Pouty People With Guitars and Etc

So I'm watching the Australian music quiz show "Rockwiz" last night and a woman named Mia something or other comes out to play and, like, she fuckin' rocks and everything: I actually enjoyed this straight out, four on the floor thing that she did - ya know, all bluesy and over-reaching vocals and scruchy guitar.

Am I 12 again or something? 'Cause I'm enjoying the guitary music quite a bit.

mp3: The M's - Going Over It

Here's yet another garage rock band making the same old noises. But this time I absolutely love it. The Glam Rock elements bind me in tight - I still go all gooey when I hear that sound. Their 2006 album "Future Women" is easily the most consistent rock album I've heard in a couple of years. Thankfully, it has enough sonic strangeness to keep me interested. Great chord changes too.

mp3: Liars - Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack

On the more avant side of town, The Liars new album "Drum's Not Dead" is better than their 2nd but it sounds so waffly and indistinct that I lost interest pretty quickly. All the track titles refer to Mt. Heart Attack or Drum and I have absolutely no idea why this is so and even less interest in finding out. This track at least has some flow or arrangement to hook onto and some good, weirded out guitar noises.

mp3: Giant Drag - Kevin Is Gay

Giant Drag are a band I missed out on entirely last year but "Hearts and Unicorns" is better than any rock stuff I put on my Indie/Rock best of 2005 comp. This track has got it all - swaggering, sultry MBV guitar stylings, a great pop hook and a singer who often reminds me of Chrissie Amphlett or a hang-dog Debbie Harry.

mp3: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Yes, they sound like a million other UK rock bands and Arctic Monkeys are just on the edge of being incredibly tiresome but I can imagine they're great live. Rousing, shout-along choruses abound.

mp3: Graham Coxon - Don't Let Your Man Know

So Blur's guitarist comes back with more heavy, compressed-to-the-max rock noise. It's better than the last album, to be sure, but it often reminds me of Stiff Little Fingers with a cockney accent.

And then I went and acquired a couple of Alice Cooper albums. Someone better save me soon.