Best Album Sticker

With the availability of music on the internet, it's not often you really need to go to a record store (except for the audiophiles buying vinyl).  When you do go to a record shop, you'll notice many of the albums (especially new releases & top sellers) will have their covers cluttered with stickers advertising the hit singles included, parental advisory, a free download or movie ticket offer, and/or the use of recycled packaging material.

Most often these stickers just detract from the album artwork and I can't wait to remove the cellophane.  I recently discovered a rare exception and the greatest sticker to grace album covers (I use the plural, but I've only seen it on one album).  Here it is, the "PLAY LOUD" sticker:

Oh No... Boy Bands Are Back

It would seem that boy bands have returned to the collective pop culture conscience.  The Wanted and One Direction could be compared with N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, although it is as if the British Invasion of the 60s and the 90s boy band craze have mixed to create a British boy bands trend of the 2010s.

Countless Twitter trends, obsessed preteens with usernames like ShannenAdoresTW & Jadore1Dx, and fans identifying themselves with quirky names like Directioners.  Well this is a step above the teeny-bopper idol trend of Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, there are plenty of other trends in music I'd rather see resurface (grunge and the Seattle sound are just one example).  I guess the only thing to do is wait out the trend until something better invades popular music.

One thing I will admit is that "Glad You Came" is one catchy tune.


This discussion brings up one question.  Where do you stand?  One Direction or The Wanted?  Comment your thoughts below or Tweet to @sicumreviews

Rush's 20th Album, Their Heaviest?

Clockwork Angels, Rush's 20th album, is due out June 12, 2012.  "Caravan", released almost two years ago, was quite a hard rocking song.  The next single, "Headlong Flight", has just been released and is described by Rolling Stone as "the trio's most hard-charging number in recent years."  Even the album artwork seems a little dark, see right.  This leads me to believe Rush fans are in for one of the heaviest Rush albums of their career, and frankly, it's awesome.  Rush is generally classified as a hard rock or metal band, but their music has always been more progressive rock and never quite as heavy as modern metal bands.  Clockwork Angels may be an album that could cross boundaries and appeal to new fans.  Metal fans that are too young to be familiar with Rush's older material (aside from a few synth-heavy hits) could take a liking to this album.

Check out "Headlong Flight", streaming on Rolling Stone, and tell me what you think in the comments or Tweet to @sicumreviews