Shackeltons

The Shackeltons | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 29, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Loveless Records
• ASIN: B000Z5LL8A
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #359,954 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

1. Your Movement -- 2. Tremble -- 3. The Blood -- 4. Yellow Cadillac -- 5. The Ship -- 6. The Breaks -- 7. Emergency -- 8. Soft Heart -- 9. Madeline -- 10. Bloke -- 11. Get Out

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Shackeltons - A Raw And Creative Lo-Fi Alternative Punk Rock Band, March 18, 2008

By 

Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)   

This review is from: Shackeltons (Audio CD)

(What's this?)

The Shackeltons

The Shackelton's self-titled album is full of energy and presents an in-your-face mix of punk, noise, lo-fi and alternative rock. This is a very interesting take and a strong first album.

It's too bad so many reviewers have panned this album. This is a very specific type of alternative music. The oversimplified lyrics and stock guitar chords are intentional in this genre. If you're into lo-fi punk alternative and noise rock, you will find a lot to love here.

The vocals are decidedly lo-fi. The simple spoken word transitions to screeching and screaming are punk rock staples.

The machine gun bass and rhythm guitars provide the alternative rock part of the sound equation. And the military drums and voice effects provide a strong punk rock backdrop.

The vocals do sound a lot like the Pixies. And many of their riffs and drum sequences sound like they were copied identically from the White Stripes. A great example of that is "The Breaks." Still, this band is meant to sound raw and doesn't even have the cleanness of the White Stripes.

On tracks like "Emergency," they are clearly channeling early Radiohead songs like "Creep" from the Pablo Honey album. The song has a much more soft melodic feel than most of the album, with softer echo tunnel vocals layered on top. Yet that's the exception. Most of the tracks on this album are closer to "The Breaks."

The best track on this album is probably "Madeline." It has a clean fast rhythm and cool bass and guitar licks under the standard minimal vocals and lyrics.

For Fans Of:

Morningwood Morningwood
The Pixies Doolittle
The Replacements All Shook Down
Kings of Leon Because of the Times
Radiohead Pablo Honey
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
The White Stripes Icky Thump
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand

Overall this is an awesome first album in this genre. Check it out!

Enjoy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something a little bit different., January 28, 2008

By 

missmisfit (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shackeltons (Audio CD)

It took me at least 2 listens all the way through to decide how I felt about this album. It doesn't conform to any of the patterns that most rock does these days. But after you get the feel for the manic, frenzied feel of this album you can't help but love it. Described as inferior to the Pixies, or the White Stripes etc, remember this is their DEBUT album and given their energy and raw talent, I dare say they may surpass them.
On a side note, their live show is one to behold, and I have not seen anyone out-do them, newbies or veterans alike.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I like it raw -- great, edgy guitar work, rough vocals, a soft punk style, March 14, 2008

By 

Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shackeltons (Audio CD)

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I really like every song on this album and they have grown on me with each listen. My favorite is probably the opening song, "Your Movement": "Shame on all of us ... We held a lifeless form in our arms, and we didn't know, it was love." "Emergency" and "Yellow Cadillac" are unexpectedly tender and moving and sad. This band has something special -- and I wish I could have seen them in some of the early gigs in small bars playing to a mixture of excitement and incomprehension, since that's what this music really seems to grow from.

I don't really like to play the album as a whole all the way through because back to back it can get to be too much -- this kind of rough and edgy music is great when you mix it up with other listens. Another way of putting this: the Shackeltons would be a great album to put on an iPod on shuffle, just be sure to mix in some upbeat and catchy alt pop or mellow and angsty sounds, as a reprieve from the slightly heavy but never less than moving music on this album. The album reminds me a bit of the feel I got from listening to The Chameleons UK back in high school -- the lead singer's voice reminds me of a punked up and pissed off version of the lead on Cake (and, yes, Franz Ferdinand and the Killers, etc are obvious comparisons). Anyhow, I'll definitely keep this on my iPod, and will be on the lookout for the follow up. This is good stuff.