Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!

Last Wednesday I turned 35. My folks were over from Ireland, I took the day off and the sun shone. All was good. A passing remark from one of my colleagues sent one wheel wobbling. ‘G, you’ve had your heyday. You know what it’s like’. I had the misfortune to walk passed my parents watching ‘Grumpy Old Women’. ‘There’s nothing worse than a middle aged man who thinks he’s still cool’. Double wobble.

My salvation came in the unlikely form of Nick Cave. Nick ‘ her hair was as black as the night’ Cave. A sign that I’m truly growing older? Yes. But also a sign that it’s okay. Good ole laughing Nick is 50. Dig!!!, his 14th long player with the Bad Seeds. And not one wobble in sight.

Dig!!! is a triumph. It is dripping with characters and humour, Lazarus is advised to dig himself back into his hole on the opening track. Dig!!! is a looser album than previous outings, and I’m thankful of that. I found Cave’s macabre a little saturating previously, but Dig!!! moves with purpose. You find yourself at the closing track easily, without distraction. Although I haven’t gotten round to posting the top ten of 2007 yet, Dig!!! will surely find itself in the top ten of 2008.

THINK: Cave, like Waits and Dillon, gets better with age
WATCH: Viral movies for Dig!!!
READ: And the ass saw the angel
BUY: Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!  at amazon

_TFI Friday #6 - Big ideas

This slow burning groover is brought to you by LCD Soundsystem for 21. I defy you not to have to listen to this track at least three times in a row. The bass line sinks its hooks into you at the start, and then keeps in keen anticipation. 1970’s fuzzbox guitar takes the edge off before the syncopated staccato vocals give you release. And you love it. And you’ll want it again. Twice more.

Pet Genius - Pet Genius

And it came to pass that there was this punk band called Cave In. From far and near people followed in droves I’m told. Cave In pulled a SOAD in 2006, much to said followings despair. And lo, those kids with their wallets on chains and lip piercings did weep, and punknewz did eulogise. And I cared not.

Stephen Brodsky formed Pet Genius and released ‘Pet Genius’ in 2007. That’s all the history you need to know. That and what they sound like. And they sound good.

‘Pet Genius’ is a complete album. By this I mean that each track sounds better if it is surrounded by the other album tracks.  The traditional ’slow, quick quick, slow’ tempo changes of modern post rock are present on ‘Pet Genius’, but across the album entire, rather than on one track. (’Doomsday’ followed by ‘The Visiting Dynamiter’ for example.) It is a body of work.

Also present are heavy riffs, a catchy chorus or two, and plenty rock. Not unlike The White Stripes playing Black Sabbath, intelligent contemporary rock with lyrics that sustain interest, Pet Genius should satisfy you if you’re a little lacking in good rock music at the moment.

THINK: White Stripes  play Black Sabbath
READ: Pet Genius  myspace
WATCH: Doomsday live
BUY: Pet Genius at amazon

The Charlatans in association with xFm are giving you their new album FOR FREE! You can get it here. I gave it a few spins yesterday, and it’s worth the 60mb.

The Breeders. In sepia. Nice.

I guess you remember The Breeders for more than Cannonball ( Or it’s inclusion in 2manyDJs mash-up) or you wouldn’t have read this far.

If, for you “The Breeders = Pixies bassist with 1 hit”, then you’ve stumbled on this just in time. ‘Mountain Battles’ will be The Breeders 4th album, and the first since 2002. ‘Bang On’ isn’t going to turn you into a fan with one listen, but it will show you that The Breeders are relevant.

Of course, if, like me, you are already a fan, then this teaser will whet your appitite nicely. Such pared back depth isn’t dime a dozen these days, making ‘Mountain Battles’ eagerly anticipated. (via stereogum)