1. Linkin Park
A Thousand Suns
Warner Bros.
B+
Three years after their last release, Linkin Park returns with a
different approach to the metal, rock and hip hop medley they are
notorious for. Shuffling songs on an album doesn’t always
significantly affect things, but this is not the case on A Thousand
Suns, the band’s newest endeavor. For the most part, a cohesive
storyline about loss and gain has been created; there is a very
premeditated agenda to the track placement orchestrated by the
band.
The album is musically explorative, as they usually are, with each
new LP. A bit too heavily auto tuned perhaps, but the Middle Eastern
chant and some reggae flavor are enjoyable adventures. The piano is
more dramatic than previous Linkin Park records, which are less
aggressive in this regard. The drum syncopation is playful, catching
you off guard at certain points.
The familiar sound that is Linkin Park begins with “Burning in the
Skies” after two drawn out introductory tracks. Aside from “Wisdom,
Justice, And Love,” where Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice resounds

2. movingly, there are six short electro-psychedelic compositions
scattered throughout the album acting as somewhat unnecessary
fillers.
A few tracks including the lead single, “The Catalyst” and “Robot Boy”
walk a fine line between inspirational and annoyingly repetitious.
Lyrically, they are strongest on their quirky rap-rock track, “When
They Come for Me” and their boisterous “Blackout.” Unfortunately,
the latter is the only real taste of metal on the entire album. Although
the track is worth the wait, I wonder why it took them nine tracks to
start screaming. “The Messenger,” their closing acoustic track is
vocally penetrating and finishes strong.
In A Word: Adamant
—by Kari Vander Weit, October 1, 2010
http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/10/01/linkin-park-a-thousand-suns/

3. Ratatat
Terminal 5
October 8, 2010
NEW YORK, NY—As I meandered through the streets of New York
pre-show, my eyes were sent in many directions in order to take in
the gorgeous city lights. The city however, was surpassed by the
lightshow inside Terminal 5. Ratatat is well known for their intense
musical productions and I was eager to experience it for myself.
The show kicked off with Bobby Birdman, an artist who, when he
plays, seems to caress his keyboard in genuine passion for his
instrument. His ability to create anticipation for his next delivery was
formidable. Dom, a four-piece, was sandwiched in the middle of the
bill. Aside from the slightly squeaky vocals, the instrumentals were
remarkable, particularly the bass that successfully sped up my heart
rate.
After a lengthy wait, the only downside of the night, Ratatat wandered
on stage to a sold-out venue. It even took some chanting to get what
we wanted. They were absolutely worth the wait, creating a world
their own on stage. It’s mind-blowing that just two people can blow up
a stage the way they do. The band consists of Mike Stroud, on guitar
and keys, and Evan Mast on bass and keys.
“Mirando,” was the point that I really got emotionally involved in the
show. And I wasn’t alone as I looked around the wide-eyed, awe-
stricken eyes of my concert peers. Ratatat’s use of synthesis
techniques are paired up with energetic beats that make their tracks
complete with no need for vocals.
Their melodious arrangements alone were enough to leave the
customer satisfied, but the lightshow and film clips complete the
package. The music aspect is not entirely premeditated. There was a
lot of improvisation going on. If you aren’t familiar with their album

4. work, this is made obvious by the two meeting center stage,
deliberating, and parting their separate ways to tear up the stage
some more. Standing still at this show is not an option. I’m telling you,
your body won’t let you do that while listening to a song like “Drugs.”
The highlight of the evening was their performance of “Wildcat.” Mast
and Stroud stood side-by-side jamming on their individual floor toms
while the light show played up the beat. It was overwhelmingly well
done. The roaring of a wildcat scattered through the song even more
blaring live.
The synthetic buildup they create through each song in the set and
during the performance’s entirety is glorious. They act like mad
scientists in their lab full of musical toys. Stroud, in particular, is
heavily interactive with the audience. Simultaneously generating
insane riffs and bending his body backwards always got the crowd
going. Mast, on the other hand, remained rather composed through
the show. Their on-stage personalities balanced perfectly. Speaking
of balance, the stage set-up was almost completely symmetrical in
compliance with their equality in skill. Strings, percussion and
keyboards were accessible to both.
At first, I was surprised by the young audience that was attracted to
the duo. But, as I pushed myself through the crowd and made my
way over to the bar, I noticed that people of all ages were thoroughly
enjoying the masterpiece being made on stage. It was probably the
idea of getting kicked in the face by the attempting crowd-surfers that
made the back seem like a better choice. Or maybe it was just the
convenience of having their next drink right there. Either way, I was
pleased to see the diversity of Ratatat’s fan base.
Having been a huge fan for a few years now, it was incredible to see
them in concert. I’ll be honest, though; it’s a little hard to go back to
their albums after experiencing their live delivery. I’ll be first in line if
they decide to release a live CD. The pairing of lightshow and musical

5. composition is entirely worth the sore legs that are going to greet you
the next morning.
—by Kari Vander Weit, October 27, 2010
http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/10/27/ratatat-terminal-5/
Trapt
No Apologies
Eleven Seven Music
D
Like it or not, nü-metal has made it clear that it’s here to stay. Trapt, a
four-piece based out of California, are an unmistakable
representation of this settled genre. The sound of their new
album, No Apologies, does little drifting from their previous releases. I
can always appreciate a little adventure, even if I preferred the sound
of a band’s last album. Some people love consistency and if that fits
your criteria, I recommend this for your collection.
“Sound Off” kicks off the new LP, and not only is it something I’ve
heard from the band previously, I think its commerciality has been
delivered from other groups. The album has no differentiation
between tracks for the most part. Honing in on the percussion, it
almost feels like listening to one long song.

6. The vocal rhythm created by the lead singer, Chris Taylor Brown, is
more creative than that of the drummer. “Drama Queen” is the
strongest vocal track on the album. The smooth syncopation that is
created with his voice is interesting and the quirky movement of his
voice in “Stranger” is solid, as well.
I think what bothers me the most about the album is that Trapt has
some amazing electric guitar solos on tracks like “No Apologies” and
“The Wind,” but they last only for a few seconds—if we’re lucky. It’s a
tease. As pleasing as Brown’s voice is to the ear, taking a break from
him and extending these solos would greatly improve the album’s
variety.
Aside from “The Wind,” where Brown seems to be a tad out of his
range at points, his voice is the strongest aspect of the album. On the
other hand, the track contains the strongest instrumentals on the
record, with energetic strings and beats. So it seems where they are
strong in one area, they lack in another.
In A Word: Superfluous
—by Kari Vander Weit, October 20, 2010
http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/10/20/trapt-no-apologies/
Anberlin

7. Dark Is The Way, Light Is The Place
Universal Republic
C-
This, anything-but-extensive, 10-track album is an attempt by
Anberlin to steer away from the pop genre in which they have been
encaged, and a hope to mature into a more sophisticated alternative
rock tribute. Though you can hear significant effort, Dark Is The Way,
Light Is A Place is ultimately pop rock. Don’t drink soda while
consuming this album.
The vocal textures delivered by Stephen Christian are the strongest
asset. The opening track, “We Owe This to Ourselves,” is
immediately familiar. Christian’s raspy, serenading voice is both
soothing and rousing simultaneously. Familiar is not always a good
thing. “You Belong Here” is a re-run of their earlier releases, which
will evidently please fans, but seems out of place amidst the rest of
their attempt at an established sound.
Instrumentally, they fall short as well. The drums are predictable and
redundant aside from “To the Wolves,” the strongest track on the
album. This song is a synopsis of what the band was aiming for. The
electric guitar is riveting and the percussion matches its excitement.
“Down” begins strong with intricate guitar riffs paired with dominating
bass delivered by Deon Rexroat. Instrumentally, they begin to imitate
a younger Smashing Pumpkins, but wind up sounding dragged out
and boring by the end.
The lyrics on the album are the weakest. What they lack in length,
they also lack in depth. Previous Anberlin albums were written better.
Almost every track aside from, “To The Wolves” and closing track
“Depraved,” is either cliché, repetitive or both.

8. In a Word: Deficient
—by Kari Vander Weit, October 6, 2010
http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/10/06/anberlin-dark-is-the-way-light-is-the-place/
Other sample writing:
http://kenphillipsgroup.com/10-27_Spotlights_1.pdf
http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/10/07/corrosion-of-conformity-hitting-mach-three/
http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/10/09/doug-paisley-crossing-the-boarder/
http://somehearexplosions.com/category/tour/page/6