Daily Telegraph (Australia)
EVER wanted to know what Black Lips would sound like performing your favourite song of all time?
Trying something new, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival organisers have lined up Black Lips, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Dappled Cities and Danimals to perform cover songs harking back to the music they respect or just have fun playing – whether personal or legendary.
Titled PUMA Archive Uncovered, they pay homage to the art of the cover song. To find out more about the day on January 31, head to http://www.lanewayfestival.com.au
What if your favorite song of all time is by the Black Lips? Get to hear it twice?!
It’s geared to those interested in independent releases of mainly the garage, lo-fi, punk, and noise variety. There are reviews and a forum, in addition to the blog.
I’m not sure if I am going to be able to listen to a lot of new music at college; fortunately, I did just receive a generous gift of several discs. I’ll be listening to them and reviewing them soon!
– Drive-By Truckers A Blessing and A Curse – Counting Crows August and Everything After – Mojo Presents Abbey Road Now! – Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Outtakes + Stripped – Genesis Live 1974
– Bob Dylan Live @ Paris 1978 – Roger McGuinn (Byrds) Solo Live 1989 – The Cure Live
1. “Pray For Rain” – B 2. “Babel” – C- 3. “Splitting the Atom” – D+ 4. “Girl I Love You” – D+ 5. “Psyche” – C 6. “Flat Of The Blade” – D 7. “Paradise Circus” – B+ 8. “Rush Minute” – C- 9. “Saturday Come Slow” – D+ 10. “Atlas Air” – B–
Comments: Trip hop you tell me? Since there seems to be a genre for everything, I’ll run with it. “Pray For Rain” is a R&B house jam (similar to Gnarls Barkley) that slowly improves throughout its duration. “Babel” doesn’t do anything for me mainly because it relies on too much chaos. It wouldn’t be that bad if it was slowed down. “Girl I Love You” what? What is this? “Psyche” is average, but it’s not something that’s worth listening to again. “Flat” picks up at certain points, but is relatively boring and unoriginal. I really do enjoy the female vocalist in “Paradise Circus.” Best song on this album! The man singer is mad boring except on “Atlas Air.”
Band: State Champion Release: 2010 Label: Sophomore Lounge
1. “Thanks Given” – B+ 2. “Keeping Time” – A- 3. “Bite the Dust” – B+ 4. “Come See What I Have Done” – B+ 5. “Help Me Sing” – A- 6. “The World Don’t Need Me Around Much Anymore” – B+
7. “Just An Answer” – A-
8. “The Years” – A
Comments: Sounding like Dinosaur Jr. if Dinosaur Jr. got hit in the face by a steel plow and was toned down greatly. This is country punk, with more country than punk. I won’t say I like country, but I don’t mind it (and sometimes thoroughly enjoy it) if it is combined with other styles. I really like the live feel to this record. You can hear crackling and other noises you get during lo-fi production. For a young band that’s gotten hardly any recognition (besides being signed to a very low-brow independent label), I have to give them so much respect. Their build-ups are cool, no doubt, but my favorite parts of this album are the short winding downs in between the explosions. Great use of violin in “Just An Answer.” The album closer is probably my favorite track. It’s pretty much fast paced through-and-through with occasional “breaks.”
Band: Xiu Xiu Release: 2010 Label: Kill Rock Stars
1. “Gray Death” – D+ 2. “Chocolate Makes You Happy” – C 3. “Apple For A Brain” – C- 4. “House Sparrow” – C- 5. “Hyunhye’s Theme” – C 6. “Dear God, I Hate Myself” – D 7. “Secret Motel” – D+ 8. “Falkland Rd” – D+ 9. “The Fabrizio Palumbo Retaliation” – C- 10. “Cumberland Gap” – C- 11. “This Too Shall Pass Away” – C+ 12. “Impossible Feeling” – C
Comments: Xiu Xiu! Hold on a second, buddy, what is there to get excited about? I hate to label this album, but it’s almost necessary. It’s like Xiu Xiu wants to be different, but still doesn’t want to freak out people too much so they resort to a minimum layer of catchiness that will satisfy the hoi polloi of eclectic listeners. Like “Chocolate Makes You Happy.” It’s a weird ass title, but you can tell that it’s so naive there has to be some fun about it. People actually listen to this AND enjoy it? That’s depressing. “Dear God, I Hate Myself.” Really? Really?!
Old King Cole Younger, known in many circles as Cole Alexander of the Black Lips, is the newest contributor to Bradford Cox’s Deerhunter blog. That’s a pretty damn good blog…right up there with No Age. Go and read it: http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com
That said, don’t confuse Cole with Bradford. At the bottom of every post on that blog, there is a user-name. Bradford has this to say:
Since Cole has started posting here please be sure to read who posted what at the bottom of each entry. Ever since Lockett’s journal of bodily functions, I’ve been rather annoyed how people attribute everything on this blog to me. Especially lazy journalists. Cole’s opinions of prepubescent latino preachers are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Deerhunter Music Group, LLC.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 