New Digs, Vol. 25: JET....

Esquire magazine named Kate Beckinsale the Sexiest Woman Alive, and I can't argue with that. But don't worry, we're still here for the music. The magazine filmed a photoshoot with Ms. Beckinsale and put some music to it. Some good music.

JET - Goodbye Hollywood
from Shaka Rock (2009)

I looked up the band and learned that this wasn't the first time their music has been used in conjunction with moving pictures to grab your attention. JET's song 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' from their 2003 debut album has been blasted all over TV, most notably in one of Apple's first dancing silhouette ads. Get Born was a huge success for the Australian rock band, selling 3.5 million copies thanks to their lead single, 'Cold Hard Bitch,' which reached #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart.

While those songs are good, the way in which I heard them (radio) stalled my interest, and I figured them to be your usual one (or two) hit wonder sure to be embraced by MTV. But I recently picked up their 2009 disc, Shaka Rock, and was pleasantly surprised. So I went out and found Get Born. These guys are not the one-trick mainstream act you expect them to be. Sure, they shine when they rock with energy on par with The Kooks, but JET is equally impressive when they lay off the guitars and symbols a bit and throttle down to a mid-tempo song.

JET - Look What You've Done
JET - Radio Song
from Get Born (2003)

The two blockbuster songs from JET's debut may still be their marquee songs, but this year's release is tells us so much more about the band. The songs on Shaka Rock have more substance - and let's face it... what Apple ad song has really meant something? They are chosen for their ability to immediately wedge themselves in your frontal lobe and stay there. These new songs, however, have a stronger lyrical focus and, in doing so, the band has expanded their sound.

JET - Seventeen
from Shaka Rock (2009)