Artist name: Missy Higgins
Album name: On a Clear Night
Label: Eleven/Warner Reprise
Gender: Acoustic Rock
Release date: February 26, 2008
ZMErating: 9/10
Website: www.missyhiggins.com

---

Missy Higgins is the kind of singer which you just have to love, for several reasons; she writes soulful music, without unnecessary sweets and flowers, her lyrics are actually very deep, without being fake or overly trying to impress but somehow manages to captivate you and take you into her soft world. Her videos are also great, touching the very essence of the song, without naked chicks, drugs and cars.What’s more about her is that you can really relate to her songs; they really tell a tale, with things most if not all of us have passed through, and you can really feel as if you were a part of the tune. Her first record was very good, and showed the unexplored potential within her, but also didn’t convince us beyond doubt that she would deliver again. But that’s exactly what she did !
Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Goldfrapp
Album name: Seventh Tree
Label: Mute
Gender: Electronica/Ambient/Pop
Release date: February 26, 2008
ZMErating: 9/10
Website: www.goldfrapp.com

---

Well who ever thought, after making one of the most sexiest, sleazy and downright shocking album of the decade, in the form of Supernature, that Goldfrapp would release such a mellow fellow-up like the duo’s latest and forth album “Seventh Tree.” Most of Alison Goldfrapp’s and Will Gregory’s fanbase was built around the previous Black Cherry and Supernature albums, as well as various commercials in which Goldfrapp songs were featured, but what most people neglect is their chill-out, portishead-like debut Felt Mountain. Now, eight years since Felt Mountain, on Seventh Tree the duo has abandoned the electroclash exuberance that made them a worldwide phenomenon and chose a return to the roots, back to their debut’s vibe and ambient chill-out.
Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Xiu Xiu
Album name: Women as Lovers
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Gender: Art Rock/Experimental Rock
Release date: January 29, 2008
ZMErating: 9/10
Website: www.xiuxiu.org

---

Something I always appreciate in a good musician is originality, better yet actually uniqueness. A rare quality these days, in a time of piracy, digital mastering and plagiarism of retro musical values. The San Fransisco experimentalists, however, don’t fall in the last category, their different and being different isn’t a bad thing at all, no in Xiu Xiu’s case anyway. The band has, in the course of a nearly a decade, managed to develop a sound, so remarkably unique and experimental, that they’ve come to be named as the new indie wave pioneers. And like any, in term, remarkable band the Jamie Stewart led quartet has always avoided repetitiveness and always strove to put out unique and musically challenging records, like their sixth effort “Women as Lovers.”
Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Lenny Kravitz
Album name: It Is Time for a Love Revolution
Label: Virgin Records Us
Gender: Soul rock
Release date: February 5, 2008
ZMErating: 8 and 1/2
Website: www.lennykravitz.com

---

Well the first thing I thought about when I heard about the album was that he’s still single, so what kind of revolution is he talking about?(bad joke, I know). Anyway, this album was intended to be a classic, but the thing is that most of the time it lacks originality. The lyrics are a bit shallow, and it sounds as if he doesn’t believe in them himself. A strange decision was to use backup vocals almost anytime it was possible. Now don’t get things wrong, the songs are very good! It’s just that they fail to bring anything new or better to his previous work. If you have his previous records, it’s probably better not to buy this one, but if you don’t, it’s a great place to start. In fact, if this album had been released years ago, it would have been fantastic. But now, it sounds similar to this previous work. But he still has some brilliant musicianship with fuzzy riffs which catch on and grow on you. His funky psychedelia sounds better than ever, and the vocal effort is worth it.
Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Bullet for my Valentine
Album name: Scream Aim Fire
Label: Jive
Gender: Heavy Metal
Release date: January 28, 2008
ZMErating: 8 and 1/2
Website: www.bulletformyvalentine1.com

---

Well I had heard a whole lot about this album before listening to it; and most of what I’ve heard was really bad. So I started listening to it with kind of low expectations, not being a [tag]Bullet for My Valentine[/tag] fan, and I to my shame I kind of believed they would screw up, but I was pretty surprised to see that it’s good music. A whole lot of people, especially from the US gave it really bad reviews, motivating either that it’s a copy after [tag]Metallica[/tag], either that there’s not enough screaming in there, and all sort of dumb reasons. I’m gonna say it again, as far as I’m concerned, this album delivers. Sure, the guitar is basically simple stuff, and the riffs are somewhat predictable at a certain point, but they evolved and wanted to try something different. They wanted to blend modern metal with some old school heavy riffing metal, and they did a more than decent job. They grew up, their music grew up too, and although they are just a bit predictable, the riffs sound pretty good and fast. A kind of in “it’s in your face and there’s nothing you can do about it” type of melody; you know what’s gonna, come, you can feel the screams are almost here, and that’s great!

Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Morcheeba
Album name: Dive Deep
Label: Echo/Ultra
Gender: Electronica/Pop/Soul/Trip-Hop
Release date: February 19, 2008
ZMErating: 8/10
Website: www.morcheeba.net

---

The mid 90’s saw a new genre of electronica to surface, namely the cult phenomenon of trip-hop, that characterized itself through a eclectic blend of downtempo electronic music and hip-hop. Among representative trip-hop groups to emerge from the mid 90’s scene were Massive Attack, Bjork, Portishead and of course [tag]Morcheeba[/tag]. The later formed by brother Paul and Ross Godfrey, soon joined by the smokey vocalist Skye Edwards, stood out of the regular trip-hop bunch because, while the rest of the scene was playing down tempo beats, Morcheeba was exploring more blissful, soulful territory mixing in alternative rock, pop and even blues to achieve a more up tempo experience. This made them famous as a chill out/ambiental group, a formula that proved to be successful with over 6 million records sold and several world tours.
Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Hot Chip
Album name: Made In The Dark
Label: EMI
Gender: Electronic Indie/Pop
Release date: February 4, 2008
ZMErating: 8/10
Website: www.hotchip.co.uk

---

The electro pop Londoners from [tag]Hot Chip[/tag] have always struck me as your typical smart asses and I simply love them for that. Their awesome blend of smart and humorous knack has always made them terribly appealing to me and since their epic 2006 breakthrough, The Warning, I’ve been a fan. I’m all objective on this one, though, honest! And I can say, as honestly as possible, that the third record, from quintet, “Made In The Dark” is without a doubt their best effort and one of the most remarkable of the new year.

Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Jack Johnson
Album name: Sleep Through the Static
Label: Universal
Gender: Acoustic/Folk/Rock
Release date: 4 Feb 2008
ZMErating: 10/10
Website: www.jackjohnsonmusic.com

---

In case you know your music, you already know that Jack Johnson is a legendary singer/songwriter whose musical individuality is as fascinating as it is peaceful and calming. Jack’s band consists of long time members Adam Topol (Drums) and Merlo Podlewski (Bass), and Zach Gill (Keys) who joined the band during the tour to support In Between Dreams and the producer was JP Plunier, who was the producer of Jack’s first album Brushfire Fairytales. What’s interesting about this album is that it was recorded 100% on Solar Energy.Before we get in it, here’s the artist’s claim on his work, and not only:

I also have a couple of kids. My wife popped them out, but I helped. Some of the songs on this album are about making babies. Some of the songs are about raising them. Some of the songs are about the world that these children will grow up in; a world of war and love, and hate, and time and space. Some of the songs are about saying goodbye to people I love and will miss. [….] All of these songs have been on my mind for a while and it is nice to share them. I am continually grateful to my wife who is typing this letter as I dictate it to her.
I hope you enjoy this album.
Mahalo for listening,
Jack Johnson

Permalink to this topic

Artist name: The Mars Volta
Album name: The Bedlam In Goliath
Label: Universal Motown Records
Gender: Psychedelic Rock/Progressive Rock
Release date: January 29, 2008
ZMErating: 8/10
Website: www.themarsvolta.com

---

I’ve always been fascinated by the prog and experimental rock scene, being a fan of old school musicians like Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Beatles or The Velvet Underground, but also following contemporary acts like Xiu Xiu, Dream Theater, Tool and not ultimately [tag]The Mars Volta[/tag]. The band first popped under my radar with their highly praised 2003 debut De-Loused in the Comatorium, a concept album revolving around a protagonist in a drug-induced coma, but it was their sophomore release, France The Mute, that got me hooked, another concept album, based on a random diary that was found in a repossessed car. The third record Amputechture, written as a simple studio album, however, came as a total disappointment, with repetitive hooks and riffs. It seemed like TMV ran out of ideas, but on their latest, forth installment, titled “The Bedlam In Goliath,” the band has returned to it’s conceptual album roots, with the same epic hooks and melodies, this time heavily funk infused and with a story about the occult.

Permalink to this topic

Artist name: Idina Menzel
Album name: I Stand
Label: Warner Brothers
Gender: Pop
Release date: January 29, 2008
ZMErating: 8 and 1/2
Website: www.idinamenzel.com

---

Already a star on Broadway, Idina is here to pleasure us with an album. Before anything else is said it must be mentioned that she has enlisted very talented veteran Glen Ballard, best known for his work with Alanis Morissette’s 16-times-platinum Jagged Little Pill; he has also worked with the likes of Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Annie Lennox and Celine Dion and he produced and co-wrote almost every song here.This album is an unexpected and very pleasant entry in the pop stage, which appeared to be monopolized by some titanic figures. If it has to be characterized in just a sentence, that sentence pretty much this way: a short collection of truly gorgeous songs with a nice message.

Permalink to this topic