Singles Released 4th September
Get your disco dancing roller skates on this week. Initial hatred of this week’s releases by The Scissor Sisters, Robbie Williams and The Rapture has subsided into genial acceptance and even enjoyment. Perhaps understandable with the campy goodtime vibes of Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ (if Elton John keeps hanging out with the Scissor Sisters people are going to start thinking he’s gay) and the funky Get Myself Into It but surely unforgivable in the case of the universally panned Rudebox. I disagree. It’s about time he rediscovered his fun side after an interminable run of dull singles. Even if Rudebox is a considerable distance from Kids it bodes well for future renaissance.
No such change in fortune for Nelly Furtado’s increasingly desperate attempts to convince us all she’s a total slut, Dennis Christopher (friend of the dancing midget Michael Jackson fronted Beatfreakz) attempt to convince us he’s not a slut and Gomez who’ve abandoned their early ramshackle inventiveness in favour of songs so dull they are indistinguishable from mud.
Peak of the Week: Richard Hawley – Hotel Room
It was good to see Arctic Monkeys giving due to Richard Hawley when they collected the Mercury Prize since he’s what they’re going to be in twenty years. They both share a penchant for lyrics detailing the romantic process as well as a knack for a catchy melody.
This song is another piece of gloomy tenderness from Hawley which knows where the button is and presses the hell out of it.
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Israel was a 750 pound Hawaiian singer before he suffocated on his own fat in 1997. An experience which was probably about as enjoyable as listening to this cloying rendition of the Arlen and Harberg classic. This song itself is heavy with longing and melancholy which is discarded here in favour of stilted guitars and cheesy drum machine.
This is a real shame considering that ‘longing and melancholy’ are the staples of the best Hawaiian music. Take this track by Cyril Pahinui:
Cyril Pahinui – Ku’u Lei
Buy Rough Guide to the Music of Hawaii
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – Cheated Hearts
Karen O manages to restrain her tendency towards caterwauling like a bobble-headed ninny allows the song to speak for itself; which it does admirably. There are still plenty of inventive guitar flourishes from today’s foremost indie guitarist Nick Zinner.
The Veils – Advice For Young Mothers To Be
The Veils initially came to my attention in 2003 when they were riding the Buckley-a-like wave along with Ben Christophers and released the transcendent, if a little over earnest (de rigueur for Jeff Buckley lovers), Lavinia. Since then the band have split to widespread indifference and frontman Finn Andrews has assembled a new cast of cohorts for another stab.
The single is rather pedestrian and inoffensive but forget about that. The song they should have released, and God willing will release, is Jesus for the Jugular. This track so dark, moody and scary that it wouldn’t be out of place on OK Computer. It’s that good.
The Veils – Jesus for the Jugular
Pre-order Nux Vomica
No such change in fortune for Nelly Furtado’s increasingly desperate attempts to convince us all she’s a total slut, Dennis Christopher (friend of the dancing midget Michael Jackson fronted Beatfreakz) attempt to convince us he’s not a slut and Gomez who’ve abandoned their early ramshackle inventiveness in favour of songs so dull they are indistinguishable from mud.
Peak of the Week: Richard Hawley – Hotel Room
It was good to see Arctic Monkeys giving due to Richard Hawley when they collected the Mercury Prize since he’s what they’re going to be in twenty years. They both share a penchant for lyrics detailing the romantic process as well as a knack for a catchy melody.
This song is another piece of gloomy tenderness from Hawley which knows where the button is and presses the hell out of it.
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Israel was a 750 pound Hawaiian singer before he suffocated on his own fat in 1997. An experience which was probably about as enjoyable as listening to this cloying rendition of the Arlen and Harberg classic. This song itself is heavy with longing and melancholy which is discarded here in favour of stilted guitars and cheesy drum machine.
This is a real shame considering that ‘longing and melancholy’ are the staples of the best Hawaiian music. Take this track by Cyril Pahinui:
Cyril Pahinui – Ku’u Lei
Buy Rough Guide to the Music of Hawaii
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – Cheated Hearts
Karen O manages to restrain her tendency towards caterwauling like a bobble-headed ninny allows the song to speak for itself; which it does admirably. There are still plenty of inventive guitar flourishes from today’s foremost indie guitarist Nick Zinner.
The Veils – Advice For Young Mothers To Be
The Veils initially came to my attention in 2003 when they were riding the Buckley-a-like wave along with Ben Christophers and released the transcendent, if a little over earnest (de rigueur for Jeff Buckley lovers), Lavinia. Since then the band have split to widespread indifference and frontman Finn Andrews has assembled a new cast of cohorts for another stab.
The single is rather pedestrian and inoffensive but forget about that. The song they should have released, and God willing will release, is Jesus for the Jugular. This track so dark, moody and scary that it wouldn’t be out of place on OK Computer. It’s that good.
The Veils – Jesus for the Jugular
Pre-order Nux Vomica
posted by Woodshed at
6:46 pm
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