Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive


This is the fourth full-length from the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Minneapolis quintet. With their huge riffs, sing-along choruses, and a sound big enough to fill up an arena, they would make Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band or Thin Lizzy proud. The lyrics still focus on sex, drugs, or both; long-time fans will enjoy the references to characters and places from prior albums. Mr. Finn's voice seems a bit worn, likely due to the band being on what seemed like a never-ending tour for their last album, Boys and Girls in America, but as he talks his way through songs about partying, the weariness of his voice only adds authenticity. This is another great set of songs from these guys, and sure to win them even more fans. They also put on an amazing live show - if you get the chance, go check 'em out. Just make sure you bring extra money for beer.

www.myspace.com/theholdsteady
www.theholdsteady.com

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Powersolo - Egg

Egg cover art
They hail from Denmark and this is their third album; it was originally released in 2006. They play quirky garage rock; if Ween recorded a garage rock album it might sound something like this. They touch on surf, rockabilly, garage, and even country. They even throw in some organ on a bunch of the tracks. All in all, it's a solid effort. My favorite track was "Dans Les Rues de Paris."

www.myspace.com/powersolo
www.powersolo.dk