Los Valientes Del Mundo Neuvo
If theWhite Stripespaved the runway for the take-off of the garage-rock revival, the Black Lips are the face-plant on the tarmac. For this live album, which the band promises is "going to be the best live record of all time," the Atlanta foursome mostly cull songs from both 2004'sWe Did Not Know the Forest Spirit Made the Flowers Growand 2005'sLet It Bloom. Despite its best efforts, though, the Lips' secret fifth member here is the highly audible crowd that assembled in Tijuana, Mexico, for the show and recording, augmenting the band's lo-fi, up-tempo blues with smashing bottles and waves of enthusiastic heckling. Musically, the standout track is "Buried Alive," the Eastern scale of its main riff giving way to a sing-along chorus with gusto to spare and no need for such technical nuisances as tuning. In fact, it takes an unbending confidence not to worry about being buried beneath a crowd that's much a part of its recording. But the Black Lips are nothing if not fearless, having weathered the early death of guitarist Ben Eberbaugh, three record labels (so far), and more punishing live sets than any but the most brave could endure. Brave new world, indeed. --Jason Kirk