3 Reviews: Strokes, Shannon & The Clams, Tune-Yards

The Strokes - Angles
With “Is This It?” the Strokes made one of the best records of the new century. Following albums were good but got gradually worse. After a long hiatus “Angles” came out and unfortunately it fits neatly into that line.
Opener ‘Machu Picchu’ can only endear in the chorus, but the empty 80’s pop sound is annoying. This hollow sound is continued in ‘Two Kinds of Happiness’ and basically throughout the album

It’s not all bad. The single ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ makes up a lot. It’s a vintage Strokes song with both strong verses and chorus and where every instrument sounds great. ‘Taken for a Fool’ has a great chorus as well but these are sparse highlight on a disappointing album.



Shannon and the Clams – Sleep Talk
Unknown Shannon and the Clams caught my ears with their 2009 album “I Wanna Go Home”. Their music is 60’s garage rock powered by the singer’s powerful voice. Their raw sound must sound great live. The energy is again at a very high level, sometimes distorting the amps. A more raw version of the Ramones, sometimes even nearing The Stooges. With just 36 minutes of playing time it is also the right length before become too monotone.



Tune-Yards - w h o k i l l
Go see her (them) if you have a chance because of their originality. Overlapping vocals and exotic beats give you an interesting musical experience. “w h o k i l l” is a breakthrough album. The vocals are varied, though at times varied, but they color the songs like no other instrument, like in the jumpy/jazzy ‘Gangsta’ or the single ‘Bizness’. 10 songs that are guaranteed to make your ears perk up.