Black Joe Lewis – Electric Slave

            Looking for something that sounds down and dirty in a Black Keys kinda way, but rocks like early Hendrix as well?  Black Joe Lewis’ Electric Slave.  It is a strong compendium of heavy guitar rock, with aggressive distorted vocals and a dense full band sound.

            While listening to Electric Slave I was given a distinct Chuck Berry-meets-the Clash-listening-to-Black Angels-while-smoking-copious-amounts-of-weed impression.  I mean we’re talking Berry’s twelve bar blues, with the Clash’s dirty bass sound and Black Angels vocal style. Electric Slave is a really energetic record, but also strait forward enough to get down to.  Compared to his “Bitch I Love You” days, this is a departure for Black Joe Lewis. Electric Slave’s drums sound appropriately big, horn sections bite through the fat guitar layers, and there is also some James Brown to his screamed freak-outs, but without the funk completely. 

            The songs on Electric Slave come as a complete surprise.  I don’t know what I expected from it…Maybe something a little more chilled out.  I got the opposite.   The album is a complete cluster fuck of noisy guitar chaos.  Its pretty cool when things line up in unison, like the top two string bend on a guitar lining up with a sloppy horn line.  Its got all the sixties fuzz you could want, and each song really stands on its own, and retains an interesting feel as a variable all the way thru it.

            There is assuredly some mid 70’s black revival sound in it as well, but not as much as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, or things of that nature. Electric Slave doesn’t seem gimmicky at all, and has appeal to modern listeners, not just those that long for the past.

Band of Skulls – Himalayas

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I sold a copy of the new Band of Skulls to an elderly woman this morning.  I was by myself in the shop and I tossed on their new record.  Almost immediately after it started, this woman and her daughter walked in.  Initially I was asked questions about Duke Ellington (by the daughter) and the mother was quiet.  After assisting the younger of the two women, I was asked by the mother what was playing.  I told her “This is Band of Skulls new album ‘Himalayas’”.  She responded by telling me all the things that she loved about it and my jaw dropped.  Himalayas is HEAVY, not only in tonality, but also in terms of content.   She told me she found it fascinating and that she would listen to it while playing Grand Theft Auto V.  I am not making this up or exaggerating in any way.  Coolest. Customer. Ever.

The album itself is a sonic wonderland.  It is reminiscent of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Specter at the Feast” in the sense that it changes mood and feel determined by the song’s underlying lyrical theme, sometimes within the same song.  For a band I would consider “post-garage-rock” they are incredibly dynamic.  One second letting a guitar ring out with hushed singing, the next smothering the sonic spectrum with a huge riff played in unison.

Maybe it’s because the sun is out, but I am ready for some real rock and roll.  Himalayas delivers it in its purest, freshest form.  They are an amalgamation of down and dirty fuzz tone, and cool semi-driven telecaster jangle, big ass drums, and bass with depth you can feel in your gut.  However, they are not a one trick pony by any means.  On “Cold Sweat” they begin with what sounds like a telecaster run through heavy modulation and delay with the repeats turned way up.  The song quickly begins to move away from the unison riff-ery and turns moody and almost post rock in terms of tone.   I love the switch between male and female vocals that occurs almost seamlessly, (Emma Richardson, the bassist and vocalist – check out her other band with Jack White, Dead Weather).  I have found my favorite record of 2014 so far, and will be investigating their back catalogue. 

Come into Lakeshore and pick up the vinyl, it sounds fantastic, and comes with a gorgeous limited edition lithograph. 

Order Band of Skulls - Himalayas