The Manhattan Love Suicides – Dandelion Session

The Manhattan Love Suicides ceased to be last summer, and their final recordings as part of a session for Dandelion Radio are now released on Odd Box. Everything is in place on amazing opener Misery City, which is a combination of high speed thrills channelling Mary Chain, Birdland and sixties Nuggets too. It’s derivative but highly authentic and heartfelt too. Even if it wasn’t, this is rock n roll at its best. An acoustic version of Veronica is like a spruced up and fresh faced version of the Velvets with Nico, while Never Far From You is a fuzz laden Talulah Gosh. Time Enough At Last slouches and fuzzes elegantly and an acoustic Things You’ve Never Done has a tender quality and the best singing on the album beautifully brought to the fore. I’m Not A Young Man Anymore reminds me of the primal beat of Altered Images Dead Pop Stars, done over by an even dark side. It drones on for a wonderful seven minutes. To complete this release there are also mono versions of all the tracks for those of you who prefer their sound that way.

Dandelion Session is out now on Oddbox Records

The Manhattan Love Suicides myspace is here

Various – Home

Home is another compilation of new, unsigned bands and it’s available as a free download. There’s some interesting stuff contained within. The Big I Am’s track is rather lovely in a heartfelt and bucolic Del Amitri sounding way. Fair warms the cockles of the heart. Big Hands Big Hearts deliver a piece of bouncy twee electro fun, while My Little Pony’s Skipping Down the Street is as twee as it sounds, but its infectiously melodic and with a backbone. It‘s all very Welsh and loveable. Head Of Light Entertainment’s Lady Godiva’s Horse is playful and joyous, Snippet’s Man Without Mobile is offbeat quirk, a bit like the Voluntary Butler Scheme and If I Grow Old by Dan Whitehouse is like one of Just Jack’s more recent tunes, only less oddball. Beachy Head Music Club provide a sombre version of Carter USM, all sardonic vocals and English home truths. Sleep by Stealing Sheep is a sweet shoop shoop of a song that reminds me of Blue Roses. Bobby Wotnot is like Johnny Cash being channelled by a mellowed out Beck, while Wim Oudijk delivers something between Beefheart and an easy listening jazz odyssey. Richard O’Flynn falls somewhere between Damien Rice and Marc Bolan’s hippy folk days, so it’s difficult to decide whether I like this one. Overall though, there is some fine stuff and it’s certainly worth a listen.

Home is released by Rash Records and is available as a free download from their website

The Consulate General – Person Number

The Consulate General is one Alexander Chen, living in Gothenburg, but of Taiwanese-American extraction. Along with various musical guests they do indie pop with an electronic tinge, a genre which on the basis of the opening salvo is sweet enough, but doesn’t amount to a great deal. The tinkling ping pong ball instrumental that is Patricia Soriano manages to be much more special in only 45 seconds. 65 Or Older squeezes and hugs your soul and is based around a cheap keyboard demo mode and some eerie and childlike music. Liesa Lietke is a squelching squirming instrumental, while Lonesome Sunday is very good, sweet and spiritual, like a fine mellow Boo Radleys thing. We bypass a lot of ok tunes until Sweet Solano, which is understated loveliness. It’s like Flying Pickets updated with African drums and gentle strings. As so often these days, there’s a very good EP here, made into a mixed bag album.

Person Number is out now on Circle Into Square

The Consulate General website is here

iHat

Here is the first product review on the site. The iHat, despite its name, is not an official Apple product and in fact retails for £13. It's ideal stocking filler material for when that time comes around. Basically it's a kind of skull cap looking affair, with headphones built inside, so your ears and head keep warm and you have an unsightly lead trailing from the back of your head, like you are some kind of robot. Being external rather than in ear headphones there is a lot of external noise coming through, which spoils your listening somewhat. Overall, it's a pretty nifty idea poorly executed. Someone could pick up this and run with it, producing something decent, but for now we have the iHat which is fun, cheap and not to be taken seriously.

Buy the iHat from Mobile Fun here

Jonsi – Go

The lead track on the first solo album from Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi is Go Do. In fact all three tracks from that single are included on this nine track album, so rather than bother you again explaining what they are like, I’ll direct you to my single review instead. The first new track is Animal Arithmetic, which whirrs round like fast rotating child’s windmill, then as things drop away here is Jonsi breathlessly, impatiently trying to make his point, repeatedly. As he finally does so, the music ebbs away beautifully. Tornado sounds more like the dead of winter, everything pristine and beautiful, but with a malevolent menace, waiting to spring into life and cause chaos at any minute. Swishes carry Jonsi’s voice over a sombre piano melody. Boy Lilikoi skitters away and Jonsi floats away on his train of thought. There’s a nice bit where the tunes ebbs away and pipish noises herald the tune back in, ushering its arrival. Sinking Friendships is angelic choral sounds, which explode into life midway through, before settling down again to caress the melodies with waves of sumptuous electronic sounds. Around Us is all waterfalls and fast flowing rivers. You can’t help but think of the harsh beauty of nature in Jonsi’s music. Finally Hengilas is dark and brooding, sumptuous and makes you want to cry. Beautiful stuff indeed.

Go is out now on Parlophone

Jonsi's website is here

The Momeraths – A Single Cup Of Tea EP

This is the second EP by The Momeraths, with one single in between. A Single Cup Of Tea has to be one of the most delicate songs of recent times, especially when its one that’s not overly twee. Cascading waterfalls of boy/girl vocals brim over a music box tune. The voices intertwine again on Millipede Stomps, clipped male vocals that are soulful like early Paul Heaton. It gathers speed in the bridge like something from Promenade era The Divine Comedy. The Boyfriend Song is a juddering twee boneshaker of a song, hurtling along gently at breakneck speed and finally The Photographer is a whirling cute jig.

A Single Cup Of Tea EP is self released on April 12th

The Momeraths myspace is here, where you can buy the single and download the title track for free.

Eliza Doolittle – Eliza Doolittle

Weird one this. Eliza Doolittle is a 21 year old whose debut album kicks off with Moneybox, where she sounds like someone trapped somewhere between Lily Allen’s street mateyness and Marina & The Diamonds over the top affected vocals. This combined with a chirpy, almost ragtime tune sprinkled with tinkling sounds, makes for a weird listen indeed. What follows however isn’t bad at all, if hardly likely to set the world alight critically or commercially. Go Home is a delightful shoop shoop, sixties pop shimmy for instance, something I never saw coming after the first track. Mr Medicine you see is pure Lily, but lacking a certain edge. Same with Missing. Some may think this is an easy and cheap comparison to make, but it’s a true one and it’s inevitable that a second wave of songstresses will come forward, as it happens with most scenes. A Smokey Room is slightly sassy, but still not riveting. And so it goes on. It’s all thoroughly pleasant, but terribly derivative. You see, Nobody is a lovely little tune, full of the joys of spring, but also one I’ve heard done better before. Pack Up swings in a lovely way and has some great bluesy backing vocals courtesy of an unidentified gent. It finishes with Empty Hand, a rather sweet lullaby to ease you out. So overall it’s nice enough, but not ground breaking.

The album is released by Parlophone sometime in June and is preceeded by a single, Skinny Genes, on April 5th.

Eliza Doolittle's website is here

You Me At Six – Liquid Confidence

You Me At Six are a very popular band I’m lead to believe. They’re also utterly cack and hideous in a screamo gone Nickleback way. I really don’t know what else to say about it. Radio 1 will doubtless play it loads and make it a hit for the kids who want something soulless to scream along to. The instrumental version is even more pointless, adding nothing apart from the strange feeling that they forgot to switch the singer’s mike on.

Liquid Confidence is released by Virgin on 19th April

You Me At Six website is here

Jonsi – Go Do

If Sigur Ros have been going more minimal and glacial of late, then Go Do is the more uplifting side, courtesy of lead singer Jonsi. There’s an electronic pulse that suggests the incidental music on a surreal children’s program. Jonsi’s ethereal warblings are more beautiful than ever. He sounds positively glorious and life affirming. All manner of electronic effects and noises caress the tune, yet they never become intruding. The song is something weirdly odd, but with enough of a melody to be on the Radio 1 playlist. The idea of the general public’s head being messed with appeals immensely. Kolnidur (I wish you could do a thorn on this computer, to make it look correct, but a d will have to suffice) moves at a funereal pace, before there is a false epiphany as the songs threatens to burst into life and then doesn’t, but once the surprise is over Jonsi is floating on clouds above your head. He’s worked a wonderful wrong footing as the song appears to build ever so gradually to a squeaking end. The final track on this single, Grow Till Tall paints an evocative picture of flowers growing in slow motion by camera trickery; it’s a song that reminds you of the beauty of nature. I’ve no idea what it’s really about, but that’s the beauty of Jonsi.

Jonsi website is here

Go Do is released by Parlophone on March 22nd, followed by the album Go on April 5th

David Gibb – This Young Boy

Like a chirpy extra folky Frank Turner, eighteen year old Derbyshire based singer David Gibb takes a rambling look at the follies of youth. The chorus is especially pleasing, pretty singalong and going with the old way of using repetition to win people over. The chorus is in fact the main bit of the song, and somehow reminds me of the Levellers in their pomp, before they got old and disillusioned, somewhat appropriately. There’s an album and EP in the back catalogue, which would appear to be well worth checking out.

This Young Boy is self released on 10th May. Go to David's myspace for details of how to get a copy.

Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers – Raise A Glass

Findlay is a Glasgow based folk musician, currently cultivating an alternative folk scene in the city. This song is like the Decemberists peculiar old folk tales relocated to Scotland. It has emphasis on the fiddles and accent, and a sometime harsh and strident vocal tone, like Chris TT. Fine rousing stuff.

Findlay's myspace is here and website here. Go to the website and sign up to the mailing list to receive a free copy of the single.

Thunder Bunny – My Love, Thou Art A Monster

Here is a new EP from New Jersey based Thunder Bunny. Hustle It shakes and shimmies like a glacial Mary Chain, the beauty being somewhat smothered in the squalls of guitar effects rendering the whole thing more of a mess than the drugged up beauty that was intended. Yes, I Remember These Bones is a churning dirge that goes nowhere. The Whole World Gathered To Watch Him Fade Away is sluggish but fine Ride like indie, but without the killer hook and proof that more time is spent on song titles than melodies. Finally The Hungry Ghost (part 2) is eight minutes of discordant mess and nonsense.

My Love, Thou Art A Monster is released by Spanner Records on March 15th

Thunder Bunny myspace is here

The Loves – Sweet Sister Delia

The title track of the new single from The Loves is fantastically infectious; in the way the Pooh Sticks used to channel sixties bubblegum pop. The chorus repeats the title over and over, sometimes doubling up the word sweet in a joyous chant, in a way that reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on. There’s also a ropey 4 track demo of Low from 2001, of which you can see why it hasn’t seen the light of day before, and a faux country number credited to Simon Love and the Turkeys called God Saves Our Souls, a drawled redneck piece of cheese. Worth it for the lead track though.

Sweet Sister Delia is out now on Fortuna Pop!

The Loves myspace is here

Danny And The Champions Of The World – Streets Of Our Time

Danny And The Champions Of The World is the new act fronted by Danny Wilson and this is their debut album, released by home of alt country Loose Records. Lead track Henry The Van is an elegy to a defunct tour van, lovely harmonies and maudlin yet reminiscing vocals set to a whirring banjo tune that ticks along nicely. Swathes of cymbal swishes accentuate the sadness of the song. Restless Feet is a much more standard country tune, with a hometown sweetness and warmth, but nothing remarkable. Follow The River is a funky trad country thing, Danny’s voice decent enough on this one. Wandle Swan has some lovely lap steel licks, and a hurried demeanour, plus an excited melody. The title track is pretty much one of Neil Young’s downbeat beauties, even down to the vocals. Yr People Here is a false rapture, Bluebird is how it should have been done, a sunset soundtrack, propelled by the ever delightful banjo and Parakeets ends the album on a standard country note.

Streets Of Our Time is released on April 19th by Loose Records

Danny And The Champions Of The World myspace is here

Amys Ghost – Paper Boat

Here’s the new single from Reading five piece Amys Ghost. Yep, no apostrophe apparently. Stabbing strings herald in Paper Boat, with pretty standard female vocals. They aren’t that quirky which makes a nice change. The strings and cymbal crashes burble along nicely as waves of vocals wash over the top. It’s a sweet little number, wonderfully constructed, but lacking the killer hook. A gallant effort nonetheless. The dub remix of Call Your Name isn’t that dubby, more trip hoppy minimal Massive Attack, but it strips the heart from the tune. Finally there’s Grandma Singing These Eyes, featuring a tiptoeing piano and weird off key vocals, sung apparently by Amy’s grandma. Nice sentiment, but better left in the home recordings really.

Paper Boat is out today on First Circle Records

Amys Ghost myspace is here