This is the rest of the tracks Wes has put up so far today.
LOSTAURA are a good pop band. I wouldn't mind if "One in a Million" gets into the charts because it's a good track, but it's not one I like enough to add to my top twenty.
THE CHERNOBYL CHILDREN have decided to enter a 'comedy' record entitled "Hotdog". It isn't very funny so that kind of defeats the point. I think it's vying for my new least favourite.
BRASCOE are very clever at making aural sculpture, but I wouldn't call "Better One" a song, or even a tune. It seems more like a game musicians play when they're bored. Know what? So am I. The vocals are okay though. This would be improved by leaving out the first 105 seconds.
BEETNIK are a rhythmic electronic dance music combo of some kind and "Hoodlum" is a fine side for boosting dancing on the floor at an exclusive West End club or at a rave. Thing is, I don't think Beetnik's core demographic would dream of buying this record if the plebs were buying it as well. It's actualy not bad but it's over six minutes long and that exceeds my attention span by geological epochs.
DAVE HUGHES AND THE RENEGADE FOLK PUNK BAND do pretty much what it says on the tin. "The Sinner and the Saints" is a fine example of the genre. They sound a little like the Waterboys but they're not and sadly never will be. I'm disappointed because I love this kind of music but sadly this isn't as good as it should be (or at least it's not as good as Long Tall Shorty). I imagine they have some much better tracks they haven't chosen to enter though.
YUNIOSHI have produced something that sounds like the backing track for a cold war thriller. It's done very well but "Thunderbird" needs a better vocalist. But for that, this might have made my top twenty, which is good because I was starting to think I might just have been listening to the dregs. Thanks for that lads.
DAYLIGHT SAVING are from Canterbury. They play rather jazzy pop. I imagine I might enjoy this down at Smolensky's or the Jazz Cafe and they are good enough to get a gig there. "Rain" comes into my top twenty at number seventeen so we wave goodbye to Long Tall Shorty and the new number twenty is Shrag.
THE INCOMPARABLE BILL ZIPP is on Decorum, home of the Wailingest Cats and An Axe. "Forever Blue" is good stuff but sadly doesn't quite make my top twenty. That said, Decorum is now my favourite label and I'm going to be looking out for their stuff from now on.
LAKESIDE COLLECTIVE play a jazzy-latin kind of acoustic music. "A Road Not Hard to Find" is pleasant enough but, while it doesn't grate on the nerves like other tracks, is still not top forty material.
KITA AND THE HAT seem to have recorder "Caminos Groove" backward. I'm surprised not to be overwhelmed with subliminal messages. There's a reason why Philip Glass is a classical musician and not a pop star. Next.
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM aka Big KC is a singer songwriter. He sounds like Chris de Burgh busking on the tube. "Anything for You" is top thirty stuff but as we all know, I'm learning just how much great music is around there so this is not quite wonderful enough for my top twenty.
AMY BLUE on the other hand, is damned good. "Yellow House" could have been made by Nirvana at their height. Sadly the singer's voice isn't quite as good as Kurt Cobain's but that really tells us the standard we're thinkign about now doesn't it. I'm doing the poor guy down because he doesn't sound as good as Kurt. how Could I? This is number 11 now so sadly Shrag drop out and Opal Sky is the newnumber 20.
AMY JAY GIBSON has entered "Cycling Song" she has an awesome voice and this is a great song. Sounds like country music played by a punkette who lived through the Battle of Blair Mountain. This comes into my top twenty at number 8 and now IFU are the new band to beat at number 20.
THE SICK LIVERS sound like a psychobilly band crossed with Laibach. "St Pauli" is high energy RAWWWWK n ROOOOOLLLLLLL. I've never been to Hamburg but it sounds fun. This is now number 6 and Daylight Saving becomes the new band to beat.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Relentless
More to listen to so let's carry on. The first thing I have to say is, after listening again, the Wailingest Cats are my new number one, so the current tracks against which new ones are judged are: The Wailingest Cats (1); Daniella Maria (5); Dirty Electro (10); and Toob (20).
STRYCHNINE POISONING sound like a Heavy Metal band (I couldn't begin to guess at the subgenre) and they do what they do very well. "Filthy Whore" though is, if anything, too "nice" for metal. This may become a classic in its time but it's more for dancing than listening.
AARON COHEN has a good voice and plays a mean guitar. "Raise a Glass" is a fine song with a relentless beat that suits Aaron's voice. He's the new number 20 for a while but probably won't stay there for long unless I've already heard the best 20 tracks.
DAVID GARSIDE from Birmingham has produced what sounds like a brass-heavy rollicking piece of pop. "Don't be Scared" sounds like it should be the theme tune to a seventies detective show. I'd make it an instrumental though. The lyrics aren't very impressive but niether is his voice. On the whole I'd say this is probably somewhere in the high fifties.
THE TOI are a funk band from Glasgow. They're very good at what they do, hence the upcoming German tour. "Think About You" sounds almost like a slightly rockier version of Mustang Sally. It's great but it Aaron Cohen is, in my opinion, better so it doesn't make the top twenty even for a moment.
THE DRAMA are Swedish. "Cash is King" they say in an unrelentingly miserable way. There was a moment when I thought, the singer was too good for the band, but that was wishful thinking. I just don't like this.
THE RUBY du VALS are interesting. "The Ballad of Will Kane" brings to mind murder ballads and westerns and the songs sung at hangings. They play with a driving beat and the singer reminds me of all sorts of people from Toni Basil to Courtney Love. This is great. It's the new number 13, so Toob drop out and Woodpigeon are the new number 20 (sorry Aaron Cohen).
JONT are competent performers and the singer has a good voice. "All My Life" feels middle of the road to me. Nothing exciting here I'm afraid. If I hadn't heard so many brilliant tracks lately, I'd really like this track, but I guess I'm kinda jaded and crave originality and passion.
ROXANNE EMERY plays a gentle guitar but her voice grates on my nerves in places. That said, "Late" is a great song. Even the irritating note in her voice adds to the whole. As the song goes on, it gets better. It's in my top twenty at number 14 so Woodpigeon drop out and Long Tall Shorty take their place at number 20. Roxanne's playing at the Hope and Anchor tomorrow and if I can get the wife to come along, I may well be there.
WHITE PIGEON are a rock band from Guildford. "Sea Devil" reminds me of Steppenwolf and Golden Earring, with just a hint of Sweet to tone down the seriousness. They're not as good as Long Tall Shorty, but this is still a great track.
STRYCHNINE POISONING sound like a Heavy Metal band (I couldn't begin to guess at the subgenre) and they do what they do very well. "Filthy Whore" though is, if anything, too "nice" for metal. This may become a classic in its time but it's more for dancing than listening.
AARON COHEN has a good voice and plays a mean guitar. "Raise a Glass" is a fine song with a relentless beat that suits Aaron's voice. He's the new number 20 for a while but probably won't stay there for long unless I've already heard the best 20 tracks.
DAVID GARSIDE from Birmingham has produced what sounds like a brass-heavy rollicking piece of pop. "Don't be Scared" sounds like it should be the theme tune to a seventies detective show. I'd make it an instrumental though. The lyrics aren't very impressive but niether is his voice. On the whole I'd say this is probably somewhere in the high fifties.
THE TOI are a funk band from Glasgow. They're very good at what they do, hence the upcoming German tour. "Think About You" sounds almost like a slightly rockier version of Mustang Sally. It's great but it Aaron Cohen is, in my opinion, better so it doesn't make the top twenty even for a moment.
THE DRAMA are Swedish. "Cash is King" they say in an unrelentingly miserable way. There was a moment when I thought, the singer was too good for the band, but that was wishful thinking. I just don't like this.
THE RUBY du VALS are interesting. "The Ballad of Will Kane" brings to mind murder ballads and westerns and the songs sung at hangings. They play with a driving beat and the singer reminds me of all sorts of people from Toni Basil to Courtney Love. This is great. It's the new number 13, so Toob drop out and Woodpigeon are the new number 20 (sorry Aaron Cohen).
JONT are competent performers and the singer has a good voice. "All My Life" feels middle of the road to me. Nothing exciting here I'm afraid. If I hadn't heard so many brilliant tracks lately, I'd really like this track, but I guess I'm kinda jaded and crave originality and passion.
ROXANNE EMERY plays a gentle guitar but her voice grates on my nerves in places. That said, "Late" is a great song. Even the irritating note in her voice adds to the whole. As the song goes on, it gets better. It's in my top twenty at number 14 so Woodpigeon drop out and Long Tall Shorty take their place at number 20. Roxanne's playing at the Hope and Anchor tomorrow and if I can get the wife to come along, I may well be there.
WHITE PIGEON are a rock band from Guildford. "Sea Devil" reminds me of Steppenwolf and Golden Earring, with just a hint of Sweet to tone down the seriousness. They're not as good as Long Tall Shorty, but this is still a great track.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Something for the Weekend
Time to listen to some more. After my last post though, I have to think how it compares to Emily Barker (20), Ten City Nation (10), Paul van Ryan (5) or What Would Jesus Drive (1). I'll begin with Dave Selby's band because he asked me nicely. (Even if he did say he was number 96 and I found them at number 91).
Dave's band are called HOUSE PARTY and they have entered a hard rocking number called "Goin' Off Big Time". It's great stuff, highly energetic, in the Indie Style. By the sound of it, House Party must be a great live band. I might well have called this a top five track if my top five hadn't grown to a score so. Sorry Dave, but I prefer my existing number 20, ("Nostalgia" by Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo).
Now, since Wes has added more, I'll go back to running the red queen's race to catch up with the newly added stuff.
MATTHEW KILFORD seems to have something of a following. Listening to "Know by Now", I can see why. His video looks professional and the music is nice and mellow, but with interesting lyrics. I'm afraid it doesn't make my top twenty though although yesterday, I'd've called it a top ten track.
AN AXE have, I think, entered a track called"An Axe Black Flame". It starts with some piano chords that would make Schoenberg cream. Then it slows into something trite and forgettable. There's a nice rhythm to it but that's about all I can find to like.
THE CAPITAL YEARS habve entered "You Can Stay There". I'm not keen on the video but the song sounds like the Beatles (or more accurately, The Ruttles). While I'm not a big beatles fan, I can recognise a good parody when I hear it. It's good.
THE RALFE BAND play some fine country folk music with just a hint of Polka. While "Fiesta Song" doesn't make my top twenty, it's still a great record and it'd get me up and drunkenly dancing like yer Dad if it was played at a party. Oh yes, this really is good stuff.
WOODPIGEON probably take the prize for longest songtitle with "...as the ship went down you never looked finer". It begins with the kind of percussion instruments I'd buy from Hobgoblin Music if I were richer. Then there's a piano and strings and some kind of bell before the voice comes in. The vocals are almost heavenly. At first, I found myself thinking this ought to be much better than it is. The song is made up of a collection of brilliant parts that took a while to gel together. The beginning is not good, the record is flawed, but toward the end, it soars to greatness. This is my new number seventeen and so from now, my twentieth is Ghost in Mirrors.
SHRAG describe themselves as 'other, other, other' but "Rabbit Kids" sounds to me like a
glam rock band from the seventies but with Lily Allen fronting, and strangely what sounds like a little influence from DMX. Okay, maybe it is original or at least assembled in an original way. It's a new number 16 and so Steve Finn's the new one to beat at number 20.
BIPOLAR EMPIRE play an umptempo beat but the singer is dreary. "Feel That You Own" it doesn't move me I'm afraid. There's not much to say about it. It's not awful but there have only been two or three tracks so far that really were. This isn't in the top hundred.
OMG, the JOOLS RIMMER PROJECT are football fans and they've written an England song. "Kings of the Beautiful Game" sounds very much like England's 1970 single "Back Home". I remember the shock as a ten year old when I heard Bonetti was going to be in goal instead of Banks. Thanks lads but you're still not top hundred material.
After listening to SARAVIAN's whiney acoustic version of "Wild Free and Beautiful" on you tube, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and listen to the version on her Myspace page. It's better. She's a good guitarist and an okay singer but I still don't like the song. Note to self, never right songs about lost loves because Alanis Morrisette has already done it better.
THE WAILINGEST CATS are on the same label (Decorum) as An Axe but they are MUCH MUCH better, The Cramps, meet the Birthday Party (with Damo Suzuki instead of Nick Cave on vocals) and the Stray Cats, and some Brazilian Psychobilly band like Os Catalepticos. "The Hider in the House" is my new number 10 so Toob are the ones to beat now at number twenty.
Dave's band are called HOUSE PARTY and they have entered a hard rocking number called "Goin' Off Big Time". It's great stuff, highly energetic, in the Indie Style. By the sound of it, House Party must be a great live band. I might well have called this a top five track if my top five hadn't grown to a score so. Sorry Dave, but I prefer my existing number 20, ("Nostalgia" by Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo).
Now, since Wes has added more, I'll go back to running the red queen's race to catch up with the newly added stuff.
MATTHEW KILFORD seems to have something of a following. Listening to "Know by Now", I can see why. His video looks professional and the music is nice and mellow, but with interesting lyrics. I'm afraid it doesn't make my top twenty though although yesterday, I'd've called it a top ten track.
AN AXE have, I think, entered a track called"An Axe Black Flame". It starts with some piano chords that would make Schoenberg cream. Then it slows into something trite and forgettable. There's a nice rhythm to it but that's about all I can find to like.
THE CAPITAL YEARS habve entered "You Can Stay There". I'm not keen on the video but the song sounds like the Beatles (or more accurately, The Ruttles). While I'm not a big beatles fan, I can recognise a good parody when I hear it. It's good.
THE RALFE BAND play some fine country folk music with just a hint of Polka. While "Fiesta Song" doesn't make my top twenty, it's still a great record and it'd get me up and drunkenly dancing like yer Dad if it was played at a party. Oh yes, this really is good stuff.
WOODPIGEON probably take the prize for longest songtitle with "...as the ship went down you never looked finer". It begins with the kind of percussion instruments I'd buy from Hobgoblin Music if I were richer. Then there's a piano and strings and some kind of bell before the voice comes in. The vocals are almost heavenly. At first, I found myself thinking this ought to be much better than it is. The song is made up of a collection of brilliant parts that took a while to gel together. The beginning is not good, the record is flawed, but toward the end, it soars to greatness. This is my new number seventeen and so from now, my twentieth is Ghost in Mirrors.
SHRAG describe themselves as 'other, other, other' but "Rabbit Kids" sounds to me like a
glam rock band from the seventies but with Lily Allen fronting, and strangely what sounds like a little influence from DMX. Okay, maybe it is original or at least assembled in an original way. It's a new number 16 and so Steve Finn's the new one to beat at number 20.
BIPOLAR EMPIRE play an umptempo beat but the singer is dreary. "Feel That You Own" it doesn't move me I'm afraid. There's not much to say about it. It's not awful but there have only been two or three tracks so far that really were. This isn't in the top hundred.
OMG, the JOOLS RIMMER PROJECT are football fans and they've written an England song. "Kings of the Beautiful Game" sounds very much like England's 1970 single "Back Home". I remember the shock as a ten year old when I heard Bonetti was going to be in goal instead of Banks. Thanks lads but you're still not top hundred material.
After listening to SARAVIAN's whiney acoustic version of "Wild Free and Beautiful" on you tube, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and listen to the version on her Myspace page. It's better. She's a good guitarist and an okay singer but I still don't like the song. Note to self, never right songs about lost loves because Alanis Morrisette has already done it better.
THE WAILINGEST CATS are on the same label (Decorum) as An Axe but they are MUCH MUCH better, The Cramps, meet the Birthday Party (with Damo Suzuki instead of Nick Cave on vocals) and the Stray Cats, and some Brazilian Psychobilly band like Os Catalepticos. "The Hider in the House" is my new number 10 so Toob are the ones to beat now at number twenty.
My Top Twenty So Far
I've listened to about a quarter of the entrants so far and found that my so called "top five" had over a dozen tracks in it. So, I thought I'd list a top twenty of the hundred and several tracks I've listened to so far. These are the ones I'm comparing with from this point on.
1. "The Girls are in Charge" by What Would Jesus Drive
2. "Min Nos Monterey" by Swci Boscowen
3. "The Waitress" by The Soviets
4. "Whiskey Dreams" by Daniella Maria
5. "Find the Right Preacher" by Paul van Ryan
6. "Cycle Song" by Fiona Sally Miller
7. "Crash System Control" by Red Light
8. "We the Chartists" by Mr Love adn Justice
9. "Filthy Dirty Sex Music" by Dirty Electro
10. "Silent Disco" by Ten City Nation
11. "Non Apologetix" by Knew Jerus'lem
12. "Aj Aj Aj" by Trabant
13. "Baby be Lonely" by Tinker Jack
14. "I Want You" by IFU
15. "The Blue of You" by Opal Sky
16. "Turn It Up" by Long Tall Shorty
17. "Unsound Skin" by Toob
18. "Hail to the Thief" by Steve Finn
19. "Ryder's Dismount" by Ghost in Mirrors
20. "Nostalgia" by Emily Baker and the Red Clay Halo
Obviously these will change as I listen to more of the excellent music entered for Storm the Charts. This looks like a terriffic campaign.
1. "The Girls are in Charge" by What Would Jesus Drive
2. "Min Nos Monterey" by Swci Boscowen
3. "The Waitress" by The Soviets
4. "Whiskey Dreams" by Daniella Maria
5. "Find the Right Preacher" by Paul van Ryan
6. "Cycle Song" by Fiona Sally Miller
7. "Crash System Control" by Red Light
8. "We the Chartists" by Mr Love adn Justice
9. "Filthy Dirty Sex Music" by Dirty Electro
10. "Silent Disco" by Ten City Nation
11. "Non Apologetix" by Knew Jerus'lem
12. "Aj Aj Aj" by Trabant
13. "Baby be Lonely" by Tinker Jack
14. "I Want You" by IFU
15. "The Blue of You" by Opal Sky
16. "Turn It Up" by Long Tall Shorty
17. "Unsound Skin" by Toob
18. "Hail to the Thief" by Steve Finn
19. "Ryder's Dismount" by Ghost in Mirrors
20. "Nostalgia" by Emily Baker and the Red Clay Halo
Obviously these will change as I listen to more of the excellent music entered for Storm the Charts. This looks like a terriffic campaign.
Another day, Another two eurocents.
Well, looks like Wes has added another four this morning, so let's have a listen to those, and then I'll think I'll have a listen to some of the oldest ones again.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DRIVE play a kind of electro-metal fusion. "The Girls Are In Charge" is a fantastic pop record fusing the two together. I absodamnlutely love this. And Rianne Rowlands' You Tube animation is brilliant as well. Yet another for my top five.
THE WILL DC PROJECT have entered their charity single, "Fly", which will raise money for the Kent Air Ambulance. It's kind of okay, but it's only the charity angle that might make me include it in my top twenty. It seems churlish to review it in any detail though. It's a good cause and deserves credit for that.
THE TROUBADOURS remind me of Oasis. "Gimme Love" is trite and I find it rather tedious now I've listened to so much. I'd've liked it a week ago but even then I'd be saying only top fifty.
YVES KLEIN BLUE are kinda fun. I like "Polka" very much. It's about having fun adn it is fun. It's like a punk band that was influenced by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band. (Indescribable, original and very very good). Top Twenty, maybe even top ten if my top ten wasn't filled with my enormous top five).
So. Those are the new ones but let's have a look at some of the oldest ones now, ones I haven't mentioned of course.
ELEKTRALUX are a five-piece who produce catchy music with a strong rhythm dominated by some idiosyncratic keyboard playing and with multiple instruments turned into pearls. I love the song but am not so convinced by the singer. Still, "Missing Out" is a definite top twenty in my mind.
LOUNGETREE are from Wolverhampton and "Conscious Killer" is a driving country-blues fusion that reminds me of ZZ Top but with a faster rhythm. I'm up and dancing. I'd probably wait for the album but nevertheless this is at least borderline top twenty.
ZOON van SNOOK are from Bristol. The video for "Bibliophone" is awesome but I found the song complete pants. To my mind it's the second worst out of the ones I've seen so far... and that's even taking into account one of the best videos I've ever seen.
MANUEL da COSTA is a singer songwriter from Manchester. His playing is excellent, his singing somewhat better than okay. Unfortunately his song "Once Bitten Twice Shy" doesn't impress me very much. It's a shame because he does have better stuff available, but for this particular song, I'd have to say it's good but not great.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DRIVE play a kind of electro-metal fusion. "The Girls Are In Charge" is a fantastic pop record fusing the two together. I absodamnlutely love this. And Rianne Rowlands' You Tube animation is brilliant as well. Yet another for my top five.
THE WILL DC PROJECT have entered their charity single, "Fly", which will raise money for the Kent Air Ambulance. It's kind of okay, but it's only the charity angle that might make me include it in my top twenty. It seems churlish to review it in any detail though. It's a good cause and deserves credit for that.
THE TROUBADOURS remind me of Oasis. "Gimme Love" is trite and I find it rather tedious now I've listened to so much. I'd've liked it a week ago but even then I'd be saying only top fifty.
YVES KLEIN BLUE are kinda fun. I like "Polka" very much. It's about having fun adn it is fun. It's like a punk band that was influenced by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band. (Indescribable, original and very very good). Top Twenty, maybe even top ten if my top ten wasn't filled with my enormous top five).
So. Those are the new ones but let's have a look at some of the oldest ones now, ones I haven't mentioned of course.
ELEKTRALUX are a five-piece who produce catchy music with a strong rhythm dominated by some idiosyncratic keyboard playing and with multiple instruments turned into pearls. I love the song but am not so convinced by the singer. Still, "Missing Out" is a definite top twenty in my mind.
LOUNGETREE are from Wolverhampton and "Conscious Killer" is a driving country-blues fusion that reminds me of ZZ Top but with a faster rhythm. I'm up and dancing. I'd probably wait for the album but nevertheless this is at least borderline top twenty.
ZOON van SNOOK are from Bristol. The video for "Bibliophone" is awesome but I found the song complete pants. To my mind it's the second worst out of the ones I've seen so far... and that's even taking into account one of the best videos I've ever seen.
MANUEL da COSTA is a singer songwriter from Manchester. His playing is excellent, his singing somewhat better than okay. Unfortunately his song "Once Bitten Twice Shy" doesn't impress me very much. It's a shame because he does have better stuff available, but for this particular song, I'd have to say it's good but not great.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Later without Jools Holland
Well, it's later, and I have never presented the Tube nor been a member of Squeeze.
GOLDEN HOURS from Reading, presented us with "Wash the Night Eyes". It's a simple tune with a strong rhythm and a singer with a unique voice. It delights the ears but barely touches the heart. Technically brilliant but I don't love it as much as I feel I should.
PAUL van RYAN has done a wonderful video for "Find the Right Preacher". He doesn't sing well, but he doesn't really try to. Merely speaks in rhythm over some excellent piano playing. It's a wonderful song with great lyrics. I love it. Top five I think. Higher still if I thought MTV would play the video.
"Fountains" by CUBA CUBA could have been on the famous 1977 New Wave album (the one with the Ramones, Patti Smith, the Damned, Talking Heads, Richard Hell and so on). It's much more poppy than many of those bands though. Perhaps a better comparison is the Teardrop Explodes. Sadly this doesn't fulfil its promise.
KIDS LOVE LIES is a great name for a band. "Stars" is their entry. Sadly, I found it boring. I usually give this kind of music the benefit of the doubt purely on the grounds of a brilliant singer. In this case though, while she's very good, she's not good enough to make up for the deficiencies in the band. If I was working for Sounds, this would be two and a half stars.
MY LUMINARIES show how it's done with their track, "Parasol". They are a band that work well together to produce something well rounded, danceable, melodic and just a little bit edgy. The singer plays a little like Glenn Barclay. This song has passion and great performance but I don't think it's one of the twenty best (close though. Very close!).
JOE BUTT plays "Same old Same old". I might have said that says it all, but in fact it's original with great lyrics and a catchy tune. Better than average I'd say.
GOLDEN HOURS from Reading, presented us with "Wash the Night Eyes". It's a simple tune with a strong rhythm and a singer with a unique voice. It delights the ears but barely touches the heart. Technically brilliant but I don't love it as much as I feel I should.
PAUL van RYAN has done a wonderful video for "Find the Right Preacher". He doesn't sing well, but he doesn't really try to. Merely speaks in rhythm over some excellent piano playing. It's a wonderful song with great lyrics. I love it. Top five I think. Higher still if I thought MTV would play the video.
"Fountains" by CUBA CUBA could have been on the famous 1977 New Wave album (the one with the Ramones, Patti Smith, the Damned, Talking Heads, Richard Hell and so on). It's much more poppy than many of those bands though. Perhaps a better comparison is the Teardrop Explodes. Sadly this doesn't fulfil its promise.
KIDS LOVE LIES is a great name for a band. "Stars" is their entry. Sadly, I found it boring. I usually give this kind of music the benefit of the doubt purely on the grounds of a brilliant singer. In this case though, while she's very good, she's not good enough to make up for the deficiencies in the band. If I was working for Sounds, this would be two and a half stars.
MY LUMINARIES show how it's done with their track, "Parasol". They are a band that work well together to produce something well rounded, danceable, melodic and just a little bit edgy. The singer plays a little like Glenn Barclay. This song has passion and great performance but I don't think it's one of the twenty best (close though. Very close!).
JOE BUTT plays "Same old Same old". I might have said that says it all, but in fact it's original with great lyrics and a catchy tune. Better than average I'd say.
Poissons d'Avril
Today I've waited until after noon to make sure nobody thinks my comments are April Fool jokes.
Let's start with ECHOES, from Manchester, whose track "Hypnotised" begins with what could have been power chords on another instrument. There's even a hint of a choir, but this is not heavy metal. It's what I used to understand by 'indie' back in the day. It's danceable, tuneful, fairly pleasant. It's nice. Kinda like Oasis if they [oasis] were more tuneful and possibly even talented.
MOSCOW DRIVE are similar in style but with a better singer. "Colossal" sounds like a pretty good album track or perhaps a moment from the soundtrack of a film. Not one of my favourites though, at least not as a single.
McGRAWS LAW got my feet tapping and head nodding along to "Great Divide", so it's definitely catchy. Shame we can't enter something like this for the Eurovision song contest. We might actually win it. Not bad.
SEVEN SUMMERS are the traditional guitar band and "Way to Be" is good old-fashioned AOR. I can't imagine buying it, nor would it make me get up and dance.
TIGER SHADOW are a lively bunch from Leeds. "Escape" is rap over a rather pleasant rock track. Their entry seems to have been recorded from their appearance on the Tom Robinson Show on BBC Radio 6. Somebody tell the BBC to dump Radio 1 instead of 6.
COACHES TO CAMDEN say that "Pink String is a Kind of Hallucinogenic". The vocals don't start for 57 seconds, which is a shame because the vocals are the one thing that prevents this from being the second most boring track I've so far heard from all the applicants I've listened to. The vocals are excellent. Shame about everything else about this track.
ROCKETEER have an excellent press release that predisposed me to feel excited about their theatricality and the way they write their music. So, listening to "Troubadours" in this open frame of mind, I realised that while I've heard better music (they sound a little like Uriah Heep) the lyrics are brilliant. I can't wait to see their video.
Let's start with ECHOES, from Manchester, whose track "Hypnotised" begins with what could have been power chords on another instrument. There's even a hint of a choir, but this is not heavy metal. It's what I used to understand by 'indie' back in the day. It's danceable, tuneful, fairly pleasant. It's nice. Kinda like Oasis if they [oasis] were more tuneful and possibly even talented.
MOSCOW DRIVE are similar in style but with a better singer. "Colossal" sounds like a pretty good album track or perhaps a moment from the soundtrack of a film. Not one of my favourites though, at least not as a single.
McGRAWS LAW got my feet tapping and head nodding along to "Great Divide", so it's definitely catchy. Shame we can't enter something like this for the Eurovision song contest. We might actually win it. Not bad.
SEVEN SUMMERS are the traditional guitar band and "Way to Be" is good old-fashioned AOR. I can't imagine buying it, nor would it make me get up and dance.
TIGER SHADOW are a lively bunch from Leeds. "Escape" is rap over a rather pleasant rock track. Their entry seems to have been recorded from their appearance on the Tom Robinson Show on BBC Radio 6. Somebody tell the BBC to dump Radio 1 instead of 6.
COACHES TO CAMDEN say that "Pink String is a Kind of Hallucinogenic". The vocals don't start for 57 seconds, which is a shame because the vocals are the one thing that prevents this from being the second most boring track I've so far heard from all the applicants I've listened to. The vocals are excellent. Shame about everything else about this track.
ROCKETEER have an excellent press release that predisposed me to feel excited about their theatricality and the way they write their music. So, listening to "Troubadours" in this open frame of mind, I realised that while I've heard better music (they sound a little like Uriah Heep) the lyrics are brilliant. I can't wait to see their video.
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