The French Kicks - One Time Bells - 2002

On their debut full-length One Time Bells, the French Kicks polish and expand on the endearingly messy post-punk of their previous work, opting for sculpted hooks and eclectic arrangements instead of garage rock bluster. Like their labelmates the Walkmen, the Kicks take an arty, stylized approach, making their pared-down rock anything but basic; off-kilter keyboard lines and backing vocals keep the tight, insistent riffs on songs like "Wrong Side" and "When You Heard You" from becoming too claustrophobic. A previously unheard sensitive side to the group's sound also surfaces on One Time Bells, particularly on the bittersweet, bouncy "Down Now"; the Anglo pop-tinged "Crying Just for Show"; and the wonderful "Close to Modern," a shimmering, jittery fusion of new wave and '60s soul that also recalls some of Modest Mouse's and the Dismemberment Plan's best moments. In fact, with the exception of the raucous "1985" and the jagged groove of the title track, the group breaks almost entirely from the punky, garagey sound of their self-titled and Young Lawyer EPs. While the appealing rawness of their early material is occasionally missed here, the strides forward that the group makes on this album more than make up for it. Simple and catchy enough to be interesting on the first listen and quirky enough to remain interesting afterward, One Time Bells proves that the French Kicks are only getting better. -AMG



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Thee Jenerators - The Kids Are Not Alright - 2007

Thee Jenerators are a high octane rock n roll band very exciting live with sharp melodic songs drawing on influences from the 50’s 60’s and 70’s which include freakbeat and soul sounds to power pop and rockabilly. this is their new set of songs recorded live at gizzard studio with mr ed deegan. using analogue equipment the bands personnel include Steve Lynch guitar who uses a tuneful but full Gretsch sound, Nick Dodd who pins the backbeat down with his natty jazz bass riffs and hammer of the gods Stuart Ozzy Austin who plays the drums, augmented by the harmonies and full on tuba riffs of double sax players Garrick Jones and Henry Castledine, the band is fronted by record label head and the wild man antics of Mark Le Gallez - CD Baby.




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The Immediates - Tailor Made Cut - 2006

WOW! Sounding like they could've been on Andrew Oldham's great Immediate label back in the late 60's, this is top notch guitar and Hammond fueled Mod/garage pop rock outta France! The band formed in 1995 out of the gathering of musicians coming from various garage bands (among which Stinky Spider) and have reached their present state after the arrival of two new recruits, François and Xavier (ex-Looneys), a buoyant organist and jumpy performer on stage. The sound of the band was then deeply modified with the organ flying high over the beats. On this 12-tracker, they dish out nine tasty originals along with blistering covers of "She's Not There" by The Zombies, "Brainwashed" by The Kinks, and "Mrs. Applegate" by The Apemen! Originals like "Silly Thing" start out all Kink-ish, then go into a Yardbirds-like "rave up"! "Book Of Yours" is very Who-like! "Mr. mac Bee" makes great use of the "Taxman" (Beatles)/"Start" (The Jam") trademark riffs combined with an original twist all their own! They expertly display Freak Beat, elegant ties, vocal harmonies, Vespa scooters and British beats all at once in one extremely tight bundle! These guys will appeal "immediate"ly (no pun intended) to fans of The Prisoners, The Kinks, The Who, The Small Faces, The Green Circles and great organ-laced garage pop in general! Can't say enough about this one! GREAT!! -Kool Kat Musik



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The Hell Yeahs - The Hell Yeahs - 2004

There's something about a band that has swagger and attitude, but when the music to back it up, there's something special there. The Hell Yeahs do a better job at bringing low down dirty rawk 'n' roll to the masses than The Murder City Devils. The Hell Yeahs pull it off because you can dance to every freakin' song. Now I know that's not "cool" or "rad" or "hip" to dance at rock shows anymore. The kids in the Northwest would rather tap their toes and nod their heads, but MCD brought us up to the line. We were almost ready to shake our booties, and then they broke up. But for those of us still standing at that line, The Hell Yeahs are going to push us over. How can you deny the body's shimmy shake response to the Hammond organ in "Can't Do What I Should"? The pounding rhythm of "Sympathy For Brian Jones" get your toes tappin' infects your leg and travels up your body until you find yourself - gasp - dancing! The Hell Yeahs are the great new hope for a rebirth of dirty American mod music. Kids, let go of the indie rock pretension and let your bodies move to the sound of The Hell Yeahs. -CD Baby



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Jet City - Tempus Fugit - 2002

Very impressive 80's Brit-inspired (riffy, crunchy) garage pop vibe going on here (also early Smithereens -like at times) that's chock full of catchy songs, lots of tasty guitars and spirited delivery! Features "Radio" - the best song the Lemon Pipers never did! -Kool Kat Musik




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Chixdiggit - Chixdiggit - 1996

This completely sticks out in comparison to the entire back catalog of SubPop. Instead of experimental indie rock or moody grunge, what we have here is obnoxiously happy pop-punk. With songs like "Henry Rollins Is No Fun" and "I Wanna Hump You," it's pretty apparent that Chixdiggit just want to have fun with their first record. Even if a lot of these songs have the same Ramones flavor with a verse-chorus-verse song structure, these guys have enough enthusiasm to make up for their redundancy. -AMG




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Sleeping Dervish - Water Scared

Got this in my emai!  Enjoy
Curty Ray

"Sleeping Dervish is a rock/pop-constellation with three members located in three different cities. Vocalist and guitarist Gustaf Classon lives in Linköping, the drummer Vanja Hadzic in Aneby (more like a village really) and bass player Andreas Hosio in Stockholm. Describing our music soundwise is pretty hard as people who listen to it points out so many influences that we've stopped trying to pin-point ourselves musically. Listeners have compered us to all sorts of music - The Smiths, Coldplay, Foo Fighters and The Motorhomes to name a few - so we leave the associating to you and feel content pointing out that we've listened a lot to British pop and American nighties grunge.

Our latest EP the water scared is sleeping dervish's third and song wise longest recording. As usual we've employed our good friend and musician Andreas Boldt (who makes excellent electro music as Studio Star) who has a smattering of miking up stuff and a magic touch when it comes to mixing it. Every one of the six tracks got recorded during two extremly hectic weekends in a borrowed studio in Falun during the spring 2010 (apart from rigging up all the instruments and improvising mike positions we also drove about 500 miles per session). Extra takes and the final mix were done during this summer in Gustafs parents garage and at Andreas Boldts grandmothers place (she might not be our biggest fan, but she's very nice!). Even though the forms under which the recording took place might seem a bit quirky, the final outcome is dead serious. We are more than pleased with the result and hope that you might agree."

2010 : the water scared by sleeping dervish

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sleeping-Dervish/30505246115

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/0eeWpmdj527S8ZPAwp6SkF

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sleepingdervish

Cool Jerks - Cleaned a Lot of Plates in Memphis - 2002

With a lineup that features former members of such seminal noisemakers as the Oblivians and the Neckbones, it should come as little surprise that Cool Jerks flat-out rock. No ham-fisted critical pigeonholing, carefully chosen faux-vintage clothing, or fancy haircuts are needed to dress up what these boys are doing. The album title is itself a bit of a double entendre, serving as a nod to both the John Fogerty classic from which the line is borrowed ("Proud Mary") and to all the time the bandmembers have spent washing dishes and daydreaming about rock & roll. Nothing could more aptly sum up Cool Jerks, as their sound is that of pure, unkempt rock & roll; it's not all glamour -- in fact, sometimes it's downright ugly -- but even when it gets rough, you'll be begging for more. Like other groups cut from the same Memphis-flavored, blues/rock/soul cloth, like the Reigning Sound, Cool Jerks play rock & roll with a sense of urgency that borders on sermonizing. While the Jerks aren't quite as polished as the Sound, they aren't nearly as sleazy as the Oblivians, either. Instead, they are a well-balanced mix of the Oblivians' ferocity and the Neckbones' swagger and jangle. The band plays music that comes straight from rock's roots, the kind of music that comes from being schooled in the masters and possessing a flawless record collection. One of the album's best tracks, "Let It Go and Rock!," was co-authored by Dave Boyer and Forrest Hewes (both formerly of the Neckbones), and the guys trade vocals lines throughout the song, making it perhaps the most shining example of the great things these musicians are capable of when they put their heads together. The Boyer-penned "Man and a Woman" is barebones drums-and-guitar blues-rock, calling to mind the more reserved moment of Jon Spencer, while his "Not the Only Girl in Town" is an ode to not letting the world get you down, sort of the anti-blues. Sometimes known as Jack Oblivian, Jack Yarber's tracks are raw and ambitious, ranging from mid-tempo janglers full of background "oohs and ahhs" ("Friend of a Loner"), to rockabilly flair ("Skip a Beat") and riotous rockers ("Can't Quit"). Cool Jerks' rendition of Smokey Robinson's classic "You Really Got a Hold on Me," though downright polished by Jerks standards, sounds like a 3 a.m. jam session: rough around the edges, but so gut-wrenchingly honest that the flaws only make it more beautiful. Yarber's "Certified Fool" brings the album to its knees with vocals raspier than Scott McCloud's and what sounds like an army of guitars freaking out for the duration of the song. If this were a big-tent revival, Yarber would be the guy rolling around on the ground speaking in tongues. Next, Hewes and Boyer check in again with their dueling vocal attack on "Who You Running To?," which may well be the album's strongest, catchiest track. At least it seems that way until Yarber turns things up a notch with "Why Can't I...?" This great energy between all of the players, each man inspiring the other to play even better, is what makes Cool Jerks a fantastic outfit. Stop mourning the passing of the Oblivians and the Neckbones and start dancing with Cool Jerks. Buy these cats a drink and raise a toast to the gals who broke their hearts and inspired such great songs. -AMG



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Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time - 1997

When I Was Born for the 7th Time is a remarkable leap forward for Cornershop, the place where the group blends all of their diverse influences into a seamless whole. Cornershop uses Indian music as a foundation, finding its droning repetition similar to the trancier elements of electronica, the cut-and-paste collages of hip-hop, and the skeletal melodicism of indie pop. Tying all of these strands together, the band creates a multicultural music that is utterly modern; it is conscious of its heritage, but instead of being enslaved to tradition, it pushes into the future and finds a common ground between different cultures and musics. Like Woman's Gotta Have It, large portions of When I Was Born for the 7th Time are devoted to hypnotic instrumentals, but the music here is funkier and fully realized. Cornershop hits an appealing compromise between detailed arrangements and lo-fi technology. There may be cheap keyboards and drum machines scattered throughout the album, but they are used as sonic texturing, similar to the turntables, synthesizers, samplers, sitars, and guitars that drive the instrumentals punctuating the full-fledged songs. When it chooses, Cornershop can write hooky, immediate pop songs -- "Sleep on the Left Side" and "Brimful of Asha" are wonderful pop singles, and "Good to Be on the Road Back Home" is an impressive, country-tinged tale -- but what makes When I Was Born for the 7th Time such a rich, intoxicating listen is that it balances these melodic tendencies with deceptively complex arrangements, chants, drones, electronic instrumentals, and funky rhythms, resulting in an album that becomes better with each listen. -AMG




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Awesome Color - Awesome Color - 2006

Awesome Color is a power trio from Brooklyn but their original and spiritual home is in the Midwest; the Midwest where drums sound like they're pounded with tree limbs, where angry, ugly guitars and snarled, over-amped vocals rule the day, and the Stooges rule with a leather whip and a TV eye. The band's self-titled debut is a rocket-fueled blast of energy and brains, packed with songs and sounds that will blow you away. They are equally adept at bashing out short and devilish rockers, and at weaving through longer and slower trippy tunes like the album's last track, "Animal." Guitarist/vocalist Derek Stanton is both an amazing singer from the howl-till-the-mic-feedbacks school, and a fiery guitarist with a knack for bludgeoning riffs and raw, exciting solos, too. He's backed with precision by drummer Allison Busch and bassist Michael Troutman; they give Stanton room to run wild and are always there when he lands. A near perfect rhythm section, in other words. The trio put their skills to use on hook-filled, roof-raising tracks like "Ridin'," "Free Man," the rampaging "Hat Energy" (which features some fine free-form sax work from Wade Kergan) and the near Sabbath grind of "See You Hear You." You wouldn't think from looking at the booklet photo of the group that such an innocent looking bunch (dressed in such loud colors!) could create a sound so hairy, tough and thudding. They can, though, and while they are nothing if not derivative, they play with so much energy and fire that they sound like contemporaries, even peers, of the Stooges, not like kids kicking out the jams almost 30 years later. Awesome Color lives up to their name. -AMG



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