Fires Of Rome - You Kingdom You (2009)

You Kingdom You is a rock and roll combo platter of an album—touching on influences ranging from glam, heavy metal, punk, Bowie (just listen to “Monkey In A Cage”), a little dance rock, and of course, the classic rock... the list goes on. The tone and swagger reminds me of Diamond Nights’ 2005 release Popsicle, which still gets my inner glam-rocker all excited with each re-listen. Coincidentally, the two bands both hail from that little east coast music Mecca known as New York City. From the hard charging guitar riffs of “I'll Take You Down” and “Love Is A Burning Thing,” to The Rapture-esque dance beats and vocal squeals of “Bronx Bombardier,” (which is anchored by the chant, and all too factual threat, “Don’t fuck with me when I’m not sober...”), to the finely orchestrated and layered structure of “Dawn Lament” and T.Rex styled “But You're Such A Cherry,” Fires Of Rome do a little bit of everything, and they do it all really well. If you're seeking a solid party rock album, look no further.

Also, if the track “Set In Stone” tickles your fancy, and you like club versions of rock songs, have a listen to the Set In Stone Remixes collection. Pretty rad, if you ask me.