Can you really expect any less though from a contributor to the Scottish indie super-group, The Reindeer Section, and a pre-fame Snow Patrol? It's exactly the sort of song that we need for this time of year; something to strip away the gloom of winter and warm us up with a nice warm mug of guitars, strings and a friendly accent.
If this doesn't propel him to the fame and recognition that he truly deserves, that of his former band, then there's something truly wrong. But then again, it might inspire him to throw a new album at us that's so amazing we have no other option but to hail him as our new hero of indie. All hail King Iain, we present you with this…your golden scarf!
Review by Jason Edwards
Watch the video for Summer Jets, or visit www.iainarcher.com
Apparently there was a big A&R interest in these guys and I can see why; the record companies are clearly wanting to invest in this weird angst ridden phenomenon from "across the pond" and are looking for the best we have to offer. Cherryfalls probably do lead the British emo revolution but it's hardly earth shifting stuff. It's average at best. It's in no way offensive but…blergh…blah…mneh; it just doesn't do it for me.
Review by Jason Edwards
They use the best of Johnny Marr's never used guitar licks, the jerky vocals and provocative lyrics of Jarvis Cocker and there's a very subtle, but it's definitely there, usage of Brendan Anderson's general genius.
They make a nice sound with a good smattering of vocal harmonies, pleasant guitars and very "bouncy" music that would have fitted in wonderfully in the mid nineties but I think they might have missed the train by a few years. If you're a BritPop junkie, hungry for something fresher than Mansun's newest, and turd splattered, album then Bastion 4 may be the band for you.
Review by Jason Edwards
"Woo"…There you go.
This is really a very pleasant surprise. I was expecting some weird Hispanic rap band judging from the name and the cover but how very wrong I was. They've been compared to Blondie in every review I've read of them, I like to think of them more as a more feminine Strokes, or to get all "look how many random bands I know", which I hate to sound like, a more to the point and less floaty Johnny Boy. If you're not familiar with their work, let's just say it's feel good pop with a healthy dose of punk influence that's truly hope inspiring. A very compelling debut from a band with, hopefully, a great future ahead of them.
Review by Jason Edwards
The passion behind it is blatant and it should bring a lump to the throat of any true sailor of the good ship Albion. The two best friends sing about the strength of their relationship in times past but they see that it's not quite how it used to be. "Blood runs thicker, we're thick as thieves you know" is a wonderfully rich line that carries so many different meanings; it's classic Libertines song writing. It's not so much about the tune, it's about what the song means. It may not have the catchiest melody or the most radio friendly sound but it's raw, real and packed full of emotion. The epitome of true musical beauty.
Review by Jason Edwards
Not knowing anything about this band at all I was put off by the press release that claims that the audience have been known to snog the speakers at their gigs. This does not endear me to get to know their music, so reluctantly I put this on my stereo and on further listens this song grows on me and it’s not as bad as I imagined it would be. It’s starts off with great potential and but then it never really takes off and then ends on a very abrupt note. It reminds me of an inferior Electric Six, but just not as good. Electro rock with potential.
Review by Sonia Pagliari
Silverland are a North London 4 piece who on this CD single give us a radio edit and an acoustic version of the song 'Atlantis'. As soon as I heard this I thought that this song fits so perfectly on the Virgin playlist that it’s a wonder they did not commission it themselves. So you get the picture, it’s a bit bland, with a nice melody and nice vocals. If you like Travis and Dido then you will love this. It does nothing for me apart from think of MOR hell. If this does manage to get radio play expect a big hit and for it to be still on the Virgin play list in 2006.
Review by Sonia Pagliari
Elviss make a half decent stab at a rock song with 'Not Enough'. It has just the right mix of angry vocals, background echoes and dirty riffs to be accepted both into the rock scene and the mainstream. Unfortunately though, it doesn't do enough to stand out from everything else and make itself heard. It's acceptable, but it's hardly exciting. What you need from a track like this is the energy to thrust you out of your seat and compel you perform some sweat inducing, mood altering moshing. Corey Taylor has been quoted as calling Elviss the best support band he has ever had, and by the sounds of this single the position of support band is just where they ought to stay.
Review by Nathania Hartley
I have to admit that I hated Air Hammer before I even gave them a listen. But then what kind of credible act thinks its cool to depict somebody carving the words 'pissed off' into their arm on their cd artwork? The single itself isn't actually that bad, true there is a slight air of 'my life is so hard' teen angst, but there is also some variation, talent and substance underlying all of the three tracks included here. What the band need to do now is get over their masochistic pretensions, unless that is, that they are planning in retracing the Libertines footsteps, and wouldn't that just be great?
Review by Nathania Hartley
Sweet, peaceful indie vocals tint this little number, which is all about what it says really - saying goodbye. It's a pretty track, though it never really takes off. The singer tells us that he wants to fight, but you would never guess by listening to him. There's no sense of urgency or anger present anywhere at all. You keep expecting something to happen, but instead the song just repeats itself, fades into the background, and then ends.
Review by Nathania Hartley
Haven't slept for two nights properly due to a hell fire weekend - didn't even see any bands playing. Saw plenty in the pub though, anyway digression. Bit behind with the old reviews and fucking hung over, so I pop on the Luxembourg single. And brrrraannnngggg go the guitars and I feel confused, did I put "Back in Black" on by mistake? Not what I was expecting, then enter cow bell and swirly key board, and I suddenly get what the track is about, it sounds beautiful and it sticks in my head and I instantly want to see them play again, right here in my house, right fucking now, because as much as I enjoyed the gig, I hadn't understood what the song was about and now I do. And, Im not going to tell you either, just like the housewives, so go buy it and figure it for yourself. Suffice to say the production and the sound is flawless and then on to track 2, "Close- Cropped" which I am currently riping to my ipod because the chourus is so infectious and the honesty shines through and the keyboards sound like an audious recorder thing. In my opinion, and this is my opinion only, this should have been track one. This is the one that stood out live and I mark a good song by recognisability first of all and this has it. They are a band that are a lot about the lyrics. I am a punk rock fan so musically this wouldnt usually be my cup of tea but it is, loving and sleezy at the same time. I even like the "Sweep having a tantrum" key boards on 'Pin Me Down'! Luxembourg, small country, ace band. Right back to 'Close Cropped' importation.....
Review by Jimmy Savage
First track 'Blasted' launches their garage rock’n’roll tirade at high pace. The energy captured in this track continues throughout the EP without falter, culminating in the urgently shouted ‘stop’ of closing number 'Uniform'.
Whilst notable similarities could be drawn between The Mutts and contemporaries such as the 22-20s and The Von Bondies, who are essentially serving up the same kind of retro rock, this would not be to do The Mutts justice. Live, their songs are taken to a higher level. Nobody could fault this band for a lack of energy or enthusiasm in their live sets and should most certainly be experienced in this form at any available chance. In honour of the release of the EP on October 22nd, the band is providing a perfect opportunity to do just this with a party at the Camden Barfly. Tickets are a mere £5 and Brighton based fans can even get a lift on a coach for an inclusive total of £10. Bargain! Contact the_mutts@ntlworld.com or visit www.barfly.com/london for information. You never know, if enough people go they may even be able to afford their own domain name!
Review by Holly Wild
When I recieved 'The Citizen EP', I had no idea who the band were, or what they were like. So, perhaps the best thing to do is to place a quote from their record company here, so you get the idea:
'Absorbing everything from Smashing Pumpkins and New Order to Kraftwerk and Boards of Canada yet bristling with originality, Home Video's dark, electronically-fuelled pop could very well be the sound of a new musical movement.'
Indeed. So, the first thing I thought when looking at the cd, was how much I liked the artwork, and how much I liked the lyrics. So I was quite suprised when I heard the opening bars of 'Citizen', but pleasantly suprised. The one song that made me want to repeat it alot is EP closer 'Tundra', with it's gentle opening and pulsing bass drum rhythm , but the thing that really struck me was the bassline. It's simple, yet brilliant and I loved it.
I would say the overall feeling of this EP is very chilled, yet fast moving. It took me a while to get into it, but maybe that's because I don't usually listen to this sort of thing.
Review by Jackie Barker
The third featured release on the fledgling Drowned in Sound label offers up two versions of thisGirl’s ‘master blaster’. For a band so vehemently proud (and rightly so) of avoiding musical categorisation, it would have been a suitably bold move to release the acoustic version ‘plaster caster’ as the principle single. All chopped up jazz chords and funky vocals, it’s a tune that stretches, breathes and feels like dusk on a Sunday. In stark comparison ‘master blaster’ features a botched mix awash with nothing but cymbals and rock guitar which destroy the crooning subtlety, leaving it an ugly distortion of its brother.
So just ignore the lapse in judgement, skip to ‘plaster caster’ via the psychedelic lovecore of b-side ‘Angel’, and enjoy thisGirl’s gleeful genre-skipping.
Review by James Kirsch
Wrong. Slowly but very surely the clean-cut and daytime radio-friendly Sum 41 are disappearing. ‘We’re All To Blame’ doesn’t so much wear its 80s stadium metal influences on its sleeve, rather it parades around shit-faced in nothing but a giant Slayer flag singing ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ and picking fights with anything that moves. Blink 182 must be running for the hills.
If this is a sign of things to come, then expect the Sum 41 you thought you knew to soon metamorphose into their adopted 80’s hair metal alter-egos. So long live ‘Pain for Pleasure’. It’s always more fun rooting for the bad guy isn’t it?
Review by James Kirsch
The Boxer Rebellion’s latest single ‘Code Red,’ really bowled me over, not because of the substance of the music itself, but of the thoughts and visions that I attached to this song.
It begins with a scared little voice poking out amongst impassioned guitar strokes, half muffled drumbeats and rippling effects to generate a certain eerie atmosphere. This is a very pensive, yet sharply intense song which leaves one feeling rather detached from the world. However, this sound is not weak and carries with it a certain strength and power. Listening to it, I am reminded of a bunch of spaced-out, drunk, gothed-up teenagers swaying at the end of a long night in a dingy rock-club. Unappealing as this might seem, it nevertheless creates a certain unsettling romantic ambience making me think that this band would probably sound awesome live. ‘Code Red,’ represents a more sophisticated take on the mid-nineties indie period allowing us to see how this style has evolved and changed.
Reviewed by Helen Thornton
After a blistering set at Reading this year, the Kaiser Chiefs release their second single. The debut single was the astonishing “Oh my God” which for some bizarre reason only got limited radio play. “I Predict a Riot” is not as instant as their debut but it’s certainly a grower. This song is packed with so much energy, that it will doubtless get the indie dancefloors jumping! They will probably be compared to Madness in the future only because they seem to have the same sense of fun and life in all their songs although this song don’t really sound like them at all but they share the same sort of cheeky atmosphere. Currently supporting the Ordinary Boys on their UK tour, I predict they have a very bright future indeed.
Review Sonia Pagliari