Dinosaur
Jr. - Pierce the Morning Rain (Single)
[PIAS]
Would you believe these guys are still alive? You betcha, Massachusetts
lo-fi veterans Dinosaur Jr are back with their tenth studio album;
their third since the reformation of the original line up. And
this is the second single - a crunchy thumper that I shouldn’t
cause a stir in Dino fan camp. They’re sticking to what they know
- and this song explodes into a pacey punk-like riff rich in fuzz
and lacking bottom-end like a 16 year old abusing his first 40-watt
mini-amp. J Mascis’ dreamy waivering vocals enter mumbling tunefully,
as you’d expect, really. Complete with crunchy widdling solos
this is a pumped-up single from the Dinosaurs that has a nineties
Foo Fighters feel to it - but is ultimately that same rough and
raw sound. http://soundcloud.com/pias/dinosaur-jr-pierce-the-morning
Thom Curtis
Shana
Falana - In The Light EP
Emerging from Brooklyn, Shana Falana has been writing and performing
music for nearly twenty years, immersing herself in different
roles in a range of musical genres.
‘In The Light’ is her official debut release and it is certainly
a striking opening statement. Heavily doused in reverb and looped
vocals first track ‘Dizzy Chant’ does just that, a symphony of
gentle chanting slowly reaching crescendo. Featuring another haunting
reverb-drenched vocal, ‘Light The Fire’ continues to hypnotise,
as the intensive nature of the track submerges the listener in
a tidal wave of melody and emotion. ‘Tragic’ sees the tidal wave
spin slowly out of control as the aforementioned mesmerising vocals
are soon possessed, twisting and turning as the track reaches
its abrupt climax. Control is soon established again with the
title track’s gorgeous melody revoking memories of School Of Seven
Bells, Asobi Seksu and Mazzy Star, comparisons to be taken as
great praise indeed.
This is a release that comes highly recommended. Lovingly layered
throughout, the effects are impressive and Shana Falana will be
worth watching carefully.
Mark Whiffin
Plastique
– A Papercut From a Paper Kiss
After the first minute of this the hatches is being sharpened.
Nut lo and behold, it goes all dirty, grubby harlot and turns
out being a right filthy bitch of a song. Brazilian inspired grimey
electro-rock would quite a small genre I’m guessing but Plastique
have stamped their mark all over this, equalling similar British
slutpops Soho Dolls. 8/10 www.plastiqueband.com
SB
Pylo – Enemies (Young and Lost Club)
With band members including the brilliantly named Richard Gully
and Max Blunos (surely a Bond villain?) this is bound to be a
success right? Name checking the likes of Coldplay, Radiohead
and Pink Floyd, this has got to be great yes? Well actually yes,
it’s awesome. Like a distilled version of all the best bits of
those bands – the orchestration of Coldplay without the pomp,
the haziness of Floyd without the nurdling and the inventiveness
of Radiohead without the overt wackiness. ‘Enemies’ builds up
wonderfully, breaks down in a plaintive fragile wail then crusades
onwards once again. Beautiful. 9/10
http://www.pylomusic.com/
SB
Mooli
– Love Hurts EP
Make it stop, make it stop! Within a few seconds of this track
starting up I’m hugging a cushion and rocking back and forth on
my haunches. It’s like a charmless female fronted version of MGMT’s
‘Kids’. Which is a bit of a shame as the remainder of the EP is
better (marginally). It would be better (markedly) with a slightly
more judicious use of synths – stop relying on the 80’s synth
pop gimmicks and let the songs speak for themselves. Mooli manage
it in the best track ‘Everyone is Famous’ which has a much more
Spartan approach, more Ladytron than Lady Boys of Bangkok so there
is still hope. 6/10 www.moolimusic.com
SB
Terry
Emm – Gently (Longman Records)
What’s this? Snowflakes? Winter scenes? First sleigh bells of
the year? Gah! Christmas single ahoy from singer songwriter Terry
Emm. Despite my instant dislike for this most generic of formats,
there is also a strange disconnect between the pretty finger-picked
guitar which rings crisp and clear as opposed to the vocal and
bell track which sounds like it was recorded in a box. 4/10 www.terryemm.co.uk
SB
Two
Fingers – Vengeance Rhythm (Big Dada)
As one of Amon Tobin’s alter egos, we shouldn’t be surprised
that this is pretty awesome. Definitely at the raunchier end of
Tobin’s work, ‘Vengeance Rhythm’ is brutally based around a pulsating
bass occasionally lasered across with fizzling synths and effects.
A proper ‘song’? Barely. But put it on in the car and wind the
windows down – it’ll scare the hell out of the neighbours. The
Koan Sound Remix version marginally nibbles off the rougher edges
before brilliantly regurgitating them in a breakbeaty splat of
electro-vomit. 8/10
SB
When
We Were Wolves – The More Things
Change the More They Stay the Same
Yet more growly hardcore. Pretty good as it goes but for the
benefit of my ears: put the kettle on and make yourself a cup
of lemon tea, sit down, calm the hell down and stop shouting at
me. Mitch Bock (what a great name) evens screams the words over
the soft intro – whatever happened to variety eh? Otherwise it’s
pretty aggressive, choppy stuff – weirdly euphoric in places but
ultimately tethered down by the screamo vocals until Phil Cross
steps in on guest vocal duties in ‘Hounds’. 6/10 www.facebook.com/whenwewerewolves1
SB
Miss
Terry Blue - Hush
Yack. I’m sorry but this nurdly funk-soul stuff is absolutely
not my kind of thing at all. I’m sure the band is made up of hugely
talented musicians (all funkateers seem to claim this so I’ll
take it as a given) but I can’t get it off the CD player quick
enough. 3/10
SB
The
Bloogs – Freezing Rain
This track seems to rumble along of its own accord, much like
the force of nature it describes. Bubbling indie guitars and harmless
vocal harmonies are moderately appealing but it’ll hardly send
goose pimples down your neck. 6/10
SB
Bo
Keeney – Don’t You Worry
What’s going on here – I can hear all sorts of instruments all
playing slightly out of time with each other.Eh? Now it’s gone
all drum and bass on me. What started off sounding like an ex-factor
reject may well be the work of a secret genius or a deluded slapdash
of incoherent styles. I’m all for invention though so a tentative
thumbs up from me. 7/10
www.bokeeney.com
SB
The
View – Hold on Now/Tacky Tattoo (Cooking
Vinyl)
In the run up to Christmas, The View prove they are Dundee’s
very own Slade with their ‘Hold on Now’ and all it’s overdriven,
full pelt rompy action. Don’t like it much though. ‘Tacky Tattoo’
is a much nicer track, all introspective, acoustic and sounding
a bit like early Arctic Monkeys. 6/10 www.theviewareonfire.com
SB
Greenthief
– Retribution
I’m a bit late to the Retribution party (now there’s a name for
a metal album) seeing as this EP from Australian rock outfit Greenthief
was released autumn 2011. But it arrived to review and review
I have…
If you like your alternate rock with a hint of glam (Muse, Placebo)
you’re not going to be disappointed here, Greenthief tick all
the boxes. Fuzzy guitars, bold drums, rolling deep bass, sparse
production, high pitched vocals, spacey guitar solos.
Stand out track Vultures opens with a filthy discord, then calms
things down before building to the start/stop snarling refrain
“beneath the ground, where they can’t be found” before Julian
Schweitzer unleashes his most compelling vocal.
Dynamically the band excels, they know how to create atmosphere
before kicking in the overdrive. I would well imagine Greenthief
make an exciting live trio, however there’s a distinct lack of
energy on this record. It appears even producer Steve James ,
(credits include the Jam, Sex Pistols and Thin Lizzy -to name
a few) couldn’t inject the necessary gusto to make this record
shine.
For me rock should *ROCK* and the sad fact is, when the Retribution
EP tries to get exciting it falls flat. It’s not that it’s a poor
record (technically it’s been very well put together), it’s just
we’ve been here many times before. While that’s not a necessarily
a bad thing (I’d never criticise a band for playing the music
they want) the fact that it’s been done far more convincingly,
is.
Milo
On
and On - The Hunter
Massive clattering production overlays the robovox in a broadly
euphoric three minutes of eletro pop from Chicago's ON and On.
Noisy and ear damaging on headphones- that's got to be positive.
7/10 http://itsonanon.bandcamp.com/
SB
Circle
of Reason – A Favour for a Stranger
EP
This EP sounds a little bit like a welcome throwback to a time
of grimey Doc Martens, tie-dye and lumberjack shirts. That scuzzy
layered, booming sound beloved of The Smashing Pumpkins et al
is well in evidence here and expertly manipulated with a contemporary
optimism. The English tinge reminds a little of early Headswim
and Flight16 but it’s a lovely mix of commercially acceptable
light and social life threatening, brooding dark. 8/10 www.facebook.com/circleofreason
SB
Bleak
Falls – Another Rainy Day
Sure, everyone wants to sound like the Deftones but normally
they don’t. In this case, I’m pleasantly surprised by Bleak Falls
whose opening track, the imaginatively titled ‘Intro’ is a stunning
instrumental.
Not to say that it’s just a slavish copying of Deftones. ‘Morning
Light’ sounds like a disturbed gothic horror film soundtrack with
its wobbly basslines. In fact, most of this EP rocks pretty hard
for melodic hardcore. 7/10
www.facebook.com/bleakfallsofficial
SB
Abagail
Grey – Snowflake Remember
I’m afraid that being a stoney hearted bastard I’m struggling
to get to grips with this one. Sure it’s kind of pretty but so
whispy and floaty that there’s not much to get your teeth into.
But then I guess that is the point for the more sensitive listener.
6/10 www.abagailgrey.com
