Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Goops



It seems that once a year I get a request to repost this album. I'm happy to comply because I think the album is awesome even if the complete plonker that requested it didn't leave an email so I could let them know that it was re-upped.

Here's what I wrote about it a couple of years ago.

Another New York punk band that absolutely rocks. This four piece band is female fronted and once again I don't know too much about them but a google search reveals they have at least two albums and a song on the Mallrats soundtrack. The music is punk and there are shades of the punker Blondie and I'm also reminded of both Throwing Muses(particularly on the last song I am Legend) and Transvision Vamp at times.
Third song The Day I Met Iggy is classic punk rawk with its catchy chorus and autobiographical lyrics about not impressing Mr Pop.

This now defunct band have a myspace site where you can hear a couple of songs from their self titled album. There they state that their influences as The Ramones, Stiff Little Fingers, Iggy Pop, The Clash, Blondie, The Avengers, MC5, Radio Birdman and listening to the self titled album that does nail their sound and they cover MC5's City Slang on this album. It is also stated that their first album is as much rock as punk and the second one is more pop.
Songs:
Dead/Alive
I Don't Care
The Day I Met Iggy
City Slang
Use No Hooks
Nobody Goes To Waste
Never Live It Down
Island Earth
Booze Cabana
I am Legend

Get it!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Winebirds - Seance Hill


Indie folksters Winebirds herald from Portland, Oregon and are made up of two girls and three guys and make the most of this line-up vocally with male and female vocals. The female vocals dominate and at times bring to mind the strenth of the harmonies are reminiscent ofThe Corrs.

It's not all female vocals though there's a Mick Jagger style rasping at the forefront on "The Solution" and "Out in The Van which the accompanying female voice softens. Upbeat chirpy female voice lend "Hit Machine" a happy indie pop feel. "Tideman" sways in and out with searching melacholic undertones. That one song is titled "Cassandra" offers a clue as "Vanity" travels back from modern folk to the sixties courtesy of Mamas and The Papas. To say that Jagger style vocals take the role of Nancy Sinatra's boots and walk all over the song is understating it.

While the switch between female and vocals often doesn't work for me and the band's direction is uncertain. Possibly this is simply because "Seance Hill" doesn't really fit with my usual listening diet so I can't identify find a bad song on it. It'll be interesting to see which direction this band go in the future.

3/5

The Winebirds on myspace.

Beastwars - IV

After over a year off for various reasons, we have returned solely because we wanted to review the new Beastwars album. I really w...