20 August 2008
Tom Mendelsohn
Vampire Weekend, Chemical Brothers, Moby vs Freemasons, IAMX, Jon Redfern, Ali Campbell, Beck, Mason Jennings, Hello Hallelujah, The All New Adventures Of Us, Red Light Company, Olympus Mons, Grammatics, Mujava
"We can't work out if we want to buy the album or not, but if we did, it wouldn't be due to this, which sounds like a particularly excrescent off-cut from Paul Simon's mastubathon 'Graceland'."
Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa KwassaVampire Weekend are basically critic-proof these days. No one can work out to love them or hate them, and the blogs have more or less run out puff in terms of backlash. We can't work out if we want to buy the album or not, but if we did, it wouldn't be due to this, which sounds like a particularly excrescent off-cut from Paul Simon's mastubathon 'Graceland'.
The Chemical Brothers – Midnight Madness
We already had our dismissive joke down pat (something about the Chemical Brothers being too old to venture out past midnight these days – killer, am I right?), but this record channels the excellent spirit of Georgio Moroder hard, and it's actually pretty good. It's obviously not heyday quality, still enjoyably storming.
Moby vs Freemasons – Disco Lies
This sounds exactly how you would expect it to, and requires no further description from us.
IAMX – President
A greasy Berlin cod-degenerate emerges with a record that sounds a bit like Muse's first album – ie like someone copying 'OK Computer' and failing to camoflage it well.
Jon Redfern – Play Of Fear
When lamenting a divisive, shallow mainstream culture in song, it doesn't do to use acoustic early-00s plod-indie as the platform for your damning indictment, Jon Redfern.
Ali Campbell with Ladysmith Black Mambazo- Many Rivers To Cross
This is the official 'Goal4Africa' anthem. Goal4Africa is a very worthy charity initiative associated with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, aimed at raising funds for children's education and development programmes on the continent. If we were an African child, we'd rather we kept our beriberi than be lifted from poverty as a result of this shit. Is that too much?
Beck – Gamma Ray
This is more of the same in terms of latter-period Beck: a not-very-interesting tune with diverting production and not much besides. Let's face it, he hasn't been much good since Midnite Vultures.
Mason Jennings – Fighter Girl
Instead of reviewing the music, we will review the sleeve art. A tousle-haired man strums whistfully on an acoustic guitar in a rustic-looking American wilderness, while the sun rises or sets over his right shoulder, bathing him in golden, messianic light. No imagination, cliched execution, feller looks like a prick: 0/10. We bet he sounds like an anaemic Bob Dylan copyist peddling platitudinous couplets and meandering acoustic soup.
Hello Hallelujah – Old Spoons EP
Melody! Melody! Melody! Ditch the lyrical confessions and the cellos and the shambling dad-rock and write a fucking melody! Bands, this goes for the fucking lot of you!
The All New Adventures Of Us – 45 Forever
God, it's a veritable shower of Real Band Indie clots this week, isn't it? There isn't a speck of originality in this dirge of a duet, and it really surprises us that there is a market for music of this leaden obviousness. Rar.
Red Light Company – Meccano
Another one! Honestly, own up, who listens to this rubbish? It should take more than the ability to strap a guitar on and get the jack into the right slot to form a band these days, right? I mean, shouldn't we have a right to expect more than a song we've heard a billion times before from a billion bands which've all died because they couldn't write a decent song? Right?
Olympus Mons – Let The First Time Be The Last
And Let That Please Really Be The Case, Cos Sounding Like Hot Hot Heat Making Tentative Forays Into Jazz Is A Bit Of A Non-Starter (Quite A Bit Of One – Call It A Day, Lads).
Grammatics – New Franchise
Not the revelation that the press release bellows about it being, this, but still a gust of fresh air across this week's plague pit of a singles column. It's serious, post-rocky and long-winded, and it's not the work of a band that's the finished article, but it speaks of good things to come at least. Ones to watch, perhaps.
Mujava – Township Funk
This is quite excellent – a chap from Pretoria in South Africa has made the simple and obvious decision to synth up some African drum rhythms, and he's produced the goods in a big way.
Comments
Mendelsohn said on August 22nd 2008 [report abuse]
not to listen to, let me assure you.
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peteo said on August 20th 2008 [report abuse]
a joy, as ever.