Customer Rating:  
Summary: Solid ipod music
Comment: I got this CD a few years ago after reading a review of it in a magazine -- not realizing that all CDs reviewed in mainstream magazines are same-sounding hipster life soundtracks. (When did this become the only music it was cool to like?)
That said, having left it on the shelf for a long time, I put Howl Howl Gaff Gaff onto my iPod for one last listen to determine whether or not to chuck it out, and came to really like a lot of the songs. It's the perfect kind of music for listening to alone, with headphones, while wandering around a big city, so if you're a portable music person, this could be for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: 3.5 Stars... The humble yet promising beginnings of Shout Out Louds
Comment: Shout Out Louds are an indie-rock band from Sweden, and came out of nowhere with this 2005 debut album. If you wonder where I found out about this band, internet-only station WOXY ("BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll!"), the best indie-rock station in the country by far, plays them regularly and that's how they came to my attention.
"Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" (11 tracks; 44 min.) brings a mix of mostly up-beat songs, intertwined with a couple of more pensive tunes. Opener "The Comeback" (one of the singles from the album) sets the stage perfectly, a tune that will get even wallflowers going. The singer's vocals are somehow reminiscent of the Cure's Robert Smith, but obviously without the darker undertones. Other highlights on the album for me include "Please Please Please" (another single from the album), "There's Nothing", the fast track "Hurry Up Let's Go", with energy exploding all over, the pensive "Go Sadness", and the closer "Seagull", which sums up the album perfectly. The entire album flows by in no time.
This is not a bad album, but not a great one either, albeit it a promising one. Since this, however, Shout Out Louds released a great second album, 2007's "Our Ill Wills", and I can't wait to see where these guys will go from there. I had the opportunity of catching Shout Out Louds live earlier this year at the Langerado music festival in South Florida, and they put on a tremendously enjoyable set, bringing a lot of the "Our Ill Wills" songs, but also a number of tracks from this album, which frankly sounded better live than on the album.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Love this album!
Comment: I simply love this album! First heard about Shout Out Louds from Pandora and Time or Newsweek. Feel in love with this CD from the first listen. Love to walk around Chicago listening to it. And I loved this CD because it is almost as round as Karl Pilkington's head.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Heck yeah
Comment: This cd smacks you square center of your face with "The Comeback," and does not stop. Songs like "Please Please Please" and "100*" only compliment the Shout Out Louds more. If your tired unoriginal music this will be your fix for a long time. Check out the forthcoming album coming to the U.S. September 11, 2007.
Customer Rating:
Summary: look into my eyes
Comment: I tend to agree with another review that said pop is the purest form of music and there's nothing wrong with it. I think that's pretty true. Everyone wants to be a pop star, because that's how you get remembered. But then he said this is not album since it's a collection of singles, which I didn't know, and it totally threw me off. That's fine, but I thought the whole thing flowed very well. I love the style of music, whatever you call it. Good mix of instruments, acoustic and electric guitars, and I think I heard an accordian and flute and a clarinet in there. I loved the song structure, and the upbeat tempos. I don't usually go out and search for "indie bands" per se, but I was glad to stumble onto this little gem, however it is classified. If I had to liken it to something, I'd say Phoenix or Dogs Die in Hot Cars. Good stuff!
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