You were right to doubt my now-decade-long obsession with Prefab Sprout. Look here for yourself. Prefab Sprout fucking rules.
Prefab Sprout - The Golden Calf
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Friday, September 01, 2006
fukuoka
747s
Zampano
Rockin melodic rock action but the singer, yeesh, goes for a strangely late 70s Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds kind of 'my baby did this, my baby did that' tack. Which. "Missed that Sun" is uptempo and multifaceted. So, an improvement. But the singing is still kind of sideburnsy. Like, the stuff that was on Top of the Pops in 1976/77 just as punk was kicking off.
AA SOUND SYSTEM
Laissez-Faire
"I Don't Get You at All" is like Tom Petty meets Fleetwood Mac. "Laissez-Faire" goes for a synthy post-Madonna glitchy folktronic angle. Not bad.
COLOURFAST
Walk
Trendy early 1980s guitar band action, you know the sort. Sons of sons of sons of Interpol. Which is fine by me, really.
EDENBRIDGE
The Grand Design
Queen meets Mercyful Fate and Ace of Base. And John Tesh. Roxette meets Dream Theater.
ELECTRIC SIX
Switzerland
The singer has been studying at the Tom Waits school of vocal gymnastics. The music is cheesy and fun rock. Almost like Turbonegro or Lordi, especially "There's Something Very Wrong With Us So Let's Go Out Tonight." "Germans in Mexico" is funny too. And "I Wish this Song Was Louder" is great.
MILLBURN
Well Well Well
Not unlike Colourfast without the gloom. I'm not sure if the sly/sardonic vocal style of Millburn will win out in the end. At the moment it's a tie. Yes, there is a competition. "Showroom" adds a bit of a DEVO vibe. "the book that you read is upside down." Okay, add some vintage Morrissey lyrics to that as well.
ROMAN NUMERALS
Roman Numerals
Wow, cool. Cure, Clash, Chameleons, the Jam. "The Rule of V" is simultaneously bleak and accessible. That's not an easy combination to pull off. Well done, them.
SOUNDPOOL
On High
Ooh, now yer talkin': retro Lush/Jesus & Mary Chain/My Bloody Valentine early 1990s shoegazey throwback. My second favorite kind. "On High" is full-on MBV homage. Not particularly distinguished in the originality stakes but as I keep saying here, originality is overrated and outmoded anyway. Plus nearly impossible. Soundpool is super hot. Even the little 30 second bits between the songs are super dreamy and gwargeous. I'll definitely be revisiting this honey of an album.
M. WARD
Post-War
Hm, going from a band (Soundpool) that sounds like a 4AD Records tribute act to M. Ward, who actually is on 4AD now. Quite a difference. I know Ward is their (and many other peoples') latest and greatst but this shit just bores me. Him and the Mountain Goats both, I'm just not feeling it. "Poison Cup" is mildly epic in scope, starting with voice & acoustic guitar and building into a small orchestral deal. His voice doesn't really do much within the song. Maybe that's the way he does it. "To Go Home" is uptempo rock band action. The ascending piano bit, yes, is very nice. Okay, this track is more to my liking. His voice has a kind of Tom Waits roughness that I think I'm starting to appreciate. "Right in the Head" is a shuffly acoustic thing. The lyrics.. "I hope he's right in the head." "I lived with many ghosts when I was younger." Hm. So, there's a bit of depth here after all. I still don't like Mountain Goats.
THE RAPTURE
Pieces of the People We Love
Aw yeah. A funky version of early Human League, OMD, Gary Numan. Which means analog synths going 'psssheeww' whenever possible, live drums, live guitars. "Don Gon Do It" is the anthem of the hour. Hereabouts. Althought "First Gear" is cool too.
THE VICTORIAN ENGLISH GENTLEMENS CLUB
The Victorian English Gentlemens Club
"The Tales of Hermit Mark," um, moody indie rock action with a goofy high pitched guy. And surprise turn of female vocalities on the chorus. Which really blows the whole thing wide open. The songs have a kind of nervous, infectious energy. Making them equally doomy and danceable. Nice.
THE CHANGES
Today is Tonight
Um. Split Enz meets Men At Work. If I was feeling less generous I'd add Coldplay to the mix. But seriously. There's a bit of Devo in there. That guy's fucking voice sounds just like Neil Finn. Sweet. "When I Wake" is cool. "Water of the Gods" too. "Modern Love" is not a David Bowie cover. But it could be.
THE PROBLEM
The Problem
The inveitable american take on modern uptempo indie rock. Um.
THE SOUNDS
Dying to Say this to You
Fun female vocals, blip synths, live bass, guitar & drums. Strokes meet Cyndi Lauper. Cool.
Zampano
Rockin melodic rock action but the singer, yeesh, goes for a strangely late 70s Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds kind of 'my baby did this, my baby did that' tack. Which. "Missed that Sun" is uptempo and multifaceted. So, an improvement. But the singing is still kind of sideburnsy. Like, the stuff that was on Top of the Pops in 1976/77 just as punk was kicking off.
AA SOUND SYSTEM
Laissez-Faire
"I Don't Get You at All" is like Tom Petty meets Fleetwood Mac. "Laissez-Faire" goes for a synthy post-Madonna glitchy folktronic angle. Not bad.
COLOURFAST
Walk
Trendy early 1980s guitar band action, you know the sort. Sons of sons of sons of Interpol. Which is fine by me, really.
EDENBRIDGE
The Grand Design
Queen meets Mercyful Fate and Ace of Base. And John Tesh. Roxette meets Dream Theater.
ELECTRIC SIX
Switzerland
The singer has been studying at the Tom Waits school of vocal gymnastics. The music is cheesy and fun rock. Almost like Turbonegro or Lordi, especially "There's Something Very Wrong With Us So Let's Go Out Tonight." "Germans in Mexico" is funny too. And "I Wish this Song Was Louder" is great.
MILLBURN
Well Well Well
Not unlike Colourfast without the gloom. I'm not sure if the sly/sardonic vocal style of Millburn will win out in the end. At the moment it's a tie. Yes, there is a competition. "Showroom" adds a bit of a DEVO vibe. "the book that you read is upside down." Okay, add some vintage Morrissey lyrics to that as well.
ROMAN NUMERALS
Roman Numerals
Wow, cool. Cure, Clash, Chameleons, the Jam. "The Rule of V" is simultaneously bleak and accessible. That's not an easy combination to pull off. Well done, them.
SOUNDPOOL
On High
Ooh, now yer talkin': retro Lush/Jesus & Mary Chain/My Bloody Valentine early 1990s shoegazey throwback. My second favorite kind. "On High" is full-on MBV homage. Not particularly distinguished in the originality stakes but as I keep saying here, originality is overrated and outmoded anyway. Plus nearly impossible. Soundpool is super hot. Even the little 30 second bits between the songs are super dreamy and gwargeous. I'll definitely be revisiting this honey of an album.
M. WARD
Post-War
Hm, going from a band (Soundpool) that sounds like a 4AD Records tribute act to M. Ward, who actually is on 4AD now. Quite a difference. I know Ward is their (and many other peoples') latest and greatst but this shit just bores me. Him and the Mountain Goats both, I'm just not feeling it. "Poison Cup" is mildly epic in scope, starting with voice & acoustic guitar and building into a small orchestral deal. His voice doesn't really do much within the song. Maybe that's the way he does it. "To Go Home" is uptempo rock band action. The ascending piano bit, yes, is very nice. Okay, this track is more to my liking. His voice has a kind of Tom Waits roughness that I think I'm starting to appreciate. "Right in the Head" is a shuffly acoustic thing. The lyrics.. "I hope he's right in the head." "I lived with many ghosts when I was younger." Hm. So, there's a bit of depth here after all. I still don't like Mountain Goats.
THE RAPTURE
Pieces of the People We Love
Aw yeah. A funky version of early Human League, OMD, Gary Numan. Which means analog synths going 'psssheeww' whenever possible, live drums, live guitars. "Don Gon Do It" is the anthem of the hour. Hereabouts. Althought "First Gear" is cool too.
THE VICTORIAN ENGLISH GENTLEMENS CLUB
The Victorian English Gentlemens Club
"The Tales of Hermit Mark," um, moody indie rock action with a goofy high pitched guy. And surprise turn of female vocalities on the chorus. Which really blows the whole thing wide open. The songs have a kind of nervous, infectious energy. Making them equally doomy and danceable. Nice.
THE CHANGES
Today is Tonight
Um. Split Enz meets Men At Work. If I was feeling less generous I'd add Coldplay to the mix. But seriously. There's a bit of Devo in there. That guy's fucking voice sounds just like Neil Finn. Sweet. "When I Wake" is cool. "Water of the Gods" too. "Modern Love" is not a David Bowie cover. But it could be.
THE PROBLEM
The Problem
The inveitable american take on modern uptempo indie rock. Um.
THE SOUNDS
Dying to Say this to You
Fun female vocals, blip synths, live bass, guitar & drums. Strokes meet Cyndi Lauper. Cool.
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