SOUND BITES

As they close in on forty years as a unit, U2 are further and further away from their peak; to their credit, though, they remain one of the biggest bands in the world a quarter century after what the vast majority consider their most essential period. While many are quick to jump to the band's defense from statements such as that, maintaining that the band has kept their sound fresh and that their consistency and quality have kept them relevant all these years, I suspect most of those die hard fans are more in love with U2 as they were than U2 as they are. To be clear, there was absolutely a time when U2 albums were major events, capable of turning all the heads and captivating the imaginations of fans and critics alike. During this time, when they could have easily replicated their past successes, they admirably and boldly tinkered with their sound; the pop and euro-dance elements that made their way into U2's songs in the mid 90s turned some fans off, but you can't de...

1991 was a really big, and kind of weird, year for rock music. The world was ushering in change in the form of technological advancements and social reforms, and the music world would soon follow suit. As the year progressed and the wave of hair metal had begun to run its course, a new and powerful force was on the rise. By year's end, it was clear that we were on the cusp of a true rock revolution, the likes of which hasn't been experienced again since. I turned 15 years old in 1991. By this time, I was already what I'd consider a music lover, but I hadn't yet figured out my musical identity. As a devoted member of Columbia House, I was hoarding cheap cassettes and quickly becoming not just a music fan, but also a collector. My tape collection was kind of impressive in size, but was stylistically scattered beyond any real sense of logic or reason (case in point: alongside my thriving collection of hair metal were albums by such classic pop/rap superstars as Vanilla...

As tempting as it was to review U2's thirteenth album in the hours that followed its original surprise release, I made a conscious decision to wait until it was made official by being available in record stores. Part of my reasoning was a feeling of trepidation in that it seemed like there might be more to it all; as it turns out, I was only kind of right, as the CD release tacks on a second disc of bonus tracks and alternate versions that don't actually add anything to the album proper. The main reason I abstained from an early review was that I didn't believe I could give the album a fair shake without separating myself from the hoopla that surrounded its release or the reactions to it, positive and negative. There didn't seem to be any gray area, only two sides; those who hated the implications of the free release (and the fact that it bullied its way onto half a billion iTunes accounts without asking anyone first), and those who swore U2 their unconditional love....

Reason enough to buy a magazine? Hit the jump to check out NIN's first new music in two years, plus other choice contributions to the newly released U2 covers album. So, today the interwebs were graced with the presence of the first Nine Inch Nails track to be released since summer '09, not long before Trent Reznor announced plans to retire his longstanding industrial/metal/rock band from the touring circuit.  Now, Reznor's accomplished a lot in the two years that followed; his work with frequent collaborator Atticus Ross for The Social Network score snagged him a metric shit-ton of critical acclaim, and a fistful of shiny trophies to boot.  But, as worried as us fans may have been about losing NIN for good, Reznor always maintained that, when it came to the studio, Nine Inch Nails would live on.