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singles - current and forthcoming releases... page 18 |
late May/early June 2003 |
THE BANDITS Take It and Run (B Unique) Liverpool outlaws The Bandits contine their plans for world domination with a heel kicking hoe-down type thang, where the harmonica wails and a guitar note pattern circles like a vulutre on exctasy. Lovely. Spread over two CDs you also get the other side of The Bandits - a full-on six shooting 60s rock wig out with their cover of Looking at You; Chaos in The Courtroom, a toe-tapping country tinged tale; and Odds and Ends, a sedate acoustic and bass dominated tune. It's a hold up! Er, or something. Review by Kev O EELS Saturday Morning (Dreamworks) A lot has happened in the world since the last Eels album ‘Souljacker’ in 2001. It’s probably fair to say that it’s for the best that Mark ‘E’ Everett had decided to dispense with the heavily bearded Unabomber look that he favoured back then – it can’t have been much fun getting through airport check-ins. Everything else is pretty much in place here however. Saturday Night features a trademark Eels dirty noise pop guitar riff and familiar vocal style. It’s not a patch on Novocaine For The Soul or Mr E’s Beautiful Blues but it is taken from an album called ‘Shootenanny’ which makes me think of something painful and amusing being done to Jools Holland, which is always a good thing. Review
by James S
THE DETROIT CITY COUNCIL Mary’s Lil’ Lamb (Acid Jazz) On the evidence of this carnality, Mary’s Lil’ Lamb isn’t just some woolly beast needing petting. A Dirtbombs spin off, Thomas Potter’s evil epiglottis coats nursery rhyme lyrics with a thick gloop of Detroit sleaziness while Ben Blackwell’s drums hump your leg and Mick Collins’ guitar undoes your buttons. Talk about premature, my one complaint is that it only lasts two minutes! Let’s Just Fuck Like Folks (which also comes as an 80s bass-matic remix) is a funky fuck-track, no foreplay but just down to the sticky business with wah-wah guitar and soulful backing vocals from the Come Ons. Are they all this horny in Detroit? Reviewed by Ged M
BRITISH SEA POWER Carrion (Rough Trade) You’ve got to say it’s a pretty evocative name for a band. Okay, so it makes me think of some kind of huge wind farm off the coast of their Cumbrian origins rather than our former naval might but that’s not the point. People seem keen to tell me that Carrion is ‘epic’ but it’s less than four minutes long for heavens sake. It reminds me of something that’d suddenly appear in a John Hughes movie back in 1986, the vocal fleeting briefly between The Cure and the Psychedelic Furs amongst others. Apologies To Insect Life sees the singer switch to the breathy clipped syllables once so beloved of Black Francis, with a suitably off-kilter surfed-up Pixies guitar riff to match, and Heavenly Waters is six-plus minutes of Mogwai-style instrumental bliss and noise. The best of British to them. Review
by James S
SEACHANGE A vs Co10 A deceptively simple tune that relies on a two note bass pattern (possibly) and frenetic guitars which go up and down their respective necks whilst a soapbox vocal charges/warns "We want symbols, icons/Quit messing around with the background". It ends all to briefly, demanding replaying over and over. It may seem limited (in fact the whole CD only lasts a little over four minutes) but it works brilliantly. Review by Kev O
THE HOKUM CLONES Breakin’ From A Jailhouse Blues (For Us Records, 7”) Another idiosyncratic release from the brilliant For Us label. The pressing is so good that this primitive sounding folk-blues lacks only the pop and hiss of really old vinyl for that authentic touch. The A-side is as simple as two voices (half blues singer, half crooner) and one guitar in a minimalist style. The AA-side, You Ain’t Foolin’ Me kicks off with a guitar/ukulele sound that strongly reminds you of “When I’m Cleaning Windows” until, just when you expect George Formby to join in, you get a smoky, bluesy growl and a harmonica break. It’s a bit of a blues tribute but, hey, didn’t Dylan start that way? Reviewed by Ged M
KILL YOURSELF The Soft Touch of Man EP (Obscene Baby Auction/Gringo) The rumbling bass, lean but muscular drums and first clanging dischords of opener Moustache were like the first sweet nibble on a madeleine. I was transported back to the late eighties, closeted away listening to intense, arty hardcore and occasionally sneaking out into the backrooms of Nottingham to celebrate the likes of Nomeansno, Fudge Tunnel, Silverfish, the Electro Hippies - ah the list goes on. Happy days, even for someone who could never even stand upright on a skateboard, much less pull an ollie or noseblunt. Of course the tradition has survived, with a few bands determined to avoid the overblown straining that became the popular mode of expression in the wake of Nevermind. And Leeds' Kill Yourself certainly know how to do this stuff properly. The vocals, declaiming rather than screaming their occasionally pretentious statements over the spare syncopated rhythms of the opening four tracks, place them firmly in the thoughtful goatee stroking end of the skatecore world. On the latter part of this 7 track EP, with Computron 2000 and Binhead's Bad Ribs, they flick up the rock element the merest notch and these will be really filling the mosh pits near you when they come round the UK at the end of the month (though I shan't be in there - dodgy back). This EP comes out on CD at the same time, though it's already knocking around on vinyl. It's fine noisy stuff for lurching around your living room, hands clasped behind you back. Fuck Slipknot and Nickelback - this is the stuff teenagers with any brains should be getting thier hands on. Review by Matt H
HOT HOT HEAT No Not Now (Sub Pop) A breathless Dexys style foot stomper and one of the four almighty stunning powerpop moments that kick off their chipper LP. It’s insanely catchy, defying you to stay still and if you want more from your music than this then you’re a cabbage headed arse. Review by Paul M
DEFTONES Minerva (Maverick)
Review by Graham S
GRANDADDY Now It’s On (V2) The weirdy beardies return with a shimmery trademark shuffler accompanied by Neil Youngish soaring high pitched vocals and of course it’s bloody good, cloth ears. Review by Paul M
MCLUSKY There Ain’t No Fool In Ferguson/ 1956 And All That (Too Pure, double A-side) It’s 10 minutes of anger management therapy that you emerge from with all your hatred and paranoia confirmed. It’s a Welsh take on a Big Black/Shellac screamfest, lyrically complex and uncompromising. With seesaw guitars and a drumbeat like a punch in the throat, there is a touch of melody in the chorus of There Ain’t No Fool In Ferguson but it doesn’t really want to be liked. More in-your-face is the disorientating, discordant anti-war (?) 1956 and All That while the funereal Hymn for New Cars with its “show me your gashes” chorus is, frankly, unsettling. Reviewed by Ged M
MOCO Miss Mantaray (Poolside) Another spiffing release from Wigan’s Moco. This one’s Joy Division at 78rpm with moco-ettes if you wish of the Doves, the Glitter Band and the Strokes along the way. B-side She’s Fine is Iggy in an ash stained tuxedo. Review by Paul M
OF ARROWE HILL I Are Becoming Instinct (Must…Destroy)
Reviewed by Ged M
THE WiLDHEARTS So Into You (Gut)
Review by Ross H RADIO DEPT Liebling (Rex Records 7”) Sweden’s Radio Dept sound like a C86 era Mary Chain heard on a badly tuned radio. It’s fuzzy and atmospheric, with guitars like sirens, busy buzzing organ, faraway vocals felt rather than heard and a drum machine run on amphetamines. It’s naggingly familiar and weirdly compelling. The flipside, We Would Fall Against The Tide, is elegant early 80s indie synth pop. Reviewed by Ged M
UNCLE BRIAN Postcards 25 years ago, us Brits took the ska music of Jamaica and turned in some of the finest pop of the post-punk era. Having since been sold to the Yanks thus resulting in Less Than Jake, No Doubt, etc, the baton is being passed back to us and bugger me if we're not making a right balls-up of it! Take 'Postcards', essentially the riff from Guns N' Roses 'Get in the Ring' speeded-up, skanked-up and diluted to the point of piss-weak which can only be appreciated by followers of shit like Spunge and Spankboy. Absolute crap! Review by Ross H
LESS THAN JAKE She’s Gonna Break Soon (Sire) The prolific ska punksters latest effort is more punk than ska. It romps along like uninspired sub-Green Day with repetitive lyrics. Nice brass section though. The Brightest Bulb Has Been Turned Out is a fairly dull ballady affair with whiney Billie Joe vocals and, of all people, Billy Bragg. Asaok starts with a mellow guitar line before going full pelt into spirited thrash punk and is easily the most entertaining track here. Review by Graham S HOT ACTION COP Fever for the Flava (Lava)
Review by Ross H
THE ANDROIDS Do it with Madonna
Review by Ross H
THE CRIMEA White Russian Galaxy (Double Dragon Music) For every rebel rousing, Jack Daniels swigging, guitar thrashing garage band that lands at Heathrow ready to do the Barfly circuit there’s a dozen local bands out there attempting to fight the tide by writing timeless pop songs. One of the bands is the Crimea and with this their second single they show that their first (Lottery Winners on Acid) was no fluke. White Russian Galaxy is in turns spookily dark and joyously euphoric. Ivories are tinkled and bass drums pounded, it’s gorgeously melodic and breathtakingly simple. It’s called pop music and I love it. Review
by Paul M STARS OF AVIATION Snow On Snow (Kitchen) Now this really is lovely. Snow on Snow is the sound of an English Yo La Tengo skipping through the fluffy white stuff on a deserted country lane to get to the pub on a crisp January evening. It’s a shame that we’re already too ensconced in spring for its beauty to be fully appreciated – bad timing lads. Elsewhere Illumined follows the same sweet path but with clarinets and la-la-las and Love is only in your mind shares much in common with fellow south coasters Clearlake. Special mention though goes to the wonderful cheesy-local-news-link titled Stars of Aviation are singing about summer, but is it going to be sunny, Carol?, which sounds like Ant from Hefner singing over Grandaddy’s keyboards. Absolutely gorgeous. Reviewed
by James S GRAVENHURST The Diver EP (For Us Records, 7”) This is mellow, pastoral, trancey music, a bit Nick Drake and a bit Low, from Bristol’s Nick Talbot. However you cut it, it’s completely gorgeous. The Diver is gentle, rhythmic and sweetly melodic, with pulsing guitar and half whispered lyrics. Flashlight Seasons is rhythmic and reminiscent of early Talking Heads, a sort of post-rock folk rock. Available in a limited issue of 500 on the Rough Trade shop’s own label. Reviewed by Ged M JOHNNY CASH Hurt/Personal Jesus (Lost Highway)
Review by Matt H THE EIGHTIES MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER Chicken (Island) Psychobilly/drama for the 21st century, The 80’s Matchbox…. are the swamp bred love-child of the Cramps and the Birthday Party, with some nuggets of psychedelia thrown in for good measure. Chicken is an AWOL mental patient: amphetamine drum-pounding, swamp-surf guitar riff, and a part cheesy elvis vocal that howls “Your head’s too big but your mind’s too small”. As fluffy as a tarantula and as in your face as a pepper spray. A record that shouldn’t come in a sleeve but a straight-jacket. Over the space of 3 CDs and a 7”, these six tracks (including a version of Horse of the Dog) show that The 80’s Matchbox… probably shouldn’t be left alone with matches. Incendiary. Review by Kev O CHRIS CLARK Ceramics is the Bomb (Warp)
Rather than cowering in the shadow of labelmates ‘Plaid’ and ‘Aphex Twin’, its interesting that this bolshi young pup has created his own visceral image, with a real heavy weight exuberance. One to watch, and a tasty package. Reviewed
by Adam M PREWAR YARDSALE She Used To Be Cool (A-Ok) After their headlining slot on the recent Antifolk mini-tour of the UK, Prewar Yardsale finally get a proper single release here. The title track is all chinga-chinga-chinga guitars, staccato vocals and laidback New York stylings, as Dina sings “She used to be cool, now she’s really cool!” Moron English Punk follows the same pattern but with the added bonus of what appears to be a lorry reversing halfway through it. Bicycle Free NYC has fuzzed up guitar cutting in rudely throughout and live favourite (so good they play it twice) Psychadelicate rounds off proceedings. If you missed them live then this is a worthy substitute as an introduction. Reviewed
by James S THE UNISEX Take Me Higher (Sea Harbour) Swedish pop picking magpies The Unisex seem to have filched some of the most popular strings around and added them to their impressive bow. Take Me Higher is the Coldplay that takes its foot off the brakes whilst brilliant B-side Magic Carpet is the Radiohead that isn’t po-faced. First stop Notting Hill Arts Club, next stop Wembley Arena. Climb aboard. Review
by Paul M MEDIUM 21 By My Side (Temptation) The influence of Grandaddy seems to be spreading this week. As with the Stars of Aviation, Medium 21 seem to have gotten sick of waiting for the follow up to The Sophtware Slump and had a go at replicating parts of it themselves. Echoes of Hewlett’s Daughter reverberate under the gentle acoustic strumming and tambourine that hold together By My Side. The lyrics may be a tad undernourished but any grumbles are rescued by the old-fashioned Sun Studio-style guitar twang that sneaks in and out unexpectedly. Reviewed
by James S PINK GREASE Lou Reed (Horseglue Label) Few bands have a name that so vividly captures what they are about than Sheffield’s Pink Grease. They look like a bunch of cheap male trollops, all lipstick, mascara and coy looks and bash out a dirty glam punk racket so utterly mind numbingly brilliant they could be the New York Dolls transported into 2003 in a badly battered shocking pink tardis. And the feather boa draped round their hairy shoulders is their humour – laugh out loud funny whilst still in your face cool. Review
by Paul M OCEANSIZE One Day All This Could Be Yours EP (Beggars Banquet)
Reviewed
by James S THE BASEMENT Slain the Truth (Deltasonic) I sometimes imagine that there’s a big old mansion somewhere in Merseyside where all the Liverpool bands live. In this house there’s a shared jukebox filled with Beatles singles, the La’s album, a couple of oddball sea shanties and some Captain Beefheart. The Basement would have a 60s Bob Dylan comp in there to swat up on their folky blues. This doesn’t shake quite like their recent debut and is maybe a tad too repetitive but it stirs the pot along nicely. Review
by Paul M THE RAIN BAND Knee Deep and Down (Temptation) Okay, I admit that the words ‘new Manc heroes’ on the press release had me wanting to dislike this record before I played it. And guess what, I don’t like it very much. So there’s a neat Peter Hook bassline running through it and a bit of Barney guitar at the end to join it but the tune just doesn’t go anywhere throughout, rendering the verses and choruses inseperable. The first line is “I need a new spark” and that just about sums it up. Manchester has always been full of class acts and chancer copycats failing to emulate their idols. And I think you know which way this lot are headed, yes? Reviewed
by James S INSTRUCTION The Great EP (Gravity) ‘Led by ex-Quicksand vocalist Arty Shepherd’ says the press blurb. Oh god, not the Quicksand who murdered The Smiths’ How Soon Is Now? A quick Google search confirms it is but that Arty was never actually in them. Now it’s not for me to tell PR people to get their facts right but GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT! The record is just as bad though – four tracks of Kurt-wannabe US hard rock railing against the corporate masses. It could’ve been recorded in any of the last 15 years and it wouldn’t have been any good in any of them. Reviewed
by James S |
As has been
noted here before, Johnny Cash’s covers of contemporary, non-country tunes are a long
way from the desperate career prolongation of other 50’s and 60’s luminaries
still doing the rounds. Hurt in particular embodies this. Stripped down to
essentially Cash and guitar, he takes the theme of self-loathing and driving others away
and lends it the gravitas of experience. In the hands of the younger author, in this
case Trent Reznor, there is a danger that the emotions slip into “misunderstood
adolescent” melodramatics. But, even if you don’t know the details of his
life, through Cash’s voice you can hear the people whose lives he has affected, not
always for the better, and the drugs and pain he has hidden behind. When he sings
“everyone I know goes away in the end”, being over 70 it takes on a whole
different spin. This is looking back at blackness, not forward into it. By way
of contrast, the most interesting thing about the Depeche Mode cover is the musical
treatment it has been given. The histrionic electronica is replaced by tightly
thrummed acoustic guitar and a meandering honky tonk piano, to give it a haunting
feel. For anyone who has the album already on CD the disc also contains a version of
the classic Wichita Lineman and the video for Hurt. On the former, to be honest
Cash’s voice, while still deep and full of feeling, doesn’t quite have the notes
to do justice to, and the latter I’m afraid I didn’t get round to watching
– I’m yet to see one that added anything to a decent song. The bloke in
the shop on Victoria Station where I bought this couldn’t believe how many he was
selling – it’d be number one if I had anything to do with it.
Heralded as the new Warp upstart, this is Chris Clark’s
‘interface’ work, between his ‘Clarence Park’ album, and his
forthcoming release ‘Empty the Bones of You’. Whilst ‘Clarence Park’
could have been regarded as a fledgling electronut’s experiments to find their style,
this is certainly more defined and a signature is apparent. Although there is an
overall feel of brutish force, there is a theme of sensitivity, which lifts Mr
Clark’s electro babble onto a more intelligent plane. ‘Slow Spines’
provides us with a brief respite, and ‘Prost Investigation’ is surely an aural
Ibuprofen. ‘Shonny’ gives us a keyboard melody intertwined with a fearsome drum
and bass surge, whilst ‘Rob Lee’ and ‘A. Council’ are unapologetic and
sub woofer splitting sub bass trash. I did smile however at ‘The
Gavel’….this is Cake music for all you Brass Eyes !%200505.jpg)
If
the influences running through this three-track EP are anything to go by then I foresee a
future break-up due to the infamous ‘musical differences’ coming on. The title
track creeps in stealthily with beats and riffs straight from the last Massive Attack
album then suddenly the vocal comes in and the Duran Duran revival (see also The Faint and
Dandy Warhols) continues apace. A solitary chorus later and the guitars click up through
the gears to the climax. Sadly this twisted quality isn’t extended to the other
tracks that follow an uninspired and overlong rock path somewhere between Nickleback,
Faith No More and Radiohead noodling. One day soon all this could indeed be yours –
it’s arguable whether you’d want it though.