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INDIE CSS Donkey
(Sub Pop) 00
When CSS exploded into our lives two years ago, a thrilling, party-starting blend of dazzling colours, beautiful faces, bizarre outfits, eccentric Showmanship and wonderfully quirky sing-alongs, all seemed bright for the Brazilian electro-poppers. Since then they’ve conquered the mainstream with a plethora of hits and inked impressive money-spinning advertising deals, with lead singer Lovefoxxx even bagging herself a trendy rock star boyfriend in the form of Simon Klaxon in the process. But in April of this year bassist Ira Trevisan left the band citing unconvincing environmental reasons, and for the first time chinks in the CSS armour were revealed. Sadly, Donkey only serves to raise further doubts about the outfit’s future. Despite boasting the occasional catchy melody and a marked improvement vocally, the album is let down by an over-produced sonic sheen, bland filler tracks, emotionless ballads and cringey simplistic lyrics: ‘l’m going to get up on the table and dance my ass off till I die’ croons Lovefoxxx on ‘Left Behind’ while ‘Air Painter’ includes the tedious refrain ‘Buy me a sandwich, get me some hot tea’. CSS may not be known for their deep and meaningfuls but this is basic even for them - and when combined with a distinct lack of memorable choruses and flat, lacklustre delivery throughout, it makes for a pale imitation of the $50 Paulo quintet’s former glories. Back to the drawing board please chaps, this is one disappointing, damp squib of a second offering. (Camilla Pia)
ROCK ‘N' ROLL
IDA MARIA Fortress Round My Heart (RCA) 0....
This is hands down the album of the year. so there. Distilling down everything that's great about rock'n'roll from the last 40 years. Norwegian force of nature Ida Maria and her band have made a debut packed with hit singles. dripping with heartbreaking emotion and exploding with the joys of life. love. booze. sex and drugs. ‘Oh My God' is The Stooges fronted by Janis Joplin. ‘I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked‘ is early Strokes
meets vintage AC/DC with an Abba melody. and so it goes on.
Maria's unhinged voice is unimaginany powerful, teetering on the verge of collapse throughout. yet remaining utterly accessible and striking. and her songwriting is. without exception. direct. forceful. perceptive genius.
Ten songs. 31 minutes: rock'n'roll penecnon.
(Doug Johnstone)
FOLK FRASER FIFIELD BAND
Traces of Thrace (Tanar Records) 00..
It is tempting to assume that the fascinating meeting of musical minds reflected here is in some way down to the on—the-road developments worked out on their Tune Up tour featuring Fifield's
band and the Nedyalko Nedyalkov band from Bulgaria earlier this year. but the recording actually pre-dates the gigs. All the more remarkable. then, that they have achieved such a strong rappOrt. and one that goes beyond a simple exercise in cross- cultural referencing. Fifield has always taken an open-minded approach to his music. rooted in folk but strongly influenced by jazz improvisation. The saxophonist and piper is joined by regular collaborators in jazz guitarists Graeme
Stephen and percussionists David Robertson and Guy Nicolson, along with Nedyalko Nedyalkov on kaval (a traditional wooden flute) and Georgi Petrov on gadulka (a string instrument). Fifield’s compositions provide attractive vehicles for their compelling interweaving of traditions and the contrasting timbre and sonority of the wind and string pairings.
(Kenny Mathieson)
HIP HOP TRICKY Knowle West Boy (Domino) 0..
axioms ass: as?
Fifteen years in and Tricky remains a fascinatingly contradictory figure. This debut for esteemed indie Domino sees him more eclectic than ever. with a raft of obscure guest vocalists adding to that vibe. and features both some of his most commercial and some of his most esoteric work. Dancehall and 2-tone feature heavily. but there is everything from classical to glitch to folk here. as well as an utterly superfluous cover of Kylie's “Slow‘.
When it all clicks into place like on rampaging single ‘Council Estate' or the minimalist tribal thump of ‘Veronika' it's genuinely thrilling. but that doesn‘t happen often enough.
(Doug Johnstone)
INDIE
LIAM FINN
I’ll Be Lightning
(T ransgressive Records) 0...
Like father like son, New Zealand~born Liam (offspring of Crowded House's Neil Finn), finally comes-of—age courtesy of his long-awaited debutset
Now 23. and several years on from his initial live workouts in London (where he's based). the man highly tipped by Rolling Stone. has become semi-mythical
'Radio Friendly’ (Stereotone) eee Starlets is a perfect example of Scottish wistful shoegazing indiepop with the added bonus of trumpet from Nigel Baillie of Camera Obscura. Jangly guitar and subtle vocals make this a track to lose yourself in. Death Cab for Cutie are back with ‘Cath‘ (Atlantic) on a dark. melancholy song full of angst and heartbreaking lyrics that will have you reaching for the Kleenex. ‘Ultraviolet' (Columbia) 00
is the lead track from the Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging movie soundtrack from The Stiff Dylans. a by-numbers pop punk track that doesn’t sound dissimilar to Boy Kill Boy or Panic at the Disco. Noah and the Whale have done a great job of making the perfect sunshine pop song. ‘Five Years Time’ (Young & Lost ClubNertigo) 0000 comes complete with boy/girl harmonies. ukulele. handclaps, whistling and a recorder solo. Infantile beauty - now all we need is the sunshine.
Boyfriend/Girlfriend are a guitar-driven three piece that hail from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Optimism EP (Demo) .0. follows the current trend of singing in a Scottish accent but doesn't follow any others. Epic. garage rock with haunting vocals and certain hints of Sonic Youth’s ‘Teenage Riot' on ‘The Greatest Highs’. Ones to watch. Once in a while you'll walk down Buchanan Street and hear a busker strumming away and belting out a tune like he's on stage at Hampden and once in a while he'll sound good.
David Bateman does acoustic simplicity. reminiscent of 90’s Britpop alumni Ocean Colour Scene. The Seahorses and James. especially on ‘Caroline' (demo) .0. wondered what happened to good old fashioned indie? Are you sick of the latest wave of electro/nu-rave/emo’? If so then The Briganties are the band for you. A very British sound with soaring vocals and vintage guitar solos. ‘Underground’ (demo) 0000 hits you hard and fast with a constant battery of drums and dirty guitar, not dissimilar to Arctic Monkeys but less refined. something that gives them a deserved Single of the Fortnight. (Leigh Rafferty)
SINGLES & DOWNLOADS ;
Dublin's Fight Like Apes’ ‘Lend Me Your Face' (Model Citizen Records) 00 is a three-minute. high-voltage pop song full of dance beats and female vocals with attitude.
from The
. Ever
'm
during his recent shows — he even plays drums. From the fuzzed-out DIY—punk of ‘Lead Balloon“ to soft-ish single track. “Second
Chance'. multi~faceted Finn tries his damndest to be eclectic while retaining a blossoming pop sensibility — think John meets Julian Lennon.
With a wide range of styles on board. arguably the best cuts are ’Music Moves My Feet'. 'Remember When', ‘Better to Be' and the gorgeous title track. (Martin C Strong)
17—31 Jul 2008 THE LIST 85