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Well, the Christmas tree is up and the egg is being nogged and yet still the postman brings sackfuls of new release singles - all, like Tiger Woods, hoping to be found in your sister's stockings on Christmas morning.
Kiss In Cities: UR My Girl
Cindy Lauper meets Duran Duran in this 80’s style power pop anthem for a generation about girls who feel short-changed by the implausible feminisms of Beyonce and Britney. (SB)
Mini Viva - I Wish
Another Xenomania produced pop classic bearing all the hallmarks of a decent Girls Aloud track. Catchy, inoffensive and certain to be a big hit. (CP)
3OH!3 - Starstrukk
Load of garbled twonk on the press release about millions of downloads this and in the charts for an entire week that, along with mention of just how "gangsta' the electro duo are. They hail, it says here, from Boulder, Colorado. Just like Mork and Mindy. Katy Perry pops up on vocals; they supported her earlier in the year. Lucky boys. (GK)
James Yull - Earth EP/Fire EP
Not for everyone. Yull's hushed acoustic tinkerings are as delicate as they are focused. It's an intensity that will drag you down if you don't meet him halfway. I'll be honest - I nearly knocked it on the head. But, round about the halfway mark, something clicked. On 'She Said in Jest', he breathes "Drink yourself dead, she said in jest ..." and I'm in. In terms of 'difficulty' levels, we're beyond, say, Fretwell and Rice by some distance. Listen responsibly at this time of year, eh ? (GK)
Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension / Hole To Feed
Bargaintastic double-A mini-mix album from Ver Mode designed no doubt to keep Gore and Gahan from beating the crap out of each other. Who's the big winner? Music! As well as the fab originals newly buffed-up we can gorge on a mucho magico remix from Peter, Bjorn & John and a beautifully creepy new version of Come Back by Sixtoes (??). Love, etc. (MJ)
Depeche Mode - Hole To Feed
Depeche Mode | MySpace Music Videos
Shakira - Did It Again
I have nothin' but big love for the bonkers Colombian mouse that art Shakira. “Having said that” I'm slightly concerned about her downward slide into R'n'B Dullsville, evident on this so-so album filler. There's not even any wacky pseudo philosophising to convince me it's actually Shaky. Would the real Shakira please step forward? (MJ)
Black Gold: Idols
A jingle jangle approach to the sort of epic pop music that bands like Tears for Fears used thrive on. It’s a bit too ‘nice’ to snag the attention but it’s got bags of promise. (SB)
Bush Doctors - Rockin' On A Speaker / Space Hoppa
These two tracks blend house, funk and cut up vocals in a way which vaguely recalls Fatboy Slim. Unlikely to get the party started, but passable mid-set material. (JD)
Stanley Brinks - End of the World
Sounds like it was conceived as a hippy sing-a-long and has a couple of show-offy guitar solos. However, 'End of the World' outstays its welcome at five minutes. (JD)
The Duke & The King: The Morning I Get To Hell
A soulful, mellifluously rolling acoustic ballad that piques the interest for the album but doesn’t really go anywhere as a single. (SB)
Losers: No Man Is An Island
Impossibly groovy, bass heavy electro pop that namechecks Richey Manic, Football, Jane’s Addiction and Eno. Like Eldritch playing at being Daft Punk. Awesome fun. (SB)
Laura Marling - Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)
Laura isn't very cheerful this Christmas, maybe she''s on Santa's naughty list for throwing potatoes at pensioners or not tidying her bedroom. But whatever the reason her melancholy mood has produced this "festive" single that might soften the blow of getting a car valet kit rather than an X-Box 360. (AM)
I Ludicrous: We’re The Support Band
Peel faves I Ludicrous release a reworked version of their cult classic which features the talents of Martin Brett, formerly of Voice Of The Beehive. It’s a tragically defiant tale of the miserable life of the eternal support band, delivered in the style of the Television Personalities. Daft, but great fun and available from all the usual online music sites. (SB)
As for the Single of The Week...
The Hush Now: Wishing You a Happy Christmasl
Well, there just had to be at least one seasonal stocking filler in the pile and thankfully it’s all delivered in the right Christmas Spirit with nary an ironic sneer or arched eyebrow in sight. It’s steadfastly indie but with a solid gold pop pulse, ike Burt Bacharach recording for postcard records. Check it out for yourselves as you can snap it up for free at http://www.thehushnow.com (SB)
Merry Christmas you filthy animals…
Kiss In Cities: UR My Girl
Cindy Lauper meets Duran Duran in this 80’s style power pop anthem for a generation about girls who feel short-changed by the implausible feminisms of Beyonce and Britney. (SB)
Mini Viva - I Wish
Another Xenomania produced pop classic bearing all the hallmarks of a decent Girls Aloud track. Catchy, inoffensive and certain to be a big hit. (CP)
3OH!3 - Starstrukk
Load of garbled twonk on the press release about millions of downloads this and in the charts for an entire week that, along with mention of just how "gangsta' the electro duo are. They hail, it says here, from Boulder, Colorado. Just like Mork and Mindy. Katy Perry pops up on vocals; they supported her earlier in the year. Lucky boys. (GK)
James Yull - Earth EP/Fire EP
Not for everyone. Yull's hushed acoustic tinkerings are as delicate as they are focused. It's an intensity that will drag you down if you don't meet him halfway. I'll be honest - I nearly knocked it on the head. But, round about the halfway mark, something clicked. On 'She Said in Jest', he breathes "Drink yourself dead, she said in jest ..." and I'm in. In terms of 'difficulty' levels, we're beyond, say, Fretwell and Rice by some distance. Listen responsibly at this time of year, eh ? (GK)
Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension / Hole To Feed
Bargaintastic double-A mini-mix album from Ver Mode designed no doubt to keep Gore and Gahan from beating the crap out of each other. Who's the big winner? Music! As well as the fab originals newly buffed-up we can gorge on a mucho magico remix from Peter, Bjorn & John and a beautifully creepy new version of Come Back by Sixtoes (??). Love, etc. (MJ)
Depeche Mode - Hole To Feed
Depeche Mode | MySpace Music Videos
Shakira - Did It Again
I have nothin' but big love for the bonkers Colombian mouse that art Shakira. “Having said that” I'm slightly concerned about her downward slide into R'n'B Dullsville, evident on this so-so album filler. There's not even any wacky pseudo philosophising to convince me it's actually Shaky. Would the real Shakira please step forward? (MJ)
Black Gold: Idols
A jingle jangle approach to the sort of epic pop music that bands like Tears for Fears used thrive on. It’s a bit too ‘nice’ to snag the attention but it’s got bags of promise. (SB)
Bush Doctors - Rockin' On A Speaker / Space Hoppa
These two tracks blend house, funk and cut up vocals in a way which vaguely recalls Fatboy Slim. Unlikely to get the party started, but passable mid-set material. (JD)
Stanley Brinks - End of the World
Sounds like it was conceived as a hippy sing-a-long and has a couple of show-offy guitar solos. However, 'End of the World' outstays its welcome at five minutes. (JD)
The Duke & The King: The Morning I Get To Hell
A soulful, mellifluously rolling acoustic ballad that piques the interest for the album but doesn’t really go anywhere as a single. (SB)
Losers: No Man Is An Island
Impossibly groovy, bass heavy electro pop that namechecks Richey Manic, Football, Jane’s Addiction and Eno. Like Eldritch playing at being Daft Punk. Awesome fun. (SB)
Laura Marling - Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)
Laura isn't very cheerful this Christmas, maybe she''s on Santa's naughty list for throwing potatoes at pensioners or not tidying her bedroom. But whatever the reason her melancholy mood has produced this "festive" single that might soften the blow of getting a car valet kit rather than an X-Box 360. (AM)
I Ludicrous: We’re The Support Band
Peel faves I Ludicrous release a reworked version of their cult classic which features the talents of Martin Brett, formerly of Voice Of The Beehive. It’s a tragically defiant tale of the miserable life of the eternal support band, delivered in the style of the Television Personalities. Daft, but great fun and available from all the usual online music sites. (SB)
As for the Single of The Week...
The Hush Now: Wishing You a Happy Christmasl
Well, there just had to be at least one seasonal stocking filler in the pile and thankfully it’s all delivered in the right Christmas Spirit with nary an ironic sneer or arched eyebrow in sight. It’s steadfastly indie but with a solid gold pop pulse, ike Burt Bacharach recording for postcard records. Check it out for yourselves as you can snap it up for free at http://www.thehushnow.com (SB)
Merry Christmas you filthy animals…
