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Myths of the Near Future
Joey EYEbank reviews some contenders…
Klaxons- Myths of the Near Future
The new age of Indie music combining today's technology is here.
Klaxons have been named "new rave" or "indie disco"
but those aren't exactly proper genres are they? They're just tags and
hypes surrounding the band and their ilk, but people seem to think they
can pigeonhole them into a genre.
This album is both magical and hypnotising and you can't help but dance
along, all the songs seem to take you into a bizarre fantasy land where
possibilities are endless, or is that just the effect it has on me?
The album is full of good tunes; wheteher it's the radio-friendly "Golden
Skans" or even the mystic "Magik", there's not one wasted
minute of musical genius.
If this is the music of the future than I can't wait!
10/10
http://www.myspace.com/klaxons
The Shivers- Miss Jane
The cool mandolin and banjo start to the first track is quite interesting,
but then the song explodes (in fact it of more pops) into this weird
beat-pop, country, line-dancing showdown tune with a weird poppy melody
to it. This single reminds me of the theme music that Jack White did
for the Cold Mountain sound track, except that The Shivers are English.
I suppose it's quite fun, but its not my kind(or Repeat's) kind of music.
3/10
http://www.myspace.com/theshiversband
Electroconductor- About Time
This song starts off with a daunting orchestral sound which leads off
into a synth powered tune to give the impression of a dark atmosphere.
Opening with a sombre piano, tingeing the song with a rather romantic,
gloomy melody, this music makes you think about matters and things beyond
your imagination and leading you to drift off.
A very impressive and surprising album, sounding something like Moby
or Apex Twin with relaxing lounge music groove to it.
8/10
http://www.electroconductor.com/
Saxon- If I Was You
A very eighties sounding glam metal band, reminiscent of a heavier Bon
Jovi with the same clichéd poppy sing-along, power ballad type
chorus. It is catchy though - I can just imagine all the fans air-guitaring
to it at their world air guitar attempt at Hillsborough the other week
(read about this here http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/article/?id=46026
and watch here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHkT-BlDy4U), and by the
end I do find myself singing along to it myself. However the band themselves
aren't exactly that good, they were better when they were in their prime
in the eighties, for now they just sound like annoying has beens trying
to go back to the good old days when music like this was popular.
3/10
http://www.saxon747.com/en/is/
Popup-Chinese Burn/Stagecoach
I can tell Popup will be one of those bands that have a massive hype
around them when they're nothing that great. If Artic Monkeys were Scottish
then you'd get Popup, so it's just more Libertines rip-off melodies
with a slightly sharper side to them. It's like a fusion between the
Pretenders and Artic Monkeys, and gets annoying and repetitive as yet
more of their songs go by.
1/10
http://www.myspace.com/popuptheband
Forward Russia- Don't be a Doctor
Yay! Forward Russia has finally decided to name their songs with proper
titles instead of naming each song by a number. Their music is still
bullshit though! Calling it "experimental, indie" is just
a cop out! It's not experimental, that's just their excuse for being
shite; "But oh" they cry "we play random noises from
instruments with a singer that repeats dribbled words into a mic therefore
we're experimental!" Experimental is defined by experimenting with
different sounds and seeing if it fits to create a "new sound",
Forward Russia just play whatever they feel like with any timing and
key to make what I call "musical constipation".
Don't buy this unless you're mad!
-1/10
http://www.forwardrussia.com/
Yes Boss- See It Through
This is like Plan B mixed with The Streets [sounds great to me - bangin
Ed]and that's it. There's no originality or inspiration to it it's just
an English middle class boy rapping over repetitive dance music.
1/10
http://www.myspace.com/yesboss1
Kaiser Chiefs- Ruby
The sharp electronic sounding guitar at the start launches this track
into a powerful and catchy song with a future esq. sound. I've never
been a fan of the Kaiser Chiefs before as I found them to lack any originality,
depth or strength in their music, but if this is what the new album's
going to sound like then I'm definitely having it (*cough* Rosey get
me a copy*cough*). And I recommend you get one too.
9/10
The Mighty Roars- Swine and Cockerel
A distorted mix of bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Be Your Own Pet
with an extra punch. I can see them being a brilliant proposition live,
and in my opinion bands like these are the new punk wave, not arrogant
egotistic arseholes like Towers of London. Pure amazing rock'n'roll,
this is what the charts should contain.
10/10
http://www.myspace.com/themightyroars
Type o Negative- Dead Again
"Gothic doom metallers" - what the hell is that supposed to
mean? Is that a type of genre or something?
But when you listen to it, it just sounds like The Misfits reincarnated.
Dark , gothic, punk music like the Ramones with beards playing their
three chords in a minor key. And they're better musicians. A very strange
and refreshing surprise!
7/10
http://www.myspace.com/typeonegative
The Maccabees- About Your Dress
When are bands that are just complete Libertines rip offs going to stop!
There's no originality here; this just goes to rebuff those people who
say "What have the Libertines done? They're only famous because
Pete Doherty is a complete waster" The Libertines have done a lot
actually; not only did they create soulful, melodic and catchy tunes
but they also inspired loads of bands to make music - even if those
bands are just complete rip-offs! Anyway back to the review.
Like The Libertines, there are two singers on this song, it goes quite
well together but it gets tedious and repetitive by the end. Can anyone
tell me why there is such a big hype about them?
1/10
www.myspace.com/themaccabees
The Hours- Narcissus Road
An interesting musical fusion of Bloc party and Coldplay with a brilliant
result!
Although they combine influences from such very common bands, they're
not at all tedious or unoriginal. If you don't buy this album take a
trip to Narcissus Road itself in Camden.
7/10
http://www.myspace.com/thehours
Bowling for Soup- The Great Burrito Extortion Case
One of the things I like about Bowling for Soup is that while they may
not be punk, as they claim themselves to be, but they sure don't take
themselves too seriously and they manage to make funny songs with catchy
sing-along choruses. They have also stayed a pop-punk band and have
not been caught up in the scene and tried to re-invent themselves as
"emo". This album is proof to that; it's still got the same
Bowling for Soup themes with songs about ex-girlfriends and taking the
piss out of current matters and actors.
The album starts off with the catchy and danceable "Epiphany"
then going into the generic and catchy first single "High school
Never Ends". As the album goes on it doesn't loose its fun, its
bounce or its quality. There's even a song called "I'm Gay"
and a piss take track about "Val Kilmer" claiming that he's
a failure and running out of ideas for movies.
If you see the lighter side of life and fun in a world full of shit,
war and poverty, then I suggest you take a listen to Bowling for Soup,
and even if you don't like pop-punk perhaps you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Like me.
10/10
http://www.myspace.com/bowlingforsoup
Joey Eyebank Ramone
Swine and Cockerel about these reviews on our message boards here
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