Singles Round Up - October 19th

It's raining in Dundee.

The kind of rain that rattles on the windscreen, gets down underneath your skin and comes pouring out under your fingernails.

With the rattle of October storms on the window ClashMusic gets stuck in about another batch of singles. With new releases to be dissected from the likes of Copy Haho, Green Day, Broken Family Band and more it looks as if we've got plenty to keep us busy.

Be nice if this rain would go off though...

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Single Of The Week

Bonobo – The Keeper

There was always more to Acid Jazz than corduroy and Jay Kay’s stupid, stupid furry hat. Spawning a generation of crate diggers, Bonobo seem keen to follow on this legacy. No doubt familiar with the lush grooves Isaac Hayes was perpetrating on a daily basis in the early 70s, ‘The Keeper’ is all smoky bass lines and twinkling xylophone – a statement ClashMusic really doesn’t get to say often enough. Ninja Tunes signing Andreya Triana turns the whole thing into an effecting lament on love lost, a reminder that a relationship with a jazz musician is never the best bet. With a new album due early next year, January could shiver to Bonobo’s rhythm.

And the rest...

Copy Haho – Wrong Direction
OK so electronic beats can shift the most stubborn of hips but there remain a noble few who like to dance to guitars - preferably with acerbic, puzzling lyrics over the top. Copy Haho’s new seven inch is the latest nugget to drop out of the band’s seemingly inexhaustible bag of stubbornly brilliant songsmithery. Stick it on and dance like an idiot – nobody’s watching anyway!

Green Day – East Jesus Nowhere
And lo! In an act of calculated self-harm on the Eighth day God created Green Day. The punk trio then release a single ridiculing the structure of Christianity within American society, which conversely promotes the religion in the usually atheist driven rock scene. And God saw the irony, and chuckled.

Broken Family Band – Cinema Vs House
So this is it. After six years of countless gigs, several unjustly ignored albums Broken Family Band have decided to call it quits. A typically thoughtful slice of songwriting it sees the group bow out with the same grace and elegance that drove their career.

Fink – See It All
Listening to ‘See It All’ it’s difficult to believe that Fink was a latecomer to the world of the acoustic guitar. A proficient producer, Fin Greenall is a stunning songwriter whose honey dripping tones wrap themselves around threatening lyrics. A superb introduction to his talents, ‘See It All’ is the perfect soundtrack for darkening days.

My Tiger My Timing – I Am The Sound
Taking inspiration from the crossover period between disco filth and the electro pop perfection offered by The Human League, My Tiger My Timing’s latest offering nods to the 80s without being drowned in retro reference points. Gently rocking, ‘I Am The Sound’ is a signal of things to come without ever seeming to fulfil the potential of My Tiger My Timing.

Local Natives – Camera Talk
Hailing from California, these brainy indie poppers will no doubt be pushed as a follow up to Vampire Weekend. Sure, the inventive songwriting and harmonies are all in place but ‘Camera Talk’ suggests that Local Natives have spent more time listening to Pavement and the Beach Boys than compilations of forgotten Nigerian funk warriors. Debut album ‘Gorilla Manor’ seemed to sneak under the radar, hopefully this new single will see Local Natives given the credit they deserve.