LP Name: Black Lips!
Release: 2003
Label: Bomp!

1. “Throw It Away” – A+
2. “Freakout” – A+
3. “Ain’t No Deal” – A
4. “Stone Cold” – B
5. “I’ve Got a Knife” – B+
6. “Down and Out” – B+
7.  “Steps” – B-
8. “Fad” – A+
9. “Sweet Kin” – B+
10. “Crazy Girl” – A
11. “Everybody Loves A Cocksucker” – A
12. “Cant Get Me Down” – B-
13. “You’re Dumb” – A-

Fun Facts:
– Recorded 100% in Georgia from 2000 to 2002!
– Cover art by Bradford Cox
– Guitar/noise specialist Ben Ederbaugh died before this was released.

Comments: This is truly a special record that will be forever admired by Black Lips purists. During the band’s beginning years, they relied almost exclusively on a lo fi-punk sound heavily influenced by early garage and country rock outfits. In many ways, Black Lips were much different in the old days. Their music was more cut-to-the-chase like-it-or-you-don’t. Their last two records (’07 and ’09) were put out by Vice, a much larger/notorious corporation than say In the Red or Bomp!. Arguably, their sound has become increasingly fine-tuned and more ready for the masses than ever before. Getting back to this record, more than few songs aren’t garage poppers. You might think “damn, this is draggy OR when does this get good?’ Black Lips don’t care what you think, though. They just shat tracks out of their musical ass (seemingly) and put them on this record. Whatever the excretion system did to them worked, with very few exceptions.

Grade: A- (90)

——————————-

LP Title: We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made The Flowers Grow
Release: 2004
Label: Bomp!

1. “MIA” – A+
2. “Time of the Scab” – A+
3. “Dawn of the Age of Tomorrow” – B+
4. “Nothing At All” – A+
5. “100 New Fears” – A-
6. “Stranger” – A+
7. “Juvenile” – A+
8. “Notown Blues” – A+
9. “Ghetto Cross” – A+
10. “Jumpin Around” – B
11. “Super X-13” – B+
12. “Hope Jazz” – B+

Comments: Great to watch a band  grow, isn’t it? This time around Black Lips were actually able to accomplish more in terms of  catchy songwriting while maintaining that lo-fi fuzzy sound that got everybody going on their debut. Even something as completely out of left field (at the time) as the organ-infested “100 New Fears” ends up fitting in well and introduces us to the genius of Joe Bradley. “Stranger” is probably the most crazy yet instantly fun-loving track on here. “Juvenile” continues that vibe. What I really love a great deal about this album, too, is how well the guitar and lead guitars complement each other. For songs like “Jumpin” and “Super,” I wish they were cleaned up only a teeny weeny bit. They have (had?) so much potential.

Grade: A- (93)

—————————

LP Title: Let It Bloom
Release: 2005
Label: In The Red Records

1. “Sea of Blasphemy” – A
2. “Can’t Dance” – A+
3. “Boomerang” – A+
4. “Hippie Hippie Hoorah” – A+
5. “Not A Problem” – A+
6. “Gung Ho” – B+
7. “Everybody Doing It” – A
8. “Feeling Gay” – B
9. “Boone” – A
10. “Gentle Violence” – A
11. “She’s Gone” – A-
12. “Fairy Stories” – A+
13. “Dirty Hands” – A+
14. “Workin” – B+
15. “Punk Slime” – A
16. “Empassant” – A-

Comments: It’s fun to listen to this record because it’s coated with tunes that are excessively lo-fi. Keep in mind how I said that some songs on We Did Not needed some cleaning up to reach their potential. Same deal here pretty much! In some cases, it’s more sad than others. Soon we find out that they do get purified albeit in a live setting two years later. The most pure song on here is  “Dirty Hands,” perhaps by a long-shot.

Grade: A- (93)

——————————————–

LP Title: Good Bad Not Evil
Release: 2007
Label: Vice Records

1. “I Saw A Ghost (Lean)” – A+
2. “O Katrina!” – A+
3. “Veni Vidi Vici” – A
4. “It Feels Alright” – A+
5. “Navajo” – A+
6. “Lock and Key” – A+
7. “How Do You Tell” – A
8. “Bad Kids” – A+
9. “Step Right Up” – A
10. “Cold Hands” – A+
11. “Off The Block” – A+
12. “Slime and Oxygen” – B+
13. “Transcendental Light” – A–

Comments:The first really really really really awesome through-and-through Black Lips LP.

Grade: A (95)

————————————

LP Title: Los Valienteles Del Mundo Nuevo
Release: 2007
Label: Vice Records

1. “M.I.A.” – A+
2. “Boomerang” – A+
3. “Sea of Blasphemy” – A+
4. “Stranger” – A+
5. “Not A Problem” – A+
6. “Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah” – A+
7. “Boone” – A+
8. “Everybody’s Doing It” – A+
9. “Fairy Stories” – A+
10. “Dirty Hands” – A+
11. “Buried Alive” – A+
12. “Juvenile” – A+

Comments: Yup, that’s right. This is my probably my favorite record of all-time. Flaws? Try pointing them out to me. Every song on here is amazing.

Grade: A+ (100)