11 October 2008

by Rob McCrae

Hot Melts, Foals, Disturbed, Lesser Panda, Noise Control, Liquid Liquid, Attic Lights, Enjoy Destroy, The Fins, Reemer, Wired Desire

"The reverse side to their frenetic maths rock burnouts, somewhat introspective with some atmospheric reverbs vibrating like the sunny haze on a petrol forecourt."

Hot Melts – (I Wish I Had) Never Been In Love
A Muse like pyrotechnic band fronted by a restrained Justin Hawkins, like the song from a car chase scene in a Jerry Bruckheimer film all flamboyant changes and screeching vocals. If this came on at an indie disco roughly half the crowd would be driven to buying another drink.

Foals – Olympic Airways
The reverse side to their frenetic maths rock burnouts, somewhat introspective with some atmospheric reverbs vibrating like the sunny haze on a petrol forecourt. Yannis does over enunciating his vowels though and to their working class fans this may become annoying.

Disturbed – Indestructible
An air raid siren and some Vietnam helicopters make for a powerful/pompous intro, picture this band mapping out this song like Army commanders poring over a miniature mock up of a hillside. Unfortunately it sounds like a Metallica covers band that would have trouble working up a crowd of sugar doused children.

Lesser Panda – Ghostdance
Like being whisked back to the late eighties when The Cure were at their peak, adenoid vocals with a bass line so strapping it’s like a juggernauts fan belt. Someone has also listened to some classic funk albums and then whipped them out in the recording studio demanding their inclusion.

Noise Control – Cities Of Dreams
Like the rap metal of old school band Senser but with a more slack attitude to crafting decent lyrics (the word nice should be beaten with bars) but when it blossoms towards the finale and the guitars knock on the door and let themselves in, its possible to turn the other way to the shameless anachronistic 90’s throwback style.

Liquid Liquid – Remixes
Remixes of Optimo and Rubbermiro, with a cowbell thrown in, and some peeling trumpet that sounds like you’ve just opened the door to a late night jam and then shut it again. The cover is very colourful, autistic children would love it.

Attic Lights – Wendy
Typical of the teeth gratingly feel good indie that sometimes comes out of Scotland like some illegal package that must be approached with a long scaffolding pole. Teenage Fanclub did enough, flooding the marketplace with their anodyne little ditties enough to break a Hells Angels heart. We don’t need more.

Enjoy Destroy – Enjoy Destroy EP
This four piece are a handsome band, the kind your teenage daughter would climb out of her top bedroom window for. If Fightstar had currency in the captious hearts of the indie audience then this would be the ideal comparison but a recent survey says Enjoy Destroy are significantly better. Like Greenday before they started reading the intelligent bits in the papers.

The Fins – Adaptor
Chugging sub Nickelback dirge from a five piece who hail from the Hampshire/Surrey border aka “an area well known for producing top quality bands”. The singer could quite feasibly turn around mid performance and discover that he’d been supported by a bank of pre-programmed drum machines and guitars.

Reemer – Rockstar
The least convincing advert for a band with delusions of rock stardom, a sub Rooster outfit or just a combination of average haircuts unable to string together a series of lyrics that sound like anything other than a moronic conversation bellowed to each other in the corner of a bar, in a group made up of exclusively of men who will rarely have sex.

Wired Desire – Barely Legal
There’s a touch of Guns and Roses posturing from this Scottish band and a whiff of Spinal Tap about the extended guitar solos but what they lack in the cool quotient they make up for in the sure hedonistic unashamedly rock and roll nature of their gravelly voice meets fret work meets w0omen in tight denim dancing for their enjoyment. Guilty pleasure.

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