11 July 2008

by Lisa Holmes

The Last Shadow Puppets, Micah P Hinson, Semifinalists, N.E.R.D, James Blunt, Pint Shot Riot, Super Tennis, The Blakes, Ava Leigh, Underworld, Jupiter One, Blood Red Shoes, Royworld

"The love felt for this song surpasses all rational thought, it's a bite-sized chunk of Scott Walker for the noughties."

The Last Shadow Puppets – Standing Next To Me
The love felt for this song surpasses all rational thought, it's a bite-sized chunk of Scott Walker for the noughties. If only Turner and Kane would combine this type of tune with the Life on Mars style cop show their surnames deserve, it would be white polo necks and cravats all round.

Blood Red Shoes – This Is Not For You
Laura Mary sounds jarringly on edge and Steven’s drums and backing vocals come from the next room, listen to it more than once and you will be hooked. Grunge just got remade in Blondie’s image.

Jupiter One – Platform Moon
There is definitely a theme here somewhere, we're sure you can figure it out as the title is about as subtle as Janet Street Porter. The space exploration continues through to the music full of unemotion, roaring synths and the emptiness of space. Surely a video of spacemen floating quietly in to the distance beckons.

Semifinalists – Last Pretending
This electronic twee-ness flits coyly from rock to pop but always embraces its own central ideology of saccharine goodness. They are a bit like Crunchy Nut Cornflakes; a pudding masquerading as a cereal.

Micah P Hinson & The Red Empire Orchestra – When We Embraced
Rugged and righteous, Hinson transports any listener back in time with his jailbreak voice and solid moral underbelly. This is a simple track but worthy of your time and a nice big cheque from the advertising men.

Ava Leigh – Rollin’
Why anyone would want to impersonate Joss Stone is beyond comprehension. Mock reggae and sickeningly earnest pop vocals mark Leigh out as one to avoid.

Underworld – Ring Road
Shaun Ryder should be proud, we didn’t think Black Grape would ever reform. Oh wait, it’s actually Underworld who are now down with the common man; we can just imagine various members of Underworld lounging around outside the local Lidl with their cans of Tenants Super. The cleverest this social commentary gets is talking about an abandoned trolley.

The Blakes – Don’t Want That Now
How do you think The Blakes feel about Blake-incarcerated? Is he their friend and mentor or a simple distraction from their Oasis impersonations? Still at least they’ve chosen the good bits to impersonate, like the tunes and the distinctive vocal style and mixed it in with some discordant strings. A bit like designer vs. high street, and you decide which is which.

Super Tennis – Pushinsky / Billy Ocean 
NN so wanted this to be the new single from Super Hans. It isn’t but we're not too disappointed, because summer always needs bouncy bonkers indie with a chorus that goes "Toga, toga” to make it as good as it could be. These guys are more schizophrenic than The Young Knives and so much more relevant now Wimbledon’s finished.

Pint Shot Riot – Start Digging
The Fratellis meetsThe Enemy in a Northern indie lover's wet dream. It's all riot acts, in a big ol’ indie pie.

James Blunt – I Really Want
James Blunt does Tracey Chapman in a posh, oh-so English voice.

N.E.R.D – Everyone Nose
Pharrell and co. do exactly what they do best – shout out to all the girls who "need the toilet". There may be a question mark over their continued relevance but after a few Stellas this is a guaranteed floorfiller. You ‘nose’ it (ahem).

Royworld – Brakes
Wrong, wrong, wrong, so very, very, wrong.

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