Toast Pop
  • About
  • Apply
  • Contact
  • Post
  • Shop
  • Staff

Tag Archives: review

Elbow – Lost Worker Bee – EP Review

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Lee Johnson Posted in Music .

Elbow - Lost Worker Bee - EP ReviewBand / Artist: Elbow

Album: Lost Worker Bee (EP)

Release Date: 24th July 2015

Genre: Alternative Rock / Indie / Alternative Pop

 

So during the last year, Elbow (Guy Garvey, Richard Jupp, Craig Potter, Mark Potter & Pete Turner) have all been working on solo and collaboration projects, and this EP is more of a little treat for the fans who may have to wait until next year for another album.

I have been a fan of Elbow’s for the longest time, and each album they put out is always better than the previous one, so when I heard about this highly anticipated EP, I knew I had to have it.

The Lost Worker Bee features 4 brand new tracks: Usually Bright, Roll Call, And It Snowed and Lost Worker Bee.

The opening track Lost Worker Bee is decidedly more jovial than I was expecting. It opens with a beautifully solemn synth, leading into Guy Garvey’s trademark ethereal lyrics and sing song voice. It’s one of those tracks I found myself wanting to play again and again and again, just to get lost in the amazing lyrics and hopeful sound.

Another song that deserves attention is Usually Bright. Starting almost acoustically, it builds up into a perfect little package, coupling Guy Garvey’s brilliant lyric work with a very simple guitar track, almost unnoticeable the more the song progresses.

I am extremely glad that Elbow decided to put this EP out into the world, even if it is just 4 tracks, it’s the fact that they realised their audience may miss having them around whilst their other projects are going on.

Favourite Tracks: Lost Worker Bee and Usually Bright.

For Fans Of: Alt-J, Prides, Hurts.

 

 

Leave a comment .
Tags: album, bee, cd, elbow, ep, lost, lost worker bee, lyrics, mp3, Music, review, reviews, worker .

The Handy Box Subscription Box

Posted on August 3, 2015 by James Agee Posted in Lifestyle .

Handy Box Subscription BoxMost subscription boxes contain food or snacks delivered to you once a month. We found a really unique box that provides you with handy tools to help you around the house and with projects. The Handy Box is a very cool idea, it’s a box sent to you once a month containing tools and products that can help you around your home.

In The Handy Box that we received that were some really awesome and practical items. The furniture markers are something that we use frequently and run out of all the time, so to get some of those was a relief. One of the coolest items in the box was the 3x magnifier with 12 LED’s. It’s basically a large magnifying glass with built in lights to help you see in dark situations.

As far as the value, this box will give you more value than the price tag for the subscription. This is a box that I could see subscribing to for a father or grandfather as a gift, but also a box that can be used by literally anyone because there are times in all of our lives when we need tools to make things easier.

This is a one of a kind subscription box that exceeded my personal expectations. I’ve tried to guess at what is inside of a box before for food subscription boxes, and that can sometimes be easy based on the regular content that is sent out in the boxes, but there is no way for me to even begin guessing with this box. It’s sure to be a surprise every time!

For more information or to subscribe to this box, go to www.thehandybox.com

The Handy Box Unboxing

Leave a comment .
Tags: box, handy, handy box, handy man, man, monthly, monthly subscription box, review, subscription, subscription box, unbox, unboxing, video .

Loot Crate Review for July

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Rob Flood Posted in Pop Culture .

Loot Crate Review for JulyHere is a video review of Loot Crate. It is a monthly subscription box that I love to get. It is only 20 dollars a month and they have many different plans to choose from. I do the monthly plan but you can go up to a year in advance. This box was pretty good. I was a bit disappointed in the wearable this time, but they cannot always to t-shirts, I guess. Enjoy! If you want to sign up and get your first book at a discount, just type in Save3 at checkout and get $3 off your first box:)

Loot Crate Review for July

Leave a comment .
Tags: company, Loot Crate, modern, monthly subscription box, product, review .

Owl City – Mobile Orchestra – Album Review

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Lee Johnson Posted in Music .

Owl City - Mobile OrchestraBand / Artist: Owl City

Album: Mobile Orchestra

Release Date: 10th July 2015

Genre: Synthpop / Electronica / Pop

 

Owl City always have and always will be one of my favourite bands, ever. This is thier 5th album, and it is truly wonderful.

The atmospheric and cosy, warm sounds of the perfectly timed synths really make you stop and just listen. I easily sat down and listened to the whole album twice in a row without even realising it.

Adam Young still remains my favourite song writer of all time, and I still can’t understand why he hasn’t won any Ivor Novello awards for his scintillating words and intriguing and cryptic stories.

Owl City had a lot to live up to following thier last album ‘The Midsummer Station’, which is my favourite of thier albums so far, but they really pulled it out of the bag this time, and I am almost certain that this is going to become my number 1 Owl City album with a few more listens.

 

Favourite Tracks: Thunderstruck, Unbelievable, Bird With A Broken Wing, Back Home and This Isn’t The End.

For Fans Of: Mika & Owl City’s previous albums.

Leave a comment .
Tags: adam, adam young, album, cd, city, mobile orchestra, mp3, Music, owl, Owl City, review, reviews, young .

Years & Years – Communion – Album Review

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Lee Johnson Posted in Music .

Years & Years - CommunionBand / Artist: Years & Years

Album: Communion

Release Date: 10th July 2015

Genre: Synthpop / Electronica / House

 

So, the former actor from the popular UK tv series ‘Skins’ can sing? I never even knew that!

As mentioned, former actor Olly Alexander has been working on this project for a very long time, even before he landed a job as a creepy stalker on ‘Skins’.

But let’s forget the fact that the Years & Years frontman is a former actor for now. His band have released an extremely polished (but not overly polished) debut album, full of soaring synths, attractive electronic drum sounds, and a huge dose of brilliant song writing. Seriously, the songs on this album all deserve a special mention each, they are that good.

Olly’s voice is powerful yet subtle, soaring yet reserved and ultimately, beautiful to listen to. This is how a debut album should sound, I really can’t find any flaws, except maybe that there should be more songs on the album!

 

Favourite Tracks: Desire, King, Shelter, I Want To Love, Gold and Worship.

For Fans Of: Hurts, Prides, Coldplay & Owl City

Leave a comment .
Tags: album, communion, mp3, Music, review, reviews, tracks, years & years, years and years .

Prides – The Way Back Up – Album Review

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Lee Johnson Posted in Music .

Prides - The Way Back UpBand / Artist: Prides

Album: The Way Back Up

Release Date: 10th July 2015

Genre: Synthpop

 

Prides only formed as a band in 2013, but they definitely know what they are doing. The Way Back Up is thier debut album, and it is a solid one. It is a cacophony of synths, classic rock ambience and perfect song writing, all mashed up together in one brilliant package that is a mix of sound and light.

The light i’m referring to is the lyrics. The exquisite words woven through the 16 tracks creates a sound like the sun’s rays shining down on you for the entirety of the album.

But being a debut album, The Way Back Up does have it’s flaws. While they are not huge flaws and probably won’t matter to most people, I felt as if at least 2 or maybe even 3 tracks were somewhat  thrown on the finished product as ‘fillers’, that is to say that while they are still decent tracks, they feel a bit rushed and not as polished as the rest.

I really think Prides have exploded onto the music scene in a dramatic way, and I really hope they stay in the music industry for as long as they can.

 

Favourite Tracks: Messiah, Out Of The Blue, Let It Go, Avalanche and Little Danger.

For Fans Of: Hurts, Bastille & Twin Atlantic

Leave a comment .
Tags: album, cd, mp3, Music, prides, review, reviews, the way back up, tracks .

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige Book Review

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Lee Johnson Posted in Books .

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle PaigeThis is the sequel to the massively popular Dorothy Must Die, an interesting and dark twist on the children’s classic ‘The Wizard Of Oz’. The first book follows Amy Gumm, a girl from Kansas who gets swept up by a tornado and ends up in Oz.  But in this twisted version of Oz, Dorothy Gale has returned to Oz and is stealing the magic from the land, making her more and more evil all the time.

Amy is recruited by The Revolutionary Order Of The Wicked to kill Dorothy and return the magic back to Oz.

This book picks up right where the last one left off. Amy and Ollie are flying away from a destroyed Emerald City, and  end up in The Kingdom Of The Wingless Ones, home to all the flying monkeys, and thier queen, Lulu.

What Amy failed to realize is that in order to kill Dorothy, she needs 3 things: the lion’s tail, the scarecrow’s brain and the tin man’s mechanical heart.

This book focuses on her journey to collect those 3 objects, and her quest to find the missing members of The Revolutionary Order Of The Wicked, who mysteriously went missing at the end of the first book.

Along the way, we are introduced to some new and very interesting characters. There’s Polychrome, the daughter of the rainbows and Bright, Polychrome’s reluctant and somewhat stubborn boyfriend, among many others.

The thing I enjoyed most about this instalment in the series was getting to explore new parts of Oz we hadn’t seen before. The Fog Of Doubt, The Darklands and Rainbow Falls were some of my personal highlights.

A brilliant second story, filled with action, intrigue and a dose of possibility. I can’t wait for the 3rd book!

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige Book Review

Leave a comment .
Tags: book, books, danielle, danielle paige, lit, literature, paige, review, reviews, the wicked will rise .

Shaking Hands With Death by Terry Prachett Book Review

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Lee Johnson Posted in Books .

Shaking Hands With Death by Terry PrachettTerry Pratchett was a very accomplished and much loved fantasy author, born in Kent, England. His Discworld novels and other books have delighted and enthralled readers for generations, and continue to do so to this day, and with over 40 books to his name, there is plenty of choice if you are looking to get into reading fantasy.

Terry was unfortunately diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease called Posterior Cortical Atrophy, or PCA when he was 59 years old. PCA is incurable, and certain death is expected. Because of his diagnosis, he was invited to deliver the Richard Dimbleby Lecture at the Royal College of Physicians in London in 2010.

Terry chose this opportunity to voice his opinion on the subject of ‘assisted suicide’, or ‘assisted death’ (as he would like it to have been called). He believed that people with incurable diseases should be allowed to be assisted in their choice to die, and they should be allowed to do it whenever and wherever they like. The fact that the best option at the current time is for people to have to travel all the way to Dignitas in Switzerland is simply ridiculous.

This 58 page book is the same exact speech Terry delivered, word for word, at that lecture. It is ultimately informative, while still holding humour in it’s beautifully written prose.

I work with some people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, and have worked with people with Alzheimer’s disease, and I found Terry’s argument and point of view very interesting. His work on this speech is truly inspiring, and a very important read, even if the subject matter doesn’t interest you a whole lot.

Terry Pratchett lost his battle with PCA in March 2015, and the literary and fantasy worlds will miss him deeply. 

Shaking Hands With Death by Terry Prachett Book Review

Leave a comment .
Tags: book, lit, literature, parachute, review, reviews, shaking hands with death, story, terry, terry parachute .

Mitten Crate Subscription Box

Posted on July 31, 2015 by James Agee Posted in Food .

Mitten Crate Monthly Subscription BoxMitten Crate is a monthly subscription box that is different from other food subscription boxes because their aim is to provide you with foods that are the pride of Michigan. We decided to give their subscription box service a try and taste some of the gourmet offerings that are included in the box.

The first thing that we noticed about the boxes that we tried is that they were heavy! This is always an awesome sign when getting a subscription box, it generally means that the samples included in the box will be good sized. Imagine our surprise when we opened the boxes and there were not any samples at all! That’s right, the food products included in the Mitten Crate are full sized products.

It’s rare that there would be a subscription box service that ships out full sized products, but what is even more rare is that all of the products are genuinely unique and taste great. We appreciate the diversity that the food in this box brings, and the deeply rooted connection to Michigan taste that is emanated in each and every bite of the food shipped to you.

We tried a little of everything and have to admit that the foodies in Michigan are on to something big! The tastes were all uniquely individual and left a lasting impression on our tastebuds. Though, my personal favorite was the Beau Bien apple mustard. I tried the apple mustard on a spicy black bean veggie burger and the combination was out of this world. The curators of this box have done a fantastic job at bringing the best that Michigan has to offer to the world.

You can get a single box or subscribe to their monthly service at MittenCrate.com

Mitten Crate Subscription Box

Leave a comment .
Tags: box, crate, Food, gourmet, michigan, mitten, mitten crate, monthly subscription box, review, reviews, subscription, subscription box, unboxing .

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice Audio Book Review

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Rob Flood Posted in Books .

Prince Lestat by Anne RiceThis one took me a bit of time to get through. The reason for that is because I listened to it as an audio book which meant I could only listen to it either on my way to and from work, or at night. That being said, I really enjoyed Prince Lestat.

The characters are widespread and very fleshed out. At times I felt there were a few too many. However, as I continued listening, I realized that each character was essential to the plot. I have not read all of the Vampire Chronicles. That was a non issue with this book. I had heard of most of the characters in the books I have read so I was comfortable with most of them. The nice thing was that Anne Rice gave some backstory to many of the characters as the book went along.

I was thrilled with each chapter, and the narrator was darn good. He gave an eerie quality to the story without being overpowering. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was because the length was a bit much. It was an 18 hour read, and I felt that it could have been trimmed down just a bit. All in all, I very much enjoyed this book and listening experience. Well done, Anne!

Leave a comment .
Tags: Anne Rice, audible, audio book, audiobook, book, book review, Horror, literature, novel, prince lest, review, reviews, Vampire Chronicles .
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Get A Deal


Search

Categories

Toast Pop Shop

Amazon Associates Disclosure

James Agee is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Our Sponsors



























Staff Section

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

© Toast Pop