Bag O Singles

Written by: David Harrison

July 24, 2008 · Filed Under Releases, Review · Comment 

CDs build up on the kitchen table until I can find a time to ignore all those people who pay me to work. In a desperate attempt to find something new and exciting for Beef Warehouse’s set at Latitude here are the kitchen table files.

Nelson – You Can’t Stop
Saw these guys at the ICA last week. I was wondering why these good looking posers weren’t hounded out of town. Upon realising it was a French band I understood why the pint size poser was cool. On the strength of that bought the single: BORING indie stabby schmindie. Try again Nelson, there were really good tracks there, alas this isn’t one of them.

The Shortwave Set – Now Til ‘69
For some reason I assume the Shortwave set are to be Indie and ignore the bleeder first time round. Then a rare glance at the accompanying blurb reads ‘produced by DangerMouse’, ‘Swirling Psychedelic’. Ooh pops in the player.

Not psychedelic, not swirling, not produced with any particular quirk some bleeps in the background. Oh bugger pass me the Peter Bjorn and John album and lets slot this track in there as another album filler.

Get Well Soon – If This Hat Is Missing – I Have Gone Hunting
This record is built with the right amount of British cynical humour that is proper for a band. The vocalists are a pleasant surprise giving us a ‘Shoot Baby, Shoot Baby’ in the background. The cavelike growl (as in Nick not Man) of the vocals are hard to hear. It isn’t breaking moulds but it isn’t exactly ruining them either, that was a rubbish on the shelf kind of comment.

Wired Desire – Barely Illegal
What do we think of bands trying to invoke the great god classic hard rock? Airbourne do quite well although when AC/DC turn up next year not sure anyone will remember. Nobody dare mentions The Darkness and their flash in the pan. Def Leppard hasn’t always been the stadium tour they are doing with Whitesnake. The Datsuns where the darlings of a month way back in 02. Then you have these cats Wired Desire. First Track: GnRish Second Track to Third Track AC/DC in short it is barely credible.

The Levellers – Before the End
Thursday at Glastonbury I must have been asked 20 times if I was going to see the Levellers. Maybe only in mediawank London we don’t care about the Levellers and are we totally wrong? Yes. Before the End is a beautifully tender track. Very Touching.. In fact it seems to be a love song. If you didn’t like the Levellers before you probably still won’t but are you sure it is because of them?

Solange – I Decided
Sweet saccharin pop this isn’t aimed at me I can sense… The jinky Jangly piano is almost madness like with a disco stomp underneath. Pharrel Williams written apparently, she is a Knowles it is all top level US pop family at work, made for writhing around on MTV. X factor vocals that sometimes feel a bit tuned sit over the top of by no means classic pop song. Not offensive but not much of anything, will probably sell in its millions.

The Music – The Spike
Remember watching The Music at Homelands a few years on the trot wondering what the fuss was about. Years on their dance rock seems as stoic as it did then. Haven’t they been listening to music in the last few years? That Justice album, the intensity of the Unkle album. I have a funny feeling they didn’t. If anyone wants below par nineties sounding indie dance crossover you can have it.

Bloc Party - Mecury
By far the record of the week. Love the intro bit weird and easy to mix, when the tune kicks in it is almost keyless, this is a good thing. Bit of a move from previous stuff, but then that is ace as well as can’t say got Bloc Party. This went down a stormer at Latitude last week. Turning right everywhere The Music track goes wrong, this is the indie rock dance crossover for 2008 and definately not Indie landfill.

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