Songs of the decade: “The ‘59 Sound”

The Gaslight Anthem | “The ‘59 Sound” | 2008 From its Born to Run opening riff to its down-and-out, working man lyrics (including repeated lines), the title track to The Gaslight Anthem’s second outing is the best pure rock song of the Aughts. [Maybe I'm slightly biased. It is, as of the time of this writing, [...]

Songs of the decade: “The Underdog”

Spoon | “The Underdog” | 2007 Perhaps it isn’t surprising - or, isn’t supposed to be - that the most fun song Spoon released this decade features uplifting Motown-esque horns. The lyrics, too, are notably upbeat with a concise message of not giving up, laying down in the face of difficulty or, most importantly, being (or [...]

Them Crooked Vultures: full album stream

After having released a free single on iTunes, Them Crooked Vultures have now decided to release the entire album to Youtube for streaming. I can’t recall an artist putting an album stream on Youtube before. Albums have appeared there before, but not legally. It’s usually made available on either MySpace or a webzine, so this [...]

Songs of the decade: “99 Problems”

Jay-Z | “99 Problems” | 2004 The thing about Rick Rubin is that he’s concurrently the most and least talented producer of the Aughts. It’d be fascinating if he weren’t so sought after and considered a sultan of sorts. But since he is, it’s horribly irritating because you never know what the results are gonna be, [...]

Them Crooked Vultures release free single on iTunes

Them Crooked Vultures have released a new single from their forthcoming self-titled album called “Mind Eraser, No Chaser.” It’s named after the drink, and the song’s lyrics discuss the “dangerous side-effects.” The song’s typical of what’s already been heard from the band: skittery, sideways riffs running rampant, Dave’s kit pounding and Josh’s swagger behind the mic. [...]

Best songs of the decade: “Lose Yourself”

Eminem | “Lose Yourself” | 2002 The best Eminem songs are the ones in which he actually has something to say, and usually it’s either something that will later start a controversy (like “‘97 Bonnie & Clyde“) or discuss  some controversy to which he’s been connected (like “The Way I Am“). Yet, “Lose Yourself” doesn’t discuss [...]

Best songs of the decade: “Since U Been Gone”

While pondering the best albums of the decade for ZME, it occurred to me that I should also consider discussing the decade’s best songs. I’ve certainly been making a list of the best of the 2000’s in my head for some time now, and I finally have an outlet for those thoughts. That said, I’m [...]

Baroness: ‘Blue Record’

Album name: Blue Record Artist name: Baroness Genre: Sludge Metal Released: October 13, 2009 Label: Relapse ZME Rating: 9/10 Website: myspace.com/yourbaroness Red and blue are  interesting colors. They are two of the three “addictive primary colors,” the third being green. Red, generally signifying anger in modern culture, is assuredly addictive in American society: road rage, “You lie!,” talk radio, you get it. [...]

Big Surprise(s) at Pearl Jam’s L.A. show

If you were lucky enough to have attended Pearl Jam’s show in L.A. on October 6, then you know that Temple of the Dog reunited for one song, “Hunger Strike,” when Chris Cornell joined the band onstage. It marks the first time in six years that all the members have shared a stage. The footage [...]

New Vampire Weekend Single, “Horchata”

Everyone’s favorite afro-pop indie band (ahem, this generation’s Talking Heads) has debuted their new single on their official website.  You can stream it or you can download it just by supplying an email address. The song isn’t any real departure from their eponymous debut, and, in fact, would fit rather well towards the end of it. [...]

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