the fyrehaus

Here’s my plan - get Robbie Williams and Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) TOGETHER the next time they both feel like writing sarcastic post-pop-y albums about the difficulties of stardom in the UK.

I think it sounds brilliant, really. They’ve both had a bit of navel gazing going on in terms of their own character defamation and personal life portrayal in the press, but they haven’t taken it up to 11. They could write the best sarcastic, dry-witted, un-understandable to Americans album EVER.

They could balance each other’s diva tendencies out! Really! It’d be awesome.

Preconceived notions:
1. It contains “Fernando” and “Carpetbaggers”, so it’s going to rock no matter what.
2. Some songs, I’m going to get distracted playing Who Is That Familiar Indie Rock Voice.
3. Jenny wrote all but one song on the last Rilo Kiley effort, so I assume it will sound like that.
Now, for the album. Continue Reading »

I’ve been trying to come up with something to say about The Kills’ new record Midnight Boom that isn’t just “It’s so great!” for the past week. So, straight up, here are four reasons why I like it:

1. There’s not a single track that I skip. None of the songs are annoying or repetitive. Every song brings that instant thought of “yay!”
2. I listen to it in order. It kicks off with teh catchy, sexy singles “U R A Fever” and “Cheap and Cheerful” (which is totally going to be my song I ever start stripping) and keeps you hooked in and listening straight to the cool down finale “Goodnight Bad Morning.”
3. 3. It’s The Kills. They know how to write a dirty American rock song that sounds like dance pop. Kings of Leon meets LCD Soundsystem. Plus, the songs are short enough that you can’t get sick of the conceit before it ends.
4. It makes you want to move. The songs are just built like that. Getting the riff of “Alphabet Pony” stuck in my head makes me want to dance, even when I’m on the subway.

Isn’t that enough reason to listen to it once? The first listen is even free!

[The Kills - Midnight Boom via lala.com]

Sons & Daughters will blow your socks right off your body, and show no remorse.

Continue Reading »

Ludo has, Wikipedia tells me, been around for a while. Since 2004, to be exact. They’re the type of band who, four years down the line, are enjoying some mainstream success after long, presumably hard years touring the Midwest and home-growing all of their endeavors.

Which means I’ll look into their older stuff. But right now, right now, I am listening to their big single “Love Me Dead” on repeat and hoping with my fingers crossed that everything of theirs, ever, will sound like this.

Here - give it a listen. Ludo - Love Me Dead

I’m also listening to the Victorian English Gentlemens Club. I procured a few songs based solely on the name and have found them to be a delightful, in a screamo-English-agit-pop way. Not quite as self-aware as Art Brut, not quite as ironic or bitter as the Ting Tings. I loved them even before I realized that their name was clever, since two band members are women. They’re recording an album. Go check out the sneak-peak track “Parrot” on their myspace.