The first of two lengthy singles round-ups - most are due for release 24/6 to 15/7/2013
Z-Star - 16 Tons EP
If you can imagine Janis Joplin fronting Black Stone Cherry with Robert Plant producing, you're someway close to where London-based Z-Star pitch their tent - in a field labelled ''70s-blues-rock homage'. The title-track, 16 Tons of Love to give it its full moniker, is exactly that with singer and founder Zee Gachette getting all husky like Rod Stewart in places, reverting to a bit of the Janis for the chorus and crying out for a bigger sound behind her. Cracking voice, actually. But she needs the songs to back it up and in The Hours she might just have it. But do we need another Alabama Shakes-style swamp 'n' delta-blues rawk outfit in our lives? If they show as much promise as Z-Star, the answer's a tentative yes. 6/10.
Savages - Shut Up
Nice to see Siouxsie Sioux's influence continuing to inspire women in rock to grab the corporate cock of rock and give it a thorough jerking before spitting down its eye and giving it a twist. I like Savages - their name suggests primitive threat, menace and 'fuck-you's' all round but their output has, for me, been derivative and inconsistent, occasionally jaw-dropping but, too often, shoulder-shrugging in its execution. For all of Shut Up's obvious energy and appeal, it's just too much like the Banshees for me to proclaim how great this is or isn't. Still, better than most on offer these days. 6/10.
Editors - A Ton of Love
Talking of derivative - here's Echo and the Bunnymen under an assumed name. To be fair though, singer Tom puts a fair bit of effort in with his Morrison/McCulloch/Bono impression and, here's the key bit, sings a decent enough song to boot. A Ton of Love slots right into what I was listening to as a late teenager - goth (among other genres). Seriously - Gene Loves Jezebel, Love and Rockets, The Mission, it's all here and more. Really though, I like this song a lot and it bodes well for that fourth long-player due out in July, which promises to be less synthesized and more 'alt-rock' apparently. 8/10.
Pylo - Enemies
In which big drums, big guitars and big harmonies converge to make Enemies a little bit Biffy, a little bit Foals and a little bit Editors (them again, ironically being pastiched to the hilt for a change). The enemy is, closing in, they intone and who's to disagree. Thing is, while Pylo are standing wide-eyed at the sunset (as in the accompanying video), another day is dawning across the other side of the world, inspiring other not-dissimilar bands to sing similar songs about friends coming around for a barbecue. Possibly. Funny old world, isn't it? Anyway, Pylo sound rather promising on the strength of this blustery canter. 7/10.
Freedom Fry - Friends Enemies EP
Comprised of Los Angeles pairing Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll, Freedom Fry tread a path familiar to those who worship at the alter of Vampire Weekend or Ghosts, that middle-ground of quirky sort-of cheerful indie-pop, tailor-made for sunshine-inspired videos, adverts and idents but little else. This EP stars the catchy title-track in all its glory, accompanied by two lesser compositions in the form of The Sea Invisible, an ineffectual plod with a nifty snake-like bassline to save it and the far superior With The New Crowd. This last song could be soundtracking a million high-school newbies' summers if only it was the lead-track, was given a brush-up and offered to radio to give it a whirl. 7/10.
Polica - Tiff (feat Justin Vernon)
I'd be the first to run up a hill, a short hill mind you, to proclaim label Memphis Industries as one of the UK's best imprints since, ooh, 4AD or Hyperdub but with signings Polica my patience is starting to wear a bit thin. Tiff is a rigid electro-pop stomper that sounds great but, under the surface, there lurks little in the way of a song. Lyrically, Polica offer us "carrying round a prison bar/fucking in the feathered tar" and "I'm a pawn in the hype machine", which is all very meaningful I'm sure, particularly in context with the brutal and charmless video that goes with it, but it doesn't inspire. Great drum sound with eerie synths throughout but Tiff is too damn dark even for this cheerless world. 6/10.
John Foxx - Underpass (Dave Clarke Remix)
Another year passes - it must be time for yet another reworking of the electro synth wizard's most caned tune. In fact, let's go for two of them in one hit! This 12" was supposed to be issued for Record Store Day but was delayed at the production stage. With a hand-stamped Jonathan Barnbrook sleeve evoking similarities to Foxx's own graphic-design style of the '80s, this Underpass is a road in two directions. Head north and you experience Dave Clarke's urbane and gritty retro Unsubscribe Remake Mix with the mysterious Mr Jones in tow. Head south and you get the flip's Oh The Gilt Mix laid down by John Doran and John Tatlock. It's a four-to-the-floor tribal electro-house bouncer with lots of click and little drone. It all goes a bit cinematic towards the end and probably outstays its welcome by a few minutes, truth be told. Worthy, regardless of length though. 7/10.
Nine Inch Nails - Came Back Haunted - out now
It's come to this - years of challenging industrial crunch compressed into coffee-table schmooze that neither excites or offends. It's middle-ground angst for people who think music like this will change the world. No it won't. Still, Trent Reznor can still write serviceable choruses with an air of menace but, for all this track's sparse '90s build-up, Came Back Haunted serves little purpose other than to tell you all that NIN are back. Ho hum. 5/10.
Single of the round-up? That'll be Editors by a country kilometre....
Part TWO coming soon.....
Z-Star - 16 Tons EP
If you can imagine Janis Joplin fronting Black Stone Cherry with Robert Plant producing, you're someway close to where London-based Z-Star pitch their tent - in a field labelled ''70s-blues-rock homage'. The title-track, 16 Tons of Love to give it its full moniker, is exactly that with singer and founder Zee Gachette getting all husky like Rod Stewart in places, reverting to a bit of the Janis for the chorus and crying out for a bigger sound behind her. Cracking voice, actually. But she needs the songs to back it up and in The Hours she might just have it. But do we need another Alabama Shakes-style swamp 'n' delta-blues rawk outfit in our lives? If they show as much promise as Z-Star, the answer's a tentative yes. 6/10.
Savages - Shut Up
Nice to see Siouxsie Sioux's influence continuing to inspire women in rock to grab the corporate cock of rock and give it a thorough jerking before spitting down its eye and giving it a twist. I like Savages - their name suggests primitive threat, menace and 'fuck-you's' all round but their output has, for me, been derivative and inconsistent, occasionally jaw-dropping but, too often, shoulder-shrugging in its execution. For all of Shut Up's obvious energy and appeal, it's just too much like the Banshees for me to proclaim how great this is or isn't. Still, better than most on offer these days. 6/10.
Talking of derivative - here's Echo and the Bunnymen under an assumed name. To be fair though, singer Tom puts a fair bit of effort in with his Morrison/McCulloch/Bono impression and, here's the key bit, sings a decent enough song to boot. A Ton of Love slots right into what I was listening to as a late teenager - goth (among other genres). Seriously - Gene Loves Jezebel, Love and Rockets, The Mission, it's all here and more. Really though, I like this song a lot and it bodes well for that fourth long-player due out in July, which promises to be less synthesized and more 'alt-rock' apparently. 8/10.
Pylo - Enemies
In which big drums, big guitars and big harmonies converge to make Enemies a little bit Biffy, a little bit Foals and a little bit Editors (them again, ironically being pastiched to the hilt for a change). The enemy is, closing in, they intone and who's to disagree. Thing is, while Pylo are standing wide-eyed at the sunset (as in the accompanying video), another day is dawning across the other side of the world, inspiring other not-dissimilar bands to sing similar songs about friends coming around for a barbecue. Possibly. Funny old world, isn't it? Anyway, Pylo sound rather promising on the strength of this blustery canter. 7/10.
Freedom Fry - Friends Enemies EP
Comprised of Los Angeles pairing Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll, Freedom Fry tread a path familiar to those who worship at the alter of Vampire Weekend or Ghosts, that middle-ground of quirky sort-of cheerful indie-pop, tailor-made for sunshine-inspired videos, adverts and idents but little else. This EP stars the catchy title-track in all its glory, accompanied by two lesser compositions in the form of The Sea Invisible, an ineffectual plod with a nifty snake-like bassline to save it and the far superior With The New Crowd. This last song could be soundtracking a million high-school newbies' summers if only it was the lead-track, was given a brush-up and offered to radio to give it a whirl. 7/10.
Polica - Tiff (feat Justin Vernon)
I'd be the first to run up a hill, a short hill mind you, to proclaim label Memphis Industries as one of the UK's best imprints since, ooh, 4AD or Hyperdub but with signings Polica my patience is starting to wear a bit thin. Tiff is a rigid electro-pop stomper that sounds great but, under the surface, there lurks little in the way of a song. Lyrically, Polica offer us "carrying round a prison bar/fucking in the feathered tar" and "I'm a pawn in the hype machine", which is all very meaningful I'm sure, particularly in context with the brutal and charmless video that goes with it, but it doesn't inspire. Great drum sound with eerie synths throughout but Tiff is too damn dark even for this cheerless world. 6/10.
Another year passes - it must be time for yet another reworking of the electro synth wizard's most caned tune. In fact, let's go for two of them in one hit! This 12" was supposed to be issued for Record Store Day but was delayed at the production stage. With a hand-stamped Jonathan Barnbrook sleeve evoking similarities to Foxx's own graphic-design style of the '80s, this Underpass is a road in two directions. Head north and you experience Dave Clarke's urbane and gritty retro Unsubscribe Remake Mix with the mysterious Mr Jones in tow. Head south and you get the flip's Oh The Gilt Mix laid down by John Doran and John Tatlock. It's a four-to-the-floor tribal electro-house bouncer with lots of click and little drone. It all goes a bit cinematic towards the end and probably outstays its welcome by a few minutes, truth be told. Worthy, regardless of length though. 7/10.
Nine Inch Nails - Came Back Haunted - out now
It's come to this - years of challenging industrial crunch compressed into coffee-table schmooze that neither excites or offends. It's middle-ground angst for people who think music like this will change the world. No it won't. Still, Trent Reznor can still write serviceable choruses with an air of menace but, for all this track's sparse '90s build-up, Came Back Haunted serves little purpose other than to tell you all that NIN are back. Ho hum. 5/10.
Part TWO coming soon.....