Leopold and his Fiction - Self-Titled (Native Fiction Records, 2006)

I am somehwat behind the curve in discovering Leopold and his Fiction - a group whose sound, much like their name, belies the fact that there are only two people in the band (Editor's note: As with gangs, a band of two is the smallest band possible).
Leopold and his Fiction's music is a very cool blend of country and blues inflected rock'n'roll, that harks back to a time when life was a little bit simpler, though no less hard. The opening track, She Ain't Got Time, is a thick slice of Nuggets-era garage rock, while Shakey Mama Blues sounds something like the Strokes crossed with a heavy dose of Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf.
Be Still refines the bands sonic attack somewhat, allowing the strength of the songwriting to shine through, while Miss Manipulation, with its plaintive slide guitar and melancholy feel, is a quiet case study on how members of the fairer sex are able to bend we mortal males to their will.
Leopold and his Fiction have not set out to re-invent the wheel with this, their debut album. They have, however, filtered generations of American music through guitar, drums, and microphone into a sound that is all their own; and a mighty fine sound at that.

Check Out: www.myspace.com/leopoldandhisfiction

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple (Downtown Music, 2008)

For a good part of 2006, no matter how hard you tried, it was difficult to make it through the day without hearing Gnarls Barkley's upbeat-musings on mental well-being, or lack thereof, in the shape of their hit-song Crazy. It was unlike any other music of the time; it was, and still is, an amazing song and deserved all of the hype it received.
I bought the group's first album, St. Elsewhere, on the strength of Crazy, and while it had its moments, I was disappointed by the album as a whole. Don't get me wrong - the pairing of Danger Mouse (note: if you need to be told who Danger Mouse is, you have been living under a rock for the past five years) and Cee-Lo Green had its moments of brilliance, however, there was just too much filler on the album.
As a result, I was reluctant to purchase the duo's latest album, The Odd Couple. Following the phenomenom that was Crazy, the hype surrounding the new album has been minimal; and while many bands suffer from a sophomore slump with their second album, Gnarls Barkley have gone above and beyond anything they have done previosuly.
The album's second track, Who's Gonna Save My Soul, is sublime, rueful and amazing. It has the feel of a classic soul track, re-invented for a time rife with post-millenial tension. As soon as I heard it, I rushed out and bought the album.
Cee-Lo Green once again delves into the darker regions of his psyche, his crooning equal parts mournful and menace; Danger Mouse's production work equals anything he has done thus far. With Crazy, Gnarls Barkley established themselves as a great singles group; with The Odd Couple, they have establsihed themselves as a group capable of creating entire albums brimming with imagination, creativity and soul. Very cool.

Key Tracks: Who's Gonna Save My Soul, Run (I'm A Natural Disaster), Would Be Killer

Check Out: http://www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley

The Whigs - Mission Control (ATO, 2008)

In 1955, riots broke out in cinemas across Britain during the screening of a film titled "Blackboard Jungle", in which rock'n'roll outlaws, Bill Haley & The Comets, played their soon-to-be hit, Rock Around The Clock. Rock'n'roll was still in its infant stages, and it seems it was all too much for the people to bare, though in those days, dancing in the aisles would have been considered rioting.
Some years later, a wise philosopher was prone to saying, "I know, it's only rock'n'roll, but I like it." And, later still, a young preacher from Western Australia implored: "Let there be light, let there be sound, let there be drums, let there be guitars. LET THERE BE ROCK!"
Luckily, The Whigs have followed the call of their forefathers, and, with their latest album, Mission Control, have unleashed eleven songs of unbridled rock'n'roll upon an unsuspecting world. In their music, you can hear the swagger of Australia's You Am I, the pop sensibility of Britain's Doves, and the southern-rock inflection of America's My Morning Jacket.
Album opener, Like A Vibration, and the awesome, Right Hand On My Heart, are smoking-hot, and while the band aptly display their tender side on tracks such as I Never Want To Go Home and 1000 Wives, they truly shine when their amps are turned up to eleven. With so much rock goodnes on offer, The Whigs need to be heard.

Key Tracks: Right Hand On My Heart, I Never Want To Go Home, Like A Vibration

Check Out: www.myspace.com/thewhigs