If only the World Cup didn’t have to end, K’naan could have potentially been Afrobeat’s greatest ever crossover star. Still, this high-powered Bob Sinclair remix couldn’t arrive at a better time. more… “Amadou & Miriam feat. K’naan”
A bunch of bands that you may already know about all playing against each other for some developmental deal like a music World Cup… so here’s a rough description of what each sounded like even if you don’t care, or already knew.
The Marvels are like a less evil Scouting For Girls, in the way that their music doesn’t sound like the devil vacuuming up all the good in the world. They start by battering keyboards like someone trying to explain what Acoustic Ladyland sound like without a saxophone at hand. Competent pop songs that sometimes rock out and become very loud, a fine combination
Six Storeys High are essentially the band Nirvana would have been had Glenn Danzig been vocalist, possibly. It’s hard to find a more fitting description than that.
Steve Heron is very fond of the 1980s, apparent from his music, which draws on a variety of influences from that time. Heavily reliant on slick guitar riffs, he manages to make his music sound fairly modern despite his obvious inspiration.
Sebastian Dangerfield just isn’t as funny as he used to be. See that’s a joke because there was this comedian called Rodney Dangerfield and I’m conflating the two… if I had a coat I would get it. Anyway the band, not affiliated, are pretty outstanding, playing soulful folk/rock, rock/folk, (they have a banjo it has to be one of the two) that is irresistible at times. There’s a sneaking suspicion they’re romanticising what they sing about, but it sounds good all the same.
Scrap Brain seem to ascribe more to the competition element, attempting to work the crowd. Energetic is not the word to describe their performance. Actually, yes it is, the singer writhes on stage (and off stage) as if beset by some invisible fire that cannot be extinguished. The music is loud as hell, like Death From Above 1979 playing Stooges covers just after being told that their house has collapsed because of shoddy craftsmanship when they paid the builder up front. ..delightfully brutal.
Your First Mistake are a band playing a style of music as familiar as finding milk in the fridge, it’s probably best described as somewhere between post-hardcore and emo and they are clearly very good at this, sounding about as polished and professional as anyone could really expect unless they had really unfairly high standards. They’re not the most original band ever but they do a lot of important things right.
Nobody knows who won yet and it’s not important. So there.
What a tribute to David Cameron’s nonsense, two Scottish bands supporting a more renowned American band; which is basically how the Second World War was won, except that it isn’t in any way. more… “Dum Dum Girls / Jesus H. Foxx / My Tiny Robots”
Unless you’re tracking the career of Eliza Doolittle with an extremely powerful microscope this second single is going to sound somewhat similar to her first effort more… “Eliza Doolittle”
As original as scrawling a stick-man rendition of Mona Lisa onto some lined paper then blue-tacking it to the walls of the Louvre in an attempt to pass it off as your own work before being ejected in disgrace onto the Paris streets, but who cares about that? more… “Cowbell”
Self-styled ‘tropical pop’ that doesn’t actually, call to mind ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ by 10cc but more pertinently slick Franz Ferdinand style funky riffs with a refreshingly restrained approach more… “Rob The Rich”
Son of Paul, though had you only heard one Paul Simon song in your life years ago, then suffered massive memory loss in an accident you’d probably still be able to make that connection upon to listening to this. more… “Harper Simon”
There’s few sadder things in life than watching an elderly family dog in its final years, no longer young and sprightly, reduced from formerly boisterous greetings more… “Teenage Fanclub”
If Richard Haswell was better known there would be riots outside the offices of dictionary specialists HarperCollins, for the word ‘prolific’ would be too restrictive more… “Richard Haswell”
What to make of an album whose title is a combination of a horribly outdated catchphrase that even Bart Simpson won’t utter anymore and the sort of atrocious pun that makes you want to peel your own skin off? more… “Round Ron Virgin”