Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, August 23, 2010
IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles. All you have to do is click on the pictures to order them…
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: BIFFY CLYRO – GOD & SATAN: Biffy Clyro continue another brilliant year for them (Mercury nomination included) with the release of latest single, God & Satan. Released on 7”, CD and digital formats, the track sees the band stripped down to basics with just acoustic guitars, subtle drums and the odd string arrangement weaved around lyrics examining the possibilities of what awaits after life (“I talk to God as much as I talk to Satan, cos I want to hear both sides”). It’s a thought-provoking, intelligently written examination of life, mortality and miracles that really underlines why this band has become so widely popular. It’s not only one of the singles of the week, but one of the tracks of the year! The video for the single was directed by Corin Hardy, who directed Prodigy’s Warrior Dance, and was shot in Corin’s local village in Sussex. All the extras in the video are also locals from the village.
Released on 7”, CD and as a download
Rating: 5 out of 5
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: FREELANCE WHALES – HANNAH: Having formed in late 2008 in the New York district of Queens, Freelance Whales burst on to the music scene late last year following some attention grabbing shows at CMJ and SXSW festivals, and the Stateside release of their glowingly received debut, Weathervanes. August 23 sees the band release their eagerly awaited album on this side of the Atlantic through Columbia/ Mom & Pop… as well as the beautiful lead single Hannah. Constructed around some woozy, vaguely surreal synth lines and kooky percussion values, the song then proceeds to wash over you with some lush vocals and a really finely tuned sense of melody. It’s slightly trippy pop with, dare we say, elements of Suzanne Vega thrown in vocally. And, as all good songs should be, it’s a real grower – the more you hear it, the more you love it and so forth. On the evidence of this single, the album is well worth checking out and fully deserving of the acclaim from the US.
Released as a download
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
HURTS – WONDERFUL LIFE: After releasing live favourite Better Than Love last month, Manchester duo Hurts announce the release of second single Wonderful Life, with their debut album Happiness following on September 6. Wonderful Life has already had over 1million online plays, with it’s simple yet remarkable black and white video, and has received huge interest in Europe with a #1 airplay record in Cyprus. It is also the most played song on radio this year in Denmark. The band also just performed the song at the Greece Video Music Awards, where Wonderful Life is one of the biggest international airplay hits of the year, appearing as one of only a handful of international acts asked to play. And all this before the song has even been released! But it’s kind of easy to see why, given the way the song cleverly and catchily builds from sparse beginnings, to an oddly inspiring finale. The empowering lyrics (“never give up, it’s such a wonderful life”) are delivered in a head-rush fashion, while the mix of synths and drum beats work well in giving the track an energy that transmits well to the listener. Set against the context of the sparse black and white video, which is oddly enigmatic, it makes for a compelling mix. Remixes come courtesy of Arthur Baker, which was already released as a limited edition vinyl release in January and sold out, along with Mantronix, Stuart Price and Freemasons. This band looks like it’s going places.
Released across all formats
Rating: 4 out of 5
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING – MY KZ, UR BF: Hotly-tipped new foursome Everything Everything release My Kz, Ur Bf from their forthcoming debut album Man Alive (out, August 30), and immediately live up their promise to ‘challenge every knee-jerk convention of indie rock and dance on the grave of pointless retrogression’. The album opener, it features the trademark falsetto high vocals (which often seem whiny within the context of a whole LP) as well as their love for ‘80s sounding synth arrangements and a scattershot approach to structure. The chorus is kind of catchy, but much of what’s wrapped around it is simply too unstructured to be appealing… their challenging of convention – while welcome in principal – sounding as if they’re trying a little too hard to be obscure and trendy at the same time.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
FLASH FIKTION – LENI/SCIENCE OF SLEEP: Flash Fiktion are Matt (vocals, guitar, keyboard, samplers), Ollie (vocals, guitar) and Dan (drums) – outsiders both musically and geographically, hailing as they do from Elephant And Castle. As a taster of what to expect, they release the self produced double A-side, Leni/Science Of Sleep. And the two tracks show two very different sides of a band with many angles. Leni is pounding, glam-Stooges prog-punk that’s pretty unappealing. But there’s more interest in the woozy, eastern-tinged Science Of Sleep, which is named after the Michel Gondry film of the same name. “It’s about inventing language in your sleep,” explains Matt. “You know that idea of solipsism – the fact you think you’re the only person who’s real? I’ve always had that, the idea that if I can’t feel what you can feel, are you actually real?” It’s surreal, trippy, layered and oddly compelling and suggests there is an interesting side to Flash Fiktion after all.
Released on 7”, CD and as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
TAIO CRUZ – DYNAMITE: He throws his hands up in the air sometimes, and shouts “eyyyoooo” – so sings Taio Cruz over his latest single, Dynamite, thereby immediately signalling the track’s intent to get up and make you dance. As Cruz’s latest material goes, this one’s got pure dance-pop guilty pleasure written all over it, especially given that it succeeds in making you want to get jiggy with it. But that said, it’s also a wholly generic modern pop record, complete with repetitive lyrics and a very straight-forward approach. Cruz is capable of better, which marks it down… but if it comes on during a night out, or on the radio on a hot day, you may just find yourself turning it up and “eyyooo”-ing along. The video is a proper slice of self-indulgence, featuring Taio turning up on a super-slick motorbike and then strutting his stuff with beautiful dancer babes on both of his sides.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
INNA – AMAZING: OK, so admittedly there is absolutely nothing amazing about the song… but the video does have its moments! Amazing is a summer club floor-filler that’s built around an Ibiza friendly, blip laden synth loop and some cheesy beats, as well as a sweet set of female vocals declaring her love for someone who makes her feel amazing. It’s more tolerable than the majority of tracks of this nature by virtue of the fact the vocals are appealing and the beats are more restrained than normal… but it’s still a generic slice of dance that could just as easily get lost in the crowd. That said, the music video – while hopelessly cheesy – features surfing action, Inna in various swimsuits and basking under a shower, as well as a hunky Baywatch-style lifeguard for the women to swoon over. It’s tacky beyond belief, but somehow maintains a hypnotic hold that entrances the viewer – possibly because it whisks you off to some sun-drenched beach.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
THE JIM JONES REVUE – HIGH HORSE: The Jim Jones Revue are, by their own admission, a bunch of untamed hell-raisers. They hark back to a bad-boy rock ‘n’ roll with Jerry Lee Lewis inspired pianos and crunching guitar riffs. New single High Horse, the first to emerge from their uproarious new album Burning Your House Down is a rollicking blend of Jerry Lee Lewis inspired piano arrangements and hard-hitting guitar riffs. It’s the sort of no-nonsense bar-room filler that could easily be played over a big screen brawl sequence. Vocally, it’s indicative of the lived-in, hedonistic approach adopted by Jim Jones Revue in the majority of their material and a real party-pleaser. You’ll be in a sweaty frenzy by the time you’ve attempted to keep up with its swing – even at a little over two and a half minutes.
Released across all formats
Rating: 4 out of 5
THE LINES – GLORIOUS AFTERMATH: Glorious Aftermath follows last year’s debut from The Lines (Domino Effect) and looks to build on the success and awareness of that track, which won praise from Robert Plant and support from Steve Lamacq. Built around some infectious and highly appealing central guitar riffs and a keen sense of energy, it’s a track that positively fizzes with indie-pop energy. If comparisons help, then the guitar work is as effective as that of The View, while the vocals are appealing enough to suggest the forthcoming album will be well worth checking out. Indeed, The Lines have put the finishing touches to their debut album, due in October, and are stepping up their efforts to raise awareness. Another new track, Circles, is available as a free download from their website
Released as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
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