This time the Fighting Boredom Singles Reviews From the Pub welcomed a plethora of guests, we started out with the Photographer, me, Tim, who we know from his disco’s when we were teenagers and has always embraced new music, and Suzie, who’s monosyllable reviews were a particular favourite last time she joined us. Indie kid, well, maybe that’s stretching the truth somewhat, couple Julie and John. Then Sanjay, Coventry superstar DJ who, as you can see, was somewhat preoccupied with the fact that he was doing half a night later in the evening. Then we were joined by another few friends and Lenny who is representing the youth vote, as he is about twelve, so it kind of makes sense. Due to no one at all reading the note that the Photographer sent out about listening devices and swotting up on the playlist we had to retire outside from the brewery and use my bluetooth speaker to listen. There were some complaints about the noise, mainly from the reviewers but there was also at least one table around us dancing along to the sounds. Anyway, read what we thought and have a listen below, see if you can tell at exactly what point I totally lost control…
Sister Wives – YnCanu
This is weird, menacing sounding, with massive chunky bits, a great song from a great band. The photographer says, it’s goth innit, got that quiet loud quiet and it’s quite heavy with nice ethereal vocals, it’s alright. John says that it’s not really my cup of tea but I quite like it, Julie agrees that it’s not really what I’d usually listen to but I do like it. Suzie says yeah i quite like that. Heavy metal hippies. Tim however puts it in its place with it’s about twenty years too late, it’s the kind of thing The Cranes did very well.
Agabus – En Vakker Himmel
Great spiky hardcore, big and clever, nasty, then jazz saxophone in the middle, chilled out with the same angry vocal then back to noise another great track. The Photographer says that the jazz saxophone in the middle is the highlight, the rest is standard grunty metal and average at best. John just has a look of complete confusion, Julie says, there is a tune, uncertainly. Suzie says it’s okay and Tim says that he can’t deal with it it all, sounds a bit silly when you get into your sixties..
Lower Slaughter – Dear Phantom
A Goth groove with big guitars then slow drums and bass, it’s alright. The Photographer says it’s a bit doomy, I don’t mind it actually, the guitars are quite interesting. John, who is starting to look quite dazed, says that it’s better than the last one. Julie says that it’s nothing particularly new but I do like the riff. Suzie says ‘what martin said’ and Tim finishes off with it’s much better quality, well written and he quite likes the production.
Dez Dare – Light Touch of the Man Spreader
More of the bonkers synths, bleeps and vocals from one of our favourites. Suzie says it’s very jolly, I like that. Julie says that this really is the sum of its parts and I really like this, John says that I could listen to this. Tim says its alright, bit like Sleaford Mods. The Photographer says it’s Dez Dare! Wonky electronics time again – completely ridiculous and excellent!
Mareux – laugh now cry later
A slice of synth pop, dark and low, with an emotional vocal, it’s darkwave pop. The Photographer just sighs, dreary goth. Suzie replies with it’s a bit shit isn’t it. John is not that bothered and Julie just says it has a real sense of eighties about it. Tim sums it up with, yeah terrible, thirty five years old.
Conflict, Benjamin Zephaniah – Cut the Crap
An excellent punk groove with our Fi and the much missed Benjamin Zephania. The Photographer says that it’s a collaboration and it’s great! A great punk rock track and morphs into a great reggae track. What more do you want? Suzie says yes, the best one yet. Julie carries on with I really like that one as well, a game of two halves and both of them brilliant. John says he quite likes that and then Tim dismisses it as nineteen eighties squat rock. Sanjay, who has just arrived, starts with the lilting …and then some more flowery bollocks as he thinks he’s a real music critic!
Sabaton – Templars
A fantastic epic medieval heavy metal track with a choir of vocals, just great metal. No one else agrees, no one speaks and then Julie says that it sounds like a Finnish eurovision entry. The table dissolves into hysterics.
Pyramids – Bones and Eggshells
This is a weird mash of sounds, psychedelia and eastern, speech and singing, a bit too much at once, reminds me of Goat but not as good. Suzie shakes her head and says it’s shit. Julie says it sounded Japanese but as I don’t speak it I can’t be sure?!? The Photographer says it’s a bit dull and Tim agrees that it’s dull and there’s a bit of a Turkish Albanian feel to it, Eastern European.
Anja Huwe/ Xmal Deutschland – PolarForest
Exactly what it says on the tin – Xmal being strong goth female warriors, ace track. Suzie says it’s not bad. Martin and Tim talk together and the gist is that they really like, that it could be one of the original singles still got sparkly Gary Marx guitar, Julie says there’s not a lot to add thats not already been said. Sanjay replies with meh.
Rival Consoles – Known Shape
A good track, skipping glitching beats and synths, laid back and cool. The Photographer says it’s a morphic techno electronics tune, it’s alright. Tim says yeah quite like it, nothing I could object to. Suzie just don’t like it. Julie says it’s nice enough, John regards it as somewhat disjointed and Sanjay is not bothered.
Planning For Burial – You Think
Hard core thrash greatness, slows to doom with weird high vocals, not my favourite this week. Suzie says that I’ve got a headache thinking of how you could headbang to that and Julie just adds it’s a terrible name.
Annie-Claude Deshenes – Main De Fer
A Euro dance track, Bouncy electronics, irritatingly simple and catchy, then beats and it’s good but still irritating. Tim says I was enjoying the change in music not against all Euro Dance. The Photographer just adds, I am against it. Julie says it has a kind of hypnotic quality and John corrects himself, this is the one I thought was disjointed. Sanjay has no comment.
TR Gobrazy – Handbag
This one is laid back British rap, great stuff. The Photographer says it’s cut badly at either end so it’s blatantly an lp track it’s alright and you need a subwoofer to appreciate the sub bass. Tim says it’s the best thing so far this afternoon, a bit Dizee Rascal. Suzie says that she quite liked it, loved the reference to the man bag. Julie enjoyed it and John says yep, good, not as dated as the other stuff.
DEBBY FRIDAY – All I Wanna Do Is Party
Another brilliant pop dance electronic groove from DEBBY, hugely decadent and sweat driven. Tim says it’s a good punchy pop dance track. Suzie replies with what Tim said, very dancey track. Julie says it’s a great dance tune, a bit edgy. John says it makes me want to move, in the least enthusiastic voice so far. Sanjay says barbie girl. The Photographer has issues, he says I like DEBBY FRIDAY because she’s edgy and a bit different.. and that wasn’t.
Tekulvi – Transmission
A post punk track with high spikes and angles, a shouting vocal, good but jarring, and it’s too long. Suzie says naaa. Julie says that this was the point we abandoned the playlist and decided to watch Murder She Wrote, John adds saying that he wanted to watch Murder She Wrote. Tim says back to the early eighties and the Photographer says it’s like early eighties spiky punky pop and we’ve seen a million of these bands as support bands.
Surgeon – Soul Fire
Nice easy to listen to techno. Suzie says it’s kind of like. what I’d call them, drums. I don’t understand either.. Julie says it’s got an early eighties thing like Pigbag. John is regretting watching Murder She Wrote, I quite enjoyed that, maybe we should have carried on listening. Tim says it’s quite commercial for Surgeon and not that exciting. The photographer says it does drone on a little bit with not much variation but it’s got a good beat.
TV Death – Propaganda
This one has a punk feel, pop groove, and is decent for what it is. Suzie says that I like that one. The Photographer says I quite like it but have heard a hundred of them. John says yeah, it’s alright. Tim says yeah, rubbish.
The Sick Man Of Europe – Obsolete
A darkwave synth pop track, great stuff. The Photographer says it’s got that early Sheffield pop sound like the original Human League. Tim says that it’s European, Belgium maybe. Julie says that the intro sounds exactly like ‘Bad Connection’ by Yazoo and I can’t get past that. Sanjay says it sounds like Nitzer Ebb meets EINSTÜRZENDE.
Billy Woods – BLK ZMBY
This one has a blues rock groove below the rapping, it’s decent. The Photographer says it’s a bit like Dalek and I quite like it, nice swirly bits and social commentary. Suzie has gone to the bar and Julie and John have lost focus.
Irked – Hardest Man In Billingham
This is a great band, proper punk, we saw them with Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. This is dripping with attitude and a great song. Suzie says yes like it yes like it yes like it yes like it. The Photographer says it’s good old punk rock, full of energy with a great voice. Tim says it’s shouty squat rock rubbish. Julie likes a bit of female fronted punk rock and John goes over the top with I could listen to that.
Lectromagnetique – Dying Species
An electronic beat driven weirdness, whispers with laid back electro. The photographer says it’s got that dark wave vibe going on, it’s okay. Julie says it’s like early Human League, of that feel. Tim says it’s well programmed and a good drum machine.
BOP – Cravings
A Lightweight Hospital Records drum and bass release, it’s okay. The photographer says it has an unnecessary vocal, definitely hospital lite. Lenny has now joined us with his Grandparents, Lenny is more enthusiastic, I liked it, nice and lively. Suzie and John both say No and Julie thinks that the vocals spoiled it.
Planetary Assault Systems – Rip the Keys
Now we are on to the Techno that the photographer has added to the playlist, it’s ace and simple. The Photographer says that it’s great, really good and sounds bang up to date. Tim is a Luke Slater fan so this is fine and Lenny really likes it, feels kind of pop.
Octavio Octavio – Overstimulated
A weird electro track, it’s good. Lenny steams in with the fact that it sounds like a video game. Suzie says it’s too electronic for me, Julie likes the boops and Lenny comes back and says he likes the fast pacing.
Inigo Kennedy – Mercurial Return
A great techno groove, it’s ace. Suzie doesn’t like it, Tim says that it would have been fantastic twenty years ago. The Photographer says yeah, it’s great repetitive techno. Julie sums it all up with… I like the title.
–
That’s it then, the table disintegrates into people heading for the bar and loos and then the argument about single of the week starts to rage. The gist of the next ten minutes is that there are multiple singles of the week, I give you the results below…
Me – Conflict
The Photographer – Octavio Octavio – Overstimulated
Suzie – Conflict
Tim – TR Gobrazy
Julie – torn between DEBBY FRIDAY and Conflict
John – Irked
So as I’m nominally in charge and writing this up I declare single of the week to be the brilliant Cut the Crap by Conflict and Benjamin Zephaniah.
Listen to the whole playlist here
Organised and written up by Adrian Bloxham, general abuse and musical knowledge by Martin Ward. Featuring special guests Suzie, Tim, Julie, John, Sanjay and Lenny.
The reviews took place at the Twisted Barrel Taphouse in Coventry.
