SINGLES Sr DOWNLOADS
Comershop
Another bumper yield of quality Scots music this fortnight, most with a decidedly spring air about them. so where better to start than with Robert Burns? Having been bolstered wrth alt.country cuteness courtesy of Camera Obscura. ‘I Love My Jean' (Elefant) me proves perfect fora breezy Sunday afternoon in the rose garden and surely an ideal bedfellow of Amplifico‘s 'Hometakes Volume 2' (demo) 0.” _ itself a gorgeous collection that smiles not without attitude. The next of the unsigned delights is Tinrokit‘s hermaphrodite indie-rock ‘Catalysts for Happiness EP' (demol em . tender and ballsy and really rather good. A similarly soft- centred indie truffle comes in the form of “The Point of Realisation' (demo) «0 by Edinburgos Sub- Opt. while Wesside counterparts Dieselbone show equal promise on their tidy. psychedelic ‘Innerstate' (demo) on . Perth's Luxury Car offer up an approachable yet angular sonic misadventure on 'The Heart of the Matter' (Biphonic) m . a warped. glichy wee rocker that. if the playfully maniacal ‘Click to Enter‘ (demo) em is anything to go by. Satellite Dub could surely appreciate.
Busdriver's ‘Avantcore' (Big Dada) cm is a trio of Can-sampling, jittery hip hop rattles which leave you completely out of breath. Nice to know however, that the calming cinematic moments on Skalpel's electrofunk remixes ‘Break Out' (Ninja Tune) «0 will help soothe the nerves. Then there's the chance to hear four new endeavours from the wonky world of electronica via Dundee University's exhibitions Dept. C Digga (Disparc) m and friends are frazzled. fun in places.
Back on planet pop-dross. avoid at all costs Kristian Leontiou's sadly unimaginative and wholly unnecessary buttering of Tracey Chapper's ‘Fast Car‘ (Polydor) O . Tougher to dodge will be Natasha Beddingfield's ‘l Bruise Easily' (Phonogenic) 00 . It's not very special but you have to suppose it could‘ve been worse. Like ‘Heavy on My Heart' (Epic) O for instance. persistent growler Anastasia's latest assault on British ears. Profits have been promised to Breast Cancer Research. but you'd do better to send a cheque.
Kelis' latest smutty suggestion is that we all get to it ‘In Public' (EMI) m . Sure to become quite irksome over the coming months. More energised but no less sleazy are the stormy thrashings of ‘My Friend Dario‘ (PIAS) me by Vitallic. and not spitting distance away Etienne De Crecy's Super Discount 2 is rocking the steely. grimy house of ‘Someone Like You (Fast Track Vocal Mix) (PIAS) me . Commiserations to The Bees’ ‘Chicken Payback‘ (EMI) .0000; an infectious. fringe-curling beach twister pipped at the post by a flawless Bollywood dancehall banger from Cornershop featuring Bubbley Kaur. For pure pop pleasure. and for thinking outside the box. ‘Topknot‘ Com is shimmying away with the Single of the Fortnight. Bounce. (Mark Edmundson)
72 THE LIST 31 Mar-14 Apr 2005
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(Emma Nemaniis ‘.'.’()R'._D , gllAGzl’EL ‘ANGA’
Echu Mingua (Wodd CirCuIti 0..
Standards and noxelties take in traditional African contemporan.’ Argentinean and hip hop influences in this experimental Jazz world counCil. Diaz leads his personal dream team from the back in his exploration of the melodic potential of the cenga drums — assembling up to seven congas on his interpretation of ‘Round Midnight'.
Rather than furthering the s0und. some of DJ Dee Nasty's whispering sCralches can be pretty tiresome at times but most c0ntributions are inspired — including the ever affable Ruben Gonzalez in his last recording.
Spiritual in concept. and featuring some truly dazzling musrcianship. Echu Mingua is wonhy. accomplished and brimming With personality. (Mark Edmundson)
ROCK YOUCODENAME IS:MILO
Ignoto
(Fiction) 0...
How easy is it to be different. do you think? Dispense With the Jauntin perched trilby. the recycled Clash riff
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*x’l'W'T" "g; Crib: .l‘fi lr' assuri‘rfi. "s at» :it t'w l(?flliii(' name T'ivr. .'..i TI‘.(i‘ T”) ’(tglsr’. (lll’l " . .3; oi‘ this iletu..t aitilil“ .i" Llll(7()'f‘[?f()l“lf3|fit) wail i‘ noise that soiinrls different but remains at heart a melodic beast lndie rock for all intents and purposes. but smarter and wore intense.
For this \(3rt)<)se and uptight aitmn‘. producer Flood lwho has Sprinkled a similar kind of farm dust on HR. Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails in the pasti has done an arna/ing Job of making a recording of a band exploding out from the speakers of a rickety TV set. all static and ill//. With the picture occasionally clearing to moments of familiar warmth or contrasting cold clarity. Breathtaking.
(Mark Robertson)
POP
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA Counting Down the Days
(Brightside) O.
Returning to her once hugely successful career as a pop chanteuse after the debatable heights of showrng up in Rowan Atkinson's forgettable Spy flick Johnny Erig/ish. it seems Beth from Neighbours IS gOing all- out to get her foot back On the pop ladder. Teaming up wrth a host of pop production line expedsrU2.Joss Stone. Kylie and Annie Lennox appear among their songwriting production CFGGIISl. there's an admirable degree of quality control gOing on here. There's certainly
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original tiilling MEI”) [glectioiiir perhaps being the onl', HUIillllt‘ exceptionperhaps fee! free to argue. so it's far better when musicians go off pleasant new tangents so we're not left longing for the familiar.
Friga/i's lar‘. MacKayr: does this perfectly when learning up with drummer and singer Amy Farina. ilei percusswe dine and plaintive vocals work in tender harmony with MacKaye's simple. if choppy guitar pop Bare. unenciirnhereil, if slightly sheeoish indie pop is the result. swapping pomp for humility and trailing ill high concept in favour of lost: :riirnerliac.. lMar'k Rolieitsoiii
ROCK
TOM VEK
We Have Sound (Tummy Touchi 0.0.
You can tell something snot quite right with Tom Vek's debut when the summery synth that kicks off opening track 'C-C (You Set the
69 Corp Oar Present to the f oft/(e Sorrrethirig /rr Construction This most excellent electronica r'luo's debut finally sees the light of day.
Thee Silver Mt Zion Orchestra and Tra La La Band Horses in the Sky i’Coriste/mtioni‘ Godspeedf's Efriin and friends get vocal on this third large ensemble album where post rock meets folk.
Various G/astoribi/ry Anthems (Hi/fl) Not quite as ambitious as it sounds: a DVD collection of the more mainstream pop moments from the last ten years of Glasto including Franz. Moby and Travis.
Daedelus Exquisite Cerpse (Ninja Tune; Yet another loon hip hop producer appears out of the shadows. laden with exquisite organic Cut and paste peculiarities.
Will Smith Lost and Farm] (Universal) Can you believe this is his eighth album? Feels like only yesterday when he was telling us about being ‘west Philadelphia. born and raised . . .'