Menos el Oso

Band: Minus the Bear
Album: Menos el Oso
Genre: Indie
Out of 10: 9/10
Rating: SEC
Due to: Infrequent strong profanity



I'm a sucker for Independent music. A friend of mine had a brother who went on a boycott against mainstream music and as a result his brother and he started listening to more unconventional rough-sounding music. They showed me Arcade Fire's Neon Bible album and ever since that I was hooked. Minus the Bear's songs have blazing guitar riffs (even for a lighter alternative-sounding band), strange lyrics, and an unconventional use of time signatures. They're for the more adventurous listener. I, for one, love them very much.


Then we get to this part - the only problem I found on the disc was in "The Game Needed Me": "There's no mouth to trace its shape on you / but you seem to let it f--- you anyway." Yeah, probably best if you don't download that one.

Overall, though, the disc sounds great and lyrics are basically okay too . . . if you know which songs to choose from it.

This time it's for real!

Ok we're back for good and I finally have some awesome new content for you, so check back often! Or better yet, subscribe in an e-mail or RSS. Then you can sleep peacefully at night, knowing that you'll never miss a post.

New: Secular Music from a Christian Perspective

Here at Griffin's Music Reviews I decided that we needed to branch out and review secular music and reveal what's great or not-so-great about secular releases. Due to the not-so-great part, Griffin's Music Reviews has come up with a rating system, which I will describe below:



NP - No Problems: There's nothing wrong with the disc or track at all. No profanity, drug references, or sexual lyrics.



MP - Minor Problems: There may be some minor language or sensual themes on the disc or track, but nothing too bad.



SEC - Some Explicit Content: If a disc has only a couple of scattered references to drug use, instances of intense or profane language, or sexual content, it will be rated SEC. If a track has more than one reference to drug use, instance of intense or profane language, or sexual content it will be labled EC, otherwise it will be labled SEC.



EC - Explicit Content: The disc or track contains repeated intense or profane language, drug references, or sexual lyrics.



O - Ouch!: 'Nuff said.



Still with me? Good. Now we can discuss the new "Due to" section. If a disc is rated MP or higher, the "Due to" section will tell you why it has been rated this way. Another new feature will be the "Secular" section. This is the easiest feature to understand. If a disc is a Christian disc, I will be sure to state it in this section. If the disc is a secular disc, then I will make note of that.

Okay, that just about sums it up, so keep a lookout for the new reviews. I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks!

Griff

Scars Remain

Band: Disciple

Album: Scars Remain

Genre: Hard Rock

Rating: 9/10

Scars Remain is definitely one of Disciple's best albums ever. Almost every single track is as good as the single, "Regime Change," so you won't be disappointed when you listen to the rest of the album. Scars Remain stands true to Disciple's Pillar/P.O.D. style, with its blazing guitar riffs and searing hot vocals.

I loved Scars Remain and I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, not just people who like P.O.D., Blindside, Pillar, or bands like those. If you have enough money to buy one album, make this the album that you purchase.

Dance or Die EP

Band: Family Force 5

Album: Dance or Die EP

Genre: Rap-Metal

Rating: 9/10

Family Force 5's latest record was definitely my favorite (even though it only had three songs)! They stayed true to their unique style and yet managed to produce some totally new tracks. As a whole the EP featured more synthesizer than actual instruments as opposed to Business Up Front/ Party in the Back, but it still sounds great.

This album was a smash success in my opinion. The tracks weren't overdone, they had a perfect blend of techno dance music and heavy rock. I recommend this EP to anyone who was wondering, "Hey! When's Family Force 5 finally gonna put out some new songs?!" I recommend you buy this EP. Also look out for the new FF5 album with the same title as the EP.

Cuckoo! (single)

Band: Neon Horse

Song: "Cuckoo!"

Album: Neon Horse

Genre: Indie Rock

Rating: 8/10

I enjoyed the song "Cuckoo!" by Neon Horse. It has a very electronic, rough sound that is unique. The opening to "Cuckoo!" actually reminded me of the opening to the song "Black Mirror" by Arcade Fire. I also liked how the mood of the song changes from the introduction to the actual body of the song itself.

I recommend that you download "Cuckoo!" if you like music that takes a break from your average pop/punk or alt/rock song. I also reccommend "Cuckoo!" if you enjoy the music of Arcade Fire.

Conquering the Fear of Flight

Band: Wavorly

Album: Conquering the Fear of Flight

Genre: Rock

Rating: 7/10

I enjoyed Conquering the Fear of Flight by Wavorly. The album has some pretty good tracks on it. One of my favorite tracks in particular was "Madmen." It has a pretty hard, driving tempo, which matches the fast guitar chords. I also liked the track "Praise and Adore (Some Live Without It)" because it was a standout from the rest of the rockish (excluding "Summer Song") album. It actually reminded me, somewhat, of Leeland.

I liked Wavorly's album and thought that it matches up some good guitar riffs with vocals that are almost like those of mewithoutyou, except a bit on the softer side. I recommend this album to you if you want to hear somthing a little different from the generic pop/rock genre offerings. Another feature of the album I liked was the soft introduction and outro because I thought it was a departure from the norm.