No Life For Me – Wavves And Cloud Nothings – Two punk rock heavy melody bands reach the second half of their 20s with a tasty little rock album. Cloud Nothings have been on a roll since the Steve Albini album an Wavves have been a little whatever for the past couple of years, but this will do them both well. All loud guitars and playful tunefulness, two good bands, one good album – ALBUM OF THE WEEK B+
I prefer Dylan to Nathan, I’ve seen both bands a few times and Wavves can edge Cloud Nothings live but Dylan is a great songwriter and I think the synergy here might well be remarkable. Both of these guys are young, so keep your fingers crossed
The week belonged to Kraftwerk. Yes, there is only one original member left and, yes, the other three are hired hands and, yes indeedy, there isn’t much action. But having noted all of the above, the 3D Kraftwerk was a blast of sound and sign and numbers.
First, I couldn’t care less about the “Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame” and even if I did I would have my doubts here: Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, Hall & Oates, Nirvana, the E Street Band, Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham. Particularly since Kurt is dead and Linda is ill. And I don’t really consider Cat Stevens rock and roll by any stretch of the lexicon. But the chance to see Cat perform? I couldn’t be more excited. Thursday at Barclay Center.
(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real – Frankie Knuckles Directors Cut – This is the exact diving line between disco and House, Sylvester’s greatest disco song of all time is given a nine minute blow out, the beat is all over it but essentially Knuckles takes the title hook and loops it and loops it and loops it – A+
Quieter Today – Cloud Nothings – The first track on the newbie is a return to the obstreperous roar electric of the Albini moment but with an extra dollop of melody – A
If this is the best rock album of 2014 so far, that is as much an indictment of rock as a celebration of Dylan Baldi who began life as a one band bedsit guy recording with Bridgetown before growing outward with an Albani jolt. This is pure rock and roll energy and a constant mind bending loud rules head strung screamer of an album – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Hands down, this is Thievery Corporation’s week to lose. I saw em open for Massive Attack at the Beacon a couple of years ago and can state without fear of contradiction that they were awesome. The new single isn’t all that, but take it from me the album should.
