REIGNING SOUND - Time Bomb High School

I recently found out about this band because their frontman, Greg Cartwright, is involved in another project, The Parting Gifts, which also features Patrick Keeler of The Greenhornes/The Raconteurs. Actually, I'm certain I'd heard their band name before but I didn't check them out at the time. As it turns out, Cartwright appears to be somewhat of an underground legend in the garage rock/punk/blues scene, having been the leader of The Compulsive Gamblers and The Oblivians prior to the Reigning Sound. Formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 2001, Cartwright and the band are now based out of Asheville, North Carolina. Time Bomb High School is their sophomore album and it came out in 2002. I wish I'd listened to this album sooner than the 8-year timespan it took me to. This is an awesome album. It combines rock, garage, punk, blues, and it has a very 50s/60s feel to it. Really cool stuff! I'll be looking into their other stuff as well now that I know about these guys.

www.myspace.com/reigningsoundfans
www.intheredrecords.com/pages/ReigningSound.html

THE WHITE STRIPES - Under Great White Northern Lights

Released in March of 2010, Under Great White Northern Lights is both a White Stripes live CD and the name of a documentary film about them. The material was recorded during their tour of Canada in the summer of 2007. We hear many of their hit songs on this album, including "Fell In Love With A Girl", "Blue Orchid", and "Icky Thump". We get to hear the minimalism the two-piece employs (employed?) in their live shows as well as Jack White's unrestrained, raggedy live vocals (though, at times, he is a bit much because while the man's got heart, he doesn't exactly have the pipes). We also see how much energy the band generates during their performances, which is probably the highlight of this recording. The White Stripes aren't playing note-for-note renditions of their studio recordings; these are raw, garage-worthy performances, yet the crowd goes nuts over them. A true testament to the power of a great rock 'n' roll band.

www.myspace.com/thewhitestripes
www.whitestripes.com

SURFER BLOOD - Astro Coast

The debut from the West Palm Beach, Florida band. I got this album to review a few weeks ago but was delayed by other projects so I haven't been able to listen until now. In those short few weeks, it seems to me that the band has been labeled as the next big thing and have gotten a lot more popular.

I finally found the time to listen to Astro Coast and I hear a blend of garage pop/psychedelia/shoegaze/rock. I understand that "Swim" is the album's single and that isn't shocking; it's catchy and has a simple chorus that you'll be able to sing along to before the end of the song. I can see the big appeal to this album: it combines the pop sensibilities of a band like Vampire Weekend with the fuzz of The Jesus and Mary Chain. While so many bands are choosing to go one way (indie pop) or the other (shoegaze/experimental), Surfer Blood choose to straddle the line.

Final impression: I think some of the songs are great (album opener "Floating Vibes" and the aforementioned "Swim" make for a fine 1-2 punch) but by the end of the album the songs all seem to blend into one. I wish there was a bit more variety, is what I'm alluding to. Even so, decent.

www.myspace.com/surferblood
www.surferblood.blogspot.com

THE FRESH AND ONLYS - The Fresh and Onlys

San Francisco band's debut. Reverby 60's influenced pop/garage rock/pscyh with male vocals and female backing vox. Overall really cool. Recommended if you like Thee Oh Sees, Raveonettes, and similar bands.

www.myspace.com/thefreshonlys
thefreshandonlys.com

THE RIPPERS - Why Should I Care About You?

Ripper I, Ripper II, Ripper III, and Ripper IV are from Sardinia, Italy. Their newest album (to date) packs twelve songs into thirty-three minutes of kick-ass garage punk/rock, a bit of harmonica for some added awesomeness, and Ripper IV spewing out lyrics that are difficult to decipher. They seem like the kind of guys who might spit on you from the stage, then have a beer with you at the bar afterwards and laugh about it. Then somehow they would wind up going home with the girlfriends of you and your friends. They're just that cool.

www.myspace.com/therippersinaction
http://spazioinwind.libero.it/therippers/index.html

WAU Y LOS ARRGHS!!! - VIVEN!!!

Wau Y Los Arrrghs!!! are from Valencia, Spain and sing mostly in Spanish, though they do have a few lyrics in English as well. They play garage rock, so far this is the best garage rock album I have heard this year! They rock. Awesome.

www.myspace.com/wauylosarrrghs

YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Zero (single)

New single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, off of their third album, It's Blitz!, which is slated for release on April 13. The single showcases a dancier side of the band, complete with synths. Karen O is still one of the best frontwomen, and best lead singers regardless of gender, and she helps to keep the band's sound from evolving too far from traditional YYY's territory.

www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs
www.yeahyeahyeahs.com

THE KINETIKS - Aye Aye Aye Aye [EP]

They're a quartet of young lads from Dublin, Ireland. This is their second EP. They have an indie/garage rock sound similar to bands like the View, the Libertines, the Kooks, and the Rakes. There are some really great songs on this ("Lightbulb" is especially good), but in order to capitalize on this promise, they'll need to be more consistent throughout all of their material.

http://www.myspace.com/kinetiks1
www.thekinetiks.com

THE KILLS - Live At Electric Ladyland [EP]

This is an EP that can be downloaded from iTunes. It features new recordings of songs from two of the three albums the duo has released: "Sour Cherry" and "Getting Down" from 2008's Midnight Boom, and "Pull A U" and "Kissy Kissy" from their 2003 debut, "Keep On Your Mean Side". They have also included a recording of a song that Willie Nelson wrote, which Patsy Cline made famous: "Crazy". Female/male vocals over garagey rock/indie that has very subtle blues influences.

www.myspace.com/thekills
www.thekills.tv

The So So Glos - Tourism/Terrorism

They're a quartet of young dudes from Brooklyn, and they play rock/punk/garage. The singer reminds me of The Hives' Howlin' Pelle Almqvist. They have a bit of a DIY/lo-fi feel to them. They are really cool but, unfortunately, the singer likes to say "fuck" so there's not too many radio-friendly songs. Of course if you aren't playing them on the radio it doesn't matter so play them to your heart's content!

www.myspace.com/sosoglos
www.thesosoglob.blogspot.com

Japanese Motors - Japanese Motors

Awesome! garage pop/surf/rock on the debut from the Costa Mesa, California quartet. I can't really say too much more about them, except that they are coolest band I have listened to in a while. Picture the Strokes going surfing. This band is SO GOOD.

www.myspace.com/thejapanesemotors
www.thejapanesemotors.com

Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours

They are from Australia and the band members have awesome names like "Rob Solid" and "Danny Current." It's always great when members take on names related to their band name - and even better when their musical chops are just as cool as their chosen names. And cool this band is. They play a mixture of post-punk and garage-inspired punk. Perhaps if Wire was fronted by a sneering, snot-nosed, shirtless protopunk brat, you could have this band. Excellent stuff. The cover is also interchangeable so you can select your favourite primary colour to be the front, which is fun.

www.myspace.com/eddycurrentsuppressionring
www.ecsr.com.au

The Okmoniks - Party Fever!!!

Out of Tucson, Arizona, the world's largest hotbed of garage rock, comes this quartet. They bring us organ-laced garage rock with female vocals. Rather fuzzy-sounding, straight from the garage. It's cool. Recommended for those who appreciate fuzz, garage rock, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' older stuff, and The Charms. Rock.

www.myspace.com/okmoniks
www.okmoniks.com
Please note that both links redirect to their Myspace.

The Whitsundays - The Whitsundays

60's influenced "reverb-wrapped" pop music, I quite like it. Would play nice with bands like The Shins, Spoon, etc., plus older 60's pop bands. The chorus on #6 is strangely reminiscent of The Who's "Boris The Spider" despite not having anything in common with it at all.

www.myspace.com/thewhitsundays
www.friendlyfirerecordings.com/Bands/Whitsundays/whitsundays.html