ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Album: Village Gorilla Head
The Scoop: Even in today's comfortably teen and pre-teen music biz, it boggles the mind that Tommy Stinson was a mere 13 years old when he began his career with an upstart band called The Replacements. 13 and a bassist in one of the defining bands of the era! Moreover, this wasn't some TRL act being shepherded by parent-managers from photo shoot to photo shoot; The Replacements were a rock band, road warriors who played hard and indulged hard, then burned out before they could fade away. While it's important to not frame Village Gorilla Head as a competition against Stinson's own history (or against Paul Westerberg's solo records), it is also fair to say that there is a big difference between songwriters who sound like The Replacements because they grew up listening to The Replacements (there's still at least a couple new ones in my inbox every week) and songwriters who sound like The Replacements because they were in The Replacements. Instead of rehashing old formulas, though, Stinson adds to them; for example, he embellishes the title track with a sexily ambient, practically Portishead-like backdrop. Village Gorilla Head never settles into a comfortable funk, but is also smart enough to embrace its strengths. For late night, last cigarette, last call rock and roll, it doesn't get much better.Other Irons in the Fire: Mr. Stinson remains a member-in-good-standing of Guns N' Roses. He is touring with Alien Crime Syndicate in August. And, finally, the once-shelved album by his band Perfect is finally seeing a proper release on September 14 (Once, Twice, Three Times A Maybe).
Highlight Tracks: "Without a View" and "Moment Too Soon"
For More Info: Check out http://www.tommystinson.com
Artist: THE DELGADOS
Album: Domestiques
The Scoop: Originally released in 1997, Domestiques makes for an interesting historical study of a band that has evolved substantially in the following years. Here, the band charges ahead with a youthful, punkish energy, though there are breaks in form for the sort of meditative tracks ("Smaller Mammals") that would inform later releases. The more bare-bones approach to production and songwriting seems to suit Emma Pollack best, as her songs are typically the strongest. Domestiques is certainly a must-have for fans, especially as it's loaded with five bonus tracks and two bonus videos. Newcomers would be better served by picking up one of the band's later albums. Here, they are a young band delivering an enthusiastic, energetic, but uneven record with a handful of great tracks and a handful of filler. Since then, The Delgados have reached more rarified air.
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