Back with their second installment, the gang at Yo Gabba Gabba has put together another great collection of original tunes by the cast and their "Super Music Friends." This time Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Hot Hot Heat, and MGMT add their spin to some new kids tunes, and kids will recognize more of their favorite cast singalongs. Long car rides, trips to the doctor, and rainy afternoons inside will all get a huge relief with the broadcasting of this album, and kids will fall in love with some great indie rock bands in the process. Mom and dad can rest assured they won't be pulling their hair out while their children enjoy some music time with this CD.
Weezer is that band that everyone loves. There is no way that in your lifetime that you have not at some point loved a song that was released by Weezer. Lately they've been pumping out new albums so fast that they are all beginning to be blurred into one giant awesome album. Their latest, which was probably named after the lovable character (pictured on the album cover) from TV show "Lost," is a grown up version of some of the same style of music that they started creating over fifteen years ago. Their song "Memories" has the band looking back at the beginning and reminiscing about what it was like when they were just a young band and how much has actually changed over their careers. "Smart Girls" is a tongue-in-cheek testament to all the girls that lead singer Rivers Cuomo involved himself with during his time earning his degree at Harvard during Weezer's hiatus. The bottom line is that Weezer is probably the best power pop rock band that has ever graced the airwaves. They are fans of everyone and everyone is a fan of them, and on their newest album, their first to be released on an indie label, they continue to prove why they have survived and succeeded for almost 20 years.
Since the early 90's these gods of power pop have been tearing it up and reinventing themselves, without straying far from their signature sound. On their latest, which comes quickly on the heels of their critically acclaimed third self titled album, they hit the nail on the head yet again. Their debut single features their longest song title yet, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To." And, the song is typical Weezer: it rocks, it has a catchy hook, and by the end of the song you know all the words and are singing right along. The album also features a first for the band. They have reached across genre lines and collaborate with Lil Wayne on the track "Can't Stop Partying" which was co-written by Rivers Cuomo and hip hop producer Jermaine Dupri. "The Girl Got Hot" is another Weezer classic that could have been on any of their other albums and fit right in. Now, the band will probably never repeat the success or the musical caliber of their debut album (the first self titled one known as "the blue album"), but they sure do have a lot of fun trying to! This album is a great addition to the Weezer arsenal and many of its tracks will be stuck inside the heads of music fans for years to come.
