Kay's Coffee Corner

Relax, Read, Discuss

[kayscoffeecorner]

Lorde - Pure Heroine - Album Review

One of the biggest up and comers in music today is 17-year old Lorde. While she has yet to obtain the mainstream name recognition that rivals that of Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift, Lorde and her debut album, Pure Heroine, have been receiving a great deal of attention since its release in September.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc

Pure Heroine's lead single, "Royals".

  The music meshes various forms of electronica, ranging from dark tones to upbeat rhythms. When many people look at an artist's genre and see "electronica" they are often quick to think of simple dance club songs lacking any lyrics or perhaps four words repeated over and over. However, what Lorde has accomplished reflects a growing style in the genre, and one that she clearly knows well; the ability to blend a singer-songwriter style with synthetic, electronic music and beats. The lyrics are filled with Lorde's views on the world and the teenage life, giving listeners, especially young adults, a relatable commentary on modern society and life.

  The album greatly benefits from superb track listing in that each song flows into the next. For some artists this can be a detriment and not create any distinction amongst the songs. This is not the case with Pure Heroine. This is an album to get lost in. For a 17 year old's first full-length record, it is incredible to think of the maturity and range in Lorde's voice and songwriting. There are peaks in valleys throughout the song. Some are incredibly laid back and build up into choruses and harmonies that truly grab your attention.

  One can only hope that this is the beginning of a long career filled with songs as unique and amazing as Pure Heroine, and not a one-hit wonder that succeeded on the fact that she is so young.

  Favorite tracks: Royals, Ribs, 400 Lux, A World Alone

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRfpZm7Sja8

[kayscoffeecorner]

The Heroin Diaries Review

Growing up, we are often told about drug users as if they are horribly under-developed villains in bad films and books. They are simply "bad" and rarely do people get the chance to understand the humanity behind addiction; the backgrounds of addicts and their mindsets. The Heroin Diaries provides that bridge from a former drug user and the world.

  The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star is the novelization of a year's worth of diary entries by Motley Crue bassist, leader, and main songwriter, Nikki Sixx. The diary entries are lifted verbatim from the personal diary he maintained throughout 1987. During this time, Motley Crue writes, records, and tours their Girls, Girls, Girls album. However the main conflict lies within Sixx as his struggles with substance abuse, and in particular heroin, come to a head.

  Given the main content of the book, the vocabulary and writing abilities reflect the humanity of the story. This is not a narrative. This is a day-to-day venture into the hell of a drug-addled individual. We are met with harsh language and thoughts that were initially intended as a private memoir, not a novel aimed to appeal to others. From the relationships with family, women, and bandmates to personal moments of paranoia locked up in his own closet, The Heroin Diaries is as powerful of a memoir as they come. Throughout, there are moments of reflection by Sixx and those that are being talked about in the diary entries. This provides the reader with various views on many events and to see the changes in these people over the past twenty-plus years.

  A soundtrack was recorded by Nikki Sixx's side project, Sixx: A.M, featuring vocalist James Michael and Guns n' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba. Titled "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack", the album features both spoken word tracks, lifted straight from the book and read by Sixx. All of the other songs surround the events in the book and after reading the book, it is easy to imagine what each song is about.

    A link to purchase the book

  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heroin-diaries-nikki-sixx/1100333525?ean=9781416511946

    The lead single for The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, "Life is Beautiful"

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTvPUfPC_d8

[smiles-quotes]

[kayscoffeecorner]

Alter Bridge Concert Review

     If one of your friends tries to claim that rock music is dead, you need to bring that person to an Alter Bridge concert. The platinum-selling band, now on the road to promote their fourth studio album, Fortress, demonstrated to a sold-out crowd at the House of Blues that rock is alive and just as powerful as ever. Vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips were all smiles and in top form for their sole 2013 performance in the United States before heading over to the United Kingdom to play Wembley Arena.

     Opening for them was Chicago-based Man the Mighty and Orlando's own Soulswitch, both of whom also opened for Tremonti's solo band last year at The Beacham. Since the doors opened late, the time for these two acts were cut down, but both were able to keep the crowd entertained as the anticipation for Alter Bridge's performance continued to build.

     Kicking off with their new single "Addicted to Pain", the band captivated the audience with fist-pumping anthems, brilliant musicianship, and a constant interaction with the audience. From song to song, the crowd was singing along and cheered for the classics and were just as excited for the selections from Fortress, all of which were being played in front of an audience for the first time. The epic-sounding "Cry of Achilles" distinguished itself as a highlight and was a major hit with the crowd, proving that it will likely become a new favorite amongst the Alter Bridge legion of fans. Closing out the show was an incredibly uplifting and exciting performance of "Open Your Eyes". For as excellent as the concert was, it was obvious that the people could have stayed there for hours on end and listen to the band play their entire catalog.

      Perhaps one of the most surprising elements of the show was the excellent mix of the band. Vocals and guitar solos cut through clearly while the bass sounded solid and powerful, but not overpowering. To add to the excitement and joy of the "party", as Myles Kennedy called it, a couple who had met five years ago at an Alter Bridge show got engaged onstage. The night proved to be a one-of-a-kind moment in which the band sounded fresh, energetic, and still out to prove themselves to the fans.

[kayscoffeecorner]

Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull Review

Overall: Kings of Leon have returned to form with an album far more energetic and inspired than Come Around Sundown. It feels as though this album was made with the live performance in mind. Each song seem like they would each have their own ability to pump up an arena full of fans or get them to wave their cell phones in unison.

 (Link to Kings of Leon official site news and tour dates: http://supersoaker.kingsofleon.com/)

Supersoaker: A high energy, upbeat opener that is certainly one of the catchiest songs of the album and one of the best rock songs on the album.

  Rock City: Shows a slower dynamic, contrasting greatly from "Supersoaker". It gives an opportunity to truly appreciate guitars and vocals here and the guitar solos add significantly.

  Don't Matter: Driven by a heavy distorted riff and dark toned vocals, the chorus is haunting but melodic.

  Beautiful War: Despite the title, it is the first ballad of the album. With reverb-heavy instruments, the song builds into what could be an epic chorus, but consciously pulls back just when it seems to explode.

  Temple: While the vocals, bass, and lead guitar would make this song much more mellow, it is the drums that maintain a continuous, head-bobbing, foot-tapping beat and creates one of the most fun and catchy song on the album.

  Wait For Me: A U2-sounding track yet completely unique. It is easily the most calming song of the album and provides an empowering feeling.

  Family Tree: Opening with a funky bass and drums, they are soon accompanied by chords wrapped in thick distortion. Vocals are laid-back and create a blues-rock vibe, making for what will be a much-loved deep track.

  Comeback Story: Another ballad that features amazing harmonies that seem to have been forgotten so much in modern rock. Once again, it is a bass guitar and bass-drum-driven song, but a strings orchestration enters, adding an entirely new sound to Mechanical Bull that is very much welcome. They are present enough to add to the song, yet subtle enough to not take away from the Kings of Leon sound.

  Tonight: It certainly is not bad, but this is one that might be a "skip" for me because it just does not seem to hold up with the quality of the rest of the album. The songs shifts into a heavier focus with distorted guitars, including a solo, and building drums, yet they do not seem to rescue the song at all.

  Coming Back Again: Back to upbeat rhythm with every instrument and vocal coming across on the same level of aggressiveness. It is a decent track that will appeal to some and sound repetitive to others.

  On the Chin: Featuring acoustic guitars, this song feels like a track to play while at the beach. Has a tinge sense of "Kings of Leon do Country". It ends the album on a far more calm, relaxed note than expected based on "Supersoaker" and "Don't Matter". 

[kayscoffeecorner]

Welcome!

My name is Jake and I am a junior at the University of Central Florida majoring in English Technical Communication, which I hope will help me find a job in the advertising and public relations world after graduation. I am originally from North Carolina, but have been living in the Orlando area for the last 15 years. Playing guitar, comedy, friends, family, and music in general are my greatest passions in life, but I also enjoy travelling, writing, photography, and many other activities. My interest in advertising stems from the creativity that I saw in the field. I love slogans because, to me, they are like catchy lyrics. The posters and commercials that I see every day appeal to me with the creative mind behind it.

  The point of this blog is for me to write about certain things, mostly music, movies, and books, and invite visitors to read my content and join in an open conversation related to the topic. What I hope to accomplish is not to simply slap a five stars out of five stars rating on an album, but rather go into detail about it. While I will certainly point out positives and negatives, I aim to focus more on the overall vibe of the album and try to explain why fans of that specific genre or artist might enjoy it. I certainly believe in honest reviews, but I do not believe in being harsh for the sake of trying to come off as cool or smarter than everyone else. I chose "Kay's Coffee Corner" not just because it has a nice ring to it, but because it gives me the feeling that I could walk into this blog with a nice cup of coffee, sit back, read, and enjoy. Hopefully, running this blog will expose me to new things, bring me into interesting discussions, and maybe even improve my writing skills along the way.

Now if you would be so kind...

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