list.co.uk/music Records – Singles | MUSIC
SINGLES, EPS AND DOWNLOADS
THE MACHINE ROOM Chances / Your Head on the Floor Next Door (Disorder Recordings) ●●●●● This second single from Edinburgh quintet the Machine Room comes in advance of the ‘Sweden EP’ from which its lead track is taken later in the month, and it’s a pretty impressive early piece of work. ‘Chances’ is atmospheric and powerfully produced, at once blending that U2 wall of guitars sound and a much subtler shoegaze edge in a manner that reminds of Editors, while songwriter John Bryden’s densely accented and effects-laden vocal comes into its own amid the dreamy, strangely 80s-recalling ‘Your Head on the Floor Next Door’. ■ soundcloud.com/themachineroom
TRANS Green EP (Rough Trade) ●●●●● BDY_PRTS IDLU (EmuBands) ●●●●●
The odd-couple pairing of sometime Suede guitarist Bernard Butler and Jackie McKeown of Glasgow outfits the Yummy Fur and the 1990s is most thrilling for being entirely unexpected in tone. This follow-up to last year’s debut ‘Red EP’ is steeped in a particularly resonant sense of 1970s Americana, from the breezy Modern Lovers vocals and jangling Velvet Underground guitars of ‘Thinking About a Friend’ and ‘Tangerine’ to the clattering Neil Young instrumental that ends ‘The Prince’ and the lo-fi glam rock of ‘Lights’. ■ Trans play the CCA, Glasgow, Thu 13 Mar. In Glasgow terms, Bdy_Prts are a brand new supergroup, combining the talents of Strike the Colours’ Jenny Reeve and Sparrow and the Workshop’s Jill O’Sullivan with, in the case of this debut track, the production talents of Julian Corrie, aka Miaoux Miaoux. On the basis of just this song there’s plenty of potential for them to do big things in the future, with a smoky, minimal layer of electric guitar combining with some lovely harmonies in a reserved but taut fashion, leaving us eager to hear more. ■ Launch party at Nice‘n’Sleazy, Glasgow, Wed 5 Mar. Read an interview, below. bdyprts.com
WHILST Everything There Was Was There (Optimo Music) ●●●●● Another brilliant and hard to categorise Optimo joint, led off by the fantastic ‘Goya’s Skull’, a track that condenses the cowbell funk of Liquid Liquid with a dash of Jeff Mills and the ghostly urban growl of early Factory Records. There’s also some sax-led afrojazz on ‘Untitled from North Africa’, moody krautrock amid ‘Umgebung’ and more of a free-jazz element to the EP’s final two tracks. To hear them is to crave more. ■ soundcloud.com/optimo-music/ optimo-music-022-whilst (Singles and EPS reviewed by David Pollock)
EXPOSURE
BDY_PRTS
Glasgow alt-pop dead-ringers Bdy_Prts formed in a Little Chef, over an apple pie. The glorious machine- rock duo stars Sparrow and the Workshop’s Jill O’Sullivan (left) and Strike the Colours’ Jenny Reeve (right), and they release their superlative debut single, ‘IDLU’ in March. Grrrl-group harmonies and kick-ass melodies come as standard. Whether they’ll comply with our merchandise request (bdy_stckngs) remains to be seen.
[Jill O’Sullivan moonwalks in] What galvanises Bdy_Prts?
‘We love our guitars and violins. Lately we’ve been courting a sunburst baritone Fender 6, which has us mesmerised by its moody powers. We’re also fascinated by vintage samplers, à la our Akai MPC 1000 and, more recently, with Maschine. At first we looked like the apes in Space Odyssey around the monolith, but we’re getting it now – particularly with the help of drum yoda Jonny Scott, and our friend Julian [Miaoux Miaoux].’ Do Bdy_Prts have a spirit animal?
‘Our joint animal is an Aggrocat. It’s a terrifying beast with a good heart and noble intentions. We love all animals. We’re currently penning a self-help book entitled Love Your Horse, Love Yourself’.’ Is Bdy_Prts’ name inspired by the anatomy- toting lineage of femme-pop bands like the Slits and Hole?
‘No, that idea brings us out in a rash. Our name is to do with our actual physical shapes – the ones unique to Jenny and me. We’re both quite long of limb and similar in shape, plus we tend to entwine melody lines and voices like it’s second nature.’ [Jill O’Sullivan moonwalks out] ■ Nice’n’Sleazy, Glasgow, Wed 5 Mar. ‘IDLU’ is out on Mon 3 Mar, see review above.
(Nicola Meighan)
20 Feb–20 Mar 2014 THE LIST 71