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Tag: Video

Crocodiles Sharp on ‘Sleep Forever’

Crocodiles - Sleep Forever

If you were to combine the dark, twisted fuzz of The Raveonettes with the “We know we’re good”  bombast of Oasis, you’d probably end up with something a bit like Crocodiles.

But forget the comparisons (another popular one on the ‘net is The Jesus and Mary Chain). On their new LP, Sleep Forever, this San Diego band provides 35 minutes of fresh and filler-free rock ‘n roll. The choruses are big, especially on the title track, with lyrics that are simultaneously bleak and psychadelic. “When you die you don’t really die/You just paint yourself across the sky,” singer Brandon Welchaz roars over Charles Rowell’s static/melodic guitar on “Billy Speed.”

Some have bemoaned the slower tracks — the pace drops to a heartbeat on track four, “Girl in Black,” before coming back to life on a track that — ironically enough — is called “Sleep Forever.” But if you switch off your iPod’s shuffle and swallow the album the old-fashioned way (in one dose), it all comes together.

Check out the video to the rockin’ title track below:

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The Rakes Keep It Real

Just picked up a cool new album from The Rakes, an underrated rock band from London.  It’s hard to believe this band isn’t more well known in the states. I’ve thought of a few ways to describe their sound:  Blur if they did punk exclusively, Bloc Party if they were smarmier, The Strokes if they hailed from London. But really I detest those descriptions, as they make The Rakes sound unoriginal.

On the contrary, this band sounds quite fresh on most of their tracks. For example, they do great social commentary, specializing in the topics “regrettable things that happened after several pints” and — somewhat surprisingly — fear of terrorism. Somehow, this all comes across as upbeat britpop.

But enough of my bubbling enthusiasm. Check out this video for their single “1989,” from the new album Klang.  I think it’s import only at this point, but I found a great deal on cdwow.us. The album is less than 30 minutes, but it’s great fun. I also recommend their debut album, Capture/Release.

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