Album Review: Classified - Handshakes and Middle Fingers

So, after weeks of frothing at the mouth with iTunes dropping its pre-order period the day I try to purchase it, and with week-long delays, etc., I am now the proud owner of this album.


This is the first full album I've bought from this artist, my previous experiences having been with Last.fm and various songs here and there.


So let's begin. This is a review of Classified's latest album, Handshakes and Middle Fingers. But wait, some of you might be asking: who the hell is Classified?

On the Cover: Classified
Classified is one of the leading artists behind a growing cultivation of Canadian hip-hop.


Yep, Canadian.


No longer a country of mooses (moose? Meese?), maple syrup, and mountains, the country has decided to produce a surprisingly high-quality amount of talent that focuses on an old-school style of lyricism, and tends towards a more jazz-hop kind of feel to the beats. The 25-year-old artist, who has been making hip-hop tracks since he was 10, has led the ranks of such artists as Maestro, female rapper Eternia, and DL Incognito, and have given a fresh image to the current dark age of English language hip-hop.

Inside the Case: Tracklist

1) Intro - Ups and Downs

Remember what I said about jazz-hop? We start off...... with French horns. Huh. Starts off with Classified in a rather sour and down mood, but at the introduction of his daughter, he brightens up, as does the background music. ... Then his rap career is brought up, and he's back to the dumps again. It's a great little story, but the choice to put this at the beginning of the album irks me a tad. I would have put this track at the end, but it's still a great quality track.

2) That Ain't Classy

The first single from the album. One of the first lyrics? "Call me Mr. Negativity", which is kinda funny considering the previous track... ironic? Intentional? Never know. It's part of the reason I would have put Track 1 at the end, but to each his own. Anyway, this track tries to convince the listener that even though he's a rapper, the stigma associated with the business certainly isn't part of his repetroire. Not something we've never seen before, but the lyrics service it well.

3) High Maintenance

Marijuana, baby. Weed is legal in Canada; flaunt what you can use, I suppose. It can't really decide whether it's a celebration of the "habit", or a dark introspective. Meh...? The lyrics are high-quality as always, but I dunno. I'm not against marijuana, believe me, but from the view of an American this does take me a bit aback. Of particular mention is the flute that flutters on at the end to lead us off.

4) Unusual feat. Joe Budden

After the sample finishes its thing, we get Joe Budden starting off the song, and honestly he's quite impressive. Definitely reminds me a lot of Havoc, but shines through on this track. Classified joins in the middle over a nice shift in the beat. A definite dark tone though, much like Ups and Downs. Even so, Joe Budden amazes, Classified convinces, and the beat is quite excellent.

5) Danger Bay

... This song is legitimately scary. Jesus. Classified is pissed, and the beat just adds to it with a rather powerful brass ... wait, Hurricane Katrina?! Suddenly 9/11? Um, Classified, you OK bud? The beat is absolutely fantastic, but you're almost afraid to bob your head to it because what you're hearing from the lyrics and the background voices are ... a bit dark, shall we say? Certainly not a happy reminder of Lupe Fiasco's song Words I Never Said, and when you're reminded of a song that starts off with "I think that the war on terror is a bunch of bullshit," then we might have an issue.

6) Stay Cool

"Life is a crazy place, but I stay cool". You spent 3 minutes and 37 seconds telling us how we're f*cked up with what's going on in the world, and now this? Believe me, this song's great, but I'm starting to notice a bit of a strange pattern with how the tracks are ordered. Then again, I could be wrong, and especially with the "bridge" it could just be a response to [u]Danger Bay[/u] - PANIC MODE followed by "When you're on your last nerve, stay cool." I r teh confuse.

7) Passion

"Can you feel that passion?" Um, yea, sorta! I take you back to Danger Bay - you displayed enough of it there! Anyway, we go onwards with a simple ditty about Classified's life, throwing in innocent double entendres every now and then. More awesome jazz-hop, of course, with a good set of brass and drums to carry us along. Honestly, probably my favorite song on this album so far.

8) Maybe It's Just Me (feat. Brother Ali)

We drop a bit of the jazz-hop feel to go with a flute, string and heavy-percussion beat, as it builds over Classified rapping. Great beat, and Classified's lyrics, while not that special, have its moments. Brother Ali does rather well, and has a pretty awesome moment over the bridge as the beat builds up to a nice climax around him. Not a repeater, but a good song nonetheless.

9) Young Soul

Great use of the sample; Classified feels like a part of his life has passed him by now that he's getting older (considering how long his career has gone on, 25 is approaching that stage). Nice little song, though seems a tad short.

10) Run With Me

"I've got you fuckin' like the Vatican".... yeeeeeeoooookay. The quissential "charisma track", and it works for what it does. The lyrics flow well, even disregarding the above, but this isn't exactly a track you can blast with the parents nearby, naw'mean?

11) The Day Doesn't Die

Skillful use of the sample throughout, and Classified puts a more positive spin on the track with this little ditty. Not much else to say about this; one of the stronger tracks on the album, for sure.

12) They Don't Know (feat. Mic Boyd & White Mic)

A much more muted beat, and another track where Classified isn't entirely happy (though a lot more subtle than Danger Bay). And for some reason, there seems to be some anti-racism sentiment, especially from the featurettes. I don't know where the two guys are from, but I can't imagine Canada having the kinds of problems we used to with racism, outside of the whole Quebecois situation. Regardless, there's some nice moments throughout.

13) Step it Up

Rapping for Dummies, for anyone who wanted to know. You wanted a positive song? You got it here, letting fledgling lyricists know how to get into the business, the difficulties they will probably face, and how to overcome 'em. Maybe it's just something with positive rap songs, but this really connects with me as well. The ending though.. the hell?

14) Desensitized

Aw yea, we got some bass up in here now!  Awesome intro. Lyricswise... sounds like someone misses their teenage years, ey, Class? And we get our bass back in the middle... God I love it so.  This is the song that should have been at the beginning; if then Ups and Downs was at number 2 on the album, you would have gotten an energy-defusing moment that would have helped the flow. That's just my taste though; best beat on the album, probably, and the lyrics are solid.

15) The Hangover feat. Kayo and Jim Cuddy

Ohmigod, that sample (during the chorus) is so familiar... what's it called again?! Been so goddamn long... interestingly enough, the two featurettes are more a part of the song than Class is, though mostly because the song has a lack of lyrics in the beginning and end.

After Ejection: Conclusions
Incredible beat and sample work on this album; there's no denying that. The featurettes on these songs are also quite solid, and are very satisfying to listen to. That being said, the order of the songs, especially at the beginning are a bit jarring, and Danger Bay and to a lesser extent High Maintenance could have been taken off the album without lament. Still, if you want a bit of Canadian flavor in your rap collection, give this record a spin, see how you like it. Classified's one of the best lyricists in the game at the moment, and while there may be better starting points, this is not a bad album.

RATING: [ 8 / 10 ]

Album Review: Foo Fighters "Wasting Light"

In a perfect world, this first installment would be for Classified's album Handshakes and Middle Fingers, released in Canada on March 22, and released in America on March 29th - or at least that's when iTunes said it would be available for download. 


However, due to iTunes being stupid and other mean words, and the fact that I don't want to review two albums at the same time, today's review will be of an album already released in full on the Foo Fighters official website, called "Wasting Light", set to fill store shelves on April 12th.


So... who are the Foo Fighters?

On the Cover: Foo Fighters
A band known for keeping grunge alive well past its presumed due-date, the Foo Fighters are a band led by singer Dave Grohl - whom some of you might know as the former drummer of Nirvana and current drummer of Them Crooked Vultures - and his bandmates: Chris Shiflett on lead-guitar, Nate Mendel on bass, Taylor Hawkins on drums, and Pat Smear on guitar. While they don't completely walk the line of grunge, preferring to keep themselves at a more conservative alternative path, their former glories and much of their former bands and associated acts crop up in their music, creating a pretty wide spectrum of sound.

Inside the Case: Songlist

(1) Bridge Burning

Starts with a pretty kick-ass build-up of sound, then climaxes and settles to form a sort-of oldies vibe, upon which Dave Grohl takes over and sings us through the song. This is definitely indicitive of some of the Foos' older albums, and it doesn't disappoint, especially in the chorus. A sure-fire repeater, and a great start to the album.

(2) Rope

Intro (and the general rhythm) patterns itself a bit asystematically. More streamlined than Bridge Burning, but there are still hints and points of interest that keep the song afloat. Nice job by the guitarists in the pre-chorus, and Taylor Hawkins gets to show off a bit in the bridge. Ending's a tad jarring, though.

(3) Dear Rosemary

Intro is HIGHLY reminiscent of the Dusty Springfield song "I Only Wanna Be With You" - better emphasized in the cover done by the Bay City Rollers - which certainly took me aback. In fact, the rest of the song, except for the chorus, has many similarities to the oldie classic. The song isn't too bad in any case; nothing too special, but the coincidental throwback certainly makes it a standout. The ending though feels a bit chopped. Hmm...

(4) White Limo

Welcome to Burning Bridge Part 2: kickass intro followed by Dave Grohl doin' his deed. Except now he's fuckin' pissed. So much so that this almost approaches the metal-scream territory. The backing rhythm is super-awesome, but Dave Grohl's screaming might be a deterrent for whomever listens to this that comes from outside the metal circle.

(5) Arlandria

Um, hi there Caligulove, what're you doing here? And then we get.... grunge! And then we're back to good ol' alt-rock, with the chant "You and what army? / Arlandria! / Arlandria!" Arlandria refers to a city in Virginia, and the state itself is acknowledged a couple of times, though the significance isn't quite clear. Still though, a nice little anthem to start off the middle portion of the album.

(6) These Days

Maybe it's just me, but I get a major hippie-rock vibe from this track, due to how they handle Grohl's vocals, the simple-yet-flowing guitar rhythm, and the lack of emphasis on the drums. Of course, it's replaced yet again by alt-rock in the chorus. Not much else to say about the track. It's great, but nothing stands out outside of the adjusted style.

(7) Back & Forth

Oh now this is some old-school Foo Fighters right here, with nice hints of their grunge histories. Of particular mention is Taylor Hawkins, who comes up with a nice touch of flair every now and then to keep the track interesting while still harkening back to their old styles. Good job by all.

(8) A Matter of Time

While most of the choruses on the previous tracks have followed a similar pattern, the chorus of A Matter of Time seems to echo Burning Bridge in style, and doesn't quite stick to its 4/4 time signature. Intro doesn't impress, but the rest of the song makes up for it, as they allow it to build.

(9) Miss the Misery

... Huh. We've apparently entered some sort of 80s metal portal here. Quite an interesting intro. Dave Grohl and his mates make it known quite quickly, though, that what we're here for is some post-grunge goodness. While it's reminiscient of many earlier songs, it doesn't disappoint. We do get a nice little surprise in its 6/4 time signature pattern though.

(10) I Should Have Known

And just when the album was starting to become repetitive, we get this - a much slower, calmer piece more akin to Shinedown than most anything else. Make no mistake though, we've heard songs like this before - Everlong, anyone? Nate Mendel (bassist) can be heard quite prominently here, perhaps intentionally. A song like this was desperately needed, otherwise we would have fallen into Cold Day Memory (Sevendust) syndrome all over again, and those that keep track of my Twitter might know of my feelings on that album.

(11) Walk

We wind down the album with this, the intro making it clear this is the end of the journey. The tone is different enough to keep it seperate from the rest of the album; and the bridge deserves special mention for its quality, creating a chant-like progression that's akin to Let It Die (though done a tad better). Also: "Can't you see I've waited long enough?" sings Grohl. We certainly have, bud. We certainly have.

After Ejection: Conclusions
... wow. For Foo Fighters fans, this is honestly a no-brainer; a great piece of work by the gang that showcases how far they've come as a post-grunge alt-rock band. For anyone that're fans of bands like Nirvana, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Scream, and other bands of note, check this album out, and then perhaps branch off and find your likes among their other albums and songs. The repetition of styles in some of the songs - which is quite common in alt-rock - can be a turn-off for some, but to be quite honest I never felt like I was getting bored listening to this album. And Hell, I'm glad I could listen to this before the promised release-date.

RATING: [ 9 / 10 ]

The Bridge: Thoughts on Korn

A seperate piece of the puzzle in the grand scheme of a song, the bridge connects the chorus with the end of a piece.  It's a deviating point, an opportunity to present something to make the listener think and take him away from repetition.

A satisfying explanation for an admittedly hokey-sounding series name.  But hey.  Let's just get on with it.


For the basics: Korn is a nu-metal band heralding from Bakersfield, California. Led by Jonathan Davis, with a line-up that suffered some major changes before its current roster (Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu on bass/slapbass, Ray Luzier on drums, James "Munky" Schaffer on guitar), the band has celebrated a status as one of the first, and best, nu-metal bands in America. They take elements from hip-hop and rap in making their rhythms and riffs, and add in electronic effects to deepen the wall of sound presented.

Take a Look in the Mirror was their 6th album, made in 2003 following the success of 2002's Untouchables. Remember Who You Are (referred to here and in many other places as "Korn III") is their latest album, released in 2010, and was promised to be a throwback to their much rougher roots. While Korn III was a good album that did indeed succeed in bringing Korn back to its roots, I get the feeling after listening to the album that it may have not been the best decision.

Korn's biggest mistake was going way too far into the "clean" format - established with Untouchables and TALITM - with their Untitled album, released in 2005. As said before, Korn responded to their fans that their next album would be a hark back to their roots (read: Life is Peachy). The reason TALITM is being brought up is that I feel that this, along with Untouchables, was the best way to evolve the band. This kind of evolution was done with great success with Disturbed, who attempted a nu-metal style in Down with the Sickness, but grew into a more hard-rock feel with Believe and their magnum opus Ten Thousand Fists.

To get back into business here - my main beef with Korn III is that they go too far into the helter-skelter and rough-n-tumble style they did with Life is Peachy. Life is Peachy succeeded based on the fact that the album had the *atmosphere* of chaos and confusion, while still holding on to solid, brutal rhythms and vocals and providing the occasional "break", as it were, with some of the slower, softer songs. Korn III does that, but it stays ballistic on nearly every song, without a break.

You get a nice little intro on Korn III with Uber-Time that moves onto the quite-solid Oildale whereupon we get a 20-second reprieve... and then it goes nuts. You get a slow start, or something that builds up, and then after 30 seconds you go into the stratosphere with some of these songs. And it happens again, and again, and again. Even The Past, which sounds like it could fit this criteria, ramps up near the bridge to collapse any sort of breather we might have been able to collect. Then we get into Never Around and the brutal merry-go-round spins once more, all the way into the end of Holding All These Lies, the final track. It's brutal nu-metal on each of these tracks, but the genius of Korn was that they knew how to balance it with songs like Hold On or Hollow Life. But we don't get that here; it's like painting a forest with nothing but grizzly bears. It works, but...

Now, compare that to TALITM.

We start this album in motion with Right Now, to establish the mood. What already sells this over Korn III is, honestly, Fieldy, the bassist. Nu-metal, after all, gets its roots from its father genre of hip-hop, and he sells it better here than he did in III; meanwhile, with two guitarists (adding Brian "Head" Welch) the sound is much deeper. This continues through Break it Off before the mood settles a bit with Counting on Me, slowing the tempo and simplifying the rhythm to keep the album going without it overaccelerating.
The end of Counting on Me and the beginning of Here it Comes Again, the next track, provides a sort of bridge that takes us back to a brutal anthem. Deep Inside continues this trend, then we move into a shift in tone: Did My Time, which seems to echo, for a bit, Blind from Life is Peachy.

Everything I've Known knocks off some of the brutality, takes a bit of the edge off, which Korn III had a hard time doing. After this, it stays in this general pattern for a bit, with Play Me (feat. Nas), Alive and Let's Do This Now returning the album back to its tone, before I'm Done starts to wind the album down, finishing with its anthem piece Y'all Want a Single.

To conclude: Take A Look in the Mirror sells the nu-metal concept a lot more strongly than Korn III: Remember Who You Are did. Nu-metal is both hip-hop and metal; both genres have their examples of softer moments and brutal, in-your-face pieces, and TALITM, while not a perfect album for Korn, sells the concept of a music album better. Individually, the songs from Korn III are rather good (with a couple of exceptions), but as an album it fails to flow well.

From the Beginning

I've been interested in the wide world of music for quite awhile, ever since I played in school band programs back in 6th grade and all the way until 11th grade, and until now I've kept my thoughts centered around my Twitter profile.

Lately, though, the things I've been wanting to talk about are a bit more in-depth, something that can't be said in 140 characters.  So to that end, I've created this little project, and with luck this could become a nice side project of mine as I venture into bigger endeavors.

The basis of this will be centered around two major points: my thoughts on random subject matters of music - album comparisons, musings on certain artists, the state of the industry today - and album reviewers, both of albums just released and of albums in the past that I've listened to or that I'm approaching with almost no background in the original artist(s).

So... welcome.  Hope to keep you at least a tad entertained.  :)