Archive for the ‘Single Reviews’ Category
Posted by davidharfield on January 4, 2012
Amidst the sea of burgeoning new singer songwriters hoping to stay afloat in 2012 drifts a promising contender whose innovative and gritty production style looks set to bring electro-soul to the ears of the mainstream. Lyna Galliara’s upcoming single ‘Bullets’ is a bold step for the young songstress, as it blends elements of jazz and psych-funk with her more contemporary soul style; if her debut album is as strong as this then she can expect a whole legion of new fans, not to mention record labels, knocking at her door this year.
‘Bullets’ begins with a set of stuttered, layered jabs on a synthesizer, creating a sense of tension that keeps the listener engaged throughout the song. Her sultry singing style is perfectly suited to breathy harmonies and melodious vocal hooks that permeate the verses, building to the climactic choruses that feature gunshots that offer an interesting aural counterpoint to the innocent lyrical message, “And at times I’ve almost died, but my dreams kept me alive.”
The jazz noodling in the middle-eight adds an extra dimension to the song, breaking it apart from regular mainstream soul singles, positing Galliara as a genuine artist who is unafraid of taking risks within her music; in an industry in which too many players simply follow a well-trodden path, it is this bravery that could be the making of her.
Bullets by Lyna Galliara
In addition to a sneak preview of ‘Bullets’, Galliara also offered an exclusive earful of two of her new songs, which display her experimentations with arrangement and musical styles, from extended intros and funk-tinged rhythm tracks to the moody ‘blues bar’ themes of a more brooding, stripped bare number. With an album composed of tracks like these, Lyna Galliara can expect a hot reception when making her push into the public eye.
To hear more of Lyna’s music, receive free downloads of her music and hear about any upcoming gigs become a fan of her Facebook page.
David Harfield
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: Electro-Soul, London, M.I.A., New Artist, Pop, Singer | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on July 13, 2010
Blackchords – Pretty Little Thing
To hail a band as, “the new Radiohead”, as some under-sexed, over-caffeined reviewer recently proclaimed Blackchords to be, is much more than a poisoned chalice; it’s a French kiss of death. Every new listener will approach their music with their ears loaded with pre-ordained ideas as to how you should sound, or, more accurately how you shouldn’t sound i.e. like anybody else. Well, Melbourne-based quartet Blackchords do not sound like the new Radiohead, but really, how could they? Radiohead are a band that constantly change themselves, never looking back or referencing any musical touchstone other than their own imaginations, like a chameleon dancing on a rainbow, or Madonna, with talent.
Rather than describing who Blackchords sound like, let’s discuss what they sound like; their new single ‘Pretty Little Thing’ boasts a hypnotically simple bass line that leads frontman Nick Milwright’s gentle croon towards a sudden burst of chorus that is as pop as it is rock, as melodic as it is destructive. A curious electronic interlude in the middle-eight sounds just about natural enough to be justified, perhaps cueing up those knee-jerk Radiohead comparisons, (“What? A guitar AND a computer?! Call Thom’s lawyers, we’ve got a clear-cut case of musical plagiarism! Oh, these kids will rue the day they thought they could rip off the Head!”), before the obligatory repeat of the chorus wraps up what is a very neat pop-tinged rocker that will stick in your memory well up until Blackchords fly over to play a show near you. That is, unless a certain Oxford-based band don’t bankrupt them first…
David Harfield
To read the published article, click here.
To listen to the Blackchords, click here.
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: Aussie, Australia, Black Chords, Blackchords, Indie, Melbourne, Pop, Pretty Little Thing, Radiohead, Rock | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on July 8, 2010
Colour of Sound – Open Room
If you’re looking for some respite from the onslaught of crap electro bands this summer, and, let’s face it, there are quite a few at the moment, you may want to check out Colour of Sound. These boys produce music that is a far cry from the fuzzed up squeals of contemporary electronic music, focusing as heavily on melody and rhythm as they do on lovelorn lyrics. Formed by four London-based singer-songwriters, their new single ‘Open Room’ is definitive proof that having too many cooks doesn’t always spoil the broth.
A lazily strummed acoustic guitar introduces the song, as lead singer Rod da Rosa, (with a name like that, musical stardom or a career in porn surely beckons), croons the opening lines in a lachrymose tone that is sure to strike a chord in all of the broken hearted listeners, of which there will be quite a few, this being acoustic indie-rock and all. A chiming guitar punctuates the chord structure in a formulaic but pleasant manner, before the full band launch into a soaring chorus with the rabble-raising cry of, “Come on into my open room, be yourself, be someone new.” By the end of the song, you will surely be tapping your foot to the catchy refrain, as the familiar song structure captures your attention, adding new levels of harmony and melody by the final chorus.
Colour of Sound are unlikely to be headlining the ‘youth tents’ of any of the festivals this year, what with those slots being taken by whichever Camden duo who have demonstrated their musical talent the most, through diligently symmetrical haircuts and the persistent tearing of their clothes. However, with the strength of songwriting that is demonstrated on ‘Open Room’, they are unlikely to be forgotten by the time next summer rolls around.
To listen to Colour of Sound, click here.
David Harfield
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: Acoustic, Colour of Sound, Electro, Indie, Open Room, Rock, The TIng Tings, When | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on July 2, 2010
Jim Kroft – One Sees the Sun
Whatever happened to the big pop-rock song? Sure, now we have the Arctic Monkeys spitting genius colloquialisms amidst a sea of beautifully produced cacophonic guitar-noise and it’s all very cool and credible, but go on, admit it, you loved Train’s ‘Drops of Jupiter’, didn’t you?! You even forgave them that despicable line about “deep fried chicken”, for those glorious opening chords or that God-awful end to the middle-eight, “the best soy latte you ever had”, for those sweeping violins, which, in every teenage boy’s head at least, were actually played by the girls in the video.
Well, for those who love their anthemic pop-rock complete with orchestral flourishes sans dodgy takeaway lyrics, Jim Kroft is the man for you. ‘One Sees the Sun’ is a rock song moulded out of pure pop perfection and throws in every trick in the book to guarantee maximum radio airplay, including a palm-muted riff leading into a gigantic chorus followed by a cock-rock solo to humble Richie Samboa and even a string-heavy coda to play out the final strains of this perfectly crafted hit-in-the-making.
The B-side, ‘Birthrights’ proves that he is no one hit wonder either, (sorry Train, we all thought those leather trousers would work too), the urgent stutter of an acoustic guitar supporting a sing-a-long verse, before the chorus hook buries itself deep inside your head, not to be pushed out until Train’s comeback tour…come on boys, you can do it!
David Harfield
For the published review, click here.
To listen to Jim Kroft, click here.
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: Birthrights, Britpop, Drops of Jupiter, Jim Kroft, One Sees the Sun, Pop, Pop Rock, Rock, Train | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on July 2, 2010
Teenage Fanclub – Baby Lee
Teenage Fanclub are one of those bands that everyone should like. I know this because they are championed by so many people whose opinions are well-respected and count for a lot more than the average musical Joe’s, therefore, we should all appreciate their long-standing career in pop-rock. However, I defy you to name just one of their songs. Just one. That’s right, although they are a name that everybody is familiar with and knows that it’s OK to like, thanks to their championing by the likes of Nick Hornby, Kurt Cobain, et al, over two decades and nine studio albums, these Scot-rockers have yet to write a single tune that has truly permeated the public consciousness; their latest offering does not look to break this cycle.
‘Baby Lee’ begins as Teenage Fanclub’s homage to The Shadows, with clear, thought-out verse melodies echoed on rhythm guitar, while the chorus sounds like The Kinks, had the 60s never happened. “Baby Lee, I’m only trying to remind you, they had me in mind when they designed you/Baby Lee I’m always watching from a distance/Marry marry me oh baby now I am insistent”. A far cry from the band’s chaotic debut album, this chorus posits these reformed punks as a house band in a retirement home, serenading an elderly couple celebrating their Golden Wedding anniversary. While it’s a pleasant relief to watch bands grow old gracefully, as opposed to the current trend of money-hungry old codgers shaking their bits to their early hits on stage, while the on-looking roadies try to guess whether their tragic hip-shaking is actually the onset of Parkinsons, it would seem that Teenage Fanclub have grown up a little too much and become, sorry Kurt, uncool. And I mean ‘Dad at a wedding’ uncool.
For the published review, click here
To listen to Teenage Fanclub, click here.
David Harfield
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: Alt. Indie, Kurt Cobain, melody, Nick Hornby, punk, Rock, Scot-rockers, Scotland, Scottish, Teenage Fanclub | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on March 27, 2010
I, Ludicrous – We’re The Support Band
Music and comedy often go together like oil and water, with only a few notable exceptions; (see Flight of the Conchords’ ‘Tears of a Rapper‘ for an example of one of these anomalies, “The day after my birthday is not my birthday, Mom…”). However, with comedy-indie outfit I, Ludicrous’ latest offering, they have proven that, despite the occasional alchemic pairing, the two worlds of music and comedy should remain, indelibly, apart.
Opening with the sort of feedback acquainted with naive support bands attempting to emulate Jane’s Addiction, they then plough into the dull, thudding plod that is ‘We’re The Support Band’, with the lead singer bellowing out nursery-rhyme style couplets, such as, “The bass player’s stoned/he thinks we don’t know, we’re the support band”, the song’s title echoing each verse until the self-parodying drone of the chorus, “we go on and on and on and on,” assaults the listener’s ears.
Some of the verses raise a smile, “The only groupies we get/are from the wrong sex”, yet most of them simply wash over you in a sort of inane, sub-’Derek and Clive’ patter that has a pop song’s technique of being both instantly catchy and simultaneously forgettable. If you want pub rock, stick to Oasis. If you want humour, listen to Russell Brand. But don’t, for God’s sake, mix the two; the world just isn’t ready for ‘Definitely Maybe Waybe’…
David Harfield
For the published article, click here.
If you really want to listen to I, Ludicrous, click here.
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: comedy, Flight of the Conchords, I, Ludicrous, Oasis, pub rock, Russell Brand, We're The Support Band | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on December 1, 2009
Reverend and the Makers 
No Soap (In A Dirty War)
It’s been a few years since John Mclure and his reverent bunch crashed into the mainstream’s consciousness on the coattails of fellow Sheffield indie scamps the Arctic Monkeys; however, whereas Alex Turner’s caustic, idiosyncratic lyrics seared and endeared himself to the entire country, (before the world), Reverend et al’s kitchen-sink dialogue married with nursery rhyme melodies failed to successfully achieve the North-South crossover.
‘No Soap (In A Dirty War)’ certainly is an improvement upon the bands’ last offerings, as they seem to be taking song writing and production a little more seriously; who can remember the cringing vocal to ‘He Said He Loved Me’? (It actually sounded as if it was recorded at a chippy after a night out on the lash…by the owner of the chippy).
McClure’s idiosyncratic voice is high in the mix, as he talks of a ‘free ride on a guilt trip’; his lyrics have always been a stumbling block, as, essentially, he sings in the manner of a man who left school early. Not since Tupac rhymed ‘elementary’ with ‘penitentiary’ has there been a more hilarious rhythmic coupling than, “Nobody likes a martyr love, so leave it Martin Luther”, proving that whatever lyrical sensibility that McClure was taking seriously is now up in smoke…however, it is the fact that he clearly isn’t trying too hard that actually rescues the song from the depths of dread that previous outputs like ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World’ are now languishing in.
Perhaps, like Peter Kay’s brand of ‘reet Northern’ humour, Reverend and the Makers are a band that are destined to be forever championed by their hometowns, yet in a stroke of irony, somehow their brutal simplicity is not understood by the masses. Well, if Phoenix Nights is ever reprised, the rest of us can relax in the knowledge that we could recommend the perfect house band…
David Harfield
(http://www.roomthirteen.com/cd_reviews/10458/Reverend_And_The_Makers__No_Soap_In_A_Dirty_War.html)
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys, Indie, John McClure, No Soap (In A Dirty War), Reverend and the Makers, Sheffield | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on December 1, 2009
Idlewild
Readers and Writers
Every scene has its also-rans, its runners up, its second placers and post Britpop indie is no exception. Now, these monickers may seem harsh at first, however, if you think of all the bands that don’t even qualify as also-rans, the forgotten contenders of a time gone by, then finishing second place to Travis et al. may not seem so bad, as you look over your shoulder at Dodgy and the Boo Radleys stumbling over their starting blocks.
Idlewild’s shot for the early noughties indie-rock crown was 2002′s superb ‘The Remote Part’, an album whose first three tracks could easily stand up and be counted against the best of the decade’s guitar bands; unfortunately, through a mixture of bad luck and worse management, Idlewild never quite got to ‘hold the world in their arms’, to see if they could bear its weight. However, they’re back with a catchy and credible indie stomper, ‘Readers and Writers’, a tune that announces its arrival with a clatter of drums and a joyous horn section, before singer Roddy Woomble, (Scottish, would you believe?!) begins his verbose stuttering of lachrymose chanting. The innovative lines are sung in that bittersweet way that only a sad song in a major key can really make you feel, sort of like a rainbow shining through a thunderstorm.
The infectious coda of, “and yet you call yourself a heartbreaker” is the most touching part of the song and will surely satisfy fans of old, who still yearn for the arcane aching of ‘American English’s’ marriage of glorious melodies and lyrics. Unfortunately, if one listens to a record from the band’s heyday before listening to ‘Readers and Writers’, it becomes clear that little has changed in terms of song structure, style or even the way they write and perform their music.
Adopting an ‘if ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to song writing may work for those bands comfortable enough with their fan base, yet Idlewild are a band that may always wonder what could have been; nonetheless, they’re still miles ahead of ‘Good Enough’…
David Harfield
(http://www.roomthirteen.com/cd_reviews/10457/Idlewild__Readers__Writers.html)
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: alt. Rock, Blur, Britpop, Idlewild, Indie, Oasis, Readers and Writers, Scottich | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on December 1, 2009
Spiral Stairs
Stolen Pills
Pavement are one of those bands that only people of a certain musical disposition are aware of, and if one is aware of Pavement, then it is impossible not to have a fairly strong opinion about them. Fans of the early nineties alt. rock group will argue to the death that they were pioneers of an innovative and important musical trend that spawned a thousand copycat artists attempting to imitate their soft, slacker approach to life and song writing. Detractors will claim that they were just shit.
However, it is best to remain neutral when listening to Scott Kannberg’s new solo project Spiral Stairs and the first single to be taken from their debut album, ‘The Real Feel’. On pushing play, one is immediately hit by a wall of sound, a soft thrash of thundering drums and guitars turned up to eleven, as Kannberg howls nonsensical lines about pilfered pharmaceuticals, with a reverb effect on his vocal that begins engaging but ends up sounding a little forced.
For a teen garage band first testing the levels of their sonic capabilities, ‘Stolen Pills’ would be a fairly impressive opener in a set played to three of their friends in their mum’s basement; (if you’re asking, the other songs would consist primarily of Ramones covers and the occasional Pistols tune, with the coup de grace being a career-ending stage dive made by an overzealous bassist into thin air…we’ve all seen School of Rock.)
However, for a venerable artist such as Kannberg, who has clocked in over two decades in the music industry, this can only really be described as creative plateauing, bordering on regression..or just shit.
David Harfield
(http://www.roomthirteen.com/cd_reviews/10459/Spiral_Stairs__Stolen_Pills.html)
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: alt. Rock, Pavement, Scott Kannberg, Spiral Stairs, Stolen Pills | Leave a Comment »
Posted by davidharfield on October 7, 2009
Dinosaur JR – Pieces
It it doubtful that way back in 1984 when Dinosaur Jr came up with their monicker that they expected that their fuzzed-up alt. rock would support them in a career that would span 25 years, (break ups notwithstanding), and that they would actually have the legitimate option to change their name to the more fitting Dinosaur Sr. Still, here they are at the end of the Noughties, delivering the same epic and eclectic performances that have earned them a veritable legion of fans over the past two decades.
‘Pieces’ is a heavy pop-rock number in the style of Neil Young’s ‘Rocking In The Free World’, yet with a slightly more laid-back delivery; the buoyant melody of the lead vocal, provided by grizzled front man J Mascics carries the song along in classic stoner style. The dejected cracking of Mascics’ voice as he croons “Give me time to find the pieces of our love” posits him as Evan Dando in his most chemical years. Mascic’s soloing is still a centrepiece of the band’s music; the word ‘epic’ simply does not do his soaring fret-twiddling justice, as he offers a master class to any aspiring axe-heroes in how to deliver both overblown and understated beauty within the same eight bars.
For any doubters out there who had written this band as also-rans of the 1980′s alt. rock fallout, then this is a testament to show how wrong you could be; with these ageing rockers still being able to turn out material like ‘Pieces’, then we are sure to see them add a few more ‘Sr’s to their name in the decades to come.
David Harfield
(http://www.roomthirteen.com/cd_reviews/10335/Dinosaur_Jr__Pieces.html)
Posted in Single Reviews | Tagged: 1980s, alt. Rock, Country, Dinosaur JR, Evan Dando, Lemonhead, Neil Young, Pieces | Leave a Comment »
Amidst the sea of burgeoning new singer songwriters hoping to stay afloat in 2012 drifts a promising contender whose innovative and gritty production style looks set to bring electro-soul to the ears of the mainstream. Lyna Galliara’s upcoming single ‘Bullets’ is a bold step for the young songstress, as it blends elements of jazz and psych-funk with her more contemporary soul style; if her debut album is as strong as this then she can expect a whole legion of new fans, not to mention record labels, knocking at her door this year.
