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albums - may 2009 |
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We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls (Fat Cat)Anyone with a queasy stomach for a band being lavished with praise,
look away now. The rest of you, I shall begin. 'These Four Walls'
is without doubt the finest thing I have heard this year, and possibly
one of the best albums I have heard in the last five years. Yes it's
that good. |
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Fink - Sort Of RevolutionFin Greenall aka Fink is apparently a singer-songwriter, producer,
club DJ and John Legend collaborator. He's certainly got a lot of
strings to his bow this lad. Just as well really as the singer-songwriter
affair has led to an album of pretty drab, run of the mill tunes that
are instantly forgettable. Shaun Goldsworthy |
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Millimetre - Heliography (Orectic)According to the press release this Millimetre's third album and
it's a bright, resonant work. I must have been tuned into something
else (unfortunately I wasn't) as it was one continuous drone from
the opening track until, the heavenly sound of silence descended upon
me after what seemed like forever and a day. The best song on the
album (I use this term comparatively) 'Malachi's Dream' sounded not
unlike hot chip with all the fun, excitement and hooks suctioned from
them by something akin to a thousand Dyson vacuum cleaners. Shaun Goldsworthy |
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Vessels - Retreat (Cuckundoo)'Retreat' is a collection of songs including mostly remixed efforts
of their previous release, and some unreleased tracks from the Leeds
based five piece. So basically i'm reviewing previously released songs
backed by a bunch of remixes from indie luminaries such as Hood and
Errors. Probably one for the die hard Vessels fans then? Shaun Goldsworthy |
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Black Saturn vs. subduxtion - Ancient Kingdom (Alrealon)‘Ancient Kingdom’ is the first full length release project coupling
Black Saturn’s spoken words with subduxtion’s ‘noise’. An innovative
album, the beats remain dark, haunting and at times claustrophobic.
Static sizzles throughout the opening track, ‘Simulation Failure’,
threatening to catch alight at regular intervals. The pictures painted
by the lyrics certainly aren’t pretty but are occasionally lost amongst
the distorted beats. Slightly nauseating at times due to the undercurrent
created by the crackling distortion, complete listens are certainly
a challenge but a challenge that is worth undertaking due to the nature
of the rewards on offer. This is an album for those that have enjoyed
recent offerings from the likes of Saul Williams and Argumentix. Mark Whiffin |
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The Birthday Massacre - Show and Tell - Live In Hamburg (Reporecords)Another cliché of a female fronted metal core band. You know the ticket; ‘voice of an angel’ vocals laid over crashing guitars and a machine gun beat. The Birthday Massacre are Evanescence done slightly better. Only slightly however, due the added extra of a sparkly synth. A rather vague live album that tests your concentration through sheer repetitiveness. At times it is hard to tell the difference between two songs, leading the listener to deduce that a lack of inspiration arose in the studio. ‘Remember Me’ and follower ‘Unfamiliar’ sound so similar, a quick glance at the track number is necessary, to make the brain certain that it is a different song. There are a few dotted, and quite frankly pitiful attempts to become menacing that leave you feeling embarrassed - note ‘Lover’s End’. ‘Weekend’ seems to have the promise of a supreme fanfare rock out, but unfortunately misses the target before it‘s even properly begun. However, the songs are performed with a skilled embrace and enthusiasm by very able musicians. Not one note is missed, neither is one warble out of key. They are undoubtedly accomplished and have won various badges through live performances, but maybe a jab of originality would have brought this material to life. An average rock band for middle America’s pre-adolescent rebels.
Paint by numbers alternative that simply doesn’t understand the aesthetics
of the genre. Eloise Quince |
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Soiled – Slothmotion (Elm Lodge)I think there may be more than just a grain of irony in the press release accompanying this album when it states that it is a ‘departure from previous releases’ and contains ‘commercial textures’. Well, it doesn’t say so as such, it’s more of a succinct stream of consciousness which has been committed to paper about the music but the idea is intimated. As though to knee-jerk us against this idea, opening track ‘Escape from eglwyswrw’ is an unrepentant throbbing number which is not really softened at all by the film sample or the occasionally keys. The laser beam synths which occur at the midpoint remind you further that you are entering the alien sonic world of Soiled. But sure enough, right on cue, the warm strings of ‘Parelled World of Common Sense’ offer up a slightly more accessible side to ‘Slothmotion’, even though they overlay a backdrop of mechanical hissing cicadas. Similarly the melodies of ‘Click this Maybe’ have a unique sound that manages to combine the poppiness of Orbital with the lo-fi analogue tendencies of Black Moth Super Rainbow. At the polar opposite of the emotional scale is the rumbling bleakness of ‘Hynagogia Jump Start’ and the stellar isolation of ‘Drifting in and Out of Leonards Orbit’. We live in an age where nearly all music is a soundtrack, - it’s
for going out and dancing t, it’s for driving to, it’s incidental
to your favourite TV show, it’s on your iPod while you go running.
But like some kind of warped Vangelis, the found and synthesised sounds
of Soiled demand that you listen to them purely for the sake of listening,
and for that I applaud you sir. SB |
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MJ Hibbett & the Validators - Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez (Artists Against Success)There’s a lot to recommend about an album that starts with a sample
from the 60’s ‘Fantastic 4’ cartoon and contains references to the
Inhumans. But just like the forthcoming Trek reboot in-depth geek
knowledge isn’t required to enjoy the newest offering from MJ Hibbett
and the Validators - a collection 13 tracks that is best described
in their own words as “thrilling pop songs about the reality of life
in your thirties“. There are plenty of stand out fast paced tracks,
like the insanely catchy ’Do The Indie Kid’ which comes with it’s
own timewarpesque dance moves and their ode to duffing ‘We’re Old
And We’re Tired (and we want to go home)’. But for those of us who
have been around 30+ years it’s the melancholy tracks like ’We Can
Start Having Fun’ and ’Leicester’s Trying to Tell Me Something’ that
can make you stop for a moment and make you think about the life you‘ve
led. This has to be the best produced, played and tunefully sung Validators
album I’ve heard; and while a tiny bit of me misses their old lo-fi
stylings hopefully this album will help them find a wider, and much
deserved, audience. (If you want to try before you buy the opening
track is available as a free download from www.mjhibbet.net) Andrew Livesey |
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Sneaky Sound System - s/t (14th Floor)A revolution has occurred; the dawn of dance music with brains. An accomplished album of Metronomy style tweaks and beeps with soul filled vocals supplying the sugary softer edge to razor sharp songs. The only problem is that it is about five songs too long. First track ‘I Love It’ is probably one of the most joyous songs on the entire album, the sort of track that you would play full blast in the height of a summer heat wave, windows down and shades on. It actually oozes cool. ‘Pictures’ leans towards ELO inspired disco riffs and sickly sweet electronica beats. A few tracks later, ‘Kansas City’ certainly captures the listener’s ear with shiny Doppler effects and a chorus catchier than swine flu. The album takes a slow downhill slope from here as it becomes monotonous and quite repetitive. However, ‘Because of You People Say I’m Crazy’ kicks the party back into action for it’s three minutes and forty-six seconds of techno dreaminess. The album ends on a fairly weak acoustic whine of a song, ‘Where Do I Begin?’ about disheartening lost loves and wishing for a perfect Prince Charming. Forget about beginnings, Sneaky Sound System have finished the race
and are on the podium. Just maybe not for a gold yet, but it is certainly
within reach of their glittery electro mitts. Eloise Quince |
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Various: It’s a Misery Business (Rhino)Eesh... self billed as a “collection of the ultimate contemporary anti love songs”, the songs that appear on it are designed to please many of its fairly broad target audience. Putting Cute Is What We Aim For and Slipknot on the same album, was always going to be a dubious choice, and likewise putting more universally respected and liked artists such as Biffy Clyro on there leaves me scratching my head. I like a lot of these bands. Paramore are the best new American pop punk band of this decade without doubt, lead singer Hayley Williams has enough charisma and popularity to be a modern day Debbie Harry and Kids in Glass Houses are an exciting new band that the UK should be proud of. The same respect goes to Gallows who have singlehandedly brought the UK punk scene back to the world stage and Madina Lake who brought a refreshing and exciting new sound and concept with their debut album that dropped in 2007. But putting these bands on an album with Simple Plan and Nickelback who are heralded as the main reason to buy the album is a bit dubious, though admittedly the latter’s inclusion Something In Your Mouth is their best song since How You Remind Me. Overall as a compilation though this album is very strong and all
the song choices are some of their artists best and biggest songs
and all possess a bite that make this the perfect mixtape, for the
adolescent Kerrang! Reader on Valentines Day. CTS |
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Tracy Gang Pussy – Number 4Whoever thought up this abysmal name should be very ashamed of themselves. Though maybe seeing as TGP (as I shall insist on calling them from hereon) is the result of some linguistic mishap by these four Frenchmen who seem to like eye make-up, tattoos and piercings quite a lot. There’s no press release with this one (in fact, not even a sleeve) so I shall summarise their ilk as succinctly as possible. It’s punk rock. Allegedly slightly Scandinavian rock’n’roll, but definitely punk rock in my book. And actually they are pretty good – I was expecting something as horrible sounding as their name. And a couple of songs have a very catchy, familiar sound to them, such as ‘Miss Negativity’ (though it’s entirely possible this is a cover or has been used on a film somewhere – I just don’t know and don’t have the inclination to find out.) But after a whole album of this stuff I feel physically weary – there’s
only so much you can do with the same guitar and drum sounds and things
ceased to be interesting after about track 6. But then I’m not a big
fan of traditional punk rock so if this style is your thing then I
would think that you would lap it up. Me, I’m off to put on some nice
soothing black metal. SB |
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Leathermouth - XO (Epitaph)Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance has always been very vocal about his appreciation and fandom of hardcore, frequently name dropping bands like Black Flag, as both inspiration and aspiration. Leathermouth is his between MCR album noise mongering project. Whilst the Minor Threat, Black Flag, American Nightmare, Misfits influences are certainly there, Leathermouth’s sound bears more in common with more contemporary hardcore bands, a listen to the opening track 5th Period Massacre instantly draws aural likeness to Norma Jean, The Hope and some early Underoath. As the album progresses however the main likeness is that of the British hardcore scene The Ghost of a Thousand and Gallows but Frank Iero though a favourite with the My Chemical Romance fan base seems to lack the same charisma as Frank Carter and his hardcore ilk. Saying that however Frank’s vocal performance on the album is solid, his screams piercing and his barked chants give a certain catchiness to layer over the proficient guitar work of Rob Hughes, Ed Auletta and pummelling bass and drums of John McGuire and James Dewees respectively, in particular on the stand out I Am Going to Kill the President of the United States of America. As titles like that and musical style suggest the lyrical basis of much of the album is the anger and frustration of Frank Iero at domestic and international issues, ranging from psychiatry to school shootings. Unlike his day job’s leader singer Gerard Way however, Frank Iero lacks the same capacity for lyrical prowess, with lyrics serving their purpose but lacking any real weight, and reading more like the whining of a hormonal male teenager after his MySpace girlfriend has dumped him. So Ollie Sykes standard essentially. Overall however XO is a very competent debut album and whilst its
success is no doubt based on who the band’s lead singer is, as a hardcore
album it is more than above average, and is one of the best hardcore
debuts of the last decade. CTS |
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Maybeshewill – Sing the Word Hope in Four-Part Harmony (Field)A small admission – there was more than just a little tingle of excitement when this little beauty popped out of its jiffy bag cocoon and straight into the CD player. Debut album ‘Not for Want of Trying’ was one of the unexpected highlights of 2008 for me – full of thundering tracks that married a subtle lightness of touch with a sledgehammer ferocity to drive hoe their point. I’d have thought it was pretty much impossible to improve on that record but with ‘Sing the Word Hope...’ Maybeshewill might just have done it. Early signs were good with the brutal single ‘This Time Last Year’ adding a euphoric touch to the visceral ruthlessness. But with album opener ‘You Can’t Shake Hands with a Clenched Fist’ the sound returns to a more direct approach with chunky riffs built up in a choppy way over an airy synth line – in a weird way in reminded me of some ‘Angel Dust’ era Faith No More – no cunning time changes or tricks – just power. But what this album does so brilliantly is temper these moments of excess by consistently introducing moments of calm, be it within a singular song or in separating the noisier numbers from the quieter ones. And so it is that slowly brooding ‘Co-Conspirators’ subtly links ‘You Can Shake Hands...’ and ‘This Time Last Year’ – the latter which has developed an even greater complexity of sound at album level due to added fizzing effects panning around the speakers – ear frazzlingly good. Time for your break then, and ‘Accept and Embrace’ provides that soft interlude of piano and synth before the fuses are blown on your listening device by the bludgeoningly magnificent sound of ‘How to Have Sex with a Ghost’ which has been heard being played at high volume from my car stereo around the Leeds area for the last month or so. A little like a more mathy, instrumental version of Leicester comrades TEAM, Maybeshewill just keep finding new and powerful ways of exploring the dynamics of their own hardcore version of post-rock. Yet it may well be the slightly unexpected ‘Our History Will Be What We Make Of It’ which provides the lasting memory of this album – the track being riddled through with poignant samples from Winston Churchill and Edward R. Munroe, all the more pertinent now given the current economic plight and our apparent inseparability with consumerism. The album resulting from all these tracks only lasts around 30 minutes
but it condenses more feeling, more social comment and more inventiveness
into its short, taut duration than most people will manage in a lifetime.
There can be few greater compliments. SB |
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Gravity Field - S/TI am always astounded when an individual has the talent and the creativity to go into something and do it alone. Even better when they come out of that something and have created something magnificent. My favourite rap album is Mos Def’s Black On Both Sides on which he played nearly all the instruments, did all the vocals, wrote some of the best lyrics ever and had a hand in producing most of the songs on it. That album could now reasonably be called a classic of the genre. Gravity Field is almost the same. John Bassett wrote, recorded and produced the entire album aside from drums, and has come out with something resembling end-of-the-world music. Whilst not entirely original – Bassett is clearly influenced or coming from the same influences as bands such as Muse with his utilisation of heavy riffs as well as a strong understanding of atmospherics; Bassett is very good at what he does and it all comes together to create a perfectly polished finished article. Perhaps the most evident influence is Led Zeppelin with identifiable influences in all aspects of sound, though perhaps most evidently in the vocals and guitars. However Led Zeppelin are not a bad band influence to have, or a bad band to resemble in terms of sound, and let’s be honest...they haven’t been around to use it for the last couple of decades so open season had to be declared at some point. The use of loud-soft dynamics and computerised effects add further sonic layers to the album. The main criticisms of I have of the album are the occasionally repetitive songs that occasionally leaving you thinking a track is on repeat, with similar intros to ‘Lost Forever’, ‘Psychoanalyze’ and ‘Sheeple’, in particular providing this feeling and as a result it becomes rather refreshing when ‘Illuminati Apocalypse’ begins with drums instead of guitar. Whilst Basset’s musicianship and obvious talent in crafting his songs (in particular on ‘Psychoanalyze’ with a fantastic bass driven breakdown and fantastically heavy guitar riff, that you can’t help but nod your head to), and the album itself clearly reflect a very talented and ambitious artist, you feel that he perhaps feels to tied to the norms of the prog-rock genre, that has long been a dinosaur and the unfortunate butt of far too many jokes. So for a debut into a genre so full of similar sounding and well
known bands, Gravity Field is a phenomenal achievement, it’s heavy
riffs and modern production making it a must listen for any fans of
that genre, and it’s accessability making it a good starting point
for many of the new generation of rock fans who may not have ever
heard a prog record before. However some of the ideas begin to grow
repetitive and easily become familiar, occasionally to a negative
extent and you can’t help but get the feeling of having heard these
songs done before. When done this well however, one can argue whether
it really matters. CTS |
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Cake - B-Sides And RaritiesI like covers, and so do Cake it seems as over 60% of this album is made up of them (with ‘Warpigs‘ deemed so good it’s in there twice). Luckily they have a good pedigree in this area as evidenced by their popular rendition of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive”. What has come as a bit of a revelation, at least to myself, is the diverse musical tastes of this band with an obvious affinity with the country sound as evident on the excellent cover of ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town’. Meanwhile their take on ‘Mahna, Mahna’ has also rinsed the enduring bad taste from my mind of that late 90’s Vanilla effort. The only downside to all this fine coverage is that their self penned
tracks can seem a bit overwhelmed by comparison, although any outing
of ‘Short Skirt, Long Jacket‘ is good in my book. Oh and the album packaging is scratch and sniff, mmmmm fruity. Andrew Livesey |
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Viva Stereo – Roar Lion Roar (Much Better)Due to a combination of technical failure at Tasty towers and subsequent ineptitude on my part, this is the first of two Viva Stereo reviews this month. Although released in December 2008, the pesky disc sent for review got entrapped in an old PC with a terminal CD drive fault and was only freed with some serious spannering. That said, it was my fault entirely that I then forgot to review the album so better late than never, here it is now. ‘Roar Lion Roar’ is the third of Viva Stereo’s albums proper (ignoring
the remixes and unreleased b-sides of ‘Rarities and Improvements’)
and sees the four constituent band members slung across the UK in
different cities. Rather than using this geographical disparity as
an excuse to call it a day, in ‘Roar Lion Roar’ it feels like each
band member is given the room to push their own ideas further than
before and each set of songs sits adjacent to each other with mixed
success. For instance opener ‘Another Night Out’ and ‘War Paint’ tread
familiar territory with their electro indie take on the futilities
of Saturday nights out, getting drunk and doing it all again. By contrast,
‘This is Not an Exit’ is far more brooding with guest vocalist Diana
de Cabarrus taking centre stage. There’s a similar gravitas to ‘Everything
Goes Wrong’ where this time de Cabarrus’ vocal forms a poignant backing
vocal to Stuart Grey’s lead. So I’d take issue with the press release assertion that this is the
band’s most cohesive record to date – it lacks the overall atmosphere
of debut ‘Optimism is Not a Curse’. Instead I’d say it’s more an interesting
collection of curios that each have a little something to offer in
their own right without relying too much on the others. SB |
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Queensrÿche - American SoldierQueensrÿche have always been one of those bands for me that you hear about but never listen to. From my understanding they’re a progressive metal band that work best within a high concept construct on their albums reaching a peak with Operation: Mindcrime, a now 20 year old album. As a result you would expect Queensrÿche’s creative juices to perhaps dried up a bit by now. Perhaps coming into their now 12th album first, instead of visiting one of their late 80s, late 90s heyday albums is a bit unfair. My consensus is that it is nothing of the sort however. Whilst I can assume, evidently past their peak (some would argue that they have been for six albums now) their sound does for the most part remain resolutely their own, and whilst often sprawling in terms of content, sound and in particular vocals the band does play to their strengths on this album – very heavy guitars and a concept that is brought to fruition successfully. The idea behind this record was to take interviews with and records of servicemen ranging from World War Two all the way to the Afghanistan War, and then write an album of songs from a first person perspective, as if lead singer Geoff Tate was in the dust, smoke and fire of war, with shaking hands stuck fast to a gun pointed in the direction of a Vietcong. As a result the album is considerably detailed and dense lyrically and thematically, perhaps as no surprise to a more established listener of Queensrÿche.. These themes never clash with the music, and the two in fact complement each other perfectly despite the slightly repetitive nature of both. For the most part melodic and heavy when need be the guitars, drums and bass provide the perfect soundtrack for an epic tale of war and all the emotions that go along with it. These emotions are expressed to best effect by the servicemen themselves in the recorded interludes and samples that are used often to replace vocals themselves – as seen on ‘Unafraid’ which uses the interviews with servicemen on the verses whilst Tate himself sings on the choruses and this is a technique used frequently and well. In fact the only major disappointment on the album are Tate’s vocals which are frequently flatter and muddy sounding, perhaps as a result of a character he is attempting to portray or perhaps mainly due to his age, unable to maintain a power he perhaps possessed earlier in the band’s career, and he often comes off second best in the album’s more balladesque sections. Clearly a band still capable of immense creativity and a lot more
interesting than the vast majority of bands on the modern scene, Queensrÿche
attempt to reach levels of genius that they used to possess and they
do retain a pride in their sound, that though occasionally repetitive
and lacking in heavy hooks and let down to a certain extent by the
vocals is still very likeable, and this is an album they and any fans
that still believed in them should be immensely proud of. Chris Sharpe |
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Hollywood Undead - Swan SongsThe middle part of my teenage years was built upon MySpace, as are or more specifically were much of Hollywood Undead’s fan base. The “were” is important, because all the cool kids say MySpace is dead. They say the same thing about rap-rock, but evidently Hollywood Undead weren’t listening. If this album had come out ten years to coincide with the peak of Limp Bizkit’s career and the start of Linkin Park’s it would have sold a gazillion records and made the six rapper/singer/screamers in Hollywood Undead set for life undoubtedly. Rap-rock died early in the 2000s thank god, with only Linkin Park living on to have a proper career, perhaps as a result of their lack of adherence to cliché. Hollywood Undead’s sound screams of cliché, most evidently in the rapping. Underneath the Marshall Mathers and Mike Shinoda thieving vocals lie some of the most embarrassing and misogynistic lyrics “There’s no other place I’d rather be than Los Angeles, come on shake it for me baby” or how about “Dude is it really true you screwed my mom? FUCK YA BRO THAT PUSSY WAS BOMB!!!!”. In fact if there was no rapping on this album it would be immediately soooo much better because the actual singing vocals whilst very unoriginal they are bearable. Similarly the songs that use guitars are immediately elevated above those that don’t and make the songs comparable to Linkin Park B-Sides or early singles, in particular ‘Young’ and first single ‘Undead’, which are actually fairly good as pump-up songs for going to the gym or as soundtracks to appropriate video games – as those two song are. The music itself isn’t terrible despite the fact the majority of the songs are. ‘Black Dahlia’ is perhaps the best example of both aspects of the group’s sound, the heavy and distorted guitar in the chorus and the synthesised violins and beats working well together to create a fairly accomplished and listenable sound. The band were clearly trying to make each song sound good on its own, and aside from the vocals a lot of the songs do have a certain level of individuality. The quiet-loud dynamic on “This Love, This Hate” for example works extremely well and draws comparison favourably for once to Eminem – ‘Like Toy Soldiers’ sprung to mind when listening bizarrely, though lyrically Eminem remains a King to Hollywood Undead’s peasant chatter. Similarly these songs can be insanely catchy, though as usual lyrically
challenged I found myself singing along to ‘No.5’ perhaps their best
known song whilst do the washing up, though I’d never want anyone
to overhear me. Clearly a guilty pleasure at best Hollywood Undead,
deserve respect for manipulating social networking to the extent that
they can get a #22 record in America and establish a hardcore and
committed fan base, creating a sound perfect for being very drunk
to, being demeaning to a girl with or getting pumped up to (evidently
their main and hobbies unless they’re lyrics are a very intricate
pastiche) as well as for their most part very cool masks. That’s about
it. Chris Sharpe |
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Cryptacize - 'Mythomania' (Asthmatic Kitty)Speedy rhythms, languid vocals, evocative tunes that conjure images
of palm fringed lagoons and softly irridescent sunsets, and songs
that seem to hark back to that golden moment in early 60s US pop that
gave us Skeeter Davis and Bobby Goldsboro, 'Mythomania' is a gleeful
trawl through the underside of the American music world's loungecore
styles that manages to remain quite firmly on the entertaining, veering
towards glamorous, side of eccentric. The albums' title track captures
all of this wondrously, combining glitzy percussion, a heartfelt confessional
style of vocal that hearkens back to the heady daze of the Shangri-La's
and some throwaway guitar thrash that skilfully prevents the entire
exercise from deteriorating into a sentimental nostalgia fest. Jon Gordon |
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Sam Isaac - 'Bears'The press release for 'Bears' reveals a host of top flight music
industry connections at work behind the scenes' of Sam Isaac's 12
track debut. Zane Lowe is a prominent backer, and the recording process
has involved Art Brut producer Dan Swift, musicians from the Royal
College of Music and also (this nearly scuppered the entire project)
a diseased mackerel. NME club dates in the pipeline too, so Sam Isaac's
definitely got it, right? I saw Coldplay on an NME tour and wasn't
that impressed at the time, but what do I actually know, about anything? Jon Gordon |
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Fightstar - Be Human (Search and Destroy)Third offering served up from the sulky five piece and to be honest, it’s nothing special but it is perfect for working out any underlying angst you may have locked away in the depths of your soul. Occasionally melancholy drives into the scene with a sixteen piece string orchestra, but this isn’t quite enough to push this uninspiring attempt at an album up the musical ladder. No happiness lies here in twelve tracks of utter misery and the lyric, ‘I don’t love you,’ a recurring refrain throughout most songs. The opener to the album, ‘Calling All Stations’ is a bit of a waste of time, whiney and pathetic. Then track three, ’War Machine’ kicks in with gusto and the beautiful arrangement of that sixteen piece orchestra leading the flow of the song along with Rugby School‘s Sixth Form choir, making it harmonious, heartbreaking and absolutely stunning. Fightstar are on top of there game with this one, seeming comfortable to take the leap into something more epic. A truly breathtaking song, which is unfortunately overshadowed by the rest of the album’s drivel. ‘Mercury Summer’ is not completely abysmal with a wonderful sparkling riff and melody, but it lacks every breath of life that ‘War Machine’ manages to pour uncontrollably into your ears. The trudging drum beat reoccurs, pushing you ever further into a pit of depression with ‘Chemical Blood’. A heavier song, with Simpson’s ever cheerless vocals laid out over a network of creeping guitars and a machine gun beat. Finale, ‘Follow Me Into The Darkness’ aspires to be great, with the vocals taking a significant leap into the high pitched, holding tension throughout with suspended chords and violins galore, but it falls short of it’s goal for not taking that little extra leap into the unknown that could have launched this song into the stratosphere. Not for the faint hearted, ‘Be Human’ serves up despair and gloom
in double portions, but lacks the imagination to make it a sincerely
fantastic album. Probably the most frustrating thing is that the potential
is there, it is seen in ’War Machine’. Fightstar need to pick this
up and run with it before they are beaten at their own game. Eloise Quince |
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Hundred Reasons – Quick The Word Sharp The ActionA gentle piano intro soon transforms into high-octane head-bop-rock, and Hundred Reasons' fourth album appears to be a real winner. In fact a re-release after losing their record label to a Universal buy-out, it has been put out on the band's own label, and from the opening track, I'm glad they have. “Break The Glass” is a stonker; energy, rhythm, melody, harmony and delivery. Larry Hibbit's backing vocals are taking a much more predominant role in this album than earlier releases, adding a whole new dimension to Hundred Reasons' sound. “No Way Back” follows, and the sound is still high quality, some really well-structured songs. Although taking a slightly more pop-punk twist than usual, the album does feature some maturer tracks, such as a personal favourite “Slipping Away.” Be on your guard with this album, “The Shredder” is a horifically violent, gritty, noisey mess – and has the unwanted potential to cause cerebral infarctions. Tragically out of place on what is a pretty good album in all fairness. This re-release features four bonus tracks, which don't really offer as much as the album, but still aren't bad; “A Little Way Back” is a softer take on the previously mentioned “No Way Back.” In conclusion, a great album with some killer tunes, and with the
exception of “The Shredder,” the album works well as a whole, which
is something the HR albums have lacked since the debut Ideas Above
Our Station. The vocal harmonies are working blissfully and awesome
guitar licks are being pulled out of the bag left right and centre.
Yes, yes, yes. Thom Curtis |
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Push-Pull - Between Noise and The IndiansIt is very hard to define exactly what genre Push-Pull would fall
into. They produce an unbelievably unique sound that edges towards
progressive rock. Not a single song on the album Between Noise and
The Indians sounds the same as another, they each have their own individual
feel and sound to them. This can be difficult to pull off on an album
but somehow Push-Pull have managed it with quite a degree of success.
The album title Between Noise and The Indians is quite a fitting title
as some of the music that Push-Pull produce may be perceived as just
‘Noise‘. They use a lot of reverb and feedback in their songs, creating
lots of screeching sounds which can be a bit harsh on the ears so
this individuality is not going to be to everyone‘s taste. That aside,
you can’t dismiss the amazing talent of this band- their use of crazy
electronics, shredding guitars and haunting vocals mean that Push-Pull
should have the formula for a great band. Push-Pull may not capture
the mainstream audience to be topping music charts across the world,
but there’s no doubting that they know how to make great music and
keep it original at the same time. Tim Birkbeck |
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Go: Audio - Made Up StoriesIn a time when pop punk’s popularity is on the rise once again, Go:Audio
have chosen a great time to release debut album Made Up Stories. Go:Audio
are seen as one of the best unsigned acts in the UK and listening
to this album you can understand why. With bands like You Me at Six
and Tonight is Goodbye carrying the torch for the scene, Go:Audio
have just followed their lead. It’s not that Go:Audio don’t have their
own take on the pop punk genre, but it seems apparent that without
these current bands Go:Audio would not have the success they have
had. There are even songs on this album which make you think they
have just stolen riffs completely from pop punk gods Blink 182. The
song Drive to the City sounds like it has been written by American
break through act Forever the Sickest Kids, rather than having any
original sound. As a band they do have talent and you can see why
they appeal to a certain audience, they just lack originality and
the freshness that’s required to help make it big. As with most pop
punk bands they have a ‘fun’ approach to music. They play lively,
upbeat music with catchy riffs and lyrics you can sing along to. Something
that I do find completely unnecessary is the use of synth in the album,
it doesn’t really add to the sound of the band and just seems pointless
to have included it. Made Up Stories is clearly going to sell well
as Go:Audio have already managed to gather a huge fan base. It’s just
a shame that a young band that clearly do have talent haven’t managed
to produce something new and original. Tim Birkbeck |
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Telegraphs
- We Were Ghosts (Small Town Records)
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Los
Albertos - Dish It Up (Chief Recordings)
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Grand
Theft Bus - Made Upwards (Forward Music
Group)
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Ben
TD - Tiny Movements (Lo-Five Records)
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Krazy Baldhead - 'The B-Suite' (Ed Banger)An electronic symphony of urban decay, designed for the soundtrack
of a b/w film set on the 15th floor of a half-derelict tower block,
perhaps even the episode of The Secret Millionaire where the bloke
with the chequebook gets mugged. Posessed of a certain gritty charm
and swagger, 'The B-Suite' mostly succeeds as a 16-part exercise in
what is probably best described as Noirtronica (originating as it
does from some carefully hidden studio in France) and only really
slackens when Krazy Baldhead's instrumentation seems to lag behind
their ambition, which is orchestral. The combination of hard bop rhythms,
funked up slap bass and clavichord and some inventive vocalising is
married to a continuously inventive set of keyboard styles. Just add
some samples from TV shows and radio and 'The B-Suite' would sound
a lot like one of Big Audio Dynamite's late 80s albums, so if your
copy of 'Megatop Phoenix is wearing a bit thin, 'The B-Suite' will
at least provide an adequate replacement. Jon Gordon |
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Buffalo 77 - 'Memento' (Autonomy)Every now and then I get a CD that is basically a complaint. 'Why
aren't I a 12" vinyl release?" it seems to ask in varying
tones of aggression/morbidity/querulousness ... 'Memento' has a sleeve
that really was designed for a larger scale than the four inch format
we all use today, and the music is similarly large scale, power ballads
bursting out of vintage semi-acoustic guitars, backed with pounding,
epic drumbeats. 'Mementos' very clearly has one eye on the teen soap
soundtrack circuit while the other is gleefully observing the gap
in the UK country rock market which Snow Patrol are vacating, or at
least Buffalo 77 appear to hope they are, as this ten tracker is very
much a Snow Patrol album minus the slow numbers. Either monumentally
inspired or overblown and derivative, depending on your own level
of cynicism, if you're the sort of person who flicks radio stations
(or even turns it off) whenever the likes of Del Amitri appear on
the airwaves then 'Memento' probably won't float your boat much. And
why aren't CDs bigger? Is 'Memento' available on vinyl? Great sleeve
anyway. Jon Gordon |
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Autorotation – Everything is Everything (Teknostan)What is it that differentiates self proclaimed shoegaze electro from a seemingly amorphous multi-instrumental track overlaid with meandering vocals? You could find yourself asking that very question after listening to the opening track of ‘Everything is Everything’. You might even search your house to see if you have another CD player operating at the same time as there are various points where it sounds like two tracks are colliding and interfering with each other when in fact they are supposed to sound like that. Go figure. More traditional ground is achieved with ‘Green Army Choir’ but more
often than not the effect is quite cold and impersonal. One exception
may be ‘Flika’ where vocalist Robyn Sellman sounds very much like
silky voice chanteuse Charlotte Gainsbourg, giving a much need warmth
to proceedings. This track is quite reminiscent of Orbital (or indeed
the recent Paul Hartnoll solo work) but thereafter I found little
to excite me on the album until the very end when a doleful piano
outro brought proceedings to a close. So although there were definite
glimpses of something special surfacing from time to time, enough
to pique the interest at least, there seemed to be far too much attention
paid to adding levels of programming and in turn, then trying to sweeten
the whole thing up with a vocal with variable success. I would try
and reduce the number of tracks that feature the same vocal production
and then let the electro fend for itself a bit more – all we have
at present is an unsuccessful melange of both. SB |
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Scott Matthews - Elsewhere (Universal/Island)There’s music that grabs you by the shoulders and forces you to listen to it, and there’s music that’s good for having on in the background while you go about your day. That isn’t to say it’s bad music, because it isn’t, but it’s also, well, just not that interesting. Scott Matthews seems to tread the line between the two. He isn’t bad – he’s technically proficient and has a touch of Rufus Wainwright about him, in that songs start quiet and build to a rising crescendo. If he stuck with this all through the album it would be an excellent album, but in his quieter moments the melancholic effect is lost and it’s just slightly boring. The strings are slightly Everything Must Go-era Manic Street Preachers, which isn’t unwelcome, and the guitar parts sound like a slowed down Patrick Wolf or like Johnny Flynn’s slightly drunker brother. Two songs stand out: Fractured, which has that lovely crescendo ending, with Scott wailing like the ghost of Jeff Buckley, and 12 Harps which features Robert Plant on vocals. There are lots of worse ways to spend 52 minutes. Lyrically the album’s
almost instantly forgettable but it’s a good thing for background
music. If that’s all you’re after then this album is perfect, but
if you want something to fall in love with and really concentrate
on, you won’t find it here. Rebecca McCormick
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In Case of Fire - Align The PlanetsIn Case of Fire’s debut is phenomenal, it would be the highlight
of lesser band’s careers no doubt as Align The Planets is a statement
of intent so infused with dynamic momentum and clout that it sweeps
up the listener in a wave of sonic supremacy and dumps them bleary
eyed and somehow stronger miles away from their comfort zone. You can identify the influences, the off-world operatic themes of
Muse and 30 Seconds to Mars, the progressive ear of The Mars Volta
and the occasional grinding riffs of Queens of the Stone Age, but
these are never negatives, for such a band to finally burst on the
scene with songs as impressive as these and with such influences and
still sound unique, fresh and fascinating requires something truly
special. THIS is the finest debut of 2009 thus far... make no mistake. Chris Sharpe |
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Metric – FantasiesHave you ever seen the film adaptation of Stephen King’s 'It'? The film is split into two parts: the first half is ace; the second is a bit of an anti-climax. Well that’s what Metric’s fourth album “Fantasies” is like. Opening track, ‘Help I’m Alive’ is excellent. All stabbing guitars, sugary vocals and shifting rhythms; it’s the cleverest song the Breeders never wrote. Next up is ‘Sick Muse’, which is built over a nagging ‘Personal Jesus’ groove and has “future single” scrawled all over it. Third song ‘Satellite Mind’ is another tight piece of writing and features a lovely forced vocal melody, and ‘Twilight Galaxy’ is a slower electronic track with another great twisting vocal. So that’s the first four tracks dealt with, but what about the rest?
Well, bizarrely the album’s biggest flaw is its consistency. The remaining
6 tracks certainly aren’t inferior – they are easily on a par with
the opening four - they just don’t bring anything new to the table.
As such, I found my attention waning the more the album progressed,
right up to the dying seconds of ‘Stadium Love’, which drifted into
silence with barely any impact at all. And that’s a real shame as
with a few more ideas, a bit more variety and a willingness to experiment,
‘Fantasies’ could’ve been a corker. Jonathan R Groves |
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The Bobby McGees – L’ Appropriation Bourgoisie De La Bobby McGee’s (Cherryade)I fully expected to hate this album. In fact, halfway through the first play, I’d already come up with an amusing ‘bag of sugar’ analogy to slate it. But like a vile ectoparasite, ‘L’ Appropriation Bourgoisie De La Bobby McGee’s’ has grown on me. Rather a lot. Damn. Anyone already familiar with the Brighton’s premier face-paint wearing, rainbow-clothed aficionados will know what to expect from their debut long–player: 15 ‘blink and you’ll miss ‘em’ tracks of ukulele, brass and anything else they could find in the school music cupboard. ‘Go Tiger Go!’ is the album’s finest moment, a robustly buoyant singalong which amusingly rhymes “pint of cider” with “Nancy Sinatra”. But to be honest most of the tracks on this little gem are of a similar high-standard, being equally well-written and boundlessly entertaining. Special mention also goes to the album’s clever-clever lyrics, which flow effortlessly into each other despite the considerable speed of their delivery. On the downside, the a cappella ‘Buckfast at Tiffany’s’ isn’t exactly
a pleasant experience, and although a perfect background foil to Jimmy’s
Krankie-esque rasp, Eleanor’s punctuated, breathy vocals can grate
somewhat when pushed to the fore. But hey, when you’ve got an album
this consistent and entertaining, who cares about such minor blips?
Looks like I’ll have to save that bag of sugar gag for another time. Jonathan R Groves |
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Tom Allalone & the 78s – Major Sins pt 1Tom Allalone & the 78s are kind of hard-drinking, hard-partying degenerates you only find in the seediest dives in town. Or at least that’s what their press release tells us; after an hour of listening to 'Major Sins pt 1' I suspect they are completely the opposite. Opening track 'Crashland', with its brash horns, soulful vocals and Big Sound™, sounds exactly like early-eighties Billy Joel. This is definitely not what I was expecting from Eddie Cochran’s bastard offspring. The other 11 songs fall into one of two categories: late night ballads and up-tempo rockabilly. Out of the rockabilly tracks, 'Hell Hath No Fury' shines brightest, but is too well polished to have any real kick. The ballads fair much better: pick of the bunch being the rousing 'This Teenage Crush', which features cracking vocals from Tom and the boys. There are plenty of other plus points, too - “Wounded” is a decent
ringer for “Lonesome Town” and the vocal harmonies on “Silly Old Moon”
would make Brian Wilson proud - but they’re not enough to make me
recommend an album which, on the whole, was too safe and formulaic
to hold my interest. Jonathan R Groves |
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Morton Valence – Bob and Veronica Ride Again (Bastard)“A concept album?” I spluttered, a dribble of milky tea running down my undefined chin. “I didn’t know people were still doing that…” This debut offering from Morton Valence loosely follows a pair of love-birds named - you’ve guessed it - Bob and Veronica. But this has more in common with Lou Reed’s ‘Berlin’ than ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’, each song containing a murky beauty all of it’s own. Highlights? How about the tremendous ‘Chandelier’, which out-lushes Mercury Rev for dreamy orchestrations? Or the slow crawl of ‘Nobody Understands’? Or the Tindersticks-esque ‘Ordinary Pleasures’? In fact, the only low point is ‘Falling Down the Stairs’ which is both musically and lyrically weak, but even that busts into life around the 2:40 mark. In case I still haven’t made it clear enough, ‘Bob and Veronica Ride
Again’ is an excellent piece of work which deserves the love and attention
Morton Valence clearly put into making it. A massive thumbs up for
this one. Jonathan R Groves |
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The Wave Pictures - If You Leave It AloneA Wave Pictures show in April 2009: the set list is largely made up of the sing-along, standout, kooky and fast tracks from debut album 'Instant Coffee Baby'. 'Long Island' is absolutely killer as always. New single 'If You Leave It Alone' is, by contrast, slower, sadder, more introspective. A Wave Pictures show in May 2009: the repeated chorus of 'Kiss Me' is replaced with 'My Kiss'. Now, I can smile knowingly at the girl sitting next to me when she comments on how David Tattersall really is a rather good guitarist. There are still abstract moments: 'My Kiss' has verses telling us "how I landed on the wicked witch", and "how he swims with the fishes". Yet now, "he" is "your father". And 'Come On Daniel' is a song that begins with a scene composed of "lager, flat lager". The scenes might be a little more domestic, and a little familiar. The love songs are maybe more straight: see 'I Thought Of You Again' and 'Nothing Can Change This Love'. The Wave Pictures' new album has a more composed mix. After the slower, perhaps even melancholy title track, 'Canary Wharf' ("Lack of money pinned me down") slides towards the autobiographical. The relationships are less rooted in fantasy, and the songs with quicker guitar parts, more complex bass lines, and more dabs of Jonny Helm's percussion - 'Tiny Craters In The Sand' in particular - get you to nod, and get you to smile. The rest of the album could be seen as 'flatter' in terms of hooks than the first album, but then that only emphasises how well written the refrains of 'Tiny Craters In The Sand', 'Strawberry Cables' and 'Bye Bye Bubble Belly' are. A better interpretation would be that the Wave Pictures' new album is written by a more mature, more reflective Tattersall. The finished version of 'Strawberry Cables' is a joy: "this is mine, it isn't anybody else's, now", and repeat. You don't have to dance with a lopsided grin to this album, and it still has the self-consciously laughable lines - most notably on 'Bye Bye Bubble Belly'. It's a bit different. It's really quite good. "And Catherine Ridler told me to tell you, 'I wouldn't give
up anything if I was you'." Phil Coales |
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Faith No More – The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection (Rhino)If you made it past that ridiculously lengthy album title then congratulations. But the journey will have been worthwhile for the 18 varied and recognisable hits that are included on disc 1 alone. But to start off it’s worthwhile having a think back about the contribution Faith No More made to the world of rock and the way they were able to appeal to both death metallers and MTV brigade alike. First of all, it’s easy to forget that most of Faith No More are bloody ancient – they were knocking around in bands way back in the seventies. Mike Patton was only brought in as the vocalist after Chuck Moseley pretty much had a drug fuelled breakdown which was cited as the reason the band ditched him. Even Moseley was not first choice – believe it or not Courtney Love tried out with Faith No More at the start of their career. The second thing to note is that the core of Gould, Bottom and Bourdin remained steadfastly ruthless to the last, chopping and changing line ups constantly. Even founder member Big Jim Martin was not exempt from such treatment and primarily as a result of clashes with Patton he left the band after the Angel Dust album. But all this in-band turbulence had the result of producing a sound where rather than complement each other as musicians, Faith No More actively sounded like they were raging war with each other, especially live. In some ways, despite the rather lacklustre way in which CD1 is put
together in a mainly chronological order, the story of the band unfolds
through the sound of the tracks included. It’s clear from even the
limited use of Moseley-sung tracks on this compilation that he struggled
vocally and as a result the band floundered with ‘R’n’R’ and ‘We Care
a Lot’ (although the latter was successfully resurrected by Patton).
But after making the messy transition from Moseley to Patton, the
band found themselves a formidable frontman, both vocally adept but
incredibly charismatic to boot. In fact live, opinions varies between
people who would say that Patton was certifiable, regularly writhing
and convulsing around the stage and people who just thought he was
a bit of a twat who sometimes dressed in a school uniform. But he
took the songs on ‘The Real Thing’ and forged Faith No More into MTV
darlings, largely due to the success of ‘Epic’. The tracks from ‘King for A Day’ document Patton’s seemingly obsessive preoccupation with lounge music and were as polished and refined as his new dinner jacket wearing stage persona was (and all the more disappointing for it.) There is a mini reprise in the form of ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and ‘Stripsearch’ but by this stage Faith No More were pretty much over. I’d rather remember them by the ferocious live sets at the Phoenix Festival and for punching Terry Christian on The Word. But the real bonus here is, aptly enough, the bonus disc. There’s certainly some duffs (like the ridiculous ‘Das Schutzenfest’ but most of these tracks are real goodies which could easily have graced any of the studio albums. ‘Absolute Zero’ sets the tone with its razor wire guitar and forms a more natural bridge between ‘Angel Dust’ and ‘King for Day’. ‘Light Up And Let Go’ doesn’t sound likea Faith No More track at all but it is bloody good. ‘The World is Yours’ retreats back into Angel Dust territory but there’s a nice nostalgic nod to the past with ‘Sweet Emotion’ from 1989 – all bubbling bass and cheesey synths with Patton’s voice still sounding youthful and college like. So I’ve rambled enough. It was more like a nostalgic look back for
me but if it kept my attention for over 750 words then hopefully someone
who is new to Faith No More may want to pick up one of their records
and give it a spin. SB |
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Post War Years - The Greats And The HappeningsIt is raining outside. Kinda heavily, then it stops a little, then it thins. I am hoping that it'll die out in the next couple of hours, because I have an exam in just over two hours. That I will need to walk to. Bummer. It is also raining inside. From my speakers. Heavily at times. At
other times, the rain might be a little funky ('Red and Blue'). It
might have a little character. But it doesn't seem to know what it's
doing. Just when you think you've got a decent minute of electro-pop,
the urgency disappears and the songs falls apart. Luckily, it's not
too absorbing. I can revise to it. The rising bass and guitars and
the moody synth of 'The Red Room' are quite nice. The vocals are half-said
and they range in their methods of attack. It is 'well done'. 'You
have pulled something off quite well'. (But I think it's actually
meant to be absorbing. Bummer.) Phil Coales |
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Various Artists: Brand Neu! (Feraltone)Comes with a quote from Bobby Gillespie. And Noel Gallagher. I'm not a big fan of boring music in general, but the Oasis track on here ('I Can See It Now') is one of the better ones from them that I've enocuntered. Oasis can sit with Sonic Youth as one of the older generation of bands on this compilation - an interesting idea in theory, seeing bands such as Holy Fuck, Foals, School Of Seven Bells and LCD Soundsystem contribute tracks 'inspired by' the krautrock legends. Well, loosely inspired, it would seem - grooves such as LCD's 'Watch The Tapes' and Fujiya & Miyagi's 'Electro Karaoke' are not 'rare', arguably borrowed largely from the efforts of the previous generation of Neu!-philes, and only a few tracks have been specially recorded. Plus, the Sonic Youth track, as Ciccone Youth - 'Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening To Neu!' - is just pretty bad (Kim Gordon talks in hipster drawl over a Neu! track...). The two best songs actually come courtesy of former band members themselves - La Düsseldorf (Dinger) with 'Sketch 1_08' and Michael Rother's 'Neutronics 98'. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the rest of the record just isn't that interesting. This is the sort of record that you would ideally give to your friend,
'Ben', who fancies himself as a bit of a 'rock'n'roll' fan, with all
the Primal Scream leanings. It has the big names on it, and it will
turn your friend onto Neu!, but you won't feel very good for making
him sit through Kasabian's 'Stuntman'. It's sure to soundtrack the
sort of parties that sound that they might 'actually be alright' -
but then, you turn up, and it features Kasabian. Phil Coales |
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Share - Pedestrian (Forward Music Group)Hailing from Canada, that one fact on its own explains a lot about this album. The feeling created is of a different pace of life, of vast, open soundscapes and a lack of any urgency to get across them. You get the sense that Share are a band with a message. The problem is, I can’t quite pick up on what that message is. The slow, monotonous beat is an ever present, you find yourself waiting for each track to kick into life and on the rare occasions they do, they soon wander off in any direction other than the one you thought and hoped. Rather than pick up the pace, they instead pick up the volume, but the same plodding beat remains. Parts are experimental, but these again bumble along at the pace of an old man in your way in the street. And much as with the old man, you find yourself just wanting to give them a push, a kick, anything to just speed them up. But he’s old and you can’t, so you remain stuck, dawdling on, missing the point because it never quickens enough to rouse your interest to make you care. This may well go down well on the jazz scene, which seems to the
world Share inhabit, where style is the bigger factor than substance.
But it’s difficult to make a case for it here, so I won’t. Jim Johnston |
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Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels (Nettwerk)'Pulling On A Line' is a song that marks out Tony Dekkar's vocals
and song-writing as akin to those of the old REM. That, and 'Palmistry',
introduce a sprightly album from the Swimmers. "I'm just pulling
on a line, on a line / And sometimes, it pulls on me" is a clear
refrain that lifts out of the lilting and delicately layered 'Everything
Is Moving So Fast'. "What kind of wisdom / And what kind of thought
/ Must there've been to scatter you" is a contemplation set in
the Thousand Islands of Ontario, Canada, where the album was recorded,
and where the vocals, the guitars and the drums have gained a breeze,
and a history. It feels like a subdued tapestry, and it submerges
over the course of the second half of the album, ending with the line,
"like the unstoppable river, your beauty is gentle, but forceful
and fast". The beauty of the Great Lake Swimmers is gentle and
steeped in history - you could call it plain-sounding, yet Dekkar's
voice is absorbing and, at times, chilling, with a whispered quality
about it that makes the poignant lines linger, hauntingly. Phil Coales |
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Tommy Tokyo & Starving For My Gravy – Smear Your Smiles Back On (Warner Music, Norway)This has to be one of the weirdest albums I’ve ever heard. The press release likens this band to Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Arcade Fire, amongst others, and I can hear those influences but I also think they sound quite a lot like Half Man Half Biscuit. I have half a dozen things written down that this album is a little bit like, but none of them really encapsulate it fully. It’s a little bit folk, a little bit medieval, a little bit baroque, a little bit like a slower Gogol Bordello. I like the harmonica, a lot, and I guess that’s where the Dylan comparisons come in. I also really like the plaintive backing vocals. The vocals are in general really good, although with some weird pronunciations, but we’ll put that down to the fact they’re Norwegian. I particularly like the song Abraham’s Hat. It almost sounds like an Irish folk song, of the type written long ago by men far away from their families. I like that a lot. Weird this album may be, but it’s a joy to listen to. I can’t really
quantify why, because it is like nothing else, but it’s a bit surreal
and very professional and interesting and really, if you like any
of the music I’ve mentioned above, you should check it out. Rebecca McCormick |
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Goddass - My Beautiful SinIf you are a fan of the new breed of metal bands
then you are about to hear your new favourite band. Goddass are another
metal band to combine heavy guitar riffs with melodic vocals but before
you jump to conclusions thinking ‘so they sound like everyone else’
this is not the case. Goddass have a very clean and polished sound
and they know their limits. Unlike many bands who try to be too heavy
making the melodic parts sound ridiculous, Goddass seem to have found
the middle ground of the two and make a phenomenal sound. Goddass
could best be described as the love child of Bullet for My Valentine
and Blessed By A Broken Heart. This band have exceptional talent,
and this is utilised to the full in their debut album, which is nothing
short of excellent. Goddass were picked up by EMG records as they
were gaining great support in the underground scene. It now seems
clear that it won’t be long until they are making headway world wide
and tearing up stages along the way. Don’t be influenced by all the
hype, however, just check out My Beautiful Sin and discover that Goddass
are a band that can live up to expectations. Tim Birkbeck |
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Run Through The Desert - Break The SilenceRun Through the Desert is
made up of former members of Sound Garden and Audioslave which straight
away gives you an indication of the type of music they are going to
produce. The slow ‘epic’ rock sound produced is of a very high quality,
but may not appeal to the wider audience. This is ‘easy listening’
- music you could listen to if you just want to sit back and relax,
very calming and not too hard on the ears. Clearly talented it is
difficult to imagine, however, that Run Through the Desert will have
the same level of success that Sound Garden and Audioslave had before
them as perhaps the glory days for this genre of music has come and
gone. Also the rather droning lyrics don’t exactly make this album
stand up and grab the audience by the throat. Support for this band
is going to be very ‘niche’ but if you are looking for a CD you can
put on and just chill out while listening to, then Run Through the
Desert would be a good choice. Tim Birkbeck |
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El Dog - 'The Lamps Of Terrahead' (Lo-Five)What really gets me about bands like El Dog, and these more often
originate from the US than from here, is that the more they stretch
and occasionally strain themselves to create their owen jealously
guarded musical enviroments, worlds of self-referential and deliberately
obscure in-jokes and influences - the more reliant bands such as El
Dog are on the most basic 4/4 heads down no nonsense plain old fashioned
boogie. Fact. Jon Gordon |
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A Hawk And A Hacksaw - 'Délivrance' (Leaf)Duo from Albaquerque make mitteleuropean folk album with - if an
Octet is an eight piece band, exactly what do you call a nine piece?
- with well established Hungarian ensemble Hun Hangár. This
isn't quite the lo-fi Balkan country crossover you might expect from
that description though. 'Délivrance' is very much Hun Hangár's
album, with Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost providing the introductions. Jon Gordon |
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Papier Tigre - The beginning and end of nowOk, Ok I’ll go with pronouncing the last syllable of Tigre as Grr (even if that’s how it should be said) but only because the racket that comes from this album is super, instant and energetic and vibrant and clever rock. I can’t think of many things better than an album making me want to see the band that made it live. I want to see them live because I get the impression it’d sound great and be hyper-kinetic. An album of great, clever riffs, energy and no room for contrivance, pretence or affectation…but they don’t sound French, which is a shame. It isn’t an album that’s made me re-evaluate music and if it has
a failing it’s that there are some pretty identifiable influences,
they’re all good bands though, from ATD-i (who did make me re-evaluate
music) to Fugazi (ditto) to …Trail of Dead to Biffy and Hot Hot Heat.
On the other hand Papier Tigre has probably managed to get over the
anxiety of influence, write what they wanted and this album is the
incredibly pleasing result. An album that conveys urgency without
anxiety and manages to have a third dimension. Listen. Buy. See. Christopher Carney |
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The Lovely Eggs - 'If You Were Fruit' (Cherryade)Not enough musicians send out press releases with colour pictures.
Not enough boy/girl duos really ask the big questions, such as ' why
were there only 12 episodes of Bagpuss?' or 'how tall was Syd Barrett?'. Jon Gordon |
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