Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown CD

21st Century Breakdown songs Rock opera and punk are usually two mutually exclusive musical styles. Then again, Green Day has never followed any rock rulebook, so it's not entirely surprising that the trio crafted a punk-rock opera that takes the Bush administration and its policies to task. It doesn't get any more pointed than a couplet from the frenetic title cut that states, "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda/Now everybody do the propaganda!" Under the guidance of any other group of agitated punks, the results of such an undertaking could easily become didactic. But with creative spearhead Billie Joe Armstrong at the helm, AMERICAN IDIOT is melodically driven, with the kind of intellectual bent that allows for a pair of mini-operas, "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming." Trimmed with a light sprinkling of piano and a big guitar sound occasionally reminiscent of Mott the Hoople, the former skewers the hypocrisy that can pervade small-town life. The latter is equally effective, as clever time changes and sonic flourishes (glockenspiel, doo-wop harmonies, honking saxophone) serve as an intriguing counterpoint to the band's hook-laced riffs. Audio Mixer: Chris Lord-Alge. Recording information: 880 Studios, Oakland, CA; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA. Photographers: Chris Bilheimer; Marina Chavez. Green Day: Mike Dirnt (bass instrument); Tre Cool, Billie Joe Armstrong. Personnel: Billie Joe, Billie ...

21st Century Breakdown buy CD music In the five years between the two releases, Metallica seem to have gotten back in touch with the raw power of their classic period, with a little help from legendary producer Rick Rubin. One listen to the 10-minute epic "Suicide & Redemption" with its mix of raw rock ferocity and complex musical development should tell you the old Metallica's back in business. Long tracks with complex structures and intricate, speedy riffs abound. Most appealing for longtime fans may be the return to the frenzied guitar solos of yore. Rubin seems to have assisted the band on a path that successfully combines power, melodicism, and pure, unadulterated metal mania, over a sonic statement that definitively proves there's nothing over-the-hill about middle-aged metal. The world at large got a fly-on-the-wall view of the creation of Metallica's 2003 album, ST. ANGER, via the documentary SOME KIND OF MONSTER, so we know they consciously tried to keep things contemporary at that time by avoiding fleet-fingered solos and eschewing the sound of the "old" Metallica. If that hoary old term "return to form" ever applied to a rock album, though, it's ANGER's follow-up, DEATH MAGNETIC. Metallica: James Hetfield (vocals, guitar); Kirk Hammett (guitar); Robert Trujillo (bass guitar); Lars Ulrich (drums).

21st Century Breakdown album for sale With their raw, organic sound, Tennessee's Kings of Leon emerged in 2003 as Southern rock for the indie-garage set, sort of a Strokes for the South. While there were hints of a new direction on their third album, BECAUSE OF THE TIMES, its follow-up, ONLY BY THE NIGHT, follows through with a near-reinvention of the Kings' sound. ONLY BY THE NIGHT could be mistaken for avant-indie cult heroes the Liars on a Southern vacation, as post-punk angularity, distorto-funk bass lines, and clattering percussion are processed through what sounds like the world's biggest fuzzbox. While there are old-glory moments of garagey abandon, most of these tracks sound like someone sat and carefully considered the best way to frame them. And that's the difference between making a good album and making a great one. Audio Mixer: Jacquire King . Recording information: Blackbird Studio, Nashville, TN. Kings of Leon: Caleb Followill (vocals, guitar); Matthew Followill (guitar, background vocals); Jared Followill (bass instrument, background vocals); Nathan Followill (drums, background vocals). Personnel: Jacquire King , Angelo Petraglia (keyboards).

21st Century Breakdown CD music Black Eyed Peas, the hip-hop crossover juggernaut that propelled singer Fergie and producer Will.I.Am to superstardom, have, since 2003's ELEPHUNK, been audaciously plugging away at their bombastic but lighthearted style of rap-cum-dance pop--an effort that has translated to a run of successful chart-topping singles including "My Humps," "Pump It," and "Don't Phunk with My Heart." Eager to follow up on the platinum-selling success of 2005's MONKEY BUSINESS, Black Eyed Peas have returned with THE E.N.D. (an acronym for "Energy Never Dies"), their third studio effort. Combining Will.I.Am's thumping 808 kick drum-infused beats with production assistance from a host of collaborators (including vocoder-loving Torontoians MSTRKRFT and French house veteran David Guetta), BEP's infectious party-time rhymes are an easy match for the album's Ed Banger-style of electro rapping and Auto Tune jamming, especially on lead-off single and sure-fire 2009 summer anthem "Boom Boom Pow." Audio Remasterers: Chris Bellman; Brian "BC" Catena. Arranger: will.i.am. Personnel: Hal Ritson (vocals, guitar, keyboards); George Pajon (guitar); will.i.am (piano, synthesizer, drum programming); Printz Board (keyboards, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, drum programming); Adam Walder (keyboards). Audio Mixers: Joe Peluso; Dylan Dresdow.

21st Century Breakdown buy CD music All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology. Green Day's infectious brand of thrashy power-pop is full of references to the generation of punk which preceded them, with adenoidal vocals spinning tales of youthful angst against a backdrop of hard, fast riffs. The difference, of course, is that Green Day is having more fun than the Buzzcocks would ever have admitted to. NIMROD catches the band updating their sound while holding onto the speed and recklessness that made their previous albums so exciting. Touches like the atmospheric, flanged guitars of "Redundant" and the violin on "Hitchin' A Ride" and "Last Ride In," (courtesy of That Dog's Petra Haden) help to take the band in a new, more serious direction. Lest anyone fear that this expansion signals self-indulgence, the tight harmonies of "Scattered" and breakneck pace of "Platypus (I Hate You)" prove that, unlike most angry young men (especially those that happen to be millionaire celebrities), they've managed to hold on to every bit of the energy and rage that propelled them in the first place. Personnel: Billie Joe (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Mike Dirnt (vocals); Petra Haden (violin); Gabrial McNair, Stephen Bradley (horns); Tre Cool (drums, bongos, tambourine). Unknown Contributor Role: Mike Dirnt. Green Day: Billie Joe (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Mike Dirnt (vocals, bass); Tre Cool (drums, bongos, tambourine). Additional personnel: Petra Haden (violin); Gabriel McNair, Stephen Bradley (horns).

21st Century Breakdown songs Eminem's RELAPSE, a double album released after five years of recorded silence, a record featuring Dr. Dre behind the boards for the first time since 2000, faced no shortage of the relentless pressure of expectations. A narrative of survival after facing down his demons in rehab unfurled with Eminem's usual twisted Swift-ian wit, RELAPSE should disappoint few fans (or critics for that matter) with its patented mix of hilariously spit venom and delirious self-loathing. Like Darren Aronofsky's adaptation of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, 2009's RELAPSE finds the full horror element in drug addiction. Eminem's raps, for all their over-the-top humor, have always conjured up images fit for Fangoria, but as he comes out of rehab, seeking solace from his demons, Mr. Mathers amps up the gore on RELAPSE. Dre's beats lurk dark-thumping sinister while Em unleashes nightmare dreamscapes of murder, mayhem, and Britney-Spearsacide. One target who gets off surprisingly lightly this time around is his mother (a topic even Em admits in his introduction of which the world is probably sick); "My Mom" boasts softer, bouncier beats and a final line few hip-hop fans would ever expect to hear coming out of his mouth. Recording information: 54 Sound, Detroit, MI; Effigy Studios; KDS Music Studios, Orlando, FL; Record One Studios, Sherman Oaks, CA; Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, NV. Photographers: Karin Catt; Julian Alexander. Personnel: Elizabeth Keener, Matthew St. Patrick (vocals); Jeff Bass, Mike Elizondo (guitar, keyboards); Sean Cruse (guitar); Trevor Lawrence (keyboards, scratches); Dawaun Parker, Luis Resto, Mark Batson (keyboards); Eric Danchick (sampler); Traci Nelson (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Dr. Dre; Eminem.