|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
| singles - current and forthcoming releases... | |
| POLYPHONIC SPREE Hanging Around (679)
Reviewed by
Paul THE D4 Get Loose (2x CD singles, Infectious) Get
Loose is a perfect exposition of simple Ramones-like, frantic, throbbing, hairy garage
rock, all sweat, sideboards and youthful stupidity. In
a year blessed by the blossoming of great garage bands, this wins two minutes in the pick
of the year. Both versions are worth
acquiring: CD1 has the sweat-soaked and athletic video plus Joe Orton’s Wedding,
a Saints-sounding, brutally effective song that will bludgeon you with a riff and a
scream. CD2 introduces us to the D4’s
version of John Rock by Detroit revolutionaries The Dogs, a hymn to uber-rebel
“John rock ‘n’ roll Sinclair”. This
is a mighty version of a song that’s a pure Chuck Berry rock blueprint – a
thrashing garage blowout that would have graced the MC5’s ‘Back in the USA’
- throw back your head and howl in gratitude! Reviewed by
Ged MOCO Where She Goes (Poolside) Imagine the New York Dolls drinking Castrol GTX in a flaming skip and you have only half the red hot dirty trash-rock of these boys. A wonderful three tracker, all of which would make convincing A-sides. Where She Goes is a jaunty glampop effort with a great hook. Dirty Love begins like the Strokes before switching to a chorus that sounds like the Beach Boys playing Divine Comedy, all madrigal with Ooooh harmonies. Track 3 is Teardrop Explodes era Julian Cope. Brilliant. Reviewed by
Paul GREAT LAKES Conquistadors
(Track and Field) Conquistadors is a six minute single of two unequal halves: starting
off with a brilliant 60s garage psychedelic pop with Californ-eye-a sentiments (“push
the trees into the sun”) it surfs off for the last two thirds into a Velvet
Underground Sister Ray type rifferama which is
..pretty brave for a single. Sister City is more controlled and a rawer, more
fragile, version than that which appears on the album – if possible it sounds even
better and another fine piece of 60s psych pop.
Knock out. Reviewed by
Kev IKARA COLT Basic instructions EP
(Fantastic Plastic) On
the basis of this 5 track EP, Ikara Colt are stuck in the past, or have newly discovered
it. It's sounds like a microcosm of the early eighties Manc. alternative scene. This has a
fairly minimalist, unfussy style. Even the promo cardboard sleeve artwork is out of the Bring it to me is a cracking clash of discordant
guitars, very punchy with the accusing bark of the vocalist assaulting your ears. May
it b 1 day #2 and #1 (tracks 2 and 5 respectively) hints at Cabaret Voltaire
electro, touches of Kraftwerk et al. I like the female backing voice. Track 5 another
version, is more down the Magazine path. Don't they know is a real Joy
Division/Fall concoction. Panic is a nice cranky guitar blast with the
inevitable Mark E Smith moments. Reviewed by Grim DELGADOS Coming in From the Cold (Mantra) The Delgados have been The Band Most Likely To for an eternity, releasing critically acclaimed simple pop classics whilst sadly remaining confined to the indie shop backwaters. Maybe it was the understated vocals of Alun Woodward that saw them not reach their potential but if ever they deserved to do so it is with this gem of a single on Mantra. A delicate moody intro breaks into a musically uplifting string accompanied chorus contradicting the lovely mournful vocals and depressing lyrics of Emma Pollock. Candy coated misery for miserabilists everywhere. Oh and two lovely B-sides, also fronted by Emma. Reviewed by
Paul CAMP ACTOR Ultrafashion/Antifashion 'Ultrafashion' is a bass laden trippy
beat with a Vince Clarke-esque (is that Clarkesque ?) synth insisting you twitch...its not
new, but its still refreshing and instantly likeable. Reviewed by
Adam Billy Childish has
been making this low-fi rock ‘n’ roll for 25 years and he’s bloody good at
it; and at last attention from people like the White Stripes is making the rest of us sit
up and notice. Strood Lites is a pared down 60s beat explosion, part Kinks and part
Sonics, with lyrics which would make Paul Weller, in his Jam prime, proud. B-side You Make Me Die is a bitter Kent
coast blues, starting unaccompanied with BC railing against the iniquities of the modern
world (“TVs, video, money and vice will
get you crawling on the floor like sucking lice”) and then exploding into a garage
punk rant that’s part Mark Perry, part Ray Davies and 100% real. Reviewed by Ged
|
|
 THE LIBERTINES Up the Bracket
(Rough Trade)Up the Bracket starts with a twisted yelp, the kind you’d hear whilst foolishly cutting through a snicket late at night. It then bursts into a marvellous Cor Blimey singalonga-Jam fronted by Bill Sykes. This is accompanied by the public bar at 11:20pm karaoke of Skag & Bone Man and the simple jam of Boys in the Band. Hottest geezers on the planet? Too right, they are, tweacle. Reviewed by
Paul Reviewed by Adam REEF Give
Me Your Love (Sony)
HOPE SANDOVAL Suzanne (Rough Trade) Almost a year after it first appeared on the album, Ms Sandoval’s Suzanne gets a single release to push the current UK tour. It’s typically delicate, simple and charming and accompanied by her breathy pensive vocals. Track 2, I Thought You’d Fall For Me is mildly trip hoppy and also pleasant. Reviewed by
Paul
Another Liverpool
band surfing the current Mersey wave but potentially one of the most interesting. On this 4 track EP, Bitch is a lot Velvet
Underground, a fair bit Ian McCulloch, a tiny bit Lotus Eaters and all-round a glorious
low-fi pop song. Chiming guitars, outer space
keyboards and a lovely loping melody offset the harsher lyrics of the song. My Little Misery is quite Verve with
something very Beatles-esque in the way it’s arranged, and No More is a pure
Love song. Elegant and compelling,
these are ones to watch. Reviewed by Ged
There are plenty of reasons to hate the Jeevas before you’ve even heard a note. The main one is the fact that they are fronted by posh git Crispian Mills, formerly of Kula Shaker, a man who not only tried to reclaim the swastika saying it had some mystical meaning but also considered the Nazis had a lot going for them fashion wise. Couple that with his obvious pilfering of old 70s Deep Purple riffs and claiming them as his own new songs and you have a toffy nosed nitwit carrying form. So anyway, clean slate and all that? Er no not entirely because Virginia, his first full debut release with his new band turns up and already is guilty of major thieving. The riff is from Bowie’s classic Queen Bitch! No ifs and no buts, it’s there note for note. The guy might as well be wearing a bibberty bobberty hat. Unfortunately despite that, like a few of Kula Shaker’s efforts you find yourself humming along to it. Damn and blast the bounder! Reviewed by
Paul SIMPLE
KID Truck On (Fierce Panda) Motor starts. Mournful harmonica wails. A cracked tinny voice whimpers. Then we're into the cruising lane with an insidiously singalong stomping chorus that'll have you taking your hands off the wheel to clap along [don't try this at home...hold on, it's probably safer if you do it there]. Countryish, indiesh, Truck On drives down the same lane as Beck's Loser, which is no bad thing. If this isn't a hit I'll trade in my Trabant.
In Love kicks off with a relentless ‘Smoke On the
Water’ like organ riff and pounds like the MC5 but the testosterone rush is cut with
girl group harmonies courtesy of Marcie and Carrie of the Von Bondies. They strut
familiar territory with wit, power and attitude that blows other contenders away –
unlike lots of warbling muppets these days, they earn their ‘rock’ status.
The other track Supergyration is rowdy, raw and manic, like AC/DC being
electrocuted on stage. Age won’t mellow them and neither will signing to a
major. Velvety is the most accessible track off recent patchy album Devil’s Workshop. It’s a jaunty poppy number reminiscent of late Pixies. No screaming histrionics but light, frothy and nice. However the single is little more than a plug for the two albums Frank recently put out as both B-sides, San Antonio, TX and Black Letter Day whilst pretty good, are sadly also from those albums. If you already have the long players save your cash, but if you haven’t this is definitely a worthy purchase. Reviewed by
Paul |
|
One of the more
immediate tracks from ‘Title TK’, Son of Three is a short, frantic road
song, over long before you could be tired of it. This
is what drivetime radio would sound like in a just world.
The live Safari is noteworthy for ethereal vocals and a bassline so low
it’s about 300 feet below sea level and punches like Tyson. But the unique selling point of this single is the
stunning version of the Buffy Theme which transforms it from a pleasant TV show
tune to an awesome surf-punk classic, as if Dick Dale was fronting the Buzzcocks. Reviewed by Ged
I could tell you how life re-affirmingly, pulse racingly, grape crushingly joyous this track is. How it leaps out on first hearing and makes you want to run naked down the street proclaiming its brilliance. But I can’t even though it is all these things and more. I can’t because this is one year on and it now just tells you that the band still have nothing new to offer. One year on and we’re still paying for new versions of old songs (though the cynics would claim that’s all we’ve ever done with this bunch). I’d like to say this release is worthwhile because of its wonderful b-sides but I guess you’ve already worked out I can’t. What you get are muddy home recordings of yes, two more tracks from the album. If this band are manufactured as some suggest have the creators run out of raw materials? Reviewed by
Paul EIGHTIES MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER Celebrate you mother (Universal) A myriad of soundalikes hit you when you first hear this Oedipus infested ditty. Starts off like Joy Division, cranks into Crampsian rockabilly riffs, then the charismatic Bauhaus/Pete Murphy style vocal growls in. Very enjoyable for something quite so on the edge of gothic. Another mixed bag with for the extra tracks. "Return to December" Fire Engines intro. Rants into metalish Fatima Mansions with Tenpole Tudor moments. All over the place, but strangely entertaining. "Torrential Abuse" More avante garde shouty metallica with schoolboy bedroom bass in the middle, not bad, I do like his voice. This young Brighton based band may wear thin in time, but they are hugely entertaining live and always have a surprise up their sleeve for the listener. Reviewed
by Grim HOGGBOY Upside Down (Sobriety Records) Less Strokes-ish than its excellent predecessor, Upside Down sees the ‘boys display their garage side with a 6 string sneer. Titillation however would make an excellent Strokes B-side (something our friends in New York seem incapable of…). Reviewed by
Paul
After too long an
absence the Irish trio bounce back with a cracking new single from the forthcoming album
‘I to Sky’ and an imminent tour. The
song opens with jangly guitar that could be Doves then a 12 year old girl starts singing. No, hang on, that’s Mark Greaney doing a
cross between schoolgirl and Billy Corgan. The
song soon develops muscles and there is a definite Smashing Pumpkins influence, helped
along no doubt by having mixing and production done by the team who have worked with the
Pumpkins and U2, though mercifully there’s nothing of the latter in here. If you can get past Greaney’s voice, which
some can’t, this uplifting song has a lot to offer. Reviewed by
Graham S CINERAMA Careless (Scopitones) The superb spy theme sounding highlight track from the excellent Torino album. Strip away the Albini production and this could be a Burt Bacharach 60s gem. It’s that good. This Isn’t What it Looks Like is also lovely with Gedgey once more caught with his pants down to the accompaniment of a brass and string section. Reviewed by
Paul WHITE STRIPES Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (XL, CD
single and DVD) We’ve
reviewed the A side but what’s special about the single are the additional tracks,
both recorded for the soon-to-be-history Radio 1 Evening Session. Suzy Lee is a staple from the first album,
an electric blues that butts heads with Led Zeppelin.
Then, Stop Breaking Down is five minutes of genius: a cover of a Robert
Johnson song that avoids being (a) old-man nostalgic and (b) white-boy patronising. Instead it has a contemporary sound and Jack
captures the swagger, arrogance and meanness of the old song matchlessly. What did he have to sell to sing/play like that? Jack’s guitar is sometimes driving, sometimes
screeching and always right-sounding while Meg’s primitive drumming perfectly
complements the song. Breathtaking. There’s also
a DVD in which Jack, looking the coolest bank manager ever, finishes work to find his
house is no longer a home and he’s haunted by ghosts of the past….(cont. p94). Best part is that the video was shot in Streatham
Hill SW12. He gets off the bus at the
junction of Emmanuel Road and Radbourne Road, by the ‘My Shop’ supermarket and
Emmi’s delicatessen/off-licence, goes out of his way up Salford Road to wave at a
woman in no. 6 (‘Rosemeath’), backtracks onto Emmanuel Road and ends up at 1
Thornton Avenue (entrance on Emmanuel Road) where the story begins. There’ll be a plaque one day. There’s also a short film (Arthur P
Dottweiler) where they and their sometime manager argue amusingly about their career
path. Best line: “you guys are not
Donny and Marie”! Not essential
but worth buying if you see it cheap - at least Jack’s no Sting in his acting. Reviewed by Ged
When was the last time you heard a bongo break on a record? A funky early 80s style number this brings back memories of Combat Rock era Clash, Remain in Light period Talking Heads and underrated Leeds post-punkers the Gang of Four. Rather splendid it is too.
A six tracker from
Peel favourites who play supercharged surf-guitar instrumentals, a bit like Man or
Astroman?. Tiger 100 is big and twangy and sometimes seems like it’s at the
wrong speed but they do play that fast! The
60s-styled Danger Men is a madcap and spiky guitar trash-a-thon. The best track is their cover of The Model,
done here as a Shadows-style guitar free-for-all and as memorable in its own way as the
Big Black version was. Aqua Vista is the
country where the dress code is surfboards and bondage trousers and Duane Eddy is
president. Reviewed by Ged
The single
continues the fine tradition of etching messages into the vinyl: this time it’s
“brothers of the slot”. If that
wasn’t recommendation enough, the A-side is a tornado of sound: staccato guitars and
blocks of colourful Stereolabby organ built up like a layered cake with Mark E Smith-like
vocals providing the rather sharp tasting icing on top.
The instrumental The Outro is a song in movements; first, big and
orchestral, then quiet and tinkley, dying out in a squawl of weird feedback sounds.
‘Art punk glam pop’ if you need a category (hey, beats ‘No Name’!). Reviewed by Ged LUXEMBOURG Three track demo CD from
|
If you saw 23 people in smocks in the UK you’d assume the
Countryside Alliance were on the march again.
