Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The Good, the Bad & the Queen


I promised you after that "Xanadu" post that I would return with the rock. I hope to accomplish that feat by introducing you to "The Good, the Bad & the Queen."

The group consists of lead vocalist Damon Albarn (Blur and Gorillaz), The Clash's bassist Paul Simonon, former The Verve guitarist Simon Tong and Afrobeat pioneer and Africa 70 drummer Tony Allen. That's a pretty impressive resume for a band, dontcha think? Oh yeah and to top it off? The album was produced by Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley fame. It really makes for a wonderful recipe and in return, a wonderful album.


So what do they sound like? Well, the shorthanded answer is they kinda sound like the Gorillaz minus the rap and electro beats. They sound like a band, and a downtrodden one at that. AMG says "it represents a conscious return to Albarn writing songs specifically about London at a particular point in time. Thematically accurate though this may be, it is also misleading, suggesting that Albarn is also returning to the bright, colorful, clever guitar pop that made his reputation. The Good, the Bad & the Queen is deliberately drained of color and mired in moodiness." A lot of that has to do with Danger Mouse's production. It's spacial and dramatic, recalling the angst of the Gorillaz's album "Demon Days."

Give these few tracks a listen or even better, catch them live at the Coachella Festival. I put up their first single "Herculean" and their latest which just debuted as a single this week called "Kingdom of Doom."


For Your Consideration:
The Good, the Bad & the Queen - Herculean Mp3
The Good, the Bad & the Queen - Kingdom Of Doom Mp3
...and a bonus!
The Good, the Bad & the Queen - The Good, the Bad & the Queen Mp3


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