The Black Keys - Attack & Release

YOURZ

Produced by the 'he's everywhere, he's everywhere' producer (and a personal favourite of mine), Danger Mouse, Attack & Release is The Black Keys' fifth full length album.  It's also the first album of theirs I bought. 

Like a lot of the new millenium bands, this duo slipped by me while I was squirrelling away in my home studio, writing beats and rehearsing the little hip hop band I was producer for at the time.  Another part of my avoidance issues (and this was true with my problem with The White Stripes as well) was I wasn't convinced a two piece band could sound 'proper'.  I'm such a fan of fat bass and drums, the idea of reducing the formula to vocals, guitars and drums didn't really sound like it would work, at least not in a way that would interest me.  But I am nothing if not willing to be proven wrong.

Attack & Release is a damned fine record of what could be called modern blues rock.  I should have trusted my ears instead of ignoring The Black Keys based on what I'd read about them.  I've listened to both this and their first album, The Big Come Up, many times over now and haven't gotten sick of either. 

Oh, and the whole debate Mine mentions below kind of negates itself when you read The Beatles admitted to openly pilfering riffs and licks from their favourite artists of the time.  The development of most modern musical genres has often involved magpie-ing bits from other artists and adapting them for new use, with the blues being the most prolific in this habit.  I'm eagerly looking forward to their new album, Brothers, to see what they've stolen this time.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Blues-rock.  Meh.  I can see why this album's jumped into our collection as YourZ is both fond of  the genre and has a tendency to follow producers he likes, being a producer himself.  And this was put together by Danger Mouse, who we both think is shit-hot.  But that doesn't change the fact that the songs are generally what you'd expect from any old blues-rock band playing in Generic Pub, Anywhere.

That's apart from the closing number, which absolutely staggered me.  Not because it's better than the rest of the album, which it is, but because it so blatantly rips off the Beatles' Don't Let Me Down.  Which has been pointed out on numerous Black Keys forums in the past so I won't belabour the point.  (YourZ sez: yeah, but, no, but, oh, see above...)

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

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

In our collection we also have The Big Come Up

The White Stripes - Elephant

YOURZ

I have a confession to make - The White Stripes are my least favourite Jack White band.  Yeah, I know it's the band that brought him to prominence and it's not that there's anything wrong with this duo (in fact, watching their recent DVD Under Great White Northern Lights did nothing but increase my respect for them).  I just much prefer his work with both The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.

Apart from the accompanying live album to the aforementioned DVD, Elephant is the only White Stripes CD in our collection.  And what a kick-arse album it is too.  While the singles did very well for them, it's album tracks like Ball And Biscuit, Hypnotize, Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine and Black Math that really rock my socks.

Then there is the beautiful Meg-sung In The Cold, Cold Night, with the simplest of instrumentation, that delights me every time I hear it.  I had the pleasure of meeting Meg backstage at a Beck concert a number of years ago.  Not only is she more gorgeous in real life than any photo can do justice but she is so cute I wanted to take her home.  In fact, Meg, if you're reading this, Mine and YourZ truly have a bed made up and waiting for you.

The reality of listening to this is it has me wanting to hear more of their albums.  Any recommendations?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

It's quite good.  I know, I'm damning with faint praise here but Jack and I just don't really get along. I've spoken before about his propensity for mixing the cymbal sounds right up, and his - um - interesting choices for the levels of some instumentation here had me wincing at times.  Not that he doesn't have the right to do that.  He's an artist, he's allowed to do what he wants.  And I'm sure Meg put her 2 cents' worth in as well.

Of course I really love Seven Nation Army despite that annoying cymbal sound, and this album's chock full of good songs.  Although I'm a bit pissed off about Jack getting the words wrong on I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself.  As you'd expect.

So generally, this isn't bad, but it's just not my sort of music.  Maybe Jack White is my new Dylan - I'll really enjoy the music when someone else does it?

VERDICT:TURN IT DOWN

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

In our collection we also have Under Great White Northern Lights

The Flaming Lips - LateNightTales (compilation)

MINE

A lovely compilation to round out the month, and one of several LateNightTales we have in our collection.  I'll admit I voted for this particular one because it contains the beautiful River Man from Nick Drake, but I'm also loving 10CC's I'm Not In Love, 2HB from Roxy Music and of course the Lips' special version of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army.  Gorgeous.  We loved this CD so much we bought it twice (seriously, we forgot we already had it and bought it twice. D'oh!)

In fact the only thing that spoils this CD is that damn Radiohead song.  SKIP!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

The LateNightTales series and its predecessor series, Another Late Night, are a fucking great idea well-executed, so good, in fact, we have a few of them and will most certainly be adding more as we can.  As Mine points out, we liked this particular one, we had to buy it twice to show our love.  One of my brothers was the lucky recipient of the second copy, although his recent behaviour has me regretting this decision (a little in-joke, dear readers - I'm not serious).

The Flaming Lips are one of Mine and YourZ (truly)'s favourite bands so owning this was a no-brainer.  I love that we get a glimpse into the minds of our favourite acts via these collections - it is just fascinating what they pick as being influential and often completely defies the band's public persona. 

Every track on this is a winner but my favourite picks off this, aside Nick Drake, include Bjork's Unravel, People by Alfie, the Radiohead track Pyramids (yes Mine, it IS a classic), Chris Bell's Speed Of Sound and Sebadoh's On Fire.  And despite my avid dislike of most jazz, the Miles Davis track, My Ship, has me wanting to hear more of this genius' work.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP,


For more information: http://www.latenighttales.co.uk/

In our collection, we also have: Air - LateNightTales, Fatboy Slim - LateNightTales and Kid Loco - Another Late Night