Best Kept Secrets

Amazon.com
The rule of the Gulf Coast's tough zydeco circuit is get groovin' or get gone. Right now, young Chris Ardoin has become its most popular artist. Like the late Beau Jocque, Ardoin has developed a knack for infusing traditional swamp music with the hot spirit of rock & soul. Everything on this album slams the dance floor, from his bare-bones delivery of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" to his own beautiful spiritual, "Storm Don't Last Long." It helps that he sings with the rawboned honesty and determination of a Stax veteran, merging the sound of Memphis with his Louisiana muse. But it's Ardoin's skill as a bandleader that's made him a star. Even numbers with down-home roots like "What's in the Bayou" stomp hard grooves--the bass and drums putting bedrock under Ardoin's melodies and quick-witted improvisations on diatonic and triple-key accordion. Ardoin, unlike Beau Jocque, never squeezes the swing out of the music's heart, no matter how hard his group drives it. Now Chris's granddaddy, Bois Sec, who helped invent this style of music, has another innovator in his family. And maybe, just maybe, zydeco has a new king in the making. --Ted Drozdowski

Best Kept Secrets,Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin',Rounder / Pgd,Cajun / Zydeco / New Orleans,Pop,World Music,Zydeco

Average customer rating: ugh Was the Sun King really this horny? Louis XXX Louis XIV Doesn't get much better that this...

The Best Little Secrets Are Kept Louis XIV Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Garage Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Illegal Tender Elevator The Bravery Employment She Wants Revenge ASIN: B0007QS4TQ Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

1. Louis XIV
2. Finding Out True Love Is Blind
3. Paper Doll
4. God Killed the Queen
5. A Letter to Dominique
6. Illegal Tender
7. Pledge of Allegiance
8. Hey Teacher
9. All the Little Pieces
10. Ball of Twine

Amazon.com

For a hip, modern boy, Louis XIV's Jason Hill has plenty of old school rock star attitude. On his San Diego trio's debut album he declares himself a "weapon of mass destruction" and then backs it up with salacious come-ons meant to offend as they intrigue ("I know you want a strangle / Or a mouthful of gasoline / Or to be tied up and stoned"). Lyrical allusions to T. Rex and the Kinks tell only part of Louis XIV's actual musical journey. Hill may fancy Marc Bolan and Ray Davies as elegant dandies, and occasionally borrow their lightweight shuffles to great effect. However, his own proper terrain is the thorny inquisition of the Fall's Mark E. Smith. Here, his band throttles in kind, motoring a cantankerous rhythm section that's every bit as vicious as fellow modern day malcontents the Libertines or White Stripes. --Jaan Uhelszki

Album Description

The San Diego-based combo's eagerly anticipated new album The Best Little Secrets Are Kept is a uniquely magnificent collection that's truly fit for a king. The brainchild of musician/producer Jason Hill along with Brian Karscig, Mark Maigaard, & Jimmy Armbrust, Louis XIV have already drawn acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic with their inventive melange of royally raucous riffs and big bawdy beats. *Parental Advisory for Artwork Only-Not for Musical Content*

Customer Reviews:

ugh.......2007-06-13

This is easily one of the worst albums I have EVER heard. EVER. NO REDEEMING QUALITIES WHATSOEVER.

Was the Sun King really this horny?.......2007-04-13

How did I hear about Louis XIV? When I heard Finding Out True Love is Blind on my brother's MLB 2000-and-something PS2 game. That was it -- I went out and bought this album the next day. I wasn't disappointed.

The first eight songs troll through a garagey, Brit-poppy aesthetic, as has now been mentioned a million and one times when describing this album, and every step along the way is catchy as hell. But I contend this is more of concept album than people realize.

While the cheap come-on lines are sure to offend feminists and prudes, the final couplet of All the Little Pieces and Ball of Twine go in a completely different direction from the first eight tracks, the former substituting the trashy guitars (which come to the fore on True Love, God Killed the Queen and Illegal Tender) for symphonic sweeps and the latter adding plaintive acoustic guitar that morphs into the string melody that opens the album.

Not that the lyrics carry the weight of Pink Floyd or Bright Eyes, but Louis XIV through to Hey Teacher seem to be about an undersexed guy fresh off a breakup looking to plug whatever holes are out there. Our hero has his fun with vanilla friends, illegal tenders, kinky seductresses and sultry schoolteachers, but the delicate focus found on All the Little Pieces and Ball of Twine seemingly indicate that kind of fun only lasts so long and that our narrator would like nothing more than to retreat to the life he left behind.

Of course, I could be wrong, and the storyline on this album isn't the point. The point is every track, whether it be one of the hang-out-with-the-wang-out rockers or one of the gentler interludes, is purely fantastic. I'm still taking this one off the shelf on a semi-weekly basis because it's that good.

Louis XXX.......2007-03-28

The members of Louis XIV are either over- or undersexed. It's not so easy to tell which one. Much has been made about their lyrical content (yes, folks, pretty much every line is about Doing It), but I can look beyond that. So they prefer smarmy to smart, wolf-whistles to wit. Although content counts for something, it doesn't mean the music is bad, right?

Nah, it's not bad. In fact, it's just what it wants to be: sleazy glam-rock riffs sandwiched between raunchy rhythms. No one's trying to do anything new here, that's for certain, and you'll see shadows of other, better bands (the comparisons have been made to death elsewhere; I won't go into it) dancing behind the notes.

Taken for something profound or even intriguing, "Secrets" is sure to be a disappointment. But if, like the greaseballs who populate this band (not an insult -- they LOVE being greaseballs), all you want is some grimy, groin-grabbing goof-rock, this is your ticket in the door.

Louis XIV.......2007-02-07

I searched far and wide for this album and am not sure why. They have a couple of good songs but something is just a little off...

Doesn't get much better that this..........2006-12-18

Look, I don't want to repeat what better reviewers have already written, but this album really is that good. Don't be turned off by the 80's metal-band comparisons - Louis XIV is way more versatile than that. I hated metal and grew up on new wave, so I hear strains of Adam Ant, the Kinks, Doctor and the Medics, and even a little Madness on "Letter to Dominique".

And for those sensitive souls who complain about the lyrics, "if you want clean fun, go fly a kite."

Average customer rating: Sure Glad I Discovered Lamb An explosion of sound The real SECRET is why so many songs are missing... Ethereal trip hop from the UK!! This aint the best

The Best Kept Secrets: The Best of Lamb 1996-2004 Lamb Manufacturer: Koch Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Drum & Bass | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Trip-Hop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Acid Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Alternative | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Between Darkness and Wonder What Sound Fear of Fours Lamb Beloved One ASIN: B0002A2W22 Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

1. Cotton wool
2. God bless
3. Gold
4. Gorecki
5. Little Things
6. B line
7. Lullaby
8. Bonfire
9. Heaven
10. One
11. Gabriel
12. Angelica
13. Til The Clouds Clear
14. Wonder
15. Please
16. Stronger

Amazon.com

Best Kept Secrets, a collection of songs from Lamb's first four records, is a reminder of how exhilarating and shockingly modern their music can be. It's also a crash course on the band's precarious balancing act. When they're in sync, the somber torch singing of Louise Rhodes and the twisted proto-jungle of producer Andrew Barlow make for a delicious combination. The band's self-titled debut trumped contemporaries like Portishead, who built songs around the vocals, while Barlow and Rhodes worked on playing up their stylistic contrasts. It's a tough dynamic to maintain though, as later records like Fear of Fours and especially 2003's Between Darkness and Wonder don't quite get the formula right. Laid out in chronological order, Secrets is just like the band's career to this point: It starts off great, but tails off at the end. This being a "best of," however, you notice it less. "B Line" off Fours, for instance, sounds just fine coming after new classics like "Cotton Wool," and even though tracks like "Angelica" are almost painfully safe, they still kick up a nice ruckus. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews:

Sure Glad I Discovered Lamb.......2007-03-23

Found this group in someones best of list on Amazon. Wow! They are already my 2nd favorite band. Hungry Lucy is #1. A very unique singin voice that works perfectly with the kind of music they generate. Lamb has a fuller sound to them than other electronic music bands. They also have a lighter air about their songs. Great songwriting, varied experimentation, and great sound effects. You get a DVD with this album that is one of the best music DVD'S I've seen. A real enjoyable treat. I hope they are still together. After all I am just discovering them. This is great talent and a real positive buzz.

An explosion of sound.......2006-08-09

Given the fact that I have always loved bands as Portishead and Hooverphonic it is a bit strange to only know find out the brilliance that is Lamb.
Sure I had heard Gorecki and some other songs but they never really stuck. Until I rediscovered them about a month ago.
It started with "till the clouds clear" not only a song with great music but also with great lyrics and interaction between the two.
From there I went back to songs as Gorecki, What Sound and Angelika.
This "best of" gives you a great overview of the weirdness and (dis)harmonies this band uses to create their songs and the way it all blends together perfectly.
Ofcourse people are going to complain that songs are not included ( I really miss "What sound" on this one ) but for the person who would like to have a great compilation of one of the best Triphop bands around : get this one.

The real SECRET is why so many songs are missing..........2005-06-24

Despite their dedication to a rabid fanbase and their impressive bounty of exquisite music, Lamb sure can be a hard band to love. After Andy Barlow and Louise Rhodes dropped their sharp, celebrated self-titled debut in 1997, the wait was considerable for 1999's FEAR OF FOURS, and though the shift in sound was different (the organic jazz undertones were pushed to the forefront with the beats mostly secondary), it was a woefully underrated album that I personally feel bested the debut in some ways. In fact, if vocalist Rhodes hadn't somehow morphed from sounding soft and enveloping to sounding like a long-lost member of Alvin and the Chipmunks' sister band the Chipettes, FOF would have been damn near perfect.

Lord knows what precipitated the move towards soft sounds and spackled edges that marred 2001's WHAT SOUND and especially 2003's BETWEEN DARKNESS AND WONDER, but it was probably the band's frequent -- and ultimately fatal -- squabbling that marked the drop-off in songcraft. A recent read of their oft-updated Web site confirms that Lamb is now kaput (although both Barlow and Rhodes are prepping solo material). And so we get a best-of compendium to wrap it all up. It should be a slam dunk. It isn't.

Granted, this is Lamb, and Lamb were superb more often than not. The best moments here -- "Cotton Wool," "Gorecki," "B-Line," "Gabriel" -- are epochal moments that transcend the original tired trip-hop and drum-n-bass tags; although they've never been honoured as such, they're all contributions to dance music in general, and at least as important in legacy as anything by Massive Attack or Moby. There are several other really good songs here, and even at its worst -- namely the BDAW tracks at the end -- BEST KEPT SECRETS is never less than listenable.

But there are simply too many key tracks missing, prompting the question, Who organized the track listing for this album (and who is their dealer)? Sixteen tracks and five of them -- five! -- come from their maligned, uneventful swan song (BDAW). When a band does this it is obvious they are trying to reintroduce material that was ignored the first time (and often with good reason). I have to say, it's pretty thoughtless toward the listener and unfair to the body of work as a whole.

For instance, what good is a Lamb retrospective without "Lusty," which is not only the most intriguing and original track off their debut but also, as most Lamb fans will attest, the most adored? And where's "Softly" from FEAR OF FOURS? It's their hands-down finest slow song and probably the closest they came to a potential crossover hit. Its absence is especially puzzling as it was released as a single (as was "I Cry" from WHAT SOUND, which isn't here either).

I'm also curious who this album is for. The suspect choice of material suggests it was intended as more of a collection of Lamb's most "important" or "interesting" work rather than their best or most popular, which would make it more appropriate for existing fans than newcomers. If this is the case, a couple of rarities would have softened the blow of the missing songs. Lamb had way more remixes than B-sides (some of which were quite stirring), but I would have at least made room for their delicious jazz rendition of "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes." Canadian fans like myself would also have found the addition of "Written" a nice treat, as it was needlessly omitted from our pressings of WHAT SOUND.

Alas, it's hard to recommend BEST KEPT SECRETS when modern technology can assist you in making a best-of that is so much more. I feel bad making such a statement regarding an album by one of my favourite bands of all time, but this is such an off-the-mark representation of Lamb's successes that I really feel compelled to tell any curious purchasers about what BEST KEPT SECRETS should have been.

My dream track listing (for anyone who cares):
1. Lusty
2. Cotton Wool
3. Trans Fatty Acid
4. Gorecki
5. Little Things
6. B-Line
7. All In Your Hands
8. Softly
9. Fly
10. What Sound
11. Sweet
12. Heaven
13. Gabriel
14. Til The Clouds Clear
15. Written
16. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

Ethereal trip hop from the UK!!.......2005-06-06

While walking through the departure lounge of London Heathrow to catch a flight, I heard this beautiful, crystal clear voice set against an ethereal trip hop backdrop. I backtracked and inquired who the artist was and was told it was Lamb.

I decided to get this CD and it is my introduction to Lamb, and a very good one for someone (like me) who was totally unfamiliar with their stuff. There was some stuff that needed repeated plays to get into but well worth it.

Lamb are a trip hop/electronica/drum `n bass duo from the UK, comparable in style to Portishead or Tricky. Their songs are usually musically complicated (`Cotton wool', `Gold', 'God bless', `B Line' for example) but with catchy vocals.

The track that got me, `Gorecki' is a charmer. Other great songs are `Lullaby' (which will NOT send you to sleep, I promise), `Heaven' (lilting song that about takes one there), the beautiful instrumental `Til the clouds clear', the hypnotic sounding `Wonder', `Please' (a gentle ballad sung in a pleading voice), and my favourite, `Gabriel', a lush dramatic number with jazz flourishes, comparing one's lover to the angel Gabriel.

Accompanying each track in the booklet are personal notes on the making of/inspiration behind/etc each track, which I found to be a real treat.

There is an accompanying bonus DVD with 7 videos (6 of which are tracks featured on this CD).

This aint the best.......2005-03-08

If I had done this compilation I would have made the track listing look like this.

1-God Bless
2-Trans Fatty Acid
3-Gold
4-Gorecki
5-All In Your Hands
6-Bonfire
7-Lullaby
8-One
9-Sweet
10-Scratch Bass
11-Wonder

Average customer rating: Best kept Best Kept Secrets indeed... Best trip hop jazz fuision folk groups around!! Save your dough, buy something, anything else...

The Best Kept Secrets: The Best of Lamb 1996-2004 Lamb Manufacturer: Umvd Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Drum & Bass | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Trip-Hop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Acid Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000222XHY Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

1. Cotton Wool
2. God Bless
3. Gold
4. Gorecki
5. Little Things
6. B Line
7. Lullaby
8. Bonfire
9. Heaven
10. One
11. Gabriel
12. Angelica
13. Til the Clouds Clear
14. Wonder
15. Please
16. Stronger

Tracks:

1. Cotton Wool [Multimedia Track]
2. God Bless [*][Multimedia Track]
3. Gorecki [*][Multimedia Track]
4. B Line [*][Multimedia Track]
5. Gabriel [*][Multimedia Track]
6. Sweet [*][Multimedia Track]
7. Wonder [*][Multimedia Track]

Customer Reviews:

Best kept.......2004-12-10

Lamb is an outstanding trip-hop band. Come on, admit it -- their music is beautiful, polished and textured, and it's a sign of the world's unfairness that people like Celine Dion outsell them. But I digress. "Best of Lamb 1996-2004: Best Kept Secrets" is a surprisingly good look back on the history of... well, one of electronica's best kept secrets.

A lot of "Best Of" albums stagger under the weight of personal preference -- meaning that the fans keep asking "Where is...? What happened to...? How could they not include...?" I didn't feel that way when listening to these sixteen chronological songs. While most Lamb songs are beautiful, these songs do a good job of showing their evolution from rough trip-hop to smooth, almost jazzy electronica.

The self-titled debut was a mix of the epic and rock-y -- "Cotton Wool" and "God Bless" are superb percussion-pop song with some trip-hop edge. "Best of Lamb" starts off dark, but gets... not exactly light, but more upbeat and less sprawling. One exceptional example is "Bonfire," a passionate, sweeping song that perfectly showcases Louise Rhodes' beautiful vocals.

Their style changed even more later on, moving further from their debut and into the realm of purer trip-hop -- less orchestral, less rock-y. "Gabriel" is a pretty song, and "Angelica" a gentle trip-hop-piano melody. They took that sound even further, and it's reflected in the finale of this album -- the trippy "Stronger" and the airy "Wonder."

It's definitely a good place to investigate if you're a Lamb virgin. If you have all four albums, however, it won't yield much that's new to you. But it's also a pleasant capsule look at their evolution as a band -- they started off sprawling and dark, and have (so far) become much jazzier and airier. Some of the song choices are a little obvious -- "Gabriel," for example, which apparently is a hit among romantics.

Lamb will probably never break into the No. 1 slot -- although stranger things have happened -- but their songs remain rich and beautiful, no matter which album you listen to. And as an introduction, either to the band or to albums you don't have, this is a pretty good one.

Best Kept Secrets indeed..........2004-06-19

I listened to Lamb for the first time a long time ago (1998-9), for the first and only time I saw their "B-Side" video on MTV. Back then it was one of the coolest things for me, the video and the song. Unfortunately this type of music isn't very popular in Mexico when groups like Portishead, Massive attack and Tricky are practically unnoticed. Since I'm a big fan of their music, I actually own all of the other CDs, but I couldn't resist on buying this one to get the DVD with their videos... Money well-spent

Best trip hop jazz fuision folk groups around!!.......2004-06-16

I discovered lamb about four years ago,what a suprise a strange fuision of jazz,folk,eletronic and triphop.Great vocals with tons of emotion If you like Billie Holiday,erikha badu,portishead,triky and etc,you will find lamb to be a journey of soul that in it's self is orginal.One of the best groups this decade,Very Under Rated!!!

Save your dough, buy something, anything else..........2004-06-15

This group has been overrated by many, and I've been conned. The only great song is Gabriel and the video Sweet is cute, and the rest ranges from mediocre to hit-the-skip-button. This is after 8 listens trying to like them. Do try Mandalay's Solace instead.

Average customer rating: MMM... that sounds good. I think I'll have that! Fun! Hard Chargin' Zydeco TIGHT Boring

Best Kept Secrets Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin' Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Zydeco | Cajun & Zydeco | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Cajun & Creole | Cajun & Zydeco | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Gon' Be Jus' Fine Turn the Page Life Everybody's Dancin' Save The Last Dance ASIN: B00004UAOH Release Date: 2000-07-18

Tracks:

1. Holdin' On
2. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
3. What You Got Down There?, Part 2
4. Best Kept Secret
5. Hold That Tiger
6. What's In That Bayou?
7. Lyin' Cryin' And Tryin'
8. If It Makes You Happy/It Just Ain't Right
9. I Don't Want Nobody Here But You
10. Storm Don't Last Long
11. Get Gone
12. Chris's Trail Ride

Amazon.com

The rule of the Gulf Coast's tough zydeco circuit is get groovin' or get gone. Right now, young Chris Ardoin has become its most popular artist. Like the late Beau Jocque, Ardoin has developed a knack for infusing traditional swamp music with the hot spirit of rock & soul. Everything on this album slams the dance floor, from his bare-bones delivery of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" to his own beautiful spiritual, "Storm Don't Last Long." It helps that he sings with the rawboned honesty and determination of a Stax veteran, merging the sound of Memphis with his Louisiana muse. But it's Ardoin's skill as a bandleader that's made him a star. Even numbers with down-home roots like "What's in the Bayou" stomp hard grooves--the bass and drums putting bedrock under Ardoin's melodies and quick-witted improvisations on diatonic and triple-key accordion. Ardoin, unlike Beau Jocque, never squeezes the swing out of the music's heart, no matter how hard his group drives it. Now Chris's granddaddy, Bois Sec, who helped invent this style of music, has another innovator in his family. And maybe, just maybe, zydeco has a new king in the making. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

MMM... that sounds good. I think I'll have that!.......2003-02-01

This is the second Ardoin cd I have purchased. I haven't stopped listening since I got it two weeks ago. Chris knows how to stroke that funky machine. I can't help but get up and shake a little. So be warned not to put this cd on if you've got something else you are trying to do. Joy, Joy, Joy!

Fun!.......2002-07-29

Ardoin is the new generation of south Louisiana zydeco musicians who know how to rock in a way that young people love. This irresistible music builds the beat around the bass kick drum. Chris Ardoin does things with an accordian that should be illegal - they're that much fun! Great party CD.

Hard Chargin' Zydeco.......2002-01-05

Chris Ardoin is an outstanding accordion player. He has excelent technique with an R&B feel; although he plays hard. He along with Rosie Ledet are examples of the next new breed of zydeco muscians that could greatly expand the audience. For those of you who like your zydeco more traditional, you would be better served by Geno Delefose or the more known Buckwheat Zydeco. Check out "If it makes you happy" and "Get Gone".

TIGHT.......2001-03-20

This album is filled with New Creative ZYDECO music, not Cajun, because that's not what it is. Chris Ardoin has created new catchy songs such as "If it makes you happy", "Holding on" and "what's in that bayou." He is definitely creative and a great accordionist. THat is why he deserves a 5.

Boring.......2001-01-30

One beat, one melody, over and over again. Every cut sounds the same and it wasn't that good the first time.

Average customer rating: faux brits Weaopon of mass destruction

The Best Little Secrets Are Kept Louis XIV Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Garage Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Best Little Secrets Are Kept At War with the Mystics ASIN: B0007QCLSQ Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

1. Louis XIV
2. Finding Out True Love Is Blind
3. Paper Doll
4. God Killed the Queen
5. A Letter to Dominique
6. Illegal Tender
7. Pledge of Allegiance
8. Hey Teacher
9. All the Little Pieces
10. Ball of Twine

Album Description

The San Diego-based combo's eagerly anticipated new album The Best Little Secrets Are Kept is a uniquely magnificent collection that's truly fit for a king. The brainchild of musician/producer Jason Hill along with Brian Karscig, Mark Maigaard, & Jimmy Armbrust, Louis XIV have already drawn acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic with their inventive melange of royally raucous riffs and big bawdy beats.

Customer Reviews:

faux brits.......2005-08-23

good all round cd. great sound these guys have. Sound like brit 60's rockers with accents and all, but they are from San Diego.....go figure.

Weaopon of mass destruction.......2005-05-07

For such a sunny, pretty place, San Diego sure churned out some dark, jagged rock'n'roll. Grimy chords and swaggering poses are at the heart of Louis XIV's full-length debut, "The Best Little Secrets Are Kept." Grimy, sexy, and perpetually winking, this a fun listen for disenchanted rock fans.

A slow, ominous violin solo starts off the album, but there the classical influence ends -- from there on, it's just rock. Suddenly angular guitars kick in, and Jason Hill starts announcing that he is a "weapon of mass destruction," in an insolent monotone that sounds like it's been filtered through a radio.

Similarly spiky rock songs follow, with lots of heavy rhythms and vocals that range from sensitive quavers to yowls. Louis XIV is at its best in these songs, which strip down garage rock to its bones, the blast of bass and electric guitar, with some wicked rhythm.

But they also have a knack for retroglam, as evidenced by the marvelous "Letter to Dominique." They're somewhat less successful in the few slow songs, such as the expansive ballad "All The Little Pieces." Piano-and-strings lo-fi just won't catch on, I'm afraid, guys. The rough sound won't catch the nuances of the song.

When a band is named after the Sun King, you'd expect a less than humble approach. But these guys don't seem to consider themselves the next best thing to God, just a rough-edged, sexy garage band. Some songs end with murmured conversations, random strums and footsteps. It sounds like they forgot to turn the mike off -- and that lack of polish and pretension is great.

The lyrics are basically about one thing -- sex. Sex sex sex, and surprisingly it comes across as roguish and laddish instead of obnoxious. "Let me buy ya a lollipop you wanna lick," Hill purrs. "You don't need to take a shower if you wanna get wet!" Hello, double and triple entendres.

Hill is absolutely marvelous as a rock vocalist, but sounds rather high-pitched and nervy in "All The Little Pieces." The rest of the time, he sounds like a raging rock lothario with a seductively gravelly voice. Sound-wise, they are deeply stripped down -- mostly electric guitar and drums, with some bass and the odd bits of violin thrown in. That's it.

Rough, raw and sexy, "The Best Little Secrets Are Kept" is a delicious treat for rock fans disenchanted by pretty-boys and trendy pop.

Average customer rating: TRACKS:

Best Kept Secrets ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0002F5JPO

Customer Reviews:

TRACKS:.......2006-11-16

Tracks:
# 1. THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
# 2. HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU
# 3. THIS COULD BE THE START
# 4. SOME ENCHANTED EVENING
# 5. FRIEND LIKE ME
# 6. THEM THERE EYES
# 7. DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA
# 8. THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY
# 9. HELLO AGAIN
# 10. SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST
# 11. PAPA, CAN YOU HEAR ME

Average customer rating:

Double Negative Pt. I: for Lack of a Better World Manufacturer: Dumptruck ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAFEZ4 Release Date: 2003-06-10

Average customer rating: Brilliant EP!

Aborted Revolutions Illuminatus Manufacturer: illuminatus ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAH20O Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

1. Emotion Sickness
2. Wargasm
3. White Lies

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant EP!.......2006-02-19

Fantastic EP from this up and coming UK band. One thing though, go to their website at www.illuminatus.uk.com and buy the EP for a third of the price!

Average customer rating:

Dreamtable Manufacturer: Beth Lodge-Rigal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAG8EA Release Date: 2001-02-13

Average customer rating:

The Boot Leg King Ro-Lew Manufacturer: Ro-Lew ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music ASIN: B000CA8JI8 Release Date: 2004-12-07

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. Up in a Way
3. Thank You
4. Slow Groove
5. He Was a Coward
6. Baby
7. Go
8. Skit
9. No Joke Fea. Young Fi'
10. Soul Train
11. Townhoesgotdow Fea. Young Fi', Yum
12. Changes
13. Ain't Young No Mo
14. Assfault Babydoll Fea. Daddy Bapwell
15. Ro-Lew Has a Dirty Mouth
16. www.bootlegking.com
17. No Joke Remix Fea. Young Fi', Yum
18. For What It's Worth
19. This Could Be
20. Shack That Thang Fea. Yum

Rock Music:

1. Calypso Breakaway
2. Children of the Ancients
3. Chill Out Cafe, Vol. 8
4. Chill Out Cafe, Vol. 9
5. Chocolate Kings [Import]
6. Christmas at the Mission
7. Dans Les Yeux D'un Autre [Import]
8. De Tes Mains [Import]
9. Die Grossten Hits Aus 20 Jahren [Import]
10. Dotyk [Import]

Rock Music

rock music

Recommended Music:

Seize the Day

Monteverdi: Musica Sacra

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 / Schumann: Cello Concerto

Work To Do!

Pleasure Is All Mine: Remix Album [Import]

Nobody's Home [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Litanies Pour L'an 2000 [Import]

Look at All the Love We Found: A Tribute to Sublime [Explicit Lyrics]

Love Songs [Import]

Maximum Fleetwood Mac [Import]

Live & Rare [Import]

Mandu Sarara [Import]

Mr. Nobody [Explicit Lyrics]

Deep Natural

Europe