It Came From The MP3 Vault – Volume 2

Okay, it’s time to clear out some more space on the MP3 player. Who makes the cut this round? Let’s find out…

The Noisettes – What’s The Time Mr. Wolf? (2006) - Most post-punk garage rock bands can be remarkable in one of two ways: 1) They can be remarkably unoriginal and sound like every other moron who decided simply putting “The” in front of their name while making the rest of the moniker plural would be enough, or 2) They can blow the doors off and make the former seem like total douchebags. I vote the second option for this band. The female vocalist of this London trio has a snarling attitude that comes through so clearly on this album that I think she may be able to punch you right through your speaker. And the fact that they originally came together while sabotaging another band’s performance? That’s the icing on the psychotic (yet tuneful) cake.
Verdict: Don’t hit me, I’m fragile! I’ll keep it!

Crumbsuckers – Beast On My Back (B.O.M.B.) (1988) – You know how your memory sometimes romanticizes something from your youth, making it seem much more appealing than it actually is? I remember loving this album as a teen, and it took me a while to track it down again. It’s a crossover thrash album, so I remember the screaming guitar and relentless drum beats. But the vocals sounding like someone who just gargled glass trying to shout out the phone book? Like so much from by childhood, I did not recall that.
Verdict: Grah-Grrrroooowl! (That’s broken glass gargle-ese for “Make It Stop!”)

Hot Chip – Coming On Strong (2004) – Do you remember the version of “Boyz’n’The Hood” that Dynamite Hack did a few years back? It was a cover of a rap song, with very subdued vocals, slow music, and incredible whiteness. That song was funny and well planned, but just one track. Well imagine an entire album of that, with less skill, and you’ve got a pretty good impression of this Hot Chip disc. There’s a generic synth backbeat on most songs that’s a cross between disco and reggae, and sounds like it was done on a cheap Casio keyboard – oh, and at a tempo so slow that I’d HOPE someone was on Valium while playing. This had potential, but it was wasted – there are multiple later albums by these guys, and hopefully those proved better.
Verdict: Stink stank stunk – When I got this, I mighta been drunk.

Northern State – Can I Keep This Pen? (2007) – Silly white girls rapping? Sign me up! I heard about this band, of all places, in the back of a comic book (Powers) – and I’m glad I didn’t skip this recommendation. With their deadpan flow (gotta love a girl who rhymes Crazy Glue with fondue) and sailors-at-a-truckstop potty mouths, everything meshes perfectly for this intentionally funny trio. The most entertaining part may be that they even seem to crack themselves up, and you can hear them laughing at each other in the background. But they’re not just a one-trick act – their rhymes mix with waifish vocals on “Better Already” over a garage rock backdrop, while on “Three Amigas” the ladies create a Spaghetti Western through song. Beat that range, MC Lars! Oh, and these ladies will be at Pearl Street in Northampton next week (April 24th) – so check out this disc already!
Verdict: Three girls from New York, Who sound like funny dorks? Me likey!

That's it for this round...