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FLAUNT
MAGAZINE |
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by Nora Cranley
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September 2005
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| The 88 Over and Over(Mootron/EMK Records) |
| In a city associated with artificial sounds and one-hit wonders, local Angeleno rockers The 88 have managed to escape the quick fix of Hollywood for a slow, steady path sharing their clean, original indie-hipster sound with a loyal following. Over and Over, the follow-up to their well-received debut, features tinkering piano riffs, Beatles-esque tambourines, and swooning vocals that at times echo an edgy Jeff Buckley, and when all melded together the results could possibly make for the most totally awesome road-trip tape in a while. On “All ‘Cause of You,” the quintet creates blissful rock ‘n’ roll and multi-instrumentalist Keith Slettedahl belts out sweet melodies atop a contagious hip-swaggering backdrop. The simplistic rhythms and impressive harmonies on “Coming Home” gradually build to an up-tempo infectious musical party, which will likely have the whole room swaying. With comparisons to The Kinks (although admittedly they were never fans), the eclectic range of The White Stripes and some hints of The Thrills’ sunny disposition, these rockers bring a refreshing approach to the ever-growing indie pop scene. The band is riding some recent attention, thanks to television placements and MySpace.com. So before they hit the mainstream airwaves, slide this disc into your car, roll down the windows, and hit the road. |