Grandaddy - Concrete Dunes

Essentially an expanded version of the odds-and-sods EP Broken Down Comforter Collection, Concrete Dunes collects Grandaddy's mid- to late-'90s rarities and B-sides. Though the track listing is slightly odd, putting early tracks like "Pre Merced" toward the collection's end, the album is still a pretty good overview of Grandaddy's evolution from shambling, fuzzed-out indie rock to the more ambitious, spacy sound of their later work. Standouts include the static-laden ballad "12-PAK-599"; "For the Dishwasher," a polished, richly textured track that's as good as anything on Grandaddy's albums; the surprisingly snarky "Kim You Bore Me to Death"; and "Wretched Songs," which mixes the group's noisy and introspective sides into a sweeping epic. Read More