you won't be fooled by this

Alright, the date when Albert's sophomore LP Como Te Llama will be released is creeping nearer and nearer and my opinion about it has not changed. I don't want him him to release that record for exactly the reasons I gave here. But, he's a Stroke, so I give in - can't do anything about it anyway. Como Te Llama is nevertheless different to Yours To Keep. It's not as mellow and pop-ish as his debut, it's got rougher parts and doesn't sound as fluently. It does remind me a bit of Is This It, Albert's nasal voice equals Julian's on The Strokes' first work. Of course, it doesn't have that genuine brilliance that floats around Is This It and the I-don't-care attitude. Albert did put a lot of effort in Como Te Llama, that can be heard quite openly. But something is missing, maybe the red thread throughout the record, that sews the songs together rather than letting each song stand for itself. I'd say, it's alright, I like it because it's Albert's record and I'll buy it for the same reason, but it will never live up to a real Strokes record.

To show you the differences and similarities that I've spoken of, I've uploaded two songs of Como Te Llama, one from Is This It and one from Yours To Keep.

dig them:

MP3: Albert Hammond Jr. - You Won't Be Fooled By This

MP3: Albert Hammond Jr. - Victory At Monterey

than this:

MP3: The Strokes - Barely Legal

and lastly:

MP3: Albert Hammond, Jr - Back To The 101

get CTL here, Is This It here and Yours To Keep here.

So, after two glorious singles, one EP and one collaboration with the Arctic's singer Alex Turner, the long-awaited Rascals' debut Rascalize is finally out this week. I have to admit, I was curious. After The Age Of Understatement, the similarities between the voices of both singer were quite obvious, but somehow people were expecting a second Whatever People say... . First of all, the likeness of both Kane's and Turner's voices is indeed astonishing, aswell as their music style. The Rascals also orient themselves at rough 60's indie rock rather than 2006's new rave/wave whatever. The outcome is decent, though not comparable to Whatever People say... Still, songs like Bond Girl, Freakbeat Phantom or Out Of Dreams resemble Still Take You Home or From Ritz To The Rubble (well, kind of), but Rascalize is not as harmonious or melodious as the Arctic's debut, nor has it that personal note, that Turner gives his songs. There aren't any Mardy Bum's or When The Sun Goes Down's, but maybe that's what makes it so good and so different, it's that rough, Liverpool indie rock sound. 

Get your own opinion and then get Rascalize here.

MP3: The Rascals - Fear Invicted Into The Perfect Stranger

MP3: The Rascals - Does Your Husband Know That You're On The Run?

and the last one for today, Infadels' Universe In Reverse. Since I last talked about their single Free Things For Poor People last month, I did listen quite frequently to them. Hadn't done so for a long time and I must say, I do like them again. After We Are Not the Infadels I had to make a pause, because you can quite easily overdose on their sunny, power pop music. Nevertheless, they're back with a lot of new, sunny, power indie pop songs and I think I've fallen for them again. Especially Free Things For Poor People is awesome, the song title is anyway. I don't know what else to say, so get it @ amazon.

MP3: Infadels - A Million Pieces

MP3: Infadels - Chemical Girlfriend

I wanted to talk about my weekend @ the Southside festival, but I'm running out of time and I want to post some pictures, but seeing as my abilities as a photographer are irreducible, I have to wait for some of my friends' photos to post.

 - take care