The Dead Weather - Horehound

If after listen "Consolers Of The Lonely", The Raconteurs second album, we wondered: Does anyone misses to The White Stripes? After listen "Horehound", the debut album of The Dead Weather, the new superband founded by Jack White (and probably, along with Chickenfoot, one of the few that deserve the adjective these days) which also involved Alison Mosshart, The Kills vocalist, Dean Fertita, Queens Of The Stone Age keyboardist, and Jack Lawrence, from The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs, the question (perhaps a little bit unfair since White is not alternating with a support band nor beginners) that is floating on the air is: Is Jack White a genius of actual rock?. If in "Consolers Of The Lonely" White exploded the opportunity of have the "creative counterweight" of Brendan Benson and to play with a real band, with enough solvency to make more elaborated music, in "Horehound" what he gets is boost and enhance the garage sound of The White Stripes taking it to another level and give it some sophistication without lose a bit of his powerful and visceral nature. 11 pieces of hard and volatile music, in which White let Fertita take charge on the 6 strings (with a style very similar to White but less frenetic), and except for "Will There Be Enough Water?", a dark blues that closes the album, he abstain from play guitar taking charge, along with Lawrence, of the drums and share vocals with Mosshart and her raspy voice. "Horehound" is an extraordinary album, 43 minutes of austere elements music but with a robust and overpower sound, as garage as bluesy. Is Jack White a genius of actual rock? The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and now The Dead Weather seem to give us the answer: absolutely yes. -CORANNIEIT-

The Dead Weather, Horehound
Third Man Records, 2009

Links:
Official Website
My Space Website

Black Flowers - I Grew Up From A Stone To A Statue

First album from this quartet from Glasgow formed by musicians who have been wandering through different projects and now coincide in this kind of "superband" called Black Flowers. Led by English drummer Alexander Neilson, the quartet delivers "I Grew Up From A Stone To A Statue", a brief record , just over 30 minutes, in which the band offer 5 pieces that evoke English folk and medieval music, specially the vocals parts, combined with sixties psychedelia and a strong tendency to improvisation. While the opener "Calvary Cross" goes from total softness, with delicate and subtle vocals, to moments of wildness in which guitar and organ build intense passage of psychedelic jamming, other songs such as "Hot Crosses" or "And Words Fell Like The Malting Blossom" offer amazing moments with ethereal vocals barely accompanied by chaotic percussion or electro guitars. The record ends with Lavinia Blackwall singing "Sweets Rivers Of Redeeming Love" a sweet folk ballad. While not extraordinary “I Grew Up From A Stone To A Statue" is an interesting effort, although, due to the nature of the band, with a certain ephemeral smell. -CORANNIEIT-

Black Flowers, I Grew Up From A Stone To A Statue
Bo Weavil Recordings, 2009

Links:
Bo Weavil Recordings Official Site

Crippled Black Phoenix - 200 Tons Of Bad Luck

In what moment the sound of a band change from have influences of to it's a copy of? Is it "bad" to copy the sound of a band if the result is pretty good? This kind of questions come to mind after listen "200 Tons Of Bad Luck" the second album from Crippled Black Phoenix, the British collective group founded by Justin Graves (Electric Wizard, Iron Monkey) and its membership includes Mogwai bassist Dominic Aitchison. Covered all the way by an evident and permanent floydian shadow "200 Tons Of Bad Luck" is a good album in which we will not find an original sound, but high-level music ranging from post-rock to progressive rock. Music with long instrumental passages, peppered with incidental sounds and voices, mostly of it relaxed but also with moments full of enthusiasts Gilmourean guitars. While the first part of the album have a complete and shameless Pink Floyd sound, with songs like "Burnt Reynolds, with an introduction very close to "Shine On You ...", "Rise Up And Fight", almost a "One Of These Days" clone and "Time Of Yer Life / Born For Nothing / Paranoid Narcoleptic Arm Of Empire ", a long suite of 18 minutes with noticeable evocations to "Wish You Were Here" and "Dark Side Of The Moon" albums, towards the middle it tends more to Mogwai sound playing a little bit more obscure and aggressive songs like "444" and "Whissendine" just to close with the ethereal and instrumental "I Am Free Today I Perish." A very good album that could make happy to any Pink Floyd fan. -CORANNIEIT-

Crippled Black Phoenix, 200 Tons Of Bad Luck
Invada Records, 2009

Links:
Official Website
My Space site