Black Lips - Can't Hold On

1.    Who are the Black Lips?

Black Lips are a garage rock band, with a side of bluesy psychedelia, from Atlanta, Georgia. Can’t Hold On (April’17) is the lead single from their eighth album Satan’s Graffiti or Gods Art? (May’17). 

2. What kind of tune is Can't Hold On?

Can't Hold On is a foot to the floor retro-rock song without any frills.

3. Who do the Black Lips sound like? 

Night Beats, The Orwells, and King Tuff.

4. What have the cut and paste jackals said about Can't Hold On? 

“Snarling” – Paste Magazine. 

“As chaotically cathartic as ever” – Stereogum. 

“Shambolic take on garage rock” – Consequence Of Sound.

5. Which bands inspired the Black Lips?

The Black Lips main influences are 13^th Floor Elevators, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, and Bo Diddley. 


6. Why should I give Can't Hold On a spin? 

Because you like punky garage bands like The Orwells. Because you love retro-rock'n'roll like The Growlers.


7. What are the Black Lips best songs? 

Throw It Away, Take My Heart, and Can't Dance. 


8. Any more words you charlatan?

Satan’s Graffiti or Gods Art? is produced by Sean Lennon (Fat White Family). 

Freedom Fry are a light indie pop duo from Los Angeles, California. Playing together since 2011 they have released a string of E.P.'s and singles. Freedom Fry sound something like Katie Herzig, Blondfire, and STRFKR. Their main influences are Beach House, The Surfaris, and The Ventures. Wild Child (April'17) is a stand alone single and is commercial indie pop with a hint of desert Americana and nostalgic melancholy. Hard not to like though and that's the point.

“Woah, well bless my soul,

Living on love & rock’n’roll”

Cage The Elephant - Cry Baby

1.    Who are these trippers?

Cage The Elephant are one of the most popular and influential indie rock bands at the minute. Making exciting and eclectic genre hopping anthems since 2006 and hailing from Bowling Green, Kentucky, they have four long players on their roll of majestic honor. Cry Baby is the second single whipped off Tell Me I'm Pretty (Dec'15).


2. What have Cage The Elephant trotted out for your deliction?

Cry Baby is like seventies classic rock. A psych tinged, roiling, and yet ultimately relaxed, indie rocker.


3. Who do Cage The Elephant approximate?

Cry Baby is reminiscent of a Tame Impala tune with a sense of purpose. Black Keys are an obvious reference and so are Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Family Rain.


4. What pearls of wisdom have the fourth estate dropped about Cry Baby?

“Tambourine-flecked rollicking fuzz” – NME.

“Brooding chord progression and slightly melancholic vocal” – Ultimate Guitar.

“Striking indie punk style” – Red Brick.

5. Which bands have lent a hand in shaping the epic fashion of Cage The Elephant?

The main Cage The Elephant influences are The Ramones, The Stooges, Violent Femmes, Chuck Berry and The Rolling Stones.


6. Why should I bring Cry Baby out to trot?

Cry Baby is a cranky serve at some lady and all the better for it. Stewing in niggle Cry Baby isn't a flight of fancy, it is classic, taint punchingly honest, rock'n'roll. Right here, right now, Cry Baby is a glorious and victorious battle won in Cage The Elephant's campaign to attain rock'n'roll immortality.


7. Do Cage The Elephant have any more bangers?

Jesse James is the hidden nugget and then more standard issue fare Mess Around, the first single from Tell Me I'm Pretty, won't leave the people hanging. Ain't No Rest For The Wicked is an indie anthem from an extensive roll of rock hard genius.


8. Any more words fool?

The cut and paste bandits had a circle jerk over the fact that Dan Auerbach, singer and guitarist for The Black Keys, produced and played on the new album Tell Me I'm Pretty.

Dave Grohl drummed on tour for Cage The Elephant in 2011 when their drummer had an illness.

“You say that I’m insane,

I say you are probably right”

 

 

 

 

 

The Great Awake are a melodic punk rock band from South Sydney, Australia. The men have been on the job since 2012, influenced by Millencolin, The Flat Liners, No Use For A Name and Blink-182. Departure Lounge (Sept'15) is the lead single from The Great Awake's debut album Reasons For Leaving (Feb'16). AAA Back Stage said Departure Lounge has “a full throttle, standout chorus full of great singalong potential,” and another Ocker thought it’s “a good ‘n honest slug of Australian punk rock.”

“We sang along to the drunken songs,

And the strangers that shared the streets”

 

 

 

 

Cage The Elephant - Mess Around

 

 

 

1. Who are they?

A very popular, genre hopping, indie rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky. Cage The Elephant have four long players in the bank and Mess Around (Oct'15) is the first single off their fourth album Tell Me I'm Pretty (Dec'15).

2. What kind of tune is Mess Around?

A garage rocker with a large dose of 60's pop. The background vocal adds a dash of psych-pop to the mix. Catchy as the flu.

3. Who do Cage The Elephant sound like?

Well plenty of mention has been made of The Black Keys in regard to Mess Around because Dan Auerbach their guitarist and vocalist plays on the track and produced the new record. But the desert rock groove has plenty of players from The Arctic Monkeys to Hanni El Khatib. The band have said the song was inspired by Jay Reatard's guitar playing, Creedance Clearwater Revival and Outkast.

For all the talk of them being a derivative band I don't know exactly who they sound like. A smidgeon of The Fratellis, a smattering of Black Rebel Motorcycle Cub and a liberal dash of The Family Rain is a good start. Throw in The Black Lips too. As the New York Times said, "Cage the Elephant’s music slices across multiple eras of rock."

4. So what are the press saying?

Cage The Elephant have reached a large audience and now the press are dialing back their love. Music Times thought Mess Around is “a sort of surfer rock groove (with) an infectious sense of fuzziness,” and “rooted in (Cage The Elephant's) dirty rock’n’roll style.” Consequence of Sound ho-hummed that Mess Around is “immediately satisfying and entirely familiar,” and a tune where “fuzzed-out guitars collide with an instantly singable hook.”
 

The new album Tell Me I'm Pretty is “a confident, eclectic rock record with heaps of personality and charm,” concluded Drowned In Sound. Forget Today was effusive, “their perfect sound; fuzzy guitars, brisk pace and a snappy chorus for good measure,” and Gigwise was on the nose,“ ‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’ is a triumph.”
 

 

5. Who are Cage The Elephant’s influences?

The new album was influenced by a jam session with the guitarist from The Doors. The Pixies and Nirvana have been mentioned in despatches. A punk bent has been revealed with joy for The Ramones, The Stooges, Violent Femmes, Black Flag and Butthole Surfers. Oldies get a word in with love for Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.

6. Why should I listen to Mess Around?

It merges a classic fuzzy rock sound that lurks in your subterranean brain with the impulses of the hottest American indie band making music right now. It'll make you run around like a puppy and trash your room.

7. What other good tunes have Cage The Elephant got banging around?

The tippy top of the pile is Jesse James. Oh my god it is a ripsnorter. Next you can't go past Aint' No Rest For The Wicked and In One Ear is in the vanguard. You can figure the rest out from here.

 

8. Is there anything else I need to know?

The band found inspiration in the diverse nature of David Bowie's musical career for the new album Tell Me I’m Pretty.

Dave Grohl from Nirvana and The Foo Fighters drummed for Cage The Elephant when their drummer was sick.

Cage The Elephant have been fluffers for big rockers like Muse, The Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.

“She'll show you what she's made of
Yeah she's comin' for ya
She's gonna try to break ya”

 

 

The double dip is courtesy of The Family Rain, an indie blues rock band from Bath, Englandt, Trust Me I’m A Genius (2014).

 

 

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker's Wicked Waters (Mar’15) is a winner in the name game for both the singer and the song. And the video features cops shooting at the singer before he walks into a bar and picks up a guitar from the band playing and joins in. Choice. Hailing from New Orleans and blending modern rock with a liberal dosing of blues, his self-titled debut album Benjamin Booker (Aug’14) minded Clash magazine of The White Stripes, The Strokes and Kings of Leon. London In Stereo called Wicked Waters, "rambunctuous and seething."

 

Benjamin Booker is a blues/garage/punk rock musician and his heroes are Los Angeles cowboy punk band The Gun Club and his main influences T. Rex and Blind Willie Johnson. Benjamin Booker's music is best described as, "...a well mixed cocktail of punk, folk and New Orlean's blues". Wicked Waters carries a tale from despair to revelation like the sheriff's galloping horse in a black and white western. I don’t know if the blues can be jiggy but Wicked Waters sure as shit is. Jiggy as fuck. With organs like a Doors wigout, ‘can I get an amen’ gospel vocals from the preachers favorite hell-fire sermon and a garage band rock out at the end, the Manchester Evening News called Benjamin Booker, "...powerful and soulful...a voice in a million" and Wicked Waters, “...bouncy and infectious.” It is. As infectious as a frat boys communal wank mitt. Wicked Waters is one of the best indie songs of 2015.
 

“Well my heart is feeling empty
Well my legs are feeling weak
Well my heads sore from yesterday
Well I stumble when I speak.”

 

Shit you need to know:

His music has been compared to Jack White, The Black Keys, The Strokes, Led Zeppellin and Chuck Berry.

Spin magazine thought the long player Benjamin Booker was "...a contender for rock record of the year."

Clash magazine called Benjamin Booker, “...an electrifying introduction to the future of the blues” and Wicked Waters “riotous,” while DIY magazine said Wicked Waters is "ferocious" and "blistering. "

Benjamin Booker is label mates with Alabama Shakes and has toured with Alabama Shakes and his album was produced by Andrija Tokic who did the same for Alabama Shakes.  

Benjamin Booker was on fluffer duties for Jack White's 2014 national tour.

Other cracking Benjamin Booker tracks are Have You Seen My Son? and Violent Shiver - (all minute and a half of it!)

 

 

Slippery seconds should, must and will, go to Alabama rock band Alabama Shakes today and their massive 2012 hit Hold On.

“Bless my heart, bless my soul,
Didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old”