Apologies for the lack of singles last month, my laptop died and I had Chicken Pox, which meant I had to prioritise my workload – this month I’ve combined the best of both months so you don’t miss out and I have a nervous breakdown cramming them all in ;op
Another fabulous month of singles and downloads for you to read about, and who knows, maybe even buy (or illegally download, then complain about the state of the music industry without noticing the irony, Not that we condone such behavior, or irony in general). If you have a single to submit, please email Jeremy@subba-cultcha.com DO NOT SEND SINGLES/EPS/ALBUMS ETC. WITHOUT EMAILING ME FIRST-enjoy…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH = An exceptionally good cake!!!
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
Da NUMEROS:
30H!3 – DON’T TRUST ME – PHOTO FINISH/ASYLUM RECORDS
Crunk-infused emo with choruses that would perfectly soundtrack a UFC beat down of immeasurable levels… Yes, it’s a ‘lil cheesy, a ‘lil OTT, but I never said you had to rock out to this in front of people…
A - Z:
A:
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
AMAZING BABY – HEAD DRESS – V2/COOP
Having just completed a tour supporting the irrepressible Virgins, Latitude on the horizon and album Rewild prepared for a June 22nd release, the New York band have delivered a stirring slice of fuzzed up indie pop, infused with Shoegaze slackness, noodling guitars, it literally drips and oozes with cool… it must be something they put in the water in NYC!
THE ANSWER – TONIGHT – ALBERT PRODUCTIONS
Ok, so they’ve not quite reached Led Zep size yet, but building their live reputation more and more with every release, The Answer finally have an album that hits all the right spots, and Tonight is it’s main highlight, so get your air guitars at the ready, buy this, and maybe invest in a sleeveless Denim coat?
THE ANSWERING MACHINE – OBVIOUSLY COLD – HEIST
Someone will probably shoot me for suggesting such a thing, but there’s something a bit China Drum-ish about TAM, mixing those sugary pop hooks with high octane Indie Hijinx they create something bubbly, effervescent and a little bit 90’s… but in a really good way!
B:
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
BADDIES – HOLLER FOR MY HOLIDAYS – MEDICAL
Taut, Brit rock, a ‘lil bit greaser, a ‘lil bit Wildheartsy, a twist of punk – but it’s the hooks, those harmonies, the twisted guitars, I can even here a subtle Biffy-ism amongst the melodies, definitely a band to keep an eye on!
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
BASEMENT JAXX – RAINDROPS – X L RECORDINGS
After an awfully long absence from the recording world, BJ return, post-greatest hits with a clean slate of which to spring board off of this summer with a huge array of festival dates incoming (I personally am salivating at the prospect of the band
The single sounds like a mix between the vocodered-falsetto-led electro pop of Passion Pit with the 80’s Key-tar workings of Daft Punk at their most jubilant – so, back to business it is then, welcome back this country’s best pop band!
BASHY – WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE – GGI ENTERPRISES
The latest Grime-star in waiting, Bashy doesn’t stray too far from the norm, a propulsive slammer of fuzzed up bass lines, clattering beats and some infectious sloganeering, perfect for a ‘lil bump n gring ;op
BEAT THE RADAR – TELEPHONE CONVERSATION - aA Recordings
Making a Post-punk’ish brit-sounding record with hints of Pavement, Sebadoh & mid 80’s
BELL X1 – THE RIBS OF A BROKEN UMBRELLA – BELLY UP
A fine slice of Indie pop glory from
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
THE BIG PINK – STOP THE WORLD – 4AD
A yearning, heart stomping mess of fuzzed up guitars, lingering vocals and a chorus that smacks you straight in the face; like mid-period Flaming Lips via We Were Scientists…
THE BLACK KNIGHTS – PARADE OF PIRANHAS – TABOO MUSIC
A bluesy slice of primal rock n roll, somewhere between the jon spencer blues explosion & a possessed Jack White on guitar…
THE BLACKOUT – CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT – EPITAPH
TB deserve to be on Epitaph, there are few UK bands who can pull off sounding American with such aplomb, not that this is a criticism, I’ve gotten sick with the huge amounts of post-hardcore/emo/screamo bands from the UK who just sound weak and flimsy; finally we have a band that can play the Yanks at their own game, and whilst this single is suitably anthemic, there is the slight feeling that you’ve heard it before-but the same could be said for most Screamo bands, so just suck it up and enjoy it for what it is, a fist pumpingly brilliant rock song… end of!
BLUE ROSES – I AM LEAVING – X L/SALVIA
Otherworldly folk, twee in places and wondrously orchestrated with a quaint, subtle charm that really warms your cockles!
BOY CRISIS – DRESSED TO DIGRESS – B-UNIQUE
Electro-driven slice of cool-drenched indie rock, the breathless break down is genius, one’s to keep an eye on… a ‘lil less slacker’ish and it’d be perfection!
THE BROADCASTS – SHORTCUTS – WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEBROADCASTS
A joyously poppy slice of indie, “woah-oh-oh’s” delivered with menace, given an Indie rock temperament and some Razorlight-esque tunefulness, could use an identity of its own, but that will come in time!
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
ANE BRUM – THE PUZZLE – DETERMINE RECORDS
Ghostly voiced with the presence of Kate Bush and the shiver inducing iciness of Joni Mitchell, all underpinned by imaginative, dramatic folk guitars, the story unfolding, the strings slicing in and those speedy hooks gather your attention as quickly as they gather pace-a gorgeous record which combines the folk triangle of Bush, Mitchell & Drake-great stuff!
THE BRUTE CHORUS – ALL THE PILGRIMS -
Another fine slice of Indie rock solace from TBC, mixing the directness of The View with the ghost of The Cramps contorting those hooks; Great fluid bass runs, an addictive slice of rock all backed with pure unbridled spirit and abandon…
C:
CHASING LIZ – GRAVITY GIRL – THE REAL FUNK
A vocoder-heavy slice of Akon aping RnB-pop…
COSMO JARVIS – MEL’S SONG – WALL OF SOUND
Skank-heavy mix of Grime-sounding estate rhymes & a funk-drenched guitars, street poetry and pop mixed for a summery rush of fluidity! The question is, do we need another Kid British?
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
COUGAR – THUNDERSNOW – COUNTER
Math Rock with Post Rock pretentions – jazzy drumming aided by the soul of Keith Moon, superbly fuzzed up bass driving through, and guitars that are well and truly outside the box – the build ups and break downs keep you interested, but the ideas that unfold are enough to entertain all who listen…
CRAZY ARM – BROKEN BY THE WHEEL – XTRA MILE
With the melodic bite of Bad Religion fed through a post-hardcore infused strand of Country-tinged rock n roll, Crazy Arm could be
Starting off like everyone’s just jumped on stage and plugged in time with the beat… CS have a doom-styled crunch to their foggy shoegaze guitar pop, with a hint of longing just to keep the romantics interested!
D:
DAY OF DAYS – E.M.P – ZINE RECORDS
With taut, angular guitars and caustic drums akin to early Therapy? Material, and vocals that borrow heavily from the androgynous world of Placebo, DOD Have squarely marked out a cultish square in the quilt of rock n roll, not my kind of hot beverage per se, but intriguing regardless…
BILLY NEWTON-DAVIS Vs. DEADMAU5 – ALL YOU EVER WANT – PLAY/YALP
Crystaline synth-driven dance music which could use a hook or something…
DEEDS OF THE NAMELESS – ENEMY WITHIN – COMPULSIVE RECORDS
A more ploddable Nickleback?
DEFEND
A modern day Human League with better synths…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
DINOSAUR JNR – OVER IT – PIAS
Another storming come back single from THE guitar band of the 90’s, sod yer Sonic Youths and Pavements, Dinosaur Jnr combined the drive, the pace and the melancholy to devastating effect, and thankfully they’ve lost none of that! INTERVIEW TO COME SOON!
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
DIRTY PROJECTORS – STILLNESS IS THE MOVE – DOMINO RECORDS
Finally we can judge DP on their own songs instead of genius reworkings of Black Flag, and combining that alien-sound they mine so intelligently with the sexy, seductive Indie flaked R n B on show here is a genius concept of which many an indie type will be using on their seduction compilations for the girl they picked up at Koko who was wasted on too much Red Stripe…
ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL – START/STOP/SYNCHRO – SCARLETT RECORDINGS
Like a Bond Theme in a perversely wonderful alternative world, it shimmies and shuffles with grace and elegance, all underpinned by a jazz-like cadence…
DREADZONE – BEYOND A ROCK – DUBWEISER RECORDS
Great label name, with a slack jawed blues rock style that reminds me of Robert Palmer, but where are the models with instruments? Dreadzone have created a fun slice of Bluesy-Pop with a modernistic rap-like delivery that sparkles…
THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS METHOD – THE AGE OF REVOLUTION – 1969
A prog-tastic slice of hazy summer-fied indie pop with political sentiment; Like a ‘Money’ or ‘Another brick in the wall’ for the Facebook generation…
E:
EELS – MY TIMING IS OFF – POLYDOR
The gloomiest of pop stars returns with more ponderous, and inspiring moments of grief and relief combined; sounding like a Leonard Cohen song played at 78rpm…
EMPIRE OF THE SUN – WE ARE THE PEOPLE –
The slightly slackerish modern psychedelia, the fact there’s two of them dressed as out of this world hippies, the whole jist of this band screams “MGMT CLONES”, I’m sure the masses will love this, but can’t artists strive for a little more individuality, I mean, if you’re going to dress up like an extra from Neverending Story can’t you at least try and do or say something different, something interesting, you’re not likely to see this song as part of a montage on Match Of The Day, surely the litmus test of all Indie pop, so just go away please and perhaps act in a remake of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal… Muppets!
THE ENERGIES – BORN AGAIN RUNNER – HYPERTELIC RECORDS
A Melancholic nugget of Singer Songwriter workmanship; well crafted, catchy and enjoyable from start to finish!
ENTER SHIKARI – JUGGERNAUTS – AMBUSH REALITY
The musical equivalent of an ADH kid missing a month’s worth of Ritalin; ES keep pushing the right buttons, live and now recorded (a much more ‘together’ sounding sound replaces the hyper but unreliable earlier material) though not sure why they’ve put a Mike Skinner-like spoken-rap breakdown before the chorus? INTERVIEW TO COME SOON…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
ESSER – HEADLOCK – TRANSGRESSIVE
The cool, smart genius that is Esser has impressed and startled me from single-to-single, so much charm, so much fun all boiled down in 3 minutes of ideas and assertive pop-mastering… fall in love with him now, I’d attempt the quiff if I could in recognition!
F;
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
FACT – A FACT OF LIFE – HASSLE/VAGRANT
Ever get the feeling of too many ideas, too little time – FACT don’t, they can fit 3 subgenres into one song, and still convince you that it’s all meant to work like it does, and they had no doubts in this fact… sorry, bad pun, but a great mix of Pop-Punk, Screamo & Post-Hardcore that should convince you to buy their recent album release, I know I will be…
FIRETYPE! – THE COUNT – CLAN STAMP RECORDS
A sweet vignette of emotive vocals, spindling guitars, and a passion-led sense of abandon and joyful melodies – for fans of Endless Hallway, Dashboard Confessional & Incubus at their more melodic…
FLAMBOYANT BELLA – ABBI – WWW.FLAMBOYANTBELLA.COM
Like Kate Nash having a Foam Party in her frontroom playing Beautiful South records… fun, summer filled fun…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
With a voice that has the presence of Kate Bush via the soulful class of Beth Orton; it’s the music, epic with it’s depth and soulful within it’s dextrous exterior, it could be considered gospel such is the warmth and power loosely veiled underneath… We’ve loved her long time, now it’s your turn!
FOXES! – WHO KILLED ROB? – CATCUTTER RECORDS
Original Podcast heroes return with more finely crafted Indie Pop, boy/girl vocals, playful guitars and a warmth that is infectious as it is delicious!
FRESH LEGS – CHESS – COOL FOR CATS
Hi-Octane Indie Pop with more tricks than most, following in a similar vein to Los! Campensinos, but with more bite and attitude… one’s to watch!
G:
GALLOWS –
Hardcore ideals, Punk bite, and energy that puts me to shame… Just a shame it’s a (clean edit)…
MELODY GARDOT – BABY I’M A FOOL – UCJ
Soulful jazz with subtlety and beauty baked in…
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM – THE ’59 SOUND – SIDEONEDUMMY
More soulful, blue collared country-core from the new E Street Band…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
GENERAL
Throbbing synth bass, rocksteady beat, and one of the finest rappers this side of Bizzle; General Midi makes another stupendous return to the fray with an enigmatic, imaginative and original single – all hail General Midi!
GHOSTCAT – THIS IS A BLAST – LIP RECORDS
An impressive slice of catty femme-led modern pop – think Gwen Stefani meets Fergie!
THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND – BRIGHT LIGHTS – EPITAPH
The Gallows are incredibly lucky they released the best album they could, ‘cos TGOAT would’ve ripped that crown right off their heads otherwise – angular, riff-based and devastatingly abrasive, this is Modern Punk Rock and a perfect bedfellow for the
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
GOSSIP – HEAVY CROSS –
With an almost exotica-sounding intro, the soulful delights of Gossip (minus the ‘the’) have returned, this time a little less brash and more fluid sounding; the raucous and raw stylings of their earlier work having matured into something fast resembling a pop song – we expect big things for Gossip this year, make sure you’re at the front of the queue!
DAVID GUETTA Feat. KELLY ROWLAND – WHEN LOVE TAKES OVER – POSITIVA
Soul with a club beat…
H:
HAFDIS HULD – KONGULO – SNOW ANGEL LTD
Sassy, playful mix of flamenco guitars and Cyndi Lauper-esque vocals delivered like you’re on a Hawaiian island…
HEARTS IN PENCIL –
Fluid guitars meander along whilst the track builds and builds before kicking out an almighty indie rock jam, somewhere between The Enemy and Pink Floyd…
HITCHCOCK – SMACK BOOM – DITTO MUSIC
With a beat Prodigy would be proud of, and a more playful spin on the Indie-Electro hybrid that is Kasabian, Hitchcock deliver smart, hooks in a well crafted shell…
HOCKEY – LEARN TO LOSE – VIRGIN/CAPITOL
Indie Disco with a soulful bluster, enjoyable though not sure I agree that they stole the show on their recent sojourn with Passion Pit…
HONEY RYDER – CHOICES – GOLD DUST
Well crafted pop, if a bit dour…
I:
INNERPARTYSYSTEM – HEART OF FIRE – FALLOUT/ISLAND
Powerful and direct, IPS deliver an 80’s infused anthemic sound that is easy to fall under the spell of…
J:
JOKER’S DAUGHTER – WORM’S HEAD – DOUBLE SIX/DOMINO
Yawn-gasm…
JONNY COLA & THE A-GRADES – DISAPPEARING ACT – ?
Nervy, Jerky and animated Britpop with it’s thumb firmly pressed on the anthemic button!
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
THE JOY FORMIDABLE – WHIRRING – FRIENDS VS RECORDS
Like a joyous rush of adrenaline to your lower extremities, TJF deliver potent indie rock with hints of Sugar’s drive and Weezer’s melodic strength – catch them on tour before they’re touring ampitheatres…
K:
KEROGEN – HER – LEWIS RECORDINGS
Breezy, breathless crystal ambient pop with meditive qualities…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
KILLA KELA – BUILT LIKE AN AMPLIFIER – 100%
Oh yes, what a tune – bold and brash, explosive synths, crunching drums and a mixture of Grime ranting and shout-out galore with a rockist edge – perfection!
KING CHARLES – TIME OF ETERNITY – Mi7 RECORDS
An intriguing collection of chiming guitars, vocals that go from spoken word ranting to near-grime like rhythmical gymnastics, whilst the song builds upon strings, psychedelic come downs and some focussed experimentation…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
KISSY SELL OUT – THIS KISS –
This reminds me of the first time I listened to Blur, that effervescence, the pure joy sewn into every hook – perhaps Boys & Girls is a good reference point, just update the dance phenomenon to today and you’ve got a modern slice of sheer brilliance… INTERVIEW COMING SOON…
KLEERUP – LONGING FOR LULLABIES – POSITIVA
A country’ish Robyn?
L:
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
LA ROUX – BULLETPROOF – POLYDOR
With summer smash written all over it, this is Electro with enough edge and cool to ensure ears are pricked, and hips are grooving…
THE LATE GREATS – DESTROY MY BRAIN – RUM RECORDS
Mixing Mclusky’s wired guitars and early Idlewild’s manic vocals – this is an explosive gem of Alternative Rock that you should worship now!
THE LEMONHEADS – I JUST CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE – COOKING VINYL
Mmmm Lemonheads goodness, summer is really here!
JAMIE LEO – MR SMOOTH – SEVENTY RECORDINGS
Smartly performed Funk-Pop with diva-like vocals smouldering all over those delicious licks…
LETHAL BIZZLE – GO HARD – SEARCH & DESTROY
I love the Bizzle, but there’s something a little lacklustre with the verses of this song, the chorus is amazing, but the verses just don’t make the usual Bizzle sort of impression, lets hope the album’s better!
LET’S TEA PARTY – EMANUELLA – MI7
Like a sedated View… let’s not!
LETTERS IN RED – FEEL ME – HOME GROWN
Melancholic folk with subtle electronics giving it presence and dynamics…
LIFE IN FILM – SORRY – CLIP CLUB RECORDS
An interesting mixture of early Bloc Party, TV On The Radio fed through an glittering indie pop anthem filter, creating something interesting, keep an ear out for these guys!
LITTLE BOOTS – NEW IN TOWN – 679
How is this any different to Sugababes? Edge, my arse…
LOVELIKEFIRE – STAND IN YOUR SHOES – HEIST OR HIT RECORDS
Like a more dramatic Pretenders, LLF deliver something quite impressive with this single…
M:
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
THE MACCABEES – CAN YOU GIVE IT – FICTION
More Indie genius with a twist of bedsit melancholy…
MAGIC EIGHT BALL – STRIPPED – WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ILOVEMAGICEIGHTBALL
With the menace and electro-dynamism of Depeche Mode at their most devastating, MEB Make me miserable, but make my hips move in tandem whilst doing so…
MAGIC & FUR – CHRISTINE – TOO PURE
Somewhere between John Cale & Leonard Cohen on a waltzer…
MAMAS GUN – LET’S FIND A WAY - LOOKOUT
Like Daniel Merriweather on a diet of Bread (the band)…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
MASTODON – OBLIVION – RELAPSE/REPRISE
Kings of Modern metal do it again, make Neurosis sound like a joy to listen to…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
MATT AND KIM – LESSONS LEARNED – ARTWERK MUSIC
Synth pop delivered with verve and pace – the school room la la la-ing gives a haunting touch to a vibrant single!
MOLLYGOGO -
Norwegian Ska-Punk with an almost calypso feel to it…
THE MUMMERS – WONDERLAND – BIG BASS DRUM RECORD
Like Corrine Bailey Rae writing a Bacharach-ish tune…
N:
NACIONAL – ON TV – ART GOES POP
Grand Indie with one leg in the 80’s…
NARRATION – MIRACLE – EXPLODING LIGHT
Combining the alt. rock stylings of Biffy & Fightstar to create something epic and almost hypnotic-one’s to keep an eye on (also the first single to break into falsetto and NOT make me wanna throw up this month!)
NEW EDUCATION – ANOTHER MIRACLE – KIDS
With the melancholic gruffness of Editors via the sombre, summery indie pop of The Cure…
NIGEL OF BERMONDSEY – THIS IS HOW IT FEELS – UNIVERSAL
Melodic folk with spiralling guitars and what sounds like David Essex on vocals… The Kinks would be proud!
O:
OF
More fun than a bag of squirrels thrown into a jar of Nutella to the sound of the chipmunks…
P:
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
PASSION PIT – THE REELING –
Genius is as genius does, and this genius does it all…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
JACK PENATE – BE THE ONE – XL RECORDINGS
The best Cure single they never made…
PEOPLE IN PLANES – MAYDAY (M’AIDEZ) – WIND UP
Post-grunge with enough dynamics and melody to ensure it doesn’t get thrown in with the lumpen stodge that was nu-grunge… with progressive tendencies the only way is up for PIP…
THE PHANTOM BAND – THE HOWLING – CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND
An intriguing mess of Kraut-rock and folk influences create something like a more Germanic sounding Reindeer Section…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
PLASTIC LITTLE – LA LA LAND – HALF TIME RECORDS
PL bring the party… music that makes you want to slap your own kabose….
POCKETBOOKS – FOOTSTEPS – HOWDOESITFEELTOBELOVED
Twee Indie pop with a 60’s girl group dynamic…
POP LEVI – POLICE $IGN – COUNTER
Having dropped the mad scientist on his own approach of previous recordings, Levi rocks things up a bit by creating his own band off the back of the Fujiya & Miyagi US tour, creating something like T-Rex raised on Led Zeppelin…
R:
THE RAKES – THAT’S THE REASON – CO-OP
The fabulous return with more spice and vigour in their wiry post-punk…
RANCID – LAST ONE TO DIE – EPITAPH
So, back to the slower, more melodic work of “Out Come The Wolves” from everyone’s favourite street-punk millionaires; it’s a shame as I was loving their more hardcore-indebted sound…
RIFLE FIRE RIFLE – THE DOPPLER EFFECT – WWW.RIFLE-FIRE-RIFLE.COM
Twisted guitars bleed, time changes deliver a dynamism similar to And You Will Know Us… but delivered with a post-hardcore twang that is somewhat similar to Jet Plan Landing, with inspired melodica solo…
ALEXANDER ROBOTNICK – OBSESSION FOR THE DISCO FREAKS – THIS IS MUSIC LTD.
Meandering electronics with a stylish and very rich sounding edge…
NATALIE ROSS – SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM – WWW.NATALIEROSS.COM
Smart folk pop with a sassiness baked in, delivered with such a delicious voice I almost ate the cd…
S:
SILENT FILM PROJECT – TWO DAYS – KIDS
Like a modern-indie pop version of Deacon Blue via lurching guitars and sumptuous boy/girl vocals…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
SLIIMY – WAKE UP - WARNERS
Mixing Lily Allen, Corrine Bailey Rae, Micachu & Speech Debelle to delirious effect!
SOUND OF GUNS – ARCHITECTS – DISTILLER RECORDS
The explosive fusion of .Moneen.’s dense post-hardcore and Guided By Voices melodic genius…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
SPEECH DEBELLE – GO THEN, BYE – BIG DADA
THIS-IS-JUST-AMAZING-MUST-BUY-IT-NOW!!!
SUGAR CRISIS – WE ARE HERE TO SAVE YOU – WEEKENDER RECORDS
Pretty girl-fronted electro pop, playful and joyous, perfect for BBQs!
SWIMMING – PANTHALASSA – COLOURSCHOOL
Like Bloc Party fronting Dinosaur Jnr with Mission Of Burma in charge of the mixing desk!
T:
TEAM WATERPOLO – ROOM 44 – EPIC
Brit pop given a millennial twist, TW are indie pop’s saviours… just you wait!
TEN CITY NATION – THE SHILLS –
Two of the finest bands around do a split, if you haven’t got this already, then I shit on you!
THEM:YOUTH – BOW & ARROWS – ANOTHER MUSIC ANOTHER KITCHEN
Mixing Influences like The View, New Order & Oasis into a blur of indie sentimentality and emotiveness…
THEORETICAL GIRL – RIVALS –
Ghostly electro pop with arch melodies and a chamber-pop feel, cluttered by broken beats and haunting harmonies…
THIEVES LIKE US – YOUR HEART FEELS – SEA YOU RECORDS
Murky, artful indie, probably requires a few more braincells than I have left…
THIS IS RADIO FREEDOM – FAMILY MAN – SIDEWALK 7
Like Suede given a Kasabian-sized overhaul!
THUNDERHEIST – NOTHING 2 STEP 2 – NINJA TUNE
Music to spank that ass to!
THE
An ace mix of 70’s denim wearing rock, delivered with mod-ish soul… great horns!
TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS – THE INTERNATIONAL SONIC WRESTLING MATCH: ROUND 5 – GRECO ROMAN
Thank god this is good, otherwise I’d be mightily pissed off after typing out this horrendously long band name and song title… Mixing scatterbrained synths and crunching beat changes, this is a bag full of fun with a throbtastic edge!
V:
THE VERONICAS – UNTOUCHED – SIRE
Australian Twins deliver some stunning pop class – makes me want to race things!
W:
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
WAVE MACHINES – I GO I GO I GO – NEAPOLITAN
Indie-minded electro pop with an 80’s Wham-like feel? We love those wave machines… especially in this heat!
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
WE HAVE BAND – YOU CAME OUT – KILL EM ALL
Oddball disco, supreme guitar licks fusing with repetition and delay decaying, this band not only think outside the box, they turned the box into a rhombus…
A SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SINGLE OF THE MONTH!!!
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS – ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES – FAT CAT RECORDS
There’s something so primal about this, not the ideas as they’re grand and forward thinking, but the release, the passion, the unbridled explosion of emotions that makes this band so god damn captivating, great stuff!
Y:
YUKSEK – EXTRABALL – UNIVERSAL
Like Justice & Daft Punk jamming with a B-Girl busting moves all over the shop-genius!
JAMES YUILL – OVER THE HILLS – MOSHI MOSHI
Folktronica’s Prince charming harpoons our hearts again!
ALL BY JEREMY CHICK (at gunpoint)
EPs
85 BEARS – SHIPWRECKING – A BADGE OF FRIENDSHIP
Skirting the fine line between math-rock and just rock, this is a fantastic instrumental ep of angular guitar riffs and pleasing drum patterns – made all the more marvellous by the fact that it was all recorded in a single take. Wowser! (CM)
A DANCING BEGGAR – HOW THEY GREW – www.myspace.com/adancingbeggar
Ah! Laptop creatives! What a wonderful way to welcome back the EPs after a month off. Post rock (still not sure what that means) minimalism, with lots of fractured guitar melodies, lots of echo and a
ALBINO – ONE MORE DRINK – CHARBOROUGH
Folky, boozing music that sounds more American than it really is. The sort of music that is so deeply uncool that it HAS to be a labour of love, and low and behold it is – they’re having fun and it sounds like it. (CM)
BAD BLOW JOB – DEMO 07/08 – www.bbjitaly.net
Old school epic rock ballads from a band that, if they were English, just wouldn’t have called themselves that, and for that alone, I salute them. (CM)
A SUBBA-CULTCHA EP OF THE MONTH
CHARLIE BARNES – NO OFFENK – PIPCO COLLECTIVE
Explosive, overwhelming, magnificent. Charlie Barnes voice is a revalation, and the backing sounds like if the London Community Gospel Choir turned up at your house party to do a Leonard Cohen set with OMD. Absolutely astounding stuff. All hail the new Magnet. More please. (CM)
Impressive third-cousins-once-removed of groups like Editors, dark and broody, but with epic choruses that wash over you like.... sorry, forgot to be surly then. Its good, anyway. (CM)
A SUBBA-CULTCHA EP OF THE MONTH
ESTABAN – ESTABAN – www.myspace.com/estabanuk
Wow – that’s a hell of a big sound you’ve got there boys. Given that they all contribute to the backing vocals, it’s hardly surprising – and their songs are perfect pop, simple as. Like The Feeling but without the smugness and therefore the urge to slap them round the face with an Arbroath Smokey. (CM)
EVEN FLOWERS KILL – SMILE FOR THE CAMERA – CASKET
A bad as inventive as the Cardiacs were 30 years ago. They drift from Hardcore to Punk to Dance to Art Rock and back again in the same verse leave alone the same song and leave anyone not prepared for the whirlwind quaking in their wake. And they have cool song titles. (CM)
HOUSE OF BROTHERS – DOCUMENT 1 – www.myspace.com/houseofbrothers
Acoustic guitar led power pop that’s remarkably pleasing the ear, and shows remarkable promise. And if presentation counts for anything, they do that pretty good too. (CM)
IN2ITION – IN2ITION – www.myspace.com/in2itionmusic
It’s really not sport. It really isn’t. I looked at the press release (there’s such a thing as too much information guys!) and knew what I was in for. And I was right. Death metal. Only kidding. The name – wrong. The songs – wrong. The image – WRONG. Expect it to be huge with Lobtomised Lighthouse Family fans (oxymoron?). (CM)
LAVOTCHKIN / CROCUS – EP
Oh shush! There are children trying to sleep in the next street, and they’ll be traumatised for life! I can’t tell which band is which. Too loud by half. (CM)
AL LEWIS & SARAH HOWELLS – SKIN AND BONES – www.myspace.com/allewismusic
A chance meeting on the tube formed this partnership of inoffensive, almost to a fault, acoustic pop. Imagine if one of them missed their train. It could lead to a Bucks Fizz revival. No comparison intended, by the way. (CM)
A SUBBA-CULTCHA EP OF THE MONTH
LION O’BRIEN – RAINCLOUD vs SUNSHINE – www.myspace.com/lionobrien
Blisteringly brilliant indie-pop that oozes summer. A few dodgy rhyming couplets aside, the songs are accomplished, nauseatingly catchy and generally life-affirming. Which is a real pain. (CM)
A SUBBA-CULTCHA EP OF THE MONTH
Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Lunch has still got it. The “sexy” side growls and purrs, whilst the “noisy” side bites the head off it’s prey. If the Yeah Yeah Yeahs would just take notice, they’d hang up their instruments out of respect. Abso-bloomin-lutely marvey. (CM)
MIDDLE CLASS RUT – 25 YEARS – BRIGHT ANTENNA
A band who have clearly spent a lot of time listening to At The Drive In. And long may that behaviour continue. Just the right side of cool, shouty, angular pop. Would love to catch them live. (CM)
THE MURMERS OF TENSION – AWKWARD AURA – www.myspace.com/themurmursoftension
I was expecting not to get on with this, but it’s instantly screaming at me of bands like The Features and Kings of Leon, they’ve got an amazing commercial grasp on what is actually quite complex music. That stands them out in any crowd. (CM)
A SUBBA-CULTCHA EP OF THE MONTH
NATE CAMPANY & THE SERENADE – THE ONLY BRIDGE I NEED – LOJINX
Breathtaking soft rock. It stands as testament that if a genre is actually done right, then it reaffirms why the genre exists in the first place if everyone hates it so much. And it’s records like this. Simply awesome. (CM)
THE NEW 1920 – THE NEW 1920 – DIFFERENT SMOKE
Raw, rock-with-your-cock-out indie that’s tuneful enough for the charts, but rough enough round the edges to please the metallers. It’s a nice trick if you can do it, so well done, chaps. (CM)
SIERRA ALPHA – SIERRA ALPHA – www.myspace.com/sierraalpha
Like a turbo charged version of The Feeling – but again, sans the “smack” factor, they rock with their socks off, and make completely awesome power-pop tunes. With careful planning, they could be ruddy huge. (CM)
THIS BEAUTIFUL THIEF – SAY SOMETHING –
Way too much paper in the jiffy. Don’t sound anything like the influences they name, but make quite agreeable name. I’d like to hear what a different production style would do to the sound. But solid. (CM)
A SUBBA-CULTCHA EP OF THE MONTH
TIGERS THAT TALKED – BLACK HEART, BLUE EYES EP – BAD SNEAKERS
Glorious, melodramatic, yet majestic folk-pop. If the Arcade Fire lived in a seaside town on the English Riviera, this is how they’d sound. Like The Smiths wrapped in a cuddly warm blanket of happy-place. (CM)
TINY SPARK – FOR YOU THE WORLD WAITS – www.theanimalfarm.co.uk
Amongst the premiership of unsigned bands (they’ve got a big name sponsor – squee!) they’re certainly epic and emotionally charged – somewhere between Psycho-Keane and Squishy Foo Fighters. (CM)
TRESPASSERS WILLIAM – THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS – GZH
Band name of the month – a little in-joke. I like such things. Spooky organic synth-free etherealness is the name of the game, should etherealness even be a word. (CM)
VANGEL – BIBLIO – 5&1/4
Cheesy wacka-wacka fights with sophisticated lounge-jazz. Lounge jazz wins. Stoner “Schools & Colleges Follow “Dark Side Of The Moon”. (CM)
VIRUS SYNDICATE – MALARIA – CONTAGIOUS
Grimey goodness with some deep down dirty electro beats. The rapping is sublime and the beats are brilliant. Second in a series of 3eps – watch out for the other two, coz they all rock. (CM)
WALL STREET RIOTS - PLAYGROUND POLITICS – Www.myspace.com/wallstreetriots
Jagged art-rock with a wry smile. I like such things. They will be my new We Are The Physics. I will mould them in their graven image.... oh wait, someone already did it. Well done them. (CM)
WEDNESDAY 13th – BLOODWORK – DR2
Please be like Marilyn Manson. Please be like Marilyn Manson.Please be like Marilyn Manson.
Please be like Marilyn Manson.Please be like Marilyn Manson.Please be like Marilyn Manson.
Please be like Marilyn Manson.Please be like Marilyn Manson....... YAAAAAAAY! (CM)
WONDERFULLY COURTEOUS GENTLEMEN – YOU CAN CAN CAN – www.wonderfullycourteousgentlemen.com
C’mon lads. Don’t try my patience with the piss-poor puns. Your sound is good, a bit unique, like – industrial music that you can dance to and sing along to, all at the same time. Nice trick if you can do it. (CM)
All EPs by Chris Merriman
