singles
august
beans - down by law
new solo sounds by the previous anti-pop man. is this what used to be referred to as tech-hop ? futuristic electronica production strapped onto the meanest and largest hip hop beats, this is sonically minimal but somehow sounds massive. throughout 'down by law' a large boom bass line rumbles, weird splintered alarm sounds, beans dextrous vocal interplay, and a funky beat hits the central nervous system. second track 'blind driver' sounds like some freaky combination of john carpenter synths and schooly d's drum machine. intense. whereas 'bubonic' has a rugged dancehall electro-infused vibe on it and becomes a little too much with repeated listening. the album 'shock city maverick' is out on warp records in october.
miss kittin - requiem for a hit
well if ever a title ever screamed out 'i want to be a pop star! now' ?
unfortunately i don't think this is the track that is going to get miss kittin the crossover appeal that she is so obviously wanting. this track aint a good choice. something about the clash of styles doesn't fit and the vocal line that is looped throughout to the point of seriously becoming tiresome ('i'll beat that bitch with a hit'), is not far from what the prodigy did with 'smack my bitch up' and is a little too uncomfortable and guarantees complete lack of radio play, but ignoring that aspect, as i'm sure its meant to be ironic, it's the break in flow that is a little too messed up, starting all up tempo and beat driven, which then swerves left into a strange beatless ambient synth melody driven part before going back to the beat. disorientating stuff. there are a multitude of remixes which do the usual stuff other than the fantastic 'abe dupque' remix which converts the track into a fine pumping electro-acid house stomper with a minimal appearance of the unnecessary vocals, which is exactly what the doctor ordered.
johnny boy - you are the generation that bought more shoes and get what you deserve
go on remember that title for when you go shopping in town to pick up this excellent single !
melding phil spector beats (opening drum is a direct list from old spector track), and massive 'yeah yeah' catchiness this is a superb uplifting pop track with everything but kitchen sink thrown into the equation, b-side though reveals a darker side to the duo's masterplan. a lot more noisy and aggressive, 's-h-b', is another stab at early jesus and marychain feedback and shouted/distorted vocals with 60's harmonies, there is a lot of this stuff about (ravonettes), but when done with as much panache as here, then i dont see a problem.. making this single definitely one of the best in recent months.
meow meow - sick fixation
second single from this Californian band who have a real knack at the catchy 3 minute guitar pop song subtle layers of feedback. yay - shoegazing returns? the lead track is a superb groove and layered beast with lazy phased vocals and drawn out guitar lines. 'breathe easy' is a little chunkier in style, but the ghost of early dandy warhols output looms large, though this is anything but a problem to my ears. final track 'rewind' is a total wind down track with its strange noises over the slightly picked guitar. a lot of empty space basically. but, the other 2 tracks are very much worth tracking down.
!!! - hello? is this thing on
a cool track lifted from the recent album. for the people who have the album it will be the extra tracks that will be of interest. first there is 'sunday 5:17am' a new mix by justin vandervolgen, followed by a mad mix of 'hello ..' by a couple called 'thomas and eric'. the mixes dont take the tracks too far from what we want from !!!, ie funked up bass lines, taut guitar lines and shouted/phased/distorted vocals, but, the extended drawn out bass line and echoed guitars on the new 'hello ..' mix emphasises the funk within. excellent stuff.
new rhodes - i wish i was you
new signing to moshi moshi. full review, rejoice in the fact that this is an excellent pop single. short precise and really nice.
merchandise - swallowing curses
excellent 2 track 7" from the merchandise crew, a re-release due to the attention on their recent album. 'swallowing curses' is a cool little track with a twist in the sonic ointment. the beats are a mixture of real and electronics, with acoustic guitars strummed all delicately prior to the fuzz petal being pressed. a nice collision of classic pop styles and cooler than thou electronica infused pop. whereas, lovely b-side 'terracotta caterpillar' is a full on folktronica instrumental groove which is all fine and dandy, with its not-so broken beats and synths adding a nice ambience to any sunny day.
graham coxon - spectacular
opening track off the recent album that sets the scene well for the album, the single release sees a lot of lovely extras added to the pot, including danny 'supergrass' goffey on drums on 'life it sucks', which was originally only for japanese version of the album, paul weller on the 7" b-side 'billy hunt', 'i wish' recorded live, and the video for the single. a bumper bonus pack for all coxon fans.
the shins - fighting in a sack
up tempo power pop track lifted from this hugely successful album that everyone has fallen in love with who likes sunshine, sing-a-long harmonies, and mad harmonica breaks. the b-side is an excellent cover version of a marc bolan classic 'baby boomerang' making the single a perfect slice of pop. the fact that the gang have used the same guitar sounds, handclaps/phased vocals make this a top fave of mine
ryan adam - wonderwall
apparently a very much in demand track from ryans reinstated 'love is hell' album. yes it is that 'wonderwall', but my oh my, has ryan turned this into a downer of a track. miserablism never sounded so lonely. will i ever be able to hear the oasis version again. i hope so.