Art Brut

Let me just say that even a tone-def toddler could re-record this album at the same quality these guys did. It takes NO TALENT to talk to music. And that's what they did here. They talk, and then repeat the same lines over and over. GARBAGE.

You will be baffled! The odd accents, the strange lyrical topics, and the absolutely energetic guitar form and album that stands tall above others.

Art Brut shows us that creative genius and a simple desire for more fun in music still exist.

Plus, they've got a guy named Freddy Feedback.

where you can really enjoy Eddie's stage antics. While this CD has some really fun songs like 'Modern Art', 'Good Weekend' and 'My Little Brother' other songs are just grating like '18,000 Lira'. This band definitely has a unique sound and like I said are really fun live.

There's just something so endearing about a band who announces on their first song: "Formed a band/we formed a band/look at us! We formed a band!" with a mixture of glee and winking confidence.

And it's just the warmup for this enthusiastic, energetic rock band, with their solid, peppy Britpop debut, "Bang Bang Rock & Roll." Their rollicking guitars are so infused with fun and over-the-top rock'n'roll sentiments that it's impossible not to be charmed.

A sizzling riff opens the first song, in which Eddie Argos announces that they've formed a band, and urges people to"Stop buying your albums from the supermarket/they only sell records that have charted." Then he adds with winking charm: "And yes, this is my singing voice. It's not irony, it's not rock & roll -- we're just talking.... to the KIDS!"

Turns out it's only the warmup -- next Art Brut focuses on the jangly, tight rhythms of how "My little brother just discovered rock & roll/There's a noise in his head, and he's out of control!"

From there, they trip off into a joyous round of tight Britpop odes to Emily Kane, bouncy little indiepop, and frolicking rock numbers that twist in on themselves during the catchy chorus. But they also try out some other sounds: the sunny Beach-Boysy pop of "Move to L.A.," and the weirdly ominous ballad "Rusted Guns."

At first, Art Brut sound like any other fun Britpop band. But their album blossoms the more you listen to it -- these lads have a tight grip on their brilliant instrumentation, and they know how to wink at us through their odd, somewhat repetitive lyrics.

The riffs in this album are simply stunning: they ring, buzz, bounce, and sizzle, tightly wound into solid tunes. They're paired with solid basslines and some smashing drums, along with some twisted keyboard and what sounds like stomping feet. Together, they form some deliciously dancy rock tunes, but they're complex enough to never get dull

At first, their lyrics sound kind of simplistic, and in a few songs they are. But listen carefully. They're a lot wittier than that: they take a few humorous jabs at L.A., the music industry, and derivative bands. And they know how to create beautifully over-the-top odes to a first love ("Every girl that I've seen since/looks just like you when I squint"), and the joy of rock'n'roll. Even a song about.... um, performance problems.

In fact, in some songs, they exude the delight of some teenage boys who are getting to have fun out on the town... with girls! In one song, Argos yells out joyously about a new girlfriend, "I've seen her naked.... twice!" Very cute.

Argos himself has a nice voice -- it's pleasantly ordinary, neither too smooth or too rough, and he can sing through quieter songs as well as the rollicking dancier ones. And occasionally he drops out of singing altogether, usually to deliver the best lines: "No more songs about sex and drugs and rock and roll / It's BOOOOORING!"

Art Brut's debut album is a fun, rollicking, laddish album of solid rock'n'roll tunes, delightful lyrics and solid singing. Definite;y a must-buy.

Ok, so it doesn't sound EXACTLY like everything out there. And the lyrics are witty, I'll admit. But I find this album so annoying that I skip EACH TRACK hoping to find the next one more interesting. No luck. This band REALLY LIKES TO REPEAT PHRASES OF MINIMAL INTEREST. I don't ever want to listen to my Art Brut album. It may be better than 99% of what's heard on major channels (both radio and video), but it is still basically unlistenable. Enjoy.

Art Brut's second album, It's A Bit Complicated, hit the streets June 26th. Judging from the five song EP, it won't disappoint the multitude of fans won over by their debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll. Known for his shrewd self awareness, front man Eddie Argos and his crew have done it again. Mixing talk/stylized vocals, smart verbosity and catchy melodies, Art Brut will satisfy your longing for intelligent upbeat music. It's A Bit Complicated is deceptively simplistic; its perfectly crisp songs are multi-layered concentrated pop energy.

The EP features "Pump up the Volume," where Argos asks, amidst clever background vocals and guitar riffs, if it is bad taste to stop making out in order to turn up a pop song. "Direct Hit" is a rowdy rock number that you wish the DJ would play instead of the multitude of bad danceable tracks. "Post Soothing Out" is more vulnerable about a failing relationship. It hinges on the wit that characterizes the band's lyrical approach when referencing John and Yoko and remarking that "every day is just like starting over." "Late Sunday" is instrumentally diverse with an appearance of horns and xylophone, displaying the range of Art Brut's creativity and are hopefully an indication of their future as a band. "Nag Nag Nag Nag" is a frenzied tale of "adolescent concerns" from the brooding teenage perspective that recalls youthful rebellion.

It's A Bit Complicated is Art Brut a bit more grown up, maintaining a mature perspective amid a swell of pop rock enthusiasm. These songs will inevitably infect your brain and you will find yourself singing them - with a British accent, of course.

I can't really speak to the Franz comparison, but I can say that the Eddie's monologues seemed to have evolved a bit over the previous album and are undeniably relatable; especially to anyone struggling in a relationship (tracks, "Post Soothing Over" and "Jealous Guy" come to mind here). Eddie Argos is an "everyman" in the truest sense, and his lyrics exude an authenticity unsurpassed by any Brit-pop band in recent memory.

On the whole, there are some great riffs here too. Overall, this is one of the best albums of '07 and well worth your time - although a bit brief. If Art Brut continues to release albums keeping in form with the previous two, keep them coming.

Hey, a new Franz Ferdinand album? Oh wait, it's Art Brut. Seriously, can it get any closer? I guarantee you play "Pump the Volume" to the average Franzie and he'll swear up and down that it's gotta be them. Even the voice sounds ridiculously alike. It may seem unfair to criticize Art Brut for sounding like Franz Ferdinand (and Bloc Party, for that matter) when Franz borrowed heavily from all sorts of other groups. But the UK is so full of these bands now that someone needs to stop them. Preferrably now because in about twenty minutes I'm going to be sick of all of it.

As the Art Wave continues to roll dominant over the post-punk/garage rock niche, Art Brut does what they gotta do even while they sound like a band just formed last Tuesday. They even have a 2004 single called "Formed a Band," like it was done on a whim based on the artsy post-punk that was on the sharp rise. That they would take the "too clever to be clever" modus operandi as far as this (and on the segments of Bang Bang Rock & Roll I've heard) is the very reason why they have no chance of surviving for much longer. I would mourn them if I would actually miss them. Meat is meat, but well-done ain't rare. It's a Bit Complicated is medium most of the way through, though they find some bloody goodness on parts of "St. Pauli" and "Late Sunday Evening." Even "I Will Survive" manages a rolling beat that chugs along nicely beneath the sharp blasts. Too bad a lot of the rest is stringy and grey.

"Pump Up the Volume" has the same sort of snarky humor that Elvis Costello displayed with his similarly titled "Pump It Up"; but the latter made you act against the instincts of the lyrics and, well...pump it...up? "Volume" floats by with the urgency of drying paint. It's punchy, the almost-bored enthusiasm is marked off, and the rhythm is clearly defined. But Franz should be able to do it better...damn it, I did it again. It's unfair really. If Art Brut came first, I might say similar things about the others. Except that Franz does it better, with more style, and their, ahem, art is more brutish. This is just the slick knockoff. Luckily, I'm not disgusted by it, just disinterested. It zips by with neither imprint nor identity. No one can actually hate this stuff, but it's time to move on to something else at this point. After all of these bands, the next Franz record is going to automatically sound like crap.

Best cuts: "St. Pauli," "Late Sunday Evening," "Post Soothing Out," "I Will Survive," "Blame It on the Trains"

Art Brut are just so darn lovable. Any band that rejoices at their own existance has gotta be special.

That fact is reinforced in their second album "It's A Bit Complicated," which is crammed with more of their exuberant art-punk-poppery. It doesn't stray far from their first album's mold, but them it doesn't really need to -- their energetic, quirky little songs are more than enough fun.

After a bunch of "woo hoo hoo hoos" and a little tap on the bass, the opening song unfurls into a sprightly, punky little rock song. "We've taken our clothes off, in the wrong order/And you're leaving your shoes to make you look taller," Eddie Argos muses, contemplating the perils of teen nookie. "I know I shouldn't/And it's possibly wrong/To break from your kiss/To turn up a pop song..."

Having roped you in with the catchy stuff, Art Brut turns their attention to fast-paced rockers like "Direct Hit" ("Move around like your shoes don't fit!", which are equal parts indie-rock and catchy danceable stuff -- some builds perpetually up to a peak, some bounces all over, and some rushes forward in tight, high-octane blurs.

It winds right down to the brilliant last few songs -- "Nag Nag Nag" is an ideal blend of indie-rock grittiness and dancy exuberance, and "Jealous Guy" sounds like an amped-up version of a classic Britpop song. The album ends, but it doesn't slow at all.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about Art Brut is that they always sound just serious enough to make brilliant music, but not so serious that they don't sound like they're having huge quantities of fun. "It's A Bit Complicated" doesn't change much, but it does continue doing what they do best, with a bit of new polish.

The music basically rides on a wave of blazing bass guitar and nimble electric guitar riffs, tightly wound together into fast-moving melodies. They can make it cycle, blaze, buzz, smash and blast in brief spurts (look at "Late Sunday Evening"). And Mikey B produces some nice drums to ground the rapid-fire guitars, although he's a bit drowned out in some songs.

Argos tends to speak rather than really sing, in his warm, rough voice. For most artists, this would sound like a guy covering an inability to sing, but with Argos it just sounds conversational and quirky ("Sorry if my accent's flawed/I learnt my German from a 7 inch record").

And the songs he sings are full of witty lines and laddish woes -- "I Will Survive" is basically an ode to slob dorm living, and "Jealous Guy" is the lament of a guy feeling threatened by his ex-girlfriend's exes, and her lack of intimacy with him ("You're asleep, I wish I was too/But I can't because I've got something to prove/I tried to wake you with a really loud cough/I accidentally set your alarm clock off...")

"It's a Bit Complicated" doesn't really expand Art Brut's sound, but it's more lovable laddish indie-rock from a band that is almost too endearing. Definitely worth getting.

Art Brut is a band out of the UK that have been hyped as art punks. "Formed a Band" is the opening track on this debut album which leaves fans wondering if they're poking fun and taking a piss on the whole indie/punk rock scene or if they are serious musicians. They have a charismatic vocalist Eddie Argos who has a style more along the vein of speak/sing style.

Throughout "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" the band ties together styles of rock from garage, punk and even a slight surf influence because of Argos' vocals. Some of the tracks on the album are ""Good Weekend" and the breezy "Moving to L.A.," both of which incorporate Argos' storytelling lyrics in which one he even name drops Axl Rose.

This is a very addictive album, living up to its hype which, you must agree, most records are unable to do!

First off, the bass player is a woman, so the band is not comprised of "five guys," as this page claims. Take that, amazon!

Next, this band is great, and even though I've only heard these songs and a few others off their various demos, I'll be damned if they're not one of the best new Britrock bands to come out recently. I'd sum them up at 60% The Fall, 30% Libertines, and 10% Ikara Colt. I just wish they'd tour the U.S.!

Art Brut's second album, It's A Bit Complicated, hit the streets June 26th. Judging from the five song EP, it won't disappoint the multitude of fans won over by their debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll. Known for his shrewd self awareness, front man Eddie Argos and his crew have done it again. Mixing talk/stylized vocals, smart verbosity and catchy melodies, Art Brut will satisfy your longing for intelligent upbeat music. It's A Bit Complicated is deceptively simplistic; its perfectly crisp songs are multi-layered concentrated pop energy.

The EP features "Pump up the Volume," where Argos asks, amidst clever background vocals and guitar riffs, if it is bad taste to stop making out in order to turn up a pop song. "Direct Hit" is a rowdy rock number that you wish the DJ would play instead of the multitude of bad danceable tracks. "Post Soothing Out" is more vulnerable about a failing relationship. It hinges on the wit that characterizes the band's lyrical approach when referencing John and Yoko and remarking that "every day is just like starting over." "Late Sunday" is instrumentally diverse with an appearance of horns and xylophone, displaying the range of Art Brut's creativity and are hopefully an indication of their future as a band. "Nag Nag Nag Nag" is a frenzied tale of "adolescent concerns" from the brooding teenage perspective that recalls youthful rebellion.

It's A Bit Complicated is Art Brut a bit more grown up, maintaining a mature perspective amid a swell of pop rock enthusiasm. These songs will inevitably infect your brain and you will find yourself singing them - with a British accent, of course.

I can't really speak to the Franz comparison, but I can say that the Eddie's monologues seemed to have evolved a bit over the previous album and are undeniably relatable; especially to anyone struggling in a relationship (tracks, "Post Soothing Over" and "Jealous Guy" come to mind here). Eddie Argos is an "everyman" in the truest sense, and his lyrics exude an authenticity unsurpassed by any Brit-pop band in recent memory.

On the whole, there are some great riffs here too. Overall, this is one of the best albums of '07 and well worth your time - although a bit brief. If Art Brut continues to release albums keeping in form with the previous two, keep them coming.

Hey, a new Franz Ferdinand album? Oh wait, it's Art Brut. Seriously, can it get any closer? I guarantee you play "Pump the Volume" to the average Franzie and he'll swear up and down that it's gotta be them. Even the voice sounds ridiculously alike. It may seem unfair to criticize Art Brut for sounding like Franz Ferdinand (and Bloc Party, for that matter) when Franz borrowed heavily from all sorts of other groups. But the UK is so full of these bands now that someone needs to stop them. Preferrably now because in about twenty minutes I'm going to be sick of all of it.

As the Art Wave continues to roll dominant over the post-punk/garage rock niche, Art Brut does what they gotta do even while they sound like a band just formed last Tuesday. They even have a 2004 single called "Formed a Band," like it was done on a whim based on the artsy post-punk that was on the sharp rise. That they would take the "too clever to be clever" modus operandi as far as this (and on the segments of Bang Bang Rock & Roll I've heard) is the very reason why they have no chance of surviving for much longer. I would mourn them if I would actually miss them. Meat is meat, but well-done ain't rare. It's a Bit Complicated is medium most of the way through, though they find some bloody goodness on parts of "St. Pauli" and "Late Sunday Evening." Even "I Will Survive" manages a rolling beat that chugs along nicely beneath the sharp blasts. Too bad a lot of the rest is stringy and grey.

"Pump Up the Volume" has the same sort of snarky humor that Elvis Costello displayed with his similarly titled "Pump It Up"; but the latter made you act against the instincts of the lyrics and, well...pump it...up? "Volume" floats by with the urgency of drying paint. It's punchy, the almost-bored enthusiasm is marked off, and the rhythm is clearly defined. But Franz should be able to do it better...damn it, I did it again. It's unfair really. If Art Brut came first, I might say similar things about the others. Except that Franz does it better, with more style, and their, ahem, art is more brutish. This is just the slick knockoff. Luckily, I'm not disgusted by it, just disinterested. It zips by with neither imprint nor identity. No one can actually hate this stuff, but it's time to move on to something else at this point. After all of these bands, the next Franz record is going to automatically sound like crap.

Best cuts: "St. Pauli," "Late Sunday Evening," "Post Soothing Out," "I Will Survive," "Blame It on the Trains"

Art Brut are just so darn lovable. Any band that rejoices at their own existance has gotta be special.

That fact is reinforced in their second album "It's A Bit Complicated," which is crammed with more of their exuberant art-punk-poppery. It doesn't stray far from their first album's mold, but them it doesn't really need to -- their energetic, quirky little songs are more than enough fun.

After a bunch of "woo hoo hoo hoos" and a little tap on the bass, the opening song unfurls into a sprightly, punky little rock song. "We've taken our clothes off, in the wrong order/And you're leaving your shoes to make you look taller," Eddie Argos muses, contemplating the perils of teen nookie. "I know I shouldn't/And it's possibly wrong/To break from your kiss/To turn up a pop song..."

Having roped you in with the catchy stuff, Art Brut turns their attention to fast-paced rockers like "Direct Hit" ("Move around like your shoes don't fit!", which are equal parts indie-rock and catchy danceable stuff -- some builds perpetually up to a peak, some bounces all over, and some rushes forward in tight, high-octane blurs.

It winds right down to the brilliant last few songs -- "Nag Nag Nag" is an ideal blend of indie-rock grittiness and dancy exuberance, and "Jealous Guy" sounds like an amped-up version of a classic Britpop song. The album ends, but it doesn't slow at all.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about Art Brut is that they always sound just serious enough to make brilliant music, but not so serious that they don't sound like they're having huge quantities of fun. "It's A Bit Complicated" doesn't change much, but it does continue doing what they do best, with a bit of new polish.

The music basically rides on a wave of blazing bass guitar and nimble electric guitar riffs, tightly wound together into fast-moving melodies. They can make it cycle, blaze, buzz, smash and blast in brief spurts (look at "Late Sunday Evening"). And Mikey B produces some nice drums to ground the rapid-fire guitars, although he's a bit drowned out in some songs.

Argos tends to speak rather than really sing, in his warm, rough voice. For most artists, this would sound like a guy covering an inability to sing, but with Argos it just sounds conversational and quirky ("Sorry if my accent's flawed/I learnt my German from a 7 inch record").

And the songs he sings are full of witty lines and laddish woes -- "I Will Survive" is basically an ode to slob dorm living, and "Jealous Guy" is the lament of a guy feeling threatened by his ex-girlfriend's exes, and her lack of intimacy with him ("You're asleep, I wish I was too/But I can't because I've got something to prove/I tried to wake you with a really loud cough/I accidentally set your alarm clock off...")

"It's a Bit Complicated" doesn't really expand Art Brut's sound, but it's more lovable laddish indie-rock from a band that is almost too endearing. Definitely worth getting.