Alex Chilton - December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010

Thanks for the music.

Big Star - Thank You, Friends


Photo: Jack Plunkett, AP

Review-a-palooza #4:

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

I first heard about Mumford & Sons last year and quite by accident. For one reason or another, I found myself reading the BBC’s “Acts to Watch” list and one of the only bands that stood out was Mumford & Sons. And so began an obsession. I waited for months and months for their debut album to come out and finally on February 16th my patience was rewarded.

The album is full of rich instrumental arrangements, romantic production thanks to Arcade Fire and Bjork producer Markus Dravs, Neil Young-esque lyrics and phenomenal harmonies. It’s overwhelming to think that this group has only been playing together since 2007 because they sound like they’ve been playing together for decades. Listening to what the band has accomplished with this album makes it exciting to guess at what comes next.

It’s hard to pick tracks that stand out as they all shine in their own way. However, album opener “Sigh No More” is full of spirit and the playing on this track is top notch. What starts out as a Fleet Foxes sound a like quickly transforms into a best of the year contender. What surprises me is that this song hasn’t been one of the albums singles.

“Little Lion Man” is one of the albums more aggressive songs. And unlike most aggressive songs out there, this one has some pretty solid banjo.

“White Blank Pages” is a wonderful thematic sequel to “Little Lion Man”. And like Pearl Jam’s “Alive”, “Once” and “Footsteps”, Mumford & Sons are telling a three-part story. The final piece has been recorded, but not yet released. It contains every element that makes this album a must listen. The vocals are beautiful, the lyrics' rich and the music floats out of the speakers.

Best: Sigh No More, Little Lion Man, White Blank Pages

Check out their website here

Watch them live on BalconyTV here

And finally, their video for Little Lion Man

Review-a-palooza #3:

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

Gil Scott-Heron is a man who has lived a paradoxical life. He was the voice of a revolution and for his troubles became the godfather of rap and hip-hop. He was a black Thomas Paine whose words spoke of a cultural revolution for the poor America. And then he gave it all up. He got hooked on drugs, did time and worst of all stopped recording new albums after being dropped by his label. This new album is a statement saying that whatever he had back in the day, is still with him. He still has something to say and can say it better than most.

"I’m New Here" is new and uncertain ground for Scott-Heron. Aided by the magnificent Richard Russell whose electronica influences drag Scott-Heron’s rhymes kicking and screaming into the 2000’s. This is a deeply personal album with Scott-Heron’s wicked tongue and focus turned inward. He says this best in one of the many interludes on the album, “If you gotta pay for things you’ve done wrong, I’ve got a big bill coming for me at the end of the day.”

The album has some great tracks but feels disjointed. This could be due to the fact that it was recorded over several sessions that spanned years.

The Delta blues/Robert Johnson inspired track “Me and the Devil” is the disc’s first single and one of the strongest pieces. The voice that leaks from your speakers belongs to a man who has truly lived. It’s not been the best life, but it’s the only one he’s had. The album is full of Scott-Heron’s spoken word poems set to (at times) some great ambient and electronic pieces. While not for everyone, they are undeniably deep and moving.

The album is not without it's levity. "On Coming From A Broken Home" parts 1 and 2, Scott-Heron sends love to the women that raised him and argues that you have to be smart and realize what some people tell you is broken, can work just fine.

The album is short, too short. With only nine songs over two minutes one cannot help but think, “Is that all you have to say?” But maybe, what was said is enough.

At least, for now.

Favourite tracks: "Me And The Devil", "Where Did The Night Go" and "Your Soul And Mine"

Click here for his webpage.

Here's the video to the single "Me And The Devil"

And here is a link to the haunting "Where Did The Night Go"

Review-a-palooza #2:

Jim Jones Revue - Jim Jones Revue

The self-titled Jim Jones Revue disc is a full frontal assault in the best way. Jim Jones Revue is a five piece that sounds like they just crawled out of some southern swamp and right into a honky tonk. The bands consists of screamer Jim Jones, guitarist Rupert Orton, bassist Gavin Jay, drummer Nick Jones and a maniac named Elliot Mortimer pounding the hell out of the piano.

This album was recorded live off the floor in a scant 48 hours and has more energy than anything you’d hear on the radio. The album opens with “The Princess and the Frog” a song that sets the tone for the entire album. As soon as the piano comes in you want to kick out the chair from under you and lose your mind. The same can be said for the rest of the album, there is so much raucous energy exploding out of your speakers it’s hard to keep your feet from moving. The sound is undeniable garage, but hits you with punk, rockabilly and rhythm ‘n’ blues.

The Jim Jones Revue owes a lot to the great rock and roll men of the past. Every track drips Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, in fact the band covers “Hey Hey Hey Hey” on this disc.

The Jim Jones Revue have already earned the praises of overseas MOJO magazine and, god willing, it’s only a matter of time until they break out over here. At only ten tracks and with most songs coming in at around three minutes or less, it’s a great throw back to the early days of rock and roll.

If you aren’t a fan of fun rock and roll, than this ain’t for you. If you want a great way to kill a half hour, check The Jim Jones Revue out. Seriously. It's one of the best legal ways to kill a half hour.

Best: Princess & The Frog, Hey Hey Hey Hey, Make It Hot, Cement Mixer

Check out their website here: www.jimjonesrevue.com/

Here's the video for The Princess & The Frog

Review-a-palooza #1:

The Heavy - The House That Jack Built

The Heavy are a neo-soul meets indie guitar group from Noid, England, which is a wee town near Bristol. The band is a five piece with Kelvin Swaby on vocals, Dan Taylor on guitar, Spencer Page on bass and Chris Ellul. The band started releasing singles in 2007 and dropped “Vengeance and Furious Fire” in September of that year. “The House that Dirt Built” is their sophomore follow-up and was released by Counter.

The Heavy’s got this real cool soul vibe and Kelvin rocks a killer old school R&B vocal. Lot of folks say he’s got a Curtis Mayfield voice, but the dude’s got range. On “Oh No! Not You Again!!” he can drop a James Brown meets Mick Collins wail like nobody’s business.

You can really pick up on the fact that The Heavy aren’t a one-note soul revival knock off act. They bounce around musical genres while keeping a consistent backbone. They’ve got tracks with tastes of garage rock, Sergio Leone spaghetti western themes, reggae and dub and Screaming Ronnie Hawkins rock and roll. The album is finished off with a quiet song, punctuated by piano and strings not the strongest track, but I digress.

The songs bleed cool. “How You Like Me Now?” is the type of track that Guy Ritchie would lay over a slow mo montage of his slick gangsters doing something nasty. In fact the band’s gotten a lot of mileage out of that track with it appearing on Entourage and Community, not to mention an awesome Letterman appearance.

My favourite track as of this second is “Sixteen”; a classic rock track complete with devil and sexed up femme fatale. It’s “I Put A Spell On You” (with some of the Godfather of Soul thrown in for good measure) but with the Heavy’s twist on it.

The Heavy is a cool band and totally worth a spin.

Best: Sixteen, How You Like Me Now?, Oh No! Not You Again!, Short Change Hero

The Heavy's website: http://www.theheavy.co.uk/

Check out Sixteen on YouTube here

An Introduction

Hello internets.

I’m going to give this blog thing the ol’ college try. I’ll be writing about the coolest things on the planet. Or failing that, some killer music, over the top comic books and whatever ridiculousness that passes for a thought.

A set of rules I will try to adhere to:

1) I will try not to be lame
2) I will try to update often, with quality musings
3) I will try to be something you want to read

See you soon.