Flava Past |
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New CD's Reviewed Below - Archie Bronson Outfit, Arthur Baker & Tim Wheeler, The Automatic, The Delays, Duels, Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Kilo-C, Louis XIV, Mew, My Latest Novel, Tiga |
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The Automatic - Raoul new single 20 March The Automatic have played Cardiff Barfly many times most recently with their jam-packed New Years Eve Party, as evidenced in a recent NME spread. Raoul is the follow-up to the storming Recover, "Let's go see Raoul, for all the ones who used to give a damn, our ambition got cast aside, thrown away when the batteries died, and you start to compromise just to get to the other side ... Let's go back to work" Raoul, apparently The Automatic's mystic sandwich maker will be chuffed when he finds himself the subject of a Top Twenty hit! Great stuff. XXXX www.theautomatic.co.uk (Posted 8 February) |
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Arthur Baker & Tim Wheeler - Glow new single 20 March Yep this is the Arthur Baker who made the first electronic hip-hop record 'Planet Rock' (Africa Bambaataa) in 1984 ... and this is the Tim Wheeler from Ash ... and this is a fine record. Baker the dance music pioneer of cut and paste sampling has invited Jagz Kooner, Darren Emerson, Si Begg and The Freelance Hellraisers aboard this intriguing project ... 7 various mixes are featured on this CD and Tim Wheeler's Ash styling of a song comes thundering through as well .. an unusual combination worthy of note that may take both genres by storm. Favourite mix? ... well initially the Jagz Kooner mix stands out. XXXX www.arthurbaker.net (Posted 6 February) |
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Delays - You See Colours new album 6 March Southampton band The Delays have come up with a pop album which is defiantly excellent from start to finish. Gone are the rather relaxed approach heard on their accoustic based debut of a couple of years back, in it's wake the storming single 'Valentine' and a CD packed with worthy follow-ups. In a word this is Lush. Too soft for Oasis, too pop for The Libs ... so what this is a superb collection of songs from an exciting new band, "We want to redefine British Pop in our own image" says lead singer Greg, "We're absolutely unlike anybody else and we've made a record I'm dying for people to hear!" - May be XXXXx www.thedelays.co.uk (Posted 6 February) |
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Duels - Animal new single 20 March Leeds based five piece Duels release their new single 'Animal' "We Animal, You Animal, Yes Yes" through Nude Records on 20 March. Produced by James Ford of Test Icicles and Mystery Jets producer fame and this is probably the most commercially sounding of the three, there's must be a good chance for this storming slab odf rock with a simple hook to hook the Top Thirty, useful XXXx www.duelstheband.com |
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My Latest Novel - The Reputation Of Ross Francis new single 20 February A weird kind of lament, which may capture someone's imagination. The follow-up to 'Sister Sneaker Sister Soul', from their debut album 'Wolves' - definately a uniqueness to this, but perhaps not the most uplifting listen and probably that's where it's weakness is, not bad though. XXx www.mylatestnovel.com (Posted 6 February) |
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Mew - Why Are You Looking So Grave new single 6 February Hailing from Denmark, Mew released the awesome single 'Apoocolypso' last year, this seems to have been an even more prophetic title and the timing couldn't be worse ... or better depending on how you look at these things. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jnr features on this special limited edition single with eight versions of the track! This is prog rock and it is thoughtful, sophisticated, harmonic, beautiful, a quite enormous listen. Excellent XXXx www.mewsite.com (Posted 6 February) |
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Kilo-C - 16th Beggar new single out now Kilo-C (pronounced Key-Low-See) have been working hard at this for some time and it's paid off, an excellent four track CD single which combines a love of the electronic with a solid rock base. The four tracks included here are '16th Beggar' - a stomping soundtrack with an incisive lyric, 'What Have I Become', 'The Price Of Life' and 'I Think I Just Woke Up'. See them on Tuesday 7th February at Cardiff Barfly supporting Adult and Temposhark, this is good stuff and deserves some investment. XXXX www.kilo-c.tk (Posted 6 February) |
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Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists new single 27 February I hope this does not mean the end for American group Rilo Kiley, however if this project their lead singer Jenny Lewis gets the recognition it deserves it may well be. 'Rabbit Fur Coat' is her debut solo album and 'Rise Up' will be the first single, an edgy accoustic listen just like the supremely teasing version of Travelling Wilburys 'Handle With Care' which will probably be the second single - teasing and jaunty, just like the sleeve - great stuff. XXXX www.myspace.com/lewiswithwatsons (Posted 6 February) |
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Louis XIV - The Best Little Secrets Are Kept out now "A horny fusion of glam rock boogie and top shelf naughtiness", so says Uncut magazine and that sums up the excitement of Louis XIV. They played a somewhat hectic show at Cardiff Barfly last year, and even though you got the feeling they weren't entirely happy with their day the songs punched through. A very visual experience where on video their songs certainly come to life. These catchy San Diego based tunesmiths are surely going to take the charts of 2006 by storm - See for yourself : Oxford Zodiac 25th Feb, Manchester Roadhouse 26th, Glasgow King Tuts 27th and London Scala 28th, listen out for the awesome Stones inspired 'Hey Teacher'. XXXX www.louisxiv.net (Posted 6 February) |
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Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang Derdang new album out 13 March ABO's second album 'Derdang Derdang' on the Arctic Monkey's label Domino is an intense affair, right from the opener 'Cherry Lips' excellent single 'Dart For My Sweetheart' to it's sequel and finale 'Harp For My Sweetheart'. These guys not only have an unusual name but an unusual approach and sound - this seperates them from the pack a little at least and I feel this material is strong enough to win them a steadily increasing following. See for yourself when they play at Friday Mad4it! in Cardiff Barfly on Friday 24 March when they'll be supported by Clearlake. XXXx www.archiebronsonoutfit.co.uk (Posted 6 February) |
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Tiga - Sexor new album 6 February Tiga has delivered his talents to The Scissor Sisters in remixing 'Comfortably Numb', LCD Soundsystems 'Tribulations', Mylo's 'Muscle Cars' and Depeche Mode's 'Shake The Disease'. Tiga vocalled Richard X's 'You Better Let Me Love You Tonight', rushed out his own version of 'Hot In Here' while Nelly was charting the song. Here he is with his debut album which following the above makes it worthy of a listen at least, this is probably text book stuff, an assembled 'how to' lesson ... so why not put a Tiga in your tank ... XXX www.tiga.ca (Posted 6 February) |