Startling, but real life:
All posts by G. Gordon Gritty
Pixies – I Bleed (Acoustic)
CD Review: Mine Is Yours [2011]
Band: Cold War Kids
Release: 1/2011
Label: Downtown
1. “Mine Is Yours” – B-
2. “Louder Than Ever” – A-
3. “Royal Blue” – C
4. “Finally Begin” – C
5. “Out of the Wilderness” – B-
6. “Skip the Charades” – B
7. “Sensitive Kid” – B-
8. “Bulldozer” – C
9. “Broken Up” – C-
10. “Cold Toes on the Cold Floor” – C-
11. “Flying Upside Down” – C
Comments: If we get over the fact that Cold War Kids have historically been rather high-aiming, we all might appreciate this record a little more. There is some intrinsic value in CWK’s way of going about sounding ‘big’ — their ‘art’ doesn’t come off as forced. They’ve always incorporated blues and soul into their pop appearance more emphatically than a group they are often compared to — Kings of Leon. Keeping that in mind, there indeed seems to be a limit on creativity (confirmed via this record) in pop-sensible modern rock. For a decade or two, we’ve all heard dry John Mayer/dry Matchbox 20/dry (insert lame top 40 “rock” band here). “Mine Is Yours” is pretty bland (good, but generically so) and “Louder Than Ever” also sounds like just another anthemic tune. I’m not sensing any of the depth that debut LP Robbers & Cowards or 2010 EP Behave Yourself brought to the table. Even something strippeddownLOUDstrippeddownLOUD like “Out of the Wilderness” just doesn’t come off as triumphant as it wants to be, minus a few satisfying parts here and there. “Skip the Charades” is a nice idea and a pretty solid slow song, without sounding retarded or cheesy. The last four or so songs are just utterly un-fulfilling. I don’t think I’m going to completely give up on Cold War Kids, but where are the immediate hooky tunes (“Saint John,” “Heavy Boots,” etc) that got me interested in them in the first place? Except for “Louder Than Ever” not on here.
Grade: C+ (77)
Gangbang Gordon: “Warm, Warm, Warm”
New single!
It’s about some kid living away from home for the first time in a shitty college dorm.
Magic Kids @ Brighton Music Hall
Opening for Cults on April 1!
Gentleman Jesse and His Men – “Got The Wrong Man”
Funny Pic of the Day
Black Lips beating their meat. When I saw this on Mark Ronson’s FB page I thought wtf, but cool, but then on Viceland there is a pic of them with the meat…and recording equipment. So somehow the sound of beating meat will be incorporated in the next album. Awesome.
Jay Reatard’s 3 Rules For Getting Out of a Fight
As posted on Death + Taxes (great site):
1. “Man, what?”
Act dumb. Maybe shrug in a vaguely irritated manner. The “Man, what?” response, Reatard claimed, both signifies confusion and a vague air of pacifism that may cause your antagonist to simply lose interest. For real fighters, it’s not much fun to fight someone who won’t fight back.
If he persists, move on to phase two.
2. “Dude said it was cool.”
This both reinforces the pacifist vibe and offloads responsibility onto someone else. Usually the guy provoking you will accuse you of breaking some rule stupid rule that his drunkenness dictates is worth fighting over. “Dude said it was cool” defuses your antagonist’s argument by placing you back in the land of the rule-followers. It was all a misunderstanding. You followed the rules—dude said it was cool. If your red-faced instigator is on the fence but asks which dude specifically, point to someone who looks like he could take the guy.
If he still won’t get out of your face, move on to phase three.
3. “Man…I’m just partyin’.”
If he’s still not letting it go at “Dude said it was cool,” you put your hands up by your chest, equal parts exasperated and clueless, and say “Man…” letting it hang for effect, “I’m just partyin’.” When you’re talking about guys who pick fights at parties, there’s usually some common ground when it comes to worldview. They’re likely to scorn party poopers, and probably respect the will to party. To party is a virtue. With “Man, I’m just partyin’,” you make a friend of your enemy, as if saying, “we’re both in this together” in a way he can appreciate and respect.
CD Review: The Babies [2011]
Band: The Babies
Release: 02/2011
Label: Shrimper
1. “Run Me Over” – A-
2. “Sunset” – A
3. “All Things Come to Pass” – A-
4. “Meet Me In The City” – A+
5. “Personality” – A-
6. “Breakin the Law” – A-
7. “Sick Kid” – A-
8. “Wild 1” – B+
9. “Wild 2” – A
10. “Caroline” – A-
Comments: The Babies, featuring Cassie Ramone (guitar/vocals Vivian Girls), are like The Beets if The Beets were clearer and were more prone to trying new things. Don’t get me wrong, much props to The Beets for their great music, but this (after all) is the product of musicians who have been making fairly respectable/good music in their own bands for a long while. “Run Me Over” features the coy vocals of Ramone, which sound slightly out of place in an unadulterated garage rock song, but at the same time seem very fitting. Her singing comes out the best on something like “All Things Come to Pass,” which is comfortably in Vivian Girls territory. Kevin Morby of Woods sings when Ramone doesn’t (and sometimes they even harmonize!). He can get his folk on (“Sunset”) or do his best Black Francis at will (“Meet Me In The City”, “Wild 2”). Speaking of “Meet,” it’s truly the best on the record. It’s so catchy! “Wild 2” is sweet through-and-through, like a slowed down “Mr. Grieves” or an old-time Weezer tune or something. Overall, I am very impressed by this band and by this record. It’s quick and very fun. So yeah, good job Babies.
Grade: A- (91)
Song of the Day: “The Waiting Song”
Band: Hurricane Bells
What Up? I heard this song on WMBR this morning on my way to work. Shout out to the program that played it, Breakfast of Champions, for also playing Galaxie 500’s classic and meteorologically fitting cover of Yoko Ono’s “Listen, The Snow is Falling.” Anyway, this song really stuck out to me. The guitars are light and everything else flows really well. It’s not outstanding by any count, but it’s quick and worth a listen.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 