Magic Dirt - Young & Full Of The Devil

MINE

We love Adalita.  Seriously cool rock chick par excellence.  Loved catching her cameo in Rockwiz earlier this year.  The woman who can reduce my husband to a drooling heap on the floor. (YourZ sez: any red-blooded rock-loving man would be similarly reduced)

But I don't love this album.  It's just a little - young for me.  It's all a bit angsty-youth with long distorted-guitar intros and outros and while her voice is great, there's not a lot on this to appeal to me.  The band moved to a more radio-friendly sound after this, and I'm afraid that's the sound that appeals to me.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

Mine mentions the love we have of Adalita.  It truly exists.  But she doesn't mention the heady dose of unadulterated lust I feel for her as well.  This girl defines the meaning of rock babe.

I think I've probably seen Magic Dirt perform more than any other single Australian band.  And every show has been a winner, from their early, ear-bleedingly loud pub shows, their fesitval performances (they've been a consistent Big Day Out favourite) and  their more recent headline shows at large venues.

Over the years, Magic Dirt have changed their sound becoming more accessible as their career's progressed.  It is sad that the recent death of founding member and bass player, Dean Turner, after a long struggle with a rare form of cancer, has left the future of this very fine act up in the air.

As an album, Young & Full Of The Devil defined their early sound, the heavy, abrasively distorted guitars and heart-shaking rhythm section, their incredible loud/soft dynamic (used by lots but mastered by few) and Adalita's wild-eyed, sneering vocal delivery.  It also show the direction they were heading as well.

Mine says it is young but I see it more as an album full of maturing.  They highlight a greater range of song writing, moving from their distortion-riddled noise-rock numbers to more layered, accessible tracks.  It still isn't the sound they have now but it is definitely becoming.  .

If you've not heard this band before, then you definitely need to get some Dirt under your fingernails.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (RIP Dean)

For more information: http://www.magicdirt.com/

In our collection we also have Life Was Better, Friends In Danger, What Rock Stars Are Doing Today and Tough Love

Girls Against Boys - You Can't Fight What You Can't See

MINE

It's kinda weird what this whole blogging-a-review-a-day is doing to my perception of music.  For instance, while listening to this CD (in the car en route to and from work, as is my wont) I became caught up in a train of thought about drum kits.  I was wondering if hard rock bands could forego the tinny sounds of the hi-hat, with a special foot pedal control instead operating another method of hitting a tom or a snare.  Because when you have a really hard driving rock sound, the hi-hat sounds positively - well, not to be delicate - pussy.

The drummer in Girls Against Boys is just so enamoured of his cymbal sounds, it's such a shame - because for my ears it takes away from what could be a really great example of post-punk New York style rock.  I also found the songwriting varied greatly, shifting from straight-and-boring rock to the post-punk variety.  I liked BFF and Kicking the Lights, and Let it Breathe is a nice way to close out the album, but generally - not impressed. 

Drummer - lose the hi-hat and stop banging that cymbal so much.  DRUM!

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ


This is another of those albums in our collection I totally forgot about.  I saw GVSB on tour with Australia's Magic Dirt some years ago now and remember being blown away by the twin bass guitar sound.  Up until then, I'd not even heard of the band.  But after the show, I went out and got You Can't Fight What You Can't See and was as impressed with this album as I was with their live show.

Theirs is a dark, rhythm-driven sound, heavy on drums and bass, naturally, nor are they not afraid to use new technologies to add to their overall driving sound.  Scott McCloud's sneering vocal delivery, coupled with the hardcore leanings of the music puts me in mind of a few other bands, most notably Fugazi and Sonic Youth. Thankfully, GVSB don't lean on these other acts too much, carving their own sound out of this template.

Favourites tracks include All The Rage, 300 Looks For The Summer (with its I don't like Hollywood repeated refrain), The Come Down, One Perfect Thing and Miami Skyline.  And while the band has been quiet for a number of years, I was pleased to read they've recently completed a tour of Europe and are also planning some recording time.  I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of this.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.gvsb.com/