Something For The Weekend: White Lies
Written by: Hugh Platt
I first heard this track, White Lies’ forthcoming single, ‘To Lose My Life’, on Steve Lamacq’s BBC 6Music radio show last night. It was one of the tracks being reviewed as part of Lamacq’s Round Table feature, where musicians and celebrities listen to new releases and give their two-cents on them. We were quite taken with it, as was the awesome Marcus Brigstocke, who’s love of The Cure has always made him a bit of a hero here at Music Towers. It wasn’t universally popular though - Huey the bore-off from The Fun Lovin’ Criminals thought it “sucked”, but then he hasn’t made a decent record in over a decade. It’s easy to see why he’d be bitter about a track as awesome as this.
So, to ease the pain of the end of Friday in the office, why not take a couple of minutes to watch the video. It has soup in it. Amazing:
‘To Lose My Life’ (the single) is out on 12 January 2009, with an album of the same name out a week later. Both are being released by Fiction Records.
Single: Selfish C**t - ‘England Made Me II’
Written by: David Harrison
Selfish C**t never had a name for radio. It was always such an abrasive name that I found it was difficult to them seriously, dismissing them as a bunch of attention-seeking skinny-jeans types.
But ‘England Made Me II’, their latest single, is just too bloody good. First up (thank God), it isn’t a cover of the Black Box Recorder song. Instead it kicks off with a US-style preacher vocal that doesn’t reconcile with the title at all, but then the car-crash smash of guitars kick in and send you flying into the nearest ditch.
Calling on the ghost of McClusky, 80’s Matchbox, The Cramps, Sex Pistols and all things that are fucking great in low-fi rock n roll, Selfish C**t have made a bastard brilliant record. It might just be one riff all the way through, but who gives a toss? It’s better then that 700 billion dollar Chinese Democracy record, and probably only took about ten minutes to record as to boot.
Splendid - carry on.
What do you mean, you haven’t seen…The Computers
Written by: Hugh Platt
We here at Music Towers are big fans of The Computers. We’ve caught them playing live a couple of times, and when we got hold of their debut mini-album, You Can’t Hide From The Computers, a few weeks back, we were more than a little impressed.
Well, on last week we busted down to the Camden Barfly to catch the boys play a killer set to mark the release of their mini-album. We brought along our trusty (ie, creaky and useless) video camera, and before the show we pinned down bassist Nic Heron (that’s him on the left) and drummer Will Wright (on the right) for a chat. In one of the Barfly’s gloomiest back passages. No, that’s not a euphemism, you filthy-minded oiks.
Anyway, why not busy yourself for the next three minutes with the end result?
We’ve got some more live footage, if that’s your cup of tea. Let us know if you want to see more.
‘You Can’t Hide From The Computers’ is out now on Fierce Panda. For more info, tour dates, that sort of thing, go check out the band’s MySpace page.
Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah
Written by: David Harrison
Why are all those dudes in Golders Green in such sharp suits? Because they are all in carnival-ska, qausi-religious, Gnarls Barclay-type acts of course!
This track, ‘Dreidel’ is really nice, a big latin dance behind the floaty feel, and a big call-to-arms vocals to boot. Featuring Jules Brooks and MC Y-Love - whoever they are - it’s been put together by Erran Baron Cohen, brother of Sacha Baron Cohen. Yes, Börat. If there is any sibling rivalry, Erran - you have way more class.
It seems to be off an album, Songs in the key of Hanukkah, where bunch of hipsters making Hanukkah songs. Do you have to buy presents at Hanukkah? Maybe I will convert.
Just remembered not everyone knows who the Fuck Buttons are
Written by: David Harrison
I was watching Top Gear last week, and was stunned to hear a Fuck Buttons track, ‘Sweet Love for Planet Earth’, creep in as they tore some supercar round their airbase. This band have blown my mind this year, and I mean literally - ever since catching them at ATP last Christmas, I’ve had a headache. I think I actually went blind while standing in the front row; I know I woke in the middle of the night shouting obscenities. All these I can only attribute to the mighty Fuck Buttons. I think the band didn’t take it as a compliment when I told them so later - in fact they just walked away from me. Maybe I was just talking in white noise.
Anyway, fans of avant garde electro rackett listen up. Actually, non-fans of bristol based electo racketts listen the hell up and get experimenting. They don’t seem to have a real video, but if they did I would expect it to have massive space ships colliding.
Forget your troubles to the Bloody Beetroots.
Written by: David Harrison
I love this shit, banging classic thrash covers. One-part Metallica, one-part two geeks, to two-parts sugarcoated idiots. How can you possibly complain? Recently after posting some Bloody Beetroots on a message board we received some po-faced replies, along the lines of “Yes, they are obviously very talented but I would never listen to it”. Even as on the wrong side of 30, this makes me feel the urge to shout ‘Baldie’ at random strangers, throw Eggs and Flour at passing dogwalkers before chasing footballs in front of a buses. Yes, it’s got me that excited.
How can we save the Music Industry? WE CAN’T - SEEK AND DESTROY. This is the Bloody Beetroots, playing London next on the far away date of February 27. Don’t miss it.
Something For The Weekend: The Amazing Baby
Written by: Hugh Platt
Wolves. Dogs as pharaohs. Crazy spaced-out electro rock. Put them all together in a video, and Music Towers gets excited. Which is exactly what The Amazing Baby have made us with the video for their track, ‘Pump Your Brakes’.
Having just finished a tour with those over-hyped MGMT lot, Brooklyn-based The Amazing Baby wowed pretty much everyone who saw them. They make us want to roll around the office on our backs, playing ludicrous space-rock air guitar solos like the bastard spawn of Bill & Ted.
The band are bouncing back to the UK for Swn Festival tomorrow, before hitting The Lexington in London town on Monday. Who knows when they’ll be back in the UK, so if you’re in Cardiff or the capital, don’t miss your chance to see why we’re raving about these fellows.
‘Pump Your Brakes’ by The Amazing Baby:
You like? We like. So why not do what we do, and click click your way over to the band’s website, where they are giving away a free download of their Infinite Fucking Cross EP, which contains the above track and three other gems.
You want even more? Then head over to their MySpace page.
Shows this week- THE HAMSTERS
- CHRIS COX - CONTROL FREAK
- SHOW OF HANDS WITH MIRANDA SYKES STANDING ROOM ONLY TOUR 2008
- MONSTER BAND NIGHTS
- JOHN SMITH
- EVE SELIS
- VOICES AND BRASS IN CONCERT
- ROLO TOMASSI
- JAMES YORKSTON
- THE MODS- A TRIBUTE TO AN ERA
- TOKYO-CHUTEI-IKI
- TOKYO-CHUTEI-IKI
- DANNY AND THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD
- URIAH HEEP
- SINNER BOY
- ALIEN VAMPIRES
- SOUTHERN TENANT FOLK UNION
- SOUNDCRASH SOUNDCLASH WITH FLYING LOTUS, GASLAMP KILLER
- FREE RANGE PRESENTS SHOUGUN ASSASSINS TOUR
- DAN CASSIDY & JAMES HICKMAN
- Music Towers features
- What you mean, you haven't seen...The Computers
- Album: Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
- Festivals need your help
- Interview: Scars on Broadway - part 2
- Top Ten songs about the Credit Crunch
- Never Mind ‘Team GB’, Here’s Tiger Leaping
- Interview: Scars on Broadway - part 1
- Suicide Silence: "Every night is full of violence"
- Reviewed: Metallica and the Death Magnetic experience