Chapel Club

I'm very conflicted about Chapel Club. On the one hand, they seem like nice guys with good taste and playing good solid songs that remind me of other bands I really like (The Mighty Lemon Drops, Longwave, The Stills). The problem is, at least for the US, that I think they are going to suffer the same fate as all of those bands. Much like them, they don't have a particular look. Their sound doesn't fit any underground hip wave of buzz. They have no "thing." They aren't the next Oasis and they aren't the next Libertines.

But they do have songs. And really that's the saddest part. While other bands are getting all of the attention, Chapel Club is making solid rock songs with sweeping crescendos and giant choruses. The songs are catchy and tight, and still have a sense of grandeur. I wish them the best but expect the worst. Please prove me wrong, world.

Download All The Eastern Girls from Billy Suede.

And watch the video too:

Radiohead

In addition to all of the other greats releasing records this spring, we now have a new Radiohead release to look forward to as well.

Entitled King Of Limbs, it is available for pre-order now and the download portion will be available this week.

No pay what you want experiment. No paradigm shifting. Just another Radiohead release of songs/music.

www.KingOfLimbs.com

UPDATE:
Now with video...

Brother

Since I have commented on The Vaccines, it's only right that I follow that up quickly with one on Brother.

Splitting British music fans right down the middle, most people think that Brother are either the devil incarnate or the second coming. The critical intelligentsia are dismissing them out of hand as rehashing grave-robbers with no real musical chops but tons of gall and a lot of lip service. Unfortunately for those critics, there seem to be a real market for an Oasis redux act, filming their interviews at a football stadium, claiming they are the only real music in town and insulting other bands with reckless abandon. Claiming their own sound as "gritpop" didn't help either.

But notice that I haven't mentioned much about the music. That's the thing, for the slings and arrows, the music is rarely the real topic, and I think I know why. Brother's songs are... not bad. They aren't great either. They have all the earmarks and swagger, but the things that made Britpop and particularly Oasis so inviting was the sound. Huge loud and imposing while also simple-minded dumb pop music that drives deeply into your brain after one listen. Brother's songs are ok, they aren't offensive, but they aren't inspiring. They might do better with some touring, some punch ups and a good amount of lager and a few more records in their collection. I can wait.

Lykke Li

Now that I have read a few interviews with Lykke Li, it sounds like she agrees with my assessments of her career so far. While I found her first record pleasant enough, there was always something a bit too pleasant. Pleasant to the point of toothless. There wasn't much to really hang on to or to talk about. it was just nice and inoffensive and simply fit into the landscape of breathy pretty girl singers without much to say. It sounds like she now has beef with her former persona, and is ready to throw the world a curve ball.

And with the her currently ubiquitous single, "Get Some," she has done just that. The mood is edgier, the instrumentation is more immediate and even her hair has taken a turn for the dark side. Which is why I am so intrigued this time out. She doesn't sound like everyone else here. She is taking charge with calm and somewhat lewd assertions and is staking her claim.



Also check out the Beck and Mike D remixes of Get Some.

For an idea as to why she has changed, check the Fader interview.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention this earlier... one of the other reasons I like this song is that it's basically an electro goth remake of KC and the Sunshine Band's "I'm Your Boogieman!" Trade the "I'm your prostitute" line for "I'm your boggie man" and you'll have to admit it's pretty much spot on.