We are excited to announce that Black Joe Lewis will release their brand new full-length LP, Electric Slave, on August 27 via Vagrant. Most of the album was produced by GRAMMY award winner Stuart Sikes (White Stripes, Cat Power, Modest Mouse) and recorded at Church House Studios in Austin, TX. Three of the new tracks (Skulldiggin, Dar Es Salaam, My Blood Ain't Runnin' Right) were recorded and produced by John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, St. Vincent, Okkervil River) at Elmwood Studios in Dallas. Commenting about the new album s title and thematic elements, Joe himself said: Electric Slave is what people are today with their faces buried in their iPhones and the only way to hold a conversation is through text. The next step is to plug it in to your damned head. Nothing is up front anymore and people are de socializing. The band have also just unveiled an upcoming North American tour supporting Electric Slave. The band will hit the road beginning in September, playing a number of shows along the east coast including a show at New York's Terminal 5 on September 26 with Okkervil River and Pickwick. Pickwick will support on a number of dates.
D**E
Great Rock jam form a great Guitar Rocker!!
This is a loud Rock/Blues album. This album is a breakaway from earlier Joe Lewis album's in the sense that the HoneyBears horn section dont announce themselves with every track. This album is aggressive climatic and exciting. The 11 tracks grab and shake you ,like track 2 "Young Girls" where Lewis proclaims..."I don't want no Young Girls' or "Dar Es SaLaam" a heavy guitar groove that emits early 70's late night Hard Rock. The horn section makes a brief interlude on "Come to My Party" a fast paced jam with the horn section performing alongside a groove minded guitarist. "Vampire" comes on like some West Texas Blues number with winding guitar chords to boot.There have been some who have complained about the sound production of this disc,but this session was recording too sound garage and rough it sound comes across showcasing the band as a working Rock band more so than a studio band pretending to be a working Rock band,it is obviously an apparent different direction in terms of sound from the previous "polished" Black Joe Lewis records.One Review had this at 2 stars,I thought this was interesting,but then when I looked at what recordings this reviewer was giving 4-5 stars,I didn't find it all so shocking at all that this great record would get only 2 stars....you have to at least know Rock&Blues to know what Black Joe Lewis is trying to accomplish....a Marvelous explosion of clashing guitars and poetic lyrics to match!
M**K
Enjoyable, but not as good as previous efforts
I am a big fan of his first two albums with the Honeybears. I don't know if they are the missing ingredient here, but this album seems to lack some of the variety of the two prior. Additionally, there are a few tracks where his lyrics are unintelligible. That being said, there is plenty here that I still enjoyed. The man has a talent for fuzzed-out guitar hooks; the first track provides ample evidence of this. If you're just beginning with Black Joe Lewis, I would recommend either of the first two albums before getting into this one.
J**N
Record Collector's Dream
One of our favorite albums! Gifted as anniversary gift. Out of print now, so definitely a Black Joe Lewis collectors item! Fast shipping too!
A**R
Worth Checking Out
"Scandalous" was better, but this is a good album. Like other reviewers have noted, the mixing is a little odd for the first couple songs. In those the lyrics are difficult to hear over the accompaniment. BJL is worth checking out and I'm excited to hear more stuff from them!
D**A
HUGE disappointment
I've been a fan of BJL for a while and have both their earlier albums and their EP, all of which are great. This album has none of the soul or wit or their earlier work. It's just banging on a guitar and shouting. The horn section is apparently gone, except for a few songs. The songs are tedious and dull. If I were making a playlist of favorite BJL songs none of these would be on it. An earlier reviewer said something about punk or hard rock and how much he liked this album. Yes, this album is closer to punk or garage rock or whatever you want to call it. I call it a huge disappointment after such high anticipation. I should have previewed it before I bought it.
M**.
He means it, man
Less like funk, more like a Nuggets garage band with horns, out-keys The Black Keys, shouts even more like James Brown, and when did he get so good on guitar? 3.5/5 olives.
T**E
Nice 3rd Effort.
Mr. Lewis shifts his style from 21st century Wilson Picket to a heavier psychedelic rock mode though stills keep a foot in R-N-B on some songs. It’s a generally a pretty decent third effort.
C**L
Not what I was hoping for
Not the garage blues of Black Joe Lewis' previous work and not the garage soul of Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears. This is more punk/garage band vibe which was something i grew up with and can dig, and it's not bad, not particularly good either. Knowing what these guy's are capable of this seems like a waste of their talents. Everything from the engineering to the song structure just seems sloppy. If I had heard this album before I bought it I wouldn't have bought it. Here's hoping for another Honey Bears album.
P**D
Four Stars
Great album
H**.
maybe their best so far
This is a terrific album! Heavier and more guitar oriented than the two former ones, but certainly as high-spirited and energetic. Garagebluesrockfunksoul doesn't get any better than this!
G**O
Bel gruppetto garage rock.
Sentito un brano o due al Letterman show, mi sono deciso all'acquisto e sono rimasto nel complesso soddisfatto.Anche se in alcuni casi sembra ancora incerta personalità musicale del gruppo, in altri viene fuori un bel sound arricchito da una sezione fiati convincente. Se son rose...
W**H
Not Mine
Ordered this for my brother , who thinks it's great...He likes so much he wants to get more CD of Black Joe Lewis
G**R
Four Stars
gotta love jimmy reborn
M**6
rock
2009年メジャーデビュー以降、順調に大物バンドへと駆け上がりつつあるBlack Joe Lewis & the HoneybearsサードLP。今回はStuart Sikes (White Stripes, Cat Power)によるプロデュース。今までよりも、ハードでヘヴィなギターリフが印象的なロックアルバム。ハードコアなパンク、ロカビリー、オルタナティブなブルースロック、サイケソウルや古いパワーポップ風な「The Hipster」ありと幅広い。シャウトするBlack Joe Lewisのボーカリストとしての圧倒的な存在感や、グルーヴ、ビンテージなプレイ感覚含め、相変わらず魅力いっぱいだが個人的には前作までの、がむしゃらにfunk & bluesしている方がしっくりくる。本作の「Come To My Party」「Golem」なんか最高に渋いし・・・。本バンドのファンであれば好みが分かれるかも。
ひ**匹
Electric Slaveとは言いえて妙。
メジャーデビューから3作目は、“Electric slave”とはよく言ったもので、徹頭徹尾、大きく歪ませたエレキギターのリフがかっこよく鳴らされるアルバムですね。 個人的にはロックだソウルだといった、音楽をカテゴライズするのは興味がないんですが、こういったレビューを書くときは、やはり「〜みたい」といった例えを出した方が伝わりやすいもんで、どうしてもカテゴライズっぽいことをしてしまいます。その意味では今作も一聴した感想だと、「今にも故JBが“ゲロッパ”といって飛び入りしてきそうな音楽」だと言えますね。もうね、ファンキーそのものなソウルレヴューショーの趣で、歪んだギターリフにまとわりつくホーンセクションにノリノリのボーカルシャウト、いいですねぇ。 ただ2度3度と聴きこんでいくと、じっくり聴かせる渋めのブルーススタイルの曲が前作よりも増えた感はありますね。勢いに任せているように見えて、案外作りこんでいるのかなぁなんて思ったりしてしまいました。今後どう展開していくのか、楽しみです。
T**N
Disconnect The Power
Third time not so lucky. The energy and raw power of the previous two albums, and indeed his live performances, is missing from this cluttered effort. Still, we're all allowed one mistake so I'll be back for the next album.
L**S
Movin'on
1st・2ndと比べるとソウルの要素は薄くなり、濃厚なブルース色を強く打ち出したアルバムM6.「Come To My Party」はキレのあるカッティング・ギターにホーンが絡みあう曲で、1st・2ndにもあったような曲
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