COLUMN: Bargain bin yields surprising mix
Going to school is expensive. From tuition to books to housing to food, not a lot of money is left over for music and other wants.
Because of this I have personally dubbed myself the “bargain shopper.” I shop on Woot.com — I look online first before buying at Walmart or Best Buy, and I certainly hit up the Hastings music counter whenever I am looking for a new CD.
That is why this week I am doing my listening on a budget and bringing to you the $5 bargain-bin-music-selection extravaganza of the century!
Hastings. $5. One man. The most bang for your buck. These are the CD’s I found for my spending limit. These are the chosen.
1. “River of Dreams,” by Billy Joel, $1.99: This album is one that, unless you’re a Joel fanatic, you have probably never heard of. It features a groovy cover of a man with a river and a lot of Southern American-style artwork.
This CD screams “Listen to me, please. I beg of you.” As the early ‘90s harpsichord synthesizer and the ‘80s hair nation guitar take the soundscape by force, I had a feeling this would be something… special.
I would say this CD is great for all of you wannabe drummers. I find the perfect snare-based beats originating from the high points of the ‘80s, are easy to mimic with a classically bent rocker arm. If you’ve seen Rainn Wilson in the “Rocker,” you know the style I’m talking about.
I can’t believe that a CD featuring “The Great Wall of China” is only $2 dollars. Actually, it’s a feasible idea because the CD, especially that song, is basically Joel trying to summon his inner rockstar and ending up like a combination of Billy Idol and David Bowie.
I do enjoy him doing those ‘80s-style vocal lines, but this CD is a stinker. Albeit the two great songs from “River of Dreams” and “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel),” the rest of the album is bland and the song “Shades of Grey” alone is terrible enough to plunge this CD into a solid 2 out of 5.
2. “Peace and Love, Inc.,” by Information Society, 97 cents: The robot hand on the cover jumped out at me from the music rack, and the price was definitely favorable, so I decided on “Peace and Love, Inc.”
This album begins with a lot of character, exclaiming “I’m not exactly in the mood for Mozart and all that kind of goings on.” The late ‘80s house-techno beat then pushes you out of the chair with the classic mix of electronic leads with passive bass and pads with a boy-band voice. He has that classic ‘80s voice that makes this CD from “meh” to “yeah.”
The third track sounds like the Mortal Kombat theme music. Track No. 6 sounds like one should do a choreographed *NSYNC-style dance along with an annoyingly catchy chorus.
The lyrics of track No. 7 dissolve into a bunch of acronyms like MTV, ABC and AT&T. No. 9 attacks you with an abrasive brass section.
The last song is eight minutes long. Despite all of these set backs, “Peace and Love, Inc.” basically sums up all of the ‘80s into one and is a sampler’s dream.
The loops and samples in each song are amazing, and to my surprise it doesn’t get too old. If you like ‘80s or Cut Copy or are an aspiring DJ, then pick up “Peace and Love, Inc.” The album electric slides into a 3 out of 5.
3. “Deluxe,” by Better than Ezra, 97 cents: I picked this CD because, besides their collection of CD’s for 97 cents each, there was a greatest hits compilation album, so I figured they probably have some potential. However, Billy Ray Cyrus had a greatest hits as well, so maybe it was risky to go with Better than Ezra — but I took the risk and went with it.
If you like your R.E.M. and Radiohead with a Weezer feel, then hit up Better than Ezra, that one band from the ‘90s that was probably really cool but almost completely missed our generation.
This band feels they’ve found themselves in a rift between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Creed, and they kind of rock it. They are a blend of emotional, almost country, southern rock and alternative rock that sounds actually better than you would think.
The vocalist sounds a lot like a young Keith Urban de-countrified. The band almost psychically knows when to turn it harder and when to keep it soft. There is a chemistry in the music that a lot of bands miss in their recorded albums. From the soft jams to the rocking sound bangers, this album fist pumps into a 4 out of 5.
This week’s bargain bin is worth a solid $3 out of $5. Maybe music isn’t one of those things you buy generic.
– alexander.h.van_oene@aggiemail.usu.edu