Thom Yorke-The Eraser (2006)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8CF05MYL

✔The Eraser
✔Analyze
✔The Clock
✔Black Swan
✔Skip Divided
✔Atoms For Peace
✔And It Rained All Night
✔Harrowdown Hill
✔Cymbal Rush

Thom Yorke is a disturbing man. You ask anyone, no one will tell you otherwise (including himself). But he is a genius, singing and controlling alot of the music and ideas of Radiohead. But here, he doesn't have to listen to anyone else. He is himself, with the assistance of longtime RH producer Nigel Godrich. At only 9 songs, The Eraser is what was thought to be a surprise project bridging the gap between Hail To The Thief and RH's 7th LP. However, this made out to be one of the best of 2006. "The Eraser" is the only song to contain anything from another member of Radiohead, and that is the piano chords that open the album. The song is great otherwise, with beats and electronics (what this album is made for) and Yorke made a great chorus middle. "Analyze" is probably the most electronic thing on here, with Yorke going ahead and singing vocals right as the song starts. "It gets you down" in a great way, with more piano chords in the background. "The Clock" had some RH sounding beats and loops, but yet unlike RH, was very beat driven. "Black Swan" is "fucked up" according to Yorke, but to most of us it is pretty cool. It contains guitar, a true rarity on this album. "Skip Divided" low rumbles by Yorke which may cause you to turn your Stereos up, but his backing vocalists and bongo beats/electronics are way louder than he is. "Atoms For Peace" is where Yorke allows his vocals to take over. A simple bass line and electronics sets the background. "And It Rained All Night" is full of clicking drumsticks, Ambience, and bass. Great lyrics and vocals from Yorke. "Harrowdown Hill" may be the shining moment of the album, with an odd bassline contributing to an Ambience and Yorke's great vocals and lyrics. "Cymbal Rush" may fool you with the title, but its full of odd sounding loops below beats and Ambience, with Yorke's eerie vocals and then a drum kit with cymbals later on in the song, with piano. It is great ending to the album.

Yorke can make great music without the rest of the band, and he really shows it here.

Top 3:
-Harrowdown Hill
-The Eraser
-Analyze

Gorillaz-Demon Days (2005)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭



Intro
✔Last Living Souls
✔Kids With Guns
✔O Green World
✔Dirty Harry
✔Feel Good Inc.
✔El Manana
✔Every Planet We Reach Is Dead
✔November Has Come
✔All Alone
✔White Light
✔DARE
✔Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head
✔Don't Get Lost in Heaven
✔Demon Days


No matter what damn project Damon Albarn finds, its going to sound great. The Gorillaz, an animated band made by Albarn, happen to have great music, produced by one of the best producers in the world today, Danger Mouse. "Last Living Souls" had great vocals and synths (what this album is full of). "Kids With Guns" was some slow, funk number, with 2D (I think) singing his higher pitched vocals with someone else rapping. "O Green World" is a bunch of distortion and synths with 2D's voice. "Dirty Harry" has a choir singing the song, with some more funky noise and synths in the background (and a neat rap section at the end by Bootie Brown). If you haven't heard "Feel Good Inc.", you've been living under a fucking rock for about two years. The song is fantastic, with a funky bass line at the beginning, a nice guitar chorus, a rap by De La Soul (who is great), and repeats the process. "El Manana" is a nice song, with simple acoustic guitar, synths, and a great vocal from 2D, Albarn, etc. "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead" has a catchy synth, crashing cymbals, and an interesting vocal. "November Has Come" is rapping, synths, and a chorus vocal from 2D. "All Alone" seems freaky at first, but then it breaks into a huge rap section. "White Light" is fast paced drumming matched with distorted vocals. "Dare" is a showcase for "Noodle" and with some catchy dance lines and a guest appearance by Shaun Ryder. "Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head" has Dennis Hopper narrating and 2D singing in the middle parts. "Don't Get Lost In Heaven" is just choir with a cool slide guitar. "Demon Days" has an uplifting choir and some cool drumming.

A very moody, electronica/hip-hop album with ambient, spacy synths and its very bouncy. Download it and then go buy.

Top 3:
-El Manana
-Feel Good Inc.
-Dirty Harry
-The Whole Album

Radiohead-Amnesiac (2001)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VC3GFD8F

✔Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box
✔Pyramid Song
✔Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
✔You And Whose Army?
✔I Might Be Wrong
✔Knives Out
✔Morning Bell (Amnesiac)
✔Dollars & Cents
Hunting Bears
✔Like Spinning Plates
✔Life In A Glasshouse

Never to be called Kid B, Amnesiac is a great album on its own. "Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box" is a cool song with a steel drum and Yorke telling us to get off his case. "Pyramid Song" is one of my all-time favorites. It's simply Yorke singing and playing piano, with Strings and moderate srums in the background. The lyrics are stunning. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors is very electronic and is very odd sounding with alot of loops in the background, and morphed vocals. "You And Whose Army?" is really cool, and it starts slow at the beginning, then it picks up into a loud section with a choir, organ and crashing drum from Phil Selway. "I Might Be Wrong" is the most guitar-based song on here, with its very bouncy-blues riff and an interesting bassline from Colin Greenwood. "Knives Out" is very jazzy percussion and guitar from Selway, Johhny Greenwood, and Ed O' Brien. "Morning Bell (Amnesiac)" is different than the one on Kid A, and has a very basic background and Yorke's vocals with some small acoustics."Dollars and Cents" has a cool guitar riff and neat vocals by Yorke, and is very minimal."Hunting Bears" is a short guitar instrumental. "Like Spinning Plates" is a very electronic-vocal only song that is great. "Life In A Glasshouse" is a very jazzy way to end the album, especially with all the percussion and brass.

Amnesiac is pretty cool. Get it especially for Pyramid Song.

Top 3:
-Pyramid Song
-You And Whose Army?
-I Might Be Wrong

Radiohead-Kid A (2000)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PWP1EUF2



✔Everything In Its Right Place
✔Kid A
✔The National Anthem
✔How To Dissapear Completely
✔Treefingers
✔Optimistic
✔In Limbo
✔Idiotque
✔Morning Bell
✔Motion Picture Soundtrack

After OK Computer said that Radiohead was one of the best bands of our time, they told us in a great fashion that they can change, and still sound fucking brilliant. Kid A's 10 tracks can nearly match OK Computer's 12, but they are two kinds of albums. "Everything In Its Right Place" could have been just Thom Yorke and a synth, but the Johnny and Colin Greenwood took over with some samplers and made it interesting, but looping Yorke's minimal lyrics. "Everything.." is right at the top of Radiohead's catalog. "Kid A" is very electronic, and can at times give me the creeps, but its great. "The National Anthem" is fronted by a powerful bass (played by Yorke) and has numerous background samples, guitars, and a jazz band. "How To Disapear Completely" is the "Exit Music (For A Film)" of Kid A. It sounds very depressing, and the title of the song comes from advice Michael Stipe gave Yorke when Yorke was fighting depression. "Treefingers" is absolute beauty. Its really an Ed O' Brian guitar solo chopped up and made ambient. This is the ambient center piece of the album, and it's fantastic. "Optimistic" is the rocker, and shows some awesome lyrics (If you try the best you can/The best you can is good enough, This one dropped a payload/Fodder for the animals/Living on an animal farm) and an amazing guitar riff. "In Limbo" is more electronics, with some genius, nonsense lyrics. "Idiotque" is largely apocalyptic, very dancy, and full of electronics. Yorke's singing is fantastic, and its a big fan favorite. "Morning Bell" is Phil Selway's big moment on a Radiohead album, and he sounds great. This song is really cool on Amnesiac and live as well. "Motion Picture Soundtrack" is a great ending to the album, but it ends after 3 minutes, and there is a long silence and a short instrumental after the 7 minute song.

Kid A is freaky. It's an in the dark, in your bedroom by yourself with a good stereo album. But it is one of the true great albums, and is something I will be listening to for a long time. I hope you will too.

Top 3 (Very Hard):
-Everything In Its Right Place
-Idiotque
-Optimistic

R.E.M.-Murmur (1983)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭ 1/2



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I5KP7FAC

✔Radio Free Europe
✔Pilgrimage
✔Laughing
Talk About the Passion
✔Moral Kiosk
Perfect Circle
Catapult
✔Sitting Still
✔9-9
Shaking Through
✔We Walk
✔West Of The Feilds

R.E.M.'s fantastic debut was filled with ringing guitars and nonsense lyrics and low "Murmurs" from singer Michael Stipe. "Radio Free Europe" is that fast, catchy single that is found on pretty much any debut, ever. "Pilgrimage" is....Laughing has a slow, driving acoustic guitar. "Talk About The Passion" has bouncy guitars and more of Stipe's "Murmurs". "Moral Kiosk" is R.E.M.'s first big "anthem". Buck's guitar is fast, and Berry's drumming is tribal. "Perfect Circle" is hard to listen to..as Stipe's vocals are so low. "Catapult" is absolute nonsense. "Sitting Still" is a little droning number that will grow on you over time. "9-9" may be the best track on here, with its echoing vocals and heavy drum and bass."Shaking Through" is a mass of acoustic guitar, and "We Walk" is beautifully shimmering guitar. "West Of The Fields" Shows what may happen on later R.E.M. albums.

This may become 5 stars on a second listen...but its 4 1/2 now.

Top 3:
-Radio Free Europe
- 9-9
-Pilgrimage

Rush-Snakes And Arrows (May 1st, 2007)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭


http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W5J50CRU

✔Far Cry
✔Armor and Sword
Working Them Angels
Larger Bowl
✔Spindrift
The Main Monkey Business
✔Way The Wind Blows
Hope
✔Faithless
✔Bravest Face
Good News First
Malignant Narcissism
✔We Hold On

Rush's latest studio album contains some of their best stuff in a while. 2002's Vapor Trails had some good stuff, but S&A is Rush's best album since 1993's Counterparts. "Far Cry" is a fantastic lead single. "Armor And Sword" reminds me of early Rush, and "Spindrift" is fantastic (the best song on here). "Bravest Face" is really cool, but "We Hold On" is Rush's best album closer in a long time.

Top 3:
-Spindrift
-Far Cry
-Bravest Face

Coldplay-X&Y (2005)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭



Square One
✔What If
✔White Shadows
✔Fix You
✔Talk
✔X&Y
✔Speed Of Sound
A Message
✔Low
✔The Hardest Part
✔Swallowed In The Sea
✔Twisted Logic
‘Til Kingdom Come

Coldplay, who had already created masterpieces Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head, came out with their third album, ready to break into the US mainstream as well as the UK. X&Y saw smash singles "Speed Of Sound", "Fix You", "Talk", and "The Hardest Part" (UK/International only). Those songs are all great, as well as the surpriser "White Shadows" which really is "Talk", spead up a bit. "X&Y" is a bluesy-love song, which contains some great lyrics. "Low" is all upbeat-electronics, which is great. "Twisted Logic" is really the better album closer, but Johnny Cash tribute "Til Kingdom Come" has to be at the end.


X&Y was easily the best album of 2005, but will Coldplay get a new album out in 2007? Rumors are, a September 3rd Release date is out there. They are/have worked with Producer Brian Eno (U2, Talking Heads, David Bowie), and apparently Hip-Hop producer Timbaland (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado,and soon Jay-Z and Duran Duran). A couple of album titles are out there, but Antarctica is the one I like the most. It also includes a song Chris Martin says we must hear "before we die."

Top 3:
-White Shadows
-Fix You
-What If

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UAGOBEG3

✔The Power of Equality
If You Have To Ask
✔Breaking The Girl
✔Funky Monks
✔Suck My Kiss
I Could Have Lied
✔Mellowship Slinky In B Major
The Righteous & The Wicked
✔Give It Away
✔Blood Sugar Sex Magik
✔Under The Bridge
Naked In The Rain
Apache Rose Peacock
The Greeting Song
✔My Lovely Man
✔Sir Psycho Sexy
✔They're Red Hot

Funk. The Chili's major label breakthrough came with one of the most genius producers in the world (Rick Rubin). "Under The Bridge" is the most unforgettable track on here (that guitar line still sends chills down my spine). "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss" were the obvious mainstream singles from the album, but "Breaking The Girl" was the other big "slower" single, with its great drumming. "My Lovely Man" is a tribute to the late Hillel Slovak, and it turns out great. "Funky Monks" is a lost gem..never gets played live (unfortunatly)."The Power Of Equality" is the best rapping on here, with sick rhymes and big beats. "Sir Psycho Sexy" and "They're Red Hot" is a great way to end the album, on a funny note.

Top 3:
-Under The Bridge
-Breaking The Girl
-Power Of Equality

Good Album

Wilco-Being There (1996)

Afterimage Review: ✭✭✭✭✭



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=U7S7ZT86

✔Misunderstood
✔Far, Far Away
✔Monday
✔Outtasite (Outta Mind)
Forget the Flowers
Red-Eyed and Blue
✔I Got You (At the End of the Century)
✔What's the World Got in Store
✔Hotel Arizona
Say You Miss Me

✔Sunken Treasure
Someday Soon
✔Outta Mind (Outta Sight)
Someone Else's Song
✔Kingpin
(Was I) In Your Dreams
Why Would You Wanna Live
✔The Lonely 1
✔Dreamer In My Dreams

Wilco's breakthrough is a somewhat misleading album. It gets tagged as "Alt-Country", but there is alot of rock here ("Monday", "I Got You (At The End Of The Century)", And the Outtasite/Outtamind series). Beautiful Country like stuff appears on "Hotel Arizona", "The Lonely 1", and "Far, Far, Away"). The two disc openers "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure" are both long, and contain alot of rock and slow sections. "Dreamer In My Dreams" is the perfect wrap-up of the album, With slow stuff, heavy rock, and a wild jam ending that knocks us out. This is an album to be messed with..listen to it now.

Wilco-Sky Blue Sky (May 15th, 2007)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Nice birthday present..btw


http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X1XKLP48

Wilco's sixth album is a return (Somewhat) to their early albums. It's way more acoustic and has a western feeling. Its amazing, and of course Jeff Tweedy's vocals/lyrics are top-notch. "Impossible Germany" may be the best song that Wilco has ever made, opening with an acoustic number and going into an amazing guitar solo ending. "You Are My Face" sounds like the Eagles, while other tracks like "Side With The Seeds", "Shake It Off", "Hate It Here", and "Walken" feature dominant electric guitar. "Either Way" is a beautiful opener, and "On and On and On" is a fantastic closing song."What Light" was the first single, and is very folky. Overall, the album is a mix of Being There and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, with way more powerful guitar. Early pick for Album of the Year.

✔Either Way
✔You Are My Face
✔Impossible Germany
✔Sky Blue Sky
✔Side With The Seeds
✔Shake It Off
Please Be Patient With Me
✔Hate It Here
✔Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
✔Walken
✔What Light
✔On and On and On

Its that good.

Brian Eno/Laraaji-Ambient 3: Day Of Radiance (1980)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5WFM0LTB

The Dance #1
The Dance #2
✔The Dance #3
✔Meditation #1
✔Meditation #2

An album not actually by Brian Eno, but by Laraaji, Ambient 3: Day Of Radience is too weighed down by dulcimers for the first two tracks (they were a bore to listen to), but the third "Dance" was pretty good, as the dulcimer wasn't as up-front as the first two tracks. "Meditation #1" is a fantastic 18-minute piece with strings and amazing backgrounds. This album isn't "Ambient" for the first 3 tracks..but after that "Meditiation" is very Ambient.

Again, see Ambient 1: Music For Airports for all warnings on Ambient Music. THERE ARE NO WORDS.

Brian Eno/Harold Budd-Ambient 2: The Plateaux Of Mirror (1980)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NAMS1IVT

✔First Light – 6:59
Steal Away – 1:29
✔The Plateaux of Mirror – 4:10
Above Chiangmai – 2:49
✔An Arc of Doves– 6:22
Not Yet Remembered – 3:50
✔The Chill Air– 2:13
✔Among Fields of Crystal – 3:24
✔Wind in Lonely Fences – 3:57
✔Failing Light– 4:17

The second album in the Ambient series was almost better than the first. Brian Eno's second attemt at Ambience was assisted by Harold Budd, which helped quite a bit. The songs are shorter and more Piano-oriented than Ambient 1 (Except for "1/1") and have a radiant feel to them ("First Light"). All the songs are pretty good, as we don't see any of the choir vocals like in "2/1" (Ambient 1). This is a good album to listen to while reading or taking a nice, long, car ride.

See Ambient 1: Music For Airports for warnings about Ambient music. THERE ARE NO WORDS.

Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VKDDQ2Y4


Length: 51:51

✔I am trying to break Your Heart
✔Kamera
✔Radio Cure
War On War
✔Jesus, etc.
✔Ashes Of American Flags
✔Heavy Metal Drummer
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Pot Kettle Black
✔Poor Places
✔Reservations

Wow. And Reprise Records called this album terrible. The album is anything but terrible, as Wilco gives us their finest album. "Poor Places" and "Reservations" may be one of the best album endings in a long time. This album is a bit of a departure from the "Alt-Country"(Not) start that Wilco had. There's still alot of Acoustic Guitar, but the album has its harder moments (Heavy Metal Drummer), its bluesy (Jesus, etc.), and its bouncy-acoustics (Kamera). If you've heard alot (or nothing at all) about Wilco, I recomend downloading this record. Everyone will find at least something they like.

Top 3:
-Radio Cure
-Jesus, etc.
-Poor Places/Reservations

Nine Inch Nails-The Fragile (1999)

"There's a general theme to the album of systems failing and things sort of falling apart." -Trent Renzor


Length: 103:38

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭ (True Classic)[highly recomended]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SR6X47IY

Things falling apart? More like things coming together. Renzor's best album yet is so good, he had to use two discs to get it all on. It took him about 5 years to get this done. I can see why, as he wanted to make his best work (Something he did) and get a bunch of stuff out to the fans. The album was critically acclaimed, but fell off the charts very fast. "The Day The World Went Away" is more than likely NIN's best song, other classics are "The Frail/The Wretched", "La Mer", "Into The Void", and "We're In This Together". The album is full of a bunch of ambient noise and good guitars. The lyrics are a masterpiece, refering to anything from "Starfuckers" to your Grandmother's funeral (The Day The World Went Away, I'm Looking Forward To Joining You, Finally). If I were you, I would get this album now, and check it out. It will take some time, but I'm sure you'll like it.

SONG REVIEWS:

Left Disc:
✔Somewhat Damaged
✔The Day The World Went Away
✔The Frail (Instrumental)
✔The Wretched
✔We're In This Together
The Fragile
Just Like You Imagined (Instrumental)
✔Even Deeper
Pilgrimage (Instrumental)
No, You Don't
✔La Mer (Instrumental-ish)
✔The Great Below

Right Disc:
✔The Way Is Out Through
✔Into The Void
Where Is Everybody?
The Mark has Been Made (Instrumental)
✔Please
✔Starfuckers Inc.
Complication (Instrumental)
I'm looking Forward To Joining You, Finally
✔The Big Come Down
✔Underneath It All
Ripe (With Decay) [Instrumental]

Top 3:
-The Day The World Went Away
-La Mer
-Into The Void

Get It Now

Arcade Fire-Neon Bible (2007)

Afterimage Rating: ✭✭✭✭



http://www.richardmayer.ca/mp3/ARCADE%20FIRE%20-%20Neon%20Bible/ (Right click, Save As..)

✔Black Mirror
✔Keep The Car Running
Neon Bible
✔Intervention
Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
✔Ocean Of Noise
✔Well And The Lighthouse
Antichrist Television Blues
Windowsill
✔No Cars Go
My Body Is A Cage

Arcade Fire, one of the best new groups, make a pretty good album here. This album is somewhat overhyped (Q Magazine), but I think its pretty good (not great) and is pretty unique. Its very un-mainstream, so be looking for a wide range of listening. unless you like my review, or what people have said, then its your choice to listen to it. "Black Mirror" is probably the most radio-friendly on here, but "Keep The Car Running", "Intervention", and "No Cars Go" are the best songs on the CD. "Well and the Lighthouse" is underrated, and has some good guitar.

Funeral is still better.

Top 3:
Keep The Car Running
Intervention
No Cars Go