Sold On "Selling A Vibe": The Cribs Are Back

 

During the Kaiser Chiefs craze of 2004, I also became smitten with The Cribs, a band who I thought sounded like the Kaiser Chiefs and ended up as the Chiefs opening act at NYC's Webster Hall. This was fine by me. It was one big, fresh Brit Pop party. I was so into the sound, I was looking for more. Give me more bands with crunchy guitars and killer choruses and hey, if I can dance to it, even better. So, I went all in with The Libertines, Maximo Park, The Hives, The Futureheads and the Arctic Monkeys, as well.

But like all love affairs, something always gets messed up, and as quickly as I fell in love with it all, I fell out. I moved on and stopped tracking. So, imagine my shock to see a new Cribs album released. I hadn't realized they released six records since I got off that indie Brit Pop, kinda punk bus. Now, on "Selling A Vibe," the Brothers Jarman are back after a six year hiatus and it is 2004 all over again.

There isn't a weak moment on this record.

 

 

Now here is where Cribs fans from across the world tell me how great all of those records after 2005's "The New Fellas" are. Please tell me. Because if there are any as good as "Selling A Vibe," I'll have a lot to catch up on. 

 

 

Songs Of The Week, 2026: 1/10-1/16

 

Pretty Soon There'll Be Nothing Left...-Nilsson
She's Leaving- Ronnie Lane
Woo Se Mama- Paul Weller
Workingman's Blues #2- Bob Dylan
Revolution Rock- Danny Ray
Relax- The Who
Bad Year For Rock & Roll- Chuck Prophet

Pretty Soon There'll Be Nothing Left...-Nilsson
(Nilsson's 1976 release "Sandman" had a lot more good than bad, I think. This is one I love.)

She's Leaving- Ronnie Lane
(If I listen to Ronnie Lane, it's usually "Anymore For Anymore" and "Rough Mix," of course. But I pulled out "See Me" from 1979 last week, and I was pleasantly surprised. Hey, it's Ronnie!)

Woo Se Mama- Paul Weller
(From "A Kind Revolution," an album that left me cold on first listen, but after going back, I started going back again and again. It's a keeper.)

Workingman's Blues #2- Bob Dylan
("I'm tryin' to feed my soul with thought/Gonna sleep off the rest of the day/Sometimes no one wants what we've got/Sometimes you can't give it away." This kid Bob knows how to write'em.)

Revolution Rock- Danny Ray
(Many, myself included, first heard this on The Clash's "London Calling." Dig the original.)

Relax- The Who
(Have I mentioned how much I love "The Who Sell Out?")

Bad Year For Rock & Roll- Chuck Prophet 
(Ten years on...)

 

zip

ZIP 

 

P.S.
There's a pretty cool reggae mix over at the other place, for those interested. 

BW's Saturday #75

 

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Kyle Rowland Not Holding Back

 

It was our friend Fabio who suggested Duwayne Burnside's excellent hill country blues record "Red Rooster" a few weeks ago, and it was Fabio who suggested the new one from Kyle Rowland, "Not Holding Back."

This record is slicker, in a Jimmie Vaughan/Fab T-Birds style, but Rowland plays a mean harp and the record covers a lot of ground. Maybe too much. At 52 minutes, "Not Holding Back" lives up to its title when it probably should have held back about 15 minutes of music. Songs like "E.G.O." and "We're Still Friends" just don't cut it here among the gritty cuts like "I'll Take You Back" and "Backtracking." Actually, "We're Still Friends" sounds more like John Mayer than I needed on this record.

But, as a whole, Rowland's real debut after two self-released records back in 2011, is a terrific collection of soul, R&B and blues. Whittle it down to a digestible 38 minutes and you've got a winner. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Folk Music

 

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Give The Drummer Some, Part 7: Omar Hakim

 

I was obsessed with this track when I first heard it. I wasn't aware of drummer Omar Hakim prior to seeing him perform live with Sting in 1985. He is featured on both Sting's solo debut and the live concert film and album that followed. But I had been listening to Weather Report since I first heard 1977's "Heavy Weather." It was six years later that Hakim joined Weather Report and it was this track from 1984 that made me a fan for life.

The groove, once you get past the acrobatic intro, is indeed a waltz. And once you grab hold of it, you will find it hard to not count "1-2-3" for the full 11 minutes. Or at least, that's what the drummer in me feels.

The groove, if you don't count "1-2-3," also swings like a muthafu**a! 

I once played this track in a crowded shop on a Saturday afternoon, and I had a dozen people boppin' while shoppin'.

Omar Hakim's playing is off the charts. It's mind-boggling and still fluid. 

I hope you get lost in the "D-Flat Waltz."