Bit of a cabaret turn these two. An achingly expressive female
vocal and a flamenco-inflected skiffle tune that's sufficiently
lively to retain the attention. Big things are predicted for Bitter
Ruin, and they may yet appear on the kind of stages where everyone
can see them. http://bitterruin.com/
JG
Adalita
- 'The Repairer' (Passport Music)
Vocalist with renowned Australian onetime Peel session guests
Magic Dirt, Adalita (alright, I admit I'd never heard of Magic
Dirt) brings a sultry guitar ballad to the table, electrified
folk with an echoey psychedelic bit in the middle. www.myspace.com/adalitamusic
JG
Annie
Automatic - 'Burn This Prison'
Californian rockers turning in a tale of frustration, redemption,
and some developing relationship difficulties. A snappy guitar
line that can trace its roots back to My Chemical Romance holds
all of this together, and Annie Automatic are themselves several
riffs away from the merely formulaic. www.myspace.com/annieautomaticmusic
JG
Damn
Vandals - 'Can't Go Dancing When You're
Gone' (Sexy Beast)
Damn Vandals just aren't taking things seriously, in a manner
that goes beyond ading 'comedic' aspects to their songs. They
sound like a quite good band, but one whose search for a hook
on which to hang their own songs hasn't quite borne fruit. Will
it or won't it and, importantly, do I or anyone else actually
care very much? Damn Vandals may regret titling the singles arguably
superior b-side as 'Hey Little Bunny'.
JG
Make Sparks - 'Your Hearts Are On Fire'
(Mountain Halo)
The search for the new Biffy continues, and Make Sparks are at
least sincere contenders for this particular honour. Fans of the
Clyro will appreciate this hugely and the rest of us might tap
our feet appreciatvely. I'd do something about that tinny cymbal
sound though. http://www.myspace.com/makesparksband
JG
Martyn
– Masks / Viper (Brainfeeder)
His music is almost as understated
as his stage name, probably needing to be played very loud ina
club to make a lot of headway. I struggled with ‘Masks’ and its
unremitting hook whereas ‘Viper’ is a much more layered effort
with twinkling synthy repose a la Underworld acting as a counterpoint
to the hard track. 6/10 www.3024world.com
SB
My
Tiger My Timing – Endless Summer
‘Endless Summer’ combines some
complex poppy hooks and sounds with a very basic childlike quality,
probably stemming from its playground style vocal harmonies which
normally would get o my nerves. But My Tiger My Timing’s delicate
touch saves the day and delivers pop nugget. 7/10
SB
Sweet
Sweet Lies – Capital of Iceland
It’s almost easier typing ‘Capital
of Iceland’ than actually writing the name down. Sweet Sweet Lies
sound like a band spawned in the back room of dock-side tavern
and throw in a nice bit of double bass and fiddle work. 7/10 www.myspace.com/ssweetsweetliesmusic
SB
Elizabeth
– Hazards, Horrors and Liabilities (Red Coat)
A fade in? That’s
a bit lame isn’t it? Fortunately these Canadians step up to the
bar in the ensuing 3 tracker, fitting in snugly between the wackiness
of British Sea power and the commercial appeal of Interpol. Although
‘These Lines are Drawn in Black’ has a bit of a habit of meandering,
‘Radiowave Blockade’ and ‘Death of Plato’ are much more direct
and interesting. 7/10 www.elizabethelizabeth.com
SB
The
Zenon Band – Falling (Metrix)
OK, time to get all the excuses
in first with this one. Of course it shouldn’t matter what the
background of a band is, how old they are, which country they
come from etc etc as long as the product is good. But...’Falling’
is horrible sub-Cowell pop performed by a right bunch of brutish
looking Poles who appear to be sharing a collective mid-life crisis.
I’m sorry, all those good intentions are blown but if you don’t
want people to comment on your image then don’t plaster yourself
all over the CD cover. 2/10 www.zenon-music.com
SB
Offshore
– Pacer EP (Big Dada)
AKA Ewan Robertson, Offshore hails from
Aberdeen, not renowned for its cutting edge music. As a result
it sounds like Robertson has been able to develop his sounds as
he sees fit and without constraint from whim or fashion. There’s
a definite bleak northern city-ness to these tracks but also a
playful, infectious groove. The big drums in ‘Pepper’ sound like
an outtake from 2001 a Space Oddysey. Other bits are simple sonic
experiments, struggling to hang on to any strong claim as ‘songs’
(‘Mintlaw’ for example). ‘East Coast Capital Connect’ has a wonderful
electronic string sound to it, like a double bass being fired
at by laser beams. It’s all quite atmospheric stuff. 8/10
SB
Voluntary
Butler Scheme – To the Height
of a Frisbee (Split)
I’m sure I’ve
already heard this track somewhere, maybe as backing to an advert
on telly seeing as it has a stupidly catchy little guitar riff.
Like a reverby, psychedelic Cornershop. 7/10 www.myspace.com/voluntarybutlerscheme
SB
Twilight
Singers – Blackbird and the Fox
(Sub Pop)
Soul grunge
is a pretty nasty description of this type of music but otherwise
Rolling Stone’s description of Twilight Singers eclipsing singer
Greg Dulli’s previous band Afghan Whigs is possibly correct. There’s
an economy of effort and bombast but ‘Blackbird and the Fox’ still
delivers a mighty kick. 8/10 www.thetwilightsingers.com
SB
Danny
and the Champions of the World
– You Don’t Know (My Heart is in the Right Place) (So Recordings)
‘You Don’t Know’ sounds like
a combination of sounds from yesteryear. There’s elements of Rainbow’s
‘Since You Been Gone’ in the choppy guitar chorus, 50s pop and
even a touch of the Tom Pettys. I am surprising myself by liking
this a bit more than I was expecting to – must have been a good
weekend. 7/10 www.dannyandthechamps.com
SB
Ruins
of Earth - Misguided Lifeforms
The warning signs were all there – serif typeface, obscure rune-like
graphics – this is metal alright. And yet again, despite liking
a lot of what is going on musically, I’m left depressed by the
identikit laryngitic vocals. Admittedly Ruins of Earth manage
to combine a deep gruff lead with a higher lead (who coincidentally
also sounds like he is about to vomit). Occasionally they work
together to great effect and harmonise but more often than not
they just rant along independently and disjointedly.
But I’ll end on a positive, musically this is really strong –
it’s not all a sledgehammer of thrash, there are slower, more
melodic sections which work brilliantly (listen to the moody ‘The
Wait’ which combines light and dark expertly. 6/10 www.myspace.com/ruinsofearth
SB
Paul
Weller – Starlite (Island)
A brilliant trippy, summery little
skit here from Paul Weller who shows that there’s life in the
old dog yet. It’s all Balearic chill out and as such attracts
5 additional remixes. 8/10
SB
The
Lava Experiments – Love, Lust
and Loss
This is an EP which sounds
like it was initiated somewhere with long nights and short days.
Although difficult to pigeon hole, there are elements of shoe
gaze and maybe a little post rock at play here, but given a synthy
twist. But the overriding element is probably the doleful sound
of band founder Fraser Rowan’s vocals. He sounds pretty glum (perhaps
a clue in the EP title) but occasionally there is twist such as
in the slightly edgier ‘Frost is Back’ where Rowan is joined by
bandmates Rory McGregor and Alan Wond in creating their most successful
piece. At their best, The Lava Experiments are uplifting and energising.
At their worst, well, they’re still pretty good – the songs are
all well written and excellently performed/recorded. They could
just have you reaching for the Prozac though. www.thelavaexperiments.co.uk
SB
Trevor
Loveys ft. Pati Yang – The
One (Cheap Trills)
Cheesey dancey
house nonsense here. 808 State were doing better 20 years ago
(less formulaic, more edgy, more original, better guest vocalists,
better remixes etc etc) so I’d stick with that. 4/10
SB
Lucy
Love – Thunder (Superbillion)
Following on from the deliberately
staccato vocal intro, ‘Thunder’ blossoms into an increasingly
complex and driving drum and bass track. Not normally my thang
but this is pretty infectious. And if you don’t immediately take
to it, there are 7 other mixes to go at. 7/10 www.lucylove.dk
SB
Style
of Eye – We Are Boys (Refune)
It’s normally a good indication
that a track touted as a ‘club smash’ is normally best left just
there – in a club. In fairness to Swedish DJ/Producer Style of
Eye ‘We Are Boys’ is sufficiently darkly off kilter to give it
a bit of a wider appeal than pilled-up dance hounds. Bt prolonged
exposure will result in migraines so use sparingly. 6/10
SB
Modestep
– Sunlight (Max/A&M)
I remember when you used to know where
you stood with music. Indie music would have guitars, no synths;
dance music would have synths, no guitars and singer songwriters
would croon over any combination of horrible melodies in order
to get their mugs all over the pages of the popular press. It’s
all messed up these days when the likes of Modestep come along
and pretty much do all three of the above at the same time (and
quite well at that). Tsk. 7/10 www.modestep.co.uk
SB
Fire
Flowerz – Fitness EP (Cheap Thrills)
Fire Flowerz? Z? Tracks
called ‘I Need Your LV’ and ‘Bout You’ (no apostrophe in sight)?
Tut tut – my frosty reception to this might well be thawed by
listening to it in some sweaty club on the Italian Riviera but
on an unseasonally cool night in West Yorkshire the burlbling
house spilling out the speakers is not getting my foot tapping.
5/10
SB
The
Pigeon Detectives – Lost (Dance
to the Radio)
You always know
what you get with The Pigeon Detectives which can be either reassuringly
similar or dismally repetitive depending on your point of view.
And ‘Lost’ is little different. There’s a nice drum track and
a singalong chorus (well, you don’t sell loads f records by writing
songs which are challenging now, do you?) In an unusual attack
of tolerance I do not find this too offensive. Must be the male
menopause approaching. 7/10 www.thepigeondetectives.com
SB
The
Zombies – A Moment in Time (Bocu)
The Zombines are apparently
touring the world at present, celebrating their 50th year. Wouldn’t
this make some of the band members about 70? Bearing that in mind,
this is pretty impressive. I mean, I don’t think my Dad could
do it (and he has a couple of years on Colin Bluntstone and Rod
Argent). A decent bit of folk rock from the old crinklies. 7/10 www.thezombies.net
SB
Mamas
Gun – Reconnection (Candelion)
I’ve given Mamas Gun a pretty
rough ride previously on Tasty. In fairness, this is because I’ve
thought they suck. However, ‘Reconnection’ is a step up as it
simultaneously manages to be a bit rousing and restrained at the
same time, avoiding the overt pomposity which can accompany some
of their other tracks. 6/10 www.mamasgun.co.uk
SB
MiSK
– Frog March (Cheaper Thrills)
I really like this – it’s old
school acid house which reminds me of my mate Howard dancing around
like a sweaty whirling dervish in the Riverside Club in Newcastle.
That’s not instantly an attractive image but good times my friends,
good times. 8/10
SB
Young
Rebel Set – Red Bricks (Big Flame)
Mumford and Sons have done
the legwork and now the likes of Young Rebel Set can take advantage.
New folk is the new err, rock n roll. Big foot stomping arrangements
and massive orchestration courtesy of the massed seven-piece from
Stockton. Gently rousing in a stadium-filled fist punching air
sort of way. 7/10 www.youngrebelset.co.uk
SB
Daedelus
– Overwhelmed EP (Ninja Tune)
First thing that struck me about
this EP was that the opening notes of ‘Overwhelmed’ were basically
a weirded out version of the four-note theme from This is Your
Life. Extremely weirded out, it has to be said. It’s a million
times better than his previous ‘Tailor Made’ release which therefore
scores him an impressive 6 million/10. www.daedelusmusic.com
SB
Scams
– Helicopter Parents (Devil Duck)
Impressively assured is the
kind of description you’d more likely associate with a new car
advert than an indie rock track but there’s no escaping the fact
that Scams sounds like they were formed for the purpose of skirmishing
in the fray of popular press and TV appearances. Equal parts catchy
pop and edgy indie rock – it’s hard not to be impressed by ‘Helicopter
Parents’. 8/10 www.wearescams.com
SB
Josh
Bray – The River Song
Damien Rice-lite anyone. ‘The River Song’
is a pleasing piece of folky/alt country-ness but it hardly pushes
at any boundaries. 6/10 www.joshbray.co.uk
SB
Nerina
Pallot – Turn Me On Again (Polydor)
Being told that this track was produced by Bernard Butler hardly
sets the heart racing – I witnessed one of the dullest ninety
minute live performances I’ve ever seen courtesy of Mr Butler.
It’s hard to lay the blame for this damp squib clearly at the
door of Bernie but there’s something a little flat about ‘Turn
Me On Again’. It really shouldn’t be flat – there’s a bit of verve
about Pallot’s performance and it’s a racey enough subject. It’s
just flat as a fart. 5/10
SB
Rise to Remain – Power Through Fear
(EMI)
Kudos indeed to the good press folk of Chuff Media who have come
up with the greatest description of the vocals in ‘Power Through
Fear’. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ‘scabrous, abrasive growls’.
Superb work. Musically the track is pretty fierce and allegedly
the lyrics are picking up on some disaffection. Doesn’t make me
want to thrown a bin through Curry’s shop window but it does mildly
get the blood racing. 6/10 www.risetoremain.com
SB
Artful
– Could Just Be the Bassline (Workhouse)
Someone must have got
us confused with Mixmag or something – I’m pretty sure I’ve never
said anything complimentary about UK garage and I’m not about
to start now. 4/10 www.artful.dj
SB
Poly
Styrene – Ghoulish (Future Noise Music)
I know very little about
Poly Styrene but if she was to leave this as the sole example
of her creativity then I would remain supremely impressed. It’s
twinkly, Blondie-ish yet contemporary and even a little bit shoe-gazey.
A fitting epitaph. 9/10 www.poly-styrene.com
SB
Moonbootica
– Battle No. 1 (Cheap Thrills)
The best thing about this is the
name of the band. ‘Battle No. 1’ is an awkward disjointed collections
of beats and badly integrate samples. 3/10 www.moonbootica.com
