Today's Swell Tune: Weight

• Artist: Mikal Cronin
• Album: MCII (Release date: 7.5.2013)
• From: San Francisco, California, United States
• Sound: A shitty morning on a beautiful day; garage, rock.
• Social: bandcamp, soundcloud, twitter

The Veruca Valium Vortex: The Hot Toddies' Bottoms Up

I've always had a thing for hazy, garage-style girl groups. The love hatched in the still fledgling years of my musical development: I remember staring longingly at a Veruca Salt album wishing I had the $25 (in 90s Money!) to buy the CD.*  Now music is cheap and easy to get, and I'm all grown up and can have as much as I want. But I'll never forget the ache for that American Thighs album and all the cool I thought it would bring into my life, and I still covet the discovery of those grungy girl bands. Thing is, my angst has waned; he early teens is not the early nineties, and Jimmy Stepchuk is not flirting with my prettier, cooler best friend anymore, so I can afford to lighten up.

That's why I fucking love this EP.

Taken as a whole, this is what it would sound like if Veruca Salt circa American Thighs travelled back in time to 1965, moved to California, popped some pick-me-ups, and cut an album to send  to us, here, in the future. Which, y'know, is probably totally what happened. Science.

The only thing The Hot Toddies did wrong was not make it a full LP.

But I have all five tracks below, for your streaming pleasure. Or buy it.

*Okay, fine: tape.

Today's Swell Tune: Mad Dog

Black Lips - Mad Dog

• Band: Black Lips
• Album: Arabia Mountain
• From: Atlanta Georgia, United Satates
  
• Sound: Is there such a thing as "mod punk?" ; lo-fi garage punk
• Website: black-lips.com/
• Social: facebook, twitter, blogspot

Saturday Night Remix: Reptilia

The Strokes -Reptilia

into:

Reptilia (Morning Crash Remix)

bonus remix:

 The Strokes - Reptilia (Paul Tesla Remix)

Today's Swell Tune: Eat People

Eat People by twotears

• Artist: Two Tears (Kerry Davis from Red Aunts)
• Album  Eat People 7"
• From: Long Beach, California
• Sound: Girl rock that's anything but feminine; guitar rock
• Website: twotears.com
• Social: myspace

Today's Swell Tune: Rhythm Doesn't Make You a Dancer

Rhythm Doesn't Make You A Dancer by Jon Fratelli

• Artist: Jon Fratelli
• Album: The Magic Hour (EP)
• From: Glasgow, Scotland
• Sound: If you drink whisky with a beer back, this is your soundtrack; guitar rock
• Website: jonfratelli.co.uk
• Social: facebook, myspace, twitter

Today's Swell Tune: Come Closer

Miles Kane - Come Closer by Miles Kane

• Artist: Miles Kane
• Album: Colour of the Trap (out May 9)
• From: Liverpool, England/ The Rascals
• Sound: Boozy, sleazy guitar riffs over throbbing baselines. And I give it two months before the chorus is in an electronics commercial; guitar rock
• Website: mileskane.com
• Social: facebook, twitter
• Video: here

The Strokes Are Back and They Brought a New Single With Them: Under the Cover of Darkness

I've been trying to get to this for a couple days, which in blogging terms is a long damn time. But my boss staunchly refuses to pay me for any posts about The Strokes.  Her excuse? "We  don't care what you write about The Strokes. This is a college. Can we have the midterm grades please.?"


So if you'd like a full synopsis of the new single Under the Cover of Darkness you can give me money to be here, or you can head to Andrew Evans Talks at You for a real  review.


My opinion? Ehh. Underwhelmed. After all, this is the band so undeniably catchy that they practically revived garage rock on their own. Not to mention band names starting with "The". Still, I'll reserve any real judgement until the full LP Angles is out in March or until I hear some leaks. And no matter what, I have to admit that it's nice to finally have The Strokes back, in any capacity.


Now I've got to go make up grades for people based on their physical attractiveness. You stay and listen to the first new single in five long years:

The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness by thebluewalrus

The Black Keys vs. Big Boi: Wick-It the Instigator Can Probably Cook Better than I Can, Too

For the record, I am a good cook. Thing is, I rarely remember food until I'm already starving, so by then it's more of a laboratory situation. Crackers with salad dressing? Done it.  Mustard on toast? Sadly, yes. Popcorn with liquorice?
Yeah... I may or may not actually buy the ingredients for that one, now. Awhile back I got it in my head that savoury yogurt should exist, but as it turns out, the fact that it doesn't has nothing to do with a lack of ingenuity in the yogurt industry and everything to do with the reality that yogurt and condiments should never, ever meet. 


So while mixing two good things together might seem logical, it doesn't always make for a gorgeous lovechild. Sometimes you just get relish curdling tomorrow's breakfast.


Luckily some people know better when it comes to experimentation and you can count Memphis-based Wick-It the Instigator among them. He took two of last year's favourite albums-- Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, and The Black Key's Brothers--and mashed them into The Brothers of Chico Dusty: Big Boi vs. The Black Keys. And it's hard to imagine fans of Big Boi, The Keys, or both not digging it.


It's not unlike The Black Key's Blackrok project, so the idea isn't totally out of left field, but let's give credit where credit is due.--the thing is pretty damn tight. Impressive enough in fact, to have gotten the attention of Big Boi who has plans to work with Wick-It in 2011. So what we have here is less horseradish yogurt and more popquorice/lickorn. Or something you like. Whatever. It's always about you.


The entire album is available for free from bandcamp. Nice.

The Brothers of Chico Dusty (Big Boi vs. The Black Keys) by wick-it

Today's Swell Tune: Baby Life's Too Short

Dirty Hands - Baby, Life's Too Short by thisisdirtyhands

• Band: Dirty Hands
• From: London, England
• Sound: A James Dean movie about the life and times of a Mick Jagger/Iggy Pop hybrid; garage rock
• Website: http://thisisdirtyhands.tumblr.com/
• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiKHtopGPBk&feature=player_embedded#

If You Like: The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Iggy and the Stooges

If You Like:

-The Black Keys

-Blues-rock

-Garage rock

-Iggy and the Stooges

-Dr Dog

-The White Stripes

-Generally being badass

Try:

Hanni El Khatib

I know you're thinking "if I hear about ONE more Palestinian-Filipino one-man band, I'm leaving this blog for good." But hear me out. Because this is some balls-out thrash-garage-rock that will restore your faith in the survival of real guitar music.

LA-based Hanni El Khatib's sound pays homage to the mid-century Americana aesthetic that paved the way for rock and roll, from soulful, dark blues to Shangri-La's-ish doo-wap. This is the musical equivalent to a knife-fight at the malt shop.

Comparisons to the Black Keys and the White Stripes are numerous and inevitable. Khatib also just finished a tour opening for Florence and the Machine. And California-based music writers consistently place him on their "ones to watch" lists. So you could say that the multi-instrumentalist is receiving all the right exposure to become the next big thing in rock. But I like to think that the inherent fucking coolness of someone who makes music "written for anybody who's ever been shot or hit by a train" will do the trick on its own.

(Music available from Stones Throw.)

You Rascal You (Hanni El Khatib) by Mr.Shuffleupagus