Photo: Eamonn McCabe

Ray Davies has a way of turning simple storylines and concepts into these intricate and moving little ballads that feel simeltaneously high and low concept. However, his upcoming project, The Kinks Choral Colelction, is definitely high concept. On the album, Davies collaborates with a 65-person chorus known as the Crouch End Festival Chorus to reenvision several of The Kinks’ classics in a production much more grandiose than a simple remastering could ever provide. The project, produced by Davies’ himself, also includes a six-song suite from the classic The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, and comes out November 10 on Decca. To support the album, Davies will be touringto support the album. Dates are listed below.

11.12 San Fran, CA@ Warfield Theatre with The Vox Society Choir
11.14 Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre with The Vox Society Choir
11.17  Boston, MA @ The Berklee Theatre
11.19  New York, NY @ Town Hall with The Dessoff Chamber Choir
11.20 New York, NY @ Town Hall with The Dessoff Chamber Choir
11.21 Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre
11.23 Albany, NY @ The Egg
11.24  Montclair , NJ @ The Wellmont Theatre

Last May, Boston Globe staff writer Geoff Edgers decided he was going to try and reunite the brilliant but (in his opinion) under-appreciated band, the Kinks. He decided to make a documentary about the quest and along the way scored choice encounters with fellow Kinks fans named Paul McCartney, Sting, Zooey Deschanel, Paul Weller, Brian Wilson, Robyn Hitchcock and Clive Davis.
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The Singles Collection is contributor Jason Jackowiak’s weekly column focusing on rare and essential 7″ releases. We gladly accept all types of 7″ for consideration.

It’s Easter week and we’re back to business as usual ’round here at The Singles Collection. Hopefully you enjoyed last week’s video sojourn into the realm of Sacred Bones, one of our favorite labels, but it’s back to doing what we love around here, mainly, giving you the scoop on 45’s that are currently rocking our world (and that we think will rock yours). So without further adieu — and so we can all get to our Cadbury Creme Eggs as quickly as possible — let’s get to it.
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With the time change and sunshine fast approaching and the prospect of long afternoons on the lawn running into late nights at the local dive becoming more feasible, The Strange Boys arrive just in time to offer up a nice little soundtrack to your inevitably hazy Spring. And Girls Club, the first full-length offering from the Dallas-born, Austin-honed foursome, is equal parts The Kinks, Dylan, The Yardbirds and a little flare of those bluesy 50s Sun Records.

It’s kind of funny how often you might find yourself speaking of the 50s or 60s in relation to a new group and their affectations toward the heyday of pop arrangements, but with The Strange Boys the sense is this is a genuine collection of old souls growing up in the heart of Texas. Muddy Waters shows up on “To Turn A Tune Or Two” while Dave Davies shows up to give you an updated take on Kink Kontroversy’s “I Am Free” on the Boys’ “Then” Or so you might think by the sound of it. These guys have an amazing knack for writing simple rhythm and blues tunes that seem ripped right from your old record compilations. While tearing into “Probation Blues” the group channels the five live Yardbirds, and on “They’re Building The Death Camps” it’s Bringing It All Back Home-era Dylan (Ryan Sambol’s vocals in any other act would probably grate 4 minutes in, but here they ramble poetically Dylan-esque).

It’s hard to sound like you’re giving credit when consistently referencing older acts, so it must be said that And Girls Club, is undoubtedly original material with that tip of the hat to the inspiring 50s and 60s. The highlights are numerous, as with each listen another track has shimmied its way into your heart. “This Girl Taught Me A Dance” is probably the first track that will be at the forefront of your consciousness, with blistering high-end and a moment for each of the four instruments to absolutely shine. Next on your hit list is surely “Heard You Want To Beat Me Up,” a cut that is a modern tale of frightened passive-aggressiveness disguised as a golden oldie. Melody takes its turn at the forefront during “No Way For A Slave To Behave” while “Death And All The Rest” is a front seat to the whiskey soaked and smoky honkytonks of the South. Again, it’s an album of 16 hits, and at a run time of a mere 36 minutes it’s easy to just hit repeat and find a new way to love each track. Two personal favorites are “A Man You’ve Never Known” for its subtle catchiness and lazy hook, and “Poem Party” for the driving interplay between drums (provided by the aptly named Matt Hammer) and bass (easily overlooked low end, Philip Sambol).

The somewhat lo-fi production of And Girls Club gives you that nostalgia-laden warmth of an old vinyl without the frustration of non-automatic repeat, which is a great thing for The Strange Boys. Given the quick run time and the ease of beginning again this new LP will undoubtedly be found spinning through most of the days in your near future.

In The Red Records

Man, I hate to say it, but I think I love this record. You’re undoubtedly asking yourself one of two questions right now: Why do I hate to say it? Or why do I love it? The answer to both is the same: Because the Black Lips come pre-hyped and exposed for all the world to see and hear, yet they have defied the odds and put out a record unlike anything they have done to date. Still, 200 Million Thousand is a record that is undeniably all the Black Lips.
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