Chemical Brothers

You could not pay me to go back to school right now...but if you did, I could write a small novel on my love for the Chemical Brothers. Actually, I am going to do it right now, here, for free.

I love the Chemical Brothers. I started listening to the Chemical Brothers in December of 2001, after hearing Star Guitar blaring from my friend Chuck's room before heading home for winter break. I went to see them in April and was hooked since. They are what got me into dance music and I have not looked back.

As many a Chems fan will admit...some of their recent stuff has been a bit spotty. I personally very rarely listen to Push the Button straight through, just a few choice tracks. When I first caught wind of We Are the Night (out in the US July 17th) I was obviously looking forward to hearing new stuff from them, but secretly hoping it banged in a new, good way, or in a classic, old school Chems way. I heard "Do It Again" first. I'm still not wild about the vocals, but I'll take it for its bang. Then I heard the cheeky "Salmon Dance", which after the novelty quickly wore off...I really didn't like. But today I heard "Burst Generator" at Chuck's urging and thanks to Ill-ec-tro-nic...and I love it. Lots of bleeps and blips with the signature Chems' bang. It reminds me more of their newer stuff, but their good newer stuff...closer to Surrender and Come with Us with some good electro stuff that's been happening lately thrown in. Ill-ec-tro-nic also had "All Rights Reversed" which features the Klaxons, which I'm sure will blogged to death soon. I have to say I like that one too...it has the likable Klaxons Brit vocals and some nice electronic stuff going on behind it with a nice build-up and break down that bangs.

I'm pretty sure the whole album has leaked at this point. I've only heard those 3 tracks, and will probably just seek out Das Spiegel (another banger according to Chizarles) before the album comes out. Even if the rest of We Are the Night is total shit, which I doubt, the Chems' newer albums are guaranteed to have a good handful of songs. The Electronic Battle Weapons always please. And the songs you don't like, when done live, by the Chems, will rock your face off and have you screaming along and dancing like they're your favorites. So it doesn't matter does it? Hear for yourself, thanks to Roland: Chemical Brothers live at Coachella 2005, and don't sleep when they come to the US in September.