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singles - august 2006
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Another cover from the always bewildered looking Jose
Gonzalez this time making an old Kylie ‘classic’ one of his own and it’s a
rather nice effort too. Slowed down and tender it’s all very romantic and
delicate if not a little wet. Track 2 ‘Down the Hillside’ proves a much
better offering evoking a splendid John Martyn flavour while final track
‘Sensing Owls’ is just a little too nowhere to make a real impression.
Basically it’s hard to describe the whole thing as much else but ‘nice’.
Watch video to 'Hand
on Your Heart'
Luke Drozd |
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Could it be that the label which brought us the genius of iLiKETRAiNS and
The Whip have now struck out with Mighty Six Ninety? This just sounds like a
load of 80's synth pop nonsense too me I'm afraid. And meatier B-side 'With
Me' sounds like a blatant rip off of The Cure. Highly disappointing.
www.myspace.com/mightysixninetymusic
SB |
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Seems like Coco Electric are stuck
somewhere between being Goldfrapp and Betty Boo. A mix of overblown pomp and
understated electro cheekiness. The Skylab remix of 'Apple Pie' is
absolutely glam stomptastic though and would be worth the purchase alone.
www.cocoelectrik.co.uk
SB |
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Oh-oh. Dangerous ground for Blanchard this. After about 4 milliseconds it
is obvious that Brainlove's 2nd release in their split 7" singles series is
Casiocore tweepop. Before I have to defend myself against accusations that I
am angry with the world (next fucker who says that gets a good kicking,
right?) I am just not a big fan of this genre of music.
So just as Shimura Curves cheapo keyboard/laptop sounds have been joined
to that arch-indicator of tweepop - the xylophone (why people, why are you
all so obsessed with bloody xylophones?) and my toes are beginning to curl,
some kind of wonderful choral vocal harmony in the manner of a Christmas
carol wafts across the air like the smell of a perfectly baked mince
pie. Beautiful.
Similarly, Tim Ten Yen as well as being damn handsome, commences 'When
the Song Applies to You' with a detached lo-fi ranting about an everyday
mundane situation. I await the sequels how it feels 'When you Run out of
Jam', 'When You Cut Yourself Shaving' and 'When You Stub your Toe on that
Box that Sticks Out from Just under the Corner of Your Bed'. But at the 2
minute mark a key change kicks in and is accompanied by a bit of vocal
effort and a smarty pants falsetto. A bit John Shuttleworth but much better.
http://www.myspace.com/timtenyen
http://www.myspace.com/shimuracurves
SB |
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This kicks off promisingly, like a cross between The Strokes and Altered
Images. ‘Dianne’ is a respectable glampunk stomp, namechecking such
luminaries as Jack White, Andy Gilchrist and Jimmy Knapp (?!). Ultimately
it’s an energetic pop-punk slog through territory well mined by the likes of
Weezer long ago, but pleasing enough. ‘Delivery Day’ plods a bit more
limply, rather like an overexcited Razorlight , whilst ‘Black Belt’ rounds
proceedings off with an inoffensive instrumental with a surf twang that
could easily be a Ricky Martin or Shakira backing track. A mixed bag of
average.
Craig Wood |
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Part of the Brainlove 7" singles club, this release pairs two of the most
innovative leftfield electro pop recording artists in the land on just one
perfect slab of vinyl. 'Hit Schmooze for Me' is, for a man who sounds like a
robotic one man band in a junk shop, one of Napoleon IIIrd's more accessible
tunes. Strangely maudlin yet uplifting at the same time - it is an ode to
the life of a the dreary 9 to 5. 'Repetition 1' works in the opposite
direction - starting out as a pleasant indie ballad which gradually
fragments with some wonderfully spazzy samples and horns. Both similar yet
distinctive songs, dripping with firmly British affectations.
www.napoleoniiird.com
www.paganwandererlu.co.uk
SB |
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Like a bun fight in a honky tonk saloon bar, 'Isabelle' is all duelling
pianos and the rich intelligent vocals of Robert Suchan. Towards the end of
the track the pianos even start to spiral and climb in a jazz type shape
reminiscent of early Bowie efforts, but the vocals always bring proceedings
back to a more comfortable Cali-surf pop.
www.koufax.com
SB |
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Another punk band from the city that gave us punk who
sing about riots instead of starting them. I’m tired, the whole concept is
tired, its 2006 and they can fuck off.
Pete Ubu |
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Reach for the lozenges now. Another rock band with hoarse
vocalist on the horizon. Even with this arch cliche in place, there is still
something a little bit charming about Addicted though, a kind of bluesey
naivety to their music. Just keep a lid on the pomp, boys.
www.theaddicted.net
SB |
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I'm a bit confused. What is the band/are the bands called? How many bands
are their - just one? Lost Penguin? Who is Matthew !WOWOW! and is that his
real name? Well I think it transpires that this is three songs by Lost
Penguin of suitably sordid and cheapskate production to grace the pages of
tasty. £4 keyboards are mentioned. We approve. But frankly there reaches a
point when teenage 'concept' bands need to grow up and do some proper tunes.
The remix by Mr. !WOWOW! is quite good fun - like the early Prodigy playing
a rave in your local Toy r Us.
www.myspace.com/wheresmypenguin
SB |
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Whilst all us Bonnie ‘Prince’ fans wait with baited
breathe for the first all new, all solo album since 2003’s ‘Master and
Everyone’, titled ‘Then The Letting Go’, we have the first single to keep us
going and hold back the excited froth.
Title track ‘Cursed Sleep’ is slick and elegant and has
our sweet prince practically crooning along side gliding strings, gently
distorted guitar and beautiful backing vocals (courtesy of Dawn McCarthy).
It almost sounds like Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy does Lambchop.
This is followed by a Waitsian conga-line stomp into
darker waters that are the perversely wonderful ‘The Signifying Wolf’. Do
you like my sealskin trousers? indeed.
Finally track three sees Oldham on familiar ground with
‘God’s Small Song’. Pained and gentle it is the sound of being gently
sexually assaulted.
So after three songs of teasing how do I feel? Pleased
yet still a little apprehensive. That said I really am one of those Will
Oldham fans who truly believes he can do no wrong so I'm probably not the
most objective reviewer but hey, tough shit.
Watch video to 'Cursed
Sleep'
Luke Drozd |
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I really wasn't expecting
much of this for some reason. Maybe because Chris Singleton has the
misfortune to look like an ex-school friend who used to leave snotty tissues
all over the place after he came to stay. At least we hoped it was snot -
you begin to feel my pain about this? But for a man who seems to have a
slightly over-developed interest in rail transport Chris Singleton has
created quite an individual sound due to his own production technique of
mixing traditional instruments with a barrage of electronic dubrees. Add to
that a Slade-style glam rock driven rhythm and a song slagging off city
workers who are obsessed with cash and you get the thumbs up.
www.chrissingleton.co.uk
SB |
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Multi tasking The
Immediate are still at all that instrument swapping between and during
songs. I've finally convinced Leeds veterans Farming incident to stop doing
it and now these scamps need educating too - it never ends I tell. Good job
then that their individual brand of perky angular indie pop is distracting
enough to forget about their instrument misdemeanours.
www.theimmediate.tv
SB |
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Whenever the term 'distinctly
English pop' is banded about, I tend to think about paraphrasing with the
term 'wet'. You know the score, sweet tinkly second hand keyboard sounds and
retired social worker vocals singing about how much they love aubergines or
some such. Multiply all these traits by 10 and you will have the net effect
of Big Life Desire.
www.biglifedesrire.co.uk
SB |
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Ahh, cast your mind back to the truncated
Skodas, the daft wigs and the mental samples to the big beat of Bentley
Rhythm Ace. Well Drive DD is actually Mike Stokes of the same and is still
apparently crafting dancey but geeky big beat tunes the like of which BRA
made their name with. Not a patch on BRA's hits and with an ending that
seems weirdly cut off, 'Frisky Disco' is still solid club fare.
SB |
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Taken from Peaches new, horribly monikered, album
‘ImPeach My Bush’ (which I spout off about elsewhere), ‘Downtown’ is very
much more of the same. Slightly sleazy sounding electro punk / funk, that
sounds at points not dissimilar to Madonna. Why Peaches is seen as
innovative / important my remains a mystery to me, I assume it’s down to the
gratuitous profanity that litters most of her records (not this one
thankfully) and her ‘racy’ stage shows. Either way this is pleasant enough,
but hardly groundbreaking, and within minutes of the single ending I’ve
already forgotten pretty much anything about it. The B-sides are more of the
same, with a bass-heavy remix of ‘Downtown’ for those so inclined.
Michael Pearson |
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What the hell is it this month? Has there
been some fire sale of plinkety pianos because everyone seems to be using
them. Maybe a hangover from the success of Ed Harcourt. Another mediocre
music hall style effort which has very few redeeming features. The fact that
it is going to be released as download and on 10" 78rpm/33rpm version (the
first since 1959 apparently) makes you suspect that the record company knew
that it wasn't very interesting either.
SB |
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I didn't mind some of BLLT's earlier singles but this single is a
saccharin bridge to far and my teeth are already on edge. Plus it has a
really annoying Moogy-sounding thing whining away in the background
throughout like a stalling dentist's drill. Chilling.
www.theboyleastlikelyto.co.uk
SB |
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The first couple of minutes of this track from slurred Leicester
experimental noise merchants reminds me of that episode of Peep Show where
Jeremy is recording a backing track for Gog's Honda ad and Super Hans
requests a sound of dread and foreboding. Well I liked it anyway. And the
steady mechanical drone is continuous pretty much through the full 15
minutes. With the exception of some random Moogy warblings, a bit of
discordant distorted guitar chord and the insistent drum pattern, 'Fly
Silver Corspe! Fly!' is impressively resolute in its resistance to diverge
from it's stoical and unbending path.
www.skribble-records.co.uk
SB |
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This is Homo Hardcore that will quite willingly beat
you off if you let it and for all the screaming and disjointed guitar riffs
that go with the hardcore/emo scene Gay For Johnny Depp do lubricate enough
to make it easy to swallow. ‘Put the Shiv’ has at its centre a rolling riff
which drives along like a penis shaped tank, but the real surprise here is
the remix by blacksmoke which is a project involving the people from the KLF
of all places who manage to make “Put the Shiv…” possibly better whilst
inserting it in to the genre of dance floor filler and for a hardcore song
this uncompromising I say well done to them indeed. The end is especially
good because it sounds like a very angry pirate.
Pete Ubu |
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Ooh - this is rather nasty. And
produced on just a bass, drums and Moog? Sounds like it.
www.whirlwindheat.com
watch video to 'Air
Miami'
SB |
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An EP from Her Name is
Calla is always a precious thing, this time in the form of a hand made
limited edition package (one of only 500 made) wrapped in tea stained linen
(trust me - it looks better than I can describe or my computer can scan).
With a name like 'Hideous Box' it is no surprise that this is at the more
macabre end of the Calla spectrum. The title track is a heady combination of
The Velvet Underground, 'The End' by The Doors and eerie monastic chanting.
'With Eyes So Full of Sparks of Love' is a short but beautiful and
haunting interlude of just gently picked guitar and vocals. Final track 'The
Good Book' is more of an outro formed by a few piano chords and some ambient
recordings, including a baby crying. Following the darkness of the preceding
tracks this is feels literally like the dawn the of a new life and looks
forward to their next, eagerly anticipated release.
www.hernameiscalla.co.uk
SB |
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Starting a track with an air
raid siren and wah wah guitar is hardly genre breaking. Neither is the three
chord rock progression which follows. Adding a bit of flute in the middle of
what might be a mediocre Verve cover band track raises some eyebrows. But
most of this is so derivative it just makes you wonder why bother? Title
track 'The Beautiful Sunshine' oozes into existence quite acceptably with a
clearing mist of echo and flute again, but only succeeds in unveiling a
meandering track that even Barclay James Harvest would have edited down by a
couple of minutes. Quite nicely atmospheric but as a title track either
misconceived or wildly self indulgent.
www.myspace.com/deltamainline
SB |
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One of those singles you think you have heard a
thousand times before but can't quite put your finger on where. Rik Flynn's
affected vocals are ideally suited to the jerky 'oh oh oh' s in the chorus
but overall the track is a little formulaic and over-produced for my liking.
Like Simple Minds with a brand new synth.
www.captaintheband.co.uk
watch video to 'Glorious'
SB |
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Why the sweet lord of fuck does this melodic hardcore
punk monstrosity have an early nineties rave backing to it. It sounds like
they’ve lifted it off the latest ‘Bonkers’ compilation that those bastards
who live behind me have just bought, those lot that constantly call their
children ‘fuckers’. Oh how I wish they’d fucking move. Either that or
someone ring social services and have them arrested. I’d do it myself but
I’m scared they’d work out it was me and start popping turds through my
letterbox.
www.7digital.com/entershikari
Luke Drozd |
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The Motorettes' 'Relax
It's The 80s' sounds like a metal version of McFly doing REM's 'It's The End
of the World As We Know It'. If you can get over this fact then you may well
like their version of Kubicheck's 'Stutter'.
Kubichek treat us to 'Opening Slot', a rent a post punk angular effort
that makes up for in vitality what it lacks in originality. And there cover
of The Motorettes 'We Are Solution' sounds little different. What an unholy
alliance.
www.themotorettes.com
www.kubichek.co.uk
SB |
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It’s the sound of summer with the Grates and 19-20-20.
Patience Hodgson’s intoxicating and needy vocals can’t help but worm in to
your flesh and linger there until you’ve sung 19-20-20 in your head so many
times that those numbers loose all their meaning and become nothing more
than a series of strange, undulating syllables.
Strollers-esque
in vocal delivery and guitar work, the Grates must surely continue to play
the bridesmaid and never the bride, as my feminist neighbour once said
despondently, yet sincerely of the Strollers as she peered glumly into her
perennially half-empty glass.
Alex Clark
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The last
offering from Oxford's Half Rabbits was one of my highlights of 2005 so this
is another eagerly awaited release. And it doesn't disappoint as it dishes
out another sliver of The Half Rabbits strangely affected brand of indie
rock. Not ones for whimsical subject matter or fey pop gestures, The Half
Rabbits deliver a brooding, grown up version of 'rock' music in which
Michael Weatherburns's strange other worldly vocals provide the motif and
the various members that make up this four-piece cross over in a magnificent
cacophony of distortion underpinned by a strong dynamic. It's as if every
moment of every song is played as if it is their last and there is no room
for slack or wasted space - the sound of four minds exploding with ideas.
www.halfrabbits.co.uk
SB |
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A split single from Worst Case
Scenario Records featuring two very different-sounding acts: Parka meld
dance and rock in a style akin to We Are Scientists, while Mr. Fogg dispense
with guitars altogether to come up with a more electronica-based sound. For
me the latter had the edge, not that I’m going to go as far as to give them
“love” as XFM apparently already have.
www.parkamusic.com
www.mrfogg.co.uk
Will Columbine |
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Jingly girl-fronted indie pop a little like the Throwing Muses. Very
pleasant but quite unremarkable.
www.donderdag.co.uk
SB |
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An understated soulful yet
discotheque friendly bop along that brings to mind Alphabet Street era
Prince. And for the record, I like Prince. Something and nothing - you
wouldn't shout from the hills about it but you wouldn't run to them either.
www.matthewherbert.com
SB |
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This single opens like a Radiohead song so much so that
it’s the first thing you can think and first impressions being first
impressions it doesn’t help when the dual guitar notes following shortly
could have actually been sampled from a certain single from “The Bends”
It doesn’t matter though because the majority of the
student population lap this shit up like mothers milk, lactating or not.
‘Return to Factory’ however is a saving grace and
although i'm still twitching from a Thom York induced slow eye at least this
track shows Talk expertly producing and programming, with a sense of timing
in building up a song. It proves they are far from shit really.
Pete Ubu |
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Ray Lamontagne has an undeniably
fantastic voice for blues. But perhaps this is a little bit wasted on the
lacklustre radio friendly single 'Trouble' which for all it's big string
arrangements and soaring choruses pales in comparison to the much more
minimal live acoustic version of 'Burn included as the B-side. But that's
what happens if you gig with David Gray.
www.raylamontagne.com
SB |
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Three pages of hyperbole and the
listing of influences as cool as Mew, Stereolab, Super Furry Animals and the
Elephant 6 collective may have raised my expectations somewhat. In truth,
Speedreader can be broadly defined as Elliot Smith vocals over a lot of
unnecessarily twiddly and ultimately rather boring prog. Each of the five
songs on this EP stretch about a minute of ideas to several times that
length, and there’s nothing big nor clever about that.
www.speedreader.co.uk
Will Columbine |
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Seems to me that Little Man Tate have generated a certain buzz about
themselves which perhaps outstrips their true worth. They still have their
trademark clever rhyming couplets but the music and delivery on this one
just seem a bit too unashamedly laddish to have any lasting appeal.
www.littlemantate.co.uk
SB |
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Another feast of Richard
Ashcroftalism and over-baked earnest vocals from Mr McCulloch. Not to
mention a seriously leaden title track. Filler track 'Charm Less' is, at
least more interesting than the run of the mill whinging indie that precedes
it, being a quirky skiffle based number.
www.robmcculloch.com
SB |
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It’ll be hard to top this band this year and with this
being the first single from the 2nd album “Return to Cookie Mountain” its
obvious they’ve decided to step further away from obscurity and into the
limelight.
Catchier then a (I hate to even say the words) Foo
Fighters single but as clever as Sparks ‘Wolf Like Me’ is TV On The Radio’s
most pop of all their songs. It still shows there intellect and talent in
song-writing skills with a seamless breakdown in tempo in the middle but to
me it doesn’t show TV On The Radio at their best.
With the b-side “things you can do” they show the other
side of the band with well-orchestrated arrangements, in beats vocals and
instrumentation.
As a single it’s a good taster without spoiling it for
virgin ears and witha cover design by Vaughn Oliver also known for his work
with the Pixies could be a precursor of things to come.
Pete Ubu |
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A free download single to celebrate the launch of the Little Hellfire
Club label sees proto punk new wave icons And What Will Be Left of Them
chewing out an achingly cool number that sounds like Debbie Harry duetting
with Iggy pop, and that, my friends cannot be a bad thing.
www.awwblot.com
SB |
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The first 30 seconds of this
throw up so many incongruous sounds that actually seem to work together that
you have little idea of what direction 'House on Fire' is going to head
into. Rumbling bass, the cheesiest electro handclaps, various electro
affectations. The influence of The Rapture seems to be heavy. So where does
this track end up going? Well, nowhere at all really once the vocals kick
in. There's so much other good stuff going on that the vocals would always
struggle to maintain a footing and when they disappear again for the outro
it just makes an even bigger case for remixing this as a dance record with
minimal vocal. 'Blackout Falls' by comparison seems to be able to integrate
the vocal much more successfully by pinning back some of the other
instrumental trickery. Pity then that it just cut off at 3.22 minutes
without reaching a natural conclusion.
www.myspace.com/deafstereo
SB |
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Great, some Billie Joe
Armstrong/Blink 182 no-mark bleating lines like “All you ever wanted was all
you ever gave” over a bunch of panpipes. What the hell does that actually
mean anyway? It means that I’m not listening to this again, that’s what.
www.myawesomecompilation.com
Will Columbine |
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Two tracks here from Shoreditch's finest labcoat wearing, ambo-electro
noiseniks tKatKa that will knock spots off most of the stuff you'll hear
this month. There's even a sample from the 80's cartoon Ulysees (that of the
terrible dubbing). There is a heartbeat-like driving bassline that ropes in
all the other disconnected squeaks and bleeps and thoroughly lashes them
together into a taut epic.
SB |
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Like Corrinne Bailey-Rae
without the god-awful easy listening songs, Joan Wasser has an engaging
voice and this is not a cover of the Bangles, thank christ. Things are
always just a little bit off kilter with a tremolo running through the
melody and even room for a funky bass male vocal at the end of the track.
Then she spoils it by murdering Lord David Bowie's masterpiece 'Sweet
Thing'. No!
www.joanaspolicewoman.com
watch video to 'Eternal
Flame'
SB |
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Why do some emo bands insist on
giving their songs such ridiculous titles? Well, in this instance, it’s
perhaps the only memorable thing about an otherwise instantly forgettable
track.
www.moneen.com
Will Columbine |
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Seems to me from this triplet of tracks that Marla Singer rely heavily on
their strong basslines to drive their tracks along. Which is a good thing
because although they are reasonable enough, and Stevie Rees tries to inject
some interest with his voice, the general sound is a bit ambling for my
taste. And why do they need to invent pseudonyms like 'The Junket' and 'The
Vibe'? Muppets.
SB |
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Desperately leaden euro-rock accompanied
by trite-as-you-like lyrics and a Scando-howl chorus that would compete with
Europe's 'Final Countdown' for shear cringeworthiness. Give it a miss
comrades unless you love leather trousers, wear bandanas and are not averse
to waving a lighter in the air at gigs without even a hint of irony.
www.lydia.nu
SB |
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This is a sweet little thing. In the very best
traditions of eccentric pop, Clocks use delightful REM-ish harmonies
combined with stop-start, off-kilter rhythms on the title track, whilst ‘In
My Arms’ is more of a psychedelic thing. But there’s nothing really retro
here, just great, great pop songs. Straightforward, with no tired frills.
Hurray for that.
SM |
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Oops - this single got caught up
with a bunch of albums so this about a month late. But if it hadn't been any
good then I wouldn't have even bothered backtracking. We Are Wolves hail
from Canada but unlike most Canadian stuff which we get which seems to be
either folkish or post rock based, 'LL Romeo' is a chock full of skuzzy
synth and manic viocals. Maybe it's due to the French influence in Montreal
but this has a very underground European feel about it and is all the better
for it.
SB |
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The Resistance prides itself on
communicating an anti-authoritative message to the listener through sound
alone. Yup, no lyrics, just pulsing feedback and jangly guitar that sound
like the kind of thing New Order and a hundred other electro groups have
done already. I’m sure The Man, whoever he is, is shitting himself.
www.deadmedia.co.uk
Will Columbine |
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The best track by far on the album 'Nice
and Nicely Done', 'Mandy' is a beautiful mandolin arrangement with overtures
from one of those theremin thingies and spacey flower power vocals.
Uplifting and catchy - this is almost impossible to dislike - even for me.
www.spintoband.com
SB |
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Sheffield’s biggest womanpop export since, ooh, Phil
Oakey comes back with some more Jools Holland-endorsed (probably) songs.
‘What a Fool’ is pretty much inoffensive, but I can’t really say it stands
out, and wouldn’t sound out of place on the Trent FM Breakfast Show. This is
not an endorsement by any stretch of the imagination.
SM |
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This
single has some absolutely lush guitars working all the way through with a
lovely clean valve amp sound. It is also a really well crafted pop song. But
I still find the vocals a little bit stilted to make The Pigeon Detectives
one of my faves. Maybe it will come with time.
www.thepigeondetectives.com
SB |
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Don’t be fooled by the name: this
ain’t no Euro trance outfit but, in fact, ethereal, choir-like vocals of the
female variety drifting over strummed guitar and organ. From Sweden. No
prizes for guessing what the subject matter is. “Shake It Off” offers more
of the same only not as good, and both songs kind of hang in mid-air not
doing much but sounding very pretty all the same.
www.elperrodelmar.com
Will Columbine |
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A Dance to the
Radio one-two here and also the second review of the same single in two
months. Why twice you ask? Well I must have got some advance thing or other
the first time which only had the marvellous 'Eighteen' on it. This little
beauty by comparison, not only has that version of 'Eighteen' but also three
superlative remixes including edits by Yess Boss and Napoleon IIIrd. And
that's not all. There are studio versions of 'Six' and 'Fourteen' too. What
an absolute belter. And if that doesn't get you excited about the Russia then perhaps you should just stick to buying Shakira records.
www.forwardrussia.com
SB |
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God, there are some awfully-named bands around at the
moment, aren’t there. ‘Tear You Apart’ starts off like it should be on The
Cure’s ’17 Seconds’ album. Then there’s some pretty funny robot vocals.
They’re not supposed to be funny; they’re dead serious. But they’re
hilarious. Those in the audience that wear bad mascara and hang around the
city centre on Saturday afternoon will love it. That’s all you need to know.
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Good Shoes seem like a lively bunch in their pop punk energetic way.
Tingly guitars and the spasmo vocals of Rhys Jones rule this triplet of
songs. Not sure if they have any lasting appeal but they sure keep you
awake.
www.goodshoes.co.uk
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A whole hay bale of praise has
already been tossed in the general direction of Field Music, perhaps the
most Geordie-sounding outfit since The Futureheads, and to whom they sound
markedly similar only more threadbare. Alas, sonic punch is not the only
thing they want for, as this EP finds them trying a variety of approaches
without succeeding in finding one solid identity; surely a prerequisite for
a signed band? I fail to see what all the fuss is about.
www.field-music.co.uk
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Perhaps a more poignant title than it first appears as The Knife are
Swedish brother and sister duo Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson.
They also have a gift for the unusual, recording part of the album 'Silent
Shout' under a church and another part in a disused carbon dioxide factory.
Al of which periphery confuses the fact that 'We Share Our Mothers' Health'
is a startlingly progressive and multi-layered effort which will get
clubbers on their feet and home musos nodding their ear-phoned heads in
equal amount. A beguiling mix of Scandic female vocals and the tribal chant
of Olof (presumably?) all dancing along a rich bed of bouncy synths and drum
patterns. Compared by others to Kraftwerk and Aphex Twin I think this simile
is inaccurate as they possess a much more complex and enriched sound than
those two acts. Perhaps the previous reviewers were confused by the three
equally enjoyable but more derivative remixes which accompany the main
event. Ace.
www.theknife.net
Watch video to 'We
Share Our Mothers' Health'
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The Early Years have come a long way in six months,
since their EP, All Ones and Zeros was released. The band has taken on fresh
sense of maturity through experience and as a result, their sound is
defined, tighter and altogether less ambiguous.
This three-track single is very much a natural
progression on from what the band were doing with All Ones and Ones. Rats is
a fairly grey and maudlin song about yep, you guessed it, a fractious
relationship. But it’s the benevolent guitar swells beneath the music,
leading into an explosion of brash audio gear-jamming which tears the song
away from the listless work of the common singer/ songwriter.
So Far Gone is intriguingly broken down into two parts,
appearing either side of Rats. Part II is largely an accentuated re-working
of the first instalment. Those reverb-soaked guitar stutterings at the
songs’ opening just pound the wind from your lungs.
The Early Years have a very definite signature sound
and so long as they deliver their album at the right time, when there is a
gap in the market for such a product, and so long as they don’t buck to
corporate and mainstream arm-twisting they have the power to be the best
counter-rock group on these shores.
Alex Clark |
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This might be a simplistic appraisal due to the piano based nature of
this track, but the instrumentation reminds me a lot of Ed Harcourt. Big
keys, sting sections, lots of high hat - all the elements are there.
Occasionally Frost lets his voice really soar at the end of some of his
rapidly delivered verses but this track seems to be over before it ever gets
going.
www.lavoltarecords.com
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I can’t help but think that I heard this on the first
Strokes album five years ago. That is all.
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Truly epitomising the spirit and sound of vintage big-balls rock and roll
not really recaptured since the demise of Led Zepellin or alternatively a
helplessly provincial pub band clinging onto their sound of yesteryear. I'll
let you decide.
www.jacksonanalogue.com
watch video to 'Stop'
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A perky little thing from Assembly Now, which doesn’t
sound a million miles away from NOW!, but has enough early Manics about it
to make it a whole lot more charming. It also a lovely little guitar solo
running throughout that reminds me of Seafood, or something like that. If I
was 16 again I’d be dancing along to this and thinking it was the future.
Crazy, eh?
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The one thing that strikes me above all others to come out of this single
is that Palace Fires have in vocalist Ed Bannard a man who sounds
unnervingly like Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees. And that is undoubtedly a
plus point for me as Lanegan has one of the warmest and listenable voices I
know of. There are even a few sneaks of similar guitar work to Screaming
Trees in 'Nothing Comes Close'. If you never heard Screaming Trees then you
should get this record. If you have heard of them, you should get it anyway
because it is damn fine. If that was not enough, the CD sleeve has been
hand-scorched to weather the edges - nice touch. Left lumps of charcoal al
over my scanner though...
www.palacefires.co.uk
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It’s really wonderful to know that The Reverse are
still with us. tasty favourites of yesteryear, this is a band who have
continually made quality darkpop music, with the emphasis on song writing
rather than haircuts and clothes from Top Shop on Oxford Street.
‘Carry the Light’ carries on this tradition. Sparse in
arrangement, but always slick and tense, that’s The Reverse, and that’s
what’s carried on throughout this most enjoyable ep.
In times when style is winning the conker match over
substance, The Reverse have been pickled in vinegar and then stuck under the
grill for half an hour. Oh yes.
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I have to admit that Hot Chip's gentle brand of synth pop a la The
Research, The Boy Least Likely To, Psapp etc has yet to really catch my
imagination that much. As such, this is a reasonable effort but isn't gonna
get me rushing off to the 'H' section at HMV. Does come with a tinkly DFA
remix included though.
www.hotchip.co.uk
watch 'Colours'
video
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A new signing to Domino and it brings an interesting electro-house fusion
that is rarely attempted and even less often achieved successfully. The
vocals are minimal but warm in a way that is unusual for the wickedly catchy
clicks and cuts of the music.
'The Equalizer' is a chillingly taut track which perfectly balances the
icy chimes and keys with vocalist Jeremy Greenspan's glacier melting voice.
www.juniorboys.net
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Shouty indie rock from New York. It's not bad but it's not as good as the
Cribs. No doubt we will soon see hordes of drunken blokes sloshing their
warm paper cups of Carling all over each other while shouting along to the
words at a festival near you.
www.kidcasanova.com
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It's a brave move to showcase what is essentially a bluegrass record. But
amid the big plonking bass and hand claps there is a a curiously warped
genius at work. Don't ask me to describe it - it is not possible. But well
worth a listen.
http://www.myspace.com/danisiciliano
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If you are the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, you are one
of the biggest stars of meodern French cinema and you get to work with
Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hanlon and French duo Air, then you had better produce
something bloody good. And oh my god - this is good.
The distinctive breathy Gainsbourg vocals with the clever witticisms
penned by Cocker and Hanlon work a treat over these two different sounding
tracks. 'The Songs That We Sing' is driven by a dynamic string piece that
kilters along without the need for Gainsbourg to ever really stretch her
vocal range. 'Jamais' is a much slower, bluesey piece that fills with rich
piano and wonderfully relaxing vocals. Formidable.
www.because.tv
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The music prangs from my speakers and I’m sitting here
in my sunglasses and Bermuda shorts as the latest bright-as-bright-can-be
single from The Organ plays.
It’s a safe bet that Roger ‘Jim’ McGuinn’ll be shaking
in his spangling boots as his Zenith Royal belts this one out; I’ve yet to
hear another guitar committed to record that sounds razor-sharp as the one
which adorns Memorize the City.
The song is better than their previous release,
Brother, but I can’t help but feel that as long as they live by the tight
adherence to the Johnny Marr/ Debbie Harry fantasy collaboration, they’ll be
lumbering themselves with a very particular fan base.
The fantastically named, No One Has Ever Looked So
Dead, is a fairly drippy ballad which, of course – of course, is about a
relationship that’s not meant to be and for this dour Yorkshire sceptic, it
comes over as a little sickly, but the music is favourable and that haunting
electric organ is, as ever, at work chilling me to the bone.
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Seems like the south coast's finest record label can still recognise a
good dance floor-filling tune when it hears one. Despite potential confusion
with S-Express (surely not worth the risk), Skint's latest venture sees a
wonderfully understated single that pulses and gyrates it's way from start
to finish just filling the air with sinister undertones and ethereal
whispers. the Carl Craig remix is also an acidy killer.
www.xpress2.com
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Weird how records seem to come in batches and here we have another synth-led
indie folk outing. This time it is Sweden's DIY scenesters Loney, Dear who
supply the track which swells up into a maelstrom of distortion while
retaining it's steady poppy demeanour with horns and bells. All very
summery.
www.loneydear.com
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A journalist friend of mine once said that at any one
time in music, 99% of what’s happening is shit. He added that the remaining
one per-cent made it all worth-while. I tend to agree with him.
I’m not going to speak about the B-side of this single.
That’s not important. Walked Til Sunday only warrants scant attention
here because11:11 is one of those elite members of that evasive one per-cent
club.
The repeating, tumbling bass riff, matched by the
guitar gets into your skull and believe me, it takes months to get out. I
reviewed their debut album at the beginning of this year and just when I
thought I’d got that riff out of my head, this single fell through my
letterbox and it began all over again.
That riff was back with a vengeance; back with a
swaggering, cocksure attitude that bowls aside all pretenders who believe
they have that certain something required in music.
The guitar splurges, the pulverising chords, the
hypnotic vocals and that bass riff. It takes hold. It takes months to
get that sound out of your skull.
11:11 is sheer, fucking bliss.
Alex Clark |
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A luscious slab of Mariotone driven
indie pop from Glaswegian 19 year olds Firebrand Boy. This limited edition
release also comes as a beautiful vivid orange vinyl - surely a sign that
their record label is willing to cough up the readies and support an artist
they really believe in.
The title track 'Orange' is a gentle little number which seamlessly oozes
with squeaks and bleeps while retaining an air of effortless melody. 'Three
Mile Wish' by comparison is an uncompromisingly Casiocore 8-bit party. The
two further remixes of Orange stand up in their own right, especially
the Sean Kirwen remix which is a bit reminiscent of Fluke at the peak of
their powers. Top stuff.
www.myspace.com/firebrandboy
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The time should be ripe for Adem, but the breakthrough
seems to remain as far away as ever. Which is shame, because this is a man
that has more about them than most of the nu-folk lot put together. ‘Launch
Yourself’ is a laid back, almost doleful number which makes the most of
samples. Remixes from Four Tet and Hot Chip might make Adem the hippest cat
in folksville. Here’s hoping…
www.adem.tv
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Ha! Despite yet another PC breaking CD from EMI's copyright protection I
have to admit a little bit of twisted satisfaction in eventually getting a
single from Iron Maiden to play. I mean - it's Iron Maiden! Big Dave Suddaby
of Nettleton, North Lincs would be wetting himself. Anyway, the track...
At a mere 7 and half minutes long of vintage Maiden, this is somewhat of
an opus, complete as always with a bit of Dickinson crooning and total
guitar shredisation. In fact it's so long that it comes with a 'rock club'
edit of only 5 minutes long so you can get your sweaty mops banging in
public too. You've got to love the Maiden!
www.ironmaiden.com
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Beautiful Francophile lounge pop from Stars of
Aviation. Currently creating something of a stir on the London pop scene,
this band sometimes come across as trying to force the lounge pop stuff, but
second track here, ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ , is a wonderfully frail
little folk pop tune which brings to mind The Pines at their spine-chilling
best. More of this sort of stuff, please.
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This level of high tempo British indie pop is normally far more up the
street of tasty fopp-in-residence Metcalf but it's hard not to be carried
along on the wave of charm and energy of this track. Like The Lodger but
less miserable.
www.the-distance.co.uk
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A touch of pretentiousness here perhaps with a title like that? Perhaps.
Some lovely rounded tub thumping drums and uplifting vocal harmonies that
weave in and out of the occasionally twanged guitars carry this through like
a Stereophonics laxative though.
www.thedears.org
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