Earl Greyhound - Suspicious Package

Heavy, dark and groovy; these are the three best words to describe the trio of Brooklyn rockers known as Earl Greyhound. After the release of their debut album in 2006, Earl Greyhound has built a reputation for their amazing live shows and they have done a great job of capturing that aesthetic on this record. Frontman Matt Whyte, bassist Kamara Thomas and drummer "Big" Ricc Sheridan embrace both the sound and the style of the 70s. With influences including Led Zeppelin, Heart and Pink Floyd this band simply oozes the 'classic rock' vibe.

Decked out in vintage apparel Whyte has the lanky, long haired look straight out of Woodstock while Thomas sports an impressive old-school afro. Throw in Sheridan's staple sleeve-less denim shirts and you could imagine this trio of classic rockers were misplaced in history. This group isn't all style and no substance thou, with instruments in hand they have a timeless quality to their music that rocks just as much now as it did in the 70s.

On their sophomore album, Suspicious Package, the group delivers a mix of Detroit power rock, bluesy hard rock and old-fashioned soul in a tight 40 min package. Album opener "The Eyes of Cassandra (Parts 1 and 2)" starts out slowly with Thomas' cool vocals before spinning off into a six-and-a-half-minute psychedelic romp. There is a definite early-Floyd vibe flowing through the first part of the album that walks a fine line between influence and imitation.



The two standout tracks on the album have to be "Shotgun" and "Holy Immortality." Both tracks show off the great vocal talent Thomas and Whyte are capable of. There is also a level of garage-band recording value at work here that gives the album a great 'live gig' feel. It's easy to imagine the trio recording in an rundown shed as you listen to the screaming guitar riffs, driving drum lines and blues tinted lyric. I can almost feel the vibration of the bass during the first few chords of "Shotgun" as if I were in the room with them... and I love it!

The rest of the album isn't too shabby either and holds plenty of musical gems to peak any classic/hard rock enthusiasts' interest. The bluesy "Oye Yaya" and "Ghost and the Witness" both immediately jump to mind as must-hear songs. The haunting "Out of Air" is another track I find myself landing on frequently. "Flood won't let it fall, Sea's too deep for wrecking ball," Whyte sings, "I'm almost out of air, Can I start again?" The writing on Suspicious Package is top notch with plenty of variety and invention that requires multiple listens to really appreciate. Overall a very strong album from a band I'm sure will be on many 'best of 2010' lists later in the year.

White Denim - Fits

The Austin trio that is White Denim has done it again with the release of their third full-length album Fits, a dizzying collection of pulverizing drums, screaming guitars and howling vocals... and that's only the first 5 tracks. The band experiment with changes in song structure, pace and style creating a dizzying array of sounds and influences leading the listener on a musical journey full of genre hopping, mind bending fun. White Denim stitch together tidbits from every musical genre and time period, combining the experimental pop of the 60s with the blues-rock of the 70s, and create something new in the mix. A down to earth band, White Denim still record in drummer Josh Blocks' caravan instead of a recording studio, creating a full on garage jam session feel.

The album is basically a 50/50 split, with the first part comprised of swirling, fuzzed out rock and the later reflecting a mellower, restrained take on White Denims' genre twisting music. "We saw a pretty clear division emerging in the songs we were recording for this album", says front-man James Petralli, "From that came the idea to sequence it like an LP with a 30-second pause in the middle where you could imagine getting up to flip the record over".

The band kicks of the album in high gear with "Radio Milk / How Can You Stand It", a 60s flavored psychedelic whirlwind of bluesy guitars and vocals overlaid with a killer bass line by Steve Terebecki. This track is a good indication of the direction Fits is going to take you, with multiple genres and time shifts layered over turbulent guitar rhythms and pounding cymbals. The album continues with the swirling distortion of "All Consolation" before presenting the listener with the hard blues vibe of "Say What You Want", a good contender for 'Best Song' on the entire album. Keep an ear out for Josh Block dishing out some seriously great drum work throughout, definitely the most proficient member in the band.

Things slow down some on the second half of the album with the beat poet lyrics of "Paint Yourself", keeping a nice jazz vibe with some hand claps and percussion rolls. "You're always looking at yourself", Petralli howls, "deciding what you do not want to see". While not a band known for terribly creative lyrics, White Denim take some big steps forward with this short gem. The jazzy waltz of "I'd Have It Just The Way We Were" keeps the mellow feel going before jumping back into some vintage funk-rock with "Everybody Somebody", a near perfect piece of garage rock.

If you've made it this far your reward is the slow and soulful 70s inspired "Regina Holding Hands", one of the most polished songs on the album. Complete with smooth guitar rhythms and warm background vocals, "Regina" feels like it was plucked out of some 70s lounge. An impressive track from a band that never sounds like they are trying to be 'retro'. Of all the songs on Fits, this would be the one track that could hook potential new fans. The album ends with the lo-fi acoustic finger picking of "Syncn" and the great guitar hooks of "YoYo", leaving the listener with the uncontrollable urge to start all over again from the beginning.

One of the more adventurous bands out there, White Denim has been creating their own brand of retro garage rock since early 2005. Slowly gaining attention through word-of-mouth and extensive touring, playing with no obvious agenda beyond having a good time. There is some great music to be found with White Denim, if you have an open mind and can handle the abrupt style shifts. "We set the tempos high," says Petralli, "and set off."