Keep An Eye Out: Wild Beasts – Limbo, Panto

July 13, 2008

Wild Beasts released an album, titled Limbo, Panto, in their native UK last month.  While it’s not available stateside yet, I’m sure the band will manage to secure a distribution deal with a U.S. label.  Their music is very theatrical, with singer Hayden Thorpe’s vocals alternating between throaty growls and almost female-sounding falsetto.  On the first single from the record, “The Devil’s Crayon,” bassist Tom Fleming takes the lead with some very satisfying results.  It’s a sweet, chugging little dance tune.  It’s all very British, but I think the music will appeal to indie rock snobs across the pond like yours truly.  Watch out for the U.S. release!

“The Devil’s Crayon”

“Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants”

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Posted by Jason Austinite

Album Review: Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight

July 13, 2008

With all due respect to the folks at All Music Guide, who do great work most of the time, how on earth is this album not covered on the site that is many people’s go-to source for music reviews? Despite much blog coverage, The Midnight Organ Fight is apparently still not getting the attention it warrants.

I hope this changes, as Frightened Rabbit deserve to have a bright and lucrative future ahead of them. Although The Midnight Organ Fight has an intimate sound, it isn’t hard to imagine many of these songs translating well to a large indoor venue with a cool light show, and it wouldn’t surprise me if I get to find out how they handle a bigger stage not too long from now.

Singer Scott Hutchison lays down one gem after another, tossing off bon mots worthy of Paul Westerberg (“Jesus is just a Spanish boy’s name,” “Let’s get paralyzed down both sides”) along the way. Although it’s not a country record (they’re from Scotland, after all), the jangly guitar may appeal to alt-country fans.

The album isn’t perfect–it stumbles badly on “Old Old Fashioned,” which sounds like when Richard Thompson gets too cute. It also has pacing problems–they’re so good at writing album closers that there are two on here, “Poke” and “Floating in the Forth,” neither of which actually close the album. Despite these flaws, I am confident I will be revisiting The Midnight Organ Fight for years to come, and I’ll be purchasing Frightened Rabbit’s first album, The Greys, on my next trip to the record store.

Take a few minutes to listen to “Head Rolls Off,” and do try to catch them live if they come to your town.

“Head Rolls Off”:

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Posted by Gordon Winslow

Recommendations

July 13, 2008

So, I just ordered the last album needed to complete my Teena Marie collection from Amazon (you may call it OCD–I prefer Go! CD!). Based on past orders, Amazon recommended:

  • A bunch more Teena Marie albums, of course
  • A Kinks album
  • A Nick Cave album
  • Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC in disguise)
  • A bunch of Motörhead albums

Then they sent out the men with the clean white coats and butterfly nets to pick me up.

[Shaking head and rubbing eyes] Whew! Thank God! That last sentence was just a dream! Such a thing could never happen based on an Amazon order. Only Google wields that kind of power.

Ask me what I need?

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Posted by Gordon Winslow