06 August 2008

by Charlotte Otter

Black Channels, ZZZ, We Are Scientists, The Stiff Dylans, Scouting For Girls, G. Love And Special Sauce, Projects, Si Phil Feat. HT, Absentee, Tambourines

"Surely even Chinese water torture is better than this and it sounds exactly like their last song."

Black Channels – Visit The Windows
Melodic hardcore, yelping, guttural vocals, strong, driving drums and melodic guitars; if you’re looking for something different, heavier and more intense then look no further than this Glasgow band.

We Are Scientists - Impatience
Good ol' catchy rock song with rock guitars, rock singing and the obligatory rock key-change at the end. Nothing bad here – just nothing spectacularly brilliant either.

One Day As A Lion - Wild International
Featuring the vocals of RATM Mr Rocha, this sounds like a slicker, more modern version of the aforementioned group; dirty, scuzzy guitars and half-spat vocals, all is missing is the anger and helpless frustration that made RATM a cut above the rest.

Stiff Dylans - Ultraviolet
This immaculately groomed quartet are probably too young to have more than a chest hair between them, but since they are marketing a particular brand of predictable pop punk which is popular with under 13's, it’s almost ok.

G. Love And Special Sauce - Peace, Love and Happiness
NN wants to be sick from the name alone, and the opening harmonica don’t help. Neither does the slapped guitar, the half-hearted gospel on backing harmonies and the faux southern charm.

Projects - The Only
Lots of anger and talk of guns under laid with throbbing guitars which switch on a knife edge into thick, hammering riffs, tight, quick and clever. Sadly the single’s let down by the vocals, which, whilst half shouted, half spat down the mic- aren’t fully developed enough to take full effect.

Scouting For Girls - It’s Not About You
Urgh. Get this off now, this instant! Surely even Chinese water torture is better than this and it sounds exactly like their last song ‘She’s So Lovely.’

Absentee- They Do It These Days
His voice is thick like treacle and growls like a bear and who cares if it’s juxtaposed with jangly, honky-tonk pianos and exuberant chorus-like backing vocals, Dan Absentee could carry on singing forever and it would never become boring.

Si Phil Feat. HT- Sunshine
Trashy sounding R&B, like Will Smith mixed with Usher, complete with an MC and trumpets. ‘Nuff said.

The Tamborines- 31st Floor
Bit like The Dandy Warhols, but with the laconic delivery of New Order. Not only is this a grower, but the psychedelic overtones will make this a firm favourite before the second listen is over.

ZZZ- Grip
Funky, feisty and fun; whiplash drumming, twanging bass riffs; it’s almost like Goldfrapp’s ‘Strict Machine’ but dirtier, scuzzier and quite frankly a whole heap better. These Amsterdam boys have done good.

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10 November 2008

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31 October 2008

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