<p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/3283128" target="_blank">Comets on Fire</a> drummer Utrillo Kushner returns to his side-project <a href="http://www.myspace.com/colossalyesrock" target="_blank">Colossal Yes</a> to follow-up the group's 2006 debut <em>Acapulco Roughs</em> with some more soulful keyboard-heavy 70s-ish rock. It was obvious from <em>Acapulco Roughs</em> that
Kushner's musical interests went far beyond the noisy psych-rock of
Comets on Fire. Here's a man who, un-ironically, loves the lighter
not-quite-Yacht-Rock 70s singer-songwriters—think: Chicago, Elton
John, Simply Red, Rod Stewart, Peter Frampton, mid-period Randy Newman and even
some Eagles and Queen, throw in a little Van Morrison-ish soul and
R&B, and you've got Colossal Yes.</p>
<p>Yes, I know: Most of that sounds
pretty bad ("really…you're comparing them to Simply Red, Rod
Stewart <em>and </em>Queen…<em>and</em> you're telling me to buy this
album?"). But somehow Kushner takes this clusterfuck of 70s influences and makes a
great classic rock-sounding album that ditches all the bad,
unlistenable parts of the above bands (and of 70s rock in general). The
new album, <em>Charlemagne's Big Thaw</em>, does have its heavier
moments—some rockin' fuzz guitar solos on "The Fraudulent Singer" and
"Permafrost Drip," for example—but for the most part it's a fairly
mellow, easy-going affair. Check out the title track, and "Permafrost
Drip" below and you'll be hooked, I'm sure.</p>
<p>Recommended situations for listening to <em>Charlemagne's Big Thaw</em>:
Friday downtime at the office, DJing your parent's post-HS reunion
party, smoking a spliff and watching a <em>That 70s Show</em> marathon.</p>
<p>"Charlemagne's Big Thaw"</p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>"Permafrost Drip"</p>
<p>
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</p>
Zach Kaufmann
colossal yes, 70s rock revivial, mellow new indie rock, charlemagne's big thaw
the-feed
1
2009-02-06T13:50:59-05:00
<p>Yes, there are redeemable qualities to be found in 70s rock. Colossal Yes has them in spades.</p>
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