Return of 'Murica! PUSA - Kudos To You!

'Murica is back! I am completely unable to contain my excitement! Also, I'm back! And I can see you are barely able to contain yours (through my tap into the NSA surveillance cameras in all of your homes). The Presidents of the United States of America have always had a special place in my heart. I remember rocking out to their debut album on cassette, and again, cranking them up when I rediscovered the album on CD on a Goodwill shelf (seriously, you can find amazing music for cheap with a little thrift store digging.

All that being said, I must explain away yet another hiatus. A combination of my girlfriend getting surgery (she's doing well, thanks for asking) and my birthday (it was lovely, thanks for asking) prevented me from having the time to sit down in front of a screen getting drunk. Man, times are hard, eh?

Anywho, I have a lovely bottle of birthday Jim Beam Black, time on my hands, and new music I can't wait to shove into my ear holes, so it is time for yet another triumphant return of Albums & Alcohol!

Jim Beam in a Jim Beam glass because I'm a classy whore.

Another side note, I took a birthday trip to my local Cheapo and got some new CD's, and since a couple were from previous blog posts, I thought I'd share my birthday haul:

Mmm. Good music.

This new PUSA album may be in the company of those discs soon; however, first, it must be placed under the ever scrutinizing ear of my drunken, idiot self.

Off to a good start with the creepy cover. I've learned that to be a good sign. =)

So let's cut these sweet nothings and get right down to doing it... The blog that is. On to the review!

Album:

Presidents of the United States of America

Alcohol:

Jim Beam Black

"Slow Slow Fly" opens us up on a drum beat before bringing in a fun bassline. The guitar joins the groove, and we are off. Slow... But oh, how I do love a good song about a bug. Lyrical genius as always, and the groove is great. I also appreciate the jump in production value combined with the simple awesome of early stuff. Digging this a lot so far. 

"Crappy Ghost" picks up the pace. There is no other band that can do what PUSA can. It's amazing and sad. There needs to be more music akin to this. Showcasing their incredibly underratted composition skills here. Great tune.

Building out of that is "Good Morning Tycoon". A feel goodish song that I'm enjoying. Ooveing the vocals, and that little solo was lovely. Excellent kick in. Driving us straight into the finish. Lovely.

Bass drum gives way to a snare fill and on into a fun little rockabilly tune on "Poor Little Me". Lyrical genius continues. Slide solo! Beautiful. Beautiful stop. And another into a slow part.... Kick in! Awesome. Fanfare us into... Killer ending. 

"Roof Tops in Spain" kicks in bringing the energy even higher. There is a definite rise feel thus far on the disc, and I'm totally good with that.Lovely solo there too. Jim just found his way to the party, and I'm okay with that. I love the refrain. Cool and fun track. 

Weirdish intro opens up to kick you in the face awesome on "Stay With Me". This track is awesome in your face punk done as only PUSA can. Love it! God, what they do with guitar... So amazing. Build... And excellent pay off. Buutiful fall apart ending.

That gives way to a naked voice opening "Crown Victoria" giving us our first pace break, anda definite cool feel. Lyrical amazingness is off the chart here. There is no end to my love for this band. And it only grows with this killer solo. As the Crown Victoria does to you, you are making me smile, PUSA. Beautiful groove break. Sad that you have the fade out ending there...

But the punch of that guitar opening of "Electric Spider" helps ease the pain there. And how can I be upset when I have another PUSA song about a bug. Awesome. Definitely a cool track. Cool stop part, and build back in... Growing with such a cool play witht the guitar and bass. And awsome kick into a final chorus. 

Finer Monster" opens with bass, and opens up with guitar to an awesome feel goody tune. Cool change up! This song is so goddamn cool! Words are awesome. And they are using all the right ones. So fun! So drunk... But yes, I love it. 

"Flea vs. Mite" opens with an awesome driving guitar and bass. And as if they could here my call for more bug songs. Theis is an epic tune chronicaling abattle between a flea and mite (as if I had to clarifuy that). Excellent solo. This may be my favourite thing... Ever. Awesome.

"Innocent Bird" follows that by giving anohter little pace break. Lovely little tune thus far. Okay again, for anyone not familiar with PUSA, they are silly and a little "out there", but listen to a song and realy get a feel for whats going on musically, because what seems so simple and silly on the surface can have soooo much awesome depth and cool shit with just an attentative lisen. And this disc shows exactly that. 

Whistles start "Ohio". And the song takes of into a more agressive rockabilly track. These guys do this so well. excellent solo. If there's one thing to rival a PUSA song about a bug, it's a geographical PUSA song. Ohio is great, but I still am endlessly inlove with the song "Fuck California". Good tune here though. 

"She's a nurse" is another great track. Bouncy and fun. Hard to see my laptop screen, so I'm typing with my face in the key board. Hope it's coming out alright, but this song is cool and fun... Not super special, but I'm holding on to hope that they are setting me up for an amazing.. wait, that ending... Awesome.

Slow grove brings us into the closeing track: "Truck Stop on the Moon". Slow, tender, and lyrically amazing again. I love you PUSA, I really do. Perfect. The song is everything. Gonna smoke and enjoy, I suggest the same for you. =)

Final Thoughts:

Oft i've thought while listening to PUSA: Why can't there be music like this coming out today? Well, now I have it. Well, not yet, but I promise you, I will own Kudos To You! It is a killer album, and if you are one woucce familiar with the mband, you should won it too. Love it.

Okay, I have a string of RBR's that will come in the following weeks,a nd as always I'll be on the look out for new music I think might appeal to me/you. Definitely making a Facebook page soon to keep you up to date on my stupid hiatuses and general day to day shizz for A&A. So until next time. Keep rocking!

-Badhorse

Cleaning Up After The Disco - Broken Bells - After The Disco

I am really contemplating dropping off dates. I suck so hard at punctuality. That being said, I've had a busy week and am faced with another before me. I know, I know; that's no excuse to deprive the world of my impeccable, intoxicated opinions, but there it is.

Today, Broken Bells is the band, and After The Disco is the album. I know nothing of either other than the disc was announced along side some short films of some sort with the same name.

Pictured: A naked woman and a lack of research.

I've started my night with a glass of Jim Beam on the rocks, but for the blog, I will be cleaning out my fridge:

This is the arsenal of a poor man.

So with left over alcohol at my side, on to the review!

Album:

Broken Bells - After The Disco

Alcohol:

Leftover Night!

"A Perfect World" brings us into the album with some lowkey electronics. Nintendo sounding synth provide some movement before the drums kick in. Another synth plays a nice melody setting up the verse. The song while not too powerful as an opener has nice movement. Not bad. Pleasant is a word I might use. Solid chorus hooks. The song itself is a little... Dry? Good, just somewhat uninteresting. If it weren't for the chorus parts, I may be falling asleep as I write this. Decent tune, just... Kinda blah. Oh, there is a neat little guitar solo there. Toward the back a little, but I like the arrangement of it... As the song fades... Nope. Keys bring us into another part of the song... Oh, that was cool. Alright redemption. It took awhile to get there, but the song did well, and didn't manage to actually loose me in the process. 

The title track comes in keeping the slow disco feel. Like the previous track it is blah but saved by the chorus. Hooky, and I really like the falsetto in there. The music is kind of losing me. The vocals are the only thing really striving to hold my attention. The bassline is cool, but dear god, can it play--oh, the song is over.

Acoustic guitar and a really interesting kazoo sound bring us into "Leave It Alone". This song really slows things down, but in a nice and groovy way. I like that choral refrain. The music here has some cool movement, and I like the little guitar solo, but groove needs a rhythm section that can change up, and I'm just not feeling a lot of that right now. This song is cool, but missing a lot.

Moving on, "The Changing Lights" opens with a driving-ish synth that moves along as the drums comes in and drops off rather abruptly to give way to vocals. Other than the drop off. This song has a rather promising start. I really like the vocal melody and growth. Keys sweel as the chorus comes in. Dropping back down. Wow. The switch from beer to cider was interesting. Meh... I'm getting bored here. The song is cool, but it's, like, an better extention of everything that was alreaddy happening on this disc, and now it's over.

"Control" is another groovy track, and again, it's the vocals that shine. Everythingelse is just there... Groovin'... In a rather dry way. Cool farty guitar(or maybe synth) solo. I'm gonna call this the Valium spiked version of Night At The Roxbury... Nice horns... Ew... Fade out endigg.

Coming in like an indie lullaby is "Lazy Wondergul". This would bee a good title track. The songs thus far haven't necessarily been bad, but I wouldn't say good either. Lazy wonderfuyl sounds like a good discription of the disc as a whole to this point. The band does it's bestwork in melody and movement, but there are glaring underutilization of the rhythm section and overall compositon.

"Medicine" comes in with complete uncertainty if the previous track has eneded. More of the same. I'me losing faith in this disc fast than sobriety... Think of any popular 80s flick. You know the pop track from it? Yeah, that one. Well, make it a little more bland, and you have any song on this disc. Cool ending to this one, but thats about all that sets it apart.

And staying painfully with in the formula is "No Matter What You're told". Read above for a discription of this track.

"The Angel And The Fool" comes in deceptively awesomely. Another really cool groove and crazy reverb on a cool vocal line. At the risk of putting them to shame, the open reminds me of what would happen if "When The Levee Breaks" was boring...

Finally, the closing track, "The Remains of Rock & Roll". And I hope this song is no indication of what the remain of rock and rool are too be..It's like rock and rool with none of the authentic groove or umphy fun. Sad. TRhats what this song is. The whole albusm really. Thus far, I've counted none high points and all of the low points... That being said... Any of these tracks could shine on a good album as a pace slower, but put together, it's like trudging through pretended soul and feeling. Oh... Thats the end...

Final Thoughts:

First bad disc of 2014! Seriously, every attempt on this disc is just that, an attempt. Devoid of the necessary feeling of the grooves they set up. Suffice to say, you will not find this ever in my collection, and I'm sad to hav ever stumbled on to this band (Glad I didn't waste my good Jim Beam on them).

Toying with the idea of A&A getting it's own facebook page, but I'm thinking it may be dumb and pointless? Let me know.

-Badhorse