ireallylovemusic.co.uk

 

singles

 

aug/september/october

 

akira the don - oh! what a glorious thing/boom!

released on 1000 7" singles only with a rather special cover (bob dylan fans look away now), this happy to be alive pop song lifted from the forthcoming album,  is indeed a welcome change from all the 'oh how i hate my life' noise that most people make. as well as the polyphonic spree-ness of the lyrics, the tune is catchy as fuck, with a chorus that will be strapped into your numbskulls within a mere minute of the track starting. however, that is not all. that is a mere 50% of the goodness on offer. as adam has received permission from elastica boss herself, to release his britpop anthem booty that was originally on one of his download mixtapes properly. boom! is an indie disco monster already, and according to the man, tis a mere start of more britpop sampling to come. 

shake that room

more detail : here

education - cool as you/charles

 
the pile of singles looks at me lost and forgotten. but when a band send me a nice picture postcard from thirsk along with their double a-side cd i cannot help but do the honourable thing. 2 cracking tracks recall the best guitar pop missives from wedding present, undertones and the buzzcocks, but rather than having a skinny voice, education have found a singer whose vocals resonate big and proud matching the chunky old school indie rock in a fine tune.
well worth tracking down just for the royal baiting family lyrical content.
my fave guitar record of the day.
 
more detail : here
 
i love poland - 'ilp'
 
not so much of a single as a mini-lp, but weighing in at a brief 17 mins for the 7 tracks i'm adding detail here. first coming to attention of the masses via a dance to the radio compilation, i love poland are a new slant on all things 80s. whgile the clubbers and fashion lovers are still intent on making us remember the 80s for its dayglo happy synth pop, i love poland have decided to recall that the decade had its darkside and that story needs to be retold. for the bands minimal lo-fi synth pop is a far more grey proposition, even monotonous and rainy day like. in fact, track titles, glamour in the dark, and  kill yourself  drive the point home well and truly. a few listens and i was scratching my head, just whose vocals are these giving me throwbacks to - then i cracked it. edwyn collins. the vocals are large and dominant and rather at odds with the musical surroundings. still, sometimes its good to have that perma-grin being wiped off the faces of happy disco crowd, and i love poland, may just be the band to do such a wonderful thing.
 
more detail : here
 
kobai - serotonin
 
not a lot to say about this new scottish band, other than the normal version rocks it hard in the same kind of manner as a humanzi track. nothing subtle in the pounding indie rock groove, except plenty of urgency and a wonderful 'lets head straight to the bar' attitude.
however, there happens to be a remix thats really got it going on for its 5 and half minutes. powered up and heavy with a woofer threatening psycho-ambience - this is a perfect addition to anyone who likes their electro enhanced indie dance to rock out.
 
more detail : here
 
lorraine - heaven
 
this is just plain wrong.
fey synth pop boy band who are supposedly on the way to superstardom, do a feather-lite cover of a classic psychedlic furs track. now, i have no issues with cover versions (one of my all time records is a civer version), but this is just too light and airy to even get bothered about.
no doubt, they'll be massive in 12 months.
 
more detail : here
 
the wombats - moving to new york/party in a forest (where's laura?)
 
second single that i'm aware of, and still impressive. gosh.
the noise is more indie rock of an upbeat nature but the doubled up layered guitars during the chorus (backed by delicious 'ooooohs') is a perfect adrenaline-n-smiles moment that even i cannot resist no matter how hard i try. as the man says, 'christmas came early', and who am i to argue with such a joyful sentiment. cracking stuff.
the flip downs the tempo, but not the quality, nor the love for a melody heavy chorus. telling the story of a unwanted night out on the hunt for a rave in the middle of nowhere, the band throw the effect pedals into overdrive for the last few seconds prior to a vocal harmony breakdown section, all while 'laura get me home tonight' is the ultimate intention.
 
i seriously look forward to the bands 3rd installment.
 
out on the ever worthy kids label on 23rd october.
get your order in now.
 
more detail : here
 
department of eagles - romo-goth/sailing by night
 
loved by a lot of the press, i didn't really feel the recent department of eagles album. something about the ramshackle indie vs the hi-tech polish didn't gel for me, but a few tracks definitely stood out. and lo ! these highlights have been extracted for a rather wonderful single release. backed by remixes by heros of the laptops and folk-y guitars tunng and ninjatunes own sample-meister daedulus its a snapshot and proves that a few more spins of the album may be in order.
 
out on the melodic label. which is good.
 
more detail : here
 
kid casanova - heart attacks and subway maps
 
a 4 track ep that sets its stall out from the start with its opener, the kids in this town. fitting in nicely with the love for glam infused britpop revival, where a little swagger, a chunk of hooks, and a chorus that will get a band a long way.
however, second track, ‘hey johnny’ gave me a chill up the spine, deliberate ? i think not. you see the vocals are so damn close to that of john of the glorious, but long forgotten leeds heros, the three johns. so, i cannot help but be overcome with emotion/nostalgia. thankfully, the rest of the ep with its glam-n-blues combo is a winner, making this another band to keep an eye (and ear) out for in the coming months.
 
more detail : here
 

loney dear - the city, the airport/ignorant boy, beautiful girl

 
(limited 7″ release with the necessary download option.)
 
debut release of cinematic pop from sweden that just expands and expands from its lo-fi drum machine opening until the sky reaching chorus kicks in. if you think the new sleepy jackson album is special, and you wish that the flaming lips bloke sang properly, then loney dear are for you, with their gorgeous harmonies and head spinning arrangements you will wish that the 5 minutes on offer could go on a lot longer.

yes boss - more or less/they think its all over

 
the labels first foray into beats and words. 2 blokes in leeds get all grimey and drop some hard hitting words over some spike filled urban beats with layers of studio ambience. typically northern in attitude and uncompromising, this lot show promise. the flip even has a radio friendly hook, 'he shoots he scores', move over mike skinner, there's a new boss on your shift.
 
the pigeon detectives - you know i love you/wait for me
 
more old fashioned guitar based indie pop that seems to be hitting all the right spots. a lot of people are loving this bands style, and the forthcoming album is on a lot of wish lists.
so, this homage to youthful love-n-lust is quite simply a hook filled beast that will thrill lovers of noisy guitars, singalong choruses and split stereo phased guitars. the b-side is more of the same but when the well trodden formula works as well as this, where is the pain.
indie guitars and strong songs, still a force to be reckoned with in 2006.
 
more detail : here
 
iforward russia! - eighteen/six/fourteen
 
bloody weird characters in names! still you know who i mean, and if you have heard anything by this most funked up mathematically challenged of bands, then you will know what to expect - urgent scatterfunk guitars, falsetto vocals that will grate the nerves of many, but excite the rest. all set to a blood stopping tempo, with chiming guitar noises over dubbed to drive the melody home that little extra. vibrant, and very very good. remixes of the lead track, eighteen, come from label mates, yes boss, napoleon iiird and rollercoaster project. so if you want to hear the band being put through the string heavy cracked laptop software, or experimental lo-fi mangler then get out there and track these down. alternatively, you could just find/purchase these online through the obvious channels
 
official label website : here

 

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