Opening track “Record Store†could be the anthem of my life. Singer Frankie Medina continually repeats the phrase I’m in the record store / I’m in the record store. Sound like me? Yeah, I thought so. Repetition like this is customary on Pigs, the debut garage-y, punk-y rock album by The Dirty Hearts (MySpace).
This style garage rock is on the upswing with influences like The Stooges and The Pixies. Title track “Pigs†even has a Joy Division feel to the drums and simple guitar riff, if not the vocals—the song is an easy high point on the album.
There’s no doubt that garage acts tend to build off volume and The Dirty Hearts doesn’t disappoint, packing each song with a fervent energy. Even the softer, quieter side of Pigs, in tunes like “Cold Feetâ€, has the driving percussion that seems to push the song forward.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d like Pigs due to the garage-like nature of the album, but distortion and volume are becoming more and more present in my library and the various vocal patters Medina tosses into his songs are undeniably hooky and easily stick in your mind. All of these elements make Pigs a great release, worthy of any garage-head’s collection.
The Dirty Hearts: Pigs [mp3]
[audio:0906_the_dirty_hearts_-_pigs.mp3|titles=Pigs|artists=The Dirty Hearts]
Socyermom Records [CD, 2008]
1. Record Store
2. Alone
3. Cold Feet
4. Pigs
5. Possession Blues
6. Where I Come From
7. No Strings Attached
8. Action Figure
9. T-Bone
10. Sin Ataduras
11. Miss Me?
