Snowed in....

Hey folks. Been a while, I know, but a lot of Daddying and shoveling 64 inches of snow means little time for something as mindless as this. Oh well, that doesn't mean we were without great music. In fact I found a very strong album I'd like to pontificate about today. Last week a Trio from Brooklyn named Yeasayer knocked my socks off with a Post New Wave delight.

Yeasayer- Odd Blood

Yeasayer does not sound like your typical New York Indie Rock. They are Indie, but have a very a lot of non western influence that unveils itself on most certainly their first album All Hour Cymbals. Again they wear these many olympic colors, but throw in a high Pop quotient that has garnered the attention of even my Wife, Diane. The first song, The Children is about the least accessible song on the album as it feels like the boys spent a night huffing scotchguard with Ween as the vocal effect is a tad overwhelming. Good to get this track out of the way.

Song 2 Ambling Alp is the super poppy number they posted free on Amazon last week. It has oodles of texture and an undeniably catchy rhythm. "You must stick up for yourself son" lead singer Chris Keating yelps in the homage to Joe Louis. This may be too synthetic and too overproduced for some. I think it's catchy as fuck. Diane seems to dig too. Keating can pull off some nice falsetto's here.

Track 3 is so great. A song called "Madder Red" feels like Big Country, Baltimora, Dream Academy, was putting out new stuff. Very Tribal, synthy, and haunting. A beautiful and lush vocal befalls you before too long. Interpol, and other contemporaries will be kicking themselves for not writing something so cool. I love this song, folks. If you cannot dig this song at all, you have no chance of getting any part of this album. Move on.

Track 4 a song called "I Remember" may have been from the soundtrack of "Better off Dead" or some other 80's flick with training montages. The vocal here is quite pretty and expanse. I'm curious if he can sing live half as well. He sounds as if he's the the chops of current vocal heavyweights, like the leads from Maroon 5 and Train. Neither of which are my favorites, but those dudes can sing. Chris Keating of Yeasayer sounds as if he can belt it out with the best of them.

Track 5 is the poppiest song of them all as "O.N.E." is pretty much a dance number. Fans of Hot Chip, and MGMT will probably already know about this album, but would certainly enjoy it. This song bobs and weaves into a really cool place when the all the right vocal accouterments are placed in the final 2 minutes of this fine song. I think even Michael Jackson and Prince fans are pleased with this song.

Track 6, Love Me Girl, is another effort that reminds of Paul van Dyk or some crazy Euro house music. This song then takes on Tribal qualities that have been exhibited by Adrian Belew and Brian Eno before. It has a killer synth laden hook that is not that far off from the art rock sound of bands like Roxy Music and Duran Duran. Okay, is this too much pop for you? Not me. We Flogi are all groovin'. I'm super amped when I find an album that Diane digs.

Track 7 called "Rome" is a cool number that has a vocal feel of Rusted Root, but the beat and cadence of Fatboy Slim. I would kind of think that has very little chance of being cool upon reading that, but here, this mix sounds pretty rad.

The album really starts to tail off a bit here at the end, but since the whole album clocks in a less than 40 mins, you can have the patience for some numbers that fall short simply because so many of the other songs are just so damn catchy.

If you like a world beat and are not afraid of synth pop please dive into this album or at least preview for free some songs at www.lala.com. See what you think.

I think this album is 5 out of 6 Stars.

Best songs Madder Red, Ambling Alp, O.N.E., Love Me Girl.


Now for some old stuff and another introduction into Randy's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is a place where bands that I know will never be on the radar of the lame Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tonight I talk about a band who has thrust themselves into my personal top ten shooting past the likes of the Beach Boys, Todd Rundgren and right in the Neighborhood of Queen and The Clash, who are basically 1 and 2 in my mind. So yeah I lean british. The band is called "The Only Ones" Led by the brilliantly troubled Peter Perrett. Peter Perrett Is your stereotypical drugged out rocker, that delivers like a more lucid and excited Lou Reed. Don't be scared off. The bands brilliant cohesion of straight forward blues laden hooks lay a shimmery cloak over any vocal short comings of the fairly laconic Perrett.

Check out this song. "Another Girl Another Planet" This songs is so freaking rock and roll. The Lead guitar of John Perry in the introduction and solo portion of this song are licks that any aspiring guitar player should know about.

The two strongest albums of this short lived band were "Even Serpents Shine" and "Baby's Got a Gun"

Songs like the brilliant "Out There in the Night" and "Miles From Nowhere" are 2 more amazing guitar classics that will not get their due.

Just check these guys out. Trust me. Diane and Emily are back home so a daddying I a go.

Take care.

Please let me know what Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs bother you.

Ones that bother me right now.

Rush
Cheap Trick
Roxy Music

That is all. listen to lost of music folks.