|
|
singles -
september 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personally I feel Ray Lamontagne’s second
album ‘Till the Sun turns black’ should have been called ‘If it ain’t
broken’ on the basis of this, the second single from the album. The growling
singer-songwriter has followed up ‘Be here now’ with a catchy,
jazz-influenced number about his impending return (in three days, hence the
title) to his lover.
 Andrew Bayliss |
|
|
|
| |
What a delightful
record. This debut single with its yelping chorus, clever lyrics, and
inspired subject matter gets straight into your brain. A brave mixture of
bleeping samples, simple beats and wonderful harmonies on the title track,
backed with strange timing and lyrics on the b-side compliment this vocal
talent wonderfully. The fact that he's only 21 years old makes me envious
and amazed in equally large dollops. Definitely worth two quid of anybody's
money. Both tracks on this single are very short, which is perfect really,
it leaves you wanting more.
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
|
|
There's a well
known adage in geeky computer programming circles of 'garbage in, garbage
out', the obvious premise being that if you feed a computer the wrong
information to start off with, it'll basically shit all over your crisps and
that.
If we apply the same principle to songwriting, and begin with some half
baked lyrics about a poorly thought out subject matter (age gaps in
relationships), add half a chorus, slow it all down a bit, and finish of
with half a chorus again, there should only be one result. Another slice of
brilliant music from the Pigeon Detectives! No actually. A predictably limp,
lame, sorry serving of generic indie sludge.
Watch video to 'Take
Her Back'
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
 |
This is really really
ace. A skewed slice of Northern Soul injected with impenetrable lyrics and a
chorus straight out of the top drawer. The Go! Team have added meaty chunks
to their sound and come back heavyweight.
B-side Milk Crisis is in a similar vein to the title track, again the lyrics
are indecipherable, this time because they're rapping in Japanese, which
works, and even sits nicely alongside some gentle piano and a slack
breakbeat. This would be anthemic stuff, if you were Japanese!
Willow's Song is a demonstration that the Go! Team can still put together a
captivating, lingering ballad and serves as a timely reminder of the
versatility they've got. The album can't come quickly enough for me.
Watch video to 'Doing
it Right'
http://www.thegoteam.co.uk
http://myspace.com/thegoteam
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
|
|
It's an odd thing this 'progressive' house music. s to me that it has
sounded pretty much the same for the last 16 years - all the same sonic
motifs - swooshing, phasing etc. I remember getting a mix tape from someone
who was far cooler than me when I was still at uni and thinking that all
this progressive house stuff was ground breaking, mind blowing even. And
maybe it was. But at least on this CD Xenmasterdelboy has produced at least
one stand out track (No. 3 in the absence of a track listing) which differs
from its other slightly dreary cousins by being a bit more understate and
slow burning.
www.infernal-machine.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
|
|
It was a dark day in tasty towers when TEAM announced that they were
taking a break from recording but every cloud has a silver lining and this
one has been thoroughly polished with Brasso. Death of London features a
couple of the former TEAM band members and discovers the darker dropped
guitar tones which never surfaced in their former existence. Very Partchimp.
Very heavy. very good yes.
Dobermann on the other hand, are the turbo charged Mustang in comparison
to the shuddering juggernaut of rock that is Death of London. A much more
rock n roll vibe and Dave Wright exercising his vocal chords in a much more
wholesome way than in 'A Pound. A bite.' Two gems for the price of one from
the ever impressive Field Records.
www.deathoflondon.co.uk
www.myspace.com/thedobermannband
www.field-ecords.com
SB |
| |
|
|
|
I was in two minds about reviewing this at all seeing as it failed to
stir any great emotions in any direction for me. But as an emmigre myself, I
thought it would be good to give these fellow North Lincolnshire boys some
coverage at least. This rusty larynxed style of metal interspersed with
'melodic' parts generally passes me by and Black Tie Brawl have not upset
this trend. Very much of a kind, tightly played but by no means original,
Black Tie Brawl have established a solid sound for themselves but will need
to push back the barriers a little bit more to really get noticed.
www.myspace.com/blacktiebrawl
SB |
| |
|
|
|
With the recent completion of Anton Corbijn’s
‘Control,’ the Joy Division biopic, I’ve a feeling there’s going to be an
inundation of gloomy, post-punk, low-slung bass type bands. It’ll be like
Interpol never went away (although, of course, I didn’t particularly care
when they arrived in the first place). 1877 get a head-start on the other
pretenders, with a rich baritone vocal and a liking for grainy wartime
iconography.
That’s about where it stops, I’m afraid. The
Buckinghamshire five-piece have good ideas but they don’t seem to play
together as a unit, and as such much of this release sounds atonal and arty
for the sake of it. They do carry a genuine menace and intensity, but
sacrifice quality control for volume and unnecessary loops and beats.
Sometimes, when your parents refer to the song you’re listening to as a
racket, they’re on to something.
www.myspace.com/1877
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
| |
I have no idea why but I
was expecting something nice and relaxing, the musical equivalent of a
floatation tank if you will, from this split single. Instead Purity have
pounded a hole through my karma with their extremely high energy progressive
house music which definitely takes the 'repeat the lyrics enough and they
will remember them' tactic to the extreme. I mean, the only lyric is in the
title 'Driving Me Insane' as well - you are hardly likely to forget.
Enjoyable but difficult to pass a Rizla between this and Xenmasterdelboy.
www.purity.co.uk
SB |
|
|
|
|
Yet another package and yet another band from
Manchester – it’s a wonder anything gets done in the city, the amount of
people who make music there. Regardless of location, any band who reveals a
kinship with either Radiohead or Jeff Buckley already starts five steps
behind everyone else simply because you have a preconceived idea of how
they’re going to sound.
Happily, Colours Run don’t adhere slavishly to the
slow-fast/quiet-loud dynamic of so many imitators and while their songs
aren’t revolutionary, they’re certainly worth twenty minutes of your time.
‘Old’ in particular has the sort of chord changes in it that James Blunt
would kill to be given by his songwriters, and the title track of this
5-track EP is a typically raucous celebration of outsider chic with
intelligent harmony. So we have an enigma – which Radiohead will Colours Run
turn out to be? The quiet miserablists, or the rockin’ geniuses?
At the moment, Colours Run have a place all of their
very own, and even if it’s just room to nudge a shoulder between two musical
giants from nowhere near Manchester then that’s no mean feat.
www.coloursun.com
www.myspace.com/coloursrun
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
|
|
After a brief confusion
caused by lack of typographical clarity which meant I thought this song was
about some suburb of Liverpool, 'Bootie call' settles into well trodden
indie guitar territory - with Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jnr musical
references aplenty. 'Underground' is the obligatory ballad to complete this
music-by-numbers release. hard to fault but equally hard to warm to in its
own right.
www.secretpolice.tv
SB |
|
|
|
|
Four young chimps from Lincoln with access to brass
both literal (cornet) and metaphorical (for laptops and programming tools),
Iodo make noise both tuneful and baffling and as a consequence, sound like a
particularly brain-fried Tuesday afternoon in the company of William
Burroughs.
I’ve yet to decide whether it’s a good thing. Like a
lot of people, I like jazz but not when it’s too weird, so in effect there’s
jazz (nice bit of trumpet and brushed snare drum) and “jazz” (total fucking
randomness, noise pollution and above my head). On this particular release,
Iodo play a bit of both and I can just about manage to stomach it, but it’s
tough work.
As long as they enjoy it, great, but I get the feeling
Iodo are better at designing album sleeves and coming up with song titles
than actually thinking of anything to say. They’re too intelligent for my
own good, clearly.
www.iodo.co.uk
www.myspace.com/iodotheband
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
|
|
A very pleasant and, for a man
who carries off a passable Robert Smith impression, wonderfully upbeat track
here from Bobby Cook. There's a dizzying flurry of arrangements at work
which sees the staple guitars richly augmented by theremin, strings, bells
and god knows what else. If you are a fan of Ed Harcourt then you'll lap
this up.
www.myspace.com/bobbycookmusic
SB |
| |
|
| |
For a band with a crap pun for a name and one really
famous single to boast of, XTC aren’t half doing a great job of influencing
the alternative music scene these days. Of course, they influence Headlines
as much as any other band, and as such ‘Takeover’ isn’t that far removed
from anything The Futureheads or Maximo Park are producing to larger and
more clued-in audiences.
Having said that, ‘Takeover’ contains as much potential
energy in its three-odd minutes as a toddler full of popping candy and has a
catchiness about it that should see a sizeable number of indie kids
gravitate towards Headlines. I’d rather it was played on Kerrang radio than
a single second of My Chemical Romance’s angst-by-numbers, and playing it in
the local disco will ensure the cool kids all look like tits trying to work
out its jerky rhythm. All in all, pretty ace.
www.myspace.com/headlines
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
|
|
Very, very cool for someone with such an
unfortunate name. A simple ballsy bassline, breathy vocals and an
increasingly spazzy synth part build to form a refreshingly crisp 2 minute
slice of of electro-indie that could only have come from France. The remixes
are invigorating macerated works of genius too - ignore at your peril.
www.alexgopher.net
SB |
| |
|
|
|
Sometimes you get a release to review that’s just
beyond belief. On occasion, that’s a good thing, because you obviously
weren’t expecting it to be a delight and it turned out you were wrong. Other
times, you have a pretty good idea you’re not going to like it.
Unfortunately, that’s what ‘Whatsoever-Never’ turned out to be. I wanted to
like it – it’s a fantasy band consisting of one member, Danish
multi-instrumentalist Martin Nielsen, and multi-instrumentalists tend to
make me go all wibbly simply because I can just about play the chords to
‘Here Comes The Sun’ by The Beatles.
But I do know about reviewing music and I can’t kid
you. Nielsen himself admits that this particular release by The Dear Elaines
is a lo-fi, badly recorded effort with a view to a proper release later in
the year, so what we have here is a taster. Excuse me, but I think I’ve
missed the point. I wouldn’t expect to submit a review on the back of a Corn
Flakes packet, scratched into the card with a blunt pencil. It wouldn’t look
good, and any valid points I had to make would be ignored.
So that’s my advice, really. ‘Whatsoever-Never’ has
decent ideas and a beautiful song in ‘Whatever Happened To Jesamine?’, but
it sounds like it was recorded through a tin can telephone on the top of the
Empire State Building during rush hour. Consequently, it’s lacking purpose,
point, and right this moment, any positive feeling from yours truly.
www.myspace.com/thedearelaines
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
|
|
Alan MX - Strange Bird
The Wookies - Hosepipe Ban
Ben Marwood - More Good Propaganda
Heartwear Process - Humble Pie
What a criminal shame it's taken so long to get down down to this little
beauty in the Tasty CD pile. Alan MX's lo-fi electronica would be worth
getting the CD alone. 'Strange Bird' is a wonderfully baroque sounding slice
of pop that leans towards Napoleon IIIrd but replaces Boney's love of brass
with a deluge of synthy keys and strings - superb.
The Wookies peddle a warm light hearted folky sound which even allows us
to forgive the odd Chris Martin-esque vocal affectation. Ben Marwood
deserves instant credit before even listening to his track for his open
hatred of The OC. Finally Heartwear Process bring Four by Four to a close
with a bit of epic pomp and bluster in their eerie 6 minute opus 'Humble
Pie' which twists and turns more times than hurricane Felix.
All this for a measly £3? Broken tail, you spoil us.
SB |
| |
|
| |
There’s something odd going on in Nottingham, and it’s
very much to my liking. It must be something to do with young lads turning
their backs on the football, which isn’t exactly scaling the heights at the
moment. Regardless, the self-produced stuff I’ve heard from the city in the
last few months has been dark and wonderful, and it was with trembling
fingers that I placed this EP in my player. Coincidentally, I’ve got an
appointment booked at the doctor’s to check for early signs of Parkinson’s
Disease.
Tasteless medical japery aside, it wasn’t what I
expected. Not to say it’s bad, because it’s clearly not, but according to
the press release ‘Drones and Sharp Teeth’ sets out to eschew the
verse-chorus-verse structure Kurt Cobain so despised and give free rein to
musical expression. As a result it kind of falls between two stools – too
melodic to be epic, and too unconventional to be chart-friendly. Not that
that matters but it could be crucial to Thousands Of Reflections if they
want to make a living out of playing music together.
But to put their mind at rest, there is certainly a
place for spacious, grand enterprise in rock, and fans of say, Tool, Perfect
Circle, Sunny Day Real Estate, Cave-In and latterly, Jeremy Enigk will lap
this mother up. Thousands of Reflections are a band with a fine future ahead
of them, and only those blonde twins out of Big Brother could fail to see
why.
www.thousandsofreflections.com
www.myspace.com/thousandsofreflections
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
|
|
Leather pant wearing, snakebite drinking
Whitesnake fans will like this. Adding to the list of bands like The Answer
and The Sound Explosion who think a classic rock and roll sound is the way
forward, the trouble is you either agree with this theory or you don't -
there's no room in the middle.
www.myspace.com/theskiesband
SB |
| |
|
|
|
This Orwellian inspired band from
Manchester seem to harbour some serious intent to make it big. 'Kill Romeo'
is a simmering wash of guitars which all but immerse the heavily distorted
vocals way down in the mix. Which shouldn't work, but it does. Reminds me a
bit of Eminem's 'Stan'. It's a festering sore on the face of the current
pretty boy indie scene and whether you like it or not, you won't be able to
ignore it.
www.smith6079.com
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
Despite the goth-sounding name, Meat for a dark day are a lyrically sharp
band who specialise in kitchen sink tales and swaggery guitars. "Vanity
Unfair" is a punchy, snappy song which recalls the witticisms of Pulp or
Blur - unsurprising given that the single was produced by Ross Orton, who
has also worked with Jarvis. Three Mallards slows the pace a little, with a
mournful, driving sound, which forms an interesting contrast to the A side.
Invited to support Low at the Shepherd Bush Empire, it will be interesting
to see where this band heads next...
Natalie Davies |
|
|
|
|
|
Heart Yeah are a band who apparently formed through a love of shoegazing,
chart topping pop and loud house, and their range of influences is evident
in "Chris Huelsbeck", a synthesised romp through the most dance music from
the past twenty years. The screaming vocals recall The Rapture at their
shoutiest, and build up over a pulsating beat of reverberating guitars and
squealy electronic noises. Not one for the faint-eared, but a danceable
stomp-along nonetheless.
Natalie Davies |
|
|
|
|
|
More ghetto style blues from The Ironweed Project where a Robert Johnson
style blues riff is underpinned by an r'n'b bassline and a load lyrics about
car stereo systems...quite a niche. But there's very little progression
going on - the track just seems to start and stop a bit arbitrarily. Good
voice though.
www.ironweed.co.uk
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
A touch of Beetlebum-era Blur about this one, not just from the estuarial
English but the crisp clicky guitar chops. Good harmless fun stuff.
www.myspace.com/thesteers
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
Uber cool Swedish funkateers Little Dragon have a sound which is very
difficult to categorise or even describe, putting together unusual
combinations of sounds in their precise yet understated compositions.
Reminds me a bit of Dani Siciliano in that although I feel compelled to
listen to it, I never really warm to it.
www.myspace.com/yourlittledragon
SB |
| |
|
|
|
Mucho Casio tones on this one along with potential for pointy dancing in
shirts and trousers which are really just too tight. Throw in a bit of
wobbly B-movie sound effect and you have a damn catchy pop tune, not a
million miles away from the stuff A+E Line are doing. Also my favourite type
of triangle to boot.
www.myspace.com/isoscelestheband
SB |
| |
|
|
|
For all the vagaries of their ever changing personnel and constant
repositioning of themselves in the musical market place, Soho Dolls sure do
write fabulous pop songs. A sinewy guitar hook, the usual weebly synth
trickery and Maya's welcome knack of sugar coating an eye-watering kick in
the balls with her silky voice all make for a winner.
www.sohodolls.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
|
|
Jack Viper seem to have stolen the opening from Guns and Roses' 'You
Could Be Mine' and certainly aren't presenting anything else that doesn't
sound like it was recorded in the early 1990s. It's alright saying that you
are sticking a middle finger up at fashionable mediocrity but then you had
better make damn sure that you are doing something special and I'm not sure
that Jack Viper are anything better than the mediocrity they are supposedly
bucking against.
www.jackviper.com
SB |
| |
|
|
|
Far too much Metallica has been listened to before recording this ode to
'Nothing Else Matters' I reckon. It's all very crisply performed and
produced but you are just waiting and waiting for the big noisy guitar break
and bang! There it is. Special mention should be made to the impressive tub
thumping going on but it can't disguise the fact that the loud bits aren't
quite loud enough and the quiet bits are still a bit too noisy.
www.thecrucible.biz
SB |
| |
|
| |
I had the pleasure of reviewing Mr Cornish’s last
single release, ‘This One’s For You,’ and in effect this next download-only
single is the last step in the phoney war before he drops the bomb, debut
album ‘Until The Traffic Stops.’ There’s nothing I can say that will make
any difference, since Alex no longer needs the help of an independent
fanzine in my opinion.
‘My Word What A Mess’ is an intelligent choice of
single, progressing from his last and showing he’s capable of much more than
strumming. This single is top, the album should be outstanding if he’s on
this kind of form and anyone who disagrees may as well not bother having
ears.
www.alexcornish.com
www.myspace.com/alexcornish
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
|
|
Do you have a little bit of
repressed Anger back there? If so, perhaps The Brownies are the band to
release it for you in 4 short tracks of aggressive, punk enthused anger. The
CD and 7” single are to be released on 29th October and certainly don’t hold
back with their in your face music. The Brownies are a passionately
explosive band. Their music is for those with a little bit of repressed
teenage. I enjoyed it as a passing flash of excitement but a sustained
onslaught of this music I feel would diminish the pleasure. The best song is
‘means to an end’, the rest I felt were weak and a little unfinished, not
quite there. I feel indifferent. 2/5
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
|
|
Oh dear. Desperately earnest stadium
rock with all the excitement of happy hour in Stationery Box. Some really
dated sounding watery guitar effects in both tracks make it sound like this
was written in the 80's (and not in a retro ironic way). one to miss.
www.idiot3.com
SB |
| |
|
|
|
I’m glad this isn’t radio, as I know for sure I can’t
pronounce the name of this band. I’m off to Cardiff University this month
and it will be a miracle if I can master Welsh pronunciation by the end.
This single by Plyci is just about as mad as their pronunciation. This is
electro D&B on speed. The splitting beats and effects jump and bounce all
over the place, it’s hard to know where you are. The music is high octane,
especially on track 1 ‘Blodau’, easily the stand out track on the single. If
you are into your beeps and beeps this is a hearty expression of how best to
display them in a random blast of dotty, dashing noise. The three track
single is great but I feel it really needs an electro nut to truly
appreciate it. It certainly isn’t music you can easily jump into and enjoy.
It’s not that accessible but if you are open to some random bleeps and beats
this is certainly very interesting. ‘Blodau’ seems the most ordered and
organised song on the single. It feels more like a song rather than a random
mash but I honestly can say it’s worth a look. 3/5
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
 |
The single format seems
like the best way to enjoy the work of Prinzhorn Dance School, their
idiosyncratic and unforgiving style wearing down even the hardiest of
reviewers over a longer timespan. Interesting to be told in the press
release how the band love to take time over the B-sides to their single
rather than just including 'a piece of crap on the B-side. when this single
comes with no B-side whatsoever.
The track itself? Well, it's short, a little bit bleak and a bit too
clever for its own good. Brash intermittent drums, a simple bassline and
slightly pretentious vocals give this the feel of a track conceived in an
art college somewhere.
www.prinzhorn-dance-school.com
Watch video to 'Crackerjack
Docker'
SB |
| |
|
| |
The Rackatears from Colwyn Bay in Wales play
indie rock songs which are solid and enjoyable. Track 2 ‘Moron Sunday’ is
the best on the single. Their songs are interesting and well constructed.
They perhaps lack a bit of an edge but they are enjoyable none-the-less. You
can sense influences coming through from The Super Furry Animals among
others. Their music has not just been confined to the North West of Wales.
Having played in the North of England among other places the Racketears are
a nice band with some great songs. 3/5
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
| |
Unlikely bedfellows that they are, this single
manages to bring together rap, metal, electro and hip hop in not too painful
a method. there are times when 'Crusader' sounds a little bit like
Chumbawamba but other than that they could do a lot worse. 'Breathing Space'
is anything but - it's a breathless jaunt through riffs and rapidfire MCing
which sounds a bit like U2s version of the Mission Impossible sound track.
They should really lose the excessive break down at the end though.
www.myspace.com/afdshift SB |
| |
|
|
|
Championed by the ever inspirational Huw
Stephens Threatmantics have brought an original blend of fiddle, electronics
and off-kilter beats, intertwined with Welsh vocals Threatmantics may not
appear the most accessible band but you take them for what they are. They
have an odd mix of melodies which seem fresh out of the local dementia ward.
The fiddle adds to this feeling, creating a weird effect. The music is
unashamedly D.I.Y and Threatmantics are hard to stick with. Give em a try.
2/5
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
|
|
the Birmingham Post suggest that 'Midas
show a golden touch with new single'. Do you see what they did there? I can
forgive this appealing bit of lazy journalism when faced with yet another
soundalike Fall Out Boy wannabe. Heady topics like going out in trendy shoes
that hurt your feet are given a severe going over. Dismal.
www.midas-official.com
SB |
|
|
|
|
The worst thing about this single is
that that there are only two tracks. This band are extremely fresh and
interesting. Their afro beat, ska, jazz funk sound is irresistible. Entirely
sung in Welsh with even Welsh rap from Mr Phormula it is hard to understand
what is going on, but it is fairly irrelevant, the songs are enjoyable for
their jazz/funk gypsy bounce. Both songs on the single are incredibly
enjoyable and if you haven’t experienced your obligatory dose of Welsh music
Derwyddon DR Gonzo is a perfect place to start, even if you can’t say
they’re name. Horns, and jazzy stuff. Who can argue. 3/5
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
|
|
Palladium may have invented the 'pop
opera' - the more light hearted cousin of our aged friend the rock opera.
All very camp - like Fleetwood Mac challenging Stevie Wonder to see who canh
write the next title music for Crossroads. Bafflingly scary.
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
Those missing Pixies – and there must be a few – can
look no further than this quite wonderful new single by New Pornographers.
It’s both cute and sinister, both creepy and loveable, both catchy and epic,
and always nothing less than excellent. And, yeah, it knows its hooks. So,
you see, new music can be fun sometimes, it’s just that I never expected New
Pornographers to show me just how much fun.
Sam Metcalf |
| |
|
|
|
This posthumous release by the Mojo Fins who lost their singer in a road
accident in may is a lovely little piece - all twinkly and gentle but with
an ever so slightly off kilter edge that stops it from being too twee. Fans
of Monkey Swallows the Universe will love it. In fact, anyone with a bit of
sense will love it. Bonus track 'Beneath Stations is equally as wonderful -
what a loss to the south coast music scene and beyond.
www.themojofins.com
SB |
| |
|
| |
I dunno
whether it’s because the sun is shining outside, or what, but I’m hearing
lots of POP music into today’s reviews. ‘Alcohol’ is a perky little fucker,
and is much better – and less annoying – than other CSS stuff I’ve heard. It
sounds a lot like Brix-era Fall, and therefore can not fail to be anything
less than wonderful. It often takes a sunny day to make me admit to liking
stuff.
Sam Metcalf
|
|
|
|
|
|
The highlights
of the pedal guitar working with the brass section distinctly earths this
track in the wilds the north west of England rather than the wild west that
the otherwise Americana tinged tones suggest. But yet again I cannot
warm to the vocal style and am left feeling like this is another missed
opportunity.
www.bone-box.com
SB |
|
|
|
|
Ooh, cascading, noisy guitars. Nice. And although this
often descends dangerously close to Interpol, there’s enough here to remind
of when guitar bands didn’t have to pretend that it was 1983 again. This
sounds like a proper demo, and, of course that’s what it, but it’s so nice
to hear that now and again. Cuddly.
Sam Metcalf |
| |
|
|
|
Not
surprisingly for an imprint which launched the likes of Edwyn Collins, The
Divine Comedy and Richard Hawley, Setanta stick close to home with this
gentle ramble from The Tacticians. there's a touch of vintage Bowie lurking
in the vocal intonations and scruffy sax parts there as well if you really
look out for it. Altogether quite pleasing actually.
www.thetacticians.com
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
What a terrible name for a song. And what a terrible
song. Spoken word lyrics over a terribly over-produced, sub-Kaiser Chiefs
backdrop. The b-side is better in a late-Sugarcubes way, but it’s still
shite.
Sam Metcalf |
| |
|
|
|
Another solid effort from Brother Ryder which
doesn't stray too far from the original Manchester scene baggy style. Catchy
basslines, easy to sing along to while drunk in a club vocals and big chorus
with female vocal harmonies. Now there used to be this band called the Happy
Mondays...
www.bigarm.co.uk
SB |
|
|
|
| |
Why, oh why? Why? This veers – disastrously – from the
usual bank of chugging guitars, to – remarkably – some kind of hackneyed
skank. Whilst all the time the singer asks what a pretty girl is doing in a
place like this. He’ll never pull with lines like that. Or songs like this.
Sam Metcalf |
| |
|
|
|
Amazingly Plastic Toys
have managed to imbue this otherwise gruesomely twisted slice of electro
thrash with all the machismo-laced, leather-clad stadium rock pomp of Bon
Jovi. So near yet so far. 'Superfreak' maintains a bit more of that
scuzziness that I need but still feels the need to go along with a big rock
sing along chorus. Massively frustrating as otherwise it's hard to fault.
www.plastictoys.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
|
|
Heavens. Is Robert Plant in the house? The Checks rock
hard, and are probably Very Hairy Indeed. After listening to a few other
things today this seems like a welcome break, but that’s more of a
reflection on the other stuff than ‘What You Heard’. For muthas everywhere.
Sam Metcalf |
|
|
|
|
|
You see, Plastic Toys? The Tumbledown Estate put
their foot down from the start and never let up with their electro spaz
assault. Munch Munch could be the not so long lost brothers of The
Tumbledopwn Estate seeing as they sound uncannily similar. Gay Against You?
Ditto Munch Munch, but slowed down and slightly more psychedelic. It's left
to Lonely Ghosts to provide a slightly more conventional musical direction.
Well, ever so slightly different - at least most of the vocals are not
distorted unlike their predecessors. Quite hard on the ears and speakers as
an EP but four great bands which would be worthy of a separate listen each.
www.oibrecords.com
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
This reminds me of Bob Harris, and the Old Grey Whistle
Test. Does that make me old, or does it mean that ‘Freckle Song’ is a boring
old piece of toss? Possibly both.
Sam Metcalf |
|
|
|
| |
The fact that the guitar
riff is pounded out through what sounds like a vintage valve amp is not
enough to recommend this song alone. But it nearly is. The fact that is
sounds like a rockabilly version of the Stooges 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' can be
overlooked seeing as it is one of the best singles I've heard this month.
Stuck in the past? Me? What do you mean - it was only released in July...
www.seagullstrange.com
SB |
| |
|
| |
Ma! Shut the parlour door – I’m trying to listen to
Butcher Boy!
Butcher’s Boy’s new ep (is it their debut? Who cares!)
is as quiet as a mouse, but nowhere near as scary. I’ll talk about the title
track, because it’s by far and away the best here. It’s the sort of song you
can wrap your arms around whether you’ve just fallen completely in love, or
have just been dropped from the top of the Town Hall. And it’s beautiful.
And you should love it. And you will.
Sam Metcalf |
| |
|
| |
Soft, soft, loud. Despite the
forgettable fey verse which has been done a million times Serotone come good
with a ball breaking chorus. Shoddy drum production spoils it a bit - I
don't want to hear a snare drum that sounds like it came from Toys r Us but
the layers of guitars add a decent bit of meatiness to counterbalance the
melancholic vocals and the outro is a beast.
www.serotoneband.co.uk
SB |
|
|
|
| |
Go For Blue is one of the highlights from Pepe Deluxe’s
fabulous album Spare Time Machine. The track features everything from a
sixties retro organ sound, half sung have spoken vocals and a hip swinging
riff. Happy, happy and more happy, with a side order of out of the
ordinary.
The Viva Voce Remix sounds like it samples KT Tunstall,
but here’s hoping that’s just my imagination. The stripped down
instrumentation and addition of electric guitar gives the track a more
sultry and sophisticated feel and show casing the sublime vocals.
Catriona Boyle |
|
|
|
|
|
Remember when Damien Rice released Cannonball and all
of a sudden it wasn’t the delicate song from O anymore but an over produced
insincere ballad? Well the curse of the over zealous producer strikes again
on Dogs, beefing it up into something it really isn’t. The inclusion of
vocals from the now departed Lisa Hannigan are also a bit of a mystery-
surely it would have been best to take them off for the single release?
Losing most of it’s charm by starting off the track with drums, strings, and
extra guitar instead of the wonderful build up on the album version, Dogs
has gone to the dogs a bit really.
www.damienrice.com
Catriona Boyle |
| |
|
| |
After a press releasing featuring a load of guff about
New Zealand I was none the wiser when I popped the CD in as to the delights
or catastrophes that awaited.
Oddly enough though, shocking is a rather handy word
when it comes to reviewing this CD. The vocals on first track, This Aching
Deal are flatter than a contestant on X Factor and that’s the best thing it
has going for it. Perhaps that explains why track two, August 3rd, is a
lap-top fiddling ambient-pop instrumental.
Track three brings another chance of direction –
including one halfway through the track when the electric guitars suddenly
melt into acoustics and it moves away from its rock beginnings and ends in a
mellower indie fashion. Bizarre.
Although these collection of singles, are simply that
and shouldn’t feature any kind of linear structure that an album might, its
hard to get away from the glaringly obvious mish mash of styles and genres
which make the whole thing rather, well, shocking.
www.myspace.com/shockingpinks
Catriona Boyle |
| |
|
 |
Everything In Its Right Place is a Radiohead cover.
Having absolutely no interest or knowledge of Radiohead I can’t tell you if
it’s any good or not I’m afraid. According to the press release it’s
‘(almost) unrecognisable’. It still sounds really dreary and depressing a la
Radiohead to me, but then what would I know.
The key word for Steve Adey seems to be “minimal” as
most tracks rarely feature more than one or two instruments and vocals. As
nice as this can be, the slow tempo and what seems like just a bit too much
effort on the vocals means the tracks often drag and lack sincerity.
www.steveadey.com
Catriona Boyle |
| |
|
| |
While many singer songwriters come and go, some
achieving huge success and then vanishing, others never really make it,
Joseph Arthur has been a constant throughout. Occasionally popping into the
mainstream when his song is featured in an advert or on a TV show, he is
somewhat of a hidden gem.
Enough To Get Away is another quality track, and Arthur
makes the art of songwriting seem like a simple task. With his trademark
acoustic guitars, voice, and sharp observations this is another underrated
winner.
www.josepharthur.com
Catriona Boyle |
|
|
|
| |
Last time I heard this guy he was going on about how
good the eighties were. Clearly he’s part of the generation that don’t
really remember the eighties, and therefore for some bizarre reason think
they were rather cool.
Merrymaking At My Place is another uninspired pointless
outing for Mr Harris. Lacking both melody, instruments and vocals that
haven’t been tampered with this really is an utter waste of time. Perhaps
the eighties were better…
www.calvinharris.tv
Catriona Boyle |
|
|
| |
very mellow stuff from Chocolate
Tannoy, a la Stateless or Brian Eno maybe. This is laid back with slightly
squelchy beats and free ranging piano keys. Nothing to get you dancing on
your seat but decent enough chill-out music.
www.myspace.com/chocolatetannoy
SB |
| |
|
| |
Scratchy rock guitars and vocal posturing abound. A
bit like a lack lustre version of 'Down in a Hole' by Alice in Chains for
the most part. Takes to long to get going then drifts off into an acoustic
bridge (not to mention a long fade out). Very pass overable.
www.irritantonline.co.uk
SB |
|
|
|
|
|
30 Seconds to Mars are a band who are well on their way
to stardom, compromising of four band members hailing from LA, California.
30 Seconds to Mars, entered the studio with Josh
Abraham, who produced the Grammy award winning Velvet Revolver record to
produce A Beautiful Lie, which this song is taken from. 30 Seconds to Mars
began in April 2004 and worked on and off in six different studios before
finishing the album.
30 Seconds to Mars' self-titled 2002 debut established
the group as fresh, new force, and now, with their follow-up, A Beautiful
Lie, frontman Jared Leto wanted to explore an entirely new, far more
confessional sonic landscape.
From start to finish, A Beautiful Lie is a story
riddled with pain, frustration and ambition. The album is about brutal
honesty, growth, change. It's an incredibly intimate look into a life that
is in the crossroads. A raw emotional journey. A story of life, love, death,
pain, joy, and passion. Of what it is to be human."
"The Kill" is reflective, driven by beautifully complex guitars with an
energy coming through the speakers, carrying an emotional quality and
rawness, not dissimilar to bands such as Funeral For A Friend and Chemical
Romance. I really love this track and was left wanting more.
http://30secondstomars.com
Sonia
Waterfield
|
|
|
|
| |
A bit of a slow builder this one but then when it eventually gets going
it is all over far to quickly. Surely one of Dance to the Radio's better
acts, Sky Larkin have a great formula combining Katie's vulnerable sounding
voice with some nice bassy lines and dark chord progressions. With B-side
'Keepsakes' providing equally sinister overtones, this single belongs in
your collection.
www.myspace.com/skylarkinskylarkin
SB |
| |
|
| |
This is
actually very, very good. Philadelphia's mewithoutYou remind me of all the
best bits of SixbySeven and Punish the Atom - all that ridiculous urgency
coming through in the music. But this is also accompanied by the sort of
poignancy associated more recently with The Twilight Sad. Excellent.
watch the video to 'Nice
and Blue (Part two)'
www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou
SB |
| |
|
| |
Deary me, I didn't know Billy Idol had
started a new project? What's that? He hasn't? Emigrate is fronted by
Rammstein's ex guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe? Well when a band is described
'Germany's premier hard rock act' you should fear the worstand 'New York
City' doesn't nothing to allay these fears.
www.emigrate.eu
SB |
| |
|
| |
Hard to believe
Felix has been at this for 20 years. 'Something for Porno' still sounds
fresh and could teach the young pretenders a thing or two in the art of
writing some catchy tunes, filling them with samples and setting them to a
boppy beat that your kid sister would dance to at her school disco.
Watch video to 'Something
Like Porno'
www.myspace.com/felixdahousecat
SB |
|
|
 |
The first time I've
received a Calla CD that hasn't been a meticulously hand packaged affair.
Well all good things have to come to an end, especially as things are
getting busier and busier for the band with the forthcoming support slot on
the iLiKETRAiNs tour. Fortunately what is lost from the package is made up
for in the construction of these two songs which are works of art in their
own right.
'A Moment of Clarity' is a broody epitaph which lurches along through
changing dynamics like the personal turmoil being described. There are great
swathes of brass filling out the mix which remains refreshingly crisp and 'unproduced'.
'Lincon' is a more balladic drone with a vaguely Karma Coma-esque drum beat
and just seems to drift effortlessly across 4 minutes. Fine tunes from
Leicester and great work from Rich at Gizeh - here's hoping they both reap
the rewards of all the efforts.
www.hernameiscalla.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
| |
Nifty, crisp guitar pop tunes
which I'm sure incorporate a kazoo at points (or is it just an incredibly
high vocal, or maybe even sax). Choppy time changes and vaguely Zappa-esque
- this should appeal the good youth of the nation.
www.myspace.com/kingsomniac
SB |
| |
|
| |
I
remember raising a cheeky smile when I opened this package many weeks ago.
Stinky Munchkins - funny buggers. 'Release the Lions' sounds like the kind
of mash up you'd get if you locked The Scissor Sisters and Alice Cooper in a
tool shed with only a Casio and dictaphone for company. There's glimpses of
how good this could sound but on the whole that is all they are, glimpses
and in the whole this just doesn't really work as a 'song'. Soz.
www.myspace.com/munchko
SB |
| |
|
| |
Okay, so I’m sat here listening to
this new band called The Killin Kings, and being 2007 and Fall Out Boy being
the supposed saviors of rock music it’s fair to say that my expectations
weren’t too high. Fortunately though, the EP seems more reliant on grunge
and the overall sound of their music than making a bold fashion statement.
The music seems to be everything that Lostprophets promised with their first
album mixed with the legacy of Kurt Cobain which, if you ask me, is a very
good cocktail indeed. The result being an EP which emits just as much energy
as it consumed.
Brad Bailey |
| |
|
| |
Some things are just wrong. This is
wrong. Irish music should be U2. The Pogues. Err, Boyzone, Enya.. well,
maybe not. Well certainly not according to Republic of Loose who sound more
like a Gallic Timbaland. Are they joking or is this serious?
www.republicofloose.com
SB |
| |
|
| |
Midlands duo Oliver Williams and
Ryan Davis have managed to create a sort of middle of the road pastiche of
Brit Pop with 'The Going' which is equal parts Suede, Blur, Radiohead and
Placebo with a large lashing of Jarvis Cocker for vocals. And for all that
it's not half bad, if a little static in terms of musical creativity.
www.myspace.com/wildadclubmusic
SB |
| |
|
| |
Yes! It’s finally happened
Coffeekillers’ EP starts off with the K Billy’s Supersounds Of The 70’s
introduction which any Tarantino fan will instantly recognize from the film
Reservoir Dogs. Onto the music though, it has a sound which I have never
heard before, but that hopefully I will hear again. The vocals aren’t
overpowering or overrated in anyway, the lyrics aren’t your everyday fallen
troubadour lyrics, the drums aren’t in your face, everything just seems so
comfortable, so happy. The sound effects are as interesting as the music,
these include Krusty’s laugh from The Simpsons, a gun shot, farm noises. How
do they work you ask? Against all odds they fit perfectly with the music.
Enjoy this music as much as Coffeekillers themselves do. Warning, not to be
taken too seriously.
www.myspace.com/coffeekillers
Brad Bailey |
| |
|
| |
Very cool
clipped guitar which sounds so now and so NME either hides or helps mask the
fragile vocals of the lead track. I found the B-side 'Radicals' altogether
more interesting, with the guitars used like an alarm call - cutting and
slashing on and off throughout this brief musical yomp. More please.
SB |
| |
|
| |
Infuriatingly catchy chorus, bouncy, boingy, bleepy beats and a furious rap
which veers between ripping off the Shamen and Mike Skinner - readers, we
have a winner of late autumn dance mash up most likely to get you dancing
like a twat in a club award. I really liked the Jel remix too - smoothes out
the rougher edges of the original radio edit. 8-bit- mongous.
www.myspace.com/lesacvspip
SB |
| |
|
 |
Prolific bunch, that Archie Bronson Outfit. Seems the guitarist and
drummer got seriously inspired during the making of "Derdang Derdang" and
cranked out another entire album over one weekend - blimey! Judging by this
single, their stuff's fuzzer, heavier, more straightforward than the ABO's
blues/jazz fusion, but with Sam Windett's grating yowl smeared all over it
the distinction isn't as clear as it should be. Does anyone else find his
voice really annoying or is it just me?
Will Columbine |
| |
|
| |
If I ran a record label, I'd sign two kinds of bands: the kind that gets
lots of critical praise and the kind that gets lots of critical praise and
makes lots of money. Seems simple enough. So why are Domino frittering away
all that lovely Artic Monkeys money on twee, forgettable crap like The Royal
We? If there's a reasonable explanation then someone please enlighten me.
Watch the video to 'All
the Rage'
Will Columbine |
| |
|
| |
Screams "big indie pop hit". My brain has pigeonholed it thus. It's
something I do. I listen to music and I can't help thinking "this lies
between x-indie pop band and y-indie pop band". This sends my brain into
hyperdrive. Joy Division references (well, yes, obviously), perfect pop
chorus, "smart" or "witty" lyrics (depends how serious you take the song)...
Leaving aside all aspects of the record that make you think "have I heard
this before?" (it does sound rather a lot like their tour buddies The
Holloways) it is a catchy, fast-paced slice of pop magic that will have you
smiling gleefully. B-side "Derail and Crash" is another chirpy, lively indie
pop song, complete with girls singing in the background and somewhat perfect
but not exactly original (sounds a bit like Snow Patrol's "Spitting Games")
guitar lines. Summer pop in a late-Summer pop guise.
Watch the video to 'Let's
Dance to Joy Division'
Phil Coales |
| |
|
| |
Quite satisfyingly pleasing shoe-gaze here, like being woken from slumber
by your pet pooch licking your face. 'Planet' is 'epic', 'cinematic', in
fact, it is 'nu-gaze' apparently. Why do we need all these labels? I'm
afraid it didn't exactly prickle the hairs on my neck but even I was not
stone hearted enough not to at least enjoy this. Some people say I am too
harsh on bands sometimes. If they ever say it to my face I'll give them a
smack.
SB |
| |
|
 |
Indie country from Cherry Ghost, aka Bolton's Simon Aldred, a band very
much hyped for their sparse, Americana-influenced brand of modern
storytelling. It's pleasant, but pleasant in the sense that Simon's voice is
bordering on tired-sounding, and in a way that means the song plods along at
a pace just too slow to jog to. Although you wouldn't be jogging to this -
you'd be sitting alone on a sofa somewhere, sipping a hot drink and
wondering whatever happened to Starsailor.
Watch video to '4am'
Phil Coales |
| |
|
| |
The powerful voice of Sian Evans backed by clever electronic beats and a
well structured song is a pretty much guaranteed winning formula as far as
electro-pop is concerned. As long as it's appreciated in context - Kosheen
have been churning out great pop songs since "All In My Head" drifted onto
mainstream radio. This, predictably, isn't remarkably forward thinking as
far as the beat goes, but with a catchy refrain of "Is it over now?" it is a
big sounding song that is sure to fire Kosheen to the forefront of
everybody's minds again.
www.kosheen.com
Phil Coales |
| |
|
| |
Let me first qualify this review by stating that I am a huge fan of The
Chemical Brothers. I've seen them play twice this year, superb both times.
But I HATE this single! It was the one track on the album that I could not
leave to play - I always have to skip it - the Sesame Street style voice
over and the speak and spell salmon voice - what the hell are you thinking
of Dust Brothers? Strictly gimmic value only.
www.thechemicalbrothers.com
SB |
| |
|
| |
There are lots of ace things about this straight up, rocking powerpop
outing from Leeds youngsters International Trust. The title track, with a
memorable refrain of "Isn't it fun when things go wrong?" will stick in your
head for days. "Disneyland" - "I've got a brand new plan / We're off to
Disneeey-laaand!" is funny but well executed, complete with noisy guitars
and spat-out vocals that mean it could be equally at home on Gallows' tour
bus stereo system as on their myspace page. Then... there a few ever so
slightly less ace things on this EP. "I Can't Believe You Fell In Love (With
A Bastard Like Me)" is a pretty slow, self-deprecating ballad, which isn't a
bad thing, just it seems quite out of place on next to the other songs.
Finally, "Show Me The Money" is a cynical kick out at the music industry.
It's packed full of Beatles and Ramones-baiting lyrics, and though it tries
to be provocative and is funny, it's a little pretentious, and seeing as
it's only carried by a pretty simplistic rock band. All in all a fun, hard
EP, but a little rough round the edges. Though that's probably how they like
it.
Phil Coales |
| |
|
| |
A weird and compelling hybrid of break beats, squeaking synths and
deadpan vocals see Radio Ladio make up a really interesting listen.
Definitely genre defying, there are more of the strange boing boing beats in
'Are mums Mates' which is like a cross between 'Charlie Says' by the Prodigy
and almost anything by Bentley Rhythm ace. Why mess around with guitars and
drums when you can knock up something this exciting with just a few synths
and samplers? The Casiocore of 'Hear to Wear' is as good as I've ever heard.
I have sat up and taken notice.
www.metronomy.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
| |
This is Rory’s debut single, so let’s be nice. Just
like his debut single, in fact. It’s so nice that you could ice the mother
and put a load of candles on top, and you could probably eat it without
putting on any inches around your waist. I realise that doesn’t tell you
much about the sound, but it does give you everything you need to know.
Rory’s got a lovely voice and can clearly play, but
this choice of single to be plucked from his debut is probably the wrong one
– instead of charging about letting everyone know he’s in the room, it seems
Rory is meekly raising his hand while standing at the back. It’s
frustrating, because from the evidence of his catalogue he is capable of
cutting loose in magical ways. Hopefully Rory will recognise this and will
only improve.
www.rorymcvicar.com
www.myspace.com/rorymcvicar
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
| |
Ahh, Falconetti. A Falconetti track is to your standard single release
what Da Vinci's Michelangelo is to a set of Handy Andy's MDF shelves. Every
note is hewn from pure musical marble, perfect and pristine. 'Finisterre' is
no exception, being a broody, atmospheric beast which sees the return of
Emma's barely lucid vocals perfectly complementing the ringing guitar tones
and echoey drums. Whilst building to a climax of sorts, it differs from
previous Falconetti singles such as 'Body of Water' and 'Kino' by not having
that pant-rattling blast of bass as a crescendo.
Falconetti have been doing tracks this for ages and never really got much
credit. Maybe now with the current popularity of the related sounds of
Vessels, iLiKETRAiNS, These monsters etc on the Leeds music scene,
Falconetti will finally be appreciated for the jewel that they undoubtedly
are.
www.falconetti.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
| |
Cambridge’s answer to So Solid Crew (well, there are
more members in The Pony Collaboration by my estimation) don’t do a lot of
frontin’ but there’s a strong Yankee influence to this first single from
their self-titled debut.
‘The Fast Lane’ is like a delicate mixture of Belle &
Sebastian trying their hardest to figure out The Thrills’ first album, and
while that’s maybe a back-handed compliment, it’s certainly inoffensive.
Vocalists Claire Williams and James Scallan find themselves riding a slight
melody; the equivalent of surfing in the shallow end, in that there’s no
danger of being in any danger but if The Pony Collaboration can use their
eight members’ musical talents to create a more current and insistent sound,
they may turn a few heads.
www.theponycollaboration.com
www.myspace.com/theponycollaboration
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
| |
From the label which seems to scour Scandanavia for unusual sounding
bands with unpronounceable names comes Ungdomskulen. Although they are from
Norway and Ungdomskulen means middle school in Norwegian, cast aside any
preconceptions of adolescent Aha copyists. 'Ordinary Son' is a super tight,
rivetting bass driven track the likes of which could grace a Fugazi album.
It's heavy in part with chunky Nirvana-esque bass and chords, it's light in
parts with falsetto vocals. If Ever do put out any bad records I'm yet to
hear one.
www.ungdomskulen.com
SB |
| |
|
| |
There's a nice folky stoner-rock vibe to this track, despite some keys
threatening to get a bit cheesey half way through. I notice it's copyrighted
in 2006 but is about to appear as incidental music on a new Ewan McGregor
documentary this autumn - a cynical attempt to cash in perhaps? Maybe, but
I'll forgive them for the glorious clattering middle chorus.
www.50hertz.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
| |
There's no disguising the fact that Mark E Smith is instrumental in the
success of Von Sudenfed but he almost plays second fiddle in 'The Rhinohead'
to the pounding keys based northern soul rhythm. Not so in the B-side 'Slow
Down Ronnie' which is pure Smith, though set over a fine dance beat. This
just shows what a supremely successful and unexpected collaboration Von
Sudenfed have turned out to be.
SB |
| |
|
| |
There's a vaguely Stooges dirtiness to 'Hero' which has parts that sound
a bit like 'the Passenger'. On the other hand, there are other parts which
sound nothing like Iggster's mob, but more like marching music for an indie
guitar army. I find myself being unusually drawn - maybe it's the guitar
hook (which must be the most insistent since Suede's 'Animal Nitrate' or
maybe it's because I'm feeling generous. Have a listen yourself.
www.myspace.com/myriadcreatures
SB |
| |
|
| |
I spent the first 2 minutes of this record thinking that Ida had a speech
impediment that made her sound like she was repeating 'Fank youu' over and
again before I realised she was saying 'Find a cure'. At least I think
that's what she was saying. But I was also so thankful that this was not
another Kaiser Chiefs cover that the error soon faded into the past. 'Oh My
God' is a frantic, frenetic cry for help that clatters around in great
sheets of noise in an indie-pop stylee quite gloriously.
www.myspace.com/idamaria
SB |
| |
|
| |
Despite the bleeping out of the
words ‘teenage sex’ and ‘marajuana’ (what is this, the 1950s?) from the
chorus, this single remains a searing, driving, anthemic jaunt along the
boundaries of pop, electro and indie music. Frequent changes in pace and a
huge inventory of sounds somehow work really well. There’s a particularly
lairy synth that enters after about a minute and disappears soon after, I
wait for this sound in anticipation every time, because it shouldn’t fit,
but it does, and I like that.
All that variety makes it ripe for
remixes, the Mark One ‘version’ is a real speaker tester, featuring some of
the deepest sub-bass I have ever heard. But the standout remix is definitely
the Infadels’ effort, which strings out the chorus and then borrows heavily
from Daft Punk with crispy, filtered keys and a magical new bassline.
Watch video to 'Summer'
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
| |
I was really looking forward to
hearing Does it Offend You Yeah?, but, I was a bit disappointed. They’re
basically a bit shouty and a bit all over the place. There’s a leaning
towards including some electronic points of reference over the top of some
quintessentially British sounding new-wave indie music and it kind of works,
but only in a haphazard fashion. The vocalist tries a little too hard to
hold it all together by squealing like a shot goat and it all falls down a
bit with an indecisive chorus.
Watch the video to 'Let's
Make Out'
www.doesitoffendyou.com
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
| |
Plans & Apologies have done it once again. With this EP they have created
yet more music, displaying their genuine talent, ability and song writing
capabilities. The lead track on this EP - of sorts – ‘Meetoo’ is joyously
upbeat and bouncy, with some original vocals and happy dance melodies you
can’t help but smile at the brilliance of this band and all they seem to do
is keep releasing songs for our pleasure. I just hope more and more of us
can appreciate their hearty, homemade slices of musical talent. They seem to
be continuously writing and are a band who deserve much greater recognition
than they currently are graced with. Each one of their songs is expertly
played and written often with a bit of a comic edge. Track two, ‘Mel
Gibson’s...IRAQ!’ takes a more political tone but with a slight comic edge.
There is an unmistakeable Plans & Apologies style which is both interesting
and progressive and I am sure will win hearts so seek out Plans & Apologies.
I suggest you go to their website first on which there are absolutely loads
of free songs to download, after which I urge you to support this band by
buying their music.
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
 |
Inhabiting the vast middle ground
where only an epic swirling organ can set you apart from the Killers,
Manchester Orchestra unleash Wolves upon us, At Night, which would be
frightening if it wasn’t so bland. The vocals have more than a hint of Brian
Molko about them, but the standard-sub-standard mid-nineties arrangement is
limp and uninspiring.
B-side Sacred Heart is a softly
spoken ballad which is quite beautiful in a simplistic artful way, a finger
picked acoustic guitar gently accompanies some bland lyrical content and it
washes over the listener like a warm gentle wave, which isn’t at all
unpleasant. Doesn’t make me want to listen to anything else they’ve done
though.
www.themanchesterorchestra.com
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
| |
What can only be described as electro pop rock, suzerain make fairly
toe-tapping electro rock, but unfortunately The use of synchs turn out a bit
cheesy and the overall sound seems a bit confused. This band I would imagine
are a band to enjoy live. On record they come across fairly repetitive and
boring. The band does nothing to push my buttons and knocks out five songs
which seem to blend seamlessly into each other to create one long ear ache.
A bit of 80’s cheese seems to creep through, which I’ll leave you to decide
whether or not is a good thing. Distinctly average.
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
 |
You’ll have heard this record a few
times by now, it has been to number one, featured on the playlists of every
major radio station and struck a note with the public, uniting fans of every
genre in their admiration for the Scandanavian songstress. Or has it? I
can’t find anyone who enthuses about Robyn, except Jo Whiley, but that
doesn’t count because she’s arguably celebrity and decisively, an idiot.
To me it sounds massively over
produced and full of forced emotion, rendering it cynically charmless.
Surely someone else must feel this way? Please, let me know if you do.
Watch video to 'With
Every Heartbeat'
www.robyn.com
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
 |
The Republic of Loose have an undeniably original sound and I have
enjoyed several of their releases over the years. However I am left
disappointed, irritated and pretty pissed with their latest release
‘Comeback Girl’ a track which sounds like it’s been stuck on repeat far too
long. It’s not dynamic or interesting, it’s a simple, repetitive and almost
painful riff with vocals almost completely comprised of the line “This Is My
Comeback Girl” Which honestly does piss you off after about 1 listen. I was
also extremely surprised to find a remix by none Snow Patrol, and oh how I
wish they hadn’t bothered. The re-mix makes no improvement to the track and
sounds like it’s the first time they’ve ever been let loose on a mixing
desk, distinctly underwhelming both the Snow Patrol Remix and original which
should stay stashed away on a top shelf, out of the reach of any
impressionable youngsters.
www.republicofloose.com
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
| |
Strange, quiet, noises… yelps… Rage.
A little bit of a melody… more Rage. This isn’t music for relaxing. On the
contrary dear, its music for blowing stuff up, demolition, anger and
occasionally a little introspection. Oakwood are clearly trying to do some
creative things to set them apart from the stop-start dreary adolescent
metal that clutters up the music scene and, to a large extent, it works.
There’s a lot of use of suspense and
silence, in almost every track, accompanied by some truly disturbing lyrics
and brutal riffs. Its not my cup of tea really, if I’m honest, but I am
capable of telling good from bad and this is good.
KrissKross is the standout track,
melding post-rock and dark screaming lyrics, the song takes a long time to
build to a crescendo of smashed up guitars. In a similar vein, the dark and
disturbing acoustic ditty of Loche, threatens something of a chaotic sea
shanty which is always splintered by screaming hardcore before it can break
out fully. So, another British band making wonderful, off kilter music then?
Yep, for sure, if they focus away from some of the more predictable stuff on
here, like Dogs Can See Ghosts, then there’s a future for them in the hearts
and broken minds of some of this country’s more experimental music fans.
Ian Anderson |
| |
|
 |
Following Edwyn's massive stroke a couple of years back it is truly
remarkable that this single even exists for us to review. The fact that it
does exist is a huge credit to Edwyn's determination to get back to doing
what he does best, writing great pop tunes such as this. 'You'll Never
Know', the first track to be taken from his new album 'Home Again', is a
highly polished effort with an easy-going loping beat which gives the track
a real summery feel (a tad late for summer now but never mind). Edwyn
effortlessly croons and swoons over the top with sharp lyrics such as
'head's in a muddle / and that's the trouble with love'. An impressive
comeback and a nice taster for the album. It's good to have him back.
http://www.myspace.com/edwyncollins
Watch video to 'You'll
Never know'
Tony Robinson |
| |
|
 |
Thankfully nothing like that instantly dismissable Test Icicles group wot
Devonte Hynes (the Champion himself) used to be a member of, "Midnight
Surprise" is where all those Lemonheads comparisons I hear being bandied
about start to make a bit more sense. Indeed, Hynes recorded his forthcoming
debut album with Bright Eyes producer Mike Mogis so it's fairly obvious what
sort of niche he's attempting to ease himself into. Not that Dando or Oberst
ever put out a ten-minute single, mind you, and seeing as they're both much
better songwriters you won't be shocked to learn that the radio edit is much
more palatable, though still nothing to get excited about. Nice bit of slide
guitar at the beginning, mind.
Will Columbine |
| |
|
| |
It’s amazing how much noise a threesome can make, as I
said apologetically to my neighbour this morning. Feeder, for example, are
always shouting about something. Nirvana were an incredibly shouty bunch of
lads. Peter, Paul and Mary, on the other hand, are the exception that proves
the rule. Kenjiro’s self-imposed mandate is to rock the balls off of you
(unless you don’t have them, in which case you’re way ahead of those that
do).
Do they succeed? Does the Pope crap in the woods? Yeah,
they’re pretty rockin.’ Dan Banfield’s bass work in particular is something
to get in a twist about, and the Londoners are more on the loud end of the
spectrum, but it’s all a bit safe, if you get what I mean. Less Foo Fighters
and more Fightstar - that’s fine if you fancy listening to something like
Busted: The Teenage Years, but they don’t spit out chicken carcasses between
breaths like Motorhead probably do. Toughen up or ship out, soldier!
www.kenjiro.co.uk
www.myspace.com/kenjirotheband
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
 |
‘You put A Spell On Me’ is a dreamy and enchanting love song taken from
Ed’s forthcoming best-of collection ‘Until Tomorrow Then’. This romantic,
smooth song by Ed Harcourt displays his rich voice over smooth melodies. The
single is to be released on 7”, CD and digital download on October 1st,
after which Ed hit’s the road with dates across the country throughout
October.
I know very little of Ed Harcourt’s music but this single is proving
enchanting bait to find out more about his work. It is an enjoyable, lush
and melodic track. Ed is an obvious singer-songwriter talent, a genre far to
crowded today with talentless young pretenders. Ed proves a welcome
antidote, using broad compositions and melodies befitting of his talent.
watch video to 'You
Put a Spell on Me'
www.edharcourt.com
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
| |
It’s been a long time since anyone but William
Shakespeare came up with a use for those funny squiggly brackets that
no-one’s sure the meaning of on a keyboard, but I’ve got to thank
{satellite-state} for allowing me to fulfil one of my lifelong dreams by
having to use them. On the evidence this self-released demo, the Guildford
five-piece will have more than typesetters running for cover – there will be
a fair few established bands looking over their shoulder for the knives
hidden in the shadows clutched by this lot.
Their demo is the kind of CD that creates its own
musical landscape with every listen, by turns spreading out to fill the
space between your ears and creating jagged mountains of sound that we dodge
between like the pilots in Top Gun. It’s no surprise they’re radio friendly
– Steve Lamacq and the rest of BBC Radio adore them, and even without a
proper deal they’re the finished article already.
One small quibble – I’d have left this demo stripped
down to a two song offering; third and final track ‘Carry Your Own Weight’
sails too close to that Coldplay/Keane matrix that we’ve already established
does nothing for credibility. {satellite-state}, if you’ll pardon the
inevitable, are out of this world.
www.satellitestate.com
www.myspace.com/satellitestatemusic
Chris Stanley |
| |
|
| |
I know little of ‘The Royal We’ but from the strength of this single the
band have a clear soft spot for catchy indie pop gems. Their video
accompanying the single is slightly strange with the band eating each other
but the single is endearing and only slightly annoying. The single is
attractively twee, light and enjoyable with a catchy “doo doo ah” line which
is hard to escape. The B-side is much less strong and you are left wondering
is this band really worth it? I have found them to be more of a ‘light’ band
you could find yourself dipping in and out of. Their songs are enjoyable,
and maybe one of those bands who can put on a really entertaining live show.
One thing for sure is that they need to be writing more songs like ‘All The
Rage’ and less like ‘L’Enfant Terrible’.
Gareth Ludkin
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine |
| |
|
| |
'Jezebel' sees AOMC ramp up the guitars with some serious overdubbing,
not to mention some complex vocal harmonies and a B-movie 'woo-oo' backing
vocal before disappearing in some squeaky feedback to leave you wondering
what just happened to your ears.
The B-side 'Let's Go' sounds not dissimilar to fellow West Yorkshire
guitar fiends Royal Vendetta though AOMC seem to drop in a nice bit of
Soundgarden to make this my preferred track of the two. Dark, broody and
pretty exciting sounding.
www.myspace.com/aomc
SB |
| |
|
| |
I've got to confess to being a bit of a fan of Gallows. Anyone who puts
this amount of energy into what they are doing has to be taken seriously.
there's all sorts of pointers in there - Jarcrew, Trey Spruance era Faith No
More, Slayer - all pointing towards one hell of an impressive noise.
watch video to 'Belly
of a Shark'
www.gallows.co.uk
SB |
| |
|
| |
Oh dear - this is a bit of a painful listen. 'Running Out' sees vocalist
Gary Ross stretch his vocal talents beyond their limits and sounds like an
off-colour Liam Gallagher. The rest of the track is well produced with a big
emphasis on the percussion but this sounds firmly rooted in the mid 90s.
www.myspace.com/redneckrenegade
SB |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
