Virgin Records
Inside In/Inside Out Amazon

Continuing our theme of mentioning bands with a Ghost in the title, I give you Britain’s “The Kooks.” The first and possibly scariest thing you should know about this Brighton quartet is that they are possibly the youngest embodiment of signed musical excellence on the planet.

Ripping it up across the pond for the better part of 2006, I came across the Kooks during a July holiday in the London suburbs. My trusted music associates told me that their summer release “Inside In/Inside Out” was all the rage. The fourteen track tour-de-force ranges from traditional brit-pop to gritty post-punk and contains some of the most organic material I’ve heard in years.

The sometimes scorching, sometimes soft lyrics of singer Luke Pritchard, not to mention the tenacity of guitar player Hugh Harris (17 years young to boot!) yield quite a sobering experience.

The album’s first track “Seaside” for example, brings the listener into the world of the Kooks. With its subtle lyrics and soft complexion, the track seems more like a voyeuristic look at a practice session than a first meeting. At one minute, thirty-nine seconds, that’s exactly what the band aims for, throwing you off guard and when faced with the gritty, grinding sophomore “See the world,” you aren’t quite sure what to expect from this album.

Potentially threatening the age old two minute seven second barrier of pop song length, (a measure that I have deduced is the minimum duration a successful pop song must last in order to be played on Radio, TV, etc in our modern era; see the Beatle’s “Yesterday” and Weezer’s “Photograph.”) the Kooks push on with one classic track after the other.

Inside In/Inside Out is the kinda CD that you can just let play; no skipping around on this one. After “See the World,” great stuff like “Sofa Song,” “Eddies Gun,” and “Ooh La” are soon to follow.

Drive to work and provided you have the same thirty seven minute commute as some of my friends, Inside In/Inside Out will be your faithful companion.

Here are a few artists and albums (As of now) that soundtrack the movie that is my life. Each song by any of these artists could be the backing track to every enthralling moment.

Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV

This is what guides me to work everyday where “I’m working for a cash machine.”
Standout Tracks: Middle Eastern Holiday, Hard to Beat, Stars of CCTV
amazon

Death Cab For Cutie - Plans

This is the scene where I look into her eyes and tell I love her…or that it’s over.
Standout Tracks: What Sara Said, I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Brothers On a Hotel Bed
amazon

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

Quite often, when I’m involved in some type of heist, Muse will be riding shotgun. Where’s the VAN!?
Standout Tracks: Map of the Problematiqué, Starlight, Knights of Cydonia
amazon

Sounds Like:

• The drive to work
• breaking up
• driving a getway car

• Nightmare of You - (Self Titled)
• amazon

If you like 80s roots and subtly vulgar lyrics, you’ll put your dick in a box for Nightmare of You. In my personal favorite, “thumbelina,” the singer Brandon Reilly tells a story of a hitch-hiking nymphomaniac “flailing on the side of the road.”

The thing that’s great about this album is the stark imagery evoked from the lyrics. In “Ode to Seretonin” Reilly sings,

“I’m utterly depraved, let’s do it on your terrace…”

It’s delivered in such a matter-of-fact way, it wasn’t until the 3rd listen that I realized what he was saying. In contrast, “In the Bathroom is Where I Want You” leaves nothing to be deciphered.

Besides the blunt sexuality contained in this album, there are more hooks than madonna got looks. Seriously, this is more and more difficult to say these days, but every song on the album has a great hook. In fact, any track could stand alone as a single.

Sounds Like:

• The Smiths
• Love-Making
• Gritty British Pop

Ben Folds and Queen, as simple as that. Usually this sort of flat out description puts the expectations of a virgin listener at an extremely high level. However, when listening to the DC based rock group Jukebox The Ghost, I found myself as musically satisfied as I’ve been in a long time.

The collaboration of Ben Thornewill, Tommy Siegel, and Jesse Kristin, the unsigned trio conjurs memories of Brian May guitar licks and feelings of Ben Foldsian piano angst. Thornewill and Siegel prove to be quite the songwriting team, offering distinctly different ideals.

In the Queen-like “The Difference,” Thornewill’s piercingly dramatic vocals are such an homage to the Freddie Mercury that I found myself doing a sonic double take.

Similarly, in Thornewill’s “Hold It In” the playful piano harkens back to the most boyish and joyful melodies Ben Folds and his illustrious “Five” ever offered.

After listening to Jukebox’s online sampler and some of their other unreleased tracks, I can only describe the experience as one of simple joy. Their songs are organically poppy and yet extremely self reflexive. Check out their myspace or try to see them live (as this is the type of act whose merit increases exponentially when seen in person) in the DC, Philly, NY area.

The Fratellis - Costello Music

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buy at amazon Shows

I’ve had a chance to hear some of The Fratellis album “Costello Music.” If you’ve been watching TV lately you’ve most likely heard them in one of several Apple Ipod commercials. I’ve got to say, the Apple people pick some good music these days. It must come from all of their iTunes experience.

The song from the commercial, “Flathead,” is an all around great song. From ambient acoustic guitar and gritty vocals during the verse, to soaring vocal harmonies in the chorus, the song just makes you want to dance. But you could tell from the iPod people.

About half of the songs on the album are similar, in that the band sings along with the guitar melodies. At first, it sounds like little kids and seems kind of cheesy, but once you get past it, it’s so much fun. I have them on constant rotation on my drive to work.

They remind me most of the beatles with an edgier, lounder sound. Most of all, they remind me of a group from the suburbs of philly called Pepper’s Ghost.

If you’re into brit pop as much as I am, you’ll love this band.