KRUD Zoo
Today on Radio KRUD I’m going to do things a little differently. Instead of focusing on one band or one album, I’m going to just take a bunch of songs that have been submitted to Glenn and I, post them one by one, and give my initial reaction t
o them. This will be the first time that I’ve listened to any of these songs, so I don’t know what they’re going to sound like. And I may or may not like what I’m going to hear, but I’m not a picky man. Either way, I’ll try to be honest about my opinion. So without further ado, let’s hear the songs in the KRUD Zoo.
The Mansion of Soul Drain – Dominion
“Dominion” is a promo by goth metal band The Mansion of Soul Drain from their upcoming album, which is also called Dominion. The song is pretty slow with a very deliberate pace. It’s not exactly something you can dance to, more like something you can mope to in a rhythmic fashion. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as Jerry Seinfeld might say. In fact, there’s something beautiful amidst the layers of woe and darkness. It’s like watching the ghost of a gorgeous woman floating around a haunted mansion: creepy yet alluring. Yet the song isn’t entirely perfect either. For instance, the production values are a little rough around the edges, but then again there are some horrible pop songs with great production values (*cough*Paris Hilton*cough*). You can find more music by The Mansion of Soul Drain at their website, which I linked to above.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Toothbrush and my Table
This song is the first track off of Nothing but the Water, a recently released album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. One word comes to mind when I listen to this song: smooth as silk. Okay, that was three words, but I’ve always been a heavy tipper. And if I tipped bands that I went to see perform live, then I would certainly give an especially hefty one to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals for such extraordinary musical service as this song. This is great stuff. It’s like they took some blues, some country, some jazz, some folk, stirred it all together, and cooked up a batch of hot, catchy music that is pleasing to sonic palette. It’s like a rootsier version of Sheryl Crow and very pleasant to listen to. You can buy Nothing but the Water by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at Indie911 or iTunes.
MESH – Side A
MESH – Side B
Both of these songs are by an artist named MESH and are the only two songs off of his recent album Re: Records. The songs are somewhat catchy, but they just don’t have enough substance to be worth listening to over and over again. They just don’t seem like songs that would stand the test of time. They’re too repetitive, even for electronic music, there isn’t really anything original about them that stands out, and above all they’re just way too simplistic. Maybe they would sound better played really loudly in a dance club, but I just see these songs as just being plain old dull. But maybe MESH’s other stuff is better and maybe you’ll hear something in these songs that you’ll like and that I completely missed out on. Having said that, you can buy more music by MESH at CD Baby or iTunes.
Hey Hey My My – Too Much Space
“Too Much Space” comes from the debut album of the same name by French band Hey Hey My My. “Too Much Space” is a very gentle song, yet it has something of a kick to it throughout. It’s almost like adding a dash of hip-hop spice to a folk song. It’s not like there’s tons of samples or scratches in the song, but it’s got a really catchy drum beat backing up the acoustic guitars. So it’s not like you could really get down to this song at a club, but it’s something you might gently bob your head to as you listen to you MP3 player on the train to work. It’s sweet and tangy, something you’d really enjoy when you need something relaxing to listen to without falling sleep. You can buy Too Much Space by Hey Hey My My at Sober and Gentle.