"The Energy Never Dies," Go For The Ride

I honestly did not have very high expectations when I bought Black Eyed Peas’ latest release, "The E.N.D." I knew I loved “I Gotta Feeling,” but was expecting the other tracks on the album to fall short of the feel and hype of this song and previous single, “Boom Boom Pow.” Thankfully for me my $13.99 was well spent (hey, broke college students have to spend their money wisely) and I have another fun album to add to my collection.
The album’s lyrical content isn’t anything spectacular but it does feature a variety of dance beats, which work well with the title of “The Energy Never Dies,” and showcase a taste of different styles of music.
The song, “Missing You” stands out as one of my favorite tracks on the album. Fergie’s voice starts out the song, opening with a clarity that hits you. The beat builds ups from the beginning, slowly increasing and making for an overall great track that resonates with you instantly.
“Now Generation” stands out as a song that immediately gives off the impression of being different. Telling of the impatient society we live in today, the song features Fergie with an almost bluesy rock vibe to her vocals that sounds unusual and unique for her.
I purchased the limited edition two-disc version of this album that contains an additional ten songs to the original 15. These tracks aren’t nearly as good or as well done as the rest of the album, but are still worth having in my (or your if you’re a BEP fan) music library. Many are just remixes of previous BEP hits like “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” “Pump It” and “Let’s Get It Started,” which provide a fun new twist on some of their classic hits.
Overall it was a definite pleasant surprise and will be a great album to play at parties and social gatherings that require a little extra “boom, boom, boom.”

"Break Out The Battle Tapes, Set Your Mind To Erase"

Take all of your preconceived notions about what music is supposed to sound and then take a listen to Wired All Wrong. Chances are you are going to find their sound both refreshing and original. Once you have a listen, I can almost guarantee you will want to listen again.
The band is comprised of Matt Mahaffey and Jeff Turzo. Originally from separate bands, the pair is most notably known in the music [industry] for their contributions to Hellogoodbye’s “Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!” album, mixing songs and bringing the freshness that accompany the band’s unique sound.
In creating their own album they wanted something totally unique and their own; mission accomplished. With a various mix of instruments and combination of sounds, the result is a combination of alternative, electronic and metal that is truly pleasing to the ears.
2006 saw the release of the band’s debut album, “Break Out the Battle Tapes.” The album starts off with “15 Minutes,” a song filled with hints of static and rocking guitars, and ends with “End of All Things,” a somewhat slow song that helps you wind down off the trip the album just you on. Every song is unique and the album should be played in order to get the full impact of the album.
Truly a fun group of songs; check out Wired All Wrong and see for yourself!


*Review originally published Mars Area High School Planet Press, Volume 80, Issue 6