The Severed Cortex

Jim Noir - Jim Noir

Did Jim Noir spend a lot of time listening to Donovan? Chances are good he did. This whole release has a trippy sixties Donovan feel to it. Was it a deliberate attempt to copy Donovan? I don't think so. These days it's really tough to release music without someone saying it is derivative of this or that. I'm doing it now. So what. Jim Noir sounds a little like Donovan. Personally, other than Mellow Yellow, I think Donovan was kind of cool. Generally I don't like damn dirty hippies, but I'll make an exception every once in awhile. Jim Noir is not a damn dirty hippie. If anything he's Donovan with an electronic bent. This eponymous release is heavily overproduced, full of sugary pop keyboards, and yet it still manages to capture that 60's analog fuzz sound. Without the high production values you might suspect this is a sixties era Mickie Most project. The release is chock full of good songs, most happening in the first half. Don't You Worry is the standout, but plenty more come close.

Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords

If you don't know who Flight of the Conchords are, you live in a cave. Or you don't have HBO. They are, admittedly, an acquired taste. They throw a lot of deadpan humor spaghetti at the wall and some of it just doesn't stick. The music they create does. It's not only well crafted, it's downright funny. These two Kiwis are the heirs apparent to the throne currently held by They Might Be Giants, which was, we all know, abdicated by Weird Al Yankovic, who, you may remember, conspired with Doctor Demento to snatch it from Ray Stevens, who, at the time, was just riding around with it in the back of a pickup truck, still drunk with power years after wresting it away from Allan Sherman. You all know the story. I don't have to repeat it for you. I've had this thing for at least six months, listen to it about every three or four weeks, and peel back another layer of comedy gold. The musical skill is top notch too. They're able to skewer Bowie, rappers, Pet Shop Boys, dub, Kraftwerk, and a host of other genres all with impeccable skill. Every song on here is good. Just succumb to the pressure and buy the whole record.

Valient Thorr - IMMORTALIZER

I've talked about Valient Thorr before. They are, by far, the dirtiest band I've ever seen. Collectively they need a bath. I shouldn't make a cultural judgment about them. They probably don't have showers on their home planet. Despite, or because of, their general sweatiness, these guys rock. Probably because it is primarily guitars, guitars, and guitars. Oh, and it's fronted by a charismatic lead singer with plenty of swagger. Anyone willing to write a song about dead ghosts haunting Jesse Helms soul is OK in my book. That's kind of the knock on Valient Thorr. The songs are populist rhetoric wrapped up in a scary rock and roll package. A wicked, hard driving, rock and roll package. Hey, a lot of great rock and roll has a left leaning political edge to it. It's hard to write a pop song professing your love for trickle down economics. Like Rush Limbaugh on the right, this stuff screamed at you, jackhammered at high decibels repeatedly, gets a little old. At least for me. Still love the high intensity rock though. Tomorrow Police is the epitome of what I'm talking about. If you make it past that try the lead track.