BEST OF '08: THE GUTTER TWINS' SATURNALIA

Never send a boy to do a man's job! Too often these days rock and roll is sung by kids. None of whom will ever be able to do "dark" as well as The Gutter Twins - Mark Lanegan (formerly of Screaming Trees and Queens Of The Stone Age, he also has several cool solo records and also collaborates with Isobell Cambell, formerly of Belle & Sebastian) and Greg Dulli (formerly of The Afghan Whigs and current Twilight Singers mainstay). Their debut, Saturnalia, is pretty darn dark, as is the follow-up EP of covers, Adorata. Both guys have their origins in the Seattle/Sub Pop scene (although The Afghan Whigs hailed from Ohio), but with all due respect to everyone else, Lanegan and Dulli both seem to have deeper and darker musical roots (the first time Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic recorded "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" it was for Lanegan's debut solo album, they later revisited it for Nirvana's Unplugged). That darkness doesn't just permeate the band's sound, it envelops it. Not for parties, unless you're looking to clear the party out, but it's great stuff. I know Lanegan has another project with Isobell Campell lined up, but I hope the Twins work together again.