I have seen the future, and its name is Birdmonster. Granted, the future has a cheesy name and conjures up memories of bad Godzilla movies, but still ...
This (No Midnight) is the best debut album I've heard this year. Better than Gnarls Barkley, which is very good. Better than The Raconteurs (technically a debut, even though these guys play in much better known bands), which is very good. This is your basic post-punk/New New Wave album, obviously heavily influenced by The Strokes and Interpol, but with cellos and banjos and accordions, and an unhinged singer who sounds like Win Butler from Arcade Fire. And absolutely killer songs and loud, loud guitars. It's the best rock 'n roll I've heard in ages. Try it. You'll like it.
i'll check it out. i've been checking out all new albums via napster (5 free listens per song).
ReplyDeletethe new raconteurs is pretty good. i'm not a white stripes fan, but i do dig the raconteurs.
Ok, So I hit Myspace tonight to listen to them. Here are my thoughts.
ReplyDelete1. "Bar in the Back"
- UM Where's one? I here the song in there it's just not flowing and groovin for me.
2. "Cause you can"
- Nice, I'll have to listen to it on another set of speakers as there is one tone that is out of control on these speakers. I like the drive of it and it build and falls back nicely. Can't tell what they are saying but I'll listen again later and see if I can figure it out.
3. Mo Midnight.
- bluegrass punk. I like it. That caught my ear.
4. Resurection Song - more later storms coming.
I should note that this album has not yet been released, and won't be until August 29th. I sometimes forget that I hear stuff before other people can.
ReplyDeleteBut it's worth the wait. Karl, "Cause You Can" was the song that initially won me over. It's a fairly blatant Strokes rip-off, but that's okay. The Strokes ripped off The Cars. That's the way it goes in this incestuous world.
It's also nothing new.
ReplyDeleteI think it was either Hayden (http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/haydnj.html) or Brahams (http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms.html) who ripped off just about every composer before them.
I like them.
ReplyDeleteI want to see them on June 15 at Bernies. Could be a fun show.
I do too, and I do too. Let's round up a posse (this is hip lingo, inspired by the hip band, for "group") and make that happen.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that this band is going to be huge. It would be fun to see them in a tiny venue like Bernie's before they hit the big time.
I happen to think that the best "Rock&Roll" song is John Hiatt's "Paper Thin", preferably a live version.
ReplyDeleteAs such, I just don't get it, but then I didn't get much of the whole punk/post-punk or New Wave stuff.
I didn't get the Arcade Fire either. Little too melodramatic for me, and like so many bands these days, the lead for some strange reason can't sing too good.
I'll listen to the down-loads a few more times and give both of these a chance, but it doesn't have the viseral punch of good punk or the well-written rock song.
I don't pretend to think I know what I'm talking about, from a critic's point of view, and maybe my own bent (Alt.Country, New Folk) keeps me from seeing it. But I certainly can't feel it, either.
interesting. i'm going to poach this from andy on my blog.
ReplyDeletei'm glad you like them dr. w.