Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R

YOURZ

Here is a recap for you: we started this project not because we love writing (which we do) or because we love music (which we do) but because we basically wanted a novel way of going through our collection and moving them to our newly-acquired (at the time) Ipod.  So it is rather telling that Queens Of The Stone Age are one of the very few bands whose every CD we own have been all put to the digital library.

I think everyone who is a fan has a favourite QOTSA album.  Every album is a winner in my world but Rated R is the biggest winner of them all.  Maybe its because around the time it was released, I saw them tour for Big Day Out.  Or maybe because it's just a beer-swilling, drug-enhancing, kick-arse and take numbers rock album that does surprisingly well with the ladies too.

Yes, this does have their anthemic Feel Good Hit Of The Summer, but it also has the best recording of Monsters In The Parasol, a fantastic piece of rock nonsense and the way-cool wig out that is Better Living Through Chemistry.  It also has the crazy shit provided by Nick Oliveri, whose live appearance did not include anything done in the nude, thankfully.  And seeing them perform Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret was a  highlight I still remember.

I don't think we could end this project on a better note.  I'm sure Mine would probably disagree but then, isn't this what this project has been all about?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP


MINE

Feel Good Hit of the Summer.  Ain't nothing better.  Frankly, I don't really care about the rest of the album, all I want to do is turn this up L-O-U-D and dance.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (wait, didn't I already say that?)


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

Death From Above 1979 - You're A Woman, I'm A Machine

YOURZ

Oh, this record is going to make Mine gag.  But I love it.  It is dirty, noisy punk rock belted out by this Canadian two-piece, who have eschewed guitars in favour of fat, distorted and effected bass and pounding drums.  Unfortunately, the band imploded in a fit of spit and bad tempers sometime after releasing You're A Woman, I'm A Machine, their one and only long player.

While I note some similarities to favourites, Queens Of The Stoneage, who are masters of this dirty, fat rock, DFA1979 add their own twist to the formula by building great dance-punk grooves often accompanied by raging, distorted vocals.  On this album, their attack is relentless, with most tracks clocking in under the 3:00 minute mark and only serves to leave me wanting to more.

As a side note, I have to thank my good friend Chris, who passed away recently, for putting me on to this band.  Vale, my faraway friend.  You'll be missed.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Oh these guys.  YourZ has the t-shirt.  And while I kind of liked the first two songs - especially Romantic Rights  - it all got a bit same-y for me after a while.  But at least the songs were short!

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information go to http://www.deathfromabove1979.com/

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

YOURZ

One part Led Zeppelin, one part Foo Fighters and one part Queens Of The Stoneage...  Fuck me, what is there not to like about this band?

This band is the epitome of a super-group: massive riffs, a huge rhythm section and the sort of kick-arse, take-no-prisoners attitude that would cause any pretty-boy bands calling themselves rock to crap their pants so hard, they'd shit their tongues.  (If you're eating while reading this, I apologise for causing you any discomfort).

I'm a big fan of Josh Homme and Dave Grohl and their various music projects.  But I have to say, my favourite member of TCV is, without a doubt, the amazing Mr John Paul Jones.  Not only does he rock harder and better than most guys at least half his age, he makes it seem so effortless.  Not only this, but he is amazingly well-preserved for a man in his 60s.  We can all only hope to be the same when we're his age.

I'm not going to go on about the tracks or the sound or any of the usual reviewer-y type stuff.  I was bitterly disappointed to miss out seeing them here earlier this year and won't let that happen again.  By all accounts, their live show was a flawless example of what a rock show should be.  And the rumours of their followup album are so rife in the blogosphere, it has to be true. 

So, it looks as thought I'm going to end this year as I did last year, eagarly awaiting the release of a Them Crooked Vultures album.  I can hardly wait!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP and check out Dave Grohl's Fresh Pots on YouTube - you'll laugh until you cry!

MINE

Sometimes I wonder if there's ever going to be an end to bands that wanna be Led Zeppelin.  And to give them their due, Them Crooked Vultures do it better than most.  Recruiting an original member helps with the Zep cred.

So here I am, wondering why I can really like it when Wolfmother does it, and I'm just a bit - meh - when it's TCV.  It's partially because this band produces what I call the "clever" part of that kind of rock. You know, with the swinging key/tempo changes, the heavy-on-the-syncopation riffs - it's all designed to show off just how interesting they can make the songs.

And really, while I'm a fan of layering and lush arrangements, when it comes to beats I like mine simple.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

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

Kyuss - And The Circus Leaves Town

YOURZ

Oh, wait until Mine gets a load of this.  I think her head is gonna explode all over the windscreen hahahahahahaha... (not that her head exploding is a funny thing, mind you).  Anyway...

If it weren't for Kyuss, we might not have Queens Of The Stoneage, Mondo Generator, Eagles Of Death Metal, Fu Manchu and Them Crooked Vultures, to name of the biggies.  Hailing from Palm Desert in southern California, Kyuss made a name for themselves playing heavy, distorted and groove-laden songs, and featured future QOTSA members Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri.

Throughout their short-lived career, the band seemed to be in a constant state of change, before finally calling it quits shortly after releasing And The Circus Leaves Town.  Of all their albums, this is most certainly my personal favourite and the only one currently residing in our collection (mainly because Blues For The Red Sun and Welcome To Sky Valley both walked out of my house at some stage).  The rest, as they (whoever they are) say, is future history.

If you're a fan, you'll know all about this album.  If you're not but want to be, then this is as good a place to start as any (in fact, it probably is the best place to start, as far as I'm concerned).

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

What, another Led Zeppelin tribute album?  (YourZ sez: I beg to differ - this is stoner rock at its finest!  Led Zep were never as sludgy as this)  How do these bands get record deals, anyway?  Oh, that's right, the recording industry is full of never-grew-up testosterone. *sigh*

VERDICT:THROW IT OUT

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/kyussmyspace

March - Wrapup

YOURZ

I can't believe we've got this far without a major disagreement occurring between Mine and YourZ (truly). Oh there have been plenty of heated discussions but this is to be expected.  You can't put two spirited, opinionated and intelligent people together on a project like this and not expect some heated debate. Add to the mix we're married and it really is a surprise we haven't resorted to base urges and tried to strangle each other in our sleep.

I think we've mentioned in previous wrapups how much we're enjoying this.  To reiterate, it has invigorated our collective love of music, has us actively talking about and seeking out new artists and opened our eyes to just how fucking awesome our collection is (even if I do say so myself).

This month, I was stoked to be able to review a few of my all time favourite bands (Led Zeppelin, Queens Of The Stoneage and Gomez) as well as one of my new favourite bands (Clutch) who I also got to see perform a blistering live set.  They kicked serious arse!

We also had the chance, as Mine mentions below, to see Rockwiz, where we stood out by being loud, boisterous know alls.  We spent half the night laughing and the other half rocking out.  We would gladly do it all again tomorrow and the day after too.

Our giveaway, after much deliberation, is to one of our regular(ish) respondents but also the author of some of the funniest, most astute music writing we've read.  We're going to send one of our favourite CDs, The Sleepy Jackson's Lover (review here) to Seano from Circle Of Fits (see this blog here), because we think he'd enjoy it as much as we do.  Seano, if you read this, send us an email with your address and we'll send you some padded baggy goodness.

Finally, another word about our Freebies.  This is the list in our sidebar of CDs we are GIVING AWAY. We're not asking for anything of you other than an email stating what you'd like, why you'd like it and an address where we can send it.  You don't even have to worry about postage.  If there is nothing on the list that interests you, tell your friends to check it out.  Our only motivation is we'd rather see these CDs go to a good home than become landfill.  Let me say it again - FREE CDS!

MINE

We're a quarter of the way through this journey and I'm still getting a thrill from all the music I'm listening to and talking about.  Plus each time we get the pointy stick and the blindfold out (that's how we pick the CDs to review, dear reader) we always have another conversation - about how close we came to almost picking more favourite albums.

And this month we both established ourselves as true music nerds, by going to see RocKwiz being filmed at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney.  Neither of us had the opportunity to  show our mean music skillz, but we sure had fun yelling out the answers and waving our hands in the air.

So at the three-month-mark, I guess I'm just getting more and more enthused about the wide range of music we enjoy.  Onward!

Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyse

MINE

The boy music just never lets up... but actually I've been reasonably impressed by QOTSA.  Perhaps because I just loved track one on their debut album, Rated R.  So if you've never heard Feel Good Hit of the Summer take a clicky walk and have a listen.

See what I mean? Two minutes 46 seconds of a rawk mantra that just rolls you along.  Ironically used by the LAPD in its anti-drunk driving campaign... but that's another Josh Homme story.  Which I'm sure YourZ has more than enough of for this post.

YourZ is a rabid Josh fan, and I can see why.  We both love the Eagles of Death Metal - and when the pointy stick finally lands on Them Crooked Vultures, stand back, the gushing from my beloved will knock you over.  QOTSA's not really my cup of tea, although it's still well put together with more real singing and a decent mix.  Does this mean I have to admit - his boy music is actually Man Music?  Oh, the ignominy...(YourZ sez: fuck yeah, I win!)

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

While the music press has been lauding Jack White's prodigious output over the last decade, I've been plumping for Josh Homme.  I mean, look at his track record - first Kyuss, (okay maybe not strictly in the last decade but...), the Desert Sessions, QOTSA, Eagles Of Death Metal, production for Arctic Monkeys and various others and, of course, Them Crooked Vultures.  What's Jack White done, huh?  (Okay, I know what he's done - I've admitted it on these very pages but give me some latitude, 'kay?)

Not only this, but he plays Matons (most of the time), which is also my axe of choice.  And he is married to Brody Dalle, one of the sexiest rock chicks to come out of Oz.  The man has is all going on.  But enough of this insipid gushing...

Lullabies... is the fourth full length release from QOTSA and the first released after bassist Nick Oliveri was fired for fucking up once too often.  When I first heard this album, I was kinda missing the crazy shit Nick usually brought to the table but after a few listens, I realised there was enough crazy on this album to satisfy even the most discerning of rock loonies (of which I am proud to say I'm one).

I must listen to this album (and all QOTSA's output) at least once every couple of weeks and there isn't a single track on it I don't want to hear again.  There is just so many flavours, though, it is hard to pick out which tracks are favourites 'cause it depends on my mood on the day.  But notable mentions have to be Tangled Up In Plaid, Little Sister (the cow bell fuckin' rocks) and the dirty blues that is You Got A Killer Scene There, Man... (which also features Shirley Manson from Garbage on backing vox).

All indications are there is gonna be another QOTSA album released this year.  Coupled with the rumours of a full-blown tour later as well, 2010 is shaping up to be a very rocking good year indeed.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP, put it on repeat and rock out

For more information: www.qotsa.com

In our collection we also have Queens Of The Stoneage (debut), Rated R, Songs For The Deaf and Era Vulgaris

Asian Dub Foundation - Enemy Of The Enemy

MINE

Oooh, now I know what YourZ means when he bangs on about Forgotten Gems.  This cross-genre dancey, bangy, bhangra-reggae mix just got me itchin' to find a dance floor.  There's something so inspirational for the hips about the cut-through sound of a tabla combined with some really dubby bass.  I'm more familiar with their 2000 release, Community Music as I'd once had a copy of it (whatever happened to that?) but this is just as good.  Swinging between different paces, it's another one I want to select tracks from for my Shuffle's range of "gym-spirational" music.

Speaking of which, that's another area where YourZ and my good self couldn't be further apart.  When it comes to pumping iron, he's all about the shouty-boy music - Clutch, Karnivool, Queens of the Stone Age etc.  Whereas I like me some power-pop, big beat and dancefloor fillers - much like these dudes.

In case you're interested, the song 1000 Mirrors features Sinead O'Connor.  But that's one of the slower ones and I'm just looking around for a dance floor.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (dance, dance, dance)

YOURZ

Mine and YourZ (truly) had a discussion last night about categories in music.  This stemmed from my idea that, as an exercise, it would be interesting to categorise each band we review and put together some sort of statistical analysis at the end of the year.  Mine disagreed for a number of reasons but primarily because she shares my dislike of categorisations.  I countered that I didn't like them either but that the music industry thrives on them as do a lot of the fans.

For the sake of the argument, we went through the selections we'd made so far and applied an arbitrary genre category to each.  The problem with this is the word 'arbitrary' because where I might see a particular act as one genre, Mine sees it as another.  Asian Dub Foundation was one such act.

To me, this is mainly a hip hop album.  It has more melody and rhythmic complexities than rap and while is uses electronica elements, could hardly be considered so because of its live instrumentation.  Yet we argued about it.  In reality, it has all the above elements without being any one of them in particular.  Heck, it could even be said to encompass world music elements as well.  The argument's still not resolved and probably won't ever be.

Why am I telling you this?  Mainly to give you an understanding of what Enemy Of The Enemy sounds like, without applying a particular genre category to it.  It's undoubtedly great music, full of clever beats consistently crossing cultural boundaries.  It's what I call intelligent dance music.  And this isn't a category, this is a reality.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to: http://www.asiandubfoundation.com/