The Quinnipiac Chronicle

CD Review: Manchester Orchestra

Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Up and coming Manchester Orchestra has made significant strides since its 2006 debut, “I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child.” The April 21 release of “Mean Everything to Nothing” is a denser exploration of the path the band paved for itself four years ago. Dynamic in its attempt to not be portrayed as solely a hard rock album, the Southern-tinged lyrics of lead singer Andy Hull carry the album in bringing the melodies everywhere you expect and want them to go.

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CD Review: Flo Rida, R.O.O.T.S

Posted on 22. Apr, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Unfortunately for Flo Rida, the most impressive thing about his new album, “R.O.O.T.S,” is its collection of featured rappers who are more successful than he is. From Ne-Yo to Nelly Furtado, the disc contains a plethora of pop stars who have gotten the same amount, if not more, time on the charts – or at least playtime on KC101.

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CD Review: Peter Bjorn and John, Living Thing

Posted on 15. Apr, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Peter Bjorn and John have jumped on the electro-pop bandwagon with their fifth studio release, “Living Thing.” The Swedish trio is best known for their addictive 2006 single, “Young Folks,” but this new album proves them capable of moving beyond one hit wonder status.

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CD Review: Harlem Shakes, Technicolor Health

Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

If you haven’t yet discovered the unbearable catchiness that is the Harlem Shakes, their debut album, “Technicolor Health,” will undoubtedly win you over. Be it the sunny clanging of Todd Goldstein’s guitar, lead singer Lexy Benaim’s witty lyrics, or the harmony-filled vocals, somehow the album’s scattered directions come together quite naturally at an all-too-appealing junction.

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CD Review: The Decemberists, The hazards of love

Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Once again, prose-conscious folk-rockers The Decemberists sing stories of death and destruction in the sweetest way possible. The band’s new album, “The Hazards of Love,” is a follow-up to 2006’s “The Crane Wife,” and is an evolution of a once-potential musical for director Michael Mayer.

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CD Review: U2, No Line on the Horizon

Posted on 25. Mar, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

It is safe to say that U2 is one of the greatest rock bands of our time, and their new album, “No Line on the Horizon,” is more of an awe-inspired appreciation of this stance than any reinvention of their traditional sound. The album creates an epic sort of tranquility as its lyrics portray a love for what U2 has done to the musical world.

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CD Review: K’Naan, Troubadour

Posted on 04. Mar, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

The Somalia-born rapper, K’Naan, is doing things no one has done before – and this goes far beyond combining genres to create his own. The fire ignited by “Troubadour” is no doubt sparked by the artist’s past, which includes fleeing his hometown district at the height of the Somalian Civil War in the early ’90s.

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Battle of the Bands rocks Quinnipiac

Posted on 25. Feb, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Local bands came to Quinnipiac on Saturday to compete in this year’s Battle of the Bands, hosted by WQAQ. The event featured performances by AC147, The Ultimate Sketch, and Great Caesar and the GoGetters, who won first place in the competition.

Second and third place went to bands Last Place Victory and Myopia.

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CD Review: Lily Allen, It’s Not Me, It’s You

Posted on 18. Feb, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

It’s official: only Lily Allen can yell profanities and still be the cutest indie-pop princess of our time. The British singer is at it again with her new album, “It’s Not Me, It’s You.” Only this time, Allen takes on a more mature role than on her previous album, “Alright, Still.

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CD Review: Dierks Bentley, Feel that Fire

Posted on 11. Feb, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Phoenix-born Dierks Bentley released his fourth studio album on Feb. 3, “Feel That Fire.” The album is a blend of traditional bluegrass roots and modern country vocals, and is certainly not confined to its genre. Even the most avid anti-country listeners can appreciate the musical fullness and songwriting talents of Bentley.

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CD Review: Franz Ferdinand, Tonight

Posted on 04. Feb, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

On Franz Ferdinand’s new album release, “Tonight,” the Glasgow-born rockers give a nod to what got them started. With their exploration into the world of keyboards and synthesizers, Franz has likened to the sounds of new-age “dirty-pop” with funk and electronica roots.

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Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by Carrie Ingraham.

Indie-rockers Animal Collective released “Merriweather Post Pavilion” on Jan. 20. “Merriweather” is their eighth studio album following 2005’s “Feels.” “Merriweather” carries on the band’s tradition of psychedelic eccentricity, while introducing a softer emphasis on melody over abstract sound.

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