Blockhead - The Music Scene

Another master class in DJ-ing by one of the world's finest.  The follow up to Ninja Tunes Records' Blockhead's classic Uncle Tony's Coloring Book sees him keeping up the quality on this release as well.  Using samples of classic Soul, Eastern-Asiatic music, Electronics, and pretty much any genre the producer could get his hands on, it's another album that can be put on for nearly all occasions.  It's simply mesmerizing, and easy to listen to.  Nothing aggressive or annoying hereI can see any of the tracks on this album being used as a soundtrack in a movie.  I highly suggest this album to fans of the genre, though it doesn't top Uncle Tony's Coloring Book, which is his best to date.


Rating: 8/10


Videos:
The Music Scene
It's Raining Clouds
Only Sequences Change

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

Hi everyone. Guest reviewer Raph here.

It's hard not to have heard of Them Crooked Vultures, a new project bringing together Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones. The last time Homme and Grohl collaborated on a full-length album resulted in Queens of the Stone Age's 2002 release, Songs for the Deaf, arguably one of the best rock records of the decade.

Them Crooked Vultures' self-titled first release is just as much a musical delight as Songs for the Deaf. Simple but powerful riffs backed by solid beats are present from beginning to end, proving to be quite enjoyable, although not quite original. The album contains traces of each member's past work, but it all comes together well, managing to sound distinct from Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, and the Foo Fighters.

John Paul Jones can still lay down a wicked bass line, and adds a lot of variety with a few well-selected additional instruments, such as the clavinet on Scumbag Blues. Grohl, of course, is phenomenal on the skins, pounding each song into your skull. Homme's irreverent vocals and grinding solos add a slightly lunatic spin. This is nothing new for Homme, of course, as any Kyuss fan will attest. The first verse of the first track, No one loves me & neither do I, proudly sets the tone for the rest of the album, ending with the gem "... she asked 'Could I use a dirty bitch?' Of course...".

Despite the 'supergroup' label, Them Crooked Vultures manage to put together an interesting, upbeat album that's a lot of fun to listen to. The odd pairing of John Paul Jones with two much younger cohorts seems to create a kind of equilibrium, and what could be an overly-pretentious three-way wank session is instead a solid offering firmly rooted in the tradition of rock & roll. Enjoyable from start to finish.

Rating: 8/10

Videos:
New Fang
Scumbag Blues

Mando Diao - The Malevolence of Mando Diao

Mando Diao's latest release came in October, and for some unknown reason I seem to have missed it.  Having now appropriated it, it is clear that the singer/songwriting duo of Daniel Häglund and Björn Dixgärd had a very ambitious plan for the Swedish band.  The album of B-Sides spans two CDs packed full of great Euro-Pop-Rock tracks.  The sum of it's harmonious vocals accompanied by catchy hooks and a vibrant brass section make this one of the must listen releases of the year.


The influences on their musical style are too numerous to list (Garage, Blues, Gospel, 60's Pop Rock, etc..), but are mixed beautifully.  To me it sounds like their Swedish counterparts The Hives, though more melodious and adventurous, with smarter lyrics, topped with a warm classic rock feel.  Mr. Dixgärd and Häglund deliver smooth Paul McCartney like vocals that make it very easy and pleasing to listen to.


The band has managed to remain relatively unknown to us folks across the pond, and i'm still wondering why to this day.  All I know is that we've been missing out on yet another great European group.  Sweden has been home to some of the greatest new rock and pop acts in the last decade, and most of the world is completely and shamefully unaware.  I guess we're stuck with Lady Gaga and 50 Cents, while across the pond they get to enjoy more thoughtful music.


For the unitiated I would suggest to listen to their second release, "Ode to Ochrasy" before adventuring through this double release, as it was by far their best work.  Though I can't for the life of me find a bad song on either CDs.  Now if you'll excuse me, i'm going back to revisit this album and their entire catalog....once again.


Rating: 8/10


Videos:
Hail The Sunny Days
Long Before Rock'n'Roll (Live) A "must watch" to "get" what the band is all about. /end quotation marks
Good Morning Herr Horst (Another great Live version)
A Hard Day's Night cover (Not at all what you'd expect)
Cinderella

Mastodon - Crack The Skye

Mastodon's new album ends up being less heavy, but nonetheless masterfully crafted.  The musicianship on all instruments is flawless.  My only gripe would be with some of pig squealing, screaming vocals.  But it's so far and few in between that it barely  affects the overall feel of the album.

I can't begin to properly describe the album's content, so I will let drummer extraordinaire Brann Dailor explain:

"When asked in multiple interviews Dailor said the record would tell a story dealing variously with the art aesthetics of Tsarist Russia, astral travel, out of body experiences and Stephen Hawking's theories on wormholes.

"There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he ends up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin's body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin's body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin needs to get him back into his body before it's too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down…there are some obstacles along the way."

Dailor has also said that "Crack the Skye" is meant as a homage to his sister, Skye Dailor, who committed suicide at age 14.

"My sister passed away when I was a teenager and it was awful, and there's no better way to pay tribute to a lost loved one than having an opportunity to be in a group with my friends and we make art together. Her name was Skye, so Crack the Skye means a lot of different things. For me personally, it means the moment of being told you lost someone dear to you, [that moment] is enough to crack the sky.""

With ten long tracks, including the  thirteen minute opus ''The Last Baron'' (It's standout track in my opinion, along with Divinations), it's a Metal Opera that's worth more than one listen, and will keep you coming back, headbanging to it's complex drummming and masterful guitar shredding.


''Crack the Skye rocks, and hard! Its shifting tempos and key structures are far more meaty and forceful than most prog metal, and menace and cosmological speculation exist in equal measure, providing for a spot-on sense of balance. Some of the hardcore death metal conservatives may have trouble with this set, but the album wasn't recorded for them — or anybody else. Crack the Skye is the sound of a band stretching itself to its limits and exploring the depth of its collective musical identity as a series of possibilities rather than as signatures. And yes, that is a good thing.'' (Allmusic album review)


Rating: 8/10


Videos: 
The Last Baron
Divinations

The Builders and The Butchers - Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well

The Builders and The Butchers are one of these bands that I stumbled across.  I ended up being hooked upon the very first time listening.  It's simple hooks and changes in tempo are equisitely crafted with the obvious blues, country, and gospel influences.

Of note, the band has no drummer per se, rather, it has two percussionists  giving the sound a deep bass background, countered with the high pitch of the fiddle and mondolin.

"The band obviously takes a lot of time crafting dense poetic lyrics and the arrangements show just as much care, layering up orchestral tracks that create a dark, driven ambiance. This music won't please everyone, but those who tend to lurk at the dark end of the street will find much to like." (Allmusic review -- Allmusic album review)

Rating: Solid 8/10 in my opinion

Videos:

Golden and Green

Short Way Home