It List: Tuesday 7/31/07

Jesse Sykes /Laura Palmer/The Moaners (The Loft at The Palladium): I thought Jesse Sykes could have been much more enjoyable if it weren't for the contrived vocals, laying it on much too thick with the heartache and an accent that may or may not be genuine. If it is, more power to her. If not, well... Mojo and Uncut will give four stars to anything that's in the parameters of their Top 100 Albums of All Time mentality. Oh, well. It's worth mentioning that she contributed vocals to Altar by Boris. I thought the Moaners were less interesting musically, but more tolerable overall. I wish I could say something like that about Laura Palmer.

Tokyo Police Club/Ra Ra Riot/White Denim (Cambridge Room At House Of Blues): Tokyo Police Club have garnered some attention recently with the usual mix: catchy little riffs, fresh faces, terribly over-processed vocals. Don't forget the lame remix for good measure, though that's sometimes the only redeemable thing about a mediocre or worse group. White Denim gave me the same feeling that I get when people don't listen to any noise music but like Wolf Eyes. As in, it's okay but why does this make the cut, but similar (and often superior) artists do not? Who knows?