MUSIC-SPLOSION

Somebody out there requested more music reviews, right?

Okay.

Them Crooked Vultures--Them Crooked Vultures

This is a "supergroup" comprised of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones. Homme is, of course, the mastermind behind Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl is Dave Grohl, and if you don't know who John Paul Jones is, I don't know why you're still reading this paragraph.

This is the first album from these guys. Who knows if there will ever be a second one? If the presence of Jones on bass gets you excited for some heavy Zeppellin-style rockage, tune your expectations down. This is a good set, but it's essentially a new Queens of the Stone Age album. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you expect some new, exciting animal here, prepare for disappointment. There are good songs, and there are passable ones, but the feeling that persists through the entire disc is a lack of a convincing argument for this group's existence.

It's good, but your music collection won't especially feel the loss if you don't pick it up (unless you're a Josh Homme or Dave Grohl completist).


Primary Colours--The Horrors

The Horrors' debut album, Strange House, was one of my favorite discs of 2007. It was a dark and weird little masterpiece, equal parts goth and punk, with a weird little surf-rock thread in there to hold the whole thing together.

Their eagerly-awaited follow up seems almost intentionally off-putting and weird, as if they're ashamed of the relentless catchiness of the first disc. Even the most conventionally pop-structured songs on here seem to have some weird little shriek laid into the mix to keep the listener confused. I've only listened to it a couple times since picking it up, and it just hasn't grabbed me as immediately as Strange House. It's a strange little animal that I'm really not certain about my feelings toward.

I might need some more time to think about this one. It's not an automatic recommend, even for fans of the sublime first album.

Prior to the Fire--Priestess

My apologies for the less-than-enthusiastic vibe of the first two reviews. Luckily, Priestess has arrived to save the day. Their first album, Hello Master, was one of the hard-rock surprises of 2006, stuffed with riff-heavy rock that practically reeked of the 70's, but not in that hippie way that Wolfmother trades in. Still, as good as Hello Master was, there was a trace of untapped potential in there, as if they were capable of rocking so much harder than they were showing us.

Thus, we have Prior to the Fire, an aggressive "fuck you" to the sophomore curse. From the first track to the last, this band cares about only one thing: rocking your face off. I'm listening to this album right now, immediately after already listening to it, and that might be the best recommendation I can give.

If you want something to boom out the windows of your vintage Camaro while trolling for high-school pussy, this is the album for you, McConaughey wannabes.