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[Revenge_Therapist]

http://finalbroadcast.blogspot.com/
here's my review
I was excited when I heard the Sleater-Kinney had signed to Sub Pop. A label know for letting artists handle their own affairs, safe from producers and label owners that want bands to fit the mold of their label. In a recent Onion A.V. club interview Carrie said that the band had been through a "midlife crisis", and was disillusioned with the very predictable sound featured on the groups last record. "One Beat". Punk Rock had gotten stale and the trio wanted more from their music.
When I got home with the record the first thing I noticed is even the cover of this one is different. Whereas on Sleater Kinney's older records there were action shots and pop art, this one is still and lush.
Where the needle hits the vinyl this record is fucking awesome. I cannot tell you how much this record will rock your world. The guitar tones are straight out of 60's/70's rock. Their voice levels are lowered to allow the guitars to take a more focus. This album is drawn away from the message based sound they had. Away from the very safe Riot-Grrl sound they helped hone. Away from much of the rock being played today.
This album harkens back to and era when the amps had to be cranked. The era of Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, musicians who roared their way through even the most sparse tracks with an intensity not often found anywhere. Whatever fountain Sleater-Kinney got this from, I need to find. They upped the ante here again, and found themselves at the helm of rock and roll. Godspeed.


Stand Out Track:
"Let's call it Love"

Reasons to buy vinyl:
Fourth side is a silkscreen of the rings of a tree.

[Psiogen]

It's a good album. Dave Fridmann's production is excellent—he wrings a real wall of sound out of the very stripped-down arrangements. The rock classicism actually kinda reminds me of the White Stripes...and the Stripes suffer badly for the comparison.

[a pack of wolves]

What I found interesting was that although it's a big departure from their older material and riot grrrl in general it's still very recognisably Sleater-Kinney. With a lot of bands when they make a shift like this they lose some of their identity, but they've managed to sound like themselves despite, er, not if you see what I mean.

[godbowstomath]

THE FOX

(best s-k song ever)

[Revenge_Therapist]

I like Let's Call it Love. It resonates with a a huge amount of power. I think it really shows how far that S-K is willing to go to establish their own identity.

[Spencer]

I fell in love with S-K when they released Dig Me Out. That was just a great, powerfully emotional rock record. Sadly, One Beat didn't do a whole lot for me, and even the band realized it was pretty bland. The Woods is a nice return to good rock.  I havent had a chance to relly listen to the record a whole lot, as my musical focus has been more on hard punk lately (SMOKE OR FIRE FTW!), but in what I have heard, I know that it is something that I will come back to and definitly pay attention to, and not blow off like I did One Beat.

Wow, what an utterly pointless post.

[californaya]

I'm glad to see someone other than me and my geeky RTS/MMO-playing friend saying FTW.

[Corwin]

Personally I use 4tw.  I like to mock the l337, lol

[Spencer]

FTW FTW!

[happybirthdaygelatin]

Sub Pop have a couple of the tracks up to listen to?  My thing has always been I can only listen to at most half of one of their albums.  Their singing just really starts to grate on my nerves.

[sergeant chouette]

When I first heard their new album, I didn't like it, at all (and S-K is one of my favorite bands). I longed for more Dig Me Out, but after a few listens, it has really grown on me. Let's Call It Love is an excellent song. One of my favorites to come from them. Modern Girl is pretty good too, and so is Entertain. I think I was just prejudiced at first against Sub Pop, because I love Kill Rock Stars so much, but I've since gotten over it, and accepted the change.

[sp2]

From what I've heard, the Woods seems pretty solid.

However

This is a pet peeve for me, not a judgement of quality.  I don't like nostalgia rock that much.  There, I've said it.  I like 70s rock.  Led Zeppelin?  Love em.  Black Sabbath?  Love em.  People who play rock today that's supposed to sound like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath?  Yeah, no, not so much.  Good music, sure, but something I try to listen to only sparingly.

[Freezey]

I've only heard a few songs off of it but they've been very damn good songs. When my wallet isn't hurting as much (...and when I get a few other albums that I have queued up first) I'll be picking this up.

[kidd o]

I have to say that I like the new record a whole lot better than one beat.  

But just as a constructive criticisim you might not want to include the phrase "I cannot tell you..." in a record review

since.

well.

thats what your goal is man.

figure out a way to tell us.... you know?

*blink*

[My Aim Is True]

The Woods is probably my favorite album of the year, so far.