Release Spotlight: November 16, 2010

In the last three years or so, there hasn't been a band who people were so "one side of the fence" about than A Day to Remember. Fans adore them for their catchy choruses contradicted by a barrage of breakdowns, while "haters" of the band have accused them of making the same songs over and over again. While you can make a case for both sides, you're not likely to ever convince either side to cross the line, unless the band do something drastic to their sound. While the verdict is still out on What Separates Me From You, which was released today, it's pretty safe to say that the album will make some waves on the online message boards, whether its the bands growing groups of haters or die-hard fans protecting their favorite band. One thing's for sure: if you want to get into the debate and not look like a total dweeb, you're going to want to go buy What Separates Me from You like, right now. If you did buy it, leave your thoughts on the album in the comments!

Release Spotlight: November 2, 2010

In addition to the "playlists" I post every week, I'm looking to add a little more pizzazz to the blog you've come to (hopefully, at least) know and love. This section will highlight a particular release that deserves your attention or recognition, be it a new artist or an old-timer returning to form, a CD with a cool album cover, or one that you just need to check out. Thankfully, this week lends itself perfectly to the start of this tradition, as a walking legend celebrates perhaps its greatest contribution.

On September 24, 1996, Weezer released Pinkerton, their follow-up to the game-changing Blue Album. Though it wasn't very well-received then, the band seemed to rise meteorically after the first few years after Pinkerton's release, and many critics claim that it was the album that introduced the "emo" genre to the masses. On November 2, 2010, the album will finally be received for the genius that it was, now a full fourteen years after its initial release, with the band still making quirky, nerdy pop-rock. The album features around 25 unreleased tracks, 16 of which are seeing the light of the recording studio for the first time. I know that I, for one, wasn't old enough to appreciate Pinkerton in its initial release, but now that I've been educated in the ways of Weezer, I look at this re-release as a great opportunity to see one of the most influential bands of their generation at their finest, with a remastered album to truly captures the band's talents. Go pick it up at your local record store today, and I'll see you there.