There are different reactions I have when listening to bands I like. One is when I listen to an album and it makes me wish I was in the band. This is the main feeling I got when listening to Reel Big Fish's seventh studio album, Candy Coated Fury.Many people remember Reel Big Fish from the brief time in the late nineties when ska was in the spotlight. While most of those bands faded with the coming of the next fad, Reel Big Fish have continued their version of rock/punk/ska for more than a decade, and from even a cursory listen, seem to be having an effing good time doing it. For them it's not a fad, it's something they are clearly committed to.
Each aspect of the band, from the horn section, guitars, and drums, are given detailed specific attention in each song, so on their own are polished and expertly weaved into each other. Most songs have the RBF signature horn vignette in between lines of the verses, the part of the song that causes the involuntary movement of head, shoulders, or toe-tapping, whatever way we awkwardly express enjoyment of a good beat.
Candy Coated Fury is the perfect description for this album; those familiar with Reel Big Fish will recognize their contrast of upbeat lively beats and melodies with self-deprecating and scornful lyrics, which provides a delightfully sarcastic message to the target of the lyrics. This is done best on "P.S. I Hate You," "Everyone Else Is An Asshole," and "Your Girlfriend Sucks."
Reel Big Fish are also known for cover songs, and they include a cover of When In Rome's "The Promise." The basis of a good cover song is to take the original structure of the song and put it in a surprisingly new genre, which they accomplish. The quick-tempoed, new age version is turned into a slow, languid funk version, giving it a darker feel. The addition of a sax solo doesn't hurt either. It's not the standout track of the album, but provides some diversity.
The most experimental track is "Hiding In My Headphones," which includes rap verses, reggaesque beats, which sounds more like a mid-nineties hit from 311. It seems to be half tongue-in-cheek, and the other half earnest, which could very well describe the oeuvre of this band's work.
Reel Big Fish's music is a perfect example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Candy Coated Fury is not a huge departure from their other work, but why is there a need to if the energy, enthusiasm, and songwriting abilities are already working for them? I mean, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones didn't make it this far, did they?
A few weeks ago, I received a copy of Mixtapes' Even On The Worst Nights. I had never heard of the band, but something told me to give it a listen and I'm so glad I did. What I found was thirty-nine minutes of pure pop punk perfection, painting a perfect picture of teenage small town suburban life. Since then, I've played it damn near nonstop and it has become my favorite album of 2012. Today, I'm happy to be spending Seven Questions In Heaven with Ryan Rockwell from Mixtapes.
If there is one thing that remains true, it's that life keeps moving and you sometimes need to scramble and readjust to keep up. Take for instance, my long drawn-out one-sided love affair with the now most certainly forever defunct band, The Police. After packing up their rock 'n' roll suitcases and stepping off the tour bus without so much as a backward glance, they reemerged like a phoenix from the ashes and proceeded to break my heart all over again with their ill-timed reunion tour which was not conveniently planned around my third pregnancy like I would have hoped.
Let's face it: sometimes it feels like no matter how well it's shot and edited, live concert footage can't properly convey the thrilling sensation of actually being there. There is only so much you can do to your media room, and it's difficult to recreate the ambiance and the hot pulsing electric vibe that shoots through your body every time you stand in front of a Marshall stack and a sweaty frontman at a concert hall. Granted, the surround sound and widescreen television help, but I need not have had any such worries about the sold out Stone Temple Pilots March 2010 performance at Chicago's Riviera Theatre captured in the new concert DVD Alive In The Windy City.
If you are a woman of a certain age--that is, in your thirties--Sweet Valley High was a part of your life. The successful young adult book series from the eighties introduced us to the blond-haired, aqua-marine-eyed, perfect-sized-six Wakefield twins and their friends. The Wakefield twins lived in the southern Californian town of Sweet Valley, where the sun always shines, the school dances are every week, and the beautiful and wealthy roam the streets (or drive in their Porches, in the case of Bruce Patman). 
Did you check out 
People talk about celebrity crushes and man crushes, but what about a book crush? The feeling you get over a really great book or series that kind of leaks over on the author? Well, today I'm talking with Richard Kadrey, author of the Sandman Slim series (yeah, I've got a little of a book crush going), as well as other books, numerous stories, articles, and a comic book. His latest book, Devil Said Bang, will be released August 28th and he was kind enough to talk about it, his photography, movies, and music.
Your next book, Devil Said Bang, is coming out in August. Can you give us any plot details or spoilers, or do we need to wait?
We were sending around emails the other day at Culture Brats HQ, discussing our dream '90s nostalgia festival lineups. Oddly, not one of us mentioned Jellyfish. 
Tilting marks the second album from Johnny Hickman, Cracker's co-founder and lead guitarist. Seven-word review: if you dig Cracker, you'll dig Tilting.
3. It's more crowded than three times the population of Gotham City.
