Released - 3/24/09
Label - RCA/Jive
BLURB - The reviews from South By Southwest were spot on. This record is bursting with energy and it's easy to see why this was one of 'the' concerts to attend in Austin. Don't be surprised if Cage the Elephant really takes off this year...they've conquered SXSW and have Bonnaroo, All Points West and Lollopolooza quickly approaching on the horizon.
Rating - 9 out of 10
FULL STORY - One of my favorite things to do every year is read all of the articles that come out of the SXSW trade show. Whether it's business related or artist related, I really don't care, everything seems to be so fresh, original and insightful. SXSW usually sets the scene for the year to come in music and provides us with what seems like limitless information and access. Compare it to getting insider information or confidential stock advice, but it's music - and it's not illegal. One article of such was published in Billboard Biz and described the rising 'Cage the Elephant' as the, 'Best Band That Met Pre-Conference Hype.' The article also references the, 'Best Celebrity Sighting,' going to Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno) for being right smack in the middle of the Cage the Elephant show. The Billboard Biz write-up briefly compared their sound to that of The Vines, but better. To me this is a fairly broad reference point.
Trying to describe this record is both simple, yet impossible. Let me preface this attempt to label Cage the Elephant, by characterizing their music as one simple thing - rock and roll. This description, though, begs the question...what kind of rock and roll? When I first listened to the record in its' entirety I tried mainly focusing on the Vines' comparison, and trying to see what was being done that was in fact, better. You can definitely hear The Vines and it is definitely better. If you keep listening, you can also hear The Rolling Stones. You can hear the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Mooney Suzuki. You can hear Sublime. You can hear The White Stripes. You can hear The Kinks, but also hints of Beck. The outro to 'Tiny Little Robots' sounds like something off of Pink Floyd's - 'Dark Side of the Moon,' while 'Free Love' sounds like a modern version of 'Fire' by Jimi Hendrix. It really is a harmonious blend of classic rock, pop, indie, blues, punk and soul, that when done correctly results in near perfection, namely Cage the Elephant.
The other area of this record that also is fairly obvious to point out is the energy and rawness that is present throughout all eleven tracks. Like a painting that jumps off the canvas, or a story that leaps off the page, 'Cage the Elephant' unassumingly blasts out of the speaker. The record looks, sounds and feels completely natural. This unforced, free flowing movement allows the listener to enjoy the music void of any disruptive or extraneous material. The lyrics aren't overly substantive or complex, and I really don't think they should be for this type of sound. It's your basic, 'we're here, if you don't like us - tough shit.' Throw in some sexual innuendos, chaos, and a handful of catchy hooks, and this stuff pretty much writes itself.
Tracks:
1.) In One Ear
2.) James Brown
3.) Ain't No Rest For The Wicked
4.) Tiny Little Robots
5.) Lotus
6.) Back Against the Wall
7.) Drones in the Valley
8.) Judas
9.) Back Stabbin' Betty
10.) Soil To The Sun
11.) Free Love
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