to track those down if you haven’t already.

Experience Hendrix this November

www.bostonskylinerecords.com — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:30:17 +0000

Classic rock fans in Boston will have the opportunity of a lifetime this November when the spirit of Jimi Hendrix takes the stage at the Orpheum Theatre. Billy Cox, bassist for both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys, leads the charge, assisted by Steve Vai, Robert Randolph, Ernie Isley, and a plethora of other rock icons.As you might expect, an Experience Hendrix show is both an introduction to and a celebration of everything rock. Besides performing Hendrix’s classic songs, the roster of performers will also take part in unheard-of collaborations on their own original compositions. Hendrix has remained a constant icon in American culture since his death in 1970. With 11 studio albums released after his death (7 more than while he was alive!), his music continues to reach new ears and inspire new generations.The tour premiered at the Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival in 1995, and is overseen by Hendrix’s own relatives. Billy Cox is thankful that he and other Hendrix collaborators are finally getting the recognition they deserve”nobody cared about any of us musicians before Experience Hendrix,” he says.Tickets for the performance have been on sale since September 18, but there are still some seats left for the November 7^th performance date. Prices range from 40 to 80well-worth it to see legends in action. There’s no telling how much longer these tickets will stay open, though, so don’t wait to book your seat at this one-of-a-kind experience.

EELS and Jesca Hoop prepare to take the stage this Friday

www.bostonskylinerecords.com — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:54:33 +0000

It shouldn’t be a surprise that EELS haven’t had a real hit since the mid-1990s. What’s more shocking is that they ever had a hit at all.This isn’t a criticism of the bandexactly the opposite, actually. It just means that EELS’s idiosyncratic lo-fi rock tracks aren’t exactly cultivated for a mass audience. They’re at times painfully personal, like 1996′s “Not Ready Yet” or 1998′s “Last Stop: This Town.” When frontman Mark Oliver Everett’s (who goes by E) spirits pick up, that comes out as well, such as in “Hey Man (Now You’re Really Living).” Interestingly, that last track describes a recovery from depression.EELS will be bringing their unique brand of songwriting to the stage at Royale Boston this Friday. Tickets are 25, with doors opening up at 6. This is the band’s first tour since 2008, since which they’ve released a trilogy of albumsHombre Lobo in 2009 and End Times and Tomorrow Morning both in 2010. Hombre Lobo was a stripped-down collection of songs about desire, and End Times represented a transitional period for the trilogy (and singer). Tomorrow Morning represents a new kind of emotion: a type of cautious optimism, borne out in 3:00 indie rock tracks.Opening for EELS is the lovely Jesca Hoop, an experimental singer-songwriter who got her “in” to the music business as a nanny for Tom Waits’s children. She released her first EP, Silverscreen Demos, in 2004, with her most recent release, Hunting My Dress, in 2009. Waits describes her music as “like going swimming in a lake at night,” an apt description for her eccentric folk rock. Elements of the klezmer musical tradition also appear in many tracks.