It’s time for the eight instalment of Fighting Boredom singles review in the pub page. Another pub and the weakest beer plus for this time only, well, he may crop up again, we are joined by John Wilcox, who you may remember in Coventry’s various drinking establishments playing records for delinquents. He has made copious notes that put us both to shame.. read what we thought about the selection below….
My Ugly Clementine – Circles
Right, we start with bright indie and a decent pop song. It goes up and down and Ilike it. The Photographer says, yeah, it’s not very memorable wet indie, its alright and I don’t have a problem with it. It just doesn’t float my boat. John says oh my darlings, the guitar sounds horrible, drums like cardboard and the productions terrible having said that there are much better tracks on the album.
Sweeping Promises – Hunger For A Way Out
A nice post punk groove it has tempo changes with odd synths. The Photographer agrees and says it’s got a bit of Bow Wow Wow going on. that sort of era. John says .. Slits – Modettes Au Pairs, early eighties.
Deafheaven – Sunbather
After a discussion about why I saw fit to put a ten minute long track on the playlist this has an Intricate menacing, bright and quiet start, that builds huge all encompassing hardcore black metal cresendo. The Photographer says that he quite enjoyed it and I need to listen to the whole album, but it’s hardly a single. John just says that you’d get your money’s worth out of the jukebox.
King Kobra – We Are Warriors
This is Proper old school metal, quite terrible really. The Photographer says it’s a terrible record but if you like Iron Maiden you’ll love it. John says that if you like the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, you’ll love it.
Naoko Sakata – Improvisation 11
Okay so this one is another ten minute track, but in my defence it’s classical excellence on piano so I decided to add it. However the Photographer said he gave up after three minutes because it bored me. John said it had a nice start then after about a minute just sounded like a piano going down the stairs, I had the image of a fishing boat in a storm and an anxious wife on the dock waiting in the mist for its return.
Scrounge – Corner Cutting Boredom
This is Indie with choppy guitar and a strong vocal it starts slow and deliberate then gets louder and nastier. The photographer says it’s too forced, not very interesting and John says we are now at an off broadway musical watching an angry protagonist sing.
Guitarmy of One – Soylent Seafoam Green
This is an ace surf tinged instrumental, the Photographer says he quite likes it but it’s not as good as his previous stuff but it’s still a great name. John says it’s a twangy surf instrumental from a Tarantino movie.
Current Affairs – Casual Radicals
This is Post Punk electronica with a wailing vocal, it has a tinge of the Slits, I like it a lot. The Photographer says he likes the Annabella and Ari type vocal and says it’s not the worst thing he’s heard. John says it’s back to the early eighties female agit punk.
ÅRABROT – You Cast Long Shadows
I thought that this was Goth pop and great. The photographer says he likes the squealy guitar, it’s well produced and sounds great and he tells you he casts long shadows.. A lot. John puts me back in my place by telling me emphatically that it’s not Goth and it’s a poppy or bouncy Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Screensaver – the Guilt
This has a great bassline and a really good post punk feel. The Photographer says that it doesn’t get going for quite a while and is a bit squidgy but he likes it – reminds me of Le Butcherettes. John says it’s back to the Au Pairs or Goat Girl.
Sextile – New York
I thought this was great wonky dance music. The Photographer said it’s a Hardfloor ripoff and he’s bored of it. John agreed with the hardfloor comparison and said it’s washing machine acid house and I don’t like the keyboard.
Candy Claws – Distortion Spear
It’s Shoegaze, slow, distorted and cool. The Photographer says it just doesn’t get going. John says it’s sixties film music with grunge undertones like Beta Band and I Monster going grunge.
John Came – Ink Tank
This has very Prog synths making for disturbing soundtrack material, I don’t like the vocal.
The Photographer says that it just doesn’t go anywhere. John says that it’s good entrance music for a kraftwerk gig and the percussion sounds like people running down a corridor.
Septic and the Tanks – Dogs Birthday Party
This is proper punk nastiness with a fantastic vocal. The Photographer says it’s good old fashioned punk rock, it’s good night out music for bouncing around. John says it’s Sham 69 meets the dead boys, unlike the Birthday Party I don’t think their career will end in tears… birthday party pun of the week there…No one heard any banjo and it’s a big thumbs up for a local band.
Yann Tierson – Nivlenn
This is interesting cool electronica. The Photographer says that it turns very John Hopkins. John says it’s got a cinematic feel, nice to listen to while gathering my thoughts on Septic and the Tanks.
Hinaki Omori – Cyanotype Memories
This is electronic dreamy and lost. The Photographer says it’s floaty dreamy electronics, meh. John says it’s ambient electronic, the first album was more ambient, this one has drums and if you like Everything But The Girl you’ll like this.
Brontez Purnell – No Cigarettes / Stay Monkey
This is rough punk with a can’t be bothered vocal, it’s slack and great. The photographer says he couldn’t get past the tinniness of it, such a bad production it made my ears hurt. John says it’s a low budget Ash.
Winslow – Class Dismissed
This is an ace slow drum and bass track, atmospheric and nasty. The Photographer says it has a Burial grimy thing going on and it’s good. John says, is it groundbreaking? No. But great for a late night drive down the freeway to test your subwoofer.
Grimes – I Wanna Be Software
I like Grimes, but this is electronic twee pop. The Photographer says it’s soulless prattle and the kids will love it. John says it is destined for a Disney soundtrack.
False Fed – Echoes of Compromise
This is good music with a terrible vocal. The photographer says it’s too formulated for me. John says with the sum of it’s parts I was expecting expecting more from it.
Goat – Unemployment Office
This is creepy psychedelia, slow and ace. The Photographer says not got instant appeal and John says it’s experimental psych rock but he does prefer the more up-tempo stuff.
Pest Control – Enjoy The Show
This is excellent hard core. The Photographer says it does what it says on the tin, shouty and short. John is less pleased, he says I did not enjoy the show!
Meatraffic – Lambeth Walk – Gaudi & Don Letts Remix
This is an electro groove, conversation to start, then a strange distorted vocal, it’s okay but not fantastic. The Photographer thinks it’s trying to be an opus but fails miserably. John says it’s Damon Alburn meets the Streets. It might grow on me.. but I doubt it.
Teeth of the Sea – Megafragma
This has excellently weird electronics and lasts for ages.. it’s brilliant. The Photographer says Tangerine Dream roller under it.. its great, it’s got loads of beats and fractured sounds.. its great! John says it sounds like Simple Minds Theme From Great Cities then a Leftfield, Dreadzone groove with loud and dubby guitars.
Mad Honey – Concentration
This is shoegaze indie, it’s good enough then the big slow riffs make it better. The Photographer says there are two great bits when it goes a bit mad otherwise a bit dull. John says the Intro reminded me of Don’t Fear the Reaper on half speed.
Lathe of Heaven – Ekpyrosis
This is Goth with a frantic vocal, not the best of the week. The Photographer says that it’s got that Killing Joke thing but they’re just not Killing Joke. John says it’s Killing Joke meets the Chameleons.
Augustus Miller, Boy Harsher – Fur and Metal
This one’s slow sleazy electro, I really like it. The photographer says I like the eighties synth. John says that it’s another electronic soundscape.
Duvet – Girlcow
An angular, spiky no wave groove, it’s ace. The Photographer says it’s that detuned punky new york sound but it’s just not Sonic Youth. John says it’s Riot Grrrl with stabs from a Hitchcock movie.
Bonnacons of Doom – Facing
It’s got a slow start but eventually turns into an alternative rock take on Daisy Chainsaw. The Photographer says that at three minutes they start to sound a bit like Big|Brave, but they’re not Big|Brave. John says it’s a five minute flight ala Public Service Broadcasting with some Toyah yelping in the background.
Crabe – Limp de Quoi
This is stupid and fun. The Photographer says it’s scratchy, the bit at the start was good but then doesn’t go anywhere. John says it’s Beastie boys, Perry Farrel, Manu Cha, Black Sabbath all mixed up… but sadly not any of their good bits.
Black Market Karma, Sonic Boom – The Sour Truth
The wonky Sonic Boom stuff is great, sounds like panda bear and sonic though… The Photographer says that it sounds like sonic boom with someone else doing sonic boom. John says it’s psychedelic tinged hip hop, the sort of thing de la soul would sample.
Vandal Moon – Satellite
It’s electronic but not very good. The Photographer says it’s got a NIN industrial sound to it and I love the filthy industrial beat in the back. John says it’s pounding darkwave. Gary Numan meets The Cure and Nine Inch Nails.
Atom Age – High Class Motherfuckers
This is excellent rough rockabilly with a swear word, brilliant, very nearly single of the week. The Photographer says if you like the Cramps you’ll like this, and it’s a great shouty single. John says Jack White meets the Stray Cats meets the Lime Spiders for two and half minutes.
Chaos Bleak – The Weak and the Strong
This is electronic with guitars and sounds just like the Sisters of Mercy used to, which isn’t a bad thing. The Photographer says it’s made for goth night at the Warehouse or Phono (nb. For those of us that never followed the Mission or Sisters around the planet those are the names of two Goth clubs in Leeds.) John says it’s electro goth and would cause a rush on the dance floor at a goth night (nb. He would know!)
Hotwax – Drop
This is utterly brilliant, like an even more feral Pixies, The Photographer says absolutely filthy guitar and explodes everywhere – single of the week. John says it’s just great, what came after grunge then mashed it with grunge and finds something new.. We all agreed that this is single of the week.
So there you are, single of the week is Hotwax closely followed by Atom Age and Winslow. Have a read and listen then feel free to berate us for whatever you disagree with…
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All words by Adrian Bloxham, Martin Ward and John Wilcox.
Beer by the Triumph Brewhouse in Coventry.
