Monday 25 April 2016

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, May 2016 Preview

ACE FREHLEY – Origins Vol. 1
Frehley ruins some of my favorite songs by Cream, Steppenwolf, Thin Lizzy etc. because he can’t sing to save his life. (5)

BEASTWARS – The Death Of All Things

Mostly sounds like Jesus Lizard buttfucking High On Fire, and that’s a good thing. (7)

BEYONCE – Lemonade

Beyonce takes the pop world by surprise – again. And, even putting speculation about the state of her own marriage aside, this is still a brave record, touching upon subject matter that other artists of her stature wouldn’t dare go near. (8)

GRAND MAGUS – Sword Songs

Heavy fucking metal, plain and simple. (8)

JOHN ZORN – Painted Bird

Another instrumental jazz-metal album, the 4th in 12 months by Zorn’s latest ensemble. If you liked the previous three you’ll like this one too. (7)

KYLE CRAFT – Dolls Of Highland

Oh! This is so great! Imagine a redneck version of Ziggy Stardust bringing some glam rock extravaganza to the swamps of Louisiana, if you don’t like this you’re an idiot. (8)

LERA LYNN – Resistor

After portaying the only watchable character on True Detective’s second season, Lynn returns with her highly enjoyable third album which sounds like Sharon Van Etten paying tribute to Sheryl Crow (or vice versa). (8)

PJ HARVEY – The Hope Six Demolition Project

All PJ Harvey albums by default get an 8, minimum. But her most political one is disappointing as it puts too much emphasis on the message and too little on the medium, i.e. the songs. (6) but (8)

POSIES – Solid States

Too many synthesizers for a Posies record. (6)

SERJ TANKIAN – 1915

Soundtrack to a movie referring to the Armenian genocide. Sounds nothing like SOAD, in case you were wondering. Features a number of Greek musicians for some reason. (7)

SONICS – Live At Easy Street

Seattle septuagenarian garage rockers show their youngster guests like Eddie Vedder how to do this right. (8)

STRUMBELLAS – Hope

Do NOT listen to the lead single, “Spirits” – you’ll never be able to get that epic chorus with the unison vocals out of your head and you’ll end up becoming an indie rock fan with a big beard. You have been warned. (7)

STURGILL SIMPSON – A Sailor's Guide to Earth

This is not country music, you can no longer stick that label on Simpson. This is the genius of Otis Redding and Roy Orbison viewed through a Nashville prism, and it’s gorgeous. (9)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Brown Acid: The Second Trip

Vol. II of this fantastic compilation series featuring totally obscure American proto-metal bands. Appropriately released on 4/20. (8)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Why The Mountains Are Black: Primeval Greek Village Music 1907 – 1960

Look, I can see that Third Man Records put a lot of painstaking research into creating a compilation of Kalamatiana, Hasapika and Tsamika that non-Greeks might find interesting, but I’m a Greek who grew up on rock ‘n’ roll and it’s Orthodox Easter and this stuff is negatively charged to an impossible degree so fuck you and your klarina, Jack White. Just… fuck you. (-)

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