Oh My Rockness

Bang Bang Rock 'n' Roll is the perfect album name for a somewhat ironic "art-wave" band like London's Art Brut. These guys place special emphasis on the comedic elements of the "I'm in a band" scene. That's not to say these guys are a "joke band" (*shudder*). They are very serious about making songs that actually do rock. But they allow themselves to see the inherent folly of it all, which is mighty refreshing.

The chants/blasts of singer Eddie Argos on songs like "Formed a Band" and "Modern Art" (and his frequent rants against The Velvet Underground) are cleverly funny. But sometimes you may question if he's a comedian or if he's just a cock. Either way, these three-chord staccato songs have a strange, simple brilliance to them. These guys aren't reinventing the wheel by incorporating self-aware smarminess with rock, but they definitely do it delightfully well.

Published 09/05/07