The Mess Hall
Notes From a Ceiling
Shock Music Oz, 2006
Back in 2004, I spent a little time in Australia and New Zealand. I learned a lot about the people of both countries, both good and bad. For example, I discovered that absolutely no one in Australia drinks Foster's beer. It's nowhere to be found. Australians are also quick to tell you that New Zealand really isn't that great. That's bulls**t. New Zealand is beautiful and the people are wonderful. Oh, and yes, Koala bears are as adorable in person as they are in Asian cartoons. They also smell like mulch and are notorious for maiming human adults. Yes. Maiming human adults. Google it.
Another thing I learned, and this is actually relevant, is that Aussies seem to have an obsession with American Blues music. Sort of like the Japanese and cowboys, it's a strange thing. They absolutely eat up any "bluesy" music or music that's "blues-inspired". It's obviously very romanticized there, and can I judge them for picking certain things from our culture to latch onto? Absolutely not. How many millions of dollars did Crocodile Dundee make here in The States? And I myself have had the displeasure of dining at Outback Steakhouse.
The Mess Hall are a "blues-inspired" rock band from Sydney. When I say "blues-inspired", I mean they're about as bluesy (is that even a word?) as The Black Keys or The Dead Weather. It's in description only. And I would rather listen to this band than either of those two any day. They really defy any simple categorization. The best I can do is Rock. Sorry.
The Mess Hall are a "blues-inspired" rock band from Sydney. When I say "blues-inspired", I mean they're about as bluesy (is that even a word?) as The Black Keys or The Dead Weather. It's in description only. And I would rather listen to this band than either of those two any day. They really defy any simple categorization. The best I can do is Rock. Sorry.
They consist of guitarist Jed Kurzel and drummer Cec Condon, and they make a lot of noise for just two blokes. It's just good time music, bro! This is a band that plays hard, tours hard, and.. plays hard. They released an album in 2009 that's supposedly available on iTunes, but I can't vouch for it because I refuse to buy music from iTunes. This album, however, gets my personal American stamp of approval.
This is a great album from a group that deserves more attention here in the good ole U.S. of A. Seriously, if Jet was able to make it..