I Eat Music

Unklejam – Luv Ya

Okay, first disappointment, this isn’t anything to do with James Lavelle’s Unkle. It seems the spelling is purely coincidental. Secondly, although I’m assured that Unklejam’s electro-soul sound is like nothing else on Earth, it actually sounds a lot like the style adopted by Justin Timberlake for his ‘Future Sex/Love Sounds’ album – kind of a cross between Gary Numan and Prince.

Maybe I’m being unfair. This trio clearly has tried hard to do something that’s pop without being run of the mill and what they’ve come up with is technically very good. Emotionally it does very little for me, though. I want to be moved but I’m still sat firmly in my chair.

Iain Archer – Minus Ten

Iain Archer was in Snow Patrol and picked up an Ivor Novello award in 2005 for his work on that band’s ‘Final Straw’ album. He’s since returned to his solo career and received high acclaim for his latest album, ‘Magnetic North,’ when it was released last October.

‘Minus Ten’ sounds like a Snow Patrol song and if it wasn’t for Archer’s fragile, cracking voice, you’d probably think it was one. However, it hasn’t got the same power as a Snow Patrol song and this is where it falls down. Archer tells us, “It’s minus ten out here,” but you don’t really believe him. Even if it was that cold, he doesn’t seem too bothered. I’d be inclined to leave him out there.

Five O’Clock Heroes – Skin Deep

Five O’Clock Heroes are influenced by all the coolest bands to come out of New York this Millennium but still manage to make some of the most crushingly dull music you’ll hear in the course of your lifetime. Maybe I’ve just listened to ‘Skin Deep’ too many times but every time I hear that chorus (“Skin deep oh oh oh oh” repeated ad nauseum) it sounds like fingernails on a blackboard.

The brand new acoustic track that makes the B-side, ‘Every Night, All Night Long’ just goes on and on and on and on and on and on forever and is the sonic equivalent of eating glue.

The Rapture – Pieces Of The People We Love

With glam rock drums, a summery West Coast bass line and an electro pop chorus, ‘Pieces Of The People We Love’ is a walking contradiction, which is exactly what makes it such a perfect song. Those drums get your foot going, the bass line opens your eyes wide and then those synths throw your arms up in the air and you suddenly find yourself in the middle of the room dancing like you’re not alone in a dingy office.

Taken from The Rapture’s second album of the same name, ‘Pieces Of The People We Love’ is a song for people who like the idea of new rave but not the title and like dancing at gigs but not the sweaty, red-faced men who spill their pints everywhere.

Archie Bronson Outfit – Dart For My Sweetheart

It’s almost a year since the Archie Bronson Outfit released their second album, ‘Derdang Derdang’. You might remember it got glowing reviews everywhere it went. It’s never too late for another single release though, especially with songs this good.

‘Dart For My Sweetheart’ is a folk song that wandered into a rock gig and forgot to go home. There are definite echoes of men in woolly jumpers plucking away at acoustic guitars but this is hidden behind razor sharp riffs and big-haired backing vocals.

The far more subdued B-side ‘In The Shadow Of Love,’ which features guest vocals from The Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss. Her voice wraps itself around Sam Windett’s while the rest of the band creep up slowly behind them. It’s well worth getting hold of this single for this track alone.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Strange Form Of Life

‘Strange Form Of Life’ is a beautiful, beautiful song. The way the male and female vocals work together and independently of each other at the same time is so effective that at times I completely forget that there is any music on the song. Perhaps this is why they slip in a little guitar break every now and then, just to remind you that the rest of the band are there.

The three B-sides on this single are taken from a session recorded for the Daytrotter website and strip things back to just guitar and voice, laying the songs bare and showing off exactly how good Billy’s work is.

For more of the same, check out Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s most recent album, ‘The Letting Go’.

These reviews originally appeared on The Downloader

Errors – Salut! France

With degrees finished, Errors are now ready to put their backs into this whole band lark full time. ‘Salut! France’ is the first sign of this, a single taken from the trio’s forthcoming debut album.

The song is a mighty slice of upbeat acid electro, topped off with soft guitars that lift it up and away from the hard, clinical style it might otherwise have adopted. On the B-side (or track 2, if you like) you’ll find ‘Maeve Binchy’, which features more of the same, though weirdly reminds me of Explosions In The Sky.

At the moment, they reside in the “cult band” box but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you find them wandering further away from that area than is strictly safe this year.

Various Artists – Shock Rock

There are a lot of indie bands playing with keyboards and samplers these days. Does this make for a new music scene? I would say not, but according to the makers of this compilation it does. They don’t do a very good job of proving their point, though. Many of the tracks included are remixes and a large number of acts included live in already well established electronic genres.

So, a scene it might not be, but a great compilation it is. Across its fifteen tracks we’re treated to some exciting acts, some you’ll know and some you might not, including Death From Above 1979, Toyshop, Soulwax, Whitey, The Sunshine Underground , Metronomy and CSS. The whole album has a flow that will mean you stick with it even if you come up against a track that doesn’t really do it for you.

Shock Rock is a compilation where the lines between punk, funk and indie are blurred. It may not be the makings of a new scene but it is the makings of me, drunk, dancing around my living room. Follow my lead, children.

Various Artists – Brits Hits: The Album of The Year

Hurrah! It’s that time of year once again, when we all get to find out who the best bands of the last 12 months were. Of course, I’m talking about The Brit Awards, and when I say “best,” I mean “best selling,” which is apparently the same thing.

Mock as we might, as we sit listening to bands who wouldn’t be able to afford the bus fare to an awards ceremony, but there does seem to have been a shift in pop music recently. In the past, compilations like this would have been filled with tinny keyboard demos that would have had me tearing my face off in minutes. Never would I have imaged that I’d be listening to a Brit Awards CD where most of the tracks were bearable and some were actually songs that I like.

With the likes of The Killers, Lily Allen, Muse, Gnarls Barkley, Amy Winehouse, Scissor Sisters, James Morrison and many of the other artists included, you’ll find songs that were hits because they were (regardless of personal taste) good songs. Hype has certainly played a part in all cases, but it does seem that people are being rewarded for having a talent.

With 40 tracks on offer, you’re bound to find a few things to your liking. What’s more, if you buy the CD version, you get a DVD with 30 videos plus bonus live performances from Razorlight, The Feeling and Snow Patrol.

The Electric Cinema – The Electric Cinema

Formed by well-dressed siblings Dan and Rebecca Neale (vocals/guitar and bass, respectively) with a couple of equally well-dressed friends to write a soundtrack to some old family super eight films, The Electric Cinema recorded their debut album in various houses around Watford.

This isn’t some clunky art project, though. The quality of home recording equipment these days and a hefty Arcade Fire influence (plus mastering at Abbey Road) have resulted in twelve grand, sprawling pop songs.

Analogue synths, funky bass, stomping drums, sing-along choruses and an unflinchingly optimistic sound are the order of the day and when it all goes together you get something you won’t forget any time soon.

These reviews originally appeared on The Downloader

Little Barrie – Love You (Genuine / PIAS)

Little Barrie have been popping in and out of my eye line for several years now and, to be honest, I’ve never had much time for them. Their brand of blues-influenced indie just doesn’t do it for me.

‘Love You’ is the first single taken from the band’s forthcoming second album ‘Stand Your Ground’ (due 29th Jan) and makes for a pretty uninspiring return. All is not lost though, as the first B-side comes in the shape of ‘If I Don’t Have To Answer’, a track born out of recording sessions in New York with Dan The Automator and also featuring drums from the legendary Russell Simins.

This apparently isn’t a one off either, with much of the new album coming out of these New York sessions. Maybe, just maybe, Little Barrie have got something to offer after all.

Guillemots – Annie, Let’s Not Wait (Polydor)

With a sound my fingers want to compare to Ben Folds Five but my brain wants to leave well alone come Guillemots and their new single ‘Annie, Let’s Not Wait’.

If you’ve been napping recently you may not know that Guillemots are a band led by Fyfe Dangerfield, who plunder a wide variety of genres to create some of the most uplifting and quirky pop music since The Divine Comedy and The Polyphonic Spree (who I will also not be comparing them to in this review).

‘Annie, Let’s Not Wait’ is a perfect example of why you should be listening to this band, as it is something close to the perfect pop song. You can’t resist. So stop trying.

These reviews originally appeared on The Downloader

Babyshambles – The Blinding EP (Regal)

You can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of people in England who haven’t heard of Babyshambles. But how many of those people have actually heard Babyshambles? It’s fewer than you think. That’s the problem when your band is known by its frontman’s reputation.

That, apparently, is all changed now though. Pete Doherty is recovering from his drug addictions (so I’m informed) and three labels are battling it out to release the second Babyshambles album. Before that though, one of those labels is releasing this EP and the band are heading out on a string of tour dates to promote it (including five dates postponed from October).

If Doherty and his band really are turning over a new leaf, then this is a very good way to start. Opening the show, ‘The Blinding’ is thick and rocky, with traces of Jimi Hendrix, while ‘I Wish’ is a ska track that could hold it’s own up against the genuine stars of the genre and, despite lines like “I wish to God that I had just been stabbed,” is pure fun. The other three songs don’t match up to this standard but at least manage to take a step away from the tunelessness of ‘Fuck Forever’ and the Libertines pillaging of ‘Killamangiro’.

It may not be perfect but ‘The Blinding EP’ does hint that Pete Doherty might someday be known again as a famous musician, rather than a famous junky.

Zillionaire – Not So Beautiful Now EP

This EP is the first of four download bundles to be released by Zillionaire every six weeks from the beginning of December to May next year.

Zillionaire are defined by a distinct lush, warm sound that slowly surrounds you like the smell of fresh-baked bread or apple pie. Still, each song of this EP differs wildly in style from the others, from ‘Not So Beautiful Now,’ which Explosions In The Sky in a hurry, to the Stone Roses-esque ‘High Times,’ and the country tinged ‘Champagne’. All this is topped off with Stephan Tomasek’s Jeff Buckley influenced vocals, which add yet another layer to the sound.

If this standard is maintained over the next three releases in this series then you could be in possession of a very special collection of songs next summer. Head over to www.zillionaireband.com for more info.

These reviews originally appeared on The Downloader

Moby feat. Debbie Harry – New York, New York (Mute)

It took a while to find the right adjective to describe ‘New York, New York’, but finally I have managed it: Generic. Yep, that pretty much sums up every aspect of this track.

‘New York, New York’ is not just Moby’s new single, it’s also the obligatory new song that adorns his Best Of compilation. It features Debbie Harry doing what she does best these days, namely trying to convince herself that she’s still “down” with “the kids”, while Moby presses the demo button on his keyboard. It’s so bad that it’s bringing back fond memories of Cher’s attempts to break into the dance music world. Anything that makes me think fondly of Cher should be destroyed.

Foreign Islands – We Know U Know It (Nude)

New York disco punk types Foreign Islands’ second single ‘We Know U Know It’ is an infectious 3 minutes, bringing together the sounds of Polysics and Radio 4 in equal parts. It’s spiky, it’s fast and it’s a little eccentric. It may not be entirely original (there are plenty of bits that sound awfully familiar) but it’s hard not to be won over by their plucky, enthusiastic style. It’s the sonic equivalent of that friend we all have who smiles too much, talks too fast and will never take no for an answer.

Cortney Tidwell – Missing Link (Ever Records)

Cortney Tidwell’s debut album ‘Don’t Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up’ was released back in July and now, dawdling along behind, comes the first single to be taken from it, ‘Missing Link’.

Despite being born and raised in Nashville, only the tiniest hint of country music runs through her songs. Instead her eclectic tastes have brought her comparisons to Björk, Mazzy Star and Múm, all of which is on display on ‘Missing Link’, with it’s ethereal synths and bleeps, indie guitars, impatient drums, and heart-biting vocals.

The B-side is a brand new song, ‘Oslo’, which was writing in a European capital city (first person to guess which wins a round of mocking applause) and shows Tidwell’s more intimate side, as she sits down with just an acoustic guitar to accompany her.

Declan O’Rourke – No Brakes (V2)

Declan O’Rourke is something of a celebrity in his native Ireland, where his debut album ‘Since Kyabram’ has gone double platinum. In the UK it’s been a slower burn, but with critical acclaim coming out of his ears and high-profile fans like Snow Patrol and Paul Weller, he’s getting there. It’s not all hype though (I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear), this bloke really does have something. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it is but the lilting folk rock of ‘No Brakes’ is a welcome sound.

The single’s B-sides are two live acoustic tracks. The first, ‘Galileo’ (which Paul Weller recently told Q Magazine is the song he most wishes he’d written in the last 20 years), is a bit rubbish – more the namby pamby singer/songwriter stuff I was expecting before I pressed play on this CD. O’Rourke pulls it back again though, with ‘Your World’, an upbeat song that gets your foot tapping whether you want it to or not.

Rob Sharples – So The Story Goes (Marrakesh Records)

Rob Sharples is very popular on the West Country acoustic scene and lists Franz Kafka and Jean-Paul Sartre among his influences, all of which, to be honest, makes me not want to listen to him. I don’t think these are the only reasons I have so much trouble forcing myself not to skip through these four songs after the first 30 seconds. No, I think it’s more to do with the crippling dullness.

To save time, I have condensed the rest of this review into an equation:

Soft acoustic guitar + personal lyrics ÷ “emotive” strings x no real clout = Rob Sharples

I hope that helps.

The Flaming Lips – It Overtakes Me EP (Warner Bros)

I haven’t had much time for any Flaming Lips albums since ‘Clouds Taste Metallic’ in 1995. Not in any kind of pompous “oh, I was there before you” kind of way, I just didn’t think any of the albums after that were much good. I tried to like them, oh God how I tried, but I failed. The problem is, I almost like them, and I almost like them so much that I can’t quite believe I don’t. Am I making sense?

‘It Overtakes Me’ is the closest I’ve come to liking The Flaming Lips in a long time, and if it wasn’t for the verse I’d love it. It’s like two songs for the price of one, the first half a bouncy pop song with a dirty bass line, the second some kind of ambient gospel track. It is a bit weird, as the two halves aren’t really related, but then The Flaming Lips are weird, aren’t they, so there’s your explanation.

If you find yourself inclined to procure a copy of this EP, you’ll also get your self two brand new songs (‘Crazy In Tikrit’ and ‘Time Travel’) and a remix of ‘Free Radicals’. Never let it be said The Flaming Lips don’t give you value for money.

These reviews originally appeared on The Downloader