However, that is exactly the case, for The Replacements’ 1989 album Don’t Tell A Soul in the form of box set reissue entitled Dead Man’s Pop. Don’t let the title change fool you—it’s the same songs originally released on Don’t Tell a Soul. But the alternate title signals what the album has in store for its listener: an alternate universe. An alternate universe, specifically, where the Replacements stayed true to their roots and weren’t pressured to adhere to a commercial, radio sound. 

The Replacements led the burgeoning Minneapolis punk rock scene alongside bands like Hüsker Dü and Soul Asylum in the early 80s, allowing grungy and raw vocals to hit the airwaves. The band was able to grow a loyal fan base up until their sixth album release, Don’t Tell a Soul. The album passed through the hands of two producers before its eventual form, a radio-friendly version of the rough and rowdy group—the eventual kiss of death for the band. Naturally, this change in image and sound was due to label pressure and, to some extent, was a successful strategy (“I’ll Be You” peaked at #51, the band’s only appearance on Billboard Hot 100). As critics praised the album, the Replacements severed themselves from their existing fan base and the band itself began to crumble. 

Dead Man’s Pop ignores this version of history entirely, going as far as excluding the radio-friendly versions of the songs. At the heart of the reissue are the Matt Wallace-produced versions, recently discovered in Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap’s basement. These versions represent what could’ve been, with a clearer, uncut sound that honors the integrity of the instrumentation. Although these are the same songs, same lyrics, and general arrangements, the songs feel fresh, intimate, and honest as the vocals are isolated and specific instruments are unearthed beneath previously heavy glamour pop-synth.

If anything, Dead Man’s Pop is a testament to the importance and influence of a music producer who complements their subject rather than reinventing them. “Talent Show” features crisp tambourine beats and rousing backup vocals that were previously weighed down by reverb and an overproduced sound. The sparse arrangements allow The Replacement’s underground punk roots to flicker and burn while still honoring the sensitivity of Paul Westerberg’s dive into poetic lyricism. This is on display during “Achin’ to Be,” as the stripped-down version invites the listener to focus on masterful lyrics: 

“Well, I saw one of your pictures
There was nothin’ that I could see
If no one’s on your canvas  
Well, I’m achin’ to be”

“Achin’ to Be”- The Replacements

Matt Wallace’s interpretation allows Westerberg’s vocals to brim with desperation as the listener begins to understand his yearning love, rather than a peppy product of 80s love songs.

Truly proving the polished production was unsuitable for what the Replacements represented during their career peak, the album includes an additional interpretation of the original album from producer Tony Berg, informally recorded in Bearsville, New York (hence, each track is labeled as the “Bearsville version”). This set provides an even rawer take of the album, sounding closer to a demo than a finished album. Standouts from this side of the release is a mellow version of “I’ll Be You,” a country-influenced reimagining of “Portland,” and an eerie previously unreleased track entitled “Dance On My Planet.” Its last side attaches an entire 1989 concert at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with many of the same tracks; the recordings are unfiltered and provide evidence as to how the tracks were intended to be played—untethered from the standard, polished 80s band that filled large stadiums. 

Staying true to its rebranding, the reissue introduces an alternate track order. In a time where value comes from artist singles that climb up the charts, encouraged by the advent of  music streaming— plucking songs to snuggle up against other displaced songs under the label of a playlist—Dead Man’s Pop reinforces the power of considering an album as a whole.

The album’s new lineup still opens on “Talent Show,” portraying the making of a band, inexperienced and descending into the dangers of the rock scene, ending on lyrics fit for a continued lyrical saga: “It’s too late to turn back, here we go…” And with that, the new order allows the tracks to fly through headphones in a cohesive manner—much too late to turn back once the beginning melodies start to play. This time around, the album ends on “Rock ‘N’ Roll Ghost,” a fitting and chilling close to a look at the evils of the world, yearning love, and the bleak fate of the musician: 

“But I was much too young
And much too cool for words
Look at me now”

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Ghost”- The Replacements

The synth remains in this song, now layered with light guitar strumming—a clashing of worlds as Westerberg offers sorrowful, echoing vocals that feel like a true goodbye. This is a goodbye to the innocent nondescript band of “Talent Show” as well as a goodbye to a band whose rebellious image received the pop star treatment. Normally, a reissue wouldn’t be much to obsess over or a timeless entry in an artist’s repertoire. Dead Man’s Pop, however, invites the audience to listen in on an ultimate “what-if,” creating a profound case study of artistic integrity and an overarching desire for the past. For The Replacements,  it’s not a repackaged album with an extra coat of paint, it’s a second chance. 

The post Album Review: “Old Man’s Pop” by The Replacements appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Just one song into the album at hand, it would be hard to believe that this English rock band from Derbyshire was formed a mere six years ago. After a previous shuffle of members, The Struts’ current lineup consists of Adam Slack on guitar, Jed Elliot on bass, Gethin Davis on drums, and Luke Spiller tracking authentically raw rock vocals. Nothing about this band’s sound says anything like “formed in 2010”. That being said, their 80’s glamour influence (including Queen, the Rolling Stones and Def Leppard) is a prominent contribution to the 2016 US reissuing of their debut album, “Everybody Wants.”

We begin the album in an appropriately introductory manner, with the narrator’s literal “wake-up at one”. The vocals are ominously intriguing to lead the listener in: an immediate rock feature. But, potentially the most popular song by the band is the second track, Could Have Been Me. It’s grippingly anthem-ic in nature and certainly a stand-out track for those who appreciate relatable lyrics worthy of screaming from the soul. It reaches out to those who feel internal agony for wanting “to taste love and pain… feel pride and shame”. A song both quote-ably lyrical and catchy beyond fairness? Count me in.

It only gets better with Kiss This, the third track and a middle finger in song form. This, along with Put Your Money On Me, is yet another classic rock-reminiscent addictive hit. Slack’s ability to capture classic rock reverberates through his prominent guitar presence. It isn’t until Mary Go Round that we get a taste of what this band sounds like slightly mellowed out, acoustic guitar leading us into a heartfelt break-up song. This track showcases The Struts’ ability to evoke emotion differently, while still maintaining a high energy.

Dirty Sexy Money continues the well-paved path of catchy choruses and intensely impressive vocal range on Spiller’s part. Not a stranger to the tuneful upbeat theme is She Makes Me Feel Like. As far as the raw vocals, they’re certainly an element you just can’t get enough of on tracks including The Ol’ Switcheroo, These Times Are Changing and Black Swan. There’s something nostalgic about Young Stars, whether it may be the heavy essence of Queen or the way it addresses youth culture. Either way, it proves itself a strong contender for my personal favorite track.

Drummer Davis makes himself the star of the bridge and final chorus of Only Just A Call Away, a deep drum backbeat resonating powerfully with the song’s lyrics of promise. Not to my surprise, the album ends on a high note with Where Did She Go. Somehow, this track effortlessly manages to both wrap up and encapsulate the album’s entirety. The way this final song highlights every strong point of their instrumentation puts an emphasis on what The Struts are capable of composing: classically familiar glam rock in a modern music repertoire.

Presently, it would be difficult to tell me that there is a band six years young that possesses such a rejuvenated authenticity to as beloved a genre as classic glam rock. But it’s impossible not to recognize that The Struts are accomplishing more than they probably even imagined with this album. Their in-studio goal is to channel “something big, fun, unapologetic, rock and roll” and it’s a goal they’ve easily surpassed.

The post Album Review: “Everybody Wants” by The Struts appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Moon Taxi is a Nashville-based band identifying as indie-progressive rock. They dropped their album Daybreaker this past October, a fall release that speaks in the language of summer in many ways.

This album serves the purpose of its title—it’s morning vibes aplenty, the perfect sound to rise and ready yourself to. It also serves as a dual-purposed album of road trip tunes, resembling music that does not restrict itself to one environment, but is a collection of sounds that can be carried out over hours in the car without invoking boredom.

The album kicks off with the theme of “someday, out of the dark we go,” in Year Zero as told by its lyrics. Supplementing that notion is the chill introduction to their sound– Trevor Terndrup’s vocals are definitely a standout feature to each song. While it downplays itself in soft comparison to the instrumentals, every word and note sounds vocally effortless.

All Day All Night, undeniably the catchiest track on the album, resembles an earlier Walk The Moon indie influence at times. While these similarities exist in the track’s drum and guitar stylings, they are softer and simpler in tone, and certainly still groovier in vibe. This is present in several other songs as well, such as Make Your Mind Up.

Run Right Back and Savannah have similar getaway vibes, bringing forth an ever-present theme in this album of the aforementioned road trip feel. It is tracks like these and carefully catchy guitar parts in Ready To Go, which make this album an easy and enjoyable listen.

Though it still keeps relatively low-key, Who’s To Say is one of the more aggressive songs on the album, lyrically and instrumentally. This makes the dreamier following song, Always, a peaceful juxtaposition to the previous track. Its calming nature is pleasant and most representative of melodic daybreak. This same feel is present in the following track, Domino, in addition to some of the mellow angst that was heard in Who’s To Say earlier in the album.

Red Hot Lights stands out with a deeper, darker sensation, embracing softer bass drum that paddles rhythmically throughout the song. It also is reminiscent of later Arctic Monkeys in its dirtier rock guitar phase, making for a good rock component.

We’re brought back to the sunrise breaking out over the horizon one last time with the concluding track on the album, Rooftops. “We spent the night on the rooftops” loops back around to the thematic daybreak, pulling the entire album together in a final melodic reverie.

Daybreaker’s element of escapism paired with the upbeat melodies evoke a sense of comfort that can only be truly described by the songs themselves. Overall, I find no hesitation in recommending this album to friends and fellow lovers of music. I’ve considered maybe even taking it back to the good old days and burning these simply catchy jams onto a CD for all my future road trip needs. I suggest you do, too.

Stream Daybreaker on Spotify, or buy the album on iTunes.

The post Album Review: “Daybreaker” by Moon Taxi appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Elle King is truly the king of the seamless combination of country, soul, rock, and blues. Her new album, Love Stuff, is gaining friction, but Elle has been around a while. She has toured with Of Monsters and Men, Train, and others artists.

Her most popular song from this album is by far Ex’s and Oh’s, a feel good song that emulates “girl power”. Check out her music video below, with a whooping 16.6 million views, here:

Ex’s and Oh’s

Certain songs like Last Damn Night and Jackson absolutely scream pure rock. With up beat tempo and amazing guitar playing, it could make anyone want to start wearing a leather studded jacket and ride a motorcycle. I would say I Told You I Was Mean would fall into the category as well, but this song also has major elements of the blues. In this track, she definitely gives off Amy Winehouse and Adele vibes.

Elle King in Love Stuff shows her variety of genres she can pull off. Tracks like Kocaine Karolina, America’s Sweetheart, and Make You Smile all embody country music through the western lyrics and instruments used (Was that a banjo I heard Elle?). Song of Sorrow is definitely one of those songs that dance on the fine line between country and folk/indie, and it is absolutely working in her favor.

Ain’t Gonna Drown, the 9th track on Love Stuff, is a mix of all of these genres. I would argue it has a elements of southern gospel as well, because it is quite similar to the church song “Wade In The Water.” This track is earthy, passionate, and has a powerful sound that’ll make you close your eyes in content. Guaranteed.

The last song on the album is appropriately named See You Again and it acts as a beautiful and heartbroken farewell song. I think this is a great way to end a great album: a peaceful and solemn goodbye. The lyrics sound like poetry and the sound makes you want to go for a walk by a lake. Yeah. That good.

In all honesty, my absolute FAVORITE song from this album is her song Under The Influence. It reminds me of a James Bond track and it is never disappoints me as a confidence booster.

All in all, the album is terrific and I recommend it to anyone interested in alternative music. Check it out!

Love Stuff on iTunes

Love Stuff on YouTube

Elle King’s YouTube Channel

The post Album Review: “Love Stuff” by Elle King appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The band was put together by Johnny Irion, who has previously released five folk albums with his wife Sarah Lee Guthrie. Irion got together a group of fellow musicians, and his producer friend Tim Bluhm, to create a “rocking alter-ego.” Other band members include Nate Modisette (bass), Erich Riedl (drums), Anders Bergstrom (guitar), and Brett Long (piano). The group meshed well from the beginning, and despite most of them having day jobs, decided to form a new band.

U.S. Elevator recorded their album live without headphones “until [they] got the right take.” A friend of Irion’s recorded them in a Santa Barbara cabin with a 1,000-pound 24-track Studer A-80 tape machine, which apparently is pretty vintage and awesome. The album has a very authentic, original feel.

1./11. Pierre Lafond/Pierre Lafond Re-Mix
The album is framed by Pierre Lafond and Pierre Lafond Re-Mix. I appreciate a good intro/outro as much as the next person. Unfortunately, this approach only works if one listens to the album from the beginning to the end. They are both instrumentals, which allow the listener to “get in the zone” as well as get ready to return to the real world when the album ends. I like the creative idea, but I’m afraid most people who listen to the album will not get the full effect because of shuffled playlists.

2. Can I Make it Up To You?
Call and response from the lead singer to the other band members is a classic ’60s-’70s rock technique. Right away, I am attracted by the mellow groove created with ease. It’s certainly easy to picture a group guys sitting around a house jamming out.

3. Community Service
There must be a story behind this song; the fun vibe makes me wish I knew it. However, the lyrics are superior to the music for this song. The pulsating, simple chord progression is not especially inventive.

4. Cry For Help
For this one, I actually prefer the music more than the vocals. The repeated guitar riff is catchy and well-supported by the rhythm section. The singer’s cry for help is slightly whiny, which is not apparent in most of the other songs.

5. Dangerous Love
Dangerous Love was the first single released, and I think that was a great choice. The song encompasses everything good about the band: solid music, smart lyrics, and a clear sixties/seventies feel. We all know the many ways that love can be dangerous. This song describes the conflict between taking risks and being cautious with a loved one.

6. Momma-Cito Blues
Momma-Cito Blues is similar to Cry For Help, but is slightly more interesting. There is reference to Santa Barbara Babes, which helps establish the band’s natural setting. Near the end, there is a unique, spontaneous wailing from Johnny that I wouldn’t expect him to be able to replicate. Momma-Cito Blues also fades out completely with about 30 seconds left and then comes back in with an instrumental encore. Strange, but I like it.

7. Where the Rubber Meets the Road
As the title implies, Where the Rubber Meets the Road is a good song for cruising along the highway. The parallel intervals of the guitar contrast nicely with the basic rock beat and supportive piano chords. The slight vibrato imperfections are beneficial to creating a meaningful vocal performance. There is a dreamlike feeling created by this song, like pondering memories from long ago.

8. Wall of Grief
Wall of Grief is my favorite song from the album. I can see it being applicable to any and all situations dealing with loss. Music helps us over, and under, and through the wall of grief. The band shows off their bluesy, soulful chops throughout the track. I can’t get enough of the harmonies or the guitar solo near the end.

9. Sleep Ain’t Nothin But Death’s Brother
Catchy title, eh? I thought so too. The premise of the song is clever, but I do not feel like they executed it very well. I think it was a case of coming up with a witty quip but not having enough of an idea to form a whole song. Instead of trying to make a well-rounded song, they repeated the chorus more times than necessary. There was also an especially twangy vibe which does not fit the rest of the album.

10. Pineapple Express
The recording of Pineapple Express sounds the most live of them all, but that isn’t a bad thing. I get a bit lost in the lyrics of this song. I wouldn’t mind riding the Pineapple Express they describe. The song is fuel for contemplation.
Grade: B

Listen to U.S. Elevator

The post Album Review: “U.S. Elevator” by U.S. Elevator appeared first on KRUI Radio.

 This Is All Yours is the sophomore studio album from English alternative rock band alt-j. It is the follow up to their 2012 release Awesome Waves, which put the band on the map as one of the UK’s top indie artists.Many critics and journalists have labeled them as the “next Radiohead”, with their subtle blend electronic, post-rock, and alternative elements.

The album begins with “Intro“, a slowly-building song that reaches its epic peak with thunderous bass and harmonizing vocals that would sound at home in a monastery or cathedral.

Strangely, the album takes a soft turn after the introduction, with the songs “Arrival in Nara” and “Nara”. Both of the slow moving songs are some of the most guitar-centered tracks on the album, featuring spacy and reverb filled riffs. The low end sounds of the guitars and bass are perfectly contrasted by the light and airy vocal deliveries.

Things begin to pick up with “Every Other Freckle“, a song about sexual frustration bordering on obsession. The gritty and distorted bass riffs, along with the rough and jagged acoustic guitar parts, give the song an almost country-rock vibe, and make it one of the stand out tracks of the record.

This more intense energy is followed up by “Left Hand Free“, a blusy jam with lyrics mentioning guns and a stand-off. For me, these two tracks, which are the heaviest and most up-tempo songs, are the shining moments of the album.

“Garden of England”, an instrumental track of nature sounds and light-hearted flute playing, serves as a sort of interlude of the album. It is perfectly juxtaposed with “Choice Kingdom”, a slow moving and subdued song that explores the topic of imperialism in Britain.

From here, things begin to take a turn for the more bizarre, and in my opinion, the worse. “Hunger of the Pine” is almost completely devoid of the interesting guitar work seen earlier in the record, and features a hook from Miley Cyrus’ “4×4”.

The ballad “Warm Foothills” features singers trading words and phrases in the middle of lines, a gimmick that comes across as jarring instead of unique or particularly creative.

“The Gospel of St. John” (a song about the infamous and extremely graphic chest bursting scene in the Ridley Scott film Alien), briefly revs up the energy, but the album again slumps into slow-plodding and generally uninteresting ballads.

“Pusher” is stripped down acoustic ballad, which seems awkward and out of place compared to the electronic rock feel of the rest of the record. “Bloodflow pt. II” features violent and sexual imagery, but beyond the lyrics there was not much to keep me interested. “Leaving Nara” closes out the album, and returns to the vibe felt in some of the earlier songs.

Overall, the album felt disjointed and unsure of itself at times. The lyrics were insightful at their best, but occasionally came off as strange, pretentious, and at their worst, a little silly. The electronic rock and guitar-centered sound of the first half of the album gets completely lost later on, and is replaced by more synthesized and unnatural sounds. The later songs seem disconnected and unrelated to the feeling and atmosphere of the record. While alt-J really hit their stride in the middle of This Is All Yours, the record as a whole just can’t stand up to the same standard.

Standout Tracks: “Left Hand Free”, “Every Other Freckle”, and “The Gospel of St. John”

This Is All Yours is available for streaming at Spotify and is available for download on iTunes

The post Album Review: This is All Yours by Alt J appeared first on KRUI Radio.