A Few Bands Worth A Listen

Since we have been so quite for so long I thought I needed to offer a few links to a few bands that I have found via myspace.  Enjoy!

The Greenhornes

The Binges

Buffalo Killers

The Willowz

The Ettes

Black Bonzo

Astra

(post written by dcedave)

Wolfmother

Poor neglected web site. It's not that I stopped listening to music, it's just that I was getting back into a lot of old favorites that you guys already know about. As you might know, I like to organize my music with MediaMonkey and I like to rate my songs. It makes it so that I can make smart playlists based on what I like (or don't like). I also use the ratings as a starting point to make "Ultimate " playlists (my own custom Greatest Hits collections). So in the past 5-months, I've gone through some of my much beloved classic bands and listened to everything and rated all the tracks. This includes Genesis, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Beastie Boys, PFR, Jars of Clay, Material Issue, Van Halen and Rush. So, you know... that took a while.

But I have been checking out some new stuff here and there and my new favorite band of the moment is Wolfmother. Three guys from Australia that Rich described over the phone to me as "the second coming of Led Zeppelin". That didn't get me excited, though, because that's what people said about Kingdom Come and, well... bleccchh. But then I made the connection... Kingdom Come was a project by Lenny Wolf and the band I'm hearing about now is Wolfmother. And, you know... you can make any sort of connection you want there. I really don't have a good joke to go here, so I think I'll just get to the point. Wolfmother rocks. AMG doesn't like the album as much as I do and I can understand their problems with the album, but I'm having a good time every time I put the album on and that's what counts, right?

Get on Board The Blue Van

What is it about Scandanavians that kick butt? I discovered another band from that region of the world that you absoluetly need to purchase. The Blue Van is this Sweedish quartet that, unlike countrymen like The Hives, reach into the depths of 60's garage rock and don't filter it through the punk era. These guys play like a hidden track on the famous "Nuggets" compilation, full of raucous yet melodic energy that seems directly channeled from mid-60s Who, The Yardbirds, and the Kinks. The stuff is pure danceable rock 'n' roll, with a instrumental twist that seems completely foreign these days: They rock the Hammond. That's right. The dust off the ol' Hammond organ and they unleash its full power all over these songs. Plus, their drummer does the best Keith Moon impersonation I've heard in years. You all know how much I like Mooney on the kit, so that's no lighthearted praise. The guy is seriously good. The vocals are best described as sultry in the classic '60's sense, adding the occasional dashes of Eric Burdon, Mick Jagger, and the softer side of Robert Plant. If these guys make it big, this guy will have American girls throwing all kinds of undergarments at him, I'm telling you. But don't let that discourage you from buying the album. Get it today!

This Week’s New Releases

Three notable releases for today are Dream Theater's "Octavarium", Coldplay's "X & Y" and The White Stripes' "Get Behind Me Satan".

"Octavarium" has taken me from "casual observer" to "Dream Theater fan"! So, being only loosely familiar with any of their other output, I might sound like I'm talking out of my butt to you other fans out there. But, to me, this album feels like the guys said, "Let's make an album where we just wear all our influences on our sleeves and pay homage to the greats!". You've got keyboard solos a la Yes's Rick Wakeman and a section near the 17-minute mark of a 24-minute song that brings to mind 'Apocalypse 9/8' from Genesis's "Supper's Ready". That song also directly references "Supper's Ready", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Cinema Show" and other classic songs in the lyrics. There's also a 4 minute "sound scape" intro that pays homage to Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" intro. And, dangit, if "Panic Attack" isn't the most kick-ass metal riff-orgasm I've heard in a long time. Highly recommended! I'd order you to get it if I were your dictator. Just one thing... while I think the whole album is great, the last four tracks strike me as stronger than the first four... so don't give up on this too soon without playing tracks 5 - 8.

I've never taken the time to check out Coldplay, although everything I hear about them seems to indicate that I'd like them. I've given the new "X & Y" album a cursory listen while doing other things (like eating dinner, surfing the web, etc.). It's gotten my attention as something I really want to dig into deeper. I think I'm going to enjoy it. Perhaps you Coldplay fans can leave some comments about how this new one fits into the Coldplay discography.

I'm sorry. I haven't jumped on The White Stripes bandwagon. Not yet anyway. A casual listen to their older stuff has not left me wanting much more. I prefer to hear an effort put into making music that sounds good, not just raw garage shenanigans. I can (and do) appreciate the good things about The White Stripes... the spontaneity, the energy, the songwriting, and all that. And just based on that I'd tell you I like them. But, I don't particularly care to listen to their music very often because of the way it sounds. That might sound strange, but that's just how it is with me. But... I'm listening to "Get Behind Me Satan" right now and... I like it! It sounds cleaner and more focused to me. Obviously, I need to give the previous albums another chance. I don't think fans will be let down at all. Rich, chime in and let me know what you think.