May 2nd is the date that Pearl Jam will be releasing their 8th studio album. It’s a self-titled album and will feature the single “World Wide Suicide” which is available to download from online music stores from today.
Pope Benedict has been given an iPod Nano as a gift from Vatican Radio complete with the words “To His Holiness, Benedict XVI” engraved on it and pre-loaded with religious content and classical music.
P.O.D. return from their 2003 success of Payable on Death with Testify which takes the band in a slightly different direction than their previous album but perhaps slightly reminiscent of Satellite. That said it still has strong connections with Payable, Roots in Stereo and Execute the Sounds have a very similar sound.
One of the downsides to P.O.D. is that they like to push their Christian views through their music but it’s easy enough to look beyond this. Testify seems to take them in two directions at once, slightly more towards rap route than their previous sounds but at the same time solidifies themselves in the rock/metal genre area.
It’s a more mature album than their previous works in many ways, the guitar work is more developed and the whole sound is deeper and more full. This is contrasted well with up and down beat sections in the songs which although is a slightly more formulaic approach sounds good enough that, that fact can be ignored.
The album is not without faults - not for anything specific, it’s just some of the songs are just not that good. They aren’t bad a stand-alones but they seem to lack P.O.D.’s unique rock-funk hybrid sound that give the band it’s edge.
On initial impression it might not capture you as Payable did but it doesn’t take long to really get into the album and appreciate it’s own unique talents. P.O.D. have delivered a worthy sequel to their previous work.
One of the major upcoming bands for punk revival fans to watch out for has to be Angels and Airwaves. Why? Because if features Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge and Offspring drummer Atom Willard. And when members of some of the biggest bands in the genre form a new project it’s worth taking notice.
The debut is expected in April and they have already begun circulating some stuff via their website. Select “The Adventure” from their homepage to see their first video.
Well obviously, as the Brit Awards have been done and aired on TV and all :p.
But if you don’t know the results they are as follows…
British Male Solo Artist: JAMES BLUNT
British Female Solo Artist: KT TUNSTALL
British Group: KAISER CHIEFS
British Breakthrough Act: ARCTIC MONKEYS
MasterCard British Album: COLDPLAY: X&Y
British Single: COLDPLAY - SPEED OF SOUND
British Urban Act: LEMAR
British Rock Act: KAISER CHIEFS
British Live Act: KAISER CHIEFS
Pop Act: JAMES BLUNT
International Male Solo Artist: KANYE WEST
International Female Solo Artist: MADONNA
International Group: GREEN DAY
International Album: GREEN DAY - AMERICAN IDIOT
International Breakthrough Act: JACK JOHNSON
Outstanding Contribution to music: PAUL WELLER
The line-up for this year’s Download Festival is beginning to fall into place and it’s looking pretty impressive.
There is also a new website on it’s way which will hopefully confirm loads more acts.
Yep, it’s that time of the year when those of us who are single feel horribly alone and considering taking the ultimate step and chatting to those people on our MSN list that we don’t actually know who they are ;).
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