Surviving the Golden AgeSurviving the Golden AgeMusic blog dedicated to reviewing the newest releases. Articles
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin: Perishing
2008-04-08 04:44:00 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin: PerishingSomeone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's 2005 self-released debut Broom was critically praised by everyone from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork Media. It was praised to the point that a year and a half later it was reissued on Polyvinyl Records. Now three years removed from that breakthrough debut, SSLYBY releases their sophomore album on Polyvinyl Records.Sophomore slumps are very real occurrences in music but SSLYBY parries off the usual pot holes. SSLYBY's charm lies in their ability to write simple indie pop.Their music seemingly lies in between the Shins and the Dandy Warhols. They have a small town Midwest charm. Their name could be misconstrue for a snooty New York City band, but really is a joke stemming back to their teenage beginnings.Its hard to not enjoy this sophomore release. There is a mid-album lull when the band indulges their acoustic side to the listener's detriment, but the album picks up again with "Think I Wann...
New Phantom Planet
2008-04-06 23:29:00 Although Phantom Planet has not been able to duplicate the commercial success of "California", they remain one of very critically viable band. The bands Southern Californian charm and pop sensibility seems to win over teeny-boppers and music elitists alike. Their new album Raise the Dead is slated for release later this month. It will be their first album released without the backing of a major label. Instead it will be released on the mallcore heavy Feuled By Raman label. You can catch Phantom Planet on tour now with Panic at the Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, and the Hush Sound. Enjoy their new track "Leader".MP3: Phantom Planet "Leader"
These Are Powers: Taro Tarot
2008-04-04 03:04:00 These Are Powers : Taro Tarot Hot on the heels of their well-received debut LP Terrific Seasons, These Are Powers unleash Taro Tarot, an EP that dives even further into their self-christened genre of "ghost punk".For some reason "ghost punk" sounds like a genre that would be haunting in nature but I find little to nothing haunting about These Are Powers. Their music utilizes very primal rhythms with indecipherable female vocals. Perhaps its no wonder that the band contains ex-members of Liars.In the end, the music has very little redeeming qualities if any. Making bad music and making ghastly music are two different things and shouldn't be confused.Rating: 0.3/10MP3: These are Powers "Cockles"
The Billionaires: Really Real for Forever
2008-04-03 04:45:00 The Billionaires : Real ly Real for Forever The five piece pop group, the Billionaires release their somewhat anticipated debut.Their sound is the perfect combination of the Rentals and Tilly and the Wall. They can be rambunctious but for the most part they are content making subdued pop music.That description paints the rosy picture. Unfortunately like most debut albums there are significant flaws. First off, lyrically their efforts are poor at best. When they make their more energetic tunes they seem to only be about doing drugs or drinking. Their more subdued songs fair better lyrically but sometimes drift into the dreamy pop territory that reminds me a little of Air. It's okay music, but it feels like it has no substance.In the end, although none of their songs are flawless, many of their songs are fun. If you can get past the lyrics, which most of you can I'm sure, the music is very pleasant.Rating: 6.3/10MP3: The Billionaires "Trophy Home"
R.E.M.: Accelerate
2008-04-01 17:31:00 R.E.M.: Accelerate Fourteen years since their last number one record in the US, R.E.M. releases their fourteenth studio album Accelerate. After signing one of the largest record contracts of all times, a reported $80 million from Warner Brothers, their sales have steadily declined. They declined to the point where 2004's Around the Sun became the first R.E.M. record to not at least go gold. The years when R.E.M. was considered America's greatest rock band seemed so far away.Enter Jackknife Lee. The Grammy award winning producer was recommended to R.E.M. by the just as old but still more vital U2. Jackknife brought a change from long-time producer Pat McCarthy, Jackknife brought R.E.M. back from obscurity.Accelerate feels like an album filled with vitality. Peter Buck flexes his chops with booming arena rock guitars, while Mike Mills puts away the keyboards and focuses primarily on bass adding in his signature background vocals as needed. All the while, Michael Stipe is in rare form...
Muse: Haarp
2008-04-01 04:27:00 Muse: HaarpH.A.A.R.P. is the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program - a scientific research program aimed at studying the properties and behaviour of the ionosphere. Obviously, I'm not reviewing a scientific research program. H.A.A.R.P. is also the title of the new Muse live album recorded in Wembley Stadium in London after the release of their seminal fourth album Black Holes & Revelations.Although Muse may only seem like a blip on a radar for Guitar Hero players, Muse's Black Holes & Revelations and the record prior Absolution both reached number one on several European charts including the UK. Wembley Stadium was big enough to host the first regular season NFL game in Europe and it was big enough to host Muse.Muse is a bit of a categorical oddity. They are clearly prog rock but their clear sense of pop does not quite align them with Rush or the Mars Volta. Although, Matthew Bellamy's high pitched vocals may draw comparison with Geddy Lee or Claudio from Co... More About: Muse
Triclops!: Out of Africa
2008-03-29 04:53:00 Triclops!: Out of Africa Triclops! is a San Francisco Acid punk band formed out of the ashes of noted bay area bands Victim's Family, Fleshies, and Bottles and Skulls.Triclops! walks a very thin line between genius, experimental, and just plain annoying. They seem to have two basic modes. The first is a Ween-like drifting. This generally is the most annoying mode. Their second mode is halfway decent hardcore, that kind of reminds me of Folly.For the most part they write songs that are long enough to indulge both modes. Their is only one track on the album under five minutes. Not surprisingly the just-under-three-minutes "Duende War" is my favorite track on the album.The sprawling seven-minute "Cassava" is the perfect example of what is wrong with this album. Sure it shows the band is technically proficient and can write music in several different styles, but in the end it just feels so self-felating.I can say that I could see myself really being into this band but they would ...
Quick Note to Readers
2008-03-28 02:55:00 Posting up that Reconteurs' MP3 got my Fileden subscription deleted. The last time I was "suspended" from Fileden it was for posting a White Stripes link. Needless to say at this point I think Jack White is the devil. But alas, it was probably worth it because it finally convinced me to buy some dedicated webspace.You can now access us at http://www.survivingthegoldenage.com and we will be hosting our mp3s through online web folders from godaddy.com. Unfortunately right now with this hosting you can't just right click links ans save as, you have to click through. The cool thing is I can now track how many times each track is downloaded and have a set amount of days each mp3 is shared.Hopefully this will be a cool experience for both us and our readers. More About: Readers , Note , Quick
Pennywise: Reason to Believe
2008-03-28 02:21:00 Pennywise: Reason to BelieveWhile celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, Pennywise releases their 9th full length album. Reason to Believe is their first album not released on Epitaph Records. Instead the band opted to release the album on Myspace Records and offer it as a free download in addition to traditional CD and vinyl releases.Without a doubt the method of release is unconventional yet still has the punk community debating. Epitaph is one of the most respected punk record labels and Pennywise left it to release their album with Myspace and Textango. It seems like selling out, yet letting people download the album for free seems so punk rock. It's a conundrum.I'm not a huge Pennywise fan, but I can recall jamming to them in my younger punk days. Having diverge a bit from the punk mindset makes this album a little hard to digest.Pennywise's style has always been fast, thumping, and unrelenting; this album is no different. However after listening to three or fo... More About: Pennywise
Counting Crows: Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings
2008-03-27 02:39:00 Counting Crows: Saturday Nights and Sunday MorningsIt's been four years since we last heard from the Counting Crows. The last time they made a significant dent in the Billboard charts was their single "Accidentally in Love" from the Shrek 2 soundtrack. Of course they will always be known as the band that sang "Mr. Jones".One time 90s hit makers haven't often faired well in the new millennium. With that against them, the Crows also decided to make this sort of a concept record. The "Saturday Night" portion of the album is thematically rock, while the "Sunday Morning" portion of the album is country themed.The first two songs are a little of a curve ball. "1492" and "Hanging Tree" are more rocking than anything else the casual Counting Crows listener would have ever heard, but the band follows it up with "Los Angeles" a "Long December" like power ballad. That's when the same old, same old seems to start. "Sundays" is a country song thrown in on the rock side of the album."Wa... More About: Counting Crows , Counting
The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely
2008-03-26 03:16:00 The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely The Jack White fronted super group release their second album, Consolers of the Lonely, hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed White Stripes album Icky Thump.The differences between the White Stripes and the Reconteurs are not great. They both play blues-flavored rock, one just plays it with slightly more band members.To set the record straight, I do not hate the White Stripes. I feel their vastly over rated, but I can jam to a very select few of their tracks.Besides the same basic ingredients, the Reconteurs seem like a different beast. It's like the Rolling Stones and Led Zepplin; they're both blues-influenced rock bands but only one of them are considered the Godfathers of hard rock.Despite my optimism about the Reconteurs, it doesn't make me a fan. The full band sound does do wonders for Jack Whites song writing , it still does not glaze over everything. No matter what I rate the album, I'm sure I'll get several nasty comme... More About: The Raconteurs
Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple
2008-03-25 01:17:00 Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple The supergroup collaboration between Goodie Mob founder Cee-Lo Green and producer Danger Mouse spawned one of the biggest hits of 2006 with "Crazy". Cee-Lo's soulful vocals and Danger Mouse's on-point production made the duo a critical and commercial success.Two years later they release their sophomore release, The Odd Couple . Originally slated for release in April, the group pushed up the release by almost a month once the album leaked on to the internet. The album was released on iTunes on March 18th and the album will officially grace store shelves tomorrow.The biggest question plaguing the group was if it was possible to follow up the monster success of their debut."Sophomore Slump" is a term thrown around quite a lot in the music industry but this album seems to be one. It's hard to say who was at fault in this gaff. I would place a decent amount on Danger Mouse. His production is so experimental that its impossible to hear even an influen... More About: Gnarls Barkley
03.22.08 Tilly and The Wall at the Middle East
2008-03-23 18:54:00 The scene was set. A sold out show the night before East er in the basement of the Cambridge, MA mainstay.The room was filled to the brim with girls in tube tops and spandex and boys in button down shirts and khakis. From the very first notes of the opening band it was apparent that this crowd was not into shoe gazing, they had attended this show to dance.Though when you hear Tilly and the Wall on CD, you might not think of them as being a "dance" band. But there is something about seeing them on stage that changes all of that.Five kids from Nebraska never seemed to have so much fun in one place at one time as Tilly and the Wall does. When on stage its like watching five best friends have the most fun time ever. Guitarist/vocalist Derek Pressnall hops around the stage like a hyper bunny, which is very fitting for Easter eve. While his wife Jamie Pressnall provides the beat for the band, tap dancing on her miked raised platform.The dueling female vocalists Kianna Alarid and Neel... More About: Middle East , The Middle East , Middle
New Outkast (sort of)
2008-03-23 17:27:00 Outkast's Big Boi is preparing to release his solo debut, Sir Luscious Left Foot later this year.The first leak from the album is "Royal Flush" which features his long time partner in crime Andre 3000 and Wu Tang's Raekwon the Chef.Judging by "Royal Flush", Sir Luscious Left Foot is definitely one of my most anticipated new releases. Enjoy!MP3: Big Boi ft. Andre 3000 and Raekwon "Royal Flush" More About: Outkast , Sort
Sheek Louch: Silverback Gorilla
2008-03-22 05:42:00 Sheek Louch: Silverback Gorilla Sheek Louch is perhaps the least known member of the Lox, now D-Block . Jadakiss has obviously become the most critically successful member of D-Block, while Styles P is a close second. Sheek Louch seems like a distant third.On his third solo album, it's almost immediately apparent why he isn't as known as his two cohorts. He's not a charasmatic rapper. I never had a problem with him in an ensemble setting but a solo jaunt this immediately becomes apparent. Perhaps that's why the best songs on the album are the ones with guest appearances and there are a LOT of guests.Guests include the obvious Jadakiss and Styles P as well as Hell Rell, Jim Jones, The Game, Bun B, Unk, and Fat Joe. On tracks when there are no guests, the production does save Sheek. "Good Love" produced by Red Spyda and "Scrap to This" produced by Vinny Idol are two tracks where Sheek's verses aren't overly impressive but the production manages to glaze over that fact.When...
Flo Rida: Mail On Sunday
2008-03-21 00:33:00 Flo Rida: Mail On Sunday If you haven't heard "Low" you've been living in a hole. The club single was the number one most downloaded single on iTunes in 2007. The man behind the single is 28-year-old Miami rapper, Flo Rida. His debut album Mail on Sunday has had all the promo it needs to go platinum.Besides the hit single "Low", Flo Rida's second single is the Timbaland produced "Elevator" another hip hop radio hit.The thing about Flo Rida is he is the type of rapper that relies on production. The first song on the album "American Superstar" is a hot track with great production from Da Honorable C-Note and featuring Lil Wayne. It makes you think this album might be pretty good. Then after the two singles on the album you get to "Priceless" which has a stripped down beat and features Birdman. Flo Rida's verse is so generic and poorly executed that Birdman murders him on his own track.You come to realize without a big name producer like JR Rotem, Timbaland, or will.i.am or s... More About: Flo Rida , Flo-Rida
March Madness
2008-03-20 15:09:00 Is March the most wonderful time of the year? It could be. Even the most casual sports fan gets sucked into an office pool. I have of course gotten sucked in to mine. If you wanna compare picks, I'm game. I got Tennesse, Georgetown, Pitt, and Drake in my Final Four, with Tennessee over Pitt in the finals. Wanna copy my picks? I want half of your office pool winnings.Anyway to celebrate the big dance, here are some great dance related tunes I've been bumping lately.MP3: Electric Six "Dance Commander (Benny Benassi Remix)"MP3: Aerosmith "Same Old Song And Dance"MP3: Billy Idol "Dancing With Myself"MP3: Men Without Hats "Safety Dance"MP3: Black Kids "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)"MP3: Los Campesinos "You! Me! Dancing!" More About: March Madness , Madness
PlayRadioPlay!: Texas
2008-03-20 00:00:00 PlayRadio Play! : Texas 18-year old Aledo, Texas native, Daniel Hunter releases his first full length album as PlayRadioPlay! after the release of a very successful debut EP.PlayRadioPlay! plays emo-tinged electronica like a more dancy Postal Service. Hunter's vocals reminds me a little of another one-man band, The Rocket Summer while his subject runs the stereotypical emo gamut from his relationships to his no extinct drug habit.The albums strength is clearly in the production, well sung dancable music is clearly a popular movement in music. The biggest weakness of the album are the lyrics. They're often cheesy at best.I think for the majority of people in PlayRadioPlay!'s demographic the lyrics won't be an issue. For the trained ear looking for a chink in the PlayRadioPlay! armor, the lyrics are a big one.Rating: 4.8/10MP3: PlayRadioPlay! "Some Crap About The Furniture" More About: Play
Destroyer : Trouble In Dreams
2008-03-19 02:52:00 Destroyer : Trouble In Dreams Canada's Daniel Bejar has become a God amongst men. His work with the New Pornographers is well documented and his new project with his girlfriend, Sydney Vermont, Hello, Blue Roses has been critically acclaimed. It is his solo work as Destroyer that has earned him the biggest acclaim.His 2000 release, Thief was the first to garner him critical success. Now on his 8th album, Destroyer is a phenomenon in the underground music scene.Now its hard to understand where exactly Daniel is in his career. His music has always been weird. His supposed European blues has always sounded a little more like indie rock show tunes, but Trouble in Dreams adds a new layer. No more midi-samples like on Your Blues, Trouble in Dreams is a rock record.The album opens with "Blue Flower/Blue Flame" which is a very Destroyer song in the grand tradition of Destroyer opening numbers. It does not really hint at what's to come. The next track "Dark Leaves Form a Thread" star... More About: Destroyer
New R.E.M. video "Living Well is the Best Revenge"
2008-03-18 20:22:00 "Living Well is the Best Revenge " is the opening track from R.E.M.'s soon-to-be-released 14th album, Accelerate. The song combines Peter Buck's stylistically unique rock guitar and classic Michael Stipe lyrical ire, with the kind of high and low harmonies that make it so defiantly a R.E.M. Tune. iTunes has the video for you here and it's free.Video : R.E.M. "Living Well Is The Best Revenge" (Vincent Moon Version)
Various Artists: 21 Love Songs: A Tribute To The Magnetic Fields
2008-03-18 16:27:00 Various Artists : 21 Love Songs : A Tribute To The Magnetic Fields When you talk about influential singer/songwriters of the 90s and today it's almost impossible to leave Stephen Merritt's name out of the conversation. His prolific masterpiece 69 Love Songs was one of the most talked about release of 1999.Just under a decade later, Chicago based singer/songwriter James Eric puts together this tribute to Merritt's masterwork.21 Love Songs as you can imagine, is a mixed bag. There are straight covers of wannabe Merritt's like Iji's cover of "When the Open Road is Closing In" which is a pale imitation at best. Then there are complete reworkings like Steinbeck's "I Think I Need a New Heart" which is a pop punk cluster-fuck just barely keeping the melody and lyrics of the original. Microfilm offers up a synth-heavy version of "The Desperate Things You Made Me Do" and Tinyfolk add bizarre sound effects to "I Don't Believe You".Overall, Merritt fans may find themselves disappointed in ...
She and Him: Volume One
2008-03-18 04:42:00 She and Him: Volume OneActress Zooey Deschanel releases her first musical experiment by teaming up with renowned musician M Ward to form She and Him.We've heard Zooey Deschanel before, remember that scene in Elf? But this is completely different, she's not singing Christmas carols, she's singing lush indie pop songs. She also plays piano and banjo on the record.The other side of the She and Him equation is M Ward. He plays guitar and does all the production which includes orchestra sounding string sections and keyboard loops.The music on the album really runs the gamut. Zooey's voice has such an old quality to it, that the selection of a doo-wop tune "I Was Made For You" is a natural fit. There's also a Patsy Cline-esque country ballad "You Really Got a Hold on Me". For the most part the album hovers in the alt-country genre.I've never been a big M Ward fan but this album feels nothing like an M Ward record. This seems like the kind of record Zooey Deschanel could have ...
03.15.08 Dropkick Murphys at Tsongas Arena
2008-03-17 16:34:00 As a child, I recall going to a Hartford Whalers game. That was the only time I was in a hockey arena to see hockey. My college graduation was in a hockey arena, but that a bit of a different story. The other times I've been in hockey arenas have been for concerts. I've seen Bob Dylan in a hockey arena and The Pixies. Now I can add Dropkick Murphys to that list.When you hear the name Dropkick Murphys, you probably wouldn't think they would be playing to an arena. Most of the time, they play mid-sized clubs like the House of Blues and such. But the Dropkick Murphys in the state of Massachussetes is a completely different beast.Sold out shows are the norm for the Dropkick Murphys and their Boston St. Patrick's day shows are legendary. This year they moved just slightly North of Boston to Lowell to play two shows in one day this past Saturday.Darkness fell on the Tsongas Arena while chants of "let's go Murphys" still resounded throughout the sold out crowd. Though the show began a...
Various Artists: Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story
2008-03-17 03:23:00 Various Artists : Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story Jamaican record producers and rhythm section extrodinaires, Sly and Robbie maybe among the most prolific recording artists ever. It is estimated that they played on over 200,000 songs. The majority of those songs were recorded in their Compass Point studios in the Bahamas.The Funky Nassau album compiles some of the high light recordings from this legendary studio during the years between 1980-1986.Some of the artists they have worked with include Bob Dylan, The Fugees, Matisyahu, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Brittney Spears, and Peter Tosh to name a few. The more notable artists that appear on this album include the Talking Heads, the Tom Tom Club, Grace Jones, and Ian Dury.I'm personally not a big reggae guy, but Sly and Robbie is so much bigger than just reggae. Their signature style was honed playing reggae, but the recordings on the comp range in all genres. They include the 12 inch version of the Tom Tom Club's classi...
Fat Joe: The Elephant In the Room
2008-03-16 16:27:00 Fat Joe: The Elephant In the Room Joey Crack releases his eighth studio album, The Elephant in the Room , and his first on Imperial Records.Fat Joe is from New York but recently he has aligned himself with Southern rappers which has helped his radio play significantly. A quick look at Elephant's guests will confirm this. The album has appearance from Lil Wayne, Plies, and DJ Khaled. The album also contains production from Cool and Dre.Joe does still keep his love for NY though. The album has a guest appearance from the legendary KRS-One and production from NYC producers like DJ Premier and The Hitmen.Lyrically, Fat Joe s still doing that drug rap. He address some of his beef with 50 Cent on the opening track "The Fugitive" but with track titles like "Cocababy", "The Crackhouse", and "That White" you know the main album content.I have always been a firm believer that Fat Joe would be a much better rap if he would diversify his subject matter. This album does not do much to discr... More About: Fat Joe
New Buckshot and 9th Wonder
2008-03-15 04:27:00 Definitely one of the upcoming releases I'm most looking forward to releasing is Buckshot and 9th Wonder . After 9th Wonder and Little Brother surprisingly split, I've been waiting for 9th's next big thing and teaming up with Black Moon's Buckshot.For you I have the second track that has leaked from the album "Hold It Down" which features Talib Kweli and Tyler Wood. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for Talib so enjoy this track!MP3: Buckshot and 9th Wonder ft. Talib Kweli and Tyler Woods "Hold It Down"
Rick Ross: Trilla
2008-03-14 02:01:00 Rick Ross : TrillaMiami rapper, Rick Ross, releases his sophomore album Trilla via Slip 'n' Slide Records.Rick Ross is in a unique position. Miami isn't exactly "the South" but its more South than Atlanta so he can straddle the line of dirty south and east coast hip hop. This album sees Ross embrace both styles.Production comes from such big names as Mannie Fresh, DJ Toomp, J.R. Rotem, The Runners, and several songs produced by The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. In addition to the big name productions is the all-star guests including T-Pain, R. Kelly, Jay-Z, Nelly, Lil Wayne, Trick Daddy, and Young Jeezy.Lyrically, what can you say? It's a mainstream rap album. There is the stereotypical stripper joint with "Money Make Me Cum", the standard "I make money" song in "Billionaire", and the so necessary Lil Wayne appearance on "Luxury Tax".Overall, I would Ross successfully parried off the sophomore jinx. This album isn't better than Thriller like he promised, but it's better than a l... More About: Rick , Rick Ross
Why?: Alopecia
2008-03-13 03:04:00 Why?: AlopeciaThe third album from indie rock/hip hop artist Why? is a complex mix of concepts and sounds.Yoni Wolf might be ready to join the litany of great Jewish rappers like MC Serch, The Beastie Boys, Ill Bill, and Aesop Rock. There is one thing that is underminding his attempt. Why? isn't a rap group. More than ever this is proven on Alopecia.Mr. Wolf and company straddle the line between Buck 65 and They Might Be Giants. When he does rhyme his lyrics are similar to Aesop Rock, Astronautalis, etc. They're kind of like stream-of-consciousness absurdity. Most of the time it works for him, occasionally the lyrics are so bad they make me grimace. For example the second song on the album "Good Friday", which opens with the line "If you grew up with white boys who only looked at black and Puerto Rican porno" which really rhymes with nothing.Overall, I don't enjoy the album but its hard to pinpoint why. Is it because of the ever fluxuating genres that Why? dabbles in? Is...
The Presidents of the United States of America: These Are the Good Times Pe
2008-03-12 03:18:00 The Presidents of the United States of America : These Are the Good Times PeopleHow many 90s bands from Seattle can you name that are still relevant? I can't think of many. It's funny that the Presidents of the United States of America might be the only one. They hail from the birth place of grunge but they play a goofy blend of power pop and blues.The Presidents' sound made them famous in the 90s with hits like "Peaches", "Lump", and "Volcano". In 1998 when the Presidents broke up it seemed to be the end of their story. They got back together in 2000 and released Freaked Out and Small and quickly broke up again. In 2004 they reunited again, started their own record label, and this reunion seemed to have stuck.Now they release These Are the Good Times People, the Presidents' sixth studio album. You would think that the arc of their career would have harden them to some extent but the music is still as insouciant as ever.In "French Girl", singer songwriter Chris Ballew sing...
Snoop Dogg: Ego Trippin'
More articles from this author:2008-03-11 01:50:00 Snoop Dogg: Ego Trippin 'Snoop Dogg's ninth studio album was supposedly a return to his style of old. After a slew of R&B based singles, this was supposed to be Snoop getting back to real gangsta shit. The lead single "Sexual Eruption" was anything but real gangsta. The song barely had any rapping to speak of.In a relative sense, Snoop is no longer that hard nosed gangsta from Long Beach laying verses down on Dr Dre records. After Doggystyle, Snoop's career took a serious swan dive really until the new millennium.Although the lead single would lead you to believe this is another R&B filled album, Snoop does get back to doing some great stuff on this album. "Press Play" is produced by DJ Quick but it sounds like a Just Blaze joint. "Deez Hollywood Nights" sounds like a beat off of Outkast's Idlewild, it might be the most unique beat Snoop has ever rhymed over.On the down side, Snoop Dogg dedicates a song to Johnny Cash. "My Medicine" features Whitey Ford (aka Everlast) on ... More About: Snoop Dogg , Snoop 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |



