1. The Graviators
Sweden rules! It’s as if the only reading material available in the country are back issues of Hit Parader magazine circa 1981 – 1991 and all the upstart bands think that metal from that decade is still cool around the world. There are as many sleaze/glam bands coming from Sweden today as there were from the Sunset Strip in LA 20 years ago. There are also tons of Sabbath-inspired bands, like The Graviators whose sludgy, doomy metal would make Ozzy and Tony Iommi proud.
2. Gamble House
In anticipation of an interview I’ll be doing with Ben Becker, Gamble House’s self-titled debut was in constant rotation on my iPod. Comparisons to Grizzly Bear appear in every review I’ve read though I don’t know Grizzly Bear well enough to know if the comparisons are accurate. I love the ’60s/’70s paisley-pop sound, the unexpected instruments, the languid, breezy choruses. “Central Park” is one of the best opening cuts I’ve heard on any album in 2010.
3. Ministry – “Filth Pig”
I think I probably stopped buying new Ministry albums just before Filth Pig came out in 1996. I caught the title song from this album on the Liquid Metal station on XM last week and the guitar riff sounds like Helmet’s Page Hamilton covering Faith No More’s “Last Cup of Sorrow”. BROOTAL!!!!
4. Judge Jackson – “Radio”
Kaytea at XO Publicity sent me a link to download this song so I figured I’d check it out. Nothing wrong with a free MP3, right? Knowing nothing about Judge Jackson, it takes all of 3 seconds of “Radio” to figure out that these guys would be great on a tour opening for everybody from Buckcherry to The Black Crowes to Velvet Revolver. Straight up rawk n’ drinking music roll.
DOWNLOAD: Judge Jackson – “Radio”
5. Dead Confederate – “Giving it All Away”
At first listen, it sounds like these grungy southern rockers may have found a shower and washed away the mid-90s Seattle influences found on their last album. Still, this song grew on me the more and more I listened to it this week. The new Dead Confederate CD comes out at the end of the month.