Singles Of The Year 25-11

Same as yesterday, top 10 to follow shortly.

11. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- Heads Will Roll
12. White Denim- Regina Holding Hands
13. Thom Yorke- Hearing Damage
14. The Drums- Let’s Go Surfing
15. Joy Orbison- Hyph Mngo
16. Metric- Sick Muse
17. Julian Casablancas- 11th Dimension
18. Lost Knives- Solstice
19. Pulled Apart By Horses- I Punched A Lion In The Throat
20. Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks
21. Everything Everything- Photoshop Handsome
22. HEALTH- Die Slow
23. Bon Iver- Blood Bank
24. Sky Larkin- Beeline
25. Favours For Sailors- I Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams

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White Denim live

Watching White Denim 'do their thing' is quite a unique experience. Dismissing boring concepts like breaking between songs and even, in fact, playing full songs the Texan three piece instead weave a sprawling tapestry across the venue dropping melodic bombs of recognition every five minutes or so. The set is divided into two acts as it were, both roughly twenty minutes long and then an encore at the end (They do still participate in the pretend stage exit). The first chunk of music is a riff-raw mixture of the immediate hits from their first album 'Workout Holiday' and a few from the newer, more experimental second 'Fits'. What comes at you is a ball of energy and distortion led by James Petralli and his tie-dye bandana. He bends and swirls his guitar until it is duetting with him and uniting the pair in a hazy harmony so that every howl from his razored larynx is echoed by a warped solo and a cape of fuzz. Back by a rhtyhm section that pounds relentlessley the band make their way through 'I Start To Run', 'All You Really Have To Do' and 'IEIEIE' amidst countless others.

White Denim don't pander to their audience, they don't 'play the hits' or throw their mics to the crowd for participation, this is a 'jam' (shudder) that feels vital not indulgent. Whilst the second half of the show does veer away from the heavy and into more deconstructed territory the feeling the set could go anywhere remains. Josh Block regularly stands from behind his drum kit (Probably to get a stretch if nothing else) and ends the set by clattering a cow bell repeatedly like we didn't get The Rapture over here. Would I rush to see White Denim again? Maybe not. Should everyone go see them at least once? Most definitely- a totally unique live band and well worth chekcing out.

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White Denim- 'Fits'

Link

Normally when someone tells you they “Like a bit of everything” when it comes to music it is safe to assume they have awful taste and borrowing their Ipod would result in your ears bleeding. White Denim however may be the exception to the rule. Their debut LP, 2008’s ‘Workout Holiday’ packed in punk, psychadelia, soul and blues into a combination that sounded something like Barry White fronting Black Lips in a sticky-floored Austin speakeasy. It was, unsurprisingly, one of the best records of the year.

Not ones to dwell on their success, White Denim are back with their second album ‘Fits’ and it’s another mixed bag of treats, freak outs and riffs. Aiming to baffle and enthral throughout, the Texan trio achieve their goals with blinding results. From the psychotropic ‘Radio Milk How Can You Stand It’ by way of the Stooges-esque ‘Say What You Want’ all the way to surf-pop ‘Everybody Somebody’ White Denim create something akin to a satanic mix-tape or a wildly progressive radio station committed to CD. This liberated atmosphere frees the listeners mind and allows the band to embark on their journey at will, twisting and turning as they see fit- fearless of sounding ridiculous. Despite the disparate sounds on offer they are all underpinned by a soul and sense of authenticity. Even when they attempt acid jazz on ‘Sex Prayer’ or comes on as the Beach Boys would have sounded if the drugs had kicked in on ‘I’d Have It Just The Way We Were’ White Denim never sound as if they are winging it, they sound as if this smorgasbord of influences and sounds are perfectly natural.

Perhaps not as commercial or garage rock as the bands debut they still manage to pack the hits into ‘Fits’. The aforementioned ‘Everybody Somebody’ is how Franz Ferdinand should be sounding, vital and laden with funk, whilst ‘Mirrored and Reversed’ is more empirical and interesting than the wildly overrated Animal Collective could hope to be. Maybe their sheer versatility will ultimately provide their downfall, jack of all trades master of none they could say. However that would be missing the point, go listen to ‘Fits’ and enjoy the ride- it’s unlike any other you’re likely to encounter this year.

8/10

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Singles Round Up- October 6th

Kaiser Chiefs- 'Never Miss A Beat'

Finally we learn what is repsponsible for Ricky Wilsons increased waistband- he has crisps for tea. Jamie Oliver would sort him out, maybe Ricky is pregnant like that girl from the show? I digress. That awful line aside this is a return to form for Kaiser Chiefs with a song as insistent and poppy as ever but harking back to the 'Employment' days and in particualr old B-Side 'Take My Temperature'. If Kaiser Chiefs sold no records and played toilet venues they would be lauded as indie geniuses- the fact their music sells the amount it was always destined to just irks the cool brigade. This is another pop hit to add the the Wembley set-list.

Jack White & Alicia Keys- 'Another Way To Die'

Is Jack White trying to make people hate him? Having spent years on the Detroit underground creating a mysterious and riotous band in the White Stripes he meanders into writing songs for Coca Cola and the occasioanlly amazing often indulgent Raconteurs, and now this? In it's favour 'Another Way To Die' is VERY James Bond- glamorous, sleek and confident. It is however very un-Jack White, a ramshackle blues riff machine. It all sounds very expensive and slightly soulless, Alicia Keys also sounds subdued- she has a massive voice in those lungs but do we hear it? No. As the Bond films get better it seems the soundtracks get worse.

TV On The Radio- 'Golden Age'

TV On The Radio hardly need any more praise lauded on them but here comes some more. 'Golden Age' is a glorious cocktail of ideas, innovation and melody- better still its nowhere near the best song on the 'Dear Science' album. in a world of money chasing careerists TV On The Radio stand head and shoulders above their peers and should be celebrated at every avenue.

White Denim- 'Shake Shake Shake'

This is how garage rock in 2008 should sound. With an eye on the past but with two feet and a shaking ass firmly in the present. White Denim craft an amzing blend of punk, rock, jazz and anything else lying around- these disparate styles combine to create a distinct and unique sound. 'Shake Shake Shake' is a stand out track from one of 2008's best albums 'Workout Holiday'. It's galloping beats, buzz saw guitars and frantic chants are symptomatic of the energy and vigour running through this band. Amzing.

'Shake Shake Shake'

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White Denim- 'Workout Holiday'

http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/43807/white-denim--workout-holiday-full-time-hobby-released-230608

White Denim
‘Workout Holiday’
Full Time Hobby
4/5

White Denims debut album is a charming lo-fi introduction bursting at the seems with ideas. It’s reminiscent of the swarm of bands that emerged in the post Strokes climate in the early noughties- scratchy garage rock mixed with a Glam sensibility, Datsuns, D4, Vines, New Rhodes we remember you! White Denim take the same approach as the aforementioned to their music, what it lacks in expensive production sheen it makes up with sprightly attitude and an incandescent energy. Having already made waves in some circles following a successful visit to South By South West earlier this year ‘Workout Holiday’ has a small degree of hype and expectation looming over it’s head however we don’t think they have anything to worry about having delivered a solid and constantly exciting debut LP.

The first half of the album is predominantly made up of short and spiky pop songs that barely pass the three-minute mark. First out of the blocks ‘Let’s Talk About It’ is perhaps the finest of the selection with whirring buzzsaw guitars and instantly memorable vocals that call to mind so many greats of the past. That is certainly one point to make about White Denim, they couldn’t care less about the future or sounding ‘present’. This is a band rooted firmly in the 60’s Detroit and New York scenes- MC5 would be the best point of reference here. The songs all have a loose stream of conscience running through them, the concept of song structure is played with loosely but never strictly adhered to and songs such as ‘Shake Shake Shake’ veer off in various directions from drum solos to fast paced vocal rants. ‘I Can Tell’ follows suit to an almost annoying extent, the extended jam at the end ruining what was a great three minutes previous. ‘Sitting’ meanwhile is a blissful pop moment welcomingly at odds with the rough edges of the rest of the album.

The album loses it’s way slightly in the second half, allowing the more experimental and free wheeling aspects of the band to take control at times and making the incoherent ramblings of ‘WDA’ and ‘Don’t Look That Way At It’ interesting rather than entertaining. From small beginnings often come great things and White Denim have a party album that challenges, evokes and pleases in all the right ways. A thoroughly brilliant way to pass the time.

'All You Really Have To Do'

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