Get Better Gear!

Premier Sponsors

Other World Computing

TechRestore

Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • The Last 5 Years (2002 Off-Broadway Cast)

    • 10 out of 10
    • Jason Robert Brown
    • The soundtrack to this moving off-broadway musical is heart moving. The lyrics follow a couple in a relationship for five years, one point of view going forward in time, and the other tracing time fr
  • Is This It

    • 10 out of 10
    • The Strokes
    • The Strokes set the music world on fire with this 2001 album, with headlines declaring that the New York band was here to save Rock and Roll. While the band hasn't made as much of a splash since t

  • Wolfmother

    • 8 out of 10
    • Wolfmother
    • Black Sabbath, The White Stripes, The Stooges. There aren't many bands worth their salt that want to be compared to other bands, but when I listen to Wolfmother's self-titled American debut, I can

  • Guero

    • 10 out of 10
    • Beck
    • Beck is the modern master of the groove, and Guero is merely the latest example of this. From the opening power chords of "E-Pro," to the Pac-Man cuteness of "Girl," to the dirge-like lullab

  • Physical Graffiti

    • 10 out of 10
    • Led Zeppelin
    • This album bears every flavor of genius from the five records that came before. It is, I believe, the band's finest. With Physical Graffiti, Zep came raging back to their musical home territory -- har

Reader Specials

Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!

iTunes Music Review - Spanks for the Memories

  • Spanks for the Memories

    • 8 out of 5
    • Asylum Street Spankers
    • Reviewed by Bryan Chaffin
    • Buy this album from Amazon.com
    • Buy this album from iTunes Music Store
    • The Asylum Street Spankers are...well...The Spankers. Hailing from Austin, where I saw them live dozens of times, the band played entirely acoustically, with a style that borrows equally from the Blues, Jazz, Country, and Bluegrass, while dipping into the 1920s, 30s, 40, and 50s. Few bands can attempt such a montage and pull it off, and fewer still can do it without spiraling into a morass of stale kitsch, but this incarnation of The Spankers did it, and Spanks for the Memories is in most ways a great representation of that.

      While each of the band members sings a song or two, it is guitar god Guy Forsyth's numbers which stand out the most, starting with a cover of Robert Johnson's rocking and stomping Blues classic "If I had Possession Over Judgement Day." Guy Forsyth at his best in both his singing and playing, this song is what The Spankers were all about.

      Another Guy showcase on the album is "Hometown Boy," a not-so pretty look at growing up in a small town in Texas, though you have to listen hard to catch the themes of racism and violence. It's truly beautiful, in a sad and haunting way, and the sparse harmonies are about as close to perfect as you can get.

      Co-front person Chrstina Mars shines on "Shave 'Em Dry," though the version found on Nasty Novelties is better (Note: The Explicit Lyrics warning is quite appropriate for that record). Colonel Josh's cover of "Hesitation Blues" and Stan Smith's rendition of "Walkin' & Whistlin' Blues" are also standouts for those two performers, while "Lee Harvey" is one of the few numbers from band-member Wammo that I like.

      On the negative side, the engineering on this album is weak, and few of the recordings do the performances justice. The beautiful harmonies in "Tradewinds" are barely heard, and everything is muddied in the amusing rework of "Smoke that Cigarette" that The Spankers call "Funny Cigarette."

      The problem stems from the fact that this is a large band that is entirely acoustic, and few studios have the ability to properly record such performances in this age of isolation booths and directional mics. Indeed, Spanks for the Memories was recorded in an empty house, and not one that is known for its acoustic prowess. Still, it's a great album, despite its technical shortcomings.

      Note the hidden track from Pops Bayless called "Pinch Me" at the end of "Hometown Boy."

      Favorite songs: "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day," "Walkin & Whistlin Blues," "Tradewinds," "Funny Cigarette," "Hometown Boy," "Lee Harvey."

     

     

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me  Forgot your password?

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.