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Get Your Own Free Home PageFIEL GARVIE For What I Love (Foundling)
- Interesting but fairly inaccessible offering from this Norwich based lot. A bit clanky and repetitive in the vein of Moonshake, Pram et al, but with a softer edge.
A: "I liked the syncopation at first, but it's not a good choice for a single - there's absolutely no hook. A little bit too clever but maybe with the right song they could do something."
R: "It's actually quite annoying - the stop start thing, and she sounds as if she's trying to be PJ Harvey but ending up as Louise Wener."
TRAVIS Happy (Independiente)
- Decent enough Oasis-style strumalong, oddly reminiscent of the 60s tune 'Needles and Pins'. Doesn't do a lot for me, but...
R: "I have a soft spot for Travis, I think the guy's a great singer, and they don't take themselves too seriously."
A: "This lacks a lot of depth compared to their first two singles - 'U16 Girls' and 'All I Want to do is Rock'. This sounds more like a set closer than a single. They're big time now cos they've got Steve Lillywhite to produce them and they've got the thumbs up from Noel Gallagher, but this is a bit simple for my liking."
MIDGET Welcome Home Jellybean (Radar)
- More energetic than a lot of their indiepop contemporaries, this lot were Cuckoo labelmates for a while, as both bands have released stuff on Pet Sounds.
A: "Myself and Jason (Cuckoo's other guitarist) went to see them at the Garage a few weeks ago and they were pretty good. This has a good chorus but it's a pity that the lyrics are so shit because they're really young and they can play well."
R: "No, I'm sorry but I don't know how many times I've nearly crashed the car trying to turn the radio off when stuff like this comes on."
PERIOD PAINS Spice Girls Who Do You Think You Are (Damaged Goods)
- This is probably one of the worst records ever made by anyone ever - we must make war on them!
A (looking at the cover): "So is she Painful Period, and Intensely Aggressive Period, and Drag On All Week Period. It's not even a good guitar sound or fuck all, never mind the song being shit."
R: "It makes me feel talented and that's saying something."
DAWN OF THE REPLICANTS All That Cheyenne Caboodle EP (east west)
- 'A hungry beast with a hefty iron battleaxe hammering the rock for all its roll' says the accompanying hype, and despite that , this isn't bad at all. 'Lisa Box' mixes a kind of mid-paced Husker Du/ Therapy? feel with some unusual synth pop noodling. Could be worth watching.
R: "They remind me of an 80s band - like the Psychedelic Furs or something."
A: "We're not fans of bleeps with guitars. That's a strong verse but then it goes funny and synthy and kind of hangs in mid air for a while - no need for that! 'Diggin' Bear' reminds me of Iggy Pop for some reason."
ASH A Life Less Ordinary (Infectious)
- I think this is a bit of a grower, good to see them back in nice and noisy form after the last couple of mellow singles. I was surprised how much it sounds like Backwater, I was almost looking for the co-writing credit. It grabs you when the chorus sweeps in, in typical Ash fashion.
R: "Good chorus, Tim Wheeler can certainly deliver the goods, Ash have some great choruses."
A: "I can't really hear the new guitarist Charlotte much, it doesn't sound much different to their three piece line-up, but yeah it's a good tune. No guitar solo, but I like it."
ELEVATE Exhibit No 4 (Sano Music)
- Cracking piece of Fall riffery from this lot. They haven't released a dud yet and this is pretty accessible by their standards, with its jagged guitars and repeated refrain of 'I'm in my twenties'. Cool.
R: "They remind me of Girls Against Boys, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, it's very much in that vein."
A: "It's a very Sonic Youth chorus, maybe like the Fall a wee bit - not bad this, it's the only one so far you wouldn't hear on the radio" (except on Mr Peel of course)
GUY CHADWICK This Strength (Setanta)
- Mellow countrified solo outing from the former House Of Love boss. More like Lou Reed meets Lambchop than anything he's been up to previously.
A: "It's really like the fourth Velvet Underground, or Lou Reed or something. It's erm, competent. He still has that knack of singing in tune but sounding flat all the time. The House of Love was much darker than this and I really liked their stuff, right up to 'The Girl With The Loneliest Eyes', and I loved 'Destroy the Heart' which is the best single ever, really! To be honest I'd rather he was doing stuff like that rather than this, although this is 'nice' and really well done."
R: "It's harmless, I don't think it really moves me I'm afraid."
A Bad Idea (Tycoon)
- Kind of energetic new metal with an anthemic chorus. I'm a bit old for that sort of thing but I can imagine scores of 15 year olds jumping up and down to it.
R: "It sounds a lot like Jane's Addiction, the singer is trying to be Perry Farrell."
A: "His throat must be sore after that. This is very low on melody or depth but you have to admire them for releasing a single called 'Bad Idea'. I'm sure smartarse has written a review just saying 'yes'. Having said that, the first song on our album is going to be 'Big Mistake'!"
MORPHINE Murder for the Money (Rykodisc)
- Not their strongest effort, but still a breath of fresh air with their distinctive sound (bass, sax, drums) standing out.
A: "I really liked that single they had out a few years ago -'Honey White'- it had a great riff. They've a very original sound, you could say Tom Waits but that's a lazy comparison. They're doing massive stuff in America now, they've built up a healthy grass roots following which will stay with them."
R: "They really have their own sound, so few bands at the moment do. There's a slight country vibe off this too. It's not as good as previous singles but I have a soft spot for Morphine. They've done so well to keep being creative and build a following with such a strange line up."
LIBIDO Supersonic Daydream (Fire)
- Norwegians. Strange, almost psychedelic power pop with hints of the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane and Radiohead. It's OK I guess.
A: "It's a bit syncopated, the drums don't drive it along enough. Where's the Norwegian accent? At least you know that dEUS and the Wannadies are from Belgium or Sweden or wherever."
R: "It sounds very like the Longpigs and I'd be interested to hear more, co I like the Longpigs. Not bad this one."
BROKEN DOG Trails EP (Big Cat)
- Lovely follow up to last year's most impressive debut album. Kind of moody and understated with a cool female vocal. Inevitable comparisons with Mazzy Star and that sort of thing.
A: "That's nice, she's got a good voice, very atmospheric - reminds me of that 'Little Star' song - (Stina Nordernsten). Nice to hear something discordant that works well. Perhaps the best yet."
R: "It has an atmospheric, film music feel- I like it."
CORNERSHOP Brimful of Asha (Wiiija)
- One of the most joyous singles of the year. This is a funky 'Sweet Jane'-type celebration, specifically in praise of Indian movie songstress Asha Bhosle and good old vinyl 45s. Catchy, funky and very very cool.
R: "It's great, it has about three or four different hooks and loads of clever bits like the strings at the end. It makes me smile."
A: "It reminds me a bit of Ween's 'Voodoo Lady', very simple and catchy. It takes a lot of bravery to something that simple, and it great the way that they hold the fantastic refrain ('everyone needs a bosom for a pillow') tile so late."
DEADSTAR I've Got Something To Tell You (Mushroom)
- More poppy than their last couple of singles - quite a catchy tune. Confusingly similar cover pic to their previous two releases as well, they're still going for the sleazy image.
A: "Reminds me a lot of Catatonia - they've been lazy and haven't written any words for the chorus, it's just 'do-do-do-do'. It's produced by Mark Freegard (Breeders' Last Splash etc) who we wanted to do our album. Deadstar's rhythm section was in Crowded House and we like Crowded House."
R: "It's not quite as crafted as Crowded House, obviously because it's not written by the Finn brothers, but it's not bad."
JETBOY She's So Fine (Monkeyland)
- Obviously in love with classic New York punk - naming themselves after a New York Dolls single and sounding like a saner MC5. I like this a lot, although it has to be said that I've got loads of records from the 70s that sound like this. And it even quotes 'Sonic Reducer' by the Dead Boys.
R: "It's rock n roll, it's tacky and I like it, even if it is a bit studied and self concious."
A: "The MC5 are probably one of my favourite bands, this is a nice simple guitar tune - nice and short too."
LUNA Bobby Peru (Beggars Banquet)
- Pleasant enough tune from the fine new album, although not as immediate as 'IHOP'. By the way, trivia fans, Bobby Peru is a character from David Lynch's Wild At Heart.
A: "Jason our guitarist is a big fan of Galaxie 500 so he might go for this, although it is a bit removed from what they did. He (Dean Wareham) seems to be making a lot of space for himself, he comes across as a singer-songwriter here. A touch of depth with a pop sensibility, it's good."
R: "I liked Galaxie 500 too. This sounds like a 'No Disco' (fab RTE music show) favourite. If they had a video which was five minutes of the tide coming in they'd get on that no problem."
CABLE God Gave Me Gravity (Infectious)
- Fourth single from the album and running out of steam a bit by now.
R: "Again the drums are very syncopated, it doesn't really get going. Being a bass player I always end up listening to the bass and drum parts but this doesn't do a lot for me."
A: "I don't like shouty choruses like this - it's not big on melody"
URUSEI YATSURA Fake Fur (Che)
- In my opinion the best thing they've done to date. Good tune, good lyrics, nicely out of control guitars. A big improvement on 'Strategic Hamlets' and a former SOTW on our website.
R: "I admire this lot because I heard them on the radio saying they were fed up with the lo-fi thing and having no money, and it really struck a chord because we had no deal at the time and had been releasing stuff ourselves with our own money. This is a good single, definitely a thumbs up."
A: "Good melody, the verse is reminiscent of the Wannadies. I really like this, the chords are nice and dark but it's still very melodic even though the guitars sound like hairdryers and hoovers."
DREAM CITY FILM CLUB If I Die I Die/ Love Insane EP (Beggars Banquet)
Not representative of the band or their excellent debut album, 'If I Die' is a torch song which shows off the fab vocals of Michael Sheehy. I'm quite partial to it. Cuckoo, however, smell a goth...
R: "I reminds me of Bauhaus - Bauhaus meets Chris Isaak cos of the twangy guitar parts."
A: "I know them from Organ (this was out before on Org) but I've never heard them before. I'm too young for Bauhaus, but I must adnit this hasn't grabbed me."
THE HAIRY THINGS Sidewinder EP (Stereo Heaven)
- Indie Acid Jazz, if you believe such a thing could exist. No thanks folks....
A: "Oh dodgy stuff, a load of shit I'm afraid."
R: "Turn it off please, it's fifth division James Taylor Quartet."
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