Reviews

UK Stylus Pressure by Graeme McGinty

February 2006

The very latest in new UK vinyl releases

Click here for last month's column

by Graeme McGinty“Slack Time” as CUD once sang. That’s me, I’m a slacker. No reviews in months. I could blame it on all sorts of things, but it all comes back to me being a slacker. So These reviews are more of a favourites list from January and February. There was plenty more, but being a slacker I can’t be bothered to write about them.

(PS: buy all of CUD’s records, you won’t regret it)

South - 'A Place in Displacement'

Label: Genepool
Web: www.south.uk.net
Release: 9.1.06
Rating:

For a winter release it manages to bring the warmth and smiles of summer. In particular summers spent down by the river listening to New Order. I’m sure the band don’t hide from the similarities with the mighty Manchester boys and girl, the song itself is almost like a love letter to their influences, it’s even got a high bass guitar bit. The lyrics (“memories dissolve with years, age can take the best I fear”) and maturity of the track makes it feel like the band have a few years under their belt, making it an enjoyable listen. Lite, yet filling, and virtually fat free.

The Shortwave Set - 'Repeat To Fade'

Label: Indiependiente
Web: www.theshortwaveset.com
Release: 30.1.06
Rating:

More winter warmth. As the song starts it’s got a Granddaddy home 8 track feel. The 606 drum machine crap "no punch" kick subtly letting you know where the beat is. The sample and fx laden backing adds enough interest to what could easily be another acoustic non-starter. The play out seems slightly tagged on, trying to use up all the other ideas they wanted to put into the song, but I guess that’s what happens when you try and get a soundscape down to a 7” pop record.

The Unstrung - ' Who Runs The Show' (double 7” EP)

Label: Rampant Records
Web: www.theunstrung.com
Release: 16.2.06
Rating:

So review as a single or an EP. If you take the title track by itself it’s nothing all that new, following in the fashion of the many other London bands. Fast paced guitar, overly edgy lyrics and simplistic drums. Nothing that hasn’t been done by the Paddington’s, Art Brut etc. But why have this as the title track for the EP? The rest of the tracks show much more promise. The quality is varied but the A side of the second disk “My Friends” is a superb track, bit like the late 90’s indie scene, bluetones anyone. Then it grinds down to a fair ground whirly out, seemingly disconnected but gelling together like the hairs on a new romantic’s head. They are clearly proud of London and don’t shy away from the accent (I do hope they are from London), some of the other tracks are an unexpected hybrid of cockney rebel with the nonsense of the block heads.

So after listening to the rest of the EP you can go back to the title track, and although it’s still an Albion knees, up you can picture the live show confusing all the kids. Good work.

The Motorettes - 'Super heart Beats'

Label: Kitchen Ware Records
Web: www.themotorettes.com
Release: 21.1.06
Rating:

I’d like to think that all of the band wears leather. And drive motor bikes. Not that they sound like a hells angels band, but they’ve got a wind in your hair 60’s rock and roll attitude. The rock and roll goes hand in hand with pop and even a bit of soul. The chorus at first sounded like the ravonettes, then the realisation hit. It’s the suffix of “ettes” that instantly makes it a 60’s record in my head. Is it subconscious, or subliminal exposure? I don’t really care it’s a good record.

My Architects - 'airborne'

Label: fierce panda
Web: www. Myarchitects.co.uk
Release: 13/2/06
Rating:

At first glance of the sleeve, “airborne”, bit obvious and pretentious a title? But not in this case. The title justly sums up the song, it soars open and wide, letting you float along or get caught in the jet stream. They’ve mastered the north west emotional indie, following in the recent footsteps of doves, elbow, or even the slightly older foot steps of some smiths records. This doesn’t mean they sound like the smiths, but are in melancholic sympathy.

The Research - 'Lonely hearts still beat the same'

Label: at large
Web: www.theresearchgopop.com
Release: 13.2.06
Rating:

How could anyone with such a sweet voice be so unlucky in love? The song reads a bit like a teenagers diary, all said and woeful, full of longing. All good and proper in pop, every one needs a cry. However even with the well arranged harmony and counter vocal melodies, I can’t get over the cheap keyboard sounds (like our schools old casiotone), for a few more quid it could have been one of the better human league tunes.

Merz - ' Postcards from a dark star'

Label: Gronland
Web: www. Merz.co.uk
Release: 23/1/06
Rating:

Other people have tried to describe the music of Merz (Conrad Lambert), others have said it’s beyond description. It is hard to explain the mix of folk roots and borderline electronica, if only it were that simple. I’m not going to try to describe it further. “dark star” is a truly emotive song, in the same vein as Drake and Buckley. It is obvious on first listen that this musician fully believes in his music and soul, and is impartial to any external criticism, the music is to be shared and enjoyed with others, but is not going to be compromised. It is his, and it becomes ours if we are willing to listen. This was on my record player a lot.

The B-side remix is also brilliant. BUY THIS RECORD!

The Kooks - 'You Don’t Love Me'

Label: Virgin
Web: www.thekooks.co.uk
Release: 9/1/06
Rating:

Another fine outing from The Kooks. Not hard to spot the influences, although wide ranging and too many to mention. Mods and rockers together at last. What the kooks do, and they do ‘tho, don’t ‘dey, is write cracking good indie disco songs. Maybe when they get together to write they think, what songs make me dance like a twat at the indie rock club? Lets write ‘um like that. Not a bad criteria if that’s how they do it. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep up the energy for plenty more releases. Verse, chorus, get them right like the kooks and you too can have indie disco greatness.

The Infadels - 'Can’t Get Enough'

Label: wall of sound
Web: www.infadels.co.uk
Release: 16.1.06
Rating:

Actually mixing electro and rock, and not just saying it, doing it. This song is impossible to listen to without it causing you to move a part of your body, and have a longing for a dance floor, or down the front of the stage. Similar in spirit, if not in sound, to the early indie acid house crossovers (happy Mondays etc). It breaks down to a funk middle 8 with tight snares filling in where timbales would have done for 23 Skido in the early 80’s. This is sandwiched between some of the cleanest slices floor filling disco punk. Their last single “Jagger 67” transferred to my discman for those journeys to work, looks like this will join it, it’s going to get you up in the morning. Another band that I suspect, and am pretty sure I’m right, will rock live.

Boy Kill Boy - ' Back Again'

Label: Vertigo
Web: www.boykillboy.com
Release: 13/2/06
Rating:

Yey! It wasn’t a one off. This single proves that Boy Kill Boy have got staying power. The track is more catchy than the last record, but being radio friendly makes this the perfect follow up single. The same signature synth choir/string pads are there, the same tight drum sound, although no pissing about with time signatures this time. There is a jarring quite section, it’s all a little out of place on record, it’s the kind of trick that works well live, but splits the song too much. “Can I find some more misery?” maybe one of my favourite lines on any single.

The Go! Team - ' Ladyflash'

Label: Memphis industries
Web: www.thegoteam.co.uk
Release: 30/1/06
Rating:

A band with a clear influence from the stuff coming out of stax and tamla in the mid 60’s. But they’ve taken the open drum grooves and strings and mixed it with more modern electro/hip hop elements. Not the patter but the beats from the drum boxes. A band not afraid of bad production, but embracing of it. The distortion on the acoustic drums works in favour of the lo-fi cut and paste, and by the time the clean beat box comes in you’ve already lost in a feel good school yard chant to care that it’s yet another style and sample. Love the chaos, love the love they’ve had putting it together for our pleasure.

Some other early 2006 goodies:

“All these things I hate” Bullets for My Valentine

“Funny Little Frog” Belle And Sebastian

“What’s Your Damage?” Test Icicles

“Fin” Supergrass

“Friend Of The Night” Mogwai

“Why Are you looking Grave” Mew (ok, so there not from the UK, but they lived here a while so worth a mention)

“Good Clean Fun” Clearlake