Tired of it All: Music Reviews for People Who Give a Damn About Music

May

Overlooked Album: Shout Out Louds “Howl Howl Gaff Gaff”

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Categories: Overlooked Albums

Back in 2005, you couldn’t throw a rock in the music world without hitting a new poppy, guitar-driven indie act like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Kaiser Chiefs, or a host of other straightforward, uncomplicated bands. Somehow in all of the hoopla, one deserving band got overlooked: Shout Out Louds. Honestly, I don’t know how this could be, since they’re from Sweden and everybody knows that if it’s from Sweden it has to be good (and beloved by hipsters!) I think this must have all started with Abba way back when. But somehow this rule didn’t hold true for Shout Out Louds, as they got almost no press or attention compared to the bands I named earlier. It should have, as they actually live up to the “great Swedish band” hype.

“Howl Howl Gaff Gaff,” I’ve recently found out, is a collection of the band’s previous singles, which explains how they’re able to maintain such a high level of “catchiness” throughout the album. “The Comeback” is undoubtedly the highlight of the album, but there are at least half a dozen songs on the album that are clearly single-worthy. The songs don’t exactly lead into each other or form a coherent story, but every song is infused with optimism and energy. Even on less overtly positive songs, there’s an underlying sense of hope that everything will get better and better. Maybe it’s the only way the Swedes can get through the long winters. For a band whose native language isn’t English, I found the lyrics to be very poetic and meaningful.

The music isn’t anything ground-breaking, but it does a great job of adding to the atmosphere of joy and energy on the album. Jangly guitars, tambourines, clapping and frenetic drumming on songs like “100 Degrees” and “Hurry Up Let’s Go” keep the tempo on the album from ever flagging or getting bogged down, even late in the album. I’m sure Shout Out Louds have been compared to The Strokes in the past, but their songs sound like what The Strokes or Vampire Weekend would be if they were there just to have fun and didn’t care about looking cool or maintaining an aloof, indifferent image. It’s really refreshing to find an indie band that can let loose and just have fun with the music without seeming like they’re trying too hard. If you’re looking for something to raise your spirits or have fun listening to, give Shout Out Louds a try.

To hear samples of all the songs off of Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, you can check out the album on Amazon.

Technorati Tags: album review, clap your hands say yeah, howl howl gaff gaff, indie rock, kaiser chiefs, overlooked album, pop, shout out louds, sweden, the strokes, vampire weekend

May

Album Review: Windmill “Puddle City Racing Lights”

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Categories: Music Reviews

This album was an interesting experience for me- it was highly recommended by a pretty reliable source, but the first few times I listened to it, I didn’t like it. I thought it was too simplistic and repetitive, and found the singer’s voice extremely annoying. To my surprise, it slowly grew on me. For weeks after first listening to it, whenever the time would come to put on music, I would think about what to listen to and would end up putting on the Windmill album again. And again. And again.

After about the 10th listen, I realized that I actually really did like it, and ever since then it’s been in heavy rotation in my stereo. While I still think the songs can be overly repetitive, I’ve come to appreciate all of the other things I disliked at first about this album. There’s something endearing about the simplicity of the songs, and the Matthew Dillon’s childlike voice lends a sense of vulnerability to the music, which contrasts well with the powerful drums that play a central role in many of the songs. It feels almost as if Dillon is trying to mask the anxieties and heartbreaks he sings about by hiding behind the bravado of the bass drum.

The music on Puddle City Racing Lights consists mostly of piano and drums, with accompaniment by strings on most of the songs. The formula for many of the songs entails starting out quietly and crescendoing on the chorus, which could have gotten old after several songs but manages to feel powerful and moving even by the end of the album. “Tokyo Moon”, “Newsflash” and “Fluorescent Lights” use this formula to great success, and still feel as exciting and emotional to me after dozens of listens as they did the first few times I heard them. The front-and-center presence of the kick drum blends beautifully with light strings and Dillon’s high-pitched voice during the chorus of these songs. You can feel the anguish and heartbreak in Dillon’s voice on tracks like “Newsflash.”

Unfortunately “Puddle City Racing Lights” isn’t available here in the US yet, but you can purchase the individual tracks from Windmill’s Myspace page, or the album will be released in the US on July 22. Whether you can wait until then or not, I highly recommend that you get this addictive album and give it several listens to really grab hold of you, like it did to me. This is an album that stays with you for days and weeks after listening to it.

Final grade: A-

Technorati Tags: album review, matthew dillon, puddle city racing lights, windmill

May

Overlooked Album: Pete Yorn “Nightcrawler”

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Categories: Music Reviews and Overlooked Albums

Pete Yorn’s “Nightcrawler” was released almost two years ago, but it was one of those albums that slipped under the radar without getting the attention it deserved. Since that happens pretty regularly, I’m starting a new category of reviews called “Overlooked Albums”, where I’ll highlight great albums from the past that people may have missed the first time around. If you have any suggestions for other overlooked albums you think I should review, please send me an email or leave a comment. Now, on to the review.

Pete Yorn is one of those artists who deserves to be a lot more famous than he is. I’ve wondered why this is, since his songs are pretty straightforward rock songs that should theoretically appeal to a huge market. His songs are catchy, singable, and lyrically interesting. However, he’s far less known than less-talented hacks like John Mayer and (God help us) Jack Johnson. I reali