BITMAP
Micro/Macro (Gentle Electric; CD)
Luke Bitmap's second album proper sees the erstwhile bedroom recordist move a little away from Sunflower-era Wilson and '80s Casio chic in favour of a more melody laden mid-60s pop sound, vaguely reminiscent of The Super Fury Animals playing Macca's Revolver works. ('Don't Be Lonely's sweet "Ooh La, La-La, Las" are bound to bring a great big wry smile to the face.)
Less frantic than The Bees or The Zutons, Bitmap mines a similar musical landscape with greater maturity and eccentricity. New music. Good music.
www.gentle-electric.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills
THE DEEP EYNDE
Shadowland (Disaster; CD)
Los Angeles's Deep Eynde play what they like to call SoCal devil punk and it might as well be called that as anything else. It's good quality fast, punchy punk with a rather
old-skool feel, but with sung rather than shouted vocals. In fact the singer comes across in places like a young Billy Idol. Boasting a former member of The Insaints (see review elsewhere), the band evolved (if that's the right word) from Goth to this. Whatever you want to call it, it works for me. Nothing like a good blast of punky chords to shake the cobwebs out. The only thing against it is the cliched imagery. A switchblade over a yellow skull on the rear and a 'Dawn of the Dead a-like zombie face superimposed over a cityscape on the front, it would be more interesting to find something less obvious that plays against this sort of visual idiom. Nonetheless the music across these twelve tracks is pretty hot. If you're open enough to pan out from power pop to punk pop then this disc sits in that broader sweep, it's all rock 'n' roll and it has a good kick so I'm happy at least!
www.disasterecords.com
Paul Martin
EVERGREEN HILL Mr Willowbee (Gzon; CD)
A double act of Americans Sue and Tim Montgomery, 'Mr W' is largely acoustically driven and mid-paced with some nice jangly 12 string guitar in lots of places. The odd thing about this 11 tracker is that although a contemporary album it sounds like one of those home or budget studio recorded demo albums of the early 1970s made in an edition of 99 copies to avoid purchase tax that labels like Acme and 10th Planet are keen on reissuing. The vocals are not terribly strong on their own but as a blend of the two, they are strong enough and nicely harmonious. Yes, if you like early 70s self-written prog pop divas and semi-anthemic piano / acoustic styled songs, with a bit of rock axe thrown in, this is rather pleasant, pity
Paul Martin
THE INSAINTS
Sins Of Saints (Disaster; CD)
This is a collection of all known studio recordings plus a live set by 'performance art' unit comprised for the main part of the late Marian Anderson and guitarist Daniel DeLeon. Varying between hard-core and pop punk, the studio recordings are pretty sound and on the money. The live set is so-so sounding by comparison but you need to read the full story contained in the liners to understand the context and history of what this is all about. Simultaneously sad, desperate and affecting, it's a tale of inner-city underclass desensitisation and abuse which becomes codified as redemption when the accumulated hurt is play acted as a stage show. You read and listen, you decide what it is for yourself.
www.disasterrecords.com.
Paul Martin
THE ORANGU-TONES
Introducing The Simian Sounds Of
Pledge Kappa Epsilon Gamma (Warmtone; CDs)
These guys inhabit a hyper-Americana that falls somewhere between 1959 and 1963
(think the crew cut brigade in John Water's 'Cry Baby'). Its frat-house beer keg party time and this is the entertainment. They look the part, meticulously so. Both these CDs serve up a bevy of post r'n'r, pre-garage white boy r'n'b blasts. Honking sax and raspy singing. The titles tell their own story. On Simian Sounds 'Dance Monkey, Dance', 'Ooga Booga', 'Monkey Woman', 'Mighty Joe Young', not to mention 'Beer-Can Pyramid' and 'Pour Me A Beer'. On Pledge it continues with 'Beer Run' 'Gotta Get Drunk', 'Fly Boy Monkey' and 'Monkey Twist'. There's plenty of 'Little Latin Lupe Lu' and 'Treat Her Right' type numbers too. Soulful twist and jerk, r'n'b blurt and a general plying of the pre-fab US frat band blend of booze and blues is revisited. If you're into themed parties, these may be useful accessories, or why not book the band!
www.theorangu-tones.com
Paul Martin
THE PSYCHO DELMATICS
Tough Guys Can Dance (Off The Hip; CD)
More Antipodean post-garage revival r'n'r courtesy of Australia's resourceful Off The
Hip label. The cover art (of a skinhead waving a broken bottle and facing off with a leather-jacketed greaser) implies some adolescent entry level punk noise. However, on this occasion the content is very much more than its packaging. A highly tone compressed amped up guitar style dominates the proceedings and a set of songs more intelligent than the characters on the sleeve art. If you have wrapped your ears around Off The Hip's label sampler 'Antipodean Screams' (reviewed some months ago in these august cyber pages) you will have a working idea of what to expect. These songs are honest and enjoyable trashy r'n'r. I think I also spot a Lux Interior influence on the vocal style (e.g. on 'Runaway Train', 'Mr. Brown'). A rollicking good set of muscular guitar chops and thrashy, trashy street hugging r'n'r in general.
www.offthehip.com.au
Paul Martin
THE SATELLITERS
Hashish (Dionysus; CD)
A top-notch Grade A example of how to at one and the same time play snotty retro
garage based r'n'r in the noughties and also move beyond it. This excellent disc is full of goodies. 'Sweet Sensation' is an early Thirteenth Floor Elevators (c. 'You're Gonna Miss Me') meets Dave Aguillar-era Chocolate Watchband winner. 'Stoneage Man' is something akin to what you might expect from a band like Canada's The Gruesomes. '1969-The End of Time' on the other hand is a more involved, slower and extemporised affair that treads a lyrical content somewhere between The Stooges '1969' and The Clash's '1977'! A good full on guitar characterises most tracks. The snotty vocal approach which would otherwise become rather tiresome after a while is not relentless and a more considered singing style is utilised on a number of tracks such as the aforementioned '1969'. If you're into retro 60s bands with a full sound, that don't just tread the same mill continuously, this is a perfect peach to pluck.
www.dionysusrecords.com
Paul Martin
THE SOLARFLARES
Laughing Suns (Big Beat; CD)
Ok, yes, I know that for a lot of post-mod revivalist teens, The Prisoners were the shining beacon of hope amidst the bleakness of Thatcher's Britain in the 80s, I know, I was there too, and respect to that. However, I just have to say that as the Solarflares, Graham
Day and co have just got so much better and more intense.
This, their fourth album kicks ass like a rampant bull in a steroid rage! It starts as it means to go on with 'Dragging You Down' and doesn't let up for fourteen songs. My only quibble is that there is barely a hair's breath between tracks, the pace is remorseless. In a lesser band this would be a problem, but the riffs are so good and the vocal melody line so right on that you tend not to care. The hooks in numbers like 'The Same Story', 'Unsociable' and 'Really Want Me' for instance are priceless and the instrumentals like 'Moonshine Of Your Love' are harder hitting than ever. A band of this vintage could so easily decay into tired, by-the-numbers rock 'n' roll, but that's not what is here at all. They may get uglier as they get older (hark who's talking!) but the music just keeps getting better to my ears.
This is the sound of a committed band who still very much 'mean it maan'. This is tub-thumping, rifforific, melodically sung freakbeat-centred r'n'r at its best. No need to be showy or trashy, they've nothing to prove, just to demonstrate how it should be done. Unless you're posing, there's no way you cannot fall for this. Put this next to the Embrooks' Yellow Glass Perspections album and you have two British products to be more than just a little proud of. Bliss.
www.acerecords.co.uk
Paul Martin
SPARKWOOD
Jalopy Pop (Sparkwood; CD)
Sparkwood are Bart Padar (vocals and keys) and Adam Tyner (percussion). I suppose
you would file this under power pop - it certainly has the guitar chord chops for that genre. However, it goes somewhat off to a tangent of that. Keys and synths (tastefully done) are given parity with the guitars and there's a lot of improvised linkage between tracks or as part of their endings or intros (to wit 'Checklist' the 0.39 intro track). In other scenarios this would be a hindrance or an obstruction to the underlying delights the music otherwise has. Here though it isn't to obfuscating as the undertow of synth lines etc warm you to it as apart of the album's organic form. Ear prickers on this are ''Miles Away', 'Past Experience', Wishing You Well' and 'Where She Ought To Be' which all push the right power pop buttons. The whole album though pays dividends on repeated play.
www.sparkwood.com
Paul Martin
THE STONEAGE HEARTS
Guilty As Sin (Off The Hip; CD)
This is Australian neo trash rockers Stoneage Hearts fourth album for Off The Hip and
it's a steaming stew of grungy chords. The references are there; opener 'Eye Of A Lie' cribs the riff from The Stooges 'Shake Appeal' and slows it down somewhat. 'Your Greed' is 'Keep On Running' and there are one or two others I can't place but recognise. 'Fussy Garbos' is as trailer park rock as you'll get, though there are lighter moments as in 'Trouble Girl'. It takes control to keep the levels at just the right pitch to maintain a balance of light and shade, of tension if you will. This is what this album does without laming out or tipping over into overly heavy rock cliches. A good example of its genre without being anything overly significant.
www.offthehip.com.au
Paul Martin
THE UGLY BEATS
Bring On the Beats! (Get Hip CD)
Wonderful, melodic beat pop in a modern style is what's on offer here. 'I'm The One' is a
great opener with a its simple but effective staccato rhythm whilst 'Lonely Side Of Town' is a delightful post-Merseybeat jangler. A smattering of choice covers such as The Outsiders 'Filthy Rich' add reference and framework to the originals. The drums have that great swishy all over sound that I love and the guitars have paired down but sprightly, clean tone and stabbing action which makes a group have to work at playing the songs rather than rely on effect and sustain to carry them through. Good jingle-jangle throughout and I've seen a lot uglier beats than this crew! A pop beat good time is to be had by all on board this five incher so hop on and enjoy the ride.
www.gethip.com
Paul Martin
LES TERRIBLES
Les Terribles (Dionysus; CD)
As this is produced by Graham Day you can be certain of a punchy Red Studios sound reminiscent of early Prisoners and The Milkshakes. Featuring femme supreme Rudi on vocals it's a Swinging Mademoiselle take on raw Kinks-beat, with plenty of garage covers translated into French. Top notch playing and an interesting twist on the usual garage standards.
www.dionysusrecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Bompilation (Bareknuckle; CD)
You may associate Jersey with flower festivals, dairy products and tax haven status for millionaires. However, the thriving garage, punk scene that is compiled on 'Bompilation'
'…a collection of recordings by signed and unsigned bands who have performed at Bomp! (a live promotion operating on the island of Jersey)…' is a refreshing deviation from the stereotype. Eighteen bands get a chance to shine (or glow anyway) on this worthy little platter that roughly divides into two sections (not literally of course!). The first nine tracks are either post-garage trash rock or punk and all are delicious flavours. Faves for me are Electric Shock's 'I'm Wrong', the Mofo's 'Sick And Wrong', Bullet Proof's 'Blood Stained $' and The Hot Wires 'Car Crash No.1', great strident guitar rock one and all. The second half is more experimental and lighter in tone with contributions such as Michael Chapman's 'Instrumental', Chris Wicklow's 'Love By The Hour' and The Pantaloons 'Paramount'. In all, a bite-sized encapsulation of a seemingly thriving scene with strong contenders in all camps, well worth your attention.
www.bareknucklerecords.com
Paul Martin
SHORT CUTS
Fooling April's Every Good Boy Does Fine(Kool Kat; CD)is arguably what Huey Lewis & The News used to sound like. Quality song writing and playing. A funky pop aesthetic with a rather late '70s/early '80s New York feel (they're from New Jersey as far as I can tell). Strong, soulful male vocals that do that octave thing across the scales. Clearly a group of classy players who are more than confident in their songs. www.foolingapril.com
The Shadow Kabinet is one-man outfit Steve Somerset who does everything on his Hark! CD. The title track opens the disc and comes across like a post-Floyd Syd to some extent. 'Shadows On A Foggy Day' is a slightly baroque pop number whilst 'Save Me' is a light, melodic plea for elevation from the throng and hum of the urban everyday. Light, well written and melodically styled pop vignettes make this a perfect end of the day soundscape. www.shadowkabinet.com
Florian's What The Buzzing(Evil; CD) is an environment unto itself. Shimmering post-psychedelic guitar soundbeds, ethereal vocals, slow burning builders which on the beginning of 'Overruled' for instance bring to mind acts like Dead Can Dance. Self described as 'hypno-space drone vibrations' presumably it's what you play to chill, come down from, or even take off into some lost horizon. www.florian.com
Meanwhile Rosetta West's X Descendant(Alive; CD) perceives itself as 'savage and psychedelic blues'. It's a sort of contrivance of heavily indebted Blues Experience extemporising. 'Vampire Song' perhaps comes closest to a song structure rather than a free jam and sounds all the better for it. There's quite a wigged out 'Shakin' All Over' as well. OK for motor city minimalist neo-trash rockers but doesn't really show intent of moving beyond that. www.alive-totalenergy.com
US band The Shivers self-produced Move All You Wannaoffers us nine colourful mod into power pop styled numbers. These project the warmth of the live in the studio approach to recording and helps lift them above mere sub-tunesmithery. 'Ice Cream Van' in particular is a winner as is 'Like Cleopatra'. www.theshiversmusic.com
Elsewhere, groovy Italian 60s mod Hammond instro unit The Link Quartet come up trumps with their Italian Playboysalbum (Recordkicks; CD). Full-on instro-hipster sounds abound kicking off with a cover of Alan Hawkshaw's 'Move Move Move'. The pace is maintained throughout with a variety of covers and originals. Great titles as befits an instrumental album 'Glass Onion', 'Lady Shave', 'Spider Baby' etc. All good mod-tastic party fun and highly authentic sounding. A big thumb's up on this one. www.recordkicks.com
SINGLES
US band The Great Shakes offer a mild dose of Michigan mayhem. Tuneful but forceful pop punk in a considered trash rock style comes in the form their 5 track Duty Free EP and 'The Ballroom' double tracker (from their Remake the Remakes album). Sounds worth paying attention to. www.cdbaby.com
In a somewhat similar vein you can sample two slabs of kerrang from steaming Scandie-beaters Sweatmaster. 'Maggots' and 'Fool' are taken from their upcoming Tom Tom Bullet album on Bad Afro. Both kick ass. www.badafro.dk
In a lighter and altogether more jingle-jangle style come Germany's The Cheeks whose 'Just A Good Boy' is a pretty pop pleaser whilst 'California Falling Into The Ocean' begins in an atmospheric Echo & The Bunnymen 'All My Colours' sort of a way before bigging up into a seeming lament for said state and a paean for all things '60s West Coast. Nice shimmering guitar glissandos and relevant '60s referencing throughout, worth hearing. www.thecheeks.de
Disparate Swedish sounds now in the form of The Deportees' triple tracker which kicks off with the masochistic sounding 'Arrest Me 'til It Hurts', an indie sounding stop-starter with an interesting vocal line and pleasing almost country-ish melody. The slower southern feeling 'Nothing Wants You Back' plays this out further and 'I Heard It Through The Bluegrass' is a restless mid-paced southern instrumental utilising banjo and lap steel in a modern style www.deportees.se
I'm not sure where four-piece beat babe unit Doll Squad hail from, (their CD EP Retro Dolls From Hipsville was recorded in Melbourne if that's any help?) but they play some very nifty and attractive garage r'n'r which brings to mind The Gore-Gore Girls for instance, competent and catchy. Lead track 'In The Meantime' is as catchy and instantly likeable as anything of its ilk you'll ever hear whilst 'Baby Doll' is a slow burner. You can even have your very own Doll Squad action figures made to order! Check the group out at www.geocities.com/dollsquad_rock
The Mighty Stars lastly for this month, present a double side of entry-level power pop in '925' (does anyone actually work from 9 to 5 these days?) and 'Tonight'. Both have the big guitar chords but the songs are a little flat, but I've heard worse. www.mightystars.50megs.com.
Paul Martin
