The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
| Black Keys' glam 'El Camino' leaves blues in the dust Posted: 06 Dec 2011 06:13 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com): The Black Keys have previously been known for a blues-based sound, which put their roots in the Mesozoic era, by modern standards. But with their stunning new ''El Camino,'' they hark back to a different epoch of dinosaur rock, sounding like ... T. Rex. That's right, they've gone glam - gloriously. The two-piece outfit's formerly stripped-down core sound has been thickened up into something much more akin to Led Zeppelin's version of the blues, but with handclaps and female backing vocals. If this is selling out, as a few of the fans from their early-2000s indie days will surely insist, then bang a gong (bring it on). A not-so-secret weapon in this latest transformation is the brilliant producer Danger Mouse, a.k.a. the half of Gnarls Barkley that is not Cee-Lo Green. He was on board for the Black Keys' greatest and most game-changing album to date, 2008's ''Attack and Release,'' but was MIA for their bluesy, spartan hit album ''Brothers'' - except for, tellingly, its hit single, ''Tighten Up.'' Now that the mighty Mouse is back in the fold, co-writing all the tracks and playing keyboards, the duo is effectively a power trio. As he proved with his work on ''Attack and Release,'' Danger Mouse is a master of making the simplest guitar line sound unexpected, explosive and revelatory. Credit for knowing where to place each part for maximum effectiveness should also go to mixer Tchad Blake, a great producer in his own right and, not incidentally, to the guy playing all those parts, frontman Dan Auerbach, who has great instincts for when to suddenly make a fuzztone really, really fuzzy, and when to make each string into a laser beam. Besides throwing in subtle dollops of modern synths, Danger Mouse adds plenty of vintage organ parts, creating a clever bridge between the late-'60s British blues-rock that still sounds like the Keys' primary influence and the modern indie day. He's also smart enough to allow for plenty of moments where you hear just guitar and drums not as a sop to the duo's old fans, probably, so much as for sheer dynamics. Looking at the lyric sheet, you'd expect something a lot mopier, starting with the opening track and first single, ''Lonely Boy.'' It appears the Keys might have run into some gold diggers on the yellow brick road to success, with the skepticism of ''Money Maker'' being only the most blatant example of the album's deep suspicion of the fairer sex. ''She doesn't read much/But there's no doubt/She's been written about,'' Auerbach sings in ''Run Right Back,'' one of a string of songs about being attracted to unavailable, shallow, and/or untrustworthy gals. But, words aside, ''El Camino'' is great date-night music, as raucous and celebratory on the surface as it is nervous underneath. The group's ties to the great Brit-rock of the late '60s and early '70s remain, but with a lot of production touches from the glitter-rock that delegitimized rock but also made it more fun in the mid-'70s. If Cream had a wink, a beat, and you could dance to it, it'd be the Black Keys. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:27 AM PST Super Junior, f(x), miss A and B1A4 rocked a 7,000-strong crowd last Saturday. THERE'S no stopping the 7,000-strong crowd that flocked to the MBPJ Stadium in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, in hopes of getting a dose of Hallyu (the Korean Wave) on a drizzling Saturday night. Despite the gloomy weather at the beginning of the show, the audience of M LIVE by CJ, MO.A 2011 came prepared. As the thunder rolled above their heads followed by raindrops, they slipped into their ponchos – many in the colour of sapphire blue – and buzzed with excitement at the tiniest sign that indicated their favourite stars were here. They were rewarded for their devotion: the drizzle stopped just in time for South Korean girl group miss A to take the stage. Rocking in all-black attire, Fei, Jia, Min and Suzy flicked their hair, flashed their dazzling smiles and flaunted their saccharine vocals through catchy numbers like Good Bye Baby, Breathe, Bad Girl, Good Girl and Lady Gaga's Poker Face. Pausing in between songs, the leggy beauties greeted the Malaysian crowd in Korean, Mandarin, English and Bahasa Malaysia. Next, the crowd welcomed Jinyoung, CNU, Sandeul, Baro and Gongchan, collectively known as B1A4 (named such for their blood type and the expression of "Be the One, All for One"). The boys, who debuted in April, delivered five songs and won over the audiences' hearts with their youthful appeal and Sandeul's strong vocals. Compared to miss A's sexy moves, the third act of the night, f(x), came off as girlish and playful with their cutesy stage wardrobe. Despite the absence of Krystal, the other girls, Victoria, Amber, Luna and Sulli channelled high school charm with their doll-like faces and playful antics as they performed songs like their debut single LA chA TA. Amber, looking cool in shades and a yellow jacket, was the crowd's favourite, sending them into a frenzy whenever the camera zoomed in on her. The American-born Taiwanese also posed for the snap-happy crowd in between songs. "(It's) so hot!" exclaimed the girls before launching into the aptly chosen song, Hot Summer. True enough, ranging from miss A to Super Junior who appeared last, the Korean idols' faces glistened with sweat, but they soldiered on, delivering a highly energetic performance. After f(x)'s Pinocchio, it was finally the "highlight" of the night, with the E.L.F (EverLasting Friends, fans of Super Junior) screaming louder than before. Making their grand entrance with the rousing Superman, Super Junior launched into the fluid dance moves that they are so famous for, belting out a string of infectious numbers like Mr Simple. Despite being massively popular in the region, the good-looking group introduced themselves, with leader Leeteuk greeting the crowd with "Assalamualaikum!" Yesung turned in a moving solo delivery of It Has To Be You, the theme song of Korean drama Cinderella's Sister. The SuJu boys further made the crowd very happy as they handed out autographed T-shirts when singing Marry U. "There're so many beautiful girls in Malaysia," teased Leeteuk, before the boys ended their set with monster hits Bonamana and Sorry, Sorry. After Super Junior's performance, the four acts came out for one last time to thank the fans. Leeteuk, who will officially enlist and begin his two-year mandatory military service next year, was especially appreciative, rushing to the front of the stage, bowing and thanking the crowd in different languages, including Japanese. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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