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06 December 2009
29 November 2009
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06 September 2009
30 August 2009
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09 August 2009
28 February 2010
21 February 2010
14 February 2010
07 February 2010
31 January 2010
24 January 2010
18 January 2010
10 January 2010
03 January 2010
20 December 2009
13 December 2009
06 December 2009
29 November 2009
22 November 2009
15 November 2009
08 November 2009
02 November 2009
26 October 2009
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04 October 2009
27 September 2009
20 September 2009
13 September 2009
06 September 2009
30 August 2009
23 August 2009
17 August 2009
09 August 2009
Hey pop-pickers come on in, the autumnal glut of singles continues and we've a bumper harvest of releases for you to savour as the nights draw in. Let's crack on...
Goldie Lookin Chain - Everybody Is A DJ
In its defence, this is a charity single in support of Shelter Cymru. Sadly, the radio edit here is stripped of everything (swearing, sex references, clever samples) that made the GLC such an entertaining proposition back in the early noughties. Some strong language in the album version fails to rescue the track, perhaps because the central observation, that "hey! everyone can play music via various devices these days", is hardly illuminating. (Let's face it: if rude words were all that was needed, we'd never have picked ourselves up off the floor since 'Who the fuck is Alice'.) Still, if you download the Musicshake remix application, you can create your own remix and put in some jokes about crack.
Japanese Voyeurs: Sicking And Creaming
Powerpuff Girls meets Nirvana in this ep of demos from a London punk outfit who were compelled to release them by a shaman who appeared to them following a night of peyote induced hallucination. There’s clear potential for a future crossover hit but this strays too close to the isle of wacky to really encourage devotion. (SB)
Eight Legs: I Understand
Like a forgotten cut from 1984 this fizzes about like a very tasty hybrid of The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen. The inclusion of a groovy Hammond organ riff is the final flourish which carves them a permanent niche in my heart. (SB)
The Hickey Underworld: Blonde Fire
The best thing to have emerged from Belgium since Plastique Bertrand. That’s probably doesn’t place them atop a particularly long list but, nonetheless, this is a feisty rock number which doesn’t really sound too much like anyone else and has some caustic guitar surges to die for. Worth keeping tabs on. (SB)
Elliot Minor: Electric High
A huge sound for a quality song with obvious commercial appeal, driven by a sublime yet refreshingly simple guitar melody. It’s easy to see why this lot are so popular with ‘the kids’. (SB)
jaded playboy - Broken Heartland EP
Dreary is possibly the only way to describe this EP with the title track being the worst offender. The band seem to have forgotten that not every song needs to be four minutes plus long which makes the four-track EP feel like it lasts the length of an entire Best Of three disc collection. Their My Space reckons they are the "thinking man's rock band", a true "thinking man" would turn this off within a minute. (IS)
The Echo Session - Tell Me
The resonating question throughout this song is 'tell me where the money's at?' aimed at the fat cat bankers of this world. Unlike the credit crunch however, this song is a cheery affair thanks to its folk guitar sounds which transport you back to the 1950s and 60s. A more contemporary comparison would be The Coral and that's no bad thing. (IS)
Tubelord - Propeller
Tubelord never fail to disappoint. Here we see the release of their debut single, Propeller. Complete in all its glory with complex time signatures in the verse, instantly recognisable vocals and as ever, a brilliantly executed chorus: Silent night/Sleeping away my life/I never thought you did right/ I never thought you did right. On a sidenote the 500 individually numbered 7" comes designed each with its own sleeve. Magnificent.(KW)
Nell Bryden - Second Time Around
Second Time Around is the perfect showcase for Bryden's infectious 50's country/blues sound. Her dusky voice sits on the instrument-heavy backing comfortably and makes this track something worth a listen. A high-tempo, high-energy song, this could be well worth checking out. (CP)
The Brute Chorus - Send Me A Message
If they're expecting a message, I hope it arrives more coherently than this mess of sounds. With little direction, Send Me A Message lacks any sort of direction or tune. Disappointing. (CP)
TEENAGERSINTOKYO - Isabella / Long Walk Home
With PR claiming a mix of goth, grunge and disco, this listener really didn't know what to expect. What he got was none of the above. With a sound that is hard to categorise, but not one that would easily be pigeonholed. With one foot on the 80s revival bandwagon and the other just about fitting onto the same train as Bat For Lashes, it is Samantha Lim's dreamy vocals that make this double-A side release work. (CP)
Everything Everything - MY KZ, UR BF
Or, translated into the now extinct language, English, My Keys, You Boyfriend. If the 80s revival is already tired, it's because of things like this - tuneless and morose, like La Roux but with even less vocal ability. With no overriding tune and no strong lyrics to push through the haze of unidenfiable noise, MY KZ, UR BF is more WTF? than L33T.(CP)
The Silent Years: Amusement Park
Accomplished and interesting this jangling track is only let down by the over familiarity of its sound. The Silent Years, like so many of their contemporaries, have supped for too long at the pool of Pet Sounds and this brackish water is in danger of stagnating. ‘Amusement park’ straddles a fine line between the unhinged joy of the Polyphonic Spree and furrowed brow of Arcade Fire and, criticism notwithstanding, it also flashes a spark of originality which tips the scales towards a cautious thumbs up. (SB)
Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs: Knock On The Wall Of Your Womb
Aidan Moffat’s sparse lullaby to his unborn child is oddly affecting, the string section, which accompanies his world-weary tones, succeeds in enveloping the listener in a safe and warm headspace which lacks only amniotic fluid for the fully authentic womb experience. (SB)
Flood of Red: Home, Run (1997)
Epic, Edge style guitar runs frolic above slick but bombastic emo. Much wailing and teeth gnashing which will appeal to a certain demographic of which I am not a part. Professional, but unconvincing as a single. (SB)
Toro Y Moi: Blessa
A woozy jumble of pop which brings to mind the unlikely scenario of Orange Juice performing Style Council hits backwards, underwater, in the fog. I think I love it but then I said the same about space dust and that just ended in a pool of sick so I’ll reserve judgement on Toro for now. (SB)
Erland and the Carnival: Was You Ever See
This track from Orcadian guitarist Erland Cooper and his band featuring ex Verve man Simon Tong, is a both a pip and a dandy. Traditional folk music meets Nuggets to generate something far beyond the sum of its parts. Like early Inspiral Carpets meets the Doors this just demands that shoes are kicked off and rugs are cut up - the kind of thing that Andy Weatherall would have given his eye teeth to remix back in the day. The Carnival are almost too good to be true; they’ve played gigs at miniature railway stations and their debut EP was individually re-recorded for each of its limited run, meaning no two copies are the same! You just can’t resist rare charm like that. (SB)
Suckers: It Gets Your Body Movin'
Not the disco work out I was expecting and now my lycra leotard seems somewhat out of place as I drink in this curious number which sways its way out of the speakers like a gaggle of drunker sailors on their way back to a life on the ocean wave. I can’t help but feel that there are not enough records made which dare to replace the ubiquitous guitar solo with a spot of Roger Whittaker style whistling so full marks to Suckers for that. (SB)
The Kill It Kid - Heaven Never Seemed So Close
Forget the 80's revival, let's kick it back 1800s style with this ragtime band. These former guinea pigs from an educational experiment in recording techniques with John Parish at Bath Spa University are now making their own way in the world. The band crash, bang & wallop along confidently whilst singer Chris Turpin hollers like Tom Sawyer on the run from Aunt Polly. Different yet pleasing stuff. (AM)
as for the single of the week well, it just had to be this little gem from Sweden...
First Aid Kit: Hard Believer
I was expecting something kinda kitsch and kooky from these young Swedes but bugger me if this isn’t a gorgeous, pastoral ballad which stands or falls on the girls’ vocal harmonies. If the Everly Brothers had been sisters and lived in a mountain shack then this is how they’d have sounded. Delightful.(SB)
Goldie Lookin Chain - Everybody Is A DJ
In its defence, this is a charity single in support of Shelter Cymru. Sadly, the radio edit here is stripped of everything (swearing, sex references, clever samples) that made the GLC such an entertaining proposition back in the early noughties. Some strong language in the album version fails to rescue the track, perhaps because the central observation, that "hey! everyone can play music via various devices these days", is hardly illuminating. (Let's face it: if rude words were all that was needed, we'd never have picked ourselves up off the floor since 'Who the fuck is Alice'.) Still, if you download the Musicshake remix application, you can create your own remix and put in some jokes about crack.
Japanese Voyeurs: Sicking And Creaming
Powerpuff Girls meets Nirvana in this ep of demos from a London punk outfit who were compelled to release them by a shaman who appeared to them following a night of peyote induced hallucination. There’s clear potential for a future crossover hit but this strays too close to the isle of wacky to really encourage devotion. (SB)
Eight Legs: I Understand
Like a forgotten cut from 1984 this fizzes about like a very tasty hybrid of The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen. The inclusion of a groovy Hammond organ riff is the final flourish which carves them a permanent niche in my heart. (SB)
The Hickey Underworld: Blonde Fire
The best thing to have emerged from Belgium since Plastique Bertrand. That’s probably doesn’t place them atop a particularly long list but, nonetheless, this is a feisty rock number which doesn’t really sound too much like anyone else and has some caustic guitar surges to die for. Worth keeping tabs on. (SB)
Elliot Minor: Electric High
A huge sound for a quality song with obvious commercial appeal, driven by a sublime yet refreshingly simple guitar melody. It’s easy to see why this lot are so popular with ‘the kids’. (SB)
jaded playboy - Broken Heartland EP
Dreary is possibly the only way to describe this EP with the title track being the worst offender. The band seem to have forgotten that not every song needs to be four minutes plus long which makes the four-track EP feel like it lasts the length of an entire Best Of three disc collection. Their My Space reckons they are the "thinking man's rock band", a true "thinking man" would turn this off within a minute. (IS)
The Echo Session - Tell Me
The resonating question throughout this song is 'tell me where the money's at?' aimed at the fat cat bankers of this world. Unlike the credit crunch however, this song is a cheery affair thanks to its folk guitar sounds which transport you back to the 1950s and 60s. A more contemporary comparison would be The Coral and that's no bad thing. (IS)
Tubelord - Propeller
Tubelord never fail to disappoint. Here we see the release of their debut single, Propeller. Complete in all its glory with complex time signatures in the verse, instantly recognisable vocals and as ever, a brilliantly executed chorus: Silent night/Sleeping away my life/I never thought you did right/ I never thought you did right. On a sidenote the 500 individually numbered 7" comes designed each with its own sleeve. Magnificent.(KW)
Nell Bryden - Second Time Around
Second Time Around is the perfect showcase for Bryden's infectious 50's country/blues sound. Her dusky voice sits on the instrument-heavy backing comfortably and makes this track something worth a listen. A high-tempo, high-energy song, this could be well worth checking out. (CP)
The Brute Chorus - Send Me A Message
If they're expecting a message, I hope it arrives more coherently than this mess of sounds. With little direction, Send Me A Message lacks any sort of direction or tune. Disappointing. (CP)
TEENAGERSINTOKYO - Isabella / Long Walk Home
With PR claiming a mix of goth, grunge and disco, this listener really didn't know what to expect. What he got was none of the above. With a sound that is hard to categorise, but not one that would easily be pigeonholed. With one foot on the 80s revival bandwagon and the other just about fitting onto the same train as Bat For Lashes, it is Samantha Lim's dreamy vocals that make this double-A side release work. (CP)
Everything Everything - MY KZ, UR BF
Or, translated into the now extinct language, English, My Keys, You Boyfriend. If the 80s revival is already tired, it's because of things like this - tuneless and morose, like La Roux but with even less vocal ability. With no overriding tune and no strong lyrics to push through the haze of unidenfiable noise, MY KZ, UR BF is more WTF? than L33T.(CP)
The Silent Years: Amusement Park
Accomplished and interesting this jangling track is only let down by the over familiarity of its sound. The Silent Years, like so many of their contemporaries, have supped for too long at the pool of Pet Sounds and this brackish water is in danger of stagnating. ‘Amusement park’ straddles a fine line between the unhinged joy of the Polyphonic Spree and furrowed brow of Arcade Fire and, criticism notwithstanding, it also flashes a spark of originality which tips the scales towards a cautious thumbs up. (SB)
Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs: Knock On The Wall Of Your Womb
Aidan Moffat’s sparse lullaby to his unborn child is oddly affecting, the string section, which accompanies his world-weary tones, succeeds in enveloping the listener in a safe and warm headspace which lacks only amniotic fluid for the fully authentic womb experience. (SB)
Flood of Red: Home, Run (1997)
Epic, Edge style guitar runs frolic above slick but bombastic emo. Much wailing and teeth gnashing which will appeal to a certain demographic of which I am not a part. Professional, but unconvincing as a single. (SB)
Toro Y Moi: Blessa
A woozy jumble of pop which brings to mind the unlikely scenario of Orange Juice performing Style Council hits backwards, underwater, in the fog. I think I love it but then I said the same about space dust and that just ended in a pool of sick so I’ll reserve judgement on Toro for now. (SB)
Erland and the Carnival: Was You Ever See
This track from Orcadian guitarist Erland Cooper and his band featuring ex Verve man Simon Tong, is a both a pip and a dandy. Traditional folk music meets Nuggets to generate something far beyond the sum of its parts. Like early Inspiral Carpets meets the Doors this just demands that shoes are kicked off and rugs are cut up - the kind of thing that Andy Weatherall would have given his eye teeth to remix back in the day. The Carnival are almost too good to be true; they’ve played gigs at miniature railway stations and their debut EP was individually re-recorded for each of its limited run, meaning no two copies are the same! You just can’t resist rare charm like that. (SB)
Suckers: It Gets Your Body Movin'
Not the disco work out I was expecting and now my lycra leotard seems somewhat out of place as I drink in this curious number which sways its way out of the speakers like a gaggle of drunker sailors on their way back to a life on the ocean wave. I can’t help but feel that there are not enough records made which dare to replace the ubiquitous guitar solo with a spot of Roger Whittaker style whistling so full marks to Suckers for that. (SB)
The Kill It Kid - Heaven Never Seemed So Close
Forget the 80's revival, let's kick it back 1800s style with this ragtime band. These former guinea pigs from an educational experiment in recording techniques with John Parish at Bath Spa University are now making their own way in the world. The band crash, bang & wallop along confidently whilst singer Chris Turpin hollers like Tom Sawyer on the run from Aunt Polly. Different yet pleasing stuff. (AM)
as for the single of the week well, it just had to be this little gem from Sweden...
First Aid Kit: Hard Believer
I was expecting something kinda kitsch and kooky from these young Swedes but bugger me if this isn’t a gorgeous, pastoral ballad which stands or falls on the girls’ vocal harmonies. If the Everly Brothers had been sisters and lived in a mountain shack then this is how they’d have sounded. Delightful.(SB)
