OK, So I Skipped A Month...Better Me Than Your Girlfriend.

Heartless Bastards – Arrow
This band is new to me, though clearly I should have heard of them over the past couple of years. They strike a similar chord to the Black Keys and the White Stripes, but what really sets them apart is Erika Wennerstrom…what a terrific voice! The songs are tight, compact and sparse, but with an energy that pushes them forward, and the guitar work is nothing to sneeze at, either. 4

Public Image LTD – PIL
I was a Johnny Lydon fan in the late ‘70s, and I remember waiting for the first Public Image LTD album with great anticipation, and though I haven’t listened to it in years, I recall not being let down. By the time this album came out, Lydon was the only original member of the band, and listening to it now, it reminds me why I stopped listening to them…they transformed from a ‘punk’ band to a drum-driven pop/dance kind of thing, which I generally don’t like, regardless of who sings or plays. I remembered very little of this, and there were really no pleasant surprises for me in re-hearing it, but if you like this sort of thing, it’s not awful. 2

The Hives – Lex Hives
Right from the first drum beat and ‘4 count’ of “Come On” through “Midnight Shifter”, this was hot! It was great fun to listen to…laser beam focused on doing what they do best, and only what they do best…better production than their earlier efforts, too, although I must admit that when I heard “Go Right Ahead”, I thought of Jeff Lynne suing the shit out of them, bringing “Don’t Bring Me Down” to trial and playing the first 16 bars of each song to make his point. Anyway, that aside, this is as good as ‘garage pop’ gets… my favorite of the month…4.

Supertramp – Crime of the Century
When this came out, you couldn’t avoid “Bloody Well Right” on the radio, and so it seems a shame that classic rock stations today with their tight playlists can’t find room for this song and others of the ‘semi-progressive’ ilk like this one, but one song doesn’t an album make. I haven’t really listened to this over the years, but was pleasantly surprised in hearing tracks like “Dreamer” and “Asylum” with fresh ears. This is good, solid ‘semi-progressive’ rock. Not as inventive as Yes, though not as cloying as Styx, and so just for that one song, it DOES have a place in a lifetime rock library. 3

Topic - 5 Greatest AMERICAN Bands of all time

1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
2. The Ramones
3. The Beach Boys
4. Aerosmith
5. The Allman Brothers Band

5 Best Armeican Bands still 'out there'...

1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
2. Metallica
3. Brian Setzer Orchestra
4. Green Day
5. Aerosmith