Okie from Muskogee

One of my favorite music blogs, Aquarium Drunkard, posted an interview with cousin Merle. Ain't that some shit! Check it, here.

Whig Party

The Whigs In the Dark is your best friend down the street, the one rockin’ out to classic rock, always in that same bandana, ready to crack open a beer with you and rock the fuck out. In their sophomore album, the guys crank up the volume and dish out more of that Athens-based alt-rock.


I’ve seen their live show and these guys do not disappoint. Their personality shines through—with the lead doing one legged classic guitar hops across stage and twangy loud vocals while the drummer bangs the skin off the drums. The songs really get you up and moving, refusing to be ignored. And by the end of the night, you’re unapologetically playing the air guitar you got in college. It’s definitely evident they tour with Kings of Leon. “Black Lotus” is catchy and “Kill Me Carolyn” swings you into radio-friendly hooks. The album dilutes that awesome personality of the Whigs live show into some overproduced, almost generic sounding arena rock. At times. But you know and love these guys. Playing these seemingly familiar, yet original, songs that make you want to run down the street to rock out with your old best friend. “In the Dark” again, has the killer drum beat, twang guitar, and catchy lyrics.

I guess that’s why I love this album and keep it in the car so I can crank up the volume when I hit the road. The rock is still there! The lasting impression of their energetic live show carries you past the production quality and into a serious jam out session. I’d still recommend Mission Control for a first time listener, though this might be a favorite of mine for the year! I am for real.

Drugs to Sort it Out

The National’s new album High Violet is like that quiet, cool kid you always see but never talk to. I mean you have enough friends. But one day, you end up talking to him, and hey! He’s awesome! Why haven’t you hung with him before? Ok. So maybe it’s just me. I already have enough Interpol, Editors, Maus Joy Division influenced music in my life. I mean, how much faggoty gothness can one possess? (Apparently, a lot).


The more I listen, the more I like. It’s that same monotone, welcome-to-the-winter-of-my- discontent voice with interesting lyrics and simple beats. “Anyone’s Ghost” and “Afraid of Everyone” evoke a sense of longing and despair without being self-involved or repetitive. Makes me realize I really need to dig into previous albums. “Conversation 16” is a masterpiece. The tone. The buildup. The background hymns. “I waaaas afraid…I’d eaaat your brains. Cause IIIII’m eviiiiiiiil” Genius! I picture a sentimental zombie montage every time...

<---sentimental Zombie muahahaha

Mix-Up *wicky wicky*

I like the Drums. I fuckin love the Raveonettes. This is old news, but a cool summer track nonetheless. If you don't already have it, well, you're behind. So catch up!

The Raveonettes Remix "Lets Go Surfing" (The Drums)

Slips My Mind, In a Matter of Time

Teen Dream by Beach House is that person you see while walking down a busy street filled with people—that person who locks eyes with you in a blur of others and makes you come to a stop, knocks the breath out of you, and disappears. You think you’ve just seen one of the most beautiful things…but can’t be sure. After searching for a moment, you continue to walk toward your destination. I don’t know what it is about this album, but I listen to it, fall in love with her rich, deep voice and dreamy drove of guitar—then forget about it. “Zebra” is a great opener with a melodic riff, instilling imagery, and powerful lyrical symbolism; soon the quick high pitched breaths and background drone of “Norway” send me into My Bloody Valentinesque bliss while retaining originality. Similar to the rest of the album. “Walk in the Park’s” repetitive piano and basic drum machine beat echo the dark loneliness of the lyrics. Some of my all time favorite music causes me to gaze at my shoes, but Beach House is able to draw my gaze up with some of the more upbeat dream pop songs “Lover of Mine” and “Better Times”. I can’t figure it out. I know it should be one of my top favorite albums of the year, but it’s not (yet). I’ll “hang onto the things that you’re suppose to say” and just tell you this album is a must listen, especially if you have or haven’t heard any previous Beach House.

Beach House

Swallowing Words

Broken Social Scene’s Forgiveness Rock Record is like running into your ex-lover, grabbing coffee to catch up on each other’s lives while reminiscing on old times, and then asking forgiveness for past transgressions. It looks back, even mirrors at times You Forgot It In People but doesn’t quite reach the same epic quality. Maybe a similar lovely tune without the sense of newness? “World Sick” kicks off the album with strong drummin’ and a catchy chorus. I enjoy “Texico Bitches” because I can sing the song to my geologist friends. And recently, I’ve replaced Texico with BP! (It’s all the same, really.) “Forced to Love” is classic windsurfing nation BSS while “All to All” is a beautiful moment, set in a comfortable range. It’s one of the only places you can get lost in that pleasant daze they do so well, yet, still want to explore the echo. The layered sounds of “Highway Slipper Jam” gaze straight into a blood red setting sun, one you can’t turn away from, while weaving though a sad, dusty place I “thought I knew. But I don’t”. One of the best songs.

Whenever I listen to an album I, usually consciously, try to reason where the title comes from. Broken Social Scene does what few have achieved—the album actually feels like the title: forgiveness. For what, you ask? Forgiveness for giving up? For loving too much, or maybe not enough? For forcing something that isn’t there? Forgive me, but I really couldn’t care less. It’s not an easy feeling, and they hint at that complexity in tight, composed songs. It might not be as sprawling as You Forgot It In People and more official critics might be more harsh, but I love the record. And forgive it at the same time. A must have, without a doubt, for fans. With that said, for reasons unknown even to myself, Beehives is my favorite BSS record to date. I can’t be trusted. Hopefully that puts it more into perspective? Sorry.

Profilin'

The Baker Street Irregulars work in mysterious ways. (The opposite of that ho in the U2 song). Retrieving necessary information while remaining seemingly invisible requires excellent judgment in character, attention to detail, and a killer instinct. So while you’re fumbling around for your subway ticket, or taking pictures of a stop sign, or gawking at the kid in the leather jacket with all the piercings…we’ve already got your wallet. Sizin’ people up, that’s the game. In that spirit, every music review will treat the album like a person. Just a point of relation.

About Us

The Baker Street Irregulars have been operating as a semi-official un-organization since 1886. The first, and most notable founding member Wiggins, worked for the incomparable Sherlock Holmes. The group of ragtag street urchins, roaming the depths of underground London, would rummage through toxic rubbage, infiltrate notorious crime rings, and eavesdrop on the maddening maid gossip circles— all this to retrieve vital clues for the detective. The Irregulars were, of course, paid for these services. The information solved many of Holmes cases. But due to the shoddy record keeping of the time, no “official” documents proved the existence of Holmes or, unsurprisingly, the Baker Street Irregulars themselves. So, uptight historians have deemed them fictional characters.


The art of apathetic data hustlin’ for capital dates back to ancient times. The Greek soldier Pheidippides ran a long fuckin’ way (which would later become known as a ‘marathon’) to report something or other. A tradesman known as Gaius Sneakus Carpetius was responsible for rolling Cleopatra into a rug to sneak her into the palace of Julius Cesar and again it was one of her chamber maids Noseyirfiti who first told of her escapades with Marc Antony. Also, the Italian Rigatoni uncovered the secret Chinese recipe for noodle-making who then told his more business-minded cousin Vinny Boyardee. These figures laid the foundation of the BSI. Other famous, more visible, Irregulars include Paul Revere, Winston Churchill, the Dali Lama, Rasputin, Harriet Tubman, and the lady in red. James Dean and Chester the Cheetah also had Baker Street ties. One night Edgar Allan Poe, himself an Irregular, was loitering with other BSI members. During this meeting, Poe drunkenly insulted the mother of another Irregular during a dispute, and a fight broke out. His ass was promptly kicked. Out. Frantically roaming the streets, Poe searched for his comrades. Realizing the absurdity of the situation (and the brilliance of the insult), the Baker Street Irregulars forgave Poe and reinstated his membership. He is one of the few Irregulars who was ceremoniously honored with the highest BSI distinction: dying broke and alone in a gutter (He never knew though, since that was the night of his death).

The modern day shadowy “organization” of cretins continues to operate on an extremely secretive basis. Kind of like the Freemasons, but less gay. (Not to be confused with the pansy sexist group of frouists that idolize the late Sherlock Holmes). They still maintain strong influences of a too-cool-for-school anti-establishment attitude inherited from the 1970s punk rock movement (It is estimated an astonishing 45.3% of punk rockers were affiliated with the BSI. Despite his awesome name, Sid Vicious was not an Irregular. He was actually just a really big dick). The Baker Street Irregulars not only divulge essential knowledge when appropriate but are said to safeguard many of the world’s secrets like who REALLY shot Kennedy, access to the space-time continuum, and the key ingredient in your grandma’s famous brown gravy recipe. Not only recognized for their unmatched street smarts (hence the name), these pranksters have received media attention for their stunts including the mooninite Boston bomb scare, Church of Bob phenomena, and band Abba. Current members are unknown but evidence suggests Huey Freeman, Maddox, and Banksy are all Irregulars.

The Baker Street Irregulars regularly engage in distraction thievery, consulting detection, and occasional piracy.

This website is a tool for Baker Street Irregulars to post music reviews, entertaining news updates and photos of ridiculous crap to other Irregulars. Also to inform those who have shit to do with what’s going on in the underground. But mostly, it’s used to encrypt secret code to the Electrifying Mojo. We’re hangin’…