Blogcritics Author: Lucca Browse

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

CD Review: Two Gallants - What The Toll Tells

Lucca Browse — Tue, 9 May 2006 07:37:35 EDT

This is the second album from Two Gallants; they are a San Francisco 'folk-punk' duo that explore a deep dark world of murder, racism and the old west. What The Toll Tells definitely needs the listener's understanding and believe me this band isn't for your average mainstream indie lover; expect a burning sensation on your brain when you press play. This album haunts you from the first moment you hear Adam Stephens whistle out a tune over a windy backdrop in 'Las Cruces Jail'.Two Gallants incorporate Delta blues in their music that even we, the hardcore alternative music fans aren't used to and some critics have even blamed them for being too young to understand their music. I say though that this album is unlike anything out at the moment, their sound is a raw crash against a scratchy guitar and it really takes you where I would imagine the Gallants want you to go.I was lucky enough to see these guys play earlier this year and they don't just sound original they play original too, Stephens's fingers crawl frantically over his Gretsch and I literally got showered in shavings off Tyson Vogel's drumsticks as I stood in the front row. The album draws to a close with 'Waves of Grain', which is a 9 minute song (one of a four) that really explores the intense lyrical caliber of Stephens and Vogel 'the fetus of Christ with a fistful of scars' is belted out with a throaty painful cry that makes part of this song that never really gets to a climax.What the Toll Tells is full of anti-Bush metaphors, but to be fair it would probably be possible to find a metaphor here that can be interpreted as anti anything.You cannot dance or make love to this album, but you might scream or cry and that is a hell of a lot more exciting. All I can finally say about this album is that it won't be appreciated like it should be, sadly so much of the evil that this band sings about is all to relative in the world we live in today. Two Gallants have made something quite courageous and I'm sure that people are either going to love it or hate it with all their hearts, but I encourage people to listen to it, don't be afraid though I wouldn't blame you if you were.

Lucca is a British student who lives for music so read what he has to say or you'll break his spirit. He wanted to put a picture up but didnt know how to, it might have looked something like this :-)

CD Review: Broken Boy Soldiers - The Raconteurs

Lucca Browse — Sun, 7 May 2006 15:21:23 EDT

Broken Boy Soldiers is the debut album from The Raconteurs and they are a dream team of a rock group that the readers of NME could not have assembled in a better order. Jack White takes a predicted lead of guitar and vocals, but is also backed up by Brendan Benson in an almost identical role. This works well and is a good contrast from the Jack and Meg days. The lesser-known Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence take up jobs of drummer and bassist; they are somewhat under the spotlight as the replacement for Meg White (an easy feat it would seem). When I first heard about The Raconteurs I saw them becoming the next Zeppelin or Rolling Stones. How could I be blamed? Jack White has already brought "Seven Nation Army" and "Fell In Love With A Girl" to the same iPods that are inhabited by 50 Cent and Usher, so surely a man with this power (and Brendan Benson) has rock and roll in the palm of his hand? The Raconteurs are defined as a 'supergroup,' meaning they consist of members who have already found fame in other projects, White with the Stripes and Benson the Motor City singer-songwriter, however with the Raconteurs I took this title a lot more seriously than perhaps others may have. Considering that the White Stripes have managed to take almost raw blues and make it mainstream I figured a band of members that had so much potential and ability would become outstanding. Sadly, Broken Boy Soldiers does not stand out; it is not amazing, and I wish I could say on some level it was due to anything more than laziness. I do not doubt at any point that this Motor City spawned quartet could have really broken barriers and forced main stream rock out of the cash cow it seems to have become, but they have gotten caught between mediocre garage band and good, but not great, pop rock. The first single, "Steady As She Goes", is a different sound for White, granted, but I could definitely see that with a few extra sessions on the drums from Meg and Jack picking up a bass to record over his guitar, this could be the new single from a Stripes EP. If I view the Raconteurs not as a 'supergroup', but simply as a new rock offering, it's good and there is obvious talent involved from all members, not forgetting the Greenhornes rhythm section. I feel that they had a responsibility to amaze and their debut is a definite underachievement. The Raconteurs are a blank canvas for Jack White's art and he's got more selection than the usual White striped palette. The best track is "Store Bought Bones", which is the most original offering on the album. It incorporates a 'seven nation army-esque' guitar solo, but this is okay! To me it's all part of the dexterous Jack White musical charm. "Yellow Sun" is driven by a rumbling drum section that stripes fans aren't going to be used to and it will surely secure Keeler's place above Meg White's on the list of the greatest drummers of all time. Broken Boy Soldiers is proof that the Raconteurs are offering themselves as a tighter garage pop outfit that will be worth scraping together �15 to go see them play live. I wanted more blood and guts from Jack White; this was his chance to really explore something more audacious and credible, but unfortunately this turned out to be a step instead of a leap away from what we're used to. I trust in Jack White more than I trust in God, so if this is all part of his master plan then I'll follow him. Are we near the end of our journey? No, but there still are crossroads ahead.

Lucca is a British student who lives for music so read what he has to say or you'll break his spirit. He wanted to put a picture up but didnt know how to, it might have looked something like this :-)