The-Dream's Love vs. Money

Here we go again ladies and gentlemen. In more ways in one as a matter of fact. Not only am I back out of retirement to start giving you the latest and greatest heads ups on music and other things before the rest of the world. It's been awhile, but it doesn't mean I've been out of the game. As for this fantastic new album, I can't even begin to rave enough.

Following up the semi-success of his debut album, "Love/Hate", The-Dream is back again with his latest of two studio releases in 2009. The debut album last year didn't receive much hype, but still was an amazing work. As he stated in an interview, he is going to give us a little more with each album. This is certainly true, as "Love vs. Money" is an amazing album. The later album, a potential collaboration with close friend, Kanye West, is due out later in the year.

The new album, which I attained via a webrip, is sensational. In fact, that is an understatement. If you don't believe me, believe Rolling Stone (who typically has issues with giving many stars to contemporary R&B Albums) as they gave the new album, "Love vs. Money" a 4.5/5 stars. Wow.

Personally favorite track is Walking on the Moon ft. Kanye West, a track that has been leaked for some time. I can't be too biased though, the album collectively is spectacular. Releasing next Tuesday, I would strongly recommend all picking it up if you are a fan of good music. It may contend with other Album of the Years as the production and replay values of it are through the roof.

Until next time, Mr. Critic

3G iPhone

Only half an hour ago, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), a Keynote address by Apple computers announced the release of a 3G-version of the popular and stylish iPhone. This new iPhone would be redesigned with a new case, included GPS technology for tracking and location, as well as the blazing fast 3G wireless network. Steve Jobs stated that the phone would be "rolling out to various countries over the next several months". This is a monumental play for Apple Computers, releasing this information at just under the 1-year anniversary of the original iPhone's debut. The phone has been extremely popular since its release last June.

Included in the Keynote address was information about new applications and developments to iPhone 2.0 software, which would greatly broaden its already versitile framework. The new software will help increase workflow and productivity, as well as seamlessly work with the computer in which it is synced to keep everything the most up-to-date as possible. The newly developed software will release shortly, and will even be compatible with the iPod Touch, the newest iPod available.

Included are some photos from the Keynote address, including a comparison to other phones, battery statistics, as well as some photos of the new phone. Enjoy!P.s. I'm buying one as soon as they are available!

EDIT: 32 Days is the official release date, July 11th here we come, and at a price tag of $199 for the 8GB and $299 for the 16GB and GET THIS: A white iPhone, things just keep getting better. Thanks for being such an amazing contributor to the world, Steve Jobs!!!

EDIT (3:30 PM): Here is the link to the new ad on Apple.com, enjoy it!!!!
Click here

Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Yet again All Around Critic comes through early to give you the best head's up on what is about to be hot. Sorry about the long hiatus, between traveling and preparing this new review, the site hit a small slump, but we're back and ready for action, and you should be too!

With a release date less than 10 days away, there is much hype surrounding the album, only enhanced by a brilliantly produced iTunes commercial. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to preview the album before the official release date, and I can say without a doubt that my ears were blessed to have listened to this new album. Ten days aren't going to arrive soon enough so I can go purchase my copy.

This time around, Coldplay has created what I believe to be a true masterpiece of modern music. It is everything you would expect from this phenomenal British band under the lead of Chris Martin to develop into. They have really shown their maturity on this album, covering a wide spectrum of topics in their piano-driven rock. When some bands reach the pinacle worldwide success that Coldplay exhibits, they can find the urge to try too hard, resulting in a uninspiring and unoriginal material. Coldplay, however, avoids this and perfects upon their distinct sound.

The title track, "Viva la Vida", which is featured in the aforementioned iTunes commercial, is the first single on the album, and is receiving considerable radio time. Catchy lyrics blended with violins and bells create an atmosphere that you can almost visualize. The single lyric "That was when I ruled the world," really encapsulates Coldplay's success in past years, and I would say this is definitely an appropriate choice as their first single.

In addition to the title track, the album consists of 11 or 12 others, depending on which edition you get. The preview I had included two acoustic tracks previously found on the album, "Lost?" and "Lovers in Japan".

The first track kicks off the album the right way with a 2.5 minute instrumental track of monumental proportions. Just hearing it gives you the notion that you are about to listen to one of the real albums of our time. I found that the album really lived up to its hype and expectations, putting Coldplay on a pedestal shared only by that of U2 and other bands that have transcended both time and distance, finding popularity worldwide.

Without giving away too many surprises, I will leave you in a little suspense and say that it is critical to listen to the album's "official" last track (not including bonus tracks), "Death and All His Friends", which finds a special place in my heart as my favorite moment in the album. It helps bring some closure to the greatness exhibited through the album, and helps the listener end both satisfied and happy. "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends", Coldplay's latest release, does not disappoint, and will be on a constant repeat for the following months, come its June 17th release. I would recommend this to both fan's of Coldplay and those who enjoy music. This is an album that will live on and in my opinion, be considered an album of our time.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

After an all-nighter of my Internet provider being down and trying to connect to upload the review, and not having the review up by 3 as I promised, here it is at long last, the Indiana Jones review:

Braving the undead? How about snakes, sandpits and booby traps? Those are the measures I’m willing to endure in order to bring you the review for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, Shia Lebeouf and Cate Blanchett. OK so maybe Henry Jones, Jr., Aka Indiana Jones was the one fending off the snakes and booby traps, but nevertheless, I attended the midnight opening show in order to bring you the review on this epic film.

Without giving too much away, this film works around Indiana Jones, professor and archaeologist, traveling around the world in order to save it from…gasp…the Russians! Taking place in post-World War II, tensions are hot between the two countries as they do whatever it takes to find a weapon that will force the other surrender. Shia Lebeouf plays the young protégé, Mutt, who is eager to find adventures of his own, often pushing Indy on or getting into more trouble than he can handle.

From the opening scene where we see the famous silhouette of Indiana Jones in the shadows, to their travels through South America, Jones and his crew are racing the Russians to find the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. One thing I really liked was the historical accuracy. Spielberg really took measures to make this look like it was released not long after its most recent predecessor, “The Last Crusade”, nearly 20 years ago. Always keeping things interesting, and at times comical, Spielberg does a great job of creating a most memorable experience. Ingenuitive scenes throughout the film show Spielberg’s creative genius, not going through the everyday motions in the fast-pace battle scenes, but rather choosing to utilize the elements of the Amazon rain forest and its South American culture.

There were no real places I could see that the movie was lagging or progressing slowly, but rather kept me on my toes and guessing throughout. Ford and Lebeouf make a great duo on the screen, the combination of their passion to make a great film and their tendency to bring some comic relief makes them a real joy to watch as Lebeouf’s character, Mutt, tries to become more like his mentor, the infamous Indiana Jones.

Always having been a big fan of the Indiana Jones movie, I was not let down, as one might have expected from its long delayed release. I would say it lives up to all the hype surrounding it and would recommend it as one of the better films I’ve seen recently. From the brilliant score by composer John Williams, to the special effects and the great acting, this is one film you’re all going to want to see.

Here I Stand

So here we are, six days before the official release of the new Usher CD, titled "Here I Stand". Luckily for you, All Around Critic has been fortunate enough to hear an early sampling of all the new tracks and is here to give you the heads up and let you know what to do with your hard-earned money!

Let me start things off with saying that this is a good CD. It is produced well and features some of the hottest artists out there including Jay-Z, Beyonce and Lil Wayne. That being said, I will be honest and say I don't think the CD will outdo "Confessions", Usher's 2004 nine-time platinum-selling release.

There are certainly some highlights on "Here I Stand", but it seems to me that the majority of the tracks will slip away into that nexus of forgotten music tunes. There is of course the first single on the CD, "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy. This song is definitely reminiscent of the 2004-2005 version of Usher, making huge party/club hits. The title track, "Here I Stand" is definitely a slow and building melodic song which does a good job of encapsulating accurately Usher's current stage in musical development. This CD is a lyrical masterpiece, but may not be exactly what his devout fans are expecting. One of my personal favorites is the track, "What's a Man to Do", which definitely has potential for radio play in the future, once the hype surrounding "Love in This Club" settles down a little bit.

All in all, it is definitely a must-have for hardcore Usher fans, and is a great addition to any R&B collection, but may catch people offguard a little bit. The popularity of 2004's "Confessions" will be hard to top, but we will find out in 6 days when "Here I Stand" hits the shelves on May 27, 2008!

P.s. Congratulations to David Cook, the newest American Idol, I knew it was going to be you, best of luck to you and hopefully I will be reviewing a DC album soon!

The Gaudi Key

At an independent bookseller down in Ann Arbor, I recently got ahold of an advanced "uncorrected proof" of a book called The Gaudi Key. It was written by Esteban Martin and translated into English from its origins in Spain. The final edition of the book doesn't hit the shelves until August 2008, so I figured what a better way to get the advanced insight than on All Around Critic!

Let me say that although The Gaudi Key offers some cheap thrills, it is essentially nothing more than a DaVinci Code incognito. The basic premise is the same, a dying grandfather passes off a set of clues to his granddaughter in order to protect the greatest secret in all of Christianity. After completing the read, I realized the full extent to which these books are similar, but I think the more detailed background on esoteric architect Antoni Gaudi adds a little bit to what DaVinci Code was lacking.

Martin definitely did his research while writing this book, even if the plot material is an indirect copy of Brown's work. Regardless of how similar the two books were, I found that I couldn't often put it down and wanted to know what would happen next in María's cat-and-mouse game with the evil Corbel.

I wouldn't recommend it to anybody who didn't like The DaVinci Code, but it is a fairly quick read and if you are a fan of Gaudi's work, it should not be overlooked!

Lights EP

I recently came across an up-and-coming starlet from Toronto who goes by the name of Lights. You may recognize her tunes from recent Old Navy commercials, which is where I initially heard this talented female electro-pop artist. With a voice that can sound seductive, needy, angelic and blending through the whole spectrum, this is one of my latest favorites.

Interestingly, Lights creates all her own beats and would perform on her own if she had enough arms! Fortunately, she has two talented fellows who assist her when performing live, like her upcoming performance at Milwaukee's Summerfest, taking place June 26-July 6 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The 5-track EP (four if you purchase it through iTunes here in the United States (she is from Canada)) is chalk-full of great songs, including the clip used in the Old Navy commercial titled "The Last Thing On Your Mind". This particular song will especially appeal to the females out there, but has a quirkiness that helps broaden its horizons to all genders. Another personal favorite on the short, but sweet EP is February Air, the strong opening track with a subtle musical track with Lights' crooning and talented electronic lyrics.

Check it out for yourself at her MySpace Music page: http://www.myspace.com/lightsnoise