All posts by G. Gordon Gritty

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Sea of Cowards [2010]

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Band: The Dead Weather
Release: 5/2010
Label: Third Man Records

1. “Blue Blood Blues” – B-
2. “Hussle and Cuss” – B-
3. “The Difference Between Us” – B-
4. “I’m Mad” – B
5. “Die By The Drop” – B
6. “I Can’t Hear You” – B
7. “Gasoline” – B-
8. “No Horse” – C+
9. “Looking at the Invisible Man” – C
10. “Jawbreaker” – B-
11. “Old Mary” – C-

Comments: These guys! I think I may have mentioned this in my review of Horehound: these songs (especially the first five) are really memorable, but not necessarily my cup of tea. If you like what they call ‘blues-rock’ then I could definitely see this as a suitable fit alongside a collection of Raconteurs, White Stripes, Black Keys, and Them Crooked Vultures records. The first single released in March “Die By The Drop” brings back crazy memories of Rage Against the Machine. Same with the next song.

Grade: C+ (79)

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CD Review: Avi Buffalo [2010]

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Band: Avi Buffalo
Release: 4/2010
Label: Sub Pop

1. “Truth Sets In” – A-
2. “What’s In It For” – A-
3. “Coaxed” – B+
4. “Five Little Sluts” – B+
5. “Jessica” – A-
6. “Summer Cum” – A-
7. “One Last” – B+
8. “Can’t I Know? – B
9. “Remember Last Time” – B+
10. “Where’s Your Dirty Mind” – A

Comments: Avi Buffalo the successor of the late Page France? That’s my initial impression. Catchy folk influenced pop binds this record together. Much has been written about the whipper-snappers who came up with this fun record. I won’t get into that. All I’ll say is that it’s really freaking impressive! “What’s In It For” has a particularly memorable ending…recalling a young (more epic) Built to Spill if you will. The heartfelt “Jessica” strangely gave me Weird Al vibes. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s strange. I like it. “I’ve got lost in your summer cum” sings young Avigdor on the fittingly titled “Summer Cum.” Haha! Laugh, damnit! It’s a funny song title and you know it. The song’s particularly more freaky than anything that came before it (no pun intended). Not to be real negative, but this record sort of loses its charm during the second half.

Grade: B+ (89)

Entertainment, Music, News, Song Review

Wolf Parade Song Reviews

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Both tracks are off their upcoming album Expo 86 (June 29, Sub Pop):

“What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way)” –  Spencer Krug succeeded in his goal of penning a danceable song. Lyrically speaking, this song is filled with oddball lyrics, sort of like what we’ve come to expect from Sunset Rubdown. Like Deerhunter’s “Operation” the drum beat and bass are what makes this a so-called “dance rock” number. Sure, the organ fills and scratchy guitar riffs are nice, too. I wasn’t too impressed the first few listens, but this is definitely a grower. [Grade: A/A-]

“Ghost Pressure” – Dominating, at first, this song is the synthesizer, which sort of like an Editors song, darkens atmosphere and mood. The synth “brightens” up after a short keyboard part. The bridge “shake me up, shake me up” sounds awfully familiar, but I can’t quite recall what tune this reminds me of. Anybody? Boeckner sings the first half before Krug enters. They harmonize up until a short instrumental finishes the thing up. Like “What Did” I wasn’t really an immediate fan, but this is actually quite good. [Grade: A]

Listen to the songs at the Dork!

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Warm Slime

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Band: Thee Oh Sees
Release: 5/2010
Label: In The Red

1. “Warm Slime” – B-
2. “I Was Denied” – A-
3. “Everything Went Black” – B+
4. “Castiatic Tackle” – A
5. “Flash Bats” – B-
6. “Mega-feast” – B+
7. “MT Work” – B

Comments: Prolific in both quantity and quality, Thee Oh Sees have been kicking out jams for years at the rate of two or three albums a year. Maybe more. Damn, the phrasing in that first sentence is a little redundant, but it sounds good. Speaking of redundant, how about a 13 minute opener? That’s more than twice the length of Mark Sultan’s $ premier number “Icicles.” Damn, I hope Pitchfork doesn’t give Stephen Deusner the call-to-the-mound, so to speak, to review this album. That hater will just hate. So, anyway, if I am going to pitch in my two cents, I might as well do that at this time. It’s only appropriate. Around the 5:00 mark things slow down from consistent beats to an A Capella (but not really) repetition of some sentence that is not comprehensible to me. A speed up, of course, follows and is actually kind of awesome. The drums remind me of when I try recording myself playing drums on the computer. It’s just a sequence of loud bass drum bangs that sort of take center stage and make everything else… off-center-stage. That makes no sense. But I continue. Let’s be real here. In the age of the information superhighway and not of the vinyl long-player, this opener is hella skippable. Listen up, though. I could see if I was reading a book or something and popped this on the record player. Yeah, that’d be fun. But fucking eh! “I Was Denied” is a loud noise club bang her with a very simple progression and an irresistibly in your face chorus. “Everything Went Black” has another classic Oh Sees drum scheme. These drum schemes work to some degree, but don’t get me into some kind of frenzy. “Castiatic Tackle” is the shit! Hot shit! That’s the way I like it, dudes. To borrow a phrase from the great Cole Alexander (and thousands of others…thanks Google search), this shit is “psychedelic as fuck!” “Flash Bats” doesn’t keep pace with the one before it, but is very good. “Mega-feast” has a cool hook and all. What a fun closer “MT Work” is.

Grade: B (86)