Singles
Updated 15th October 2011
THINK ON, CIDER AND BLACKCURRANT?
run, WALK "RAINHOUSE / STRAIGHT LINES" (HOLY ROAR)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? May we
present art-rawk? Seriously, it
was always a genre waiting to
happen. Everyone loves
pointless,bludgeoning riffery
and everything's going fine
and then some pointy headed
types who can actually play,
think to themselves, "this
speed metal is simple, fun
and great, but we're having
problems with the 'simple'
bit.". So, run, WALK play
complicated metal, lot's of
time changes and beautifully
tricky little interludes that
offer shade, contrast, proof of
their considerable abilty
and... relief.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Hell, yeah. They're sooo fucking full of themselves, albeit in a very good way, because they're so full of piss, vinegar and strange ideas and that's exactly what we want and far more than you deserve.
WHERE IS IT? www.facebook.com/runwalk
run, WALK "RAINHOUSE / STRAIGHT LINES" (HOLY ROAR)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? May we
present art-rawk? Seriously, it
was always a genre waiting to
happen. Everyone loves
pointless,bludgeoning riffery
and everything's going fine
and then some pointy headed
types who can actually play,
think to themselves, "this
speed metal is simple, fun
and great, but we're having
problems with the 'simple'
bit.". So, run, WALK play
complicated metal, lot's of
time changes and beautifully
tricky little interludes that
offer shade, contrast, proof of
their considerable abilty
and... relief.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Hell, yeah. They're sooo fucking full of themselves, albeit in a very good way, because they're so full of piss, vinegar and strange ideas and that's exactly what we want and far more than you deserve.
WHERE IS IT? www.facebook.com/runwalk
THERE GOES SUMMER...
HERMAN DUNE "BE A DOLL AND TAKE MY HEART" (FORTUNA POP!)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? French, summer pop, but voiced with a clear and remarkably innocent American vocal. Add the deceptively simple lyrics and spot on, light touch production and you can see why this is the second single from "Strange Moosic".
IS IT ANY GOOD? Yes, buy it.
WHERE IS IT? www.hermandune.com
HERMAN DUNE "BE A DOLL AND TAKE MY HEART" (FORTUNA POP!)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? French, summer pop, but voiced with a clear and remarkably innocent American vocal. Add the deceptively simple lyrics and spot on, light touch production and you can see why this is the second single from "Strange Moosic".
IS IT ANY GOOD? Yes, buy it.
WHERE IS IT? www.hermandune.com
WE'LL PROBABLY SLAG THE ALBUM
THE WORDS "EVERYBODY'S WITH YOU" (PHOENIX RECORDS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Lazy menace, sly funk and a towering blast of stadium shattering guitar chorus. This isn't a single, it's a calling card for real rock talent.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Very. It is an absolute pleasure to hear fully formed, mature music like this.
WHERE IS IT? www.thewordsmusic.co.uk
THE WORDS "EVERYBODY'S WITH YOU" (PHOENIX RECORDS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Lazy menace, sly funk and a towering blast of stadium shattering guitar chorus. This isn't a single, it's a calling card for real rock talent.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Very. It is an absolute pleasure to hear fully formed, mature music like this.
WHERE IS IT? www.thewordsmusic.co.uk
UNHAPPY MONDAYS
OUR FAMOUS DEAD "I AM HUMAN" (AMAZON / i-TUNES)
RELEASED? 14th November.
SOUNDS LIKE? Very much
like 'roid raged chipmunks.
This is brilliant. This is what
dumb ass, death metal could
sound like when played at the
wrong speed. It all falls to
boring, Monday, 8.45am
levels when the 'proper' vocals
kick in. The sudden drop from
Chipmunks with attitude to Blank 182 wannabe is a headslap and when the second one, "Untitled", has an interesting piano intro smashed shitless by more witless, wank-by-numbers rawk, we know, we know for sure that Our Famous Dead are just another bunch who want to be Our Dead Famous..
IS IT ANY GOOD? Next..
WHERE IS IT? www.facebook.com/ourfamousdead
OUR FAMOUS DEAD "I AM HUMAN" (AMAZON / i-TUNES)
RELEASED? 14th November.
SOUNDS LIKE? Very much
like 'roid raged chipmunks.
This is brilliant. This is what
dumb ass, death metal could
sound like when played at the
wrong speed. It all falls to
boring, Monday, 8.45am
levels when the 'proper' vocals
kick in. The sudden drop from
Chipmunks with attitude to Blank 182 wannabe is a headslap and when the second one, "Untitled", has an interesting piano intro smashed shitless by more witless, wank-by-numbers rawk, we know, we know for sure that Our Famous Dead are just another bunch who want to be Our Dead Famous..
IS IT ANY GOOD? Next..
WHERE IS IT? www.facebook.com/ourfamousdead
ON THE WEIRD SHIP LOLLIPOP...
MEZONIC "GO GIRL" (MEZONIC RECORDS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Smooth suburban rap. I don't really know what else to say about a rap record that contains the word 'twirl', I mean I hear 'make it twirl' and I'm right up against the window, watching Shirley Temple dance through the Chocolate Factory.
IS IT ANY GOOD? I'm pretty sure that harmless rap is bad rap?
WHERE IS IT? www.mrpellc.com
MEZONIC "GO GIRL" (MEZONIC RECORDS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Smooth suburban rap. I don't really know what else to say about a rap record that contains the word 'twirl', I mean I hear 'make it twirl' and I'm right up against the window, watching Shirley Temple dance through the Chocolate Factory.
IS IT ANY GOOD? I'm pretty sure that harmless rap is bad rap?
WHERE IS IT? www.mrpellc.com
THE OUTLOOK IS WARM AND FUZZY
MAGIC BUS "MAGIC BUS"
(STATIC CARAVAN)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Warm, swirly,
gentle and genuine. The old
auntie who will nick your dope,
but won't drop you in it with your
mum. Magic Bus do,
unfashionably, play from the heart,
fuck knows, their brains were put
on hold forty years back. Even so,
the pottage of Jethro Tull, Steve
Hillage, Caravan and early
Genesis is very acceptable.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Yes. We live
in a bright, clicky, digital,
sheer-sided, sharply defined age
(we don't) but attitude remains a huge factor in determining what's 'good' or 'bad'. As opposed to what's technically proficient or fashionable. Magic Bus are technically proficient, unfashionable and unlikely to know or care anything about attitude. They play for pleasure and, funny how things turn out, are a pleasure to listen to.
WHERE IS IT? www.magicbusband.co.uk
MAGIC BUS "MAGIC BUS"
(STATIC CARAVAN)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Warm, swirly,
gentle and genuine. The old
auntie who will nick your dope,
but won't drop you in it with your
mum. Magic Bus do,
unfashionably, play from the heart,
fuck knows, their brains were put
on hold forty years back. Even so,
the pottage of Jethro Tull, Steve
Hillage, Caravan and early
Genesis is very acceptable.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Yes. We live
in a bright, clicky, digital,
sheer-sided, sharply defined age
(we don't) but attitude remains a huge factor in determining what's 'good' or 'bad'. As opposed to what's technically proficient or fashionable. Magic Bus are technically proficient, unfashionable and unlikely to know or care anything about attitude. They play for pleasure and, funny how things turn out, are a pleasure to listen to.
WHERE IS IT? www.magicbusband.co.uk
FASTER + HARDER = BETTER
SIRS "BEING STRAIGHT / BUZZARD KILL" (TOPSHELF RECORDS)
RELEASED? Out now .
SOUNDS LIKE? Entirely appropriate that Sirs are sharing this split
single with run WALK, because Sirs are offering a kind of math-rock take on punk. This is what we call 'great'. Punk played faster and harder is, as any fule no, better punk and when things are complicated with stabby little guitar bursts, it's even better.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Both tracks are started with the world's best and only acceptable drum solo, the tick, tick, tick of the sticks meeting to count in the barely controlled chaos, so, yes, this is good.
WHERE IS IT? www.topshelfrecords.com
SIRS "BEING STRAIGHT / BUZZARD KILL" (TOPSHELF RECORDS)
RELEASED? Out now .
SOUNDS LIKE? Entirely appropriate that Sirs are sharing this split
single with run WALK, because Sirs are offering a kind of math-rock take on punk. This is what we call 'great'. Punk played faster and harder is, as any fule no, better punk and when things are complicated with stabby little guitar bursts, it's even better.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Both tracks are started with the world's best and only acceptable drum solo, the tick, tick, tick of the sticks meeting to count in the barely controlled chaos, so, yes, this is good.
WHERE IS IT? www.topshelfrecords.com
PRODDING THE PROG
ZOMBI "SLOW OSCILLATIONS" (STATIC CARAVAN)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? The machine made flesh, and rain. We like the forceful, but gentle amalgamation of ELP and early Genesis and the warm they conjure from their wires, volts and technological trickery. At less than three minutes "Slow Oscillations" is still an epic sweep and clatter through what we've taken to calling post-prog-kraut-chill, catchy, eh?
IS IT ANY GOOD? Oh yes, this is more, this is class.
WHERE IS IT? www.zombi.us/
ZOMBI "SLOW OSCILLATIONS" (STATIC CARAVAN)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? The machine made flesh, and rain. We like the forceful, but gentle amalgamation of ELP and early Genesis and the warm they conjure from their wires, volts and technological trickery. At less than three minutes "Slow Oscillations" is still an epic sweep and clatter through what we've taken to calling post-prog-kraut-chill, catchy, eh?
IS IT ANY GOOD? Oh yes, this is more, this is class.
WHERE IS IT? www.zombi.us/
FIRE IN THE HOLE
THE LUCID DREAM "HEARTBREAK GIRL" (HOLY ARE YOU RECORDINGS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? We had
a good yack about this
one, or an argument. On
the one hand, it's quite
obvious that The Lucid
Dream are a dreamy,
kaftan-knacked pop outfit
who have been possessed
by the spirit of Arthur
Brown. The other hand suggests that this is what happens when four people escape from the asylum and the van they knick for the getaway just happens to belong to the Edgar Broughton Band.
IS IT ANY GOOD? If only I could spell 'exquisite'...
WHERE IS IT? www.stillonmyshite/lazyfuckers
THE LUCID DREAM "HEARTBREAK GIRL" (HOLY ARE YOU RECORDINGS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? We had
a good yack about this
one, or an argument. On
the one hand, it's quite
obvious that The Lucid
Dream are a dreamy,
kaftan-knacked pop outfit
who have been possessed
by the spirit of Arthur
Brown. The other hand suggests that this is what happens when four people escape from the asylum and the van they knick for the getaway just happens to belong to the Edgar Broughton Band.
IS IT ANY GOOD? If only I could spell 'exquisite'...
WHERE IS IT? www.stillonmyshite/lazyfuckers
HEY JOE?
JOE BOYD "ME AND MY BEST FRIENDS ARE GOING TO HELL" (AGONY & ECSTACY RECORDS LIMITED)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Joe Boyd is a charming young man who can't quite cope with the notion of not being Jimi Hendrix or Finley Quaye, so decides to become both, in one track. Full marks for copying 'proper' artists and refusing to queue up for X-Factor.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Well, he's not doing any actual harm and this is oddly likeable...
WHERE IS IT? www.thisisjoeboyd.com
JOE BOYD "ME AND MY BEST FRIENDS ARE GOING TO HELL" (AGONY & ECSTACY RECORDS LIMITED)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? Joe Boyd is a charming young man who can't quite cope with the notion of not being Jimi Hendrix or Finley Quaye, so decides to become both, in one track. Full marks for copying 'proper' artists and refusing to queue up for X-Factor.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Well, he's not doing any actual harm and this is oddly likeable...
WHERE IS IT? www.thisisjoeboyd.com
NOT THE DELGADOS, DEAD GOOD
PALE MAN MADE "B-LINE /
STARTED IN 1966" (TINY
LIGHTS RECORDINGS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? They drawl "I just
wanted an easy time" on "B-Line"
and I can hear what they mean,
but they're being a little harsh on
themselves, this is, after all, a
thoroughly poptastic melange of gentle punk (they used to call it 'New Wave') fairy-spit welded to ye olde sixties pop stylings. There's fuzz and backbeat and riffs that chime rather than grind and sweet voices saying sour things.
IS IT ANY GOOD? I believe so, I believe so. It's so good, I said it twice.
WHERE IS IT? www.tinylightsrecordings.com
PALE MAN MADE "B-LINE /
STARTED IN 1966" (TINY
LIGHTS RECORDINGS)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? They drawl "I just
wanted an easy time" on "B-Line"
and I can hear what they mean,
but they're being a little harsh on
themselves, this is, after all, a
thoroughly poptastic melange of gentle punk (they used to call it 'New Wave') fairy-spit welded to ye olde sixties pop stylings. There's fuzz and backbeat and riffs that chime rather than grind and sweet voices saying sour things.
IS IT ANY GOOD? I believe so, I believe so. It's so good, I said it twice.
WHERE IS IT? www.tinylightsrecordings.com
Old Auntie £1.99
I am stabbing you, now
Let's rock!
I found us a van...
CLOSE TO THE EDGE
WEIRD SHAPES "LIGHT / BLUE SKY AT NIGHT" (AMAZON / i-TUNES)
RELEASED? 31st October.
SOUNDS LIKE? Dreamy, post-Beatle nastiness of epic proportions. Unspeakably excellent, dangerously cute and stupidly sharp and that's just the half of it, the half called 'Light'. The other half, 'Blue Sky At Night', goes all stripped back prog-rock as Yes batter R.E.M in a deserted cinema.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Fuck me, yes. Go find them, double licketty-split,the fires that burn brightest and all that.
WHERE IS IT? www.weirdshapes.co.uk
WEIRD SHAPES "LIGHT / BLUE SKY AT NIGHT" (AMAZON / i-TUNES)
RELEASED? 31st October.
SOUNDS LIKE? Dreamy, post-Beatle nastiness of epic proportions. Unspeakably excellent, dangerously cute and stupidly sharp and that's just the half of it, the half called 'Light'. The other half, 'Blue Sky At Night', goes all stripped back prog-rock as Yes batter R.E.M in a deserted cinema.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Fuck me, yes. Go find them, double licketty-split,the fires that burn brightest and all that.
WHERE IS IT? www.weirdshapes.co.uk
ALL BALLS AND NO BRAIN?
JOHNNY GET THE GUN "TAKE IT / IN THE MIDDLE" (AMAZON / i-TUNES)
RELEASED? 31st October.
SOUNDS LIKE? Okay, it may be identikitten yankoid kiddy rawk, but the lad on lead vocals is pretty hot and the guitarist is, if he doesn't watch it, going to become something special. Now, all they've got to do for this camper is ease up on the influences and ditch the appalling lyrics.
IS IT ANY GOOD? You know, I reckon they just might be.
WHERE IS IT? www.onfacebook/lazy
JOHNNY GET THE GUN "TAKE IT / IN THE MIDDLE" (AMAZON / i-TUNES)
RELEASED? 31st October.
SOUNDS LIKE? Okay, it may be identikitten yankoid kiddy rawk, but the lad on lead vocals is pretty hot and the guitarist is, if he doesn't watch it, going to become something special. Now, all they've got to do for this camper is ease up on the influences and ditch the appalling lyrics.
IS IT ANY GOOD? You know, I reckon they just might be.
WHERE IS IT? www.onfacebook/lazy
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