Two heads are better than one…
ClashMusic’s singles round up comes courtesy of twin talents this week, with the team putting their heads together to rummage around the deep and dark cardboard box we like to call ‘singles’.
It’s a bumper crop this week with the mysterious world of Canadian dancehall seeming to take precedence. How long until the Mounties start growing dreads? WE DEMAND TO KNOW.
Anyway, without further ado…
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Single Of The Week
HEALTH – Die Slow
To call HEALTH’s use of sound as ‘awe inspiring’ could sound like a cliché yet few bands seem to invest as much time into the presentation and delivery of their noises as this LA dwelling bunch of sonic terrorists. At points ‘Die Slow’ resembles some analogue beast doing exactly that yet at others its chirpy industrial percussion ebbs and flows with surprising nimbleness. For a band labelled ‘noise-core’ in many quarters their sound is infected with splashes of colours that merge and swell upon one another with more melody than most conventional bands can muster. They also pull of the important trick of not really sounding like any other band meaning that they will be cruising for recognition as big as their own psychedelic wailing walls of music.
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Hell feat P Diddy – The DJ
Hands up who likes a long edit? Well you are in the right place. Although not quite taking things to Beta Band indulgence (they recorded a single at 44.59min the longest legally an EP can be) – Hell here celebrates the long version with P Diddy as they send a very clear message to: ‘the mother fucker who plays a 4 minute version.’ Adding that you: ‘can’t get even get into your thing with a 4 minute version.’ Means that we are delivered into 11 minutes of twisted narcotic, nocturnal deep acid techno. It’s great though as is every track on his recent ‘Teufelswerk’ LP earlier this year from which this inspired. I’d be impressed though to see which DJ in this age of short attentions, fussy crowds and Serato orgies will actually play the whole of the bastard.
Poirier – Run the Riddim
Ninja blast out another dancehall maestro in the form of the long impressing and particularly dextrous Poirier. Here Montreal’s daddy of the dancehall grabs four vocals from around the world from Canada, London and naturally Jamaica to stampede into our record boxes the kinda rough hybrid electro offspring that Modeselektor and Phon.o have been perfecting for years. If Poirier keeps delveloping and diversifying at this same rate he’s made man. Haemorrhaging hip hop, broken beats, electronica and his own version of Pan European club bangers inspired by jah he’s hot to trot and looking dangerous.
La Roux – I’m Not Your Toy
La Roux has had an incredible summer, with her pomade fixed quiff lurking on main stages throughout the festival season. Returning with hints of the Caribbean on ‘I’m Not Your Toy’ the single is a little like the teenage romance she reminisces about – short, confused and ultimately unfulfilling. Wafer thin synth pop that will no doubt propel her to greater levels of fame, more’s the pity.
Lou Barlow – The Right
With the Dinosaur Jr re-union proving that sometimes really can go home again, it’s probably time for Lou Barlow’s solo career to have a bit of a renaissance. In their own way Sebadoh were arguably as influential as the nascent grunge gods who preceded them, with Barlow inspiring a generation of geek-rockers. With his voice still as world weary as ever, ‘The Right’ is a fantastic winsome tale nabbed from his equally spectacular album ‘Goodnight Unknown’. No wonder dinosaur became extinct.
Ungdomskulen – Idunno
Norwegian! Three piece! Who shout a lot! Make punk-funk noise! Like D Boon useta! The bass trips over the drums! The guitar lines scatter like Slash being chased down an alleyway! Then the whole thing drops down a notch… letting the Scandinavians take a breather… before ripping back into uncontrollable rhythms! What you gonna buy this week? Idunno!
Crookers – Put Your Hands On Me
In which the electro dons grab some red, gold and green and start rockin’ de soundsystem in a dancehall stylee. Cultural imperialism or golden cross breeding? Whatever, with rude riddems and synths designed to pierce the night with lazer accuracy it’s the inclusion of Kardinal Offishall that turns ‘Put Your Hands On Me’ into three minutes of sheer, unadulterated filth. A track so steeped in cardinal references it will no doubt raise the pregnancy rate in dancehalls across the globe, this is baby making music of the highest order.
The Drums – Let’s Go Surfing
Summer’s gone. You can put the sun block away and give stick the flip flops back in the cupboard because – for the Scottish office at least – the thermometer is set to take a massive drop below zero. It’s a good thing The Drums can perfectly capture those moments in July and August when the sun arrives and all seems right with the world. Gleeful, joyous and completely uncomplicated ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ is pop the way it used to be made – all thriller and no filler.
Graham Coxon – Brave The Storm / Dead Bees
A highlight of his recent album ‘The Spinning Top’ the new single from the Blur guitar plucker sees Graham Coxon come over all folkie. Except this ain’t no finger in the ears situation, with Coxon digging out forgotten records from the likes of Davey Graham, Anne Briggs and more. Otherworldly fun from a man who seems to get more daring as he grows older.
