Singles Round Up - June 29

Gawd. One moment we’re all like, Ergh, it’s all raining and miserable… where’s the sun? And then the sun does come out, and we wish it didn’t quite so much. Oh, it’s too hot, my trousers are all stuck to my legs and my skin’s all peeling.

SHUT UP.

Here are some singles reviews…

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Single Of The Week

Jamie T – ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’
Returning amid a frenzy of hype, it would be easy to dismiss Jamie T’s comeback proper, ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’. Euphoric chorus matched with bitter, biting lyrics, the whole thing is so effortless that it almost passes you by. However, there is something about the track that gets under your skin. His lyrical poise has always been something to behold, but the addition of a tender side brings a whole new range to his music. It’s an old cliché but life has to be lived forwards and understood backwards – Jamie T has you curled up in a bout of nostalgia while crafting sensational new musical memories.

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Also out today…

Johnny Foreigner – ‘Feels Like Summer’
Summer can be fairly draining. Sweltering in an office, tissues rammed up your nose to combat hay fever: it’s often difficult to remember that you’re actually supposed to enjoy all that sunshine. Raucous indie-poppers Johnny Foreigner return with another blast of riot ‘n’ roll, and if there’s a more exciting noise in British rock then I have yet to hear it. Putting the fun into summer, it’s enough to make me forget to take my antihistamines.
Download this track for free via ClashMusic.com later this week

The Phenomenal Handclap Band – ‘You'll Disappear’
The Phenomenal Handclap Band’s recent debut album was a small-scale delight. A stand out on said full-length, ‘You’ll Disappear’ comes into its own with a single release. Slinky Moroder-style synths give way to moody half-spoken vocals. A sort of bedroom tribute to Studio 54, though we imagine that this is a lot more fun than the real thing ever was.
Watch the video to this single HERE

We Were Promised Jetpacks – ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’
Now that they’ve become critical darlings, it’s time for the Scottish indie scene’s denizens to come out and say: ‘We told you so’. Well I, for one, didn’t expect their recent success. However, with songs such as ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’ in their arsenal it’s easy to see how they’ve managed to transcend the tartan gig circuit. Shame about the lyrics though – “we’re heading for winter”. Think about that in the middle of the heat wave.
Read our WWPJ album review HERE

Lethal Bizzle – ‘Go Hard’
Fuck me, this is good. The golden age of hip-hop trawled the depths of James Brown’s back catalogue, and Lethal Bizzle brings back the funk with ‘Go Hard’. A horn-laden explosion, Bizzle pays tribute to his hip-hop elders with a fresh take on their legacy. The lyrics range from the wonderful to the downright weird, though – “forget intimidation I’m old school like ibidibidation” anyone?

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Heads Will Roll’
One of the songs that caused most fuss on their recent album (‘It’s Blitz!’, reviewed HERE), ‘Heads Will Roll’ sees Nick Zinner drop his six-string for some synth action. Brilliant dancefloor fun, Karen O is on spectacular form yelping the chorus on top of some pounding electro beats - enough to show that Yeah Yeah Yeahs can still produce a brimful of sleazy charm when needs be.

VV Brown – ‘Shark in the Water’
The sun is high and summer looks to have arrived. VV Brown’s lilting voice sits well with the lazy months, when the heat means that people just want to kick back basically do as little work as possible (but not in the Clash office, honestly!). Great loafing fun.

Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘Dust On The Ground’
Bombay Bicycle Club have plenty of fond festival memories. The band’s big break came when they won the ‘Road To V’ contest, thus enabling them to strut their stuff to thousands of new fans. ‘Dust On The Ground’ resembles Interpol, but with the New Yorkers taking an age to record any new material you could do a lot worse than try this.

Remember Remember – ‘The Dancing’
‘The Dancing’ is, of course, Scottish slang for the age-old routine of nipping off to a dance hall with a date on your arm. After a few sips of 80 shilling you might even get a kiss on the cheek for your troubles. Remember Remember don’t sound like they’ve sat through an old-fashioned show band, but ‘The Dancing’ reeks of Celtic goodness. A dizzying display of electronic virtuosity, the single is a great introduction to a truly singular talent.
Read our review of the RR album HERE

Roots Manuva – ‘Do Nah Bodda Mi’
While Dizzee Rascal may have the chart success, Roots Manuva retains the dancehall kudos. A slippery Jamaican riddem provides Rodney Smith with the bedrock to build some truly filthy rhymes. Underground MC Mr Versatile joins our intrepid hero to spit some nasty lyrics, raising temperatures but all the while the duo keep a smile on their faces.

Animal Collective – ‘Summertime Clothes’
It kind of goes without saying that ‘Merriweather Post Pavillion’ (REVIEW) is pretty good. Heralded as the most important sound since Jesus freestyled on the mount, it has sent critics into a frenzy attempting to describe their carefree rule-breaking activities. What some forget though, is that Animal Collective remain great fun. A recent performance on the Letterman show showed the band in their natural element – performing ‘Summertime Clothes’ and basically having a bloody good time. A kind of alternate festival anthem, this track is like the ATP equivalent of when pints go in the air and that girl on her boyfriend’s shoulders decides to let the world see her boobs.