Towers of London- Blood Sweat and Towers

Cool Band Name.
Catchy CD title.

Described as "The Sex Pistols spawned a child who had the fashion sense of Motley Crue."
Itunes labels this as rock. It's more alt/punk, but the problem is that while it's upbeat and toe tapping, it's not really what the genre is all about. I can't lay claim to being a metal or punk fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I've always dug The Clash, The Cure, DRI, Dead Milkmen, and a few others. On the right day I might even take in a little Black Flag. I'm only on the 4th track right now, but I think there is a maturity that's missing from this music. If I am going to listen to this type of music, someone's life had better suck. There had better be some ridicule and chastising on the horizon. This band strikes me as a cross between Sweet and The Surf Punks. Nice sound that's aaaaalmost as catchy as Sweet, but as silly and juvenile as The Surf Punks.

What can I say. I gave it a chance. I think they'll have their fans, but in my book, they only rate a C. This is the sort of music I'd have on as background music so I could study. Nice riffs, nice solid beat, but that's about it.

Check some out for yourself!

Blood, Sweat & Towers

Towers of London

TVT Records

Download "Air Guitar" (MP3, 192kbps)

BUY THIS ALBUM

Tally Hall

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
Oh, what a wonderful treat this was! The disc was every bit as fun as the place it is named after. If you could roll Squirrel Nut Zippers, Queen, Madness, Ben Folds, and Barenaked Ladies into a little ball, squish it together, liquify it, press it into a jello mold, bake it for a few minutes, and serve warm, you would get Tally Halls new disc.
I was impressed when I heard the first few tracks. It starts off with Good Day, which sounds as if 3-4 bands all contributed various bits and pieces. IT WORKS. Tally Hall pays a visit to the 80's with some basic fun rap, moves on to some bluegrass, throws in a tune about Mary Kate and Ashley Olson, and slowly eases it from 5th to first by wrapping it up with Ruler of Everything.
This is a very nice effort, and I'm glad I had a chance to hear it. I remember hearing OK GO before they hit it big. I was impressed with their disc as well. I think these guys could follow a similar path. If they can get their music out there, I think they have a good shot at beefing up their fan base.
But don't take my word for it. Go check 'em out yourself. It's worth it!
A all the way, baby!

Basement Jaxx -- Crazy Itch Radio

So it seems that something has happened in the music world since last I posted. Hip Hop is now not only "the thing", but it is having a wonderful and beautiful effect on music as a whole. Basement Jaxx is a fine example of this. I have heard the name before but had not heard their music. It's a wonderful blend of moods, styles, and sounds. From the first note of the intro until the last beat of the final track, this disc is designed to be it's own journey. Where most CD's (albums to us old timers) look for this track or that track to be a hit, with little or no connection from one to another, this disc takes us places, and segues track to track, creating connections that tie everything together. There is some standard fare in here, which is too bad, because they weigh the whole piece down a little bit. Fortunately songs like Take Me Back to Your House, Hey U (Calling Prince! See below--), and Run 4 Cover really energize this thing!
While I appreciate the silly track naming, I think Prince covered that with Nothing compares 2 U. Isn't that how he spelled it? Well, in my mind, it's that way, and that's what really matters.
Overall, I gave the disc a B-. The hot side IS hot, but the cool side is a little too cool. It still balances nicely, and there should be something for everyone on here. They remind me just a leeeeetle too much of Black Eyed Peas at this point, so hopefully their next release will sound even more unique than this one!