(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)
Black Joe Lewis, King Khan & The Shrines, The Happy Hollows, & The Cloak Ox...
Well hello again, MP3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #57!
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story: TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast. They're also both opinionated and have access to computers. Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column. Over a year later later and here we are.
As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself. It's free and it's fun for the whole family!
To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page. The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.
As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting
So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?
01. Black Joe Lewis - Come To My Party (from the album Electric Slave)
TCDroogsma:
When I saw that I would be reviewing a song called "Come To My Party" by somebody called Black Joe Lewis I immediately had flashbacks to those Secret Stash Records songs (Sonny Knight, The Valdons) we've reviewed here before. Turns out I wasn't off by much.
"Come To My Party" comes on with a quick little backwards horn bit before launching into the type of horns-funk-chicka-chicka-shouting that's been populating funk/soul tracks since James Browns day. Joe Lewis and his group certainly bring the energy, but with the exception of one horn break, you've heard this before.
MinneSarah:
Send a link to this song as an e-vite to your next shindig! "Come to My Party" is upbeat, soulful, and toe-tappingly catchy. What if James Brown and Andrew W.K. had a child? Well, as far as I can tell from this song, it'd be Black Joe Lewis. The lyrics are pretty straight forward - party party party, but the sentiment is sweet - they'll move the furniture so that you can bring your loved ones. The horns keep it interesting and although sax solos can go so very wrong, this song's sax is the life of the party.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
MinneSarah - 4/5
02. King Khan & The Shrines - Born To Die (from the album Idle No More)
TCDroogsma:
I have friends who have been telling me for years that I absolutely need to see King Khan & The Shrines live to have a full appreciation for what they do. Listening to "Born To Die" (and their previous SOTD entry "Torture" from 2008), I can see their point. Much like Black Joe Lewis up above, Khan & The Shrines have no interest in reinventing the wheel.
Rather, they seem more than content to essentially recreate the garage rock they grew up with. If that's the goal, than "Born To Die" does an admirable job. The song rattles around on a catchy guitar riff & Khan's sing-shouting while gradually building via the addition of horns and keys. It's nice on headphones, but I'll bet it makes a lot more sense with Khan preaching from the stage.
MinneSarah:
Tambourine, wah-wah pedal, and garagey sounding vocals...yes, it's psychedelic garage rock revival! On it's own merits, "Born To Die" is an upbeat song that moves quickly and makes you feel instantly California while listening to it. Since I can't book a trip to the Sunset Strip circa 1969, this is as close as I'm getting.
The intro bit is very grand with some orchestral grandeur, but the meat of the song is down to earth. Horns build up with strings for the outro, and the song rises above expectations. These conflicting elements work in harmony, but the most enjoyable part for me was the low key vocals that truly harken back to at least BRMC, possibly even the 60's.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
MinneSarah - 3.5/5
03. The Happy Hollows - Endless (from the album Amethyst)
TCDroogsma:
If somebody told you to try to imagine an L.A.-based, kind of jangly indie-pop band The Happy Hollows is probably exactly what you'd imagine (especially if you're prone to imagining bands with female singers).
"Endless" keeps pretty much the same pace for the duration of the song. As the beat marches ever forward we're treated to some quirk-tastic vocals from Sarah Negahdari about... something, I'd imagine. Sometimes she's joined by a group of voices for some almost punkish "Whooaaahhh's," other times her voice is replaces by chiming guitars that imply a working knowledge of post-punk. And all the while the song marches along, leaving every moment filled with something yet leaving nothing memorable behind.
MinneSarah:
While this song's guitars and drums seem to be kept on a loop, it just makes the singer's vocals stand out even more distinctly. Singer, Sarah Negahdari's vocals are truly unique. She has a wide vocal range, and a passionate delivery. While I couldn't really make out the lyrics of this song, at least enough to tell definitively what it was about, this shows how the vocals are used another instrument - focusing instead on emotionally charged oohs and ahhs.
While I wouldn't wish another Florence and the Machine on anyone, "Endless" diverges enough to still sound new and fresh in an indie scene tripping over each other's ankles trying to stand on top of each other.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
MinneSarah - 3.5/5
04. The Cloak Ox - King Rope (from the album Shoot The Dog)
TCDroogsma:
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already all in on this new Shoot The Dog album from The Cloak Ox. Andrw Broder's great, Martin Dosh is great, & a band that isn't afraid to get weird in the subtle ways that could only be done by truly professional musicians is just what the Twin Cities needs. They should fit in brilliantly alongside TGNP labelmates like Marijuana Deathsquads & Moonstone Continuum.
However, even a week on I have no idea what to make of "King Rope." The Cloak Ox set the bar in an odd place early this year on the new TGNP sampler with "Josephine," which came on like Ted Leo fronting Fountains Of Wayne. "King Rope" definitely keeps the Ted Leo singing style, but rather than razor guitars & hooks we're treated to vaguely atmospheric reggae, bongos, string swells, and plenty of other sounds that were probably meticulously arranged. I'll bet it would be interesting to sit down with these guys and ask them to deconstruct everything floating around throughout "King Rope.:
Going back to my initial statement, that's why I'm excited about their album. The refuses to give in and reveal itself. I don't think a whole album of this stuff would work too well, but spending 5 minutes with "King Rope" is an intriguing investment.
MinneSarah:
"King Rope" is a time investment, which is broken up by a few different transitions. If you aren't paying attention, at times you may think you've skipped to the next song.
The more I listened to this track, the more I began to think it was actually Thom York's jam band project. The guitars and bongos add a funky bass line, while there are certainly some experimental electrical components. The singer doesn't necessary sound like Thom (except during the chorus), but the delivery coupled with the slow to fast electronics are blatant enough for comparison. The last minute brings in the strings, and amid an epic violin send out, which sounds organic, although how often do you hear a song where jam band bongos and epic orchestral ending make sense?
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
MinneSarah - 3.5/5
Well there you have it, MP3 junkies! Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!
As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR. We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.
For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio
For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah). She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column
