review time #3

now that i'm a real live dj i only have to review 5 albums per semester instead of the trainee-hazing 10 albums. everyone at wrvu does this so the station can choose albums to put on rotation and i put my reviews here so you can see what's worth your hard earned cash (or not). here are the first two of the summer:

artist - album title - record label

Blackstrap - Steal My Horses And Run - Tee Pee Records
Swedish shoegaze pop doesn’t sound that interesting on paper, but keep in mind how well Swedes rip off original sounds and make them mainstream (The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, The Mary Onettes, The Hives, etc.). Apparently Steal My Horses And Run was released in Europe some 1 1/2 years ago and finally made its way here this spring, so there is a risk that pseudo My Bloody Valentine / The Jesus And Mary Chain / The Velvet Underground has completely passed its pop culture peak. But if you’re like me it doesn’t matter much - I'd steal my ideas from those guys and get a record contract if I could. Why shoegaze "pop"? The album does have a very polished studio sound and the tempo is more upbeat than you might expect, but there’s no denying the songs are there. Virtually any song is worthwhile and all are FCC safe.

Golden Animals - Golden Animals (EP) - Happy Parts
Golden Animals takes jangly 60’s blues rock reverb, mixes in some schmaltzy Paul McCartney , and adds a touch of home studio sound in this eponymous debut. Ultimately, it is what it is – a 12 minute, 4 song EP with a pleasant retro feel that leaves the listener hoping they’ll soon put out more material to show what else they can offer.