The Checks can rock my Ballroom anytime, Baby /// The Burning Ear

whatchoo want from me baby?

After yesterday’s artwork fiasco I felt I had to hit you all with some mind bending awesomeness. Well, here it is, the cover for the new album by New Zealand’s The Checks and how about some mind bendingly awesome music to go along with it? Hmmm? How’s that treat you? The Checks were introduced to me by TBE reader Jared and after finally getting around to tracking down their sophomore album (not easy) I was pretty blown away by Alice By The Moon. This thing is solid rock and roll with just enough swampy dirt to suck you in and just enough hooks to pull you back out again. Crunching guitars and creeping beats that have look to put Alice By The Moon on my year’s best albums list so far.For reals. It was no easy task picking 1 or 2 songs to share here. Jared recommended Alice‘s opening three, “Bagheera,” “You And Me,” and “Crows,” and while they are great it was “Ballroom Baby” sitting at track 4 that really gave me pause. Holy smokes. Then it’s just wham bam through the rest of the 13 tracks. Some more dancey, some more dirty, some sounding like what The Dead Weather should sound like (as opposed to just being bad), and some with epic guitar solos.

The Checks – Isabella

Don’t make me beg, go buy this album. If you have your own music blog and dig this magic then pass on the love. These guys are being screwed by geography but it is really us non-New Zealanders that are the victims. A damn shame. OK, enough from me, I have their debut LP Hunting Whales to track down…

Bury your face in MySpace /// Buy Alice By The Moon from the band