singles
june 06
smog - rock bottom riser
i have to admit something rather bad now. having seen the name 'smog' littered all over the place amongst glowing reviews i have never actually heard anything by the band. subsequently i cannot advise how this perfectly gorgeous single fits in, however on its own, this song is a stop-the-world type kind of special. down in tempo and mood the epic but minimal instrumentation sounds like the kind of thing that johnny cash would have been proud of. acoustic guitar is delicately plucked, while drums are brushed and caressed, but the thing that really makes the hairs on the neck stand to attention is the voice. warm, human and incredibly personal lyrics that reveal a depth that rarely touches the world of ireallylovemusic. then just as your breathe is being withheld for fear of breaking the ambience, a piano melody is dropped in, and the beat more solidified. suddenly, i begin to wonder if my years of listening to 2 decks and a microphone based music, has actually been a total waste of time.
perfect perfect late night music that will accompany many a dark but beautiful moment.
wow.
yes boss - more or less/they think its all over
from one of the best indie labels going at the moment, dance to the radio, comes this new direction for them. no urgent post punk guitars, no short sharp pop songs. no, instead it's all beats and words from this leeds grime-y styled duo. excellently produced scattershot beats and deeply boomed orchestral stabs mesh and blend in fine style. you wait, the phrase 'he shoots he scores' will be rattling around your head within 3 spins of this.
lovely.
revl9n - someone like you
if you need more of this electro-fied disco punk madness, then hassle your local providers for this debut ep. out on the because label (i think they are the folks behind the recent justice ep ?). the lead track on the 3 tracker, is rather fine. clipped bass lines like it's the return of level 42, processed guitar chords and stroppy girl vocals declaring the phrase 'i want you' to a threatening but dancefloor friendly groove. unfortunately the other tracks don't quite gel to the same level, as the excessive nasal vocals begin to grate if not in the right mood. but despite this, the opener definitely prove that revl9n have got something interesting going on in their machines.
the drips - 16, 16, six
good grief. a band called the drips !?
don't know about you, but the mental associations for such a moniker aren't good. who on earth decided that a band that revive the stop-start guitars and spit-n-fury of the clash should be called the drips. someone have a word, please.
as for the music - well it's pumped up passionate guitars and vocals that have been involved with too many cancer sticks and will be perfect for those angry sessions when radio 1 are just too damn quiet. not bad but wont change the world like certain originators did in 1976.
the noisettes - scratch your name
same for this lot - crap name .. sorry, but i cringed as soon as i saw a promo email mentioning this lot, it all sounds a little too contrived to my jaded ears.
still, the band make a more interesting noise (ahem!) than i expected. fuzzed up bass lines, discordant (but rocking out) guitars, that all come together within 3 minutes to make for a rather addictive little track, mainly due to the vocals by star in waiting, Shingai, who obviously has a thing for yeah yeah yeahs karen o stylie wise. if you have enjoyed the freaky pop of ladyfuzz recently, then this lot could indeed be the answer to all your needs in june.
the dualers - don't go/taller than you are
full review : here
protokoll - moving forward
debut single from this boston gang starts things off as they mean to go on. a very current mix of duran duran styled glamour and a slab of the dark under belly of modern rock. basically its a viscous new rebranding of the love for epic sounding rock-n-synths. guitars are chimed and echoed, and bass lines pumped up, as if no-one has heard the editors in the last 6 months, but the vocals have a more gruff hard edged appeal, with a distinct nudge towards the brilliant psychedelic furs. while there seems to be a lot of this kind of music around, (you know all the relevant names), it probably says something about my past as i still am thoroughly enjoying this sound.
sohodolls - stripper
yet more of the electro glitter stomp this track is like some demonic pairing of goldfrapp and marilyn manson. hard edged sauciness and rip for action. of course the accusations of copyist may ring out across the land, but when this is being pumped out of soundsystems on a alcohol fuelled saturday night i suspect people will be too busy enjoying the seething grooves. various remixes by folks i have never heard of revisit the song in a variety of styles - from stripped down (ho ho !) acoustic guitars (lost and found mix), bleepy techno (punx soundcheck) and finally a full on depeche mode styled evil monster by la clip.
excellent exploitative stuff.
the on offs - wrong upstairs
limited one off single released on the regal imprint. a spot on 3 minutes, which rattles along at breakneck pace amongst its buzzcocks rifferama and cheeky lyrics. i smell a gang of lads who have seen the recent madness over some monkeys from sheffield, and decided in true punk rock-n-roll fashion, 'oi ! we can do that !'. and fair play - they have indeed. nothing too special, but will easily make the students pogo like crazy when dropped into the saturday night playlist.
the kbc - not anymore
more of that guitars and synths noise that is flooding the release schedule. lead track 'not anymore' is neon lit pop music, with a bright and frothy sheen, giving me throwback emotions to all sorts of john hughes coming of age movie sequences. more fun is factored in by the presence of the performance remix that they have sorted out, which ups the electro undercurrent to tantalizing effect.
good stuff, despite not have a clue what 'kbc' actually means.
the morning after girls - run for our lives
here we go - no synths, no duran duran, instead it's black leather, droning layered guitars, and a lot of rock-n-roll swagger for the bands second single. oh yes. bring it on. of course the band obviously love brmc, and the dandy warhols, (and their own obvious well known influences), but then again so do i, so tis a done deal.
love it.
little man tate - what? what you got
the phrase 'this years arctic monkeys' is going to be bandied about in regards to this northern bunch of guitar toters along with milburn of course. short, sharp and somewhat melodic songs, forwhich i have been lucky to hear pre-major record deal demo versions of these tracks and cannot deny the band have a certain appeal. i am certain that the next 12 months will be a riotous ride for the band, but whether they will develop into a more long term proposition remains to be seen. in the meantime, let's just rejoice in more accent driven indie guitar pop that sparkles and makes any chance of a summer a lot more pleasant.
the sunshine underground - i aint losing any sleep
the new baggy revival is just around the corner, tis only a matter of time before those long sleeved james/inspiral carpets tops are being dropped on ebay for ridiculous money, and by the sounds of it, this leeds gang are top of the bidders list. ok, the groove isn't the same sloppy drum beat, there more urgency in the drive and guitars, but its still a guitar based record which has a severe dance friendly appeal. this being the bands 3rd single they are beginning to sound rather tight and polished. best of all however, like the previous single, the b-sides are lovely drawn out pshychedilc beauties which could easily make ian brown loose some sleep
roebeck - do you remember (mini ep)
making a nice change from the deluge of guitars and synths clashing, this delicate 3 tracker is all sweetness and light. sublime ambient textures, warm subtle laptop beats and a general vibe that reinforces the idea that folktronica wasn't such a bad tag to be thrown about after all.
best of all however, is the eps second track, 'just wanna be loved', with gorgeous vocals provided by a 'marxus nexus'.
definitely a name to look out for in the next few months.
the automatic - monster
the heights - jamacia beer eyes
christiansilva - break from the past