Brian Burton fuses another hypnotic meeting of minds while a Southampton trio prove they’re more than an interesting backstory. Getintothis’ Mike Torpey can’t stop spinning.
Band Of Skulls: I Know What I Am – Single Of The Week
How’s this for an eclectic mix?
Bass player Emma swam for England, has a collection of 20,000 albums and worked weekends in a butcher’s shop, drummer Matt has played tennis with McEnroe and his dad was in a band that supported the Stones while guitarist Russell has survived falling through a glacier and had a great grandad who was a stowaway on the Titanic.
Collectively they are Band Of Skulls, a threesome with a lucrative future if there’s any justice.
This single, from debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey has a 70s pop/rock feel with crashing chords, driving guitars and a wall of sound harmonies that gets better with every listen. Get involved.
Broken Bells: The High Road
Irresistible pop from Gnarls Barkley producer Danger Mouse and Shins singer/guitarist James Mercer.
The High Road, opening track on their self-titled debut album (out March 8), is a melting pot of psychedelia, acoustic strumming and soothing electronics. Hypnotic stuff.
Kasabian: Vlad The Impaler
How do you pick the ideal single from an album like West Ryder? Easy. Go for a full-on rant like Vlad, crank up the decibels and …get loose, get loose.
Matthew P: Swimming EP
Singer/songwriter Matthew P puts up fences by day, writes tunes at night and records it all in a beach hut on the Suffolk coast.
Swimming‘s an honest little low budget five-tracker that would stand a chance if Matthew had a killer voice – but he hasn’t.
JEFF The Brotherhood: U Got The Look b/w The Tropics
Jake and Jamin Orrall sounds suspiciously like a pair of good ol’ boys from Appalachia. Mercifully there’s no sign of any Jimmie Rodgers hats here as the Nashville siblings plunge headlong into that space between punk and hard rock, aka The Ramones but with an extra half dozen gears.
JLS: One Shot
Come on admit it, we’re all closet X-Factor fans, aren’t we, and JLS were, er, second.
Nothing second-rate about this lavish production job though, the publicity juggernaut will ensure it’s a tune we can’t erase from the sub-conscious. Any musical relevance – come on.
Daisy Dares You: Number One Enemy
Infectious dance floor-friendly bubblegum punk from 16-year-old Daisy Coburn who slips easily into the Little Boots mould.
Throbbing electro beat, echoed vocals – you know the formula. Half decent though.
Hallo…I Love You!: Walk Me To The Sea
The Liverpool four-piece say they arrived last spring with the aim of covering the world in honey-fresh, deliciously cloudless skypop – but then their influences include eternal sunshine, toffee apples and the Toxteth Job Centre. Nice mix – this lot certainly deserve a chance.
Crookers: Remedy
Has the needle stuck, is the battery running down? No it’s Remedy from Italian DJ/production duo Crookers featuring the electro pop of Swedish band Miike Snow – there’s a lovely bit towards the end that sounds like a kid grizzling through a used bog roll cylinder.
Chapel Club: O Maybe I
Piledriver bass and fuzzed guitars underpin impassioned vocals recalling those familiar songwriting themes of love and frustration. Fans of The Smiths might like it, if they can abide the pseudo Morrissey vocals.
Blue Roses: Does Anyone Love Me Now? EP
Hints of early period Kate Bush from Yorkshire thrush Laura Groves whose sweet, melodic voice and finger-picked acoustic guitar blend to produce refreshingly pure English folk music. Relaxing and listenable.
Riton vs Primary 1: Radiates
With their pin sharp production, bouncing beats and soaring synths, Senor Rave Fingers and Exploding Lion Head Man have weaved some dancefloor magic. Weird and wonderful.
