ARTIST: Ben Davis & The Jetts and Des Ark
TITLE: Battle Of The Beards
LABEL: Lovitt Records
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 196kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 41m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-01-00
RIP DATE: 2007-01-02
Track List
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1. Ben Davis & The Jetts - Clash 3:39
It
2. Ben Davis & The Jetts - 3:09
Election Protection
3. Ben Davis & The Jetts - Nine Of 3:45
Ya
4. Ben Davis & The Jetts - Gorilla 3:24
Bot
5. Ben Davis & The Jetts - Last 4:46
Drive
6. Des Ark - Eloise 3:23
7. Des Ark - If By "Gay" you mean 4:17
"Totally Freaking Awesome,
'Then Yeah, I Guess It's Pretty
Gay
8. Des Ark - Lord Of The Rings & 2:42
His Facist Time Keepers
9. Des Ark - The Fall Of The 1:33
Skorts
10. Des Ark - The Subleties Of 4:20
Chores & Unlocked Doors
11. Ben Davis & Des Ark - 3:36
Brientology
12. Ben Davis & Des Ark - Sell The 3:10
Boat!!!
Release Notes:
"Battle of the Beards is the cheekily named collaboration between Ben Davis
(Milemarker, Sleepytime Trio) and Des Ark's Aimee Argote. The two have worked
together before (Argote has songwriting credits on Davis's Aided and Abetted,
and she's recorded songs with Jonathan Fuller, who plays with Davis in Bats &
Mice), and both are from Durham, NC, meaning they're legitimate punks in the
Burn Collector vein. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see a split,
but honestly, prior to listening, I was wondering just how the thing could
possibly jell.
Davis's many projects are known for their bright, melodic pulse (he's a little
like Ben Folds; could dude stop whining over Emmeline already?), and Argote's a
spitting, growly blues woman with songs like "Jesus Loves You (But Yr Coming
Home with Me Tonight)." Yet Battle of the Beards comes together amazingly well,
laced with themes of late nights and lusty infidelity.
There are five tracks from Davis, five from Argote, then they've included two
smart collaborative tracks featuring members of the UNC student orchestra. I'm a
stickler for Argote's brave pissed-offness, so I still favor her quintet,
especially "The Subtleties of Chores and Unlocked Doors," which is basically
DiFranco-style romantic confusion, only with more spit and less schlock. Davis's
songs sound rounder but no less urgent, and the percussive tumult of "Gorilla
Bot" is prime for headphones on wintry street corners. It's rare to find a
collaboration that works this well, let alone one that works this well and has a
green elephant on the cover." -The Stranger