So you want more great bands? Of course you do, and I’m going to give them to you right ….. now: King Tuff King Tuff is really the work of just one guy, Kyle Thomas. He is from the Green Mountain State, and focuses on a combination of garage rock, psychedelia, and power pop. Groovy. With that combination, you know that the songs are all over the place stylistically. One song might sound a little like Vampire Weekend (vocals and song structure, not the syncopation crap) and the next like the Plimsouls, and on and on. Regardless, it’s pretty much all damn good listening. He’s in the same orbit as Ty Segall and has played in Ty’s band, the Muggers. Check out this video called “Bad Thing” (it takes a bit for the song to kick in, but hang in there, it’s worth it): Greedy for more? Oh, hell’s yes you are! And it's my job, or whatever, to bring them to you. So here you go: Tenement A trio from Appleton, Wisconsin, noted hotbed of music. Whatever, I don't care. These guys are great. Driving rock, terrific guitar sound, lots of hooks. Love ‘em! My only caution with this band is to be sure that there are no speed traps around if you're listening in your car. Now, check out this song from their double-album Predatory Highlights, entitled “Afraid of the Unknown.” One more? What do I look like to you, a rock blogger? OK, but only because I like you. And I don't look like a rock blogger, I look like a lawyer (I even sleep in pinstriped pajamas). The Struts These guys annoy me because their aspirations are so blatantly commercial. I saw them at the TLA in December, and at that time, they only had an EP out with four songs on it (the EP is entitled Have You Heard). I think they played five songs during the show, which lasted about an hour, but it only cost $10. I can’t remember what else happened, but there was a fair amount of silliness, like asking everyone in the crowd to squat down and then leap up when instructed. Yeah, I did it because I bleat like the rest of the sheep, but I wasn’t happy that I did it and no longer respect myself. So why am I recommending them? Because those four songs are all great songs. In the words of Johnny Rotten, I mean it, man. I didn’t know which one to link to, but “Could Have Been Me,” “Kiss This,” “Put Your Money on Me,” and “Where Did She Go” are all instant classics. I personally like “Kiss This” the best, so that’s the link, but spend $5 and get all four. My God, you are greedy today! OK, ok, one more. I’ve already linked to one video from this band (the famous Memorial Day blog entry embedded deeply in your memory), but I didn’t give much more information about these guys. But that’s it for today because I’m off to see Joywave at Union Transfer in about 15 minutes. I’ve been working my real job like a dog all week [where did that expression come from by the way? The dogs lucky enough to live in my house were the most lazy sacks of you-know-what and never did any work]. Up at 5 am 3 out of 4 days, and still going out tonight to rock out. So quit being so pathetic and come join me. You only live once. Blonde Summer I read a review of another band by some guy on Amazon, and he had his top ten list of 2014. I liked most of the bands that he listed, but had never heard of Blonde Summer. He raved about them in particular, so I took a chance and downloaded an EP. OMG! I love these guys. Very catchy guitar driven pop tunes with enough angst in their lyrics to appeal to the wrist-slashing dark side of my personality. And just so you know, you can get in on the ground floor. Blonde Summer doesn’t appear to have a following at all, proving how hard it is to make it in the music world. Lord the knowledge of this band over your ignorant friends. This song is called "High Times," and no, it's not about high school. Enjoy it and see you at the Joywave review.
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AuthorMy name is Bill, and I live in the greater Philadelphia area. I love music, and I have a lot of opinions. This site is primarily focused on music, but sometimes I get off track. I hope you enjoy. Archives
November 2020
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