Thursday, December 01, 2011

Worth It In 2011: #31 - Those Darlins

If we're talking retro-rock that plunders '60s girl groups and the Stones in equal measure, this album is way better than the Girls' Father, Son, Holy Ghost, which wasn't such a bad record (its drumming was probably better), but wasn't nearly as funny as Screws Get Loose, whose songs reject boys who "wanna stick it in" in favor of both eating and playing in the dirt. Those Darlins are maybe the Shangri Las to the Girls' Shirelles, or something. (Yes, I realize the Girls do not actually have girls in the band; just saying.) 

This is one of three (I think) albums my Top 40 will share with the Paste Top 50, which is dominated by saphead indie rock and/or stuff I haven't heard. That's roughly half the number my list shares with the Grammy nominations, out yesterday, where I spotted six (I think) of my album picks. (R. Kelly holla!) Seven if you count the liner notes to Neil Diamond's Bang Years reissue! (I've said too much.)



#31
Those Darlins
Screws Get Loose
(Oh Wow Dang)


Those Darlins' greatest song is "Tina Said", a cautionary tale about addiction and codependence that steals the riff from the Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly", and STILL manages to sound lowdown and sleazy:




Here's the score so far:

31. Those Darlins--Screws Get Loose (Oh Wow Dang) (indie, country)
32. Buraka Som Sistema -- Komba (Enchufada) (indie, dance)
33. Thompson Square--Thompson Square (Stoney Creek '10) (indie, country)
34. Weasel Walter, Mary Halvorson, Peter Evans -- Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear) (indie, jazz)
6 REISSUE. Drive-By Truckers -- Ugly Buildings, Whores & Politicians (New West) (indie, country, reissue)
35. Alexi Murdoch--Towards the Sun (Zero Summer) (indie, folk)
36. R. Kelly--Love Letter (Jive ‘10) (major, R&B)
37. David Banner & 9th Wonder--Death of a Pop Star (b.i.G.f.a.c.e./eOne ‘10) (indie, rap, CCM)
38. Heavy Winged -- Sunspotted (Type ‘10) (indie, metal)
39. Blind Boys of Alabama--Take the High Road (Saguaro Road) (indie, country, CCM)
40. Gucci Mane--The Return of Mr. Zone 6 (Warner Bros.)

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