The musical capital of the world? It's not even close in my mind.Glasvegas, who are Glasgow natives (see Camera Obscura, The Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, Lloyd Cole, Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian, Paolo Nutini, Amy MacDonald, Mogwai, Franz Ferdinand and a host of others who have considerably brightened the musical landscape over the past ten years), have released a very, very fine self-titled debut album.
NME has dubbed them "the best new band in Britain," which is usually a sure sign of the Hype Machine in Overdrive. But this time they could be right. This is a surprisingly bracing combination of Jesus and Mary Chain guitar buzz, Proclaimers vocal bluster (complete with sometimes almost impenetrable Scots brogue), and, incredibly, impossibly, romantic '50s doo-wop. I like it a lot. The subject matter -- aimless violence, ennui, football yobs, endless pints, chasing skirts -- might be the best rock 'n roll portrait of disaffected youth since those early Clash albums. Best of all is the unnerving "Stabbed," in which lead singer James Alan matter-of-factly proclaims, "I'm gonna get stabbed/The Baltic fleeto are up my arse/No cavalry could ever save me" to the accompaniment of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Stunning.
3 comments:
I love this band. They're middle class Glasgow east enders who have an ear for the lower class. Daddy's Gone was a big UK hit back in 2007. They're on Letterman on Monday night and Ferguson the 15th.
My buddy from Columbia gave me this recently. Heard an EP but not the full length yet. Glad to hear ou like it. Hope I do to.
-Teddy
Love what I've heard from them so far, and they're out here today in the US! I'm rushing out to Newbury Comics and plopping down the green. Glasgow rocks!
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