THE RACONTEURS
Okay, okay, I know it's been awhile since I've added anything new to the blog...monkey's lead busy lives you know...so I thought I'd list a few new CDs I've been listening to recently.
First off, The Raconteurs' with "Broken Boy Soldiers". This is somewhat of a supergroup side-project for Jack White of the White Stripes and solo artist, Brendan Benson, plus a couple other guys I've never heard of. Great Power-Pop album with a hint of 60s psychedelic rock. I really like the Brendan Benson stuff and it's nice to hear Jack White doing songs that aren't as Blues based as his White Stripes output. A very short album though, (30 minutes) but still packs in a lot for that short amount of time.
GNARLS BARKLEY
A really over-hyped album, on the internet at least--by Danger Mouse (Gorillaz) and Cee-Lo Green (Goodie Mob) but still worth it for a few songs. "Crazy" is one of the best singles I've heard in a long time and "Smiley Faces" sounds like 60s soul music. I can live without the Violent Femmes cover of "Gone Daddy Gone", really doesn't add anything to the original and just sounds goofy.
MUSE
This band has been around for awhile and most reviews seem to compare them to early Radiohead before that band went all experimental. Now that's not a bad thing--I love the first 3 Radiohead albums, when they rocked more then they do now. And I do hear a similarity in Lead Singer Matthew Bellamy's voice to Thom Yorke's. Muse's rock stuff does sound like early Radiohead, but it's weird because I also hear shades of Queen, Pink Floyd and even Prince!?
NINE BLACK ALPS
This album rocks out the most out of all the other albums I've reveiwed thus far. This is the Manchester bands first album preceded by a couple of EPs. More in the vein of fellow Manchester bands Oasis, Stone Roses, Doves, but not the gloomier ones, such as The Smiths, Joy Division. Good first album--hopefully they'll keep it up.
