Southern Fried King-style...

Ah Kings of Leon. Not since they shaved their beards and got all aggressive have I had a bad thing to say about these four scarily related indie boys; in fact, unlike some of my 'sophomore slump' crying contemporaries, I have liked each album better in succession; with third album Because of the Times still receiving heavy rotation on my imaginary record player.

Now, hot on the heels of a summer of touring duties, the boys are ready to drop their new effort, Only By the Night, a sexy little title for what promises to be a sexy little LP. So far the group have released two tracks for preview on their official site, the thundering dominatrix-y 'Crawl' and the dancey 'Sex on Fire'; which, although lumbered with a title that Prince may have come up with during a particularly hairy chested moment, is a great party song and rocking enough to put an end to spandex-clad Leons nightmares... ahem.

Have a sample below; if these don't get you excited for September 23rd, you're a big ol' meanie, and you're not getting a hipster scout badge.
Crawl
Sex on Fire

P.S. Of course, if you like what you hear, head on over to the bands'official site to pre-order your copy today!

Falling down Narrow Stairs...

I wouldn't be much of a Death Cab fan if I didn't weigh in with my two cents on their latest and seventh sutdio release, Narrow Stairs. I have to start with a disclaimer, however, DCFC have played a part in many of the most memorable occasions in my life; from being the first gig I saw at the legendary Astoria (soon to be bulldozed!) to playing an integral part in my 'odd phase' of slight mentalness (I got myself sectioned once... it was memorable), so my impressions of the album are likely to be heartfelt!

First impressions, I have to admit, were a bit of a let down. Having spent some time not listening to the Cab, indeed deliberately avoiding them until my girlfriend hooked me up with the new album for my birthday, I was hoping for something a bit special. On first listening, that wasn't what I found. In fact, my overall impression was rather mediocre, and clearly something of a sophomore slump after the vastly popular Plans catapulted the band to fame in 2005.

The funny thing is, it was music blogs like this one (or should I say, much, much better!) that made me give it a second chance, and ladies and gentlemen, we have here a grower. From the spiraling out of control ending of opener 'Bixby Canyon Bridge' to the funky, bass driven 'Long Division', the album is full of gems that hit you when you're listening to shuffle, and right between Cyndi Lauper and Kings of Leon, Ben Gibbard starts seeping into your earage. Scary thought, but still quite a cool experience!

I want to share with you 'Long Division', and I probably will. But I am currently at work at the porn emporium (more on that another time) and don't have my labyrinth hard drive here. As always, if you like the album, be sure to buy a copy! You won't regret it, even if at first you think you do!