Finger Eleven – Them vs. You vs. Me (Music Album)
Producer: Johnny K
Producer Biography:
John Karkazis,better known as Johnny K, was born in Chicago, Illinois and is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago. In addition to the studios, his 40,000-square-foot music complex includes views of the Chicago sky line, a gymnasium, rehearsal rooms, and pre-production rooms. Information retrieved from Wikipedia.
Label: Wind-Up
Genre: Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Post-Grunge, Funk Rock
Listening Level: Grades 9 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
With powerful electric guitar cords, energetic music, smooth vocals, and memorable lyrics, Them Vs. You vs. Me is an excellent collection of rock that will appeal to fans who enjoy their music with a heavier slant.
Album Summary:
Canadian band Finger Eleven produced a work that seems like a perfect evolution from other rock and punk rock bands of the 90s in Them vs. You vs. Me. Sticking to hard guitar lines with ample base and interspersing fast, few second long distorted guitar solos, nearly every song in the album prepares the listener to get up and get active. Many of Finger Eleven’s songs still haunt the airwaves of rock and alternative stations, such as the track named Paralyzer. Unlike the rest of the other songs on the album, Paralyzer mixes rock and high octane guitar pieces to create a song that could easily appear in dance clubs and parties. Other tracks follow a more traditional route with easy listening hard rock such as Sense of a Spark and Window Song.
Critical Evaluation:
Nearly every song in Them vs. You vs. Me is a hit. Each song offers something different, turning down the tempo on some tracks while getting the blood boiling with others. With elements of grunge, punk, alternative, and hard rock, the album creates works that will appeal to listeners of those genres while being refined enough to attract others as well.
Curriculum Ties:
Evolution of rock
Challenge Issues:
None
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Ideas:
n/a
Why This Album?
Them vs. You vs. Me seems like the next logical step following bands such as Green Day and The Offspring, though backing off a bit on the anger but still retaining all of the energy and fierce riffs. Rock lovers should be introduced to this album if they are looking for something new and refined.
Producer Biography:
John Karkazis,better known as Johnny K, was born in Chicago, Illinois and is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago. In addition to the studios, his 40,000-square-foot music complex includes views of the Chicago sky line, a gymnasium, rehearsal rooms, and pre-production rooms. Information retrieved from Wikipedia.
Label: Wind-Up
Genre: Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Post-Grunge, Funk Rock
Listening Level: Grades 9 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
With powerful electric guitar cords, energetic music, smooth vocals, and memorable lyrics, Them Vs. You vs. Me is an excellent collection of rock that will appeal to fans who enjoy their music with a heavier slant.
Album Summary:
Canadian band Finger Eleven produced a work that seems like a perfect evolution from other rock and punk rock bands of the 90s in Them vs. You vs. Me. Sticking to hard guitar lines with ample base and interspersing fast, few second long distorted guitar solos, nearly every song in the album prepares the listener to get up and get active. Many of Finger Eleven’s songs still haunt the airwaves of rock and alternative stations, such as the track named Paralyzer. Unlike the rest of the other songs on the album, Paralyzer mixes rock and high octane guitar pieces to create a song that could easily appear in dance clubs and parties. Other tracks follow a more traditional route with easy listening hard rock such as Sense of a Spark and Window Song.
Critical Evaluation:
Nearly every song in Them vs. You vs. Me is a hit. Each song offers something different, turning down the tempo on some tracks while getting the blood boiling with others. With elements of grunge, punk, alternative, and hard rock, the album creates works that will appeal to listeners of those genres while being refined enough to attract others as well.
Curriculum Ties:
Evolution of rock
Challenge Issues:
None
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Ideas:
n/a
Why This Album?
Them vs. You vs. Me seems like the next logical step following bands such as Green Day and The Offspring, though backing off a bit on the anger but still retaining all of the energy and fierce riffs. Rock lovers should be introduced to this album if they are looking for something new and refined.