July 2008

SINGLE OF THE ISSUE

Monosurround
Cocked, Locked And Ready To Rock (Citizen)

Don’t know much about Monosurround, two German dudes called Ramtin A and Erik S who look like an escapee from ‘Clockwork Orange’ and a hunky fisherman. Never mind what they look like, though, as with this monster for super-smart French label Citizen, they’ve created a total floor-slayer. Steely electro-funk with a pop edge is the name of the game, a shouty chorus and gigantic slabs of synth dropped in like earthquakes. Just when you least expect it a hammering techno 4/4 pulse bursts in. Almost too funky, it’s a re-release and there are poppier new versions but the original burns brightest.
www.myspace.com/monosurround

Telepathe
Devil’s Trident (Merok)

The label that discovered The Klaxons finds another out-there outfit, but where the Mercury-winning dayglo trio reinvented indie rock, Brooklyn’s Telepathe head right off the rails into unknown territory. Over a glitchy electro-scape two female voices interact, one deadpan, one ethereal, mustering a sound that defies definition. Their MySpace implies they’re mates of Diplo which comes as no surprise as these two songs dwell in the zone of spartan beats and abstract basslines. Not one for the unadventurous.
www.myspace.com/telepathy

Luke Smith & The Feelings
I Don’t Want To Go To Parties Anymore (www.lukesmithmusic.com)

While Beatmag’s editorial cannot concur with Luke Smith’s attitude to parties – he’s not at all keen on our beloved repetitive beats – this song has a wonderful English miserablism, like Eeyore fronting The Kinks circa 1972. He embraces a jaunty piano-led music hall stomp that Madness would be proud of and his lyrics are eminently poetic: “These people here aren’t really my friends/When daylight dawns and the music ends/This bloke that calls me mate, he won’t even know me… Must I pretend all this is real/This blur of booze and sex appeal.” A lovely young cousin to Pulp’s classic ‘Sorted For Es And Whizz’. Anyone in the region of Kent, UK, should check out his regular Wednesday night at Canterbury’s Orange Street Music Venue.
www.lukesmithmusic.com

Hedford Vachal
Toys (Tirk)

Portland is generally associated with hairy people making alternative forms of rock. Brad Vachal and Eric Hedford have the requisite beards but there’s nary a guitar in earshot. Instead the duo create deadpan low slung synth-heavy funk. There’s something of Krautrock about it, especially the opening ‘Alan Vs Gary’, while ‘Toys’ could be a DFA release. Bronx Dog/Padded Cell man Richard Sen steps in to up the groove on a ‘Toys’ remix. There’s the kernel of something rather good in here somewhere…
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=254292383

The Voluntary Butler Scheme
Trading Things In EP (The Trifle)

The title track initially reveals Stourbridge 22 year old Rob Jones as another purveyor of chirpy acoustic indie, nice but nothing to write home about. But then comes ‘The Eiffell Tower And The BT Tower’ which shows off inventively brassy production and wonderful lovelorn lyrics (“You said you loved the songs of the Pet Shop Boys but hate the way they sound so I played them all out for you on just guitar and kazoo”), then the EP closes with the forlorn country-tinged campfire ballad ‘Hot Air Balloon Heart’, and suddenly a VBS album seems very desirable.
www.myspace.com/thevoluntarybutlerscheme

Sincere feat. Natty
Once Upon A Time (Young Entrepreneurs)

Lately the tidal wave of utterly crap grime has become rather depressing and one can’t help but ponder whether, given its relentlessly vicious lyrical content, reactionary tabloid scaremongering about grime and knife crime might even have some substance. It’s thoroughly heartening, them to welcome this release from a 24 year old London MC Sincere who delivers well thought out hip hop poetry about his environs and, even better, does so over a wonderful trumpet-powered jazz break instead of tinny metallic clattering. More of this, please.
www.myspace.com/sincererap

The Shortwave Set
Now Til ’69 (Wall Of Sound)

One of 2008’s albums that refuses to leave the stereo is The Shortwave Set’s ‘Replica Sun Machine’. Initially appearing to be a slavish pastiche of ‘60s pop, further listening revealed impeccable songwriting and uniquely inventive modern touches. ‘Now Til ‘69’ is Bowie gone rockin’ doo-wop, perfectly so, and arrives with two lovely newies, ‘Petrol To The Flame’ and ‘Under Endeavour’, also remixes from Mirwais and Aeroplane deliver tight electro-disco and a rolling Balearic epic respectively. A snappy package.
www.shortwaveset.com

Fuck Dress
Suburban Nietzsche Freak (NROne)

“God is dead so I listen to Radiohead,” begins this catchy sliver of lo-fi punkiness. The band appear to be no Spring chickens – they have that lived in Hold Steady look – but sound more like Art Brut, only with lyrics somewhere between ATV and The Fall. If that’s too much judgement by comparison (and it is) then suffice to say that Norwich’s Fuck Dress play discordant art-drone that bleeds throwaway sardonic potency.
www.myspace.com/fuckdress

Quest feat. Odissi
Arms Race (Botchit & Scarper)

Breakbeat continually makes awful forays into rock that expand the genre’s popularity amongst non-dance fans, especially in Australia. On the other hand, occasionally a tune comes along that succeeds in bridging the gap with aplomb. Quest’s latest rides a heavy-thumbed bassline that could come from Jah Wobble-era Public Image Ltd, then loads on sneering synths and a doom-laden lyric. It’s dirty and driven, arriving with drum & bass and, yes, ropey metal guitar remixes.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=78657346

The Simple Carnival
Me And My Arrow EP (Sundrift)

The Simple Carnival is the one man chamber pop project of Pittsburgh-based Jeff Boller, a man who clearly knows his instruments. The EP occasionally wanders frighteningly into Billy Joel-ish MOR territory, but a Beach Boys sweetness and oddball charm usually save the day. ‘Really Really Weird’ and ‘Over Coffee And Tea’ are highlights, gentle songs of persuasive innocence, tinged with ‘60s-flavoured sonic invention, then the EP closes aptly with a version of Harry Nilsson’s ‘Me And My Arrow’. This kind of songwriting would, perhaps, be better suited to a musical or show but, as it is, The Simple Carnival are a curio worth keeping an eye on.
www.sundriftrecords.com

Fool
Real Thing EP (Hum + Haw)

In terms of deconstructed sci-fi hip hop, few have picked up the baton thrown down by cLOUDEAD a few years back. Techno boy Alex Smoke and his mate NON, however, give it a highly impressive whirl. Over a rhythm track that twitches along haunted by smoke alarm tones, the lyrics pitch into Coca Cola and cocaine, and the whole thing is wilfully edgy and odd. There are remixes by Various Productions, Hudson Mohawk and 2Tall but not one of the five tracks is faintly straightforward.
www.myspace.com/humhaw

Singles for review should be sent to…

Thomas H Green, PO Box 4653 Worthing, BN11 9FG, UK

Filed under: Music, Reviews - Singles by Flexmaster Nylon
4 Comments »

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