Singles Round Up – May 17th

The week's releases rated

Summer’s here!

The first rays of sun bring with them two things: ill advised trips to the park and festival anthems. Sure, it looks nice now but by the time you actually get ready and find a place to sit deep down we all know it’s going to start raining. HARD.

Festival anthems are a little more difficult to discount. Surrounded by thousands of people going completely bat crazy, just a few tunes are going to stand out as ‘the moment’.

Predicting them will be mighty good fun, with this summer set to be dominated by some unlikely artists. Can revered dance troupe LCD Soundsystem really carve out a soundtrack to lager drenched festival fun? Will Laura Marling lose her artistic judgement amid commercial success and mounting hype?

Or will a total newcomer turn the nation’s pulse into a nifty breakbeat?

Read on…

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Single Of The Week

Laura Marling – Rambling Man
She can dye her hair, but Laura Marling really can’t avoid those Joni Mitchell comparisons. ‘Rambling Man’ is a typically honest and heartfelt soliloquy, given a suitably West Coast sheen courtesy of some glistening harmonies. Yet what really connects the two artists is the sheer honesty of Laura Marling’s writing, and in particular her delivery. Matching emotional impact with a melodic touch Marling has escaped the critical ghetto to become a much more important artist. ‘Rambling Man’ might well be about you-know-who, but as far as break up songs go this is far beyond the norm. A howling, affecting tribute to the individual.

Laura Marling – Rambling Man

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The best of the rest…

Oh No Ono – Internet Warrior
Strange, bizarre and beguiling in equal measures ‘Internet Warrior’ sounds like it comes from another planet. Denmark, actually. Close enough. The latest EP from the quintet reeks of typically outlandish ambition, hurling themselves close to the stars and floating back down to Earth. Sure, they sometimes completely miss the target but somehow the daring intention makes up for it.

Philadelphia Grand Jury – The Good News
The piano! Perhaps rock’s most under-used instrument. Philadelphia Grand Jury tickle the ivories on their latest single, which turns into an infectiously jolly romp. The latest release on Too Pure’s single series, the track rattles along before exploding into a divine power pop chorus. Do you want the good news or the bad news? The Good News!

Aloe Blacc – I Need A Dollar
Recession era blues courtesy of Aloe Blacc. Stones Throw may have gathered a justifiable reputation for producing forward thinking beatsmiths, but the label’s roster is much wider than that. With his soulful delivery and world weary guise, Aloe Blacc has more in common with Marvin Gaye than J Dilla, warning of the dangers of greed just as the economy prepares to slide back into the abyss.

Aloe Blacc – I Need A Dollar

Aloe Blacc – I Need A Dollar

Chilly Gonzales – Never Stop
It’s latin time! Chilly Gonzalez adds a little Barrio soul to the nu-disco template, producing something that screams ‘summer’ like your dad’s socks and sandals combo. Crank it up, slap on the Factor Five and let the good times roll. Sheer sleaze worthy of the Paradise Garage.

Band Of Skulls – Death By Diamonds And Pearls
What the music scene needs is more bands. Sod this putting a token electro house remix on the B-side, we need some classic, dangerous, 100% distilled rock ‘n’ roll. Blues driven, slightly menacing and something you probably don’t want the kids to get their hands on, ‘Death By Diamonds And Pearls’ could well be part of the solution. Low slung and sleazy each of its three minutes scream the sort of nonchalant defiance that The Stones used to eat for breakfast.

Tunng – Sashimi
I really don’t see why folktronica is now regarded as being a ‘bad thing’. Acoustic guitars are great, as are laptops – so you might as well plug them in together and see what happens. In the hands of Tunng, the mixture produces beguiling pop music. Hardly folk, ‘Sashimi’ is a lilting slice of three minute melody that just seems to become more and more outlandish.

And finally…

LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls
The riffs all the sound the same. Lyrics which talk about getting loaded and scoring with equally loaded chicks. LC/DC? We joke, we joke. This is going to slaughter summer. Shame it’s not an actual, proper single or it could have topped this list.

LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls

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