Elliot Smith
‘The horror'. rumbled swarthy mentalist Marlon Brando at the end of Apocalypse Now. ‘the horror!’ He might have heard the news that Robbie Williams has a new single out. It's called ‘Misunderstood' (EMI) O . and fans might be interested to know that Robbie has once again exceeded all expectations bestowed upon his manly arid inexplicably well-remunerated shoulders. Yep. it's a godawful turd.
Maroon 5's ‘Sunday Morning‘ (J Records/BMG) 0 isn't quite as bad but remains Sinful garbage for people who prefer looking at CD cases to actual music. Damien Rice might be similarly placed in the middle of the road, but at least his breathy ballad ‘The Blower‘s Daughter' (14th Floor) .00 engages as something touching first. and a buck-maker second.
Elsewhere. the mentalists are out in force this fortnight. Not that Glasgow outfit Trent's ‘American God EP‘ (Backbeat) CO. is particularly crazed — more of a low-key indie-boy strumalong »- but whoever blew their marketing budget for the next decade on the extravagant fold-out packaging is clearly a few cans down. And yes. we do prefer the music to the case — no hypocrisy here. thank you very much. Of truly nuts musicians there are plenty in the pile. however . . . take the crazed electro-iazz stompery of Campag Velocet's 'Who Are the Trumping Men?‘ (Pointy) 00. , the unique/bloody annOying scat of [The Real] Tuesday Weld's ‘Bathtime In Clerkenwell' (PIAS) COO . or the bloody brilliant shambles-rock of Glasgow‘s Mother and the Addicts with ‘Who Art You Girls' (Chemikal Underground) 0... as proof. Then there's the ever-dependable Goldie Lookin' Chain. brilliantly laying the shoe into dimwit boybands with ‘You Knows l Loves You' (Atlantic) 00.. and - they say — hunting for that elusive Christmas number two spot.
Fresh from her continumg coronation as queen of all things camp, disco-pop and vaguely rubbish, Kylie's Scissor Sisters collaboration/Donna Summer rip-off 'I Believe In You' (Parlophone) .0. is actually pretty damn fine. Not. however. a patch on Weegie riot grrls We Rock Like Girls Don't. whose ‘I Just Wanna Stick My Head In the Bass Drum' (Distort) O... is a monolith of sexy three- chord fury.
Finally. two men we just couldn't separate — so we gave ‘em joint Singles of the Fortnight. One is Brian Wilson's ‘Good Vibrations' (Nonesuch) 00.00 — one of the greatest songs ever. re-recorded to perfection. The other is Elliot Smith‘s ‘Pretty (Ugly Before)‘ (Domino) 00000 — unlike those listed at the top. it‘s harrowing for all the right reasons.
(David Pollock)
88 THE LIST 2—16 Dec 200-1
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R‘)’;Uf’l‘:ll l/‘:T .‘.":‘:." id“) and 1’172. these four alburris represent a f;ff:élll'."; peak for a band .‘Jho li/ed in a bloo’l, great castle in Gemiariy and used to jétfl‘ ll‘.(: for hours straight to tape and pick out the best bits. While Tago hinge and Ege Barn Vari/ are pretty much complete in showcasing the uncategorisalile genius in CENTS music there are two monolithic hunks ~ 'Yoo Doo Right' and ‘Mother Sky' from Monster MOW} and Soundtracks respectively —- that show Just what you can do Willi five guys. two notes and 20 minutes.
(Mark Robertson)
HIP HOP FLEVANS
Make New Friends (Tru Thoughtsi .000
If Fatboy Slim hasn't dropped the Big Beat baIOn then Flevans has certainly taken a loan of it. Sitting comfortably between the effortless cool of hip hop and the unabashed good humour of house. Make New Friends la collection of three prevrously released EPsl is the modern manifestation of Norman Cook's party- hardy SOund. Ourrky dancefloor Jazz is rubbed up against Joyous vocal samples and laid over bolshy beats and scratches; all making for an unpretenti0us Brighton bomb.
As at home booming in yetir Jeep. bounCing in yOLir iPod or banging in yOur kitchen. Flevans' is dance muSic for fun. (Mark Edmundsoni
INDIE AMBERSHADES Clap Clap Clap
(Jack And Danny) 0..
Over a year ago. this London fivesome
"attltiutev'l 'it’. “>ii' 'Crari Car: (jar, - one
u‘ We must /i sonsz about a r'oria'ie breakdown ever .'."!fen Then the. .’ttlll‘;llf}’l ’iff the face fit the [art" only to return no.2. lilariiirig the 'lela‘. on ‘bad £ltl'.’|(;(: and good drugs'. neither of .‘.’llif‘,ll seem to bane affected their ability to knock out soaring guitar pop This debut boasts singalong choruses, despondent lyrics and off-killer riielodies all cloaked in
scratchy guitars and the
most unabashedly shiriirner‘lng harmonies; like Teenage Fancliib doing a collection of Zutons covers. Luscious listening overall. if a little pedestrian in places. lCarnilla Piai
ELECTRONIC POP SKE
Life, Death, Happiness & Stuff
lSniekkleysa Bad Taste SM) 0000
Icelandic pop stars are so much better than ours; Just look at the innovative ecceritriCity of Biork. or Sigur Ros' otherworldly perfection. And now we've got Ske. an arty seven- piece who iif you ignore the horrendously cheeSy title) have rnade one of the most beguiling LRs of the year. Life. . . clinks into action wrth the slide guitar-driven ‘Stuff' but soon floats from the speakers in a romantic rush of pianos. strings. flutes. sweet vocals. beats and the occasional blip/bleep. befOre Cliniaxrng With the inleCIIOUSly robotic 'T-Rex'. It is Sung in a Curious mix of English. French and Japanese. and makes for a bizarre but quite brilliant first effert. (Camilla Rial
LE RENO AMPS LP fay»: E? o.
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all people.
the, get things 'i/il‘t. llr-t,‘ III the lot. rerlt Solis X“. Daughters rattle It ‘Once You Kn: liiit else'.‘.'here. .‘Jllllff the, {ll'l‘ for the ill/x. heights of Calexrro. the. erid uri sounding rriore like a Proclairr‘ers who haw: lost the plot.
Doug Johnstone;
SUMBHE PHI) STEVEN LINDSAY Exit Music ISerriinali o.
Steele-n Lindsa, .‘xas the frontlnan of the Big Dish. a bunch of SCHMI‘.
Scottish popster‘ also
rans fro'i the nos. HEMIIIQ disappeared off the radar for ouer a decade he's back .‘.’lTl‘i a "lebut solo albu'lx but it‘s no great i'i‘ipro.eri‘.ent on or departure fro'r .vhat he‘s done before. Lindsay has ost borne of fine bori‘bast of his t"ir'her band. trying to instil ever, hackneyetl and cliched line .‘rith such portent that songs often implode under the weight of their O‘Hfl Self- importarit 'r‘elanchely. The music in. cod; piano. sweeping strings etc» is often fine. but the lack of Iii/E‘DIJOFT in the basic songwriting lets this record down.
lDoug Johnstonei
EVIL ED The Enthusiast . :' " O.
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C", )l lllll"/ H’ V)“- ENDRICK BROTHERS Built to Last
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'i ore these (la/,2 l', the ’l‘:ll'e's titresliare lf‘ l/lil‘léfllll. A‘, If If; (JV/J; the rieirit, here some Scots ’lllllllf;l the Eri'lrick Brothers .'.’ll.'l a set of su'rhier ‘,llfi- Vl‘L‘sUl ’lri/irig coir", rockers that .‘aoulrlri‘t (L’Jtlll’l ’flll ’1i‘[)l;,t(,‘:
blari 1”",t’. fheliighnay. Niall Holrnes' xoeal', firi’i .‘Jlll‘ appropriately- accented st/le on songs like ‘The Ballad for a Fli'f‘ IDylaru to l/chuir'ir‘ii'. .v'riiie out). references to their heroes are entirer unnecessary in tire face of “(orick Cir/"rack and Denny Little's chiming guitars. (Dam RorloCki