My Brightest Diamond – From The Top Of The World
[Pictured left]
[Release date: 29/09/08; Asthmatic Kitty]


Taken from the band’s second album, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (“Get your cyber-selves down to iTunes, kids, and buy it!”), the track is a weird mix of sea-shanty, gothic imagination, and folk delivery. Whilst not really being a typical single, it’s easily the most complex music on offer from this current round-up of singles – which, if you keep reading till the end of this piece, turns out to not have been too hard to achieve. But, if I tell you the other three songs on the EP are all sung in French and have their origins in the 1930s (2 of them being Edith Piaf numbers), you’ll get a rough idea of the music, I’m sure.

When the music industry collapses in flames – thanks to our all consuming greed for free music – this is the sort of stuff that will be left in the rubble. Not particularly caring about modern trends and the best way to reach the biggest audience; just people making good music for people who really want to take the time to listen. 

Artist website: www.mybrightestdiamond.com



Joan As Police Woman – Holiday
[Release date: 22/09/08; Reveal Records]


Whilst this track has more than a passing resemblance to All I Need by Air, both in production and melody – let’s face it, it’s not the worst song in the world to ape. At least, I think it’s that track – or maybe it’s La Femme D’Argent; anyway, I’m not going to subject myself to the smooth sounds of Moon Safari right now to find out. I’m tired enough as it is. Let’s just say it sounds a bit like Air. And let’s also say that this fact is ok with me.

The production and playing is smooth and assured, the lyrics and vocals work very well, and you can tap your foot to it all. Just don’t spit your dummy out and come complaining to me, when you find out your middle-aged boss likes it too – he heard his daughter play it in the car, and now he can’t get enough of, “Joan, The Police Constable.”

Artist website: www.joanaspolicewoman.com

The Dodos – Fools
[Release date: 15/09/08; Wichita]


It would be easy to dismiss The Dodos as Animal Collective copyists – come a few years too late, and still stuck back on Sung Tongs. And, you know what? I’m all for the easy option. 

Does a couple of acoustic guitars, ratty-tat-tat percussion, the occasional yelp, and a chorus of, “oh / oh / oh,” sound familiar? Not that I dislike any of these things in any way. It’s just I’d only really recommend purchasing this if you already own everything that Animal Collective have put out, and are desperate for something more; anything more. As this is, put crudely, a slightly more user-friendly version of that, better, band.

Artist website: www.dodosmusic.net

Wild Beasts – Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants
[Release date: 13/10/08; Domino]


“And a lovely big rosette for the catchiest single of the bunch goes to . . . Wild Beasts!”

Ok, so the lyrics are absolute nonsense, and it’ll probably become a big hit with people that watch T4 on Sunday, self-analyse their own jokes whilst telling them, and hold themselves up as the rightful rulers of the 'cool world'; but, I can hardly hold that against the band. Not yet, anyway. Give it a week or two.

If I told you that there are cow bells; bouncing bass lines; falsetto vocals; and a repetitive chorus, chanting the song’s title – I’ve said all that needs to be said about it.

Artist website: www.wild-beasts.co.uk

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Come On Over (Turn Me On)
[Release date: 15/09/08; V2/Co-Op]


Forget about trying to match this pair up against Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, as people often do; it’s simply not fair. There isn’t an ounce of the Hazlewood black-humour, or off-kilter arranging style, for a start. No. It would be fairer to compare them such perpetual mizogs as The Tindersticks, or even Richard Hawley; and unfortunately, even then, they still come up short.

If you listen closely, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of it – the arrangement is nice, and the mix of rough and smooth vocal styles fit together well – but that’s the problem; you have to listen closely. Otherwise it simply becomes background noise; and that’s not really the effect you want to be having with a single, is it?

Artist website: www.myspace.com/isobelcampbell

Travis – Something Anything
[Release date: 15/09/08; Red Telephone Box]


I’m not entirely sure when Travis started sounding like Weezer (post Pinkerton, of course); but, I’m assuming it’s a new development in their saddening sound. Not that this is necessarily a terrible thing for them - or, at least, no worse than they once were - it’s simply a point worth making. Really the only point worth making.

Artist website: www.travisonline.com

The Black Keys – Oceans and Streams
[Release date: 15/09/08; V2/Co-Op]


Taken from the disappointing last album, Attack and Release, and produced by Danger Mouse – Oceans And Streams sees The Black Keys getting stuck in the mud of artistic repetition. The track goes nowhere, very slowly, has nothing of any merit to say, and stands as a reminder to how much better they sounded before they felt the need to get in hip new producers to try and reignite flagging interests. It’s never a good move to use album fillers for singles – and here stands the retched proof of this fundamental rule.

Artist website: www.theblackkeys.com

Mogwai  – Batcat
[Release date: 08/09/08; Wall Of Sound]

I can’t for the life of me figure out why Mogwai have chosen this to be released as a single in advance of the new album, The Hawk Is Howling (out on the 23rd). It’s just not single material. If anything it sounds like a very long introduction to an early 90s Metallica number.

Intense distorted guitars play on and on and on behind heavy, rolling, drums for over 5 minutes, and whilst there is nothing totally repellent about this, without the context of the rest of the album it just falls flat on it’s own arse.

Artist website: www.mogwai.co.uk

Martina Topley Bird – Baby Blue
[Release date: 08/09/08; Independiente]


Apparently Danger Mouse produced this one too. “So that’s two failures for you this week Brian. I’m afraid it’s one more and you’re out.”

Chorus: “Baby Blue / I don’t know what to do.” Not much more needs to be said than that, although if you enjoy listening to Adele; Duffy; Gabriella Climi; the sound of office clerks writing out purchase ledgers; then you’ll love this washed out pop/soul pap. 

Artist website: www.martinatopleybird.com 

Max Tundra – Will Get Fooled Again
[Release date: 29/09/08; Domino]


Before the release of Max Tundra’s third album, and his first for 6 years, comes this stinky mess of a single. It’s the sort of thing Brian Eno might have released back in the 1970s if he’d been a special needs child – in that some people will listen to this song and say, “Crickey, there is so much going on in that song.” And then people that know the difference between right and wrong will correct them and so, “No, you’re confusing having lots of ideas with producing an unfocused mess – see the difference?” They probably won’t, but they’ll be bound to nod in understanding, none-the-less.

Then of course there’s the lyrics. “I found a girl on Ebay / She was bidding on Halfway to a Threeway,” was, no doubt, written to induce the response: “Cool, he just sung about Jim O’Rourke.” But, sadly all I could muster was: “Oh no, he’s just said ‘Ebay’ – that’s not cool.” And if that’s not bad enough – he then goes on to say he met a girl on Myspace. Myspace! He does know this is 2008, right? Mr Tundra, if you’re going to litter your music with cultural references in the future, don’t dig around in the bottom of the bin for them – that stuff rots pretty quickly when it’s exposed to the open air.

Artist website: www.maxtundra.com

Comments:

Singles Round-Up, 16/09/08 Graham Quinn    September 16th, 2008 - 8:54 PM the sort of thing Brian Eno might have released back in the 1970s if he’d been a special needs child can you pass me a cloth please, so I can wipe up the stir fry i have just spat all over the screen.....

(1) comment - discuss in the forum