All posts by G. Gordon Gritty

Hunx and His Punx, Music, music video, News

Hunx and His Punx Sign To Hardly Art/ New Song!

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Blurb from the Hardly Art website:
News headlines don’t lie! The titillating bubblegum pop outfit Hunx & His Punx have signed with Hardly Art, with a brand new full-length forthcoming in early 2011. The new lineup – featuring an all-girl all-star group in addition to Hunx – is currently in the studio in NY and will perform their last show of the year at the Hardly Art showcase at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn on 10/21. Find more details on their artist page, stream a handful of tracks over at the band’s MySpace, and stay tuned for more info on the band’s new LP!

Hardly Art is a sister label of Sub Pop Records.
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New song and music video alert:


Classic CD Review, Music, The Walkmen

Classic CD Review: The Rekoys [2003]

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Band: The Recoys
Label: Troubleman Unlimited

1. “Song on the Paper Dolls” – A
2. “Shake Off Your Nerve” – A
3. “Over Your Shoulder” – A-
4. “That’s the Punchline” – A
5. “Blizzard of ’93” – A-
6. “Let’s Get Educated” – A
7. “Let You In” – A-
8. “Modern Art Museum” – A-
9. “Look Out Your Window” – A-
10. “Roy Orbison” – B
11. “Tribute: The Recoys” – A

Comments: As a big Walkmen fan, I’m impressed by the mere fact that Hamilton Leithauser was playing stuff this good when he was only 19 to 22 years old. You’ll be able to tell these guys had been playing in bands since middle school. Right off the bat, “Song of the Paper Dolls” is distinctively Hamilton. It’s clean garage/power pop — at least compared to most of the stuff I call that on this site. “Shake Off Your Nerve” has shakers and saxophones. It’s a dancer that’s more punk than most of anything that would end up coming out of The Walkmen catalog. Speaking of The Walkmen catalog, “Over Your Shoulder” starts a trend on this collection of tunes (The Recoys never released an LP) of “Walkmen” songs. “Over” has all the niceties that Leithauser and Bauer would wind up incorporating in their future band. Of course, “That’s the Punchline” and “Blizzard of ’93” (renamed “Blizzard of ’96) wound up on the Walkmen’s debut full-length Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. This has nothing to do with anything, but when Ham says “that’s a change of style” on “Punchline,” I realized that these songs actually do represent a change of style. “Blizzard” is sloppier and heavier on Rekoys. “Let’s Get Educated” is perfect garage rock revivalist material. It’s like the Strokes, but before the Strokes. Dirtier than the Strokes. Nice and dirty. “Modern Art Museum” is a passionate rocker. You can really hear it in Ham’s voice. “No one understands The Recoys” is sung on the very last song. Don’t worry, though, when their “ship comes in” you will understand them. What that means I don’t know! Fans of The Walkmen, definitely try to get your hands on this. You’ll appreciate this as a reference point in Hamilton Leithauser’s (and Pete Bauer’s, if you’re really looking) career. The Recoys broke up in 1999 after a three year stint.

Grade: A- (92)

Box Elders, humor, Music, Video

A Video Solely Of Dave Goldberg Drumming

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For any of you folks who haven’t seen Dave Goldberg’s exercise approach to the art of drumming, I think now is the time. This is going to sound like old news to long time followers of KLYAM, but Dave plays keyboard and drums simultaneously. How is that possible? It often involves placing a drumstick in the mouth.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7btH-C17k

7" Review, Entertainment, Harlem, Music

7″ Review: LSD Saves b/w Mood Ring [2010]

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Band: Harlem
Release: 5/2010
Label: Matador

1. “LSD Saves” – A
2. “Mood Ring” – A-

Comments: How did I not hear about this one? I don’t know! “LSD Saves” is a psychedelic (shocking for Harlem, I know!) rock and roller that sounds quite like a Brit invasion oldie or something. It’s quick and fun.. as driving fast on acid while getting your wing-wang squeezed. “Mood Ring” isn’t quite on the same level of “LSD,” but it’s vintage Harlem. You know? It’s cool.

Grade: A- (93)

Band Recommendation, Burger Records, Music

Band Rec: The Boy Toys

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Another band on Burger Records that pretty much kicks ass. Check out the songs on their MySpace…they play a neat blend of scuzzy, lo-fi bubblegum rock and roll. It’s kind of like listening to Mark Sultan through a tin can. The song “One,” what a helluva track.

Link: http://www.myspace.com/theboytoysmusic

Animal Collective, CD Review, Music

CD Review: Down There [2010]

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Band: Avey Tare
Release: 10/2010
Label: Paw Tracks

1. “Laughing Hieroglyphic” – B
2. “3 Umbrellas” – B
3. “Oliver Twist” – B+
4. “Glass Bottom Boat” – B-
5. “Ghost of Books” – B–
6. “Cemeteries” – B-
7. “Heads Hammock” – B+
8. “Heather In The Hospital” – B+
9. “Lucky 1” – B

Comments: Primary song-writer and founding member of Animal Collective, Avey Tare decided to give a go at a solo album. Right from the start, it is fairly obvious that the sound is retro to the direction that Merriweather Post Pavilion went in. The first two tracks are of the experimental variety while “Oliver Twist” is still pretty weird, yet danceable. Credit the drum beat on that one. The next two are old time AC sounding. So yeah if anyone, anyone at all, was expecting some kind of clean pop MPP sort of stuff, you will be disappointed! Fans of early work might be like “yo, this is pretty good” and people sympathetic to these creative voyages might just think “yeah, it’s okay.” If Deerhunter and Atlas Sound and so forth make “efficient ambiance” than Avey makes rather run of the mill ambiance. Your mind won’t be blown after listening to this. In the rare event that it does, you better find a new brain. Then again you might have been listening to this on some kind of psychedelic substance, so who am I to judge such a subjective experience? I’m calling out “Heads Hammock” as the best thing on here. So, yeah, Avey, good attempt, bro. Real solid effort. You did your thing and people should respect it.

Grade: B (84)