The Truth About Music

"What's hot, what's not, and whats next in pop music"

The Urgency Perform Tight (Recorded) Set at Crash Mansion

By Harris posted November 07, 2009 at 01:31

After reviewing the self titled debut album, I waited four months before arriving at Crash Mansion to witness a live performance. Packed into the very trendy, very underground club on Bowery in New York City was a collection of family, friends and business associates. They were all in attendance to cheer on the band during a filmed performance for Fearless Music, an online television network that broadcasts live performances of small bands, primarily in New York. Being filmed had it’s advantages and disadvantages as an audience member seeing the group for the first time. On the positive side, the songs were performed perfectly and the sound was impeccable. The other side of the coin featured things such as a drum shield to isolate the sound coming off the loudest instrument and stanchions which did not allow for the audience to actually get up as close as they would of liked [...] Continue...
2009 Billboard Touring Conference

By Harris posted November 04, 2009 at 22:02

This week I decided that instead of going to class I would head to New York City and go to the Billboard Music Touring and Concert Awards Conference. Held at the Roosevelt Hotel next to Grand Central, the conference puts the biggest names in the industry under one roof for two days. The leadoff panel for the conference was a collection of concert greats including Jon Cohen from Cornerstone and Harvey Leeds of Live Nation. In a yearly contest, the panel lead by moderator Liana Farnham of Madison Square Garden, picks the bands they think will make the largest jump in ticket sales for the next year. Some of last years picks included We The Kings, The Cab and Fleetfoxes. This year’s picks were very ranged and I thought it would be fun to get other peoples thoughts on this. The rules stipulate that the band can currently be playing [...] Continue...
Album of the Moment: A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation

By Harris posted November 03, 2009 at 18:44

After glazing over this album when it was first released in 2008 I came back for seconds and was totally blown away with what I had missed. The Wombats first release in the United States “A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation” is a true gem of british music. A flurry of fast paced tracks stack up quicker than Manchester United victories and do a great job of winning the listener over. Among my favorite songs are: “Kill The Director” “School Uniforms” “Backfire at the Disco” Anyone who listens to other European artists such as The Fratellis, Scouting For Girls or Arctic Monkey’s are sure to enjoy this album from first beat to last. Continue...
Music Video of the Week: "Boom Boom Pow," by The Black Eyed Peas

By Harris posted November 02, 2009 at 15:18

For longer than I care to remember I have loved “Boom Boom Pow” and most everything from “The END” the bands summer 2009 release. It took a trip to Texas for me to finally see the music video. A bar in Austin, TX runs music videos alongside each track that is played and it was there that I saw the video. As weird as it was to hear a song like this from The Black Eyed Peas, it was even more odd to them in this futuristic techno style music video. What did make sense was the relationship between the song and the video. What makes the song work is the same exact thing that makes the video fit perfectly. Check out the music video for “Boom Boom Pow” on YouTube. Continue...
Harris’ Album of the Month: Mind Chaos by Hockey

By Harris posted November 01, 2009 at 10:47

A few weeks ago I received an album in the mail and after an initial run through I decided it was not for me. There were singles that stood out to me but at first glance it did not seem like the complete package. I was wrong. Hockey’s latest album “Mind Chaos” is a brilliant blend of sounds and styles spanning almost every decade since recorded music has been popular. The album gives a very interesting journey through genres and begins with the first single “Too Fake.” “Too Fake” is the theoretical modern day within the album, with a very electro-rock feel reminding me of MGMT. Second up on the album is my favorite song on the album and one that I have written extensively about in the past, “3am Spanish.” Defying an era the song is simply a brilliant blend of vocals and backbeats with the lyrics sitting right [...] Continue...