Iron Man 3 Heroes Fall album and Score by Brian Tyler Review

Iron Man 3 is already out in a lot of countries and soon to be released right here in the United States. I'm always confused by the studios decision to release films a week later here in the country they were created.  Hmmm, indeed.

Anyhow, let's talk about the music that is being released in conjunction with said film.  They've decided to package two disks with this film. One is the actual score of the film that has all the music that you will hear in the film and the other is one that's inspired by the film.  Yeah, I can never figure out the point of soundtracks that are "inspired" by a film.  It just seems like a way to make more money off of a huge franchise but whatever works, right?

 The film score by Brian Tyler is as solid as you'd expect from a big budget summer film.  It's got some fun moments such as the 70's TV theme style track "Can You Dig It" that appears at the tail end of the film in the credit sequence. And I enjoy the darker moments like "Another Lesson From The Manderin" with a middle eastern sort of vibe half way in.   Tyler does keep most things on the same page as the previous two film scores but there's enough differences here for the soundtrack and Iron Man 3 fans to make it worth picking up.  Is it an incredibly memorable score?  No.

Now, let's get to fun conversation.  Heroes Fall is an "inspired" album that you will not be hearing any tracks form in the actual film.  I'm seriously confused when studios put these out.  What is the actual point of this album other than to make a few extra dollars?  I'd love a studio person to chime in with an answer to that.  Either way, this album is an interesting mix of bands.

So, now about the winning tracks on this album.   Capital Cities with "One More Minute" is probably my favorite song from this album. Seriously, where would this fit in to the film?  hmmm. But who cares.  Great song with an uplifting backbone.  It also introduce this Los Angeles based band to a bigger audience.

"No Time" by Rogue Wave is another one of the quieter moments on this album and I really enjoyed it.  Normally, you don't find songs like this on "inspired" albums of summer blockbusters.  I will hand it to the people that organized this group of artist.  They didn't go out and get lunk head nu metal bands or some terrible dubstep DJs.  They actually got some of the up and coming talented indie bands to crank out quality songs for this album.   There are also songs by Passion Pit and Imagine Dragons.  Do these fit in with the film? Probably not but it doesn't keep it from being a quality summer pick up.

Charli XCX does pop right with True Romance

I don't tend to talk much about pop albums but Charli XCX's new album True Romance is a lot of fun and worthy of mention.  Sometimes, you just need something catchy and poppy to have in the background.  I'm actually surprised Charli isn't bigger yet but I'm sure with True Romance things will shortly change.  The album is chalked full of songs that have potential for being singles.  Songs like "Nuclear Seasons" and "Stay Away" were some of her earlier works and bring an 80's vibe that reminds me a lot of Niki & The Dove.  Her newer tracks have more pop edge which is slightly disappointing if you liked her Stay Away EP.  Anyhow, this album is great a pickup because it collects her older songs plus adds new tracks to that list to keep things interesting.  Bastille did a similar thing on his album Pompeii.

"What I Like" is Charli's newest single from True Romance.  Probably, one the lesser songs from the album and the video doesn't do much to change my mind.  It's still catchy and I'm sure all the boys will enjoy Charli jumping up and down on her bed.  If you got a pulse, you'll be enjoying that part of the video. 

"You (Ha Ha Ha)" was the second single from the new album and that song got me.  The beat and video are hard to forget. When pop is done right, it can be damn fun.  The video is like a pro NRA PSA.  Cute girls in tight outfits firing guns.  Charli loves showing off her midriff on all her videos.  Cheers to that. Ha Ha Ha indeed. 

And if you're one of the only people that haven't heard Charli XCX on the Icon Pop song "I Love It," then enjoy one of Sweden's big exports from 2012.  Damn that Sweden and their poppy hooks.  This song is catchy, no doubt.  I guess all the views on Youtube agree. Just don't crash you car into the bridge.  

Everything is Made in China's create a nice electro landscape on their LP Amber

 Everything is Made in China is another Russian band I just stumbled on and was pleasantly surprised by their sound.  Their sound is a lot like some of the French electro bands I've spoken about before.  If you like M83, you might enjoy Everything is Made in China.  These guys create moody melodic electro-landscapes with a decent pop edge.  The song "Cepheia" for example brings on a lot of range and the melody is hard not to like.  The only issue I have with their new album "Amber" is that there is no one song you can hang your hat on and really recommend to an average listener.  This is a solid whole album experience. 

The band was cool enough to post Amber on Youtube for fans to listen to before purchasing.   More small bands should take up that practice to give listeners an opportunity to check them out.  It's really annoying when you haven't heard a band before and you can only get 30 second bites of their tracks on iTunes.  Anyhow, "Echoes" is probably one of the albums more pop songs. 

I actually really enjoyed their instrumental track "Cepheia" quite a bit.  I thing it really shows the bands level of talent and range.  It takes a bit to build but once it does, it's a really nice melodic jam.  It reminds me of another Russian band On-The-Go. 

Two Hours Traffic deserve plenty of praise for their Foolish Blood album

I missed Two Hours Traffic's Foolish Blood album when it initially hit the stores in February. I probably was too busy listening to music from Sweden or England and maybe I should've been looking just further north to Canada.  It's been a few years since Two Hours Traffic put out a new album and this might be their best effort yet.

Foolish Blood brings to mind The Shins' Oh, Inverted World.  It's got the same kind of melodies and warmth that album had for me on a first listen.  "O My Love" and "Strangers On The Street" really carry that warmth and melody I used to love about The Shins.  Liam Corcoran's vocals and the band's ear for pop hooks create an album that's just easy to listen to for anyone that likes a good melody.  I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more praise because it deserves it.

"Amour Than Amis" is the band's first single from Foolish Blood.  They went with the song with the best guitar hook for the big single off the album.  If this song doesn't hook you, then I really can't help you, man.   The lead vocals and the chorus are pretty damn air tight on this.  I can't see this song being produced any better.  Put this on the must-own-list of 2013.

Just to show people unfamiliar with the band the evolution of the band from their previous effort to this album, I have linked "Noisemaker" from their 2012 album Territory.  This is a good song but in my opinion the new album has raised the bar.

RQTN creates great landscapes of sound on the LP Passenger

I really didn't know much about RQTN before coming across their new Passenger album but I really can't stop playing this album while I write.  It has a feel of a lush soundtrack to a film I've only seen in my dreams.  Each songs fits together with the next seamlessly.  If you like the quieter moments from bands like M83 and Team Ghost, give this album a try.  Suddenly, the French have taken over the business of making great instrumental tracks. 

"Passenger" sounds like a lost track from the Oblivion soundtrack by M83.  The way the songs builds and the vocal chanting in the background really give it an epic feel.  And I have to say, Mathieu Artu, the mind behind RQTN, really knows how to end a song. 

"Suddenly, Forever Made Sense" is like a missing song from a Clint Mansell score.  The way he uses the piano is so similar to Mansell's work. How he builds the song and the progression.  The horns coming in around 2 minutes were really unexpected as well.  I actually like this soundtrack better than M83's Oblivion. Not saying I don't like Oblivion, but this for some makes a better personal connection.  I'd hire Artu in a heartbeat to score a film.  

Lucero celebrated 15 years of live music last night at the Echoplex

Lucero playing out the last part of their set on Saturday night at the Echoplex. John and Brian decided to come stage topless to finish out the night.  Nothing says 15 years of rock, like your bare beer gut.  Pure Lucero awesomeness.

Lucero rang in 15 years of live shows at the Echoplex in Los Angeles on Saturday night.   It's amazing how personable and humble they are after 15 years of touring the country on a yearly basis.  I've personally seen them 8 times in Los Angeles since 2005.   They have evolved as a band through the years by adding more pieces. First came Rick Steff with piano, organ, and accordion and then came the small horn section.   You can clearly see this evolution start to happen starting with 1372 Overton Park and really taking shape by Women & Work.

I just want to clearly state my personal feeling on this evolution and especially concerning the live show I watched and listened to on Saturday night.  I'm sure there are newer fans that would disagree with what I'm about to say and taste is taste.  So, all opinions are valid in this discussion.  Anyhow, Lucero's sound does seem more polished and less immediate now.  It's a bigger sound that's ready for the big stage but at the same time might disconnect with the older fans.  I don't mind their albums having that evolution because I get that every artist has to evolve. 

My main problem comes with the live shows.   I really would love the band to play the older songs from albums like Tennessee as they were originally arranged.  Meaning, leave out the horn section and organ from those.  What I wouldn't have given to hear Rick stop playing his keyboard during "Nights Like These." 

They were still amazing and played an extra long set to celebrate their long and continued live career.  Lucero is still one of the best live bands out there.  If you haven't seen them live, throw down the 20 bucks next time they hit your town and check them out.  Any music lover will enjoy the show. 

Here's how awesome and raw "Nights Like These" used to sound before they added those other pieces.  And I'm also attaching how it sounds now live.  Again, taste is taste. I prefer just the core band on the older tracks. 

A live performance from SXSW 2012 with a full band.  Too much going on.  It almost sounds like a polished country song. Loses the rock edge for me. Don't get me wrong, it's still better than most other rock bands touring now but it's not the same.  And yes, I'm still going to go to every Lucero show I can.  Just because I prefer it sounding a little more old school doesn't make them any less great in the end.

 Without Rick on the piano. Sounds so much more raw and immediate. 

Face To Face new album brings me back to 1998

I've liked Face To Face from way back when in my So Cal punk loving days.  Yeah, some of us are man enough to admit it and proud.  I remember when KROQ used to actually play them on a regular basis.  Oh wait, I don't listen to the radio anymore.  Does anyone know if they still play a lot of Social Distortion and Face To Face like 1998?

Now, let's talk about their new album Three Chords & A Half Truth.  These guys have definitely grown through the years. This isn't the standard three chord sound but I think they graduated from that back in 1999 with their Ignorance Is Bliss album.  I would probably compare this album to that one but still having a foot in their more punk albums.  "Bright Lights Go Down" and "First Step, Misstep" really sound like The Clash cover.  Trever Keith really does a good job of channeling his inner Joe Strummer.   I noticed people on YouTube saying they sound like Bouncing Souls. I guess they forgot The Clash came first.

Songs like "Flat Black" and "Jinxproof" seriously are misteps on this album. There are definitely some songs worth listening to on this album but there are plenty that leave you scratching your head. What were you guys thinking writing "Jinxproof?"  Rise Records has most of the songs for this album on YouTube. Check them out before buying.  I want to like this album more but the above songs really make it a lackluster effort.  I'd still see them live hoping they'd play a lot of their older songs. 

I defended them against all the haters back in 1999 when they jumped styles and made Ignorance Is Bliss. That album at least had some ambition.  Here's one of my favorite Face To Face songs. I really couldn't find one song on the same level of "Disappointed" on this album. Bummer. 

Worst album cover award thus far goes to Paramore

As I drove down Olive in Burbank, I passed the banner over Warner Music and it was showing the new Paramore album cover.  Not really a fan of the band and that keeps me from commenting on the content of this album.  But I'm not hear for an album review but an album cover review on this occassion. I rarely talk about album covers but this one hits that low of lame you just have to say something.

For those not familiar with Paramore, they're a pop punk outfit that plays fun mall rock.  The lead singer admittedly is super cute and I could see high school kids having a crush or two.  If you like Fall Out Boy, well then you better run out and buy some Paramore folks.

The cover shows the band in the South Park pose from their famous Christian Rock episode.  Maybe they were photographed by Cartman himself.   Did he tell them to look in different directions and look disinterested.  Then someone had the bright idea to paint some colors over their faces for added alterna-edge.  Whoever was their art consultant for this cover should be fired.  The sad part, this is a major label band so the lack of money wasn't the issue.  Thanks Paramore for lowering the rock and roll bar.

To end this blog entry on a positive note, here's an album cover from earlier this month I really liked.  It's nice to see Hem out with a new album finally and this cover really makes you look closely.  Love the use of the map of the East Coast inside a silhouette.  The Hem stamp with the album name Departure And Farewell is a classic touch.  Get this album by the way if you like alt-country.  Here's their first single "Tourniquet" from Departure And Farewell.

Oblivion Soundtrack by M83 isn't as memorable as Daft Punk's Tron

Before reviewing this soundtrack, I want to make it clear I haven't seen the film Oblivion yet.  That being said, I finally got the soundtrack in my hands today and wasn't really blown away.  M83 does a serviceable job for director Joseph Kosinski on Oblivion.  I'm sure the music works great with the film but I doubt you will leave the theater thinking about the music. I could be wrong.

Oblivion score it doesn't have the impact and that unique edge Daft Punk brought to Kosinski's previous film, Tron.  That score had tracks that just stuck in your head and you couldn't wait to hear again.  Actually, at times this score has pieces that resembles shades of Tron but never reach that  peak.   I would still say pick this soundtrack up but don't expect to be blown away by it. I do think M83 have a future in scoring films if they choose. T his music is still far better than most film scores out in the last year.

The soundtrack has one song on it with lyrics composed by M83 and sang by Norwegian singer Susanne Sundfør called "Oblivion."  It actually reminded me a lot of the more popular Australian singer, Sia.  It has a nice end-of -the-film-crawl feel to it that's big and epic and still not too overbearing. I'm looking at you Avatar and Oz.  Unfortunately, there's no actual music video for this song yet.

Since I spoke so fondly of the Tron soundtrack, here's one of the more popular tracks, "Derezzed."  The film Oblivion looks better than Tron from what I hear but nothing in the score matches the futuristic sounds Daft Punk brought to our ears.  I can't wait to hear their new album.

I can't lie, I dig Volbeat's new album Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

I discovered Volbeat after the release of their Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil album back in 2007.  I think they were still under the radar here in the US that year.   I was really surprised to find out the band was from Copenhagen, Denmark and not some weird Metallica side band from the US.  That was pretty awesome to me that music is just that international that people can sound so similar in a country that doesn't even speak English as a first language.  Again, this is why music is so damn mystical and we should seriously appreciate how it bridges all races and religions. One of the main things that separates us from the animal world?  We can communicate through art. 

Now, let's talk about Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies which is Volbeat's newest offering.  I tend to review albums I like on this blog.  So, if you're waiting for some punchline of me bashing this album, you got the wrong review.  This is a seriously fun album from beginning to end.  This isn't pure metal to me.  I think it's in the same world as Def Lepperd's albums from the early 80's like High and Dry and Pyromania.   There are some metal moments (listen to"Room 24") for sure but it's got more of a hard rock feel to it ("Our Loved Ones" and "The Lonesome Rider").  For those that like some solid hard rock, this might be one of the year's best in that genre.   Think of this album as the soundtrack to a Spaghetti Western written by Metallica.  You really get a good taste of it on songs like "The Lonesome Rider" and "Doc Holiday." 

"Cape Of Our Hero" is the first single from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies. The song is probably one of my least favorite from the album. It's got the most gloss and commercial feel to it and really doesn't do the rest of the album's western grit justice.   Don't judge the album by this song.  It almost sounds more Foo Fighters than Volbeat.  When I initially heard this song, I was expecting to be dissapointed by the new album but thankfully they're less cliche than this on the rest of the songs.  I really think this was a decision by the band's management to appeal to a larger audience by choosing to make this song their lead single with that video below.

Stoker soundtrack has enough layers to add to your collection

I had the opportunity last night to hear and see Clint Mansell perform all his greatest compositions live at Orpheum in Downtown Los Angeles. This was my second time seeing him live and he put on another exceptional show.  The last show was at the Largo in West Hollywood.  Honestly, I liked that venue better because it was smaller and more of a warm atmosphere.  Orpheum is an amazing venue, don't get me wrong, but there's always something better about smaller venues when you see a performance.  It's up front and personal.

Anyhow, the performace was great by the entire band. Clint Mansell always knows how to charm the audience with his stories about each composition. It's rare you hear an artist talk about a song before he performs but you get that with Mansell.   It's like a mini-audio-commentary before each song.

Now, lets talk about the Stoker soundtrack which is Mansell's latest offering of music.  There are definitely parts of this soundtrack that have that staple Mansell sound like the tracks "Blossoming" and "Becoming."  "Becoming" is the longest piece of the score and has that well known progression of most Mansell tracks.  It also has this really harsh string section that is very aggressive and familiar from Mansell's previous compositions.  Unfortunately, I couldn't embed that song on this post. Here's "Blossoming" which I mentioned above.

In a way, this soundtrack has more variety than some of the other Mansell film scores.  The work that he does with Darren Aronofsky tends to have one strong theme that just carries through the entire score but on this film it seems a bit more fragmented. Again, I really enjoyed the different landscapes of sound on this again.

Also, you get two really good songs from Emily Wells on this soundtrack.  "If I Ever Had A Heart" was composted with Mansell and Wells together actually.  "Becomes the Color" is the Emily Wells song that plays at the end of the film and at first listen it reminded me of the artist Poe from the 90's.  This album is worth picking up if you like Mansell and you're a general fan of soundtracks.

Maybe you were living under a rock back in the 1990's or too young to have heard Poe's music.  So,  here's "Angry Johnny" which was one the more popular songs from her.  Poe was my favorite singer back in that Lilith Fair era of the 1990's.  Again, if you were in college back then you know what I'm talking about. 

Little Green Cars mix some folk with alternative rock on their Absolute Zero album with great results

First of all, Little Green Cars is one of those smaller bands worth catching at this year's Coachella Valley Music Festival.   If you missed them at SXSW, then make sure to catch them in the desert. They hail from Dublin and have a similar sound to bands like Shout Out Louds. The first time I heard their big single "The John Wayne," I knew I had to hear the rest of their debut full length album Absolute Zero.

I was actually surprised to hear more range than expected after a full listen.  "Big Red Dragon" is another one of their pop sculpted songs I expect to see a video for but honestly, the slower moments that are more folky really give this band diversity.  Listening to "The Consequences of Not Sleeping" and "Goodbye Blue Monday" really settle the album in their pace and melancholy.  The folk part of the album does have those Mumford like moments.

They split the album in halves in who leads in vocals.  Faye O'Rourke takes over about half the songs as the lead vocalist and that's when the album becomes more alternative rock.  She's got a soft but powerful voice that really works well with the more guitar heavy songs on the album.  My personal favorite of hers is "Please."   This album really has variety that does a good job of not boring your ears.   Absolute Zero is really tough to pin down and that's just right in my book.

"The John Wayne" seems to be their most popular song and I can see why.  It was the first song from LGC that I head by passing on YouTube. Had to wait a bit to hear the rest of the album but this one really hits it out of the park with that pop perfection.  They really know how to blend the female and male vocals together to make the harmonies just right.  That's never that easy.  The song takes some time to take off but when you hit about 1:50 in it just rolls on.

"Harper Lee" is their latest single and again the harmonies and chorus are ear crack.  This band knows their way around a good melody.  The topic of the song seems to be way darker than the melody.  It's almost like hearing two different songs. When the lyrics sink in you get another mood and picture. 

Something From Nothing and Lemmy are two music docs with different results

Ice-T made a semi-entertaining documentary about hip hop last year and the soundtrack to the film doesn't fail in taking the listener through a hip hop journey.  I already owned most of the tracks from the soundtrack to Something Trom Nothing The Art of Rap, but I still recommend this as a gift to anyone that may only know modern hip hop.  I remember buying tapes to most of this music when I was in middle school back in the 80's.  The styles range from party hip hop "Don't Stop Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force of that era to gangster rap songs like "Straight Out of Compton" by N.W.A.  There are even songs from Melle Mel and Mc Lyte on this soundtrack. All gold in my opinion. If you don't own these songs, just pick up this album.

You remember when rappers were more clever and innocent and didn't sing about things like how many cars people own or the toxic cough syrup infused drinks they chug?  Yeah, that seems light years away.  Eric B & Rakim song "Follow The Leader" is probably one of the best examples of that era.   I remember playing this tape till it practically broke.

Check out the film if you haven't seen it yet.  I'm a big fan of music documentaries.  This one seems more aimed at people that are hip hop fans than just music fans.  Ice-T tries hard to make it edgy with his editing and grainy footage.  It feels very impersonal at times and too much in love with the inside jokes as Ice-T laughs along to stories of old.  He does get all the big time hip hop stars of past and present in this but maybe the numbers don't add up to a great film.  But don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad documentary but it's not a must see either.  If you like hip hop, definitely check this out.

Now on the other hand, I just caught Lemmy made a few years back and it was fantastic.  Loved how personal that documentary gets.  The Art of Rap tries really hard to be arthouse and attempts to be clever with editing techniques and using grain filters in After Effects to accomplish style.  Lemmy follows the godfather of metal and founding member of Motorhead, Lemmy Kilmister, around through his day to day life.   I felt like I really got to know Lemmy on a personal level and understand his passion for the music he plays.  It's the kind of documentary a none music fan would enjoy.  Lemmy is a fascinating character. 

Both documentaries are available on video on Netflix and other sites.  And if you're using netflix streaming, check out another fun hip hop documentary made by ESPN of all companies called Straight Outta LA.  Ice Cube made that film for the 30 For 30 series and it is a nice flashback to an era long gone in both rap and sports. 

Team Ghost's LP Rituals makes these ex-M83 members standout on their own

Team Ghost is a bit of mystery to me as a band.  What I do know is that it's made up of ex-M83 members so that put them on the must-check-out-list.  Their first full album Rituals definitely falls into the M83 category of music for me.  The mood bounces from somber to epic electronic landscapes that keep Rituals more interesting than I expected.  Jumping from the song "Broken Devices" to "Dead Film Star" for example leaves you thinking this band has multiple personalities.   That can leave some listeners disappointed. Sometimes, you buy an album off of a single and then realize only a handful of tracks resemble that song. Well, this is exactly that album but in a good way.

"Curtains" is the most recent single released from Rituals. I dig the wall of guitars in this song with the thumping percussion.  Definitely one of my favorite songs from Rituals and one I could see EA using in their next Need For Speed franchise.

"Dead Film Star" is actually the first song I heard from Rituals.  It's one of the more radio friendly songs from the album with that fuzzy guitar and heavy synth backbone.   I use "radio friendly" pretty loosely.  But if you were going to pick a song for a single from this album this one would be top of the list.  Those that have a more pop sensibility will dig this song.  The shovel at the end of the video is a bit unexpected.

There are some solid instrumental tracks like "Away" and "Things Are Sometimes Tragic" on Rituals that makes this album really worth picking up.  I really enjoy the calm moments spread out between the storm of pop alternative tracks. Now, I can't wait to hear the full M83 soundtrack for the film Oblivion.