New Releases – 29 June

25 June, 2009
by: Music Team

*Single of the Week*
The Big Pink – Stop the World
4 AD

As anyone who was at the Camden Crawl and saw The Big Pink blow Wire off the stage at the Electric Ballroom will tell you, this band could possibly be one of the ones we'll be boring everyone about in twenty years time.

A more poppy offering than their first single 'Velvet', 'Stop the World' does what the Big Pink does best: big, fuzzy Jesus and Mary Chain choruses that scour your ear-drums like a sandblaster. If you don't like this – you officially suck. 4.5/5
DH

Gold Panda – Miyamae EP
various.co.uk

In an age of often retch-inducingly perfect production values, there's a lot to be said for shabby electronic music, which is exactly what Shoreditch's Gold Panda excels in.

Whimsical folktronica - at times indistinguishable from Kieran Hebden's early Four Tet output - is the order of the day, and although the sound has been done to death, it's hard not to be won over by this EP's quirky charms. Head for the super-catchy 'Quitter's Raga' if you're in any doubt. 4/5
MB

I Monster – Lust For A Vampyr
Instant Karma/Sony

Handclap disco with a rolling beat, haunting effects, nicely spare production and a quirky vampire-related theme. What did you expect? Unlike most failures, this duo are ambient shufflers of choice for festival crowds, TV admen and ubiquitous comedy phenomenon Simon Pegg. I hate him and them too.

However, I'm forced to declare the track excellent, with appealing sax riffs, a sublime Ottoman breakdown and nice vocals from Philly. If we met, they'd probably turn out to be really sound guys. Tosspots. 4/5
JH

The Rumble Strips – Not The Only Person
Island Records

Hurrah! The Rumble Strips are back! And this first single to be released from their second album, 'Welcome to the Walk Alone', is totally brilliant.

It's The Rumble Strips as we know and love them, only this time the sound is even bigger; a full-scale orchestral affair with Charlie's distinctively powerful vocals backed by a monumental string arrangement. It's epic. Hardly surprising though – the album was produced by Ronson after all. 4/5
GT

Autokratz – Always More
Kitsune

Their cold, stylish electro is as monochrome as their video, which has a kind of magic eye effect with hundreds of cloned girls becoming the pixel dots and if you gaze into the middle distance you feel like you're among them....maybe I'm just tired.

This is good – if a little formulaic – but the sinister synths (darkly reminiscent of Kraftwerk) off-set the rather blatant electro house overtures. I like it. Needs to be played incredibly loud to feel the impact. 3.8/5
LC

Jamie T – Sticks N Stones
Pacemaker

After the contentious teaser track 'Fire Fire', Jamie T has now released an EP, which must be a relief to fans who've been waiting 18 months to hear a follow-up to 'Panic Prevention'. Title track 'Sticks N Stones' is easily up there with 'Sheila' and 'If You Got The Money'.

It's a jolly ditty about all kinds of youthful capers from drinking White Lightning and being sick to missing the last train in Hampden Wick. Full of catchy hooks and amusing lyrics, this is a sure-fire hit. 3/5
EM

The Voodoo Trombone Quartet – South Westerly
Freshly Squeezed

Cult London band The Voodoo Trombone Quartet's new single opens with a triumphant-sounding horn, before launching into a ska-laden reggae beat and a happy little vocal melody courtesy of band founder, Paul Thorpe, who proceeds to sing an upbeat ditty about the ocean, sailing, wind directions and all things nautical. There's even some impressive marine terminology thrown in there such as 'helm' and 'vessel'.

It's pleasant enough, but not particularly striking or memorable. 3/5
GT

Billy Talent – Rusted from the Rain
Atlantic/Warner

I've had many an argument with my lady friend over Billy Talent. She (and I quote) 'f'in' hates them' whereas I have defended their honour with a passion and love that has almost turned an otherwise loving relationship into all-out warfare.

And then they wrote this song and I feel a little bit embarrassed. I remember seeing them perform it at this year's Download and being bored out of my skull. It really is just so very, very dull. 2/5
SL

Gathania - Blame It On You
hard2beat.com

Swedish Pop Idol finalist Gathania once dreamed of being a pop star. Now, that dream is about to come to fruition. It's a shame that, in reality, all it's taken is a pretty face with a godawful bit of music slapped on, but that's about the gist of it.

Yeah, it's not the most obnoxious piece of chart-busting dance pop ever made, but 'Blame It On You' is so startlingly nondescript that one has to fear that Gathania's moment in the limelight will be a little shorter that she would have hoped for. 0.5/5
MB

Chasing Liz – Gravity Girl
Atum Studios

Two weeks in a row and I've been served up with some total dross to review. Last week it was the unspeakably rubbish The Yeah You's and now I get 'Gravity Girl', the first ever song produced by an automated answerphone of blanditude (or Chasing Liz as it refers to itself).

This is basically exactly the same as that 'Woman Trouble' song by Artful Dodger and Craig David. That song was rubbish nine years ago. Just because Akon is bringing Vocoders back, doesn't mean this should ever have been allowed to happen. 0/5
TJ

Quite right Tom, that song needs to go away very badly. Still, the rest of the week was nearly all excellent. Or do you disagree?! In which case why not leave us a comment below? Joining the Facebook Group, as you may have heard, is what all the cool kids are doing.