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albums -
jan 2006 |
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4AD Records began in 1980 and went on to become a very important, emblematic
label that has consistently turned out credible indie music for the last
quarter of a century. This is a carefully considered overview of the labels
hey-day and a small selection from their current roster of artists. It is
by no means a definitive guide to 4AD, nor is it a contrived ‘best of…’
money spinner, but used in conjunction with the series of gigs happening
throughout November. It revels heavily in the more obscure signings and
album tracks that the label has on offer and in essence; there are better
tunes in 4AD’s directory and thus better compilations could be made.
Obvious highlights include the
esoteric moaning of the Cocteau Twins’ Lorelei, the undeniable radiance of
Pixies’ Where Is My Mind and the brief but ever brilliant Mountain Goats’
See America Right. In addition, the chillingly beautiful Diaphonic Chant by
the Bulgarian Choir begins the album superbly. But unfortunately this is a
compilation splattered with tracks you could easily use to fill the cracks
in your ceiling with, such as some serious yawning material from the
Wolfgang Press, the dozy miserablists Tarnation and the downright banal
Sybarite – the type of tunes that skip buttons are specifically designed
for. This is a shame, not only because it doesn’t sit well with the rest of
the album but also because they have been included in favor of some
influential British goth and industrial groups such as Modern English and
Bauhaus. A more obvious but understandable omission is Pump Up The Volume
by M/A/R/R/S, a groundbreaking single that did much to liberate the humble
sampler.
As a budget compilation, 1980
Forward serves as both a solid introduction to an iconic label and as a mere
glimpse into the vast wealth stored in the 4AD vaults. But a far more
exciting and tempting a prospect is the proposed “bespoke” version of this
compilation, one that will allow you to customise your own compilation from
4AD’s entire back catalogue. I guess if you want something doing well you
should probably do it yourself.
www.4ad.com
H.H Thornville |
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You’ve got to like Tender Trap. No? Why, it’s Amelia
Fletcher’s band! Yeah, well, forget it. They are not Talulah Gosh! They are
not Heavenly! They are not even Marine Research! And yet, despite being
Amelia’s fourth band, they are just as ace, just as exciting and, as this
last EP proves, just as catchy. When their first album Film Molecules came
out (Fortuna Pop! and K, 2002), I was totally overwhelmed by it: lyrically
it was scarily direct, which I guess is Amelia’s forte. Musically, however,
I was hearing something brand new - yes, the girly voice was familiar but
everything else was so different from bands that preceded Tender Trap that I
was intrigued and wanted to keep listening to it to find out what had
changed. Amelia and Rob started a new band with a more minimalist line-up
for a reason and, although I can’t pretend they told me it at a drunken
party, I suspect that Language Lessons is here to show us why. A brighter,
clearer sound emerged in much simpler, bolder arrangements and lyrics to
rival Heavenly’s cheekiest yet dark offerings. There are at least three
irresistible reasons to buy this record now: 1) It’s got four gripping,
unbearably beautiful songs (my favourites being ‘Talking Backwards’ and the
song equivalent of Godard’s Breathless, ‘Friendster’); 2) it’s got one of
the prettiest covers in the history of indie-pop ever (it features a
supercute photo of Amelia looking like a teenager, and her handwriting all
over the packaging); 3) ‘¿Como te llamas?’ was written and is sung by both
Amelia and Lupe (from Pipas), which is a bit like watching an episode of
Corrie with both Status Quo *and* Dire Straits! Quite frankly, this is
unmissable.
Marianthi Makra |
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If Artic Monkeys are destined to be
the new Oasis and the Kaiser Chiefs are quite happy to settle for a career
that involves writing shitter versions of old Blur tunes, then nostalgia
fans will be happy to discover that The Kooks sound more than a bit like
Supergrass before they grew up, grew beards and got boring.
Breezy pop songs are the order of
the day here. The brief acoustic strum of “Seaside” opens proceedings
nicely, before the album truly roars into life with “See the World” and
never really lets up from there on in. “Eddie’s Gun” is a cracking tune and
gets better with every play, “You Don’t Love Me” is what The Strokes might
sound like if they originated from Brighton, and if you like your breakneck
pop with just a hint of ska, “Time Awaits” and “Matchbox” will be right up
your proverbial alleyway.
The only thing stopping The Kooks
from gate-crashing the big leagues is that they’ve yet to pen a tune of
“Alright” calibre. I’m heavily resistant to all this Britpop-revival
business, but this lot have come up with something that deserves recognition
in its own right.
Will Columbine |
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Featuring what may be one of the
best song titles ever (“I Don’t know if she had Any Teeth Because She Never
Smiled”), the eight tracks that comprise “The Way to Bitter Lake” will
appeal to fans of Iron &Wine and warm, intimate folk in general. Spider is
one Jane Hership, a NYC-based songstress who has been gigging aplenty in her
hometown over the past year, on this evidence, needs only her guitar and
delicate voice to capture one’s attention.
However, she has friends within easy
reach and with their help fleshes out the weary countrified sprawl of “Cold
Eyes” with mournful backing vocals and slide guitar. Then there’s the
aforementioned “…She Never Smiled” which combines gospel leanings with the
kind of atmospherics Spacemen 3 would have been proud of. Quite lovely.
www.spidersongs.net
Will Columbine |
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I thought I had been listening this for the last hour or so on repeat
play. Turned out it was all the same album but it all sounded the same.
Which is not that odd because opening track 'Don't Blame It on Love' seems
very familiar, like it has been used on a TV shop soundtrack, possibly about
poorly pets. Second track 'Cry' was also a very pleasant acoustic number
allowing Swanson to demonstrate her ample vocal range. But how many more
Beth Orton coffee house aural wallpaper sound-alikes do we need? Good news
for Starbucks (especially now that KT Tunstall's royalties will have gone
through the roof following her Brit nomination), bad news for anyone wanting
something a little bit more challenging and off the well trodden track.
www.marshaswanson.co.uk
SB |
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This offering, and I use the term loosely, is truly terrible, an abysmal
mess of clattering drums, yelping lyrical nonsense and squealing feedback.
Seemingly no structure, talent or point to its entirety. This record makes
me feel exceptionally uncomfortable and somewhat terrified at the prospect
of having to listen to it ever again. It’s like the reoccurring nightmare I
sometimes get; where I have an intense itching on my belly button and after
a few minutes of futile scratching it comes undone and my innards spill out
onto the bedroom floor, leaving a pulsating mass of barely throbbing organs.
This is the sound of throats slitting, of a backstreet lobotomy, of your
brain collapsing due to carbon monoxide poisoning and the only solace I find
amidst this bleak landscape of noise and misery is that it finishes. Less
rolling in the ruins, more rolling about on the floor with your hands over
your aching ears trying to protect your rapidly depleting brain cells, all
the while screaming for mercy. Awful.
H.H Thornville
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Curious name, curious sound. the opening track sounds like a honky tonk
saloon bar version of 'Seventeen' by Ladytron. Seems a little long but full
marks for diversity. Track 2 by comparison sounds nothing like either of
those but more in the mould of Coldplay to begin with until it morphs into a
more retro vibe that the Gallagher brothers would be proud of. The
influences don't stop there - there's alight hearted dodgy sounding, sorry,
Dodgy-sounding track, a rock operetta a la The Hellset Orchestra, a
minimalist Placebo-esque affair with Runrig overtones and a pleasant
acoustic number to finish. Clearly finding varying styles are not a problem
for Avangaärd. Choosing which direction
to take in the long term may be more tricky.
SB |
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For reasons best know to herself, the press release accompanying this CD
features aforementioned Ms Burton playing guitar in the bath. Let alone
being impractical - this could be downright dangerous kids. So what other
horrors would await inside?
Well, fortunately enough, not that many. Although I was expecting some
saccharine sweet over produced mid-American rawk, Johnnie Burton has put
together an album which sounds remarkably fresh from start to finish by
fusing a punk attitude with ferocious energy. Like a non-mental Courtney
Love, Burton carves her way through eleven 3-minute punk rock tracks without
sounding trite or formulaic, despite the rigid verse-chorus-verse
structures. A pleasant surprise.
www.johnnieburton.com
SB |
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Ideal music for a chick flick or an episode of Cold Feet - you get the
idea. Akayia Parker has a distinctive breathless voice. In addition the song
writing style further reinforces the similarity with Macy Gray. In fairness,
this isn't a bad EP but Macy Gray does it better and her producer ensures
she doesn't sound like she is singing down a hosepipe.
SB |
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