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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
REVIEWS
Gig Reviews -
CD Reviews
Gig Reviews
(top)
New Generation Blues (Oli Brown
/ Joanne Shaw Taylor / Virgil & The Accelerators) - The Brook - Thursday
20th May
 Tonight
was always going to be a night head to toe in rip-snorting guitar solos
and heartfelt vocals. The UK blues scene is in a pretty exciting place
right now and the three acts on show tonight - touring the UK under the
banner of New Generation Blues - give a respectful crowd plenty of reasons
to be optimistic.
Three piece Virgil & The Accelerators are all still in their teens.
Yet they have already worked alongside such Blues "A" listers
as Kim Wilson, Eric Sardinas, Paul Jones and Sherman Robertson. Frontman
Virgil McMahon first picked up a guitar at the age of four and has evidently
never put it down. The boy can play. At times the solos are truly pulsating
and at other, they are a tad too over indulgent. McMahon clearly has talent
to burn and the confidence to back it up. Reliably backed up by bass player
Tom Sansbury and drummer Gabriel McMahon, Virgil & The Accelerators
have the potential to go a long way.
Joanne Shaw Taylor comes on stage sporting a look as if butter would not
melt in her mouth. However once she kicks into her opening number, it
is clear that looks can be misleading. She has a powerhouse voice along
with a stinging, passionate style of playing. Clearly enjoying herself,
a huge mischievous grin sprawls across her face during every solo. The
slow late night blues of "Blackest Day" and "Your Time
Has Come" have meaning and feeling dripping from every possible place
whilst the snappy riffage of "Kiss The Rain Goodbye" sees her
move into slightly more funky territory.
On the back of his ace new album "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose",
Oli Brown is causing a real stir right now. In fact, the man is on fire.
Kicking off with "Evil Soul", Oli is in the mood to put on a
show tonight. Not only can Oli play but he has a more than capable set
of pipes on him too, singing without the aid of a mic during "Help
Me Roxanne". He also takes a trip round the audience during "Top
Of The World" so we get to see his playing skills at close hand.
Bassist Gaz Rackham and drummer Simon Dring also flex their soloing muscles,
during which Oli himself sports an astonished grin!
A night of energetic and virtuoso playing is brought to an end with a
raw rendition of "Black Betty" and The Brook faithful shuffle
home safe in the knowledge that the UK blues scene is in good hands for
the foreseeable future.
Paul Lane.
Southampton’s Acoustic Showcase
presents Nick Tann & The Real Raj – Goblets – Tuesday 11th May
 Since
launching late last year, Southampton’s Acoustic Showcase has played host
to a lot of the best talent that Southampton has on offer right now. Featured
on tonight’s line up are two of the city’s brighter lights in all things
acoustic – Nick Tann and The Real Raj – who both pride themselves, unlike
some of tonight’s other acts, on playing a set purely of their own material.
And thank goodness for that, as seeing two such richly talented songwriters
singing someone else’s material would be a waste.
The Real Raj’s delicate and fragile melodies recall the melancholy of
Damien Rice. Lyrically fascinating – especially the likes of “The Lovers”
and “Sway” – his songs have an intense beauty and simplicity to them.
“Let It Out” is the most instant moment in the set. It is a short, albeit
rewarding set that leads to you scratching your head as to why there is
no music readily available from this man as yet. The world would undoubtedly
be a better place for an album by The Real Raj.
 No
such problems with Nick Tann, a man who is fairly prolific when it comes
to releasing new material. Tonight’s set is mostly made up of songs from
his latest mini album “Don’t Make Me Wait”. Opening with the title track
in all it’s Glenn Tilbrook-esque melodic glory, Tann defies the sparse
arrangement with songs big enough to fill any room. “Glad You Came (One
Night Stand)” sees him tear the roof off vocally and older song “That
Woman” continues that bluesy theme. The set climaxes with “How Do You
Sleep?”, a song which sees Tann’s vocal versatility come into its own.
Southampton’s Acoustic Showcase Nights really help bring acoustic music
to the fore, giving some of the vast array of talent we currently have
in Southampton a much needed platform to perform and playing a very important
part in the excitable buzz around the city’s music scene right now.
Paul Lane. Photos by Feuren Mitchell
Justin Currie - The Brook - Monday 24th
May
 Although
the glory days of Del Amitri enjoying smash hit singles both sides of the
Atlantic now seem a distant memory, the Dels former frontman Justin Currie still
displays an admirable knack of writing a memorable pop hook. He still plays live
to a doggedly loyal fanbase who, somewhat uniquely, greet the new material just
as enthusiastically as they do the old favourites.
Tonight Currie's set is mostly made up of a neat mix between tracks off of his
second solo album "The Great War" and the Del Amitri hits of yesteryear. Kicking
us off with "Ready To Be" - with it's warm bassline -and "Can't Let Go Of Her
Now", there is a remarkably upbeat feel in the air. A couple of the old
favourites are cleverly reworked with "Always The Last To Know" benefitting from
a slowed down acoustic workout and "Move Away Jimmy Blue" given the stripped
down treatment too.
 Seeing
Currie live, you do get the feeling that he enjoys the darker songs more,
allowing him to delve into his truer self. During "Everyone I Love", you can
almost see the filthy glee in his eye whilst "Fight To Be Human" and "No,
Surrender" are two pitch black epics that he may not have got away with during
Del Amitri's heyday.
At the end of the evening, Currie admits to feeling 'strange' and apologises for
not being 'as chatty as usual' before launching to rapturously received versions
of "Be My Downfall" and "Driving With The Brakes On". He may not have felt he
had done himself justice but a sea of beaming faces at The Brook were left in no
doubt whatsoever that Currie is still a special talent and a treasure to behold.
Paul Lane.
Alan McGee's "Greasy Lips Down South"
(The Rising / The Family / The Flying Alexanders / Morphic Fields / Doyle & The
Four Fathers) - Soul Cellar - Friday 21st May
The heats for Greasy Lips have given Southampton's finest the opportunity to
battle it out for the opportunity to play in front of music industry legend Alan
McGee AKA The Man Who Signed Oasis. It really has been a case of survival of the
fittest. However when presented with the lucky few, word on the street is that
McGee was so impressed with what the South Coast has to offer that he wanted to
see all 20 bands play live.
Tonight's 5 bands represent a nice mix of what is on offer, in every sense.
Doyle & The Four Fathers get the ball rolling in front of an encouragingly large
crowd. The boys are on somewhat of a roll right now. Tonight they play in front
of an industry legend to warm them up nicely for playing in front of 600 people
as part of the Save BBC 6 Music rally alongside The Magic Numbers the following
day. Opening track "The Governor Of Giving Up" has already received airplay on 6
Music along with glowing approval from DJ Marc Riley who has also had the band
in the studio for a live session. The great thing about Doyle is that they
really are worth the hype and they genuinely do warrant getting excited about.
They are unique and will appeal to fans of The Smiths, Divine Comedy, Pulp and
The Walker Brothers everywhere. Despite problems with Will's acoustic guitar,
the band push forward with slightly edgier than usual renditions of "Every Woman
That You've Met" and "What Else Are We To Do?". Finishing with a passionate take
on "Heroes", the night gets off on the right foot in every sense. McGee could
not fail but to have been impressed.
The Morphic Fields' brand of crisp, polished funk infused rock is up next. The
earlier tracks immediately spring Terrorvision to mind and you find yourself
humming "Oblivion" for the first time since 1995. This is not a criticism
though. "Release Me" and "When I'm Not There" showcase a tight band
incorporating clear vocals and tasteful drum fills. They have plenty of energy
and their sound is palatable enough to gain widespread appeal. Which is more
than can be said of The Flying Alexanders....
Swearing is not big, nor is it clever. But sometimes it helps get a point across
and is useful in this case. The Flying Alexanders are fucking terrible.
Outdated, horribly boisterous pub rock which would have been considered
substandard and outdated in 1978. Fronted by a man who looks like an extra from
The Football Factory, they can only appeal to the types that sink 8 or 9 Stellas
with the lads and enjoy a good punch up "cos it's a good laugh innit!" When you
consider what fantastic bands we are lucky enough to have on offer in the South,
it is downright infuriating that this lot are put on in front of such an
industry legend. To consider that Haunted Stereo and Woven Bird were playing
across the road at Hamptons on the same night is all the more frustrating. The
fact that the number of people watching seemed to dwindle by a considerable
amount while this lot were on tells it's own story.
Thankfully sanity and faith in all things musical is restored when The Family
kick into their bluesy rock n roll stride. You get the feeling that these boys
have well loved copies of "Exile On Main Street" sitting next to their stereos
at home and this acts largely as the blueprint to what the band do. They even
have the gall to cover Keef's "Exile" moment, "Happy". One time Oasis
contemporaries Proud Mary also spring to mind during the harmonica driven "Get
Ya Mouth Down South" and "Drowning In Your Seas" is good summertime festival
fodder.
Are there many better bands to bring down the curtain on a night in front of
Alan McGee than The Rising? The answer is a resounding "no". The boys rise to
the occasion as if tonight was the gig they were born to play. Tommy Overington
is pretty much the most honest frontman around. Yes, he is influenced by the
swagger of Liam Gallagher and Ian Brown along with the in-your-face intent of
John Lydon but he does not hide that. His attitude is very much "this is me,
take it or leave it" and that is reflected by the rest of the band. Tommy
strides purposefully onto the stage while the band play their trademark opener -
the baggy wall of noise that is "Rude Awakening" before it moulds itself into
the full on eardrum assault of "Cloud 9". If anyone was standing still at this
point, I didn't see them!
The boys prove they have an ear for an anthem too as "Story Of My Life" and
"Always Let You Down" ensue singalongs from the band's steadily increasing
fanbase. The epic "Strangers In The Night" includes a stinging guitar solo from
Jimmy Hayes, topping off a pretty damn fine show by the band acknowledged by a
handshake on stage from McGee himself.
Overall tonight went some way to representing what is bubbling away in the South
of England right now. Four out of the five bands on show proved that there is
talent, drive and ambition along with some damn fine musicians and songwriters.
If we continue to make people like Alan McGee aware of this and ensure that
these people see the right bands, Southampton could yet explode into the musical
hotbed it is threatening to be.
Paul Lane.
CD Reviews
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Detroit Social Club - Existence
 Back
in 1998, Stone Roses' frontman Ian Brown was stepping into the brave new
world of being a solo artist. When being interviewed by BBC's Jo Whiley,
he asked her what she thought of his debut album "Unfinished Monkey
Business". She told him it was the sound of him trying different
things and experimenting. Straight away, he jumped on the back foot. "Does
it sound amatuer?" he growled. "No, it doesn't sound amatuer,"
reassured Whiley. "It just sounds like you trying different things
and finding out about what you can do and where you can go."
Fast forward twelve years and listen to "Existence", the debut
album by Newcastle six piece Detroit Social Club. Hotly tipped by the
masses, after tours with such A-listers as Oasis, Primal Scream and Razorlight
and more recently the "New To Q" tour, it seems to have taken
an age for the album to arrive on the shelves. Anyone who has been lucky
enough to see the band in the last 12 months will have been justified
in the excitement and optimism about the release.
Much like Ian Brown's debut album all those years ago, this is the sound
of identification realisation. It makes for an enthralling listen. The
band clearly have a healthy number of influences to call upon and stamp
their own ideas all over them. This is a very varied collection without
ever being messy.
The single "Kiss The Sun" kicks in with dancey beats mashed
in with Kasabian-esque chants and plenty of unsettling noises to boot.
It boasts a chorus that is sure to strike a chord with the fields full
of festival revellers that the band will be playing to over the summer.
"Northern Man" recalls The Verve at their most anthemic, the
downbeat almost hip-hoppery of "Silver" recalls "Odelay"-era
Beck and "Sunshine People" swaggers like Baloo The Bear. Best
of all is "Black & White". It starts with a stark backing
of guitar and simplistic drums before a defiant chorus booms out at you.
You can't help but recall Gomez at their best in places before the purposeful
chorus kicks in without you expecting it.
"Existence" is very much the sound of band trying to dig out
their own identity and their own sound. That said, it is a damn fine record
and an edge-of-the-seat listen as you just do not know where the band
are going next. The great thing is, not once do they sound out of their
depth or clumsy. This album works. So even if Detroit Social Club spend
their entire career trying to find their niche, it will be a win-win situation
for everybody.
Paul Lane.
Tracey Thorn - Love And It's
Opposite
 Tracey
Thorn has hardly been prolific since Everything But The Girl decided to
go their separate ways in 2000. Deciding then that the time was right
to start a family, she came back into the musical fold to release "Out
Of The Woods" in 2007 which was greeted with a wave of quietly enthusiastic
reviews.
Three years on, she finds herself again in the studio with Berlin-based
producer Ewan Pearson behind the desk and a clutch of new songs about
"the war zone" of middle age. "The songs are where I dump
all that shit so I can get on with my life without jumping off a bridge."
she states about new album "Love And It's Opposite."
That said, it would be easy not to expect the most uplifting of listens.
However "Love And It's Opposite" is a lovely record. Yes, the
lyrics of "Oh, The Divorces" and "Long White Dress"
are biting and cynical. But arrangement wise, you can't help but find
yourself strangley drowning in the minimalist nature of these songs. The
recording of the album sounds very basic with limited instrumentation
bringing Thorn's distinctive and gentle voice to the fore.
The songs cover all kinds of topics - from family ghosts ("Kentish
Town") to facing up to life alone ("Singles Bar") - that
Thorn has experienced first hand, giving the songs a unique freshness
and feel to them instead of sounding tired and generic. One of the most
interesting moments here is "Hormones". The lyrics represent
a conversation that Thorn has had or is planning to have with her daughter.
Lines like "Yours are just kicking in, mine are kicking out"
are typical of the cleverness and subtly black humour on offer here.
"Love And It's Opposite" is the fascinating work of an often
overlooked talent. In her own quiet and unassuming way, Tracey Thorn still
demands to be heard.
Paul Lane.
Mash Attack - Learn And Evolve
 So
why have I not heard Mash Attack before??? I am positively fuming with
myself within seconds of the opening strains of "What Goes Around."
Their hyperactive, angst driven ska with a metal edge is the most downright
danceable thing I have heard in an age. The lyrics are spat out in utter
disgust, seemingly all about people who "sponge off of the state".
Social commentary, angst and a damn good time all mixed into one. This
band are perfect!
There is a nice medley of influences throughout this 5 song collection.
The horns are at the forefront of the likes of "Old Friend"
and "Baby Girl" with metal-tinged guitars bubbling away purposefully
in the background. "Man Down" boasts a really authentic Rude
Boy reggae feel to it whilst the vocals on "Weight On My Mind"
are simply rabid.
This band sound like they could be the soundtrack to the best night of
your life. A must.
Paul Lane.
Hannah Williams & The
One Takes - Bubblegum and Milkshakes
 There's
a feel around Southampton right now that Hannah Williams & The One
Takes are offering something really special, really refreshing right now.
A favourite at Southampton's Soul Cellar, it is easy to see why their
name is often followed by a sprawling of superlatives.
"Bubblegum & Milkshakes" is a rewarding listen. It's raw,
it's authentic, it's moving and it's uplifting. Hannah Williams' voice
sounds like it is the result of too many late nights and too many heartbreaks,
making it totally believable and utterly compelling. Sure, during "Popcorn
Shuffle" she pulls out one or two soul cliches - boasting that she
is a "super bad soul sister" and telling the band to "take
it to the bridge" - but we'll forgive that.
This is a ballsy mix of 60s influenced soul and funk that will lead people
to say that Hannah Williams & The One Takes perhaps came along at
the wrong time. Ignore them. This is ace, this is timeless. Get on board
and have the time of your life!
Paul Lane.
Justin Currie - The Great
War
 There's
something reassuring about listening to "The Great War", some
eight years since the last Del Amitri album. Justin Currie's second solo
effort - following 2007's dark and insular "What Is Love For?"
- is as polished and as timeless as you'd expect, showing him to still
be more than reasonably acquainted with the art of writing a winning melody.
You can't help but feel that this would have followed hot on the heels
of the success of "Waking Hours", "Change Everything"
and "Twisted" had it been released in the mid 90's.
Although it is hugely unlikely to overbother the compilers of the album
charts, "The Great War" is a joy to listen to from start to
finish which is slightly ironic seeing as Currie himself admits that he
does not write many uptempo songs these days. Opening track and lead single
"A Man With Nothing To Do" is fairly formulaic and radio friendly
and you already know you're in for an easier ride than you were with "What
Is Love For?". The light and airy guitar pop of "Ready To Be"
and "At Home Inside Of Me" would sit happily on any Del Amitri
album. "You'll Always Walk Alone" is easily one of the most
touching and best things that Currie has written. A class above the usual
string laden, reflective ballad, this really is a case in classic, timeless
songwriting.
The more fascinating moments here are the darker ones. The eight minute
epic that is "Fight To Be Human" sees Currie going down seemingly
the same route as he did with "What Is Love For?"'s finale,
"No, Surrender". Lyrically it is pretty bleak with Currie telling
us "I hate the world they gave me" but counteracting it with
the defiant (of sorts) line "I may not be useful/But at least I'm
alive". Cynical? Black humour? Who knows but the vivid word play
intertwined with self effacing references makes for a pulsating listen.
As does "Everyone I Love" which was debuted during Currie's
last UK tour in 2007. Currie again succumbs to his darker side, referring
it seems to his demons and giving into them. He seems to be at his best
when he is at his most intense.
It seems a shame that such a humble talent as Justin Currie is not getting
the accolades his talent deserves any more. His fiercely loyal fanbase
however will lap "The Great War" up. In such a disposable and
fragmented age, we should be thankful that the likes of Justin Currie
are still plying their trade.
Paul Lane.
In Darklight - Dying To Confess
 Boasting
a heady mix of chunky rock riffage with airy pop melodies, Andover's In
Darklight have a distinct take on alternative rock which could easily
see them appealing to a broad range of music fans. Take their track "Slaves".
This saw them take the sunshine pop textures of the Beach Boys and mix
it with the raw, restless guitar sounds of Foo Fighters at their most
commanding. The result? An utterly intoxicating pop record which, once
in your head, will refuse to leave quietly. There is more than a hint
of technical wizardry in what In Darklight do as well, only making what
they do more distinctive whilst this would come across as messy and clumsy
in lesser hands.
In Darklight are also an entertaining and raw proposition on the live
stage which leads to their long awaited debut album "Dying To Confess",
made up pretty much of the band's live set of the past year. The band's
debut release for Angry Badger Records is a culmination of what they have
been doing in so many ways. It brings together every element of what makes
In Darklight so special.
"What's Happening?" is crisp and clean in it's production with
stadium sized drums yet retaining a rough and raw angst and emotion to
it. Listening to it through headphones does it even more justice, with
lots of small elements adding up to make one cracker of an opening track.
Lead single "The Human Race" is even spunkier, offering a real
adrenaline rush and another memorable chorus. "Turn Into Somebody
Else" takes the yearning ballad textbook and shreds it mercilessly.
The quiet confusion of the verses is married to the crunching and edgy
guitars of the chorus. "In Control (Of Not Being In Control)"
boasts another mighty riff which would appeal to fans of radio friendly
pop and filthy heavy rock alike.
The band have their quieter moments too. "In The Red" is unlike
any other In Darklight track. It is stripped back to just a sole piano
providing Ben Sellers' voice with company, proving the band have an ability
to merge the intimate with the majestic.
"Dying To Confess" was definitely worth the wait. Enjoy In Darklight
on the smaller stage while you still can.
Paul Lane.
Mondo Drag - New Rituals
 Hailing
from Iowa, up until now more synonymous with the shock rock of Slipknot, Mondo
Drag with their ‘New Rituals’ album are aiming to change this. The artwork for
the album is a clear homage to The Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers but with a slightly
more Glastonbury feel to it, falling somewhere between homage and parody. Before
listening to the CD I have to say I am expecting a sub Levellers ‘crusty’ sound
but what I am actually greeted with pre-dates this by a decade or two.
More a hybrid of stoner and progressive rock, Mondo Drag are early Black Sabbath
played by Kyuss, Black Mountain with Hawkwind grooves, these are the touchstones
deeply imbedded within the sound and this works to varying degrees throughout
the 10 tracks.
Title track and opener ‘New Rituals’ is a 9 minute epic, starting with the wail
of feedback before the drums roll in and the keyboards and guitars swirl around.
Pulsating up and down, this one song sums up the roots and influences of Mondo
Drag, a musical manifesto as it were and the most satisfying thing on the album.
There is a tendency on some tracks to pander to self indulgence, extended mid
song breakdowns are common place and I can only guess the live experience will
see these multiplied, I would be amazed if classic mid song ‘jam‘ didn‘t feature
heavily in a Mondo Drag show.
This for me is a very much hit and miss affair, whilst there are a number of
good ideas, too often they seem to run out half way through the songs and the
gaps are filled in with tiresome ‘interludes’. ‘Fade Out’ starts with a pure
Hendrix riff but just drifts off as does ‘Serpent Snake’, it is almost as if
they want to rock out but feel they have to stay within their self imposed ‘Prog
Rock’ boundaries and reign themselves in.
I have a slightly Pavlovian response to cow bells, my hand automatically starts
itching to throw a devils’ horn and I can feel the tickle in my neck of an
involuntary headbang busting to break loose, so as ‘Apple’ starts and the
cowbell rings out followed by the Free/Aerosmith groove, things appear to be
picking up…. However this only lasts for a minute and a half before the noodling
begins once more. Shame.
I am afraid despite it’s classic rock leanings and 70’s styling, this just ain’t
my bag, man.
Angry Badger Jules
The Bluetones - Carry Me Home
 Please
bear with me a second, I just need to drag out my soapbox once more….. The
Bluetones are the classic example of the wrong place/right time band, caught up
in the hysteria around ‘Britpop’ and hurled into the spotlight with their number
one debut album ‘Expecting To Fly’ and all conquering single ‘Slight Return’,
when the bubble burst on the Britpop era and everyone was busy trying to sweep
all reminders of it under the carpet, The Bluetones were one of the ones who
unfairly suffered.
‘Carry Me Home’ is the lead track from their 6th studio album ‘A New Athens’
(due out in the autumn) and is the perfect reintroduction to a criminally
underrated group. As with so many of their songs, the upbeat, jaunty tune is
counterbalanced with Mark Morriss’ wry, darkly humorous lyrics, ‘I still haven’t
learned my lesson yet, and I won’t ‘til I find out just how low I can get’
delivered with a world weariness that feels like this is experience rather than
imagination talking.
Always more than just another one of the Britpop scene, The Bluetones have been
producing top notch indie-pop for a decade and a half, you may not have always
known they were there but the world would be a much darker place without them.
Angry Badger Jules
Jenna - Brother
 At
the tender age of 21, Jenna releases her second album ‘Brother’, the follow up
to the acclaimed ‘Barefoot and Eager’ and her folk tinged songs have an
emotional weight to them belying her age.
This is well constructed album, each track a mini story of its own and all
delivered with the warm vocals of an assured and accomplished singer/songwriter.
The restraint shown throughout the album is the real strength, all too often
singers seem to think the only way to sing is to belt out the words and add a
few warbles in for good measure, but there is none of this here. Whilst the
songs are constructed around Jenna and her voice, this is never at the expense
of the tune or an excuse for her to show off.
Deeply emotive lyrics provide the substance to the tracks, title track ‘Brother’
deals with the bonds formed by soldiers and handles the subject delicately
whilst still packing an emotional punch. Standout tunes come in the shape of
‘Blinded’ with its simmering sense of danger and chugging acoustic guitar,
soundtrack to a relationship gone badly wrong.
The folklore like lyrics to ‘Soul Sellers’ feels like it should be playing over
Witchfinder General or an episode of True Blood, with its warning refrain “To
all soul sellers, the devil will be watching, break the deed, sellers and you’ll
be lost”.
It is these changes of pace throughout the album that keep the listener
interested and create a compelling whole.
Angry Badger Jules
French For Cartridge - Liquorice
 When
faced with sound bites describing their sound as ‘Atonal’, ‘Jerky’, ‘Arch’ and
indeed announcing they formed whilst at legendary London art college
‘Goldsmiths’ (attended by Graham Coxon, Damien Hirst etc) there is a fear that
this could be a wilfully self indulgent experiment in noise bending. However
this is not the case, angular pop is the outcome but the result is far from the
inaccessible, pretentious art school drone I was half expecting.
They have taken a batch of simple pop songs and slightly distorted them into the
kind of left field sound that will no doubt preclude them from the mainstream
but see them lauded as cult heroes of the indie scene.
I think it is also pertinent to point out that for every avant garde moment like
‘Twice As Nice’ or the pop/rock/electro splicing on display in ‘TV Dinner’ there
are more simple moments and these are probably the more interesting tunes.
‘Loosening The Structures’ with a distinctly Pavement vibe, full of lush
harmonies and a genuine air of cool or the final wistful track ‘Silhouettes’ are
the fusion of the idiosyncratic ideas with pop tunes and are the highlights of
the album.
Akin to the kind of off-beat tunes the likes of Devo and Primus mined so
successfully, French For Cartridge are the proof that experimental doesn’t have
to be a frightening word.
Angry Badger Jules
Dreadzone - Eye On The Horizon
 As
unbelievable as it may seem, I have never listened to Dreadzone, I am aware of
them, I know what they are about, just never actually heard them….
This is an album bursting with sunshine beats, heavy bass and infectious hooks,
if it wasn’t for the fact I had my sense of fun surgically removed some time ago
I am sure it would make me want to dance. I won’t, but no doubt this will move
the masses to throw a few shapes.
Given their heritage, not least the fact the rhythm section were part of Mick
Jones’ Big Audio Dynamite, it is hard to level any criticism at them for the pop
friendly melding of the pop/rock/reggae sound, they helped create the blueprint
afterall.
There is barely a dip in the quality of the songs throughout the 10 tracks, ‘For
A Reason’ and ‘Changes’ could grace any airwaves, whilst the rock stomp of
‘Beyond A Rock’ is pure unadulterated fun.
‘Gangster’ is the real gem, bringing in the samples so synonymous with the
Dreadzone style and is surely destined for a Guy Ritchie film at some point.
Taking the theme to a ‘Long Good Friday’ and adding a Muse like intro with the
nursery rhyme lyrics “If You Go Down To The Woods Today”, this is a throbbing
beast of a tune.
‘Walk Tall’ feels like the only real concession at making the mass appeal
single, the dub bass is toned down and the pop ballad is forged and it is
actually a solid track.
This is a pulsating, exhilarating, super sleek album, groaning with bass
drenched anthems. I have no doubt the studio version and the live show are a
mile apart, unrestrained in a packed club is where the songs will certainly take
on a new life, a sweaty, jubilant crowd bouncing along to every dub heavy beat.
I may have been a Dreadzone virgin at the start but consider my cherry popped.
Angry Badger Jules
The Baseballs - Strike
 I
think you can be forgiven for not necessarily associating Germany with producing
the longest list of successful pop acts, Nena and Falco briefly flirted with
chart success and apart from the seminal Kraftwerk and my own favourite, but not
to everyones taste, Rammstein you may struggle to name many more…… until now. If
you can listen to even one track on ‘Strike’ without smiling then I am afraid I
can only assume you have been recently lobotomised, this is a good time record
that defies genres and should be enjoyed by everyone.
It is a simple idea, take modern pop songs and play them in a “doo woop” 1950’s
rock ‘n’ roll style, complete with all the trimmings. Undoubtly this has a
certain novelty factor and the appeal may last longer with some than others but
this is fantastic fun and some of the tracks on here are actually better than
the originals.
Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’ and Katie Perry’s ‘Hot And Cold’ work particularly well,
both are given the full “Shoo-Wop” treatment and are frankly quite irresistible
and Roxette‘s ‘The Look‘ is given a new lease of life complete with Chuck Berry
guitar solo.
Admittedly there are a couple of tracks that fall a little short, The Pussycat
Dolls’ ‘Don’t Cha’ is a bit limp and trying to out camp the Scissor Sisters is a
tall order and ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ is strangely lifeless.
Remember the part in Back To Future where Marty McFly breaks into a 80’s guitar
solo in the middle of a 50’s dance, this is the equivalent of that, in a world
of increasingly po-faced ‘serious’ artistes this is a breath of fresh air and
puts some much needed fun back into music, get out the brylcreem, throw a few
Elvis shapes and file under guilty pleasure.
Angry Badger Jules
Teenage Fanclub - Baby Lee
 From
the opening clean strum the laid back 60’s feel oozes from the speakers and the
honey dripped vocals only further add to the sunny Mersey beat ambience. Teenage
Fanclub have been marching to the beat of their own drum since their debut in
1990, followed with Bandwagonesque and the stunning Grand Prix albums they have
cemented their place in popular indie culture but they never really seemed to
breakthrough to the higher levels of stardom that peers like Travis achieved.
Taken from their forthcoming 9th studio album ‘Shadows’, their first in 5 years,
‘Baby Lee’ is a gorgeous slice of indie-pop and deserves to see the Fanclub
dabblling with chart success once more. Reminiscent of their “Songs For Northern
Britain” period, this is timeless pop, the likes of which is sorely lacking and
indeed missed from the charts today.
Angry Badger Jules
Standard Fare - The Noyelle Beat
 Giving
yourselves a slightly self deprecating moniker could be a blessing or a curse,
can you only exceed expectations or are you merely being honest….. The Noyelle
Beat is the debut album from Standard Fare who hail from the city that brought
us Pulp and Arctic Monkeys, Sheffield.
From the opening bars of ‘Love Doesn’t Just Stop’ the Standard Fare blueprint is
clear for all, bassist/vocalist Emma Kupa sounds like the love child of Louise
Wener from Sleeper and The Libertines’ Carl Barat singing over The Strokes
playing Britpop.
It is worth remembering that this is their full length debut and as such the
overall quality of the album is encouraging, there are some great bouncy indie
tunes on display such as ‘Philadelphia’ or the urgent drive of ‘Edges & Corners’
as well as the slightly seedy ‘Fifteen’ which if sung by Danny would be a lot
more sinister but delivered by Emma seems a little more innocent.
Not everything hits the mark, ‘I Know It’s Hard’ with it’s INXS guitar riff and
rubbery bassline doesn’t quite work for me and closer ‘Wow’ is a little too
desperate to be The Strokes.
The female/male vocal dynamic is a strength and adds a much needed dimension to
their sound, picking up the mantle left by the likes of Belle And Sebastian this
is an engaging if not always spectacular album but never short of enjoyable.
Angry Badger Jules
Icons Of Elegance - Dancing Is Easy
 Big
in Scandinavia sounds like a quote that should be on a Spinal Tap album but
given Icons Of Elegance are based in Helsinki I suppose it is a reasonable
claim. Comprising two brothers Anssi and Henri, Dancing Is Easy is their 3rd
album and overall is a rather fine, if not groundbreaking, collection of pop
nuggets.
Launching the album is the wonderfully upbeat title track that has all the charm
and melody of classic Frank And Walters or Sugar at their bubblegum pop best and
is closely followed by the Graham Coxon styled ‘Sandra Lee‘.
Previous offerings from the duo have had a distinctly Americana vibe to them and
have drawn comparisons to the likes of Wilco but Dancing Is Easy is more a pop
album, shades of the Americana sound creep into the likes of ’Running To Catch
Up With Myself’ or the wistful ’Local Library’ but the overriding influence
throughout the 12 tracks is firmly rooted in the 60’s and bands such as The
Beatles (Sigh. My Heart) or even The Monkees (Ready When You Are) form the
groundwork from which many of the tunes are forged.
All this adds up to an instantly accessible album, full of warm melodies and
made for radio tunes. This is at once the pros and cons of the CD, whilst the
familiarity allows you to enter their world upon first listen, without pushing
the boundaries just a little I wonder how this will stand up to repeated play.
This is a small quibble though, it is a little harsh to blame an album for being
too catchy. A simple, bright and breezy album, will go great with summer
evenings and lazy Sundays.
Angry Badger Jules
Sia - Clap Your Hands
 This
is the first track to be taken from the Australian singer/songwriters fourth LP
‘We Are Born’.
This will no doubt be remixed and be providing numerous ‘Essex’ types the
soundtrack to some serious round the handbag dancing on many a drunken night out
to come.
It is catchy and I am sure this heralds a new step on the road to success for
Sia, it could easily rival current pop princesses Lady Gaga or Cheryl Cole and
will no doubt be riding high in the charts not long after you read this review.
Not my kind of thing but I can’t deny it is a perfect slice of pop and could
well be the breakthrough hit Sia has been building up to.
Angry Badger Jules
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