Willowz - Everyone

"Everyone" is the latest material from American band Willowz in which they play spontaneous and lively music that combine the visceral and urgent nature of punk and garage with a casual and supposedly candid so Californian attitude. The quartet presents 10 fast songs (mostly shorter than 3 minutes) in which, except for a couple of seventies flavored ballads, they go from obvious allusion to the raw & pure White Stripes garage in pieces like "Repetition" and "You Do ", to The Strokes melodic garage evocation in songs like "Destruction" or "I Know ". So, "Everyone" is not an album that will change rock history but it gives us a bit of fresh music. Fun and enjoyable. Is not that enough?. -CORANNIEIT-

Willowz, Everyone
Dim Mak Records, 2009

Links:
Official Web Site
My Space Web Site

Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

So far away is the time when this couple of Mexican ex-metal heads used to play their guitars on the streets of Dublin to live. Now days they play one day in Tokyo and the next day in Coachella or Bonnaroo festivals, so they can afford to release a record as "11:11" with guests like Strunz & Farah and Alex Skolnick. "11:11" is some kind of conceptual album with, precisely, 11 songs, each dedicated to an artist who, to say the duo, has influenced or inspired their music in some way ranging from Astor Piazzolla to Carlos Santana and from Pink Floyd to "Dimebag" Darrell. Although the "Rod & Gab" well-known power-acoustic-instrumental sound remains with no change, there is some news: for the first time there's no covers (remember that many turned to see this guys for their wonderful versions of songs like Metallica´s "One", Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" or Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven"), on the other hand, perhaps realizing that the formula was beginning to run out, the duo incorporates instruments like ukulele, oud, darbuka and piano as well as including, also for the first time, an electric guitar with an Alex Skolnick solo. Though at sometimes can be slightly monotonous, "11:11" is a good record of (OK, let say it) world music with "Latin flavor" and rock flashes (though some people still think that this is flamenco music). -CORANNIEIT-

Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11
ATO Records, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

The Thermals - Now We Can See

"Now We Can See" is the fourth album from this Portland band in which they make simple, powerful and catchy rock, with some punk touch but quite melodic. Without reaching the Green Day's "sophistication" but not falling in Blink 182's bland happy punk, music by The Thermals is doubtless inspired and based on punk but also contains an undeniable pop touch, maybe because of the pop/folk background of guitarist Hutch Harris and bassist Kathy Foster, band mates also in Hutch & Kathy, that makes the trio's music sounds very friendly and digestible. Harris comes easy playing chord by chord to assemble circular, rhythmic and light music but also with some substance. 10 solid tracks that always keep a high intensity level including provocative songs as "I Let It Go" or "When We Were Alive" fast and distorted, but also slightly poppy songs like "Now We Can See", with a chorus rather than sticky, viral, or "At The Bottom Of The Sea" some kind of power ballad with tints of melancholy. Punk or heavy-melodic-pop. Power or melody. It doesn't matter. "Now We Can See" is an impetuous and absolutely enjoyable record. -CORANNIEIT-

The Thermals, Now We Can See
Kill Rock Stars Records, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

The Sounds - Crossing The Rubicon

"Crossing The Rubicon" is the third album by Swedish band The Sounds in which the band maintain the sound of their previous albums and preserves the Nordic tradition of good pop bands with rock ambitions. 12 songs light, extremely melodic, with catchy choruses and Maja Ivarsson's voice reminding us frequently to Karen O. Pop in all its forms: epic, synth, dance, power, dream, almost always bright and strong but sometimes near to be insipid just saved by the Felix Rodriguez's guitar which is responsible for giving substance to the sound when it begins to get so sweetie and danceable. Pop pure and delicious, with great punch and a sleek simplicity. Without pretensions, "Crossing The Rubicon" is a light and perhaps slightly superficial record but absolutely enjoyable. -CORANNIEIT-

The Sounds, Crossing The Rubicon
Original Signal Records, 2009

Links:
Official Website
My Space Website

Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

Featuring a new lineup, in which guitarist/singer Erika Wennerstrom, seems to be the only permanent member of the band, the American trio Heartless Bastards presents their third album "The Mountain" playing music without ornaments or elaborate arrangements, powerfully rocker but with high doses of country and folk. Wennerstrom has a strong voice, with a deep tone and a style that sometimes recalls Linda Perry, and manages her interpretations to fit perfectly with the sound of each song whether pieces like "Early In The Morning" or "Out Of The Sea" in which the band sounds like a real power-trio with the strong and vibrant Wennerstrom guitar in front of, or in quieter songs such as "Had To Go", a dark folk/country theme with banjo and violin, or pleasant acoustic blues "Could Be So Happy" that this band from Ohio executed flawlessly. However, the best moments of "The Mountain" are achieved when the impetuous Wennerstrom guitar is wrapped in the country spirit that dominated throughout the album by delivering songs like "The Mountain", with a delicious steel guitar sliding over the distorted Wennerstrom guitar, "Witchy Poo" or "Sway" both with a southern sound, hard and evocative at the same time. From beginning to end, "The Mountain" is a vigorous and easy to enjoy record. A refreshing back to the basics. -CORANNIEIT-

Heartless Bastards, The Mountain
Fat Possum Records, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site