I'm really down about being broke.
I mean, I'm sure that most broke folks are down about being broke, so my feelings are nothing new. That said, I kinda had plans for artists that I was going dive headfirst into, and because of my lack of disposable income, those plans are currently on hold.
For instance, I recently became a fan of Iron & Wine and I was planning on pick up Sam's entire catalogue. The Shepherd's Dog is what won me over first. Then I picked up Our Endless Numbered Days, and I was convinced this was an artist that I wanted to get into. And then the money ran out.
»»
Supergrass caught me off guard; I knew the name but I couldn't swear in a court of law that I've ever heard them before. Imagine my surprise when Diamond Hoo Ha turned out to be a riff-driven and melody-rich trash-rock gem. ... »»
Switches - Lay Down the Law
Interscope (3/18/08)
Rock / Garage / Alternative
Irony-posturing is the coat of arms for an indie-rock band doing the "garage" thing these days. If you don't dress like Lou Reed's stand-in and sing your lyrics like you can think of four better things you could be doing... shit, you might as well not even bother, it would seem.
Well, apparently no one told that to Switches, because on Lay Down the Law they sound like they're having much more fun than a retro-rocker is allowed. The hipster sneer isn't missing entirely, but it acts as a little bit of salt to leaven out the trash-rock sugar rush that Switches seem to be having. They don't get the blend quite perfect here, but with the right kind of ears you can see how the band might be able to approach Strokes territory in a few years.
»»
Come inside, come inside. There's some musical philosophy, a review of a free EP, a rant against posers, fun, frivolity, and a whole heaping helping of snark.
Poppin' Off on the Top
This week's Top 10 Hot Modern Rock Singles, as per Billboard.com:
1. Foo Fighters, "Long Road to Ruin"
Not to offend all the Grohl Trolls out there, but I keep wanting to be as impressed by the Foos as everyone else seems to be and I'm still not getting it. I loved the first album when it came out; I was too young and stupid to realize I was listening to Nirvana's reject bin. Every album since then, they've delved more and more into power pop to the point that I'm a little embarrassed to call them "rock" anymore. Dave is a talented songwriter and musician, and his side projects rarely if ever miss. His voice, though, is just too soothing and sedate to do justice to the songs he's writing. If "Long Road to Ruin" was made by Maroon 5 or someone rather than a band that everyone already respects, it would be written off as the lightweight trifle that it really is.
»»
