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| singles - current and forthcoming releases... |
 PRODIGY Baby’s
Got a Temper (XL Recordings)After a four year absence the Prodge return with another track likely to cause much controversy in both the tabloids and broadsheets. Last time it was Smack My Bitch Up, a dubious title whatever the interpretation and this it's time Baby’s Got A Temper with its mantra like chants about date-rape drug Rohypnol coupled with “This baby’s got a temper, you’ll never take her”. The finger waggers for Smack My Bitch Up found themselves facing a rigid one back as everyone said “Yeah but… it’s a great tune!” I’m not so sure people will be quite so forgiving this time. Sure, it starts brilliantly with a catchy music-box style ditty accompanied by grinding keyboards but then lapses into unoriginality with the catches from both Firestarter and Breathe sneaking in before the ill judged lyrics uttered by Keith's Lydon-esq vocals finally leave you part unsure and part disappointed. MUSE Dead Star / In Your World (Taste) Dead Star sees the return of the Vicious-cloned chiselled featured Matt Bellamy and his staccato delivery. What has changed though is the music; gone are the soaring keyboards, bordering on classical, to be replaced by chopped ivories and hard rock thrashing guitars. In Your World is less frantic, more measured and less likely to scare the cat. Together, it’s a sign that Muse are not just wannabe prog rockers and this is an excellent double A sided release. ALPINESTARS FEATURING BRIAN MOLKO Carbon Kid (Riverman Records) Brian Molko is the diminutive frontman from Placebo and his high pitched vocals polarise opinion with more hating than loving his tight panted efforts. Unfortunately I’m in the hate camp (sorry for the pun) and believe that an excellent song that veers from electro-machine gun boogie to delicate tinkling has been ruined by his irritating screeched falsetto. Shame they didn’t leave the castrato at home. THE REINDEER SECTION You Are My Joy (Bright Star Recordings) Every review of a Reindeer Section record begins with telling you all that the band features members of Idlewild, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, Snow Patrol, Alfie, Astrid, Eva, Teenage Fanclub and Arab Strap among a few others, so I will too and as you can see it all sounds very promising. Apparently a Scottish ‘super group’, but from their previous album I would call them a Scottish ‘boringly average’ group. ‘You Are My Joy’ is lifted from the bands second album ‘Son Of Evil Reindeer’ and completely outshines all of their previous work. Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) may have one of the most unfortunate singing voices ever, but it doesn’t stop him doing some blinding vocals on this track. Some may dismiss it as being a bit soppy, perhaps the members of Alfie are to blame for this, but it’s quite sweet really. This is certainly one of the finest tracks of 2002. Interpol are New Yorker’s with something of a penchant for the early 80s long mac brigade. ‘PDA’ is like a gloomier version of underrated Kiwi popmasters The Chills and B-side ‘NYC’ is a pleading, soulful Echo and the Bunnymen style plodder with more atmosphere than Russ Abbott could ever dream of. Lovely. ATHLETE You Got the Style (Parlophone) Tedious, repetitive white reggae pap with awful cringeworthy lyrics. This is Dodgy and er dodgy. BEN KWELLER EP Phone Home (ATO Records) The opener Launch Ramp is a frantic power pop charmer but the other tracks fail to deliver as Harriet’s Got A Song is sub-Weezer emo and the remaining three are irritating Ben Folds Five clever-clever cheesy whimsies. WE START FIRES How To Be A Lady (Head Girl Records) After the demise of Venus In Furs the lead singer Becky Stefani has decided to return to the indie scene with her brand spanking new band We Start Fires. Their debut EP has shades of The Breeders, Le Tigre and Elastica about it, its riot grrrl but with a difference, so much more organised and nowhere near as brash, but with the passion still evident. I could quite easily annoy them by saying that they sound like Kenickie, but that’s just plain cruel. Although it’s unoriginal and been done before, not to mention they are over 5 years late with releasing music of this genre it still has a certain quality about it that makes it enjoyable, regardless of its faults. It’s indie-pop and it’s great. Stefani tells us all that “I wanna be a riot grrrl” on the final track ‘Hey Tiger’, but she needn’t worry, she already is. |
A wonderful haunting lullaby from gravel voiced Scottish crooner, Yorkston. Its celtic strings and tom toms conjures up images of rolling hills, barren seascapes and is both soothing and stirring. Terrific. IDLEWILD American English (Parlophone) Idlewild release ‘American English’
a couple of weeks before their third full-length album ‘The Remote Part’ and
once again they are going to be told their record sounds like REM. Their last single
‘You Held The World In Your Arms’ was a rather decent song, which helped them
enter at an impressive number nine in the charts; I suspect this record won’t be as
successful. It swaps the great orchestral sounds and thumping drums for a song clearly
aimed to melt the hearts of those angst ridden teens, however it only ends up being the
worst Idlewild single to date. Reviewed by Richard Ex-Wedding Present front man David Gedge always produces some quality 80’s tinged pop songs and ‘Quick Before It Melts’ is a fine example of his work. A song about an erection disguised by the trademark Cinerama strings and the crooning voice of Gedge. The female backing, the xylophone and the crisp electric guitar give the song a perfect sound, you can tell great care has gone in to this record and hopefully their new album ‘Torino’ out on July 1st gets the same treatment. Even the NME liked this song, nothing short of a miracle. Reviewed by Richard THE MOLDY PEACHES County Fair/Rainbows (Sanctuary Records) Adam Green and Kimya Dawson have recruited a full band now; nevertheless they are still both very strange. ‘County Fair’ is a short romp that will probably get the toes tapping, but the other song on the single ‘Rainbows’ is just a long ramble of nonsense and accompanied by a poor tune. This lacks the charm of their album, but if you enjoy their usual dirty lyrics then you’ll be pleased to know they are maintained in this record. This record just confused me though, catch them on tour in mid-June and hope it makes some sense…seems unlikely. THE CRESCENT Test of Time (Hut) Tedious dadrock from Liverpool, it's Ocean Colour Scene with a twist of Cast and buckets of boredom. RIVAL SCHOOLS Good Things (Mercury) Ah, if only it were all this good. Emo-Joy in it's purest form. The Schools go for a more blissed out, acoustic vibe compared the sonic thrash of "Used For Glue". But it still works. Dirty arsed, air punching garage punk from Kiwi hedonists. A sort of joyous cross between Motorhead and the Seeds with Andrew WK turning up to perform the John Belushi chocolate eclaire routine. This is some party.
Now this is a shame. After the joyous pop sensibilities of "The Middle", comes this, a bog standard emo piece of banality. Sounds like someone ate too much. KID GALAHAD Swimming To Shore (Ignition) Yuk. Horrible sub Shed 7 shite that should be extinguished and got rid of very quickly. The kind of song twats in their mid thirties move their heads to in some Camden pub on a lonely Wednesday night. All the more strange, as one of B-Sides 'Heroes Of Villains" is hypnotically beautiful. GLUECIFER Easy Living (Steamhammer) Somewhere in Scandinavia at this moment a conveyor belt will be chugging along and spilling the next garage punk band off the end. This is acceptable if derivative rock, the ugly coupling of the Sex Pistols and Meatloaf. FISCHERSPOONER Emerge (Ministry of Sound) Catchy if limited fast electro boogie from the band Ministry of Sound paid a million for. DATSUNS Lady/MF From Hell (Hellsound Records Import 7”) A Detroit-styled fiery cauldron of growling guitar. Play loud and then play louder. They’re Kiwi, dumb and off-the-register brilliant. The Datsuns have just signed for V2 so check out this strictly limited 7” (Rough Trade your best bet) to hear them when they were at their non-corporate peak. Strictly limited to 500 copies, this is the Saints in a fight with the Ramones in a tent pitched on the Flamin’ Groovies front lawn. Full of intense piledriving force and a perfect blend of form and function in the 7” vinyl format. Put it on and melt down. Another powerful, energetic, and ball-bustingly brilliant NZ band. |
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 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE I Was A Kaleidoscope (Barsuk
Records)This is what we have come to expect from the jingle-jangle West coast pop outfits of the American indie scene. Similar to something Teenage Fan Club or Cosmic Rough Riders would churn out, the songs certainly a pleasant listen and the melodies are as usual faultless. Even though it’s an adequate effort from one of the more respected bands associated with indie-pop, it has Dawson’s Creek and Smallville written all over it, this is not a good thing, not a good thing at all. Reviewed by Richard LIBERTINES What A Waster / I Get Along (Rough Trade) And who's this just turning up on their Choppers with lolly sticks clicking in their back wheels, chewing Bazooka Joes? Why it's 1977 London powerpop punkers The Libertines, all spots, gob and broken strings. And what a racket! What A Waster is pure early Jam but with added expletives just to make sure you'll never hear it on the radio, which is a shame because singalong melodic punk doesn't get much better than this. Reviewed by mawders PRIMAL SCREAM Miss Lucifer (Columbia) Nobody can claim the Scream have pigeonholed themselves. This is an electronic assault, somewhat reminiscent of Der Mussolini by DAF, which starts fast and drives on with incessant unrelenting powerdrill keyboards, topped with Billy's voice and occasional Carry On screams. One that demands to be played LOUD but not often. Reviewed by mawders THE CATHETERS 3000 Ways (Sub Pop) Hives-style yelping dirty 60s garage rock n roll, the pick is not 3000 Ways but second track Nothing, which has a dainty little tune fighting to be heard under the mass of bass, drums, grungy guitars and screaming. Reviewed by mawders CAPTAIN SOUL T-Shirt 69 (Poptones) Re-issue on CD of a track previously released on 7" only, this is a 60s influenced swooping pop gem, part Beach Boys, part Hollies, part Byrds, part Teenage Fanclub and totally 100% class. And rather splendidly T-shirt 69 is not alone as the other three terrific tracks all give notice that Mr McGee has uncovered another little jewel with his scattergun release policy. Reviewed by mawders MISS BLACK AMERICA Talk Hard (Integrity Records) I find this record dull and pointless. They’ve tried a ‘slowy’ and failed miserably. It wasn’t worth the effort boys; even their amateurish ‘punk’ sound was better than this. That said this record will probably be their biggest hit to date such is the way of the record buying public. Must try harder. Reviewed by Richard STARS OF AVIATION The Stars of Aviation Are Singing About Summer But Is It Going To Be Sunny, Carol? (Grandpa Records) Saunter into Summer with the Stars of Aviation. A lovely, lazy, Belle and Sebastian tinged number with a carnival French feel, all sweet acoustic guitars, tinkly keyboards and fuzzy keyboards. A perfect song for long twilight evenings. Maybe still available in a hand-painted limited edition of 40. (www.starsofaviation.co.uk) Reviewed by Ged JARCREW Paris and the new math (Complete Control) Welsh shouty punk metal that probably goes down better live than on CD. Reviewed by mawders ORBITAL Rest and Play EP (London) Lead track, Frenetic is a er frenetic dance number topped with female vocals. Track two features that wobbly headed anti-christ, David Gray and is a tedious grey electro acoustic snorebore. Track three is a mix of old techno classic Chime. Reviewed by mawders THE MOONEY SUZUKI Oh Sweet Susanna/Say Man What Time Is It (Gammon Records) Relentless New York rock and roll. The first track has an easy pace, all bluesy and lovelorn. Good on first hearing, it becomes catchier and more essential on repeated plays. The B-side is a funny, merciless Hendrix jam with dirty fuzz guitar. Fans of the Dirtbombs especially will enjoy the rugged, soulful playing. Reviewed by Ged THE BEES A Minha Menina (We Love You) Marvellous Hispanic toe tapping fun by those quirky oddballs The Bees. You may not understand the chorus but believe me it'd get the pulse racing on a corpse. Reviewed by mawders PEACHES Set It Off (Columbia) Maybe not an obvious release to find itself covered on an alternative music zine but Peaches is no ordinary artist. This is a fabulously funny piece of high energy electro nonsense, kind of Andrew WK meets Gary Numan, with an androgynous shemale wibbling over the top. But none of this means anything without the video, just about the best advert yet for the removal of body hair. Yuk! And YES! Buy!! Reviewed by mawders POSTALOWA Little Proof
7” (Sickroom Gramophonic Collective) The A-side is a long, mesmeric, shoegazey groove that spirals downwards and eventually dissolves into a squall of screechy guitars and electronic sounds. While “Grace” on the other side is just electronic mumbling, “Fight” is more intense and discordant off-kilter indie rock. Good stuff and rebellious while it lasts but goes home for its tea when its mum calls. Reviewed by Ged LITTLE JAPANESE TOY Little
Boy 7” (Sickroom Gramophonic Collective) Reminiscent of the early Human League or Mute Records, when you had to be imaginative to overcome the shortcomings of technology, “Little Boy” begins minimally with a lone synth and growly voice and then builds into an explosion of interference from first strings and then brass. Still the riff makes it through the swirling electronica to hit the target. Other side is minimalist, lazy and electronic before mutating into something loud, angry and guitar-y. Reviewed by Ged |
| PLAID P-Brane
EP The first three tracks are pleasant multi layered electro orchestral pieces, rather like Tangerine Drum updated with shuffling drum loops and random bleeps and parps. The best though is the last track, Mfaus, which starts with atmospheric radio crackle, becoming a funky shuffler before exploding into an industrial mush. Reviewed by mawders THE LOVES Just Like Bobby D (Track and Field, 7") Track and Field is easily our favourite label here at soundsxp Towers. Their unnerving ability in uncovering little gems make their name on a sleeve a marque of quality and the release a compulsory purchase. No kidding. And this third single from the Welsh popsters The Loves is no exception, a fizzy Spector and Velvets cocktail with a few Eastern spices thrown in for good measure. Reviewed by mawders BEARSUIT Stop What You’re
Doing, What You’re Doing Is Wrong (Sickroom GC) This is the third 7’’ release from Norwich band Bearsuit, with a fourth all ready recorded and an album on the way titled ‘In Charge Of Meats’. Bearsuit are incredibly shambolic, but they’re the most fun you’ll have all year and ‘Stop What You’re Doing, What You’re Doing Is Wrong’ is no exception. Slightly less rockin’ than previous releases ‘Drinkink’ and Peel favourite ‘Hey Charlie Hey Chuck’, but the mixture of pounding drums and gentle strings work marvellously. Not their best work, but this release should be playing at dirty indie-nights around the UK. Reviewed by Richard Collings DANKO JONES Sound of Love (Bad Taste Records) Bluesy rock from Sweden which will probably appeal to fans of the Bellrays, the Dirtbombs and Led Zep. It's full-on rock n roll meant for smoke filled basement clubs and sweat dripping from the ceiling. Good stuff. Reviewed by mawders MATTHEW Everybody Down (Ryko) American band who obviously caught Thom and the boys on their last tour. Very Radiohead-ish in the build up, it ultimately disappoints with a rather poppy chorus. Reviewed by mawders BILLY BRAGG Take Down the Union Jack (Cooking Vinyl) This is an attempt by England's favourite political singer songwriter to get a number one single in Golden Jubilee week with a song that says the United Kingdom is finished. A kind of musical raspberry at a time when a nation will be blinkered to its current and past problems. It will fail of course because it's far from Billy's best material and the people he will motivate to go down to a record shop to get it to the top slot are dwindling in numbers and no longer the kind of people who buy singles anyway. And all that's assuming they know about it as it's unlikely to get too much airplay. Still all profits go to The Living Wage Campaign so good luck to the fella. Reviewed by mawders BOB MOULD Soundonsound (Cooking Vinyl) The former frontman of Husker Du and Sugar returns with a mid-tempo number, very reminiscent of Peter Gabriel. Unfortunately that's not really a good thing. Reviewed by mawders LA NUIT AMERICAINE Blue In The Mist (emma's house recordings) La Nuit Americaine is an Italian group featuring one Christian Giovoni aided by two additional musicians. This is a limited edition 7" single of two songs, the title track and A Certain Goodbye. Both are mournful ballads with violin. Obvious influences are the Smiths and Nick Cave. Music to slash your wrists by. Reviewed by Sleezy |
 THE HIVES Main Offender (Poptones)Primeval yelping from the out of tune Howlin Pelle on this re-release of an old single and an attempt to reach beyond the impressively large number of fans these arrogant Swedish punkers already have. It is of course utterly brilliant. Reviewed by mawders The build up to the chorus on this song sounds like those little Swedish scamps, the Wannadies, but the chorus lifts it out of the chanty power pop pan cupboard and places one crust in the Radiohead breadbin. Not bad in a kitchen-like way. Reviewed by mawders THE HIVES / THE PRICKS A Killer Among U” split 7 (Hard-On Records, Sweden) Third pressing, in a limited edition of 500, of a 1998
Swedish-release single featuring three tracks from each band. The Hives’ tracks, including a cover of
“Numbers” by The Adicts, date from before the Hives became polished and clever
entertainers. This is raw, direct, alive and
powerful, the pure spirit and screaming soul of punk rock.
The Pricks are more in-your-face, sounding like the Damned on “Butthole
City” and any angry hardcore band on the others.
This is rare as anything and you might find it at Rough Trade if you’re
lucky. Reviewed by Ged JAMES YORKSTON and THE ATHLETES The Lang Toun (Domino) A sort of celtic alt-country electronica that could be by Hank McMoby. Pleasant with what sounds like a subdued bagpipe, acoustic guitar and brushed drums, it strolls gently along before Yorkston joins in, talking rather than singing. Reviewed by mawders Third single from cocky Northern monkeys. This is Led Zep gone baggy or The Happy Mondays with a twelve string guitar. It’s better than their last single which is not difficult but they’re still in the Unibond League of lyric writing and not half as good as they think they are. Reviewed by mawders BALLBOY All the Records on the Radio are Shite (SL records) Ballboy are a fourpiece from Edinburgh and this is their fourth release. The title track sounds like Belle and Sebastian singing along to Tom Hark with triumphant organ and trumpet parps. Stars and Stripes is a gentle acoustic number. Building for the Future is er the Belles again accompanied by Dexys strings and has a whiff of Terry Jacks. Welcome to the New Year is pure maudlin. A must buy for cardy wearers everywhere. Reviewed by mawders BRITISH SEA POWER The Spiriti of St Louis (Rough Trade) How on earth did this band ever get touted as being some sort of hot prospect in certain other fading music journals...? This is another self indulgent wig out fronted by a man mimicing one of the most affected vocalists of all time, Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs. Reviewed by mawders SOLOMON Piano1/Being the Devil 7” (Black Cat, White Cat Records) If Mazzy Star wrote a soundtrack for a David Lynch film, it would sound like “Piano 1”: moody, a touch bluesy and very classic. “Being the Devil” is a quicker and more insistent rhythm. The singer’s part-rocky, part-bluesy voice is backed up by a fantastic primal rock beat with a seriously spooky guitar part. They’re worth seeing, this is worth hearing. Reviewed by Ged Pleading vocals over a great riff, pounding drums and orchestral strings, Idlewild return with a song that’s 10% REM, 90% Smiths and 100% terrific. Reviewed by mawders Due chiefly to the singer’s vocal similarities with Sting this reminds me of early Police and the “Don’t want no job in Starbucks” whilst politically sound does bring back horrible memories of Mr Sumner singing “I want my MTV” a good few years ago. Have I just entered Room 101 in soundsxp Towers? Reviewed by mawders BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB Spread Your Love (Virgin) It’s 1968 and it’s the Velvet Underground. Low on originality maybe but high on mood and atmosphere. Reviewed by mawders DOT ALLISON Substance (Mantra) Dot’s vocals are barely audible above the repetitive bleeps and seemingly random electronic farts. The outcome is tedious and she captures the problem rather well when she sings “In need of some substance…”. Reviewed by mawders JACK Emperor of New London (Disques Du Crepuscule) This is the NME hyped band from a few years ago who failed because the listener cottoned on that there was something fishy going on in IPC Towers. They’ve changed direction and this their comeback single is an improvement but it reeks of film soundtrack muzak. Reviewed by mawders POLAK Joyrider (One Little Indian) Tuneless meandering dirge. You 'eard. Reviewed by mawders Another worthy haunting electronica effort from Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart David under his Looper guise. Reviewed by mawders The Scandinavian invasion continues with this release from an Icelandic five piece. A bassline borrowed from the Stone Roses coupled with vocals that alternate between Coldplay, the Verve and the Bunnymen, they could hardly go wrong. Moody, anthemic and stirring. Reviewed by mawders Tame sing-along acoustic rock from old punkers, this has Festival and dog on string written all over it. Reviewed by mawders THE MOONIES Who the F**k are the Moonies? (Plastic Boot) Who indeed and who cares? This is like Ash and the Beatles stripped of their interesting bits and put through a blender. The product the other side is a fairly bland sludge. Reviewed by mawders THOMSON Suicide / Blue Soup (Poptones) Reasonable effort from a West Country fourpiece formed by 2 brothers called er Thomson. It’s a mish mash of Big Star, Teenage Fanclub and Beach Boys harmonies and is the sort of record that GLR used to play; tuneful, interesting and obscure. Reviewed by mawders BRENDAN BENSON Folk Singer EP (V2) Not everything from Detroit is garage as this half decent EP of lo-fi rock (Folk Singer) and folk (Feel like Myself) proves. Reviewed by mawders THE CANDYS Queen of Perfection (bossmusic) The A-side is a nothing special rock anthem but a gem is tucked away on the b-side. ‘Monitor Rock’ is a Stone Roses’ bassline welded to harmonica effects, Stereolab keyboards and muffled vocals and the result is rather splendid Reviewed by mawders Imagine if Matt Bellamy of Muse fronted a shouty punk pop band and you’d have Easyworld. Inoffensive and toe tappable. Reviewed by mawders
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