MUSIC THREAD

Testify....

 

As someone who didn't give The Gaslight Anthem a chance for the longest time, I apologize. I've warmed to The '59 Sound of late and really enjoy the new album one listen in.

 

Also known as a jam box.

Pernice Brothers is out today! Anyone with me?

 

I'm with you. It's very good.

Got the Gaslight Anthem album this morning but haven't listened to it. Also psyched up for the new Devo.

 

Just came across Palladia on my digital cable. Sweet concert on right now with Springsteen, The Killers, The Kooks and others from some festival in 2009.

I wish I had known about this channel sooner. Tonight's lineup looks pretty awesome and should be a nice change of pace during the commercials of the Yankee game.

They just teased to Springsteen playing "The '59 Sound" along with The Gaslight Anthem, too.

 

Have listened to the new Gaslight Anthem album a few times and to me it falls victim to one of the song titles on The '59 Sound: Great Expectations. The band and this album have been mega-hyped but I don't hear anything on American Slang that grabs me like the best songs on The '59 Sound did. Maybe it'll grow on me but for now I see it as a decent, workmanlike effort but nothing I haven't heard before.

I really like the new Tom Petty album, Mojo. Even though he's from Florida I have never thought of TP as a southern rocker until now. Maybe it's just me but I hear a lot of the Allman Brothers in many of these songs. Mike Campbell can play some blues too.

 

Agreed on "American Slang," Huggy. Good, but not as good as "'59 Sound." Hard to put my finger on exactly what it is that doesn't work for me, but part of it is that every line of every song seems to be sung the exact same way. It gets kind of monotonous. I'm curious to see how they sound live -- I suspect some of these songs will evolve into something much better than what's on the record.

 

One thing I was happy to see is the overt Springsteen references were tamped down some. No use of his song titles in the lyrics, no "let's go to the river and wash away our sins", stuff that was there on The '59 Sound.

Brian Fallon isn't the first guy to go down that Springsteen road (Joe Grushecky, anyone?) but he is the rare one who seems to have received the Boss seal of approval. Fallon is a talented songwriter (and I think Jon Bon Jovi is far guiltier of aping Springsteen vocally than he is) and the rest of the band is pretty solid, I just don't know if this was what I was looking for based on what I had heard on their last album.

And you're right, PC, I bet these songs are much better live. Yeah, keep rubbing it in that you're seeing them and I'm not!

 

Just had to throw that line out there!

And you're right, there's no new version of "at night I wake up with the sheets soakin' wet, it's a pretty good song, baby you know the rest" on this one. "The '59 Sound" is like a spot-the-reference game in some places. There's also a Counting Crows line on it.

"American Slang" sounds like a "sophomore slump" album, which is sort of odd, since it's their third.

 

You're last point is something I thought of too. Oldest axiom is the music bidness is you get your lifetime to make your first album, six months to make the second one. or in this case your third one. Or something like that.

Now having said all this, I will submit that American Slang is better than much of the shit out there these days.

 

Got into The Hold Steady kind of late, so I've been listening hard to all of their old stuff. I can't go a day without listening to "Almost Killed Me." Almost a perfect album. "Certain Songs" just freaking owns me. As does "Knuckles." The whole catalogue is great. Can't wait to see them in Richmond in September.

 

Huggy, enjoying "American Slang" much more now that I've heard it live. Tremendous show.

My other favorite recent album is "Chateau Revenge" by The Silver Seas. They used to be called The Bees, and their second album "High Society" is one of my favorites. The new one isn't as immediately catchy but is very very good. They have a real 70s sound, somewhere between Wilco and the Beach Boys. Highly recommended.

I have 15 credits on eMusic I need to use by Friday. Thinking of downloading the new Best Coast album, or possibly "Hampton's Lullaby" by the Futurebirds. I read a Futurebirds review that called them country with surf guitar -- the clips I've heard are intriguing.