Prodigy and Justice

So, today I have some moderate excitement about some new stuff and some exuberance over some not-so-new stuff.

First up, the new: The Prodigy. Invaders Must Die is the new album, and it's a fun one....if you like The Prodigy. Basically, I'm not disappointed that I own the album, but I'm not jumping up and down the way I was in my last entry. If you already like The Prodigy you'll like Invaders Must Die. It's essentially the same vibe as Fat of the Land infused with older-style (eg, Music for the Jilted Generation) samples and synths. For staying awake while driving or for getting pumped up for a night on the town it's at least as good as anything else they have released. For intrigue, creativity, and caché...don't get Invaders Must Die. Instead get.....

CROSS! This album by Justice was released a year ago, but it blows my mind so much that I just had to mention it here. I had heard several Justice songs in various DJ mixes (in fact, I mentioned them in a blog entry several months ago), but I hadn't yet gotten this album for myself until recently. I have been listening to it a little every day since then, and I'm still not tired of it. You may recognize the introductory track from some recent car commercials, and you may recognize a few of the later tracks from some recent films and TV shows. However, the songs that aren't commercial enough for movies and TV are the ones that really leave a mark. Each of their songs evokes thoughts and emotions so strongly that I swear they are speaking directly to my mind. Sometimes the message is a little disturbing and I have to put it down for a little while, but often I just can't resist the smile or violent headbang that their music elicits. I hope to catch these guys live some time, since previews of their live concert DVD Across the Universe seems to indicate that they rock as hard as any rock 'n' roll band both on and off stage.