Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2013 December 04 • Wednesday

The WFMU Record Fair has come and gone again. Once again there was this dealer from Canada with a bunch of intriguing early-'60s instrumental rock records—from Canada! I'm not holding my breath waiting for these things to become available in some digital format. Instead I'm just buying the damn records and listening to them.

First up is this album by Les Jaguars.

Some might buy it for the cover alone. The music is pretty good also!

What I like about this group is that their sound is unusually dark and gloomy. Even when they're playing upbeat, peppy numbers they don't have a bright, happy sound.

The first tune on the first side is my favorite. It's a haunting, minor-key piece in 6/8 time and it's called "Solitude", just to make sufe you know it's not about partying.

The next number, "Melle Yeye", is a bit more rocking but still pleasantly lugubrious. Call it sulk and roll.

There are only two covers, "Honky Tonk" and "SleepWalk", of which the latter goes by the name of "Dors Mon Amour".

Side two is cheerier than side one. "Jaguar Shake" is particularly upbeat, thanks mostly to the energetic rhythm section.

Thumbs up on this one!