Shannon and the Clams “Sleep Talk”
Listening to Shannon and the Clams new album “Sleep Talk” puts me in a fantastic mood. Think Buddy Holly after he discovered distortion and developed a distinct growl and punch. The Clams previous record “I Wanna Go Home” was one of my favorite records in the past 2 years, so I had high expectations for “Sleep Talk.”
“Sleep Talk” is more diverse than “I Wanna Go Home” in my opinion. Shannon and The Clams have continued to not only refine their sound, but to include continued experimentation and engagement which makes their music fun, provoking, and exciting. The Blanchard’s guitar licks hum while Shaw’s voice maneuvers to create a “vintage” 50′s sound with punk, R&B, and Rockabilly elements scattered throughout the album. My only regret is not seeing this band when they passed through Durham a few months ago (being out of town sucks!). Now I want to sit here and review each individual song…but I rather you form your own perception of The Clams sound. Go on ahead and check them out.
Battle Not With Monsters
A few weeks ago April 28th I ventured off to The Broad Street Cafe in Durham (http://www.thebroadstreetcafe.com/) to check out Battle Not With Monsters solo. I reviewed their album and recorded a few shows awhile back. Well, as life takes it, things can change. Battle Not With Monsters is predominantly that of Patrick Blackburn. He is a good ole boy from Stokes County who somehow managed to be influenced by some great music. Blackburn has definitely spent many of nights writing, listening, and working on his craft. What is evident with Blackburn is he enjoys playing and performing. Plain and simple, he does it for himself and if a few people enjoy it along the way, he is stoked.
Throughout the evening at Broad Street Cafe, people seemed to enjoy the music. Families and folks sat, drank some beer, had a great pizza, while listening to Blackburn’s stories and chords. A good vibe was in the air that night. Patrick Blackburn plays mostly original tunes with staples like “Save Me As I Am”, “Ode to Allen Ginsberg”, and a few surprise covers like the Pixies “Where is my Mind.” If you are looking for a relaxing evening with usually some pleasant music, check out Broad Street Cafe. Also, if you feel so obliged, please have a listen to Patrick Blackburn and Battle Not With Monsters. Patrick’s information can be found on the posted link.
Unfortunately, I did not take any video of the show, but below you will find a previous show where Blackburn performs.
American War
One of my favorite albums probably of all time, is this record I picked up on a whim – American War: Rhetoric. The 9 song album is a blast to listen to, well written, simple, and gets better with each listen. Download the album (free) and check out some more info at http://ifyoumakeit.com.
Seriously, it is a fantastic album.
http://www.ifyoumakeit.com/video/american-war/bricks/
http://www.ifyoumakeit.com/album/american-war/rhetoric/
http://www.myspace.com/americanwar
You should really check out…
Ifyoumakeit.com
It is a wonderful music website with countless free albums, live videos, and my personal favorite, The Pink Couch Sessions. Seriously, it has a little bit of everything for the music lover. Highly recommended!
The Bristol 7′s?
http://thebristol7s.wordpress.com/
They never set out to be great, or even good for that matter. Simply two guys in a dingy, dim lit basement drinking myriads of Steel Reserve, Miller High Life, and PBR writing about what they know best or think they know best. Monster trucks, burlesque, wives, girlfriends, and the daily grind: The cheeky lads are indeed lovers of music. They put their music up for free under a Creative Commons license so feel free to fork it, improve it, dump on it, or whatever you wish. Anyways, give it a listen. I did.
https://github.com/asarazan/Narwhalingus-EP
After finishing up recording of our album, we decided that it would be the greatest thing ever to release it under a Creative Commons license, and see what the world could do with it.
As such, The Narwhalingus EP: the debut effort by the Bristol 7′s (oh those cheeky lads), is now available for download on Github, containing both the final mixes, and the individual tracks– all in STUNNING 320kbps MP3 format (come on, it’s a free github account– what do you expect!?).
So please, Fork the repo, sing some harmony, steal my guitar solo, or add a Trance beat. Whatever you want to do, just tell us about it, so we can hear what’s become of our baby!
Happy Birthday to Me…
So my killer brother and I always buy each other records, musical items, etc for our birthdays. I rarely seem him as much as I would like nowadays. Work, a baby coming, married life, and the 13 hour drive can make it difficult from time to time.
Alas! He outdid himself this time. Upon sending me my birthday present, I was stunned to see some records I didn’t own! He provided me with the following:
7inches:
Stiff Little Fingers – Get A Life (1993-94 Taang Records, dark green marble)
NOFX – Liza and Louise (1992 Fat Wreck Chords, pink vinyl)
Screeching Weasel – Suzanne is Getting Married (1994 Lookout Records)
Sublime/Wesley Willis Split – All You Need/Fiasco (1995 Skunk/Urban Legends Records, complete with coloring contest).
Lps:
NOFX – Maximum Rock N Roll (1991/2008 Mystic Records) Rereleased in 2008 on Purple Marble)
The Clash – Black Market Clash (10 inch, 1980 CBS Records)
The Nation of Ulysesses – The Embassy Tapes (2000, Dischord Records)
All in all, I am pretty stoked with all of these. I mean, Cd’s and Mp3′s are nice, but nothing beats the touch, sound, and look of vinyl….
Till next time & and thank you brotha!
BungalowTapes.
The Magic Kids live @ Local 506 11/10/10
Figured I would plug this show as Bull City Records is having a little contest for some free tickets. Now here is some more information on the Magic Kids, stolen from www.bullcityrecords.com.
“Coming from a long background in Memphis garage, the Magic Kids have since fiercely sharpened their skills in the sugar-sick pop department. The tracks on their new LP are all wistful, saccharine sweet pop songs with a hint of arty darkness. The sound is close to the Beach Boys, but revolves more around the Talking Heads in intelligence and delivery. While the music might be obscenely drenched in bubblegum, the subject matter is a bit more playful and sly giving each track more depth. There’s a strange, strange allure and fascination to this record that won’t let the listener stop compulsively playing it on repeat. It’s like not having the control to stop eating that Halloween candy well past the point of slipping into a belly-aching sugar coma.”
Here is my submission concerning the free tickets. Nonetheless, check out this show! I will do my best to be there! I will come back from NY early to catch it.
Reviews: Good Old War
Alright, so I had planned on doing in depth reviews on some records…but my days are probably numbered with school back in session and preparing to be a father. So, my reviews will be mini for this post. However, you should really check out the following records!
Good Old War – Self Titled: If you were a fan of Only Way To Be Alone, then you have to purchase this record. I preordered this down at Bull City Records, and as soon as the needle hit the vinyl, I was impressed. The melodies, hooks, lyrics, and simplicity of Good Old War make the record imemmensly enjoyable. Fifteen tracks make the record a great value.
The Good Old War’s album shows immense growth giving the listener plenty to be excited about with each pop hook, layered melodies, and vocal harmonies. This indie/folk genius demonstrates incredible story telling that focuses on a wide variety of topics. This definitely a band to check out both on record and live!
Upcoming from BungalowTapes
Hey people!
Good to be back! It has been a solid month of business for me. Work has been overwhelming, money is tight, and well, I couldn’t be happier. In the past two months so much has happened that I have neglected the internet. I promise to be posting some new reviews, some videos from a couple of shows, and keep you updated on BungalowTapes.
Soon to come:
- Those reviews I never got around to.
- Live videos from the Marvell in Durham from Trouble In The Wind and Battle Not With Monsters.
- Our future plans at BungalowTapes.
- And a possible record release?
Keep on the look out! I greatly appreciate the reads, comments, and advice I have received from you. Please continue helping me waste my time.
Much Respect My Friends,
BungalowTapes.
p.s. I stole this from my buddy at theeightyfour.blogspot.com…best caption will receive a prize! Be creative! Be Awesome! I will be posting this soon! I am also attempting to do a scavenger hunt…more to come. I promise!
Review: Gogol Bordello – Trans-Continental Hustle
The gypsy punks return! Eugene Hutz and the gang have outdone themselves again, continuing their legacy with a fresh and creative batch of rock’n'roll cupcakes! Gogol Bordello is widely known to fuse so many genres of music together and Trans-Continental Hustle continues down that path. Is Tran-Continental has explosive and unpredictable as Super Taranta or Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, but after a few listens you begin to understand the magic in this album.
Gogol Bordello’s first major label release, fueled with producer Rick Rubin, has created an album that is extremely versatile. Upon first listen, I will admit I was a bit hesitant to make an opinion on the album. However, after many days of driving and listening, I feel it is one of their strongest efforts. The story telling on this album is amazing. Many will contest that the album is overproduced, and I not agreeing or disagreeing, but the true splendor of the songs are the way Gogol Bordello uses music to tell a story. Furthermore, Eugene Hutz and the crew thrive from playing their songs live. A quick search through www.youtube.com will show the view the power and soul of the band.
My personal favorites are as follows:
Break the Spell
Pala Tute
When the Universes Collide
Rebellious Love
Uma Menina
Trans-Continental Hustle
Check out this album, listen to it several times, and enjoy!
Regards/Rock!
Bungalowtapes!
