SOUND BITES

  Let's not bury the lead here; as popular as they've remained and as musically talented as they are, 2022 Muse are far removed from their creative peak. At this point in their career the stakes aren't exactly high, though; one could argue they've accomplished all they've set out to, becoming one of the world's most popular rock bands and leaving a string of hits in their wake. Muse don't owe anybody anything these days; having reached the pinnacle many album cycles ago, they've spent the better part of the last fifteen years or so coasting on goodwill from their best work ( The Origin of Symmetry and Absolution , for my and most other fans' money), freely experimenting with musical styles and consistently dealing in the bumper sticker sociopolitical values that have become Matt Bellamy's modem operandi. This means that, as static as the band's touchstones have remained, what they choose to augment their sound with has been the headline more...

Muse have never been shy about their shtick; whereas most bands are content to go about their business and evolve their sound from album to album, Muse often goes for the hard turns. Since rising to prominence worldwide with their third album Absolution fifteen years ago, they've constantly tinkered with their sound, infusing their subsequent albums with Europop ( Black Holes and Revelations ), symphonic suites ( The Resistance ), dubstep ( The 2nd Law ) and full-fledged wartime paranoia ( Drones ). Throughout all of it, as ridiculous as the whole thing was getting, Muse presented each of these projects with a seriousness that begged uncertainty about their creative decision making. Was Matt Bellamy really so concerned about drones? Is this the time or place for a 12-minute symphony? Does the world need so much wub-wub accompanying this thinkpiece on thermodynamics? With their eighth album, it appears as though Muse finally admits just how campy they've become and decide...

Usually, as spring gives way to summer album releases dry up. In 2015, however, it didn't really feel like the case. Sure, there were less albums released than in the spring but pretty much every week in June and July saw something worthwhile hit the shelves. Plus, there are a couple from July 10th, which is the date all new releases shifted from Tuesdays to Fridays. This batch of nominees also represents a nice cross section of new and emerging bands, established acts and long dormant bands breaking long silences. Our third set of Song of the Year Nominees are:

To say Muse is a band that prides itself on its theatrics is kind of like saying that Jughead is rather fond of hamburgers. So when Matt Bellamy expressed the desire for his band's seventh album to be adapted as a Broadway musical, it didn't even raise an eyebrow. Grandiose, flamboyant presentations are old hat for this band, as evidenced by pretty much any live footage you can find on YouTube. So here we have it, a self-professed return to the basics that also just so happens to be a conceptual piece about modern warfare and the dehumanizing effect it has on those who partake in it, and a conceptual piece with Broadway aspirations at that. Musically, to be sure, this is miles removed from the overcooked electronics of previous album (and, IMHO, major misstep) The 2nd Law . True to the nature of war, much of Drones is cold and aggressive. Take Psycho , a furious glam stomper that re-positions the groove of past hit Uprising into a silly, profane ode to transferring owners...

I didn't want to call this article the "worst", as that implies that the soulless, mindless drivel some bands have been trying to pass off as music is somehow better than the trio of bands singled out here; that's not the case. If I haven't talked about (insert random shitty synthpop and/or bro-rock band here) in 2012, it's because I simply don't care enough about them to sit through their songs, let alone write about them. This article is a chance to talk about three bands which have qualities I actually admire; it just so happened they, surprisingly or not so much, released albums I had at least moderate expectations for and found myself sad, shocked and/or disgusted at the lack of quality they brought in 2012.

1. Muse have a new album coming out. 2. That album is called The 2nd Law . 3. It's being released in September. 4. Muse are about eight years late on the propaganda front. 5. Gas costs over $64 a gallon where Muse lives. 6. The ground is pissed, and is coming to get you. 7. Your television is an evil wub-wub robot just waiting to happen. I assume Muse isn't pulling a Korn on us, but if they are I hope they at least bring that robot on tour.