Unbelievably good new album by the Australian band Drones has all ingredients of a classic album. Gareth Liddiard, the leader of the band, leaves here a very strong mark as the main author, with a series of excellent song that appear abstract on their surface. But when you dig deeper, the songs are very concrete and in a strange way even storytelling. Only those stories appear to be from some really deep and dark place. But what’s best about this band, there’s absolutely nothing “droney” in their music. In fact, it’s very angular, dynamic and drenched in the rock’n’roll history as much as it’s original.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
9. Thee Oh Sees – The Master’s Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In
10. All The Saints – Fire on Corridor X
One of most exciting new bands in the past year comes from the South. But this is not a typical southern deal. Noisy, precise and serious arrangements, with a dose of gothic mystery but also a touch of shoegaze and grange, sounds more British than Southern. But it also doesn’t sound out of place on legendary label Touch And Go which helped the band rise from obscurity.
11. Service Industry – Limited Coverage
In the year of the most disastrous global economic collapse in the past 50 years, proletariat has found themselves completely lost and disorganized to turn things around. But if they ever figure themselves out, they have a perfect set of songs to sing along as they carry through their revolution. Texas band Service Industry could provide that soundtrack.
12. Fleshtones – Take A Good Look
History of Fleshtones came out recently as a book entitled Sweat. And it was a rough 30+ years ride. What else to expect for the only 80s legends that don’t need a reunion, since their never really broke up!? With the explosive Take A Good Look, Fleshtones reach new heights, composing an album that rivals some of the best records they put out in their entire career.
13. Evangelista – Hello Voyager
14. Lucinda Williams – Little Honey
15. Willy DeVille – Pistola
16. Pierced Arrows – Straight to the Heart
17. Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Primary Colours
Fantastic Australian rock’n’roll scene gave us some of the most exciting new bands this year. Eddy Current Suppression Ring achieved a great international success when legendary Memphis label Goner picked them out of nowhere, pulled them up from down-under, and released their 2008 masterpiece Primary Colours.