Quick Hits, Vol. 65 (Dead Weather, Scorpion Child, Dilly Dally, ASG)

Hot Topic:  Man, screw trying to buy tickets online for big shows.  I just tried to get Adele tickets for her Austin shows, and was on the website about 5 minutes before the 10 am start time.  According to the message you get there at that time, it says "Please do not reload this page - or you will lose your place in queue."  I shouldn't be in the freaking Q right then!  The line shouldn't begin until 10 am, when you said it would begin.  If I could have lined up at 9 and been at the front of the line, then I would have.  
So I opened up three browsers to see if Safari, Chrome, or IE would have a better shot at getting in, and then decided to start refreshing one to see if that helped.  Surprise surprise, the one I kept refreshing (Chrome) got in, at 10:11, while the other two have still been spinning 20 minutes later.  And for the one that got in, no level 1 or level 2 tickets were still available, only Mezzanine tickets up in the nosebleeds to the side of the stage.  No thanks. That is a crap system for handing out tickets. Feels rigged.  Probably is.  I know I'm just bitter to have missed out on a show, but I would have paid up for the good seats if they had been available.

The Dead Weather - Dodge and Burn.  I should like this album.  I should use this to fill the White Stripes-shaped hole in my heart, lovingly layering in the molten rock into that hole with Jack White's hot guitar-lick love. Instead, I really don't like this album, and really don't want to hear Alison Mossheart squeak, squeal, and scream her way through the album. Here is the most popular of the tracks on the album so that you can check it for yourself.  "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)"

The groove of the song is tight - I like that sound at the start, but then it falls of the rails for me once the singing starts.  I know others who love it, but I don't need to listen anymore.

Scorpion Child - Scorpion Child.  What does Scorpion Child sound like?  Billy Squier circa 1982, but backed by a Zeppelin cover band.  Local Austin boys doing some heavy rocking out.  The singer's voice also sounds a bit like old Robert Plant, but I feel hear Squier's voice every time I hear their "hit."  That hit is "Kings Highway."

Some good times old school 70's rock and roll right there, baby.  Get it ON!  I also dig the final track, "Red Blood (The River Flows)," that has more than a little southern rock feel and a chilled vibe underneath the riffages and solos.  I enjoyed jamming this disc a few times.

Dilly Dally - Sore.  No clue where I found this one, but it is some 90's alt-crunch borrowed straight from Hole and the Pixies.  This may be wrong, but I have a theory that if a band's top song on Spotify is the first song on their album, then more than likely people go to try them out, hear the first song, then click elsewhere.  Just a thought, although I don't think it applies to this band, as their most popular song (also their first track) has a real deal video. This is called "Desire."

You can crunch my face all day long.  That tune is kick ass.  The album gets a little too scream-y for me as it slogs on, so I don't know that I plan to keep it around for all time, but it definitely has some high points like "Desire" and "Purple Rage."  I'll definitely hold on to those.

ASG - Blood Drive.  I found this band the other day after listening to Wildlights, this is apparently the same lead singer, Jason Shi.  This is good rock and roll stuff, although I think I like the Wildlights album better.  This one finds him a bit more scream-y than the other. But I'm still digging it.  The most listened to tune on the album is the first track, called "Avalanche."

Grind that one out, baby.  Funny, after my whole commentary up above, now I want to talk lyrics, but I'll just say that the groove of this song is the best part.  The rest of the disc is similar in tone and is also good.  Nothing great, but good enough to listen to a few more times.