The Kings of the Stone Age

On Sunday, I picked up the self-titled release by Black Mountain. Driving home from Amoeba Records, I put the highly-anticipated disc into my CD player and was … disappointed. "Modern Music," the first track on the disc sounded like a mix of Kings of Leon and Jim Carrol, but kind of dumb. I ejected the disc and listened to Public Image instead.

But then I gave the disc a second listen, and I liked it. After the first song, it gets really good. Black Mountain are an interesting pastiche of influences that they are not afraid to flaunt. From the Tony Iommi guitar riff on "Don’t Run Our Hearts Around," to the Velvet Underground strum of "No Satisfaction," Black Mountain are masters of a distinct breed of rock that other bands such as Queens of the Stone Age can only dream of attempting.

Vocalist Stephen McBeam’s voice is remniscent of Lou Reed while remaining unique, while Amber Webber comfortably echoes Polly Harvey and, maybe, Chan Marshall, especially during her solo performance on "Heart of Stone."

Part of the Canadian music collective that spawned Jerk With A Bomb and Pink Mountaintops, Black Mountain prove that The New Pornographers aren’t the only indie supergroup to come from the great white north.

And, while I recommend Black Mountain, here is what my iPod is pushing:

1. "Wish" by Nine Inch Nails
2. "Lovey Dovey" by Local H
3. "Long Distance Man" by Guided By Voices
4. "I'll Be Your Sister" by Superchunk
5. "I Found A Reason" by the Velvet Underground
6. "Stranded On Death Row" by Dr. Dre
7. "The Air Near My Fingers" by the White Stripes
8. "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
9. "Timothy" by Jet
10. "Let It Bleed" by the Rolling Stones

Thank you, and good day.