Originally Posted by Bulldog Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (2004) µ-Ziq - Lunatic Harness (1997) Prince - The Gold Experience (1995)

Murder City Devils
Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts
1998

genre: garage rock, punk-rock
1. I Want a Lot Now (So Come On) - 3:27
2. Dancin' Shoes - 2:26
3. 18 Wheels - 3:21
4. Left Hand Right Hand - 2:28
5. Ready For More - 3:49
6. Cradle To the Grave - 4:16
7. Dear Hearts - 3:20
8. Hey Sailor - 2:05
9. Johnny Thunders - 2:12
10. Stars In Their Eyes - 3:26
11. Another Round On You - 2:36
12. Every Shitty Thing - 3:59

So this one's me kinda going out on a whim, as I've only been listening to this album obsessively for the last 2 or 3 days straight. This might end up being a much shorter post than some of what I've alredy put in this thread but, hey, why would I let that stop me!

Before I finally got hold of this album the other day, I'd only had two things linking me to this bunch of lovable Seattle-bred ragamuffins. 1) That I'd been familiar with and loved the song Dancin' Shoes for about a decade before now, and 2) an album of theirs called In Name and Blood which the awesometacular LoathesomePete hooked me up with (where the fuck are you lad?!). Suffice to say, these guys and a genuine appreciation of what they've given to music had been on my radar with a degree of inevitability for quite some time, like the borderline drinking problems that the first couple of years of university education bring with them, the popping of one's cherry, watching the Exorcist for the first time or any such ultimately inevitable stuff.

What do they sound like then? Imagine a version of the Strokes where the guitars are turned up to 11 and Julian Casablancas yells at you instead of mumbling over the whole of Is This It. Don't get me wrong, I do kinda like the Strokes (nowhere near as much as I once did though - bollocks to getting the new album for a start). What I'm trying to say is that Murder City Devils are of the same garage rock ilk but just much louder, more raw, much less of an emphasis on melody, and just outright manly - listen to this album and the sheer testosterone of it, and you'll find you've grown stubble after the first listen. I guess they don't really sound anything like the Strokes then

How does it all hold up then? I fucking love it - that's how it holds up. I love the production values, and the fact that the guitar just cuts through each track like a scythe. I love Spencer Moody's guttural and bombastic vocal style that really works to give this album its own sense of edge and character. I love the way the rhythm section gives everything such a lively atmosphere that makes it pretty much impossible to sit still during a listen-through. I love the fact that the first three songs are three of my favourite garage rockers ever.

All in all, it's such a consistently enjoyable album, and definitely in the top tier of garage rock in my opinion. Needless to say, their other stuff's well worth checking out too. As for this one, I don't hesitate to give it the following rating;