Smith Westerns Still New

Mark my words, Smith Westerns' Dye It Blonde WILL make numerous 2011 "Best Of" lists. How can it not?! This is as fresh as fresh gets. This Chicago-based band is taking the garage rock scene by storm; their sophomore album hasn't even hit the market yet (but will on January 18) and yet these guys are already in high demand just from their popular single "Weekend," and understandably so. I've had the opportunity to preview this album, and it is so crisp, so infectious, that it makes me want to puke (in the most complimentary way possible, guys).

So many bands from music's past run through my head when I listen to this album, namely Beulah, The Beatles, and T. Rex. Who could ask for more?! And not to be an agist, but all of the band members are 21 years old or younger. Fresh minds, fresh perspectives, fresh ambitions. I don't know why (yet), but I can't help but think of a kinder, gentler Rocky Horror Picture Show while I'm thoroughly enjoying this album. Perhaps it's because Dye It Blonde encapsulates the musically creative glam-rock, the funk, the raw love, and the grunge that the movie shamelessly flaunts so confidently. But Smith Westerns had to suck first before they were able to kill and conquer:

Only Max Kakacek had any idea what he was doing, and they were drawing on an extremely limited set of influences. "We got Nuggets and all of that comp stuff," says Cameron Omori, "and we were like, 'Oh, this is easy enough. We should rip this off.' "It was really bad," he admits. "We sucked. The only reason that we kept on making music was that we were friends with each other. We sucked bad. Bad." - Miles Raymer, chicagoreader.com

So there you go, kids! They wanted it, they stuck to it, and they got it. Don't fool yourselves though, Smith Westerns have a gift; whether it's emulating some of their favorite bands from decades ago, or just mixing a hodge-podge of their influences together, they (now) know what they're doing. I could go on and on about how immaculate I think this album is, but I'm going to stop now and keep the novelty afloat. Don't sleep on this album, people! It'll probably be a much-deserved classic one day.