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But just calling Ciaran McFeely (Kid) the new Mr. Hansen is too easy and sells Simple Kid way too short. 1 is a brilliant album on its own merit and not as the record that Beck never made.
Not so much the cut-and-paste studio chemist that Beck is, the 27-year-old Irishman more often channels bits of the 60's Brit pop and American folk, filters them through an 8-track recorder, and sprinkles them with a healthy dose of UK dance club rhythms. "Hello" starts the record off with a single electronic beat and then slowly builds with layers of acoustic guitars and tambourines. In "Supertramps and Superstars", the Kid tells the Kinks-ian styled story of aging hipster Penelope Prozac (a "70's throwback") as she reflects on her glorious past life of shagging rock stars. But it's the infectious track "Staring at the Sun" that has the ability to put a bounce in your step while strutting down the street with your headphones on and realizing how rad you are for listening to the coolest record of the year (cowboy hats are optional).
(S. Appel)
SimpleKid.com |
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Division of Laura Lee- Das Not Compute
(Epitaph/ Burning Heart)
In 2002, Division of Laura Lee released Black City and for whatever reason, their dark, Swedish rock was exactly what I needed. Every song, from eerie ballad to shouted chorus, resonated. It's two years later and I thought I'd traded the black city for sunny days, but Das Not Compute' brings it all back. |
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The band's sound hasn't changed, but their emphasis has shifted slightly from power-driven rock songs toward more atmospheric rock songs. But they're definitely still rock songs. "Das Not Compute" and "Dirty Love" (with its chorus of "What can I do to get you off the dance floor?") are the tracks that will immediately get caught between your ears, while the rest of the album slowly infiltrates its way into your cells with slow-building, Stone Roses-inflected layers. This is moody bastard music that pushes you through the door and into a good time.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
DivisionofLauraLee.com | |
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The Roots- The Tipping Point
(Geffen)
Let me be up front about one thing: Things Fall Apart is one of my favorite
hip-hop albums of all time and I never really got what all the hype was about with
Phrenology. If you agree or if that means nothing to you, proceed reading this review unfettered; if, however, you think that's crap, this review will probably be worthless.
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(See, I've heard that Things Fall Apart is the album you like if you
don't really like hop-hop, and that Phrenology is an experimental breakthrough; I think both notions are crap.)
With that said, "The Tipping Point" surpasses the experimentalism they tried to pull
on "Phrenology," creating a real album again, not just five good songs buried
between nonsense. Every song is heavy and bass-driven, and full of substance thanks to Black Thought's excellent word skills.
The album opens with the smooth and soulful "Star/Pointro," Black Thought's easy
voice flows over a clean beat and floating sample of Sly and the Family Stone's
"Everybody Is a Star." Perhaps my favorite song is "Guns Are Drawn," which is infused with a double-shot of reggae and has cogent and timely lines like: "What you gonna do when the police state begins / Well, I guess it already began, but I guess it depends on what's really going on, what's happening, huh? They fixin' to write another PATRIOT Act again / The days are short, the nights is long. The fight goes on." But the stellar song "Don't Say Nuthin'," with the incomprehensible but smooth mumbly chorus, gives groove to a white girl like me.
The new album doesn't have the pop charm of "Things Fall Apart," which, as Common jests in the liner notes, appeals to "coffeehouse chicks and white dudes" (of which, I am neither!), but Tipping Point might be better in spite of that fact. It requires a closer listen, and I'd say The Roots have outdone themselves again.
(Jay X,
StopandListen.blogspot.com)
TheRoots.com | |
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These Bones- These Bones EP
(Random Family Records)
You know a band is good if they can distract you from a giddy evening of rollerskating. And if they can do it from inside a six by six foot steel cage. These Bones met the challenge at the recent Rock 'N' Rollerskate, and then proved their coolness by strapping on a pair of skates themselves, post-show. |
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In the less insane home environment, the band's music doesn't lose any of its pull. Falling somewhere between other New York City favorites like The Fever and The Realistics, each song on the EP is surprisingly solid and infectious. "Rugburns" teeters near the edge of hard rock in a guilty pleasure kind of way, "Line for Line" turns the self-referential rock song into an anthem, and the coy "Liquids and Solids" is just flat-out my new favorite song. Throughout the EP, the band's phrasing and harmonies sell each note and make you want to sing, shout, and skate along. And after you've memorized every song, go the band's site, download their hysterically perfect cover of Britney Spears's "Toxic," and start dancing again.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
TheseBones.com | |
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Morrissey- You Are the Quarry
(Sanctuary Records)
Honestly, I never really hopped on the Morrissey bandwagon; I was a latecomer to the Smiths, and when I tried to catch up, I found Morrissey on his own just lacking
something, I dunno, like the rest of the Smiths... That's not to say I don't like
some Morrissey songs, I do; but I didn't have great expectations, or any
expectations at all, for his first solo album in seven years.
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But You Are the Quarry is without question his best album since the Smiths' breakup.
The album begins with the scorching indictment "America Is Not the World," which is a critical and brilliant look at the U.S. He tells her he loves her, but that her
head has gotten too big; a sentiment I can only imagine echoes perfectly people's
frustrations all around the world (my own included). But devastating lyrics are what
we've come to expect from and love about Morrissey the wordsmith. This song and the next, "Irish Blood, English Heart," are his most overtly political songs since "Meat is Murder."
Lyrically, Morrissey is wise and sharp and beautiful, as in "I Have Forgiven Jesus,"
in which he asks Jesus, "Why did you give me so much love in a loveless world?" and "Jesus, do you hate me?" It twists me up in knots and makes me want to cry, the way only Morrissey can.
The second single, "First in the Gang to Die" is an upbeat lament on the death of a
friend that is haunting and catchy. But the musical accompaniment is what truly
makes this album stand out. It's complicated and plays around Morrissey's vocals,
accentuating his words, rather than just acting as the shell around them.
The album cover sports a graying, distinguished-looking Morrissey and has oversize gatefold packaging, which screams this album is something special, a classic. And it is.
(Jay X,
StopandListen.blogspot.com)
MorrisseyMusic.com | |
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The Killers- Hot Fuss
(Island/ Def Jam)
Get ready for all the fuss over this band, they're hot!
Umm, yeah, anyway...this band is going to be the next big thing (and no, I'm not
just saying that -- they're nominated by Fuse magazine to be "The Next Big Thing"
and recently appeared on Pepsi Smash on the WB). But before you groan too loudly, be on notice: This band is a pleasure you will not
feel guilty indulging.
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The hype is deserved and the band is great.
A Las Vegas four-piece, The Killers have a sound not unlike major-label unknowns
Longwave, but with '60s bass-lines, the cadence of Texas sweethearts At the
Drive-In, and Cure-like synths, all touched by the snarled lip of Billy Idol. The single "Mr. Brightside" is undeniably catchy with evocative lyrics and is
probably the best song on the album, but right on its tail is the amazing dance hit
"Somebody Told Me," which perfectly strikes an '80s-club-and-'00s-hipster chord.
And though they say don't judge a book by its cover, you'll pick this album up (and
their earlier EP) in the store just because it looks so damn cool. The packaging is
beautiful and houses an overall excellent new album that's about to explode.
(Jay X,
StopandListen.blogspot.com)
IslandRecords.com/TheKillers | |
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The Thermals- Fuckin' A
(Sub Pop)
It’s hard to review your favorite band. Whatever they release is either going to be
ecstasy-inducing or a craterous ravine of a letdown. Either way, you’re already
biased. Having said that, Fuckin’ A, the second full-length from the Thermals (the best band in the world), is fuckin’ amazing. As energetic and full-speed-ahead rock & roll as the band’s 2003 release More Parts Per Million, it’s also just a bit sweeter, with a bit more melody. |
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Singer Hutch Harris’s lyrics are still fantastically evocative (“you spoon water like love”), chant worthy, and full of attitude (“I know you saved every letter/and you know sure as fuck I remember”), and he spits them out like bullets over his low-fi, dirt-scuzz guitar. Jordan Hudson’s tightly spastic drumming sets the 110 m.p.h. speed of most of the songs (exceptions are the mid-tempo “How We Know” and “Let Your Earth Quake, Baby,” both adorable as hell) and Kathy Harris’s bass lines ground and energize the whole production. The Thermals combine it all to create beautiful contradictions - gleefully furious songs that make you want to smash something and fall in love with the world.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
website: TheThermals.com | |
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The French Kicks- The Trial of the Century
(Star Time International)
If growing up implies a certain mellowing, then The Trial of the Century is the French Kicks trading in the last of the highs and lows of adolescence for a quieter, more contemplative adult record. Not that the French Kicks have ever been a balls-to-the-wall rock and roll band, favoring delicate keyboards over pounding bass lines, melodies over wailing, minimalism over heavy production. But Trial smoothes out the band's sound even more. |
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Gone are the experiments with dissonance and guitar rock found on the Young Lawyer EP or, occasionally, their first full-length One Time Bells. Instead, The Trial of the Century focuses on strong melodies and a steady tempo that unites the album without pushing any one song to the forefront. Which is the problem with ironing out those adolescent tendencies; the line between subtle and easy listening is a fine one after all. The band manages to stay on the right side of that line, thanks to tracks like the Walkmen-esque "Yes, I Guess" and the quiet sweetness of the title track. Trial does prove a complete, if understated, album for the burgeoning adult in us all, but personally, I miss the kick of the early Kicks.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
website: FrenchKicks.com |
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The Fever- Red Bedroom
(Kemado)
The Fever's Pink on Pink EP made my Best of List for 2003 because of the way the band was able to take the "of the moment" 80's electro revival sound and make it sound, well, if not fresh at least not dated. The EP was a dance club rave up, a highly infectious disc that wore its influences on its sleeve but still made you feel like you were living and partying in the 00's.
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Unfortunately, Red Bedroom only gets the formula right half the time.
The album starts off as strongly as the EP, with the club rock of "Cold Blooded" and the fantastic "Gray Ghost". Even when it shifts down tempo, during the aptly named "The Slow Club," it's all still feeling current. Next comes "Ladyfingers," pilfered off the EP and still a highlight of the band's set list. But somewhere around "Artificial Heart" the updated electroclash devolves into nostalgia, and Red Bedroom just sounds dated. The plodding tempo of "Dream Machine" and "Diamond Days" doesn't help much, making the end of the album feel twice as long as the beginning, and the robot voice and synthesizer of "Scorpio" is almost a parody. There's a great EP to be made out of Red Bedroom, but as a full-length it falls short of relevant.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
website: TheFeverOnline.com |
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Wannadies- Before and After
(Hidden Agenda)
Two months ago woxy.com added The Wannadies' single "Skin" to their rotation, and every time they'd play it I'd stop what I was doing, bounce around my office, and think "Who is this?" I must have wondered that ten times before I started remembering the song. It's not that it isn't memorable; it's that the song is so buoyant and sexy you feel like you're hearing it for the first time, every time.
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As promised, the second half of the album is more mellow and contemplative. Where the first half is sun and activity and bright afternoons, the second half is dusk and rain and sitting inside, hopefully with someone you want to kiss. It's sweet, adult, pop music, and it's lovely.
Before and After's bonus material is decent – videos for "Skin," "Piss on You," and "Little By Little." The highlight is the tongue-in-cheek "Dance-umentary" for "Little By Little," featuring a chubby Fabio wannabe gyrating in a white room with a wind machine. It makes a near-perfect song even better, and provides a cute epilogue for an exceptional pop album.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
website: Wannadies.com
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Air- Talkie Walkie
(Astralwerks)
Yeah, those crazy French guys Air are back with a new album that strives for something completely different. Yet they can't escape their Moon Safari debut sound. Not a bad thing as Air have been hailed as masters of their craft and followed by many. Songs seem a little slow, but maybe that is just my hangover talking.
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| Anyway, this seems to be a nice record to lie in bed listening to. Stand out tracks are "Cherry Blossom Girl" and "Surfing On A Rocket". Go Sexy Boy, go.
(Lio, Crashin' In)
website: IntAirNet.com
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TV on the Radio- Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
(Touch and Go)
After gaining a ton of attention from their debut EP “Young Liars”, TV on the Radio have stormed upon the NYC/Brooklyn scene ready to take the world by storm. Tunde Adelbimpe, Kyp Malone, and David Andrew Sitek lead the band through a sound that forges soul, gospel, indie, and experimental electronics for a sound that is far from the present Post Punk craze. |
| This maybe their first full length album, but take a seat as you will be hearing a ton more about these guys sooner than you expect.
(Lio, Crashin' In)
website: TVontheRadio.com
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The Von Bondies- Pawn Shoppe Heart
(Warner Brothers)
Second album from my favorite Detroit rockers, the Von Bondies. I knew these kids would be huge since the first time that I heard their indie album Lack of Communication. I loved it so much that I bought copies for many of my friends. And finally, their day has come. After fist fights, massive touring, touring, and more touring this band has gained the recognition that they deserve. |
Now they are back with a stronger album that gives us a more sharper sound than their previous garage-flavored work.
The Von Bondies are going for gold and aren't looking back. Not caring about their hometown routes of Detroit, Jason has written questionable lyrics that have seemed to piss off many of his contemporaries. No matter as the songs are damn good. He may face a couple more beatings, but the press loves it anyway. Check out “No Regrets” and “C'mon, C'mon” for their flamboyancy, then soak yourself into the album for with its loud rocking, yet still soulful sound.
(Lio, Crashin' In)
website: VonBondies.com
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Metric- Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
(Everloving)
For a band that’s been linked with the Brooklyn no-wave scene and whose singer has worked with moody experimentalists like Broken Social Scene, Metric has released a pretty straightforward indie pop album. Luckily, it’s a really good pop album. |
| On stage, singer Emily Haines is like a less-drunk Karen O, and her manic dancing is infectious. On the album, Haines channels all that energy into her voice, making songs like the shotgun opener “IOU” and the unbeatable “Combat Baby” hard not to dance to, even when sitting at your desk or in your car. Haines employs her strong voice and range to coax, flirt, whisper, and demand that you follow her through dying relationships (“Calculation Theme”), fashion tyranny (“Dead Disco”), and foreign policy (“Succexy”). Underneath the clever lyrics, the band creates a framework that supports Haines wonderfully, lending a controlled freneticism to the faster tracks, and a contemplative loveliness to the quieter ones. Old World Underground is both smarter and more fun than you might expect.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
website: ILoveMetric.com |
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Irving- I Hope You're Feeling Better Now
(Eenie Meenie Records)
Irving is summer music. There’s something about the band’s cheery harmonies and handclaps that demand the sun be shining. Which makes their five-song Hope You’re Feeling Better Now EP the best remedy for the dreary winter blues. |
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Hailing from southern California, Irving are as reminiscent of the sixties British Invasion or Belle & Sebastian as they are of fellow Cali pop confectioners like Rooney. As on their first album, Good Morning Beautiful, the sweet orchestration is bolstered by lyrics clever (“White Hot”), sincere (“I Can’t Fall In Love”), and delightfully silly (“Please Give Me Your Heart, Is All I Need,” my favorite track if only for the distorted chorus of “Duck and cover, baby”). The songs are deceptively complex, incorporating five songwriters and decades of musical influence into beautiful and simple-sounding pop songs that will get you through to spring with a smile.
(Megan Gerrity,
ScribbleFaster.com)
website: TheBandIrving.com | |
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