Chk this out !!!

As this is my first post I thought i'd open with a joke, but I couldn't think of any so instead i'll just introduce myself and carry on with the post.

I'm Dean one third of the rock outfit XQuabed, and one of the whitest of whiteboys thanks to my moon-tanned complexion.

For those who don't know, and most wont, I did have a radio show during uni on St Marys Radio Station WOWFM 100.8. Oh yeah i hit the big time! But it was great to flog bands and to complain about whatever I felt necessary, so long as there was no swearing.

Well now i'm free to flog bands or complain in writing whenever I feel. And I can swear... fuckin. So to start off with I thought i'd give a bit of a run down of a new album that has been on constant rotation in my car for the last 2 weeks.

I recently had the unexpected privilege of seeing a live performance at the Playground Weekender, from a band i'd never heard of called Chk Chk Chk or !!!, and i was blown away. These guys had an intense on-stage energy that lasted long after the end of the set. But I was curious as to whether they could bring this same energy to the stereo.

Well after purchasing their new album Myth Takes i'd have to say that I am extremely satisfied with my investment. Title track Myth Takes sets the pace of the album with its smooth, pacing bass melody and hushed vocals, while the guitar creates a feeling of the start of a spaghetti western style movie.
Funk fuelled pop track All My Heroes Are Weirdos ramps it up going straight for the feet. The psychadelic sounds and high speed pulsing rhythms make it so easy to dance and would be very suited to dancefloors the world over.
Front Man Nic Offer gives us a cool impression of his life with his explicit narratives, that are often void of melody, but nonetheless add a dimension to the Chk experience that's vital to the disco-clad sound.

!!! have embraced much of the 70's disco and psychadelica era, and put some very modern twists on the music, injecting large doses of percussion. Tracks like Bend over Beethoven and the popular Heart of Hearts show off their obvious love of the 70's music scene, with long ambient breakdowns that some people may find boring, but i think just adds to the Chk atmosphere. All in all the 8 piece band plays about 20 instruments collectively, which is clearly evident in their extremely rich sound.

Myth Takes is an album that i can (and do) listen to over and over again. Some of the songs have very abrupt endings that detract a bit from the album, such as Sweet Life, which is a great song but fizzles out towards the end.

The quality of the album though overshadows these minor issues and I would highly recommend anyone wondering what CD to purchase next, to go out and get yourself a copy of this album. Make sure you have your dancing shoes on.

This is definitely not music for a comdown, because it only creates a high.

And finally to take me out tonight I give you The Incredible Mouth Band. These guys play instruments but only use their mouths! If only we were all this talented.

Stay tuned for new JBT album review. I would of had the cd already but the public holiday ruined it for me.

Mp3: !!! - Heart of hearts