Juliette & the Licks
Four on the Floor
The Militia Group
Juliette Lewis caught a lot of flack after the release of her debut musical effort 2005’s You’re Speaking My Language. Another actor playing the role of the rockstar, and hey, didn’t Ms. Lewis already do that in 1995’s Strange Days? Her music and live show (which I caught in NYC right after her album was released), was not bad, but it was nothing extraordinary either. Actually, her live show was better than the music alone because when you’ve got Juliette Lewis doing backbends, and crawling acrossed a small stage it’s bound to overshadow the generic grrrl rock that she was spitting out. That and the fact that she had ex-Hole drummer Patty Schemel behind the drum kit!
Still, I was unmoved.
Two years have past, and after extensive touring and a revolving lineup, Juliette & The Licks are back with their second full length Four on the Floor and I am ecstatic to announce that it is exactly the kind of music I had hoped (and expected) this woman to make! It’s L.A. metal, mixed with dirty punk, and straight up rock ‘n’ roll led by one of the most intriguing character actresses of the last 20 years. Sitting in on drums in the studio (though not officially in the band, so don’t look for him on tour) was Dave Grohl, and her current band also includes H20’s Todd Morse on guitar, but, as expected, the spotlight falls prominently on the petite shoulders of the illustrious frontwoman, and she bathes in it.
The entire album rubbed me like a Downy fresh bath towel, and I just know I’ll be spending my whole summer cranking it up, but the song… the one that I just can’t get enough of is “Hot Kiss.” If sweaty sex on a hot afternoon had a song this would be it.
Juliette & the Licks: http://www.julietteandthelicks.com
