True to my word, I got the new Courteeners album Falcon. I was so-so about their first effort, St. Jude, but I'm a bigger fan of this one. We've got a pretty strong take on Britpop in the better tracks, such as You Overdid It Doll (very Stone Roses), and this bad boy, Cross My Heart and Hope to Fly:
Unfortunately, a lot of the acoustic, more heartfelt songs are quite plodding. Cameo Brooch is a good example. It's got the potential, but Liam Fray's songwriting just isn't strong enough to carry them through. It certainly has its moments, but I found myself pretty disinterested with his awed point-of-view narratives after a while.
I mean, he's got a great voice for the anthemic kind of stuff they're doing, but it flags at times.
Reading over it, the review seems as if I hate the album. The good tracks are really good; catchy, anthemic, sincere, and rocking, while still smacking of Manchester city.
I've posted it before, but there's no arguing that this is a big, big tune:
My verdict is a few gems that can't pick up the more mediocre stuff that surrounds them. Promising for the future, and it's rare that I'll say this about a rock album, but they could afford to drop the acoustic and concentrate on what they do best: rocking cautionary narratives.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Nothing like a good Elvis cover
Especially when it sounds nothing like Elvis!
That's not 100% true. The last time I saw Black Rebel Motorcycle Club they nailed a cover of Love Me Tender. By 'nailed', I mean used a weepy acoustic version to punctuate mind-blowing guitar noise, but it's all the same.
That's not 100% true. The last time I saw Black Rebel Motorcycle Club they nailed a cover of Love Me Tender. By 'nailed', I mean used a weepy acoustic version to punctuate mind-blowing guitar noise, but it's all the same.
Franz Kafka
Been a while since I posted, so I'll be making up for it. My boy Franz is featuring on a new track, Fame:Money:Girls. I continue to be impressed by the versatility of his flow. He's got better tracks with less, shall we say, typical material, but it's worth the listen. I'm all about the line "poppin' bottles of Goose while they product's still loose", by the way.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Mic Check yo
Radio edit of Mic Check by Hadouken! is out today. I much prefer this version, although the differences are subtle. It is a tiny bit of a different mix, with changes in the balance and a few more sound bytes.
A buck on itunes, UK region only (which confuses me).
A buck on itunes, UK region only (which confuses me).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Plastic Beach
Five years after the critically lauded Demon Days, and after speculation that they had dismantled, Gorillaz are back with Plastic Beach.
It's totally worth the wait. Plastic Beach is even deeper and more layered than its predecessor. Sumptuous groove and infectious synths make it immediately stand out.
The all-star support cast, including Snoop, Lou Reed, and Mick Jones keep the album different enough throughout. They contribute solidly to the tracks they're on, and one never gets the impression that the features are forced. For example, Lou Reed sounds perfectly in place on the chilled out Some Kind of Nature. The chiming synth over he sings over creates an excellent contrast:
One could voice the criticism that there aren't the same number of incredible tracks as Demon Days, but Plastic Beach is a more complete sonic package. The music flows into and with itself with a cohesion that was someone lacking from the previous album. Of course, there are a fair number of single-worthy tracks, such as Broken, and a track I'm loving, Rhinestone Eyes:
Either way, like Demon Days, it's simply a must-have. A one-of-a-kind album that you'll be playing for years.
It's totally worth the wait. Plastic Beach is even deeper and more layered than its predecessor. Sumptuous groove and infectious synths make it immediately stand out.
The all-star support cast, including Snoop, Lou Reed, and Mick Jones keep the album different enough throughout. They contribute solidly to the tracks they're on, and one never gets the impression that the features are forced. For example, Lou Reed sounds perfectly in place on the chilled out Some Kind of Nature. The chiming synth over he sings over creates an excellent contrast:
One could voice the criticism that there aren't the same number of incredible tracks as Demon Days, but Plastic Beach is a more complete sonic package. The music flows into and with itself with a cohesion that was someone lacking from the previous album. Of course, there are a fair number of single-worthy tracks, such as Broken, and a track I'm loving, Rhinestone Eyes:
Either way, like Demon Days, it's simply a must-have. A one-of-a-kind album that you'll be playing for years.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Remember how I talked about The Courteeners?
Their first album, St. Jude, is good. Not great though. Reminiscent of The Enemy, but they have a fair number of stripped-down/acoustic tracks. Fairly entertaining songwriting though. I'm thinking with a little musical maturation (and originality) they could be a great listen. Here's a track I like from the aforementioned album. I'm totally checking the new one when it's out though.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Beat the Devil's Tattoo
I've finished listening to 'Beat the Devil's Tattoo', the new BRMC album. I offer a review. I may not be the objective of reviewers, but, on the other hand, I'm very familiar with the band's work.
My biggest qualm with the band's last effort, 'Baby 81' was that it seemed to lack their character. Many bands could have released the Zepplin-esque rock and gotten away with it. The bluesy structures of their early work was missing, and the songwriting flirted dangerously with tired rock cliches.
What BtDT represents is a large step forward in the form of careful retrospection. The form of blues rock they have crafted seems to borrow wisely from the strengths of their previous work. The album opens with the title track, a classic foot-stomper that already highlights the strengths of the band's new drummer Leah Shapiro, formerly a Raveonette.
The title track actually isn't one of the strongest tracks on the record, as Conscience Killer and Bad Blood, the next two songs, rock even harder, showcasing great rock songwriting solidifying the blues sound that persists through the album. The fourth track War Machine, as well as the final track, Half-State, show that the band still isn't afraid of making noise, but they do so with a lot of depth, presenting a very layered and listenable version of their cacophony.
The strengths of their third album 'Howl' are on display in the more stripped-down songs Sweet Feeling (a personal favourite) and The Toll. They're sonically deeper than much of Howl, with enough added blues to take it away from the Bob Dylan sound of that record. The dual vocalist duty of Levon Been and Hayes is better here than in any of their previous work, and adds an additional level of character to the album.
Towards the end of the album it could be contended that it loses its way; the cohesion of the first two thirds seems a bit lacking, but the individual tracks are still solid. Perhaps the album would have been better without Shadow's Keeper, though it remains a good song, more rock than blues compared to the rest of the album. The 10-minute Half-State brings the album to a very loud conclusion, highlighting excellent noise and great drumming.
I do believe this is their best album yet. Despite being their 6th, it is the first that truly sounds like BRMC. They've seized a sound that is entirely their own, one that seems to fit them more naturally and authentically than anything prior. They've taken the strongest and most characteristic portions of their prior records and brought them together in an exceptionally enjoyable package.
Moreover, it sounds like a 'live' record, a set of tunes that will make for great concerts.
Below is Bad Blood, but you can Youtube the rest of the album if you want. Of course, without proper sound quality you don't get everything the album has to offer, but there you have it.
My biggest qualm with the band's last effort, 'Baby 81' was that it seemed to lack their character. Many bands could have released the Zepplin-esque rock and gotten away with it. The bluesy structures of their early work was missing, and the songwriting flirted dangerously with tired rock cliches.
What BtDT represents is a large step forward in the form of careful retrospection. The form of blues rock they have crafted seems to borrow wisely from the strengths of their previous work. The album opens with the title track, a classic foot-stomper that already highlights the strengths of the band's new drummer Leah Shapiro, formerly a Raveonette.
The title track actually isn't one of the strongest tracks on the record, as Conscience Killer and Bad Blood, the next two songs, rock even harder, showcasing great rock songwriting solidifying the blues sound that persists through the album. The fourth track War Machine, as well as the final track, Half-State, show that the band still isn't afraid of making noise, but they do so with a lot of depth, presenting a very layered and listenable version of their cacophony.
The strengths of their third album 'Howl' are on display in the more stripped-down songs Sweet Feeling (a personal favourite) and The Toll. They're sonically deeper than much of Howl, with enough added blues to take it away from the Bob Dylan sound of that record. The dual vocalist duty of Levon Been and Hayes is better here than in any of their previous work, and adds an additional level of character to the album.
Towards the end of the album it could be contended that it loses its way; the cohesion of the first two thirds seems a bit lacking, but the individual tracks are still solid. Perhaps the album would have been better without Shadow's Keeper, though it remains a good song, more rock than blues compared to the rest of the album. The 10-minute Half-State brings the album to a very loud conclusion, highlighting excellent noise and great drumming.
I do believe this is their best album yet. Despite being their 6th, it is the first that truly sounds like BRMC. They've seized a sound that is entirely their own, one that seems to fit them more naturally and authentically than anything prior. They've taken the strongest and most characteristic portions of their prior records and brought them together in an exceptionally enjoyable package.
Moreover, it sounds like a 'live' record, a set of tunes that will make for great concerts.
Below is Bad Blood, but you can Youtube the rest of the album if you want. Of course, without proper sound quality you don't get everything the album has to offer, but there you have it.
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