Quick Music Jerk 3: The Walkmen, The Boom Bang, and Your Weekly Album Mandates

These shadowy figures are music men.  Gentlemen.  Walkmen.

Stuff.  Here goes.

1.  Just saw The Walkmen in concert the weekend before last at the incomparable Granada Theater in Dallas.  Please allow me to break some revolutionary music opinion-related ground and proclaim that they are a pretty great band.  I'm a man who is dealing, who is comforted by a nice drink, and who feels things while not losing my balls.  I am a man who is therefore grateful for the kind of soundtrack that bands like The Walkmen provide and certainly part of their target demographic--if I even believe they have such a thing.  For my Oklahoma and north Texas friends who have never seen them, you have a golden opportunity--Saturday, April 30th at the Norman Music Festival.  Which in case I need to say it, is in Norman, Oklahoma.  And the even more golden-y part?  Admission is 100% free.  Make a road trip.  Come see them.  Come see me.  And if you're going to the Arcade Fire show in Dallas that same night, it's okay.  It tells me everything I need to know about you, your music taste, and our friendship on multiple levels.

2.  The Boom Bang chose a band name that fully endorses the ethical principle of truth in advertising.  And their live show thus delivers--even if it's a gut punch, it's one you thank them for later.  My friend and business partner Clint wrote a great review of their new album (more to follow below) on his blog that says it better than I ever could.  Don't worry about all the music references he makes that only about five people in the world probably get--he's saying the album is really, really good.  And it is.

3.  Three albums I'm listening to this week for a variety of reasons and, therefore, you should be listening to:

World War Fun by The Boom Bang: Loud.  Noisy.  Fun.  Most importantly, good. (Should be on iTunes any second now)

12 Desperate Straight Lines by Telekinesis: One of my new favorite music sites, Old Waver says it best--  90's power pop reminiscent of Matthew Sweet fused with the fuzz of a Dinosaur Jr. or pre-suck Weezer.  In other words, people my age feel a little like a teenager again listening to this album.

The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart: I told you guys that this band might be the next big thing--and after seeing them live as openers for the aforementioned Walkmen gig, I feel even stronger in my conviction.  Think late-era Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams pre-solo band) with more layered instrumental and harmonic skill combined with the energy of Mumford and Sons without all the overwrought Brit-Irish attitude (not that that's not occasionally a good thing).  Either way, I can't stop listening to this album.

That's all for now my loves.  Playlist arrives Friday.  Here's hoping I'm looking California while feeling Minnesota the next couple days.  Also, 8tracks--the site I use to create my playlists has an iPhone app coming any day now.  So that dream of listening to my playlists while on-the-go?  Keep it close to your heart, your wallet, your bedside table or wherever you keep your hopes and dreams these days.