The Chapman Family - Virgins

Reviewed by Solveig Werner

The Chapman Family, hailing from Stockton-on-Tees, released their newest single, Virgins, on the 12th of October. They are a four piece band which formed in 2006, and has been gaining in success ever since. Till now they have supported and played along side the acts that are in everyone’s mouth at the moment such as La Roux, and have been performing at various UK festivals.

This family band is another group riding on the success that Post Punk Revival has been having over recent years. The singer, Kingsley Chapman, has the sort of smoky voice generally associated with post punk. On the track Virgins his voice could be compared with that of the Maxïmo Park singer, or the vocalist of Crystal Stilts. Music wise the Chapman family is closer to the Crystal Stilts.

Virgins starts off with an intro that makes one think of the arrival of someone that cannot be missed. There is a gradual increase in importance; it is like a musical storm. The song critiques someone, “I don’t think I like what you’ve become!”

The B-Side Goodtimes is a lot slower, the music is less violent, but it also is a sadder track. Instrumentally it is nicer, there is piano and string music on the track, which automatically has a calming effect on the listener.

3.5/5

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance The Way I Feel

Reviewed by Solveig Werner

On the 2nd of November the North London three-piece band Ou Est Le Swimming Pool is releasing their newest single Dance The Way I Feel. Charles Haddon, Joe Hutchinson, and Caan Capan might be making some mistakes with their French (“Ou est le swimming pool” means “or is the swimming pool”, when they probably wanted to say “Où est le swimming pool” which means “where is the swimming pool), but they do know how to make some catchy music.

This new song strongly reminds me of the better releases by the Black Kids, just this time it is a British and not an American band providing our ears with the tunes. The song is for the dance floor, and will most likely find its most followers in the mid teens.

Even though one of their influences is meant to be The Pet Shop Boys, La Roux could very well influence them on this track.

3,5/5

Wolfmother - New Moon Rising

Finally some new Wolfmother material is going to be released. On the 5th of October 2009, the Australian rock band, made up of Andrew Stockdale, Ian Peres, Aidan Nemeth, and Dave Atkins, will release the new single New Moon Rising. In the following week the new album Cosmic Egg will be out.

This new single is without a doubt a proper Wolfmother song, starting with a loud intro and then having the vocals talk a bit over the music, and then sort of having a musical explosion here and there. After a few listens it does seem to be missing a bit, the catchiness that marks the songs Woman and Joker & The Thief is not all that present. The guitar parts of the song are a reminder of the white stripes in the early days.

Like on other Wolfmother tracks, this song talks about a girl, and the lyrics are repetitive, hence the listener can easily get used to the song. New Moon Rising will probably be a less foce full single than some of the other have been, but it will sell, and will propel Wolfmother back into the musical spheres where these boys belong, not that they ever descended from up there.

Review by Solveig Werner

The Veils – Sun Gangs

The Veils are back with a new album Sun Gangs, out on 6th April on Rough Trade. They are all over the globe, New Zeland, the UK and Germany. Their producer on this alum is Graham Sutton who produces bands artists along the lines of British Sea Power, and Jarvis Cocker. The singer Finn Andrews is the son of Barry Andrews, a member of the legendary XTC. With such a profile only good things can be expected.
So good indeed, that I am almost lost for words to describe them. The album starts of with ‘Sit Down By The Fire’ (which definitely is a fireside song), about the end of love. The themes of love, leaving, dying, and the universe are very much reoccurring throughout the album. My favorite line must be “You smell the diesel of a passing train”, overall every song as piercing deep reaching lyrics. The sadness of the songs is countered by strange lyrics such as that one.
The songs are all simple; sometimes more in the style of music for a book, and others are more for the lover of garage rock. They are all engineered perfectly, and the album is a solid piece of music art.
Definitely do not miss out on the Veils!

Review by Solveig Werner

Shortwave Fade - Deletia

Shortwave Fade is set to release their debut album “Deletia” on March 9th on Slice Pie Records.
Starting everything of with an electronic whirlwind, but not dance electronic music, the album enters the listener’s ears. The style of electronic music that marks Shortwave Fade is a chill-out relaxing electronic sound. The first song Stay As You Are reminds a bit of the Mexican band Zoé, which is probably a good thing. It has to be said though that the song is missing something, the beginning is more promising than what the listener gets in the end. The music becomes slightly repetitive, and the vocals are hard to make out. To Late To Tell the singer has a voice that resembles Ben Gibbard on the lines “been here before/we’ve seen the signs”.
Overall I like the album, even thought I have the tendency to let it flow over me, and stop listening. It is the perfect music to study to, as it is not annoying in any way, it can almost be said to be relaxing. The vocals are the main thing that the band should work on improving in the future, as the sound of their songs is really good. Still there is a certain punch to it all that is missing. Currently I really like Cover Your Eyes, and I believe that this album will grow on me, and many others after a couple of listens. And then Onto the Ark, has the punch that is missing on the rest of the record, it makes you want to listen to the whole things again, interesting concept for building up an album.

Review by Solveig Werner

Julian Velard

The man with the Tiny piano will be releasing an album in mid September, featuring some very melodic music. The song ‘Jimmy Dean and Steve McQueen’ is marked by a beautiful piano track. Mr. Velard knows how to make quiet music that can accompany a fancy dinner.

Review by Solveig Werner

Innerpartysystem – Don’t Stop

The newest single by the Pennsylvania band Innerpartysystem is ‘Don’t Stop’ and the only thing there is to say about it is that it is a real mint tune. The band truly emphasizes the electro rock style, by making this a dance song that seems to be not just a lot of repetition but also some musical depth. It is only a matter of time before it will be played on the dance floors and not just on a few radio stations. Innerpartysystem could be the next big band in electro music that is not from France or Germany.

Review by Solveig Werner

Lightspeed Champion - Galaxy of the Lost

‘Galaxy of the Lost’ is the name of the newest single by Light Speed Champion, and it is quite a good one. The lyrics clearly reflect the feeling of being lost at certain times. One thing that makes this song particular is that it is not a song that you can listen to all the time. It is one of those that you have to be in the mood for, when you feel a bit sad that’s when it could fit well, not making you any worse. Being very melodic it has a bit the appeal of a song that could be played in a nice cozy coffee shop.

Review by Solveig Werner

Razmataz Lorry Exitement! - The Biggest Waste Of 33 Minutes

If you like electro rock then Razmataz Lorry Exitement is the artist for you. His new single ‘The Biggest Waste Of 33 Minutes’ reflects influences such along the lines of Daft Punk. If you like artists such as Thieves Like Us, Digitalism and Hot Chip then you won’t be deceived by this new song, it is not a waste of time, I’d rather say it is a lot better than a lot of things that are out on the market in the electro and dance genres today.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kenna - Out Of Control

Kenna is finally releasing his debut album in the UK, the first single of it is ‘Out of Control (State of Emotion)’. This song is very particular it sounds a lot like a dance tune hip hop sort of tune, that seems to appeal to a lot of people that like alternative rock music. It is very very catch and addictive at once.

Review by Solveig Werner

Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate

“Tessellate” is the first UK single of “Elephant Shell” the debut album by the Canadian band Tokyo Police Club. This song is even more energetic than what was released prior to it like their overwhelming EP “A Lesson In Crime” or their various other tracks that were released such as “Your English Is Good”. The sounds are getting more and more sophisticated as the band evolves. The sound of “Tessellate” makes the listener wants to get up and dance, but if you listen a bit closer to the lyrics there is a certain sadness in them, the sadness that marks everything by Tokyo Police Club, but there is nothing to worry about they are some of the happiest people around. “Tessellate” is marked by Graham’s keyboard skills and Dave’s really really good singing voice, of course the skills of Greg and Josh can’t be neglected. Like in some of the other songs the drums are important as is the clapping when only Graham’s synchs and David’s voice are in action.

They are about to announce their tour dates for the summer for the UK and the rest of Europe, and Tokyo Police Club is a great live act so definitely worth checking out.

Review by Solveig Werner

The Black Kids - I Am Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You

The Florida Band known under the name Black Kids is finally officially releasing their single “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” in the UK. Before this song was available as a free download which propelled them to the top of the musical world. This song is amazing it tells the story of a childhood love and deep sitting jealousy. The lyrics are bizarre at times, which makes the whole song even more fun. It is a dancy tune that can definitely rock the dance floors, remixes of it are already out there. Black Kids are a band that should be listened to, they are most likely going to be bigger than we expect them to be.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kill Hanna - Lips Like Morphine

The best Kill Hanna song, in my opinion, is finally getting released in the UK. It is “Lips Like Morphine” which describes a deep desire to find an overpowering girl. The lyrics describe that this girl that is longed for is meant to have lips that are strong enough to knock one out when they kiss, they have the same effects as morphine upon the person on the receiving end. The music has a dark sound to it which makes the whole idea of a Morphine lipped girl see, even more dangerous.

Review by Solveig Werner

Art Brut - Pump Up The Volume

The crazy band known under the name Art Brut, has a new single which is most probably also about one of the ex-girlfriends Eddie Argos had. His talking over the music, and the bizarre sarcasm of the lyrics marks “Pump Up The Volume”. This song is missing something, the originality that was present in previous releases. The move to LA might have had an unexpected impact on the bands music. This single is about if it is ok to turn up the volume on a pop song while kissing, to be fair Eddie has the weirdest ideas what to make his lyrics be about.

Review by Solveig

Eastern Conference Champions - The Box

The newest single of the Pennsylvania Eastern Conference Champions is entitled “The Box”, a term that does not even get mentioned in the lyrics. It is melodic and different from the current indie sounds that are out on the market. Lyrics wise it is a rather somber song, dealing with drug abuse, drinking, and getting three years for “just giving up”, all of this is dealt with in a more or less quiet way. The last note of the song is very beautiful, giving it a nice ending and making one want to hear the whole song over and over again.

Review by Solveig Werner

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

The former Pavement member, Stephen Malkmus is releasing his fourth solo album with the Jicks. This album is made special by its simplicity, reminding the listener garage bands that dare to experiment with instruments and music in general. The creativity is already visible when it comes to the titles of the songs like “Elmo Delmo”, “Wicked Wanda” or “Dragonfly Pie”, whatever that means. Every song is different from the others, they all sound similar but different. What they have in common is Mr. Malkmus unique voice. The lyrics are rather random which makes them quite fun. It’s not what would be put on in a club, but to some tracks you could dance definitely some real rock ‘n’ roll on. The album has got something very original but hard to grasp and describe in words, it is definitely worth giving a listen.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kill Hanna - Kennedy

The upcoming single by the Chicago band Kill Hanna is about the Kennedy family clan as the title “Kennedy” suggests. In more detail this song is about how great it would be to actually be a Kennedy, the prestige of the family is described in the lyrics, they come over as some sort of Gods. Musical energy is definitely present in the song, and it is not as dark as the previous release “Lips Like Morphine”, but still it is quite a similar song, the theme of wanting something impossible is still present, and kissing pretty girls. Maybe wanting the unattainable is the main motif for Kill Hanna.

Review by Solveig Werner

The Cardigans - Erase/Rewind (Kleerup Remix

Surprisingly the Cardigans song “Erase/Rewind” remixed by Kleerup sounds quite good. It is not the typical Cardigans, and with that not the music for every moment, but it might be something to consider putting on while getting ready for a night out. Proper Cardigans might not agree with this, seen that it diverts a lot from the original version of the song, but why not give it a try on the dance floor?

Review by Solveig Werner

Rivers Cuomo - Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo

Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo decided to release some more material; it is the songs that he recorded on his own time without the rest of the band being around, hence the title of his upcoming album. “Alone” features different recordings of Weezer’s released songs, but also some songs that seem to have never left Cuomo’s house before. Songs ending abruptly mark this record, this and the fact that the recordings are quite simple adds to the charm. It is a stripped down version of Weezer, which makes it sound great nonetheless.

Review by Solveig Werner

The Editors - An End Has A Start

An End Has A Start is the second album by the gang of journalists turned musicians that are known to us as the Editors and not as “Snowfield”, the name they had originally, has been with us for quite some time now. It seems like as if this album will be one of those that won’t die, even though it focuses on death in some of the lyrics. This album is a lot darker than the first one, the influence of the early Cure and the Joy Divisionesque sound can be heard, like it is the case for some contemporary bands at the moment. You have to choose the right moment in time to listen to it. The dark electro rock mixed with the dark lyrics makes it a dangerous piece of music for a depressive person.

Review by Solveig Werner