Gringo Star
All Yall
Gringo Star, 2009
www.gringostar.net
Wow, what a horrible name. Seriously. It's wretched. It sounds like a pun your dad would come up with or something. But if you're able to swallow that spoonful of awfulness down and get to the music, it's probably worth it. I know some people compare them to The Animals and garage bands of the past, and I think that's valid. They definitely have a quirky retro sound. However, they're way too musical and versatile to be thrown in with other more straightforward garage acts like fellow Atlanta band Black Lips. First of all, they're better than Black Lips. Not that it's a huge achievement to be better than a band that's mediocre on their best day or anything. Gringo Star sound more like The Brian Jonestown Massacre minus the heroin and if Anton Newcombe had been listening to Sweetheart of the Rodeo and The Shins. I promise I mean that in a good way.
It's definitely catchy, poppy stuff but there's enough songwriting talent here to make these guys legit. I don't know many people who don't like this band (except L) and it's easy to see why. There's not a whole lot of depth there. It's just good energetic stuff. But the name..
E says: Good in small doses.
L says: Mmm, not really.