New Releases - 30 June

New Releases - 30 June

01 August, 2008
by: Music Team

*Single of the Week*
Dizzee Rascal – Dance Wiv Me
XL
It’s hard not to like Dizzee Rascal. He’s got this 'butter wouldn’t melt' boy next door look about him. Then again, I am in the right demographic to get his music, falling into the 'skinny middle-class white guy' percentile.

Anyway, this track is weird. It's like Dizzee rapping over Royksopp's 'Eple'with lyrics that are a little gangsta but still dead friendly. It's got Calvin Harris on it, but still manages to be really fun in an underage disco sort of way. DH


Operator Please – Just a Song about Ping Pong
Virgin/EMI
An extremely upbeat song that has the energy of a rhino stampede heading for a watering hole, 'Just a Song...' bores an opening to your brain like a drill breaking through.  The beat's stolen from Cherry Poppin' Daddies' one hit wonder 'Zoot Suit Riot' with the lyrics basic enough for a two-year-old.

The third single from the Aussie teen popsters' debut album 'Yes Yes Vindictive', the song adds up to pretty much nothing and leaves you wondering why you wasted two minutes of your life despising it so much. SS


Freemasons – When You Touch Me
Loaded
According to Wikipedia, Katherine Ellis's best known contribution to UK music so far has been to lend her tones to 'Flashdance... What A Feeling' on those Gaviscon ads with the female traffic officer.

While 'When You Touch Me' is unlikely to supersede this previous zenith, it is her sassily powerful vocal which lifts this above the usual funky house dross. That it sounds a bit like a re-hashed Motown B-side may seem like faint praise, but you could dance to this in your local chrome-plated chain bar and only be mildly embarrassed. MF


Ironik – Stay With Me
Asylum
This one wins in the bewilderment stakes. First Alvin and The Chipmunks smash things wide open with a rush of '92 hardcore vocals. Then a beat from 'The Best of Ethnic Comedown' wafts into earshot – try to imagine it carried on incense, burned to mark the hours of a slow Monday morning in a Camden psy-trance café.

Finally Ironik opens his mouth and a lumpen rap falls out, closely resembling Mariah's weepy from last week. (It's something about how people dying can be a bummer). Points for making me think I'm losing it. RH


Moby – I Love to Move in Here
Mute
The bald little New York veggie-lover finally ditches brow-beating anxiety for this slice of old skool summer disco. With gently delicate vocals from Chrissi Poland, Fresh Prince-style rap from Grandmaster Caz, soaring strings and chilled out house beats, this is an enjoyable pootle back to the heady days of the early '90s.

Everybody seems to hate Moby without any particular reason: maybe it's his self-righteous little face. This pleasant breezy track should end the loathing. But it probably won't. TJ


Estelle – No Substitute Love
Atlantic
OK, let's change the lyrics to George Michaels 'Faith', whack a chorus with a long(ish) word in it, and play it over a gospel meets hip hop meets New York lounge jazz backing track. Instant hit, right?

Errrrrm, well not exactly. By the time Estelle starts rapping I'm bored to the verge of calling my mother. It sounds a lot like the music found on T-Mobile adverts or the hold music when you call BT, and that leaves me frustrated, bewildered and annoyed. DH


Tricky - Council Estate
Domino
Opening with a cheeky sample from Portishead's 'Roads' and underscored throughout by choppy funk guitar this is the angry, anthemic single from Tricky's comeback album 'Knowle West Boy'.

The track has uncharacteristically loud and clear vocals, and tempo, which is OK, except Tricky's better whispering sinisterly under some scuzzy dub. As a protest rapper he lacks the verbal dexterity of Roots or even So Solid but this still has trademark attitude. The rest of the album is weirder, and better. JH


Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning
Modular/Island
Keeping up with the cool kids can be tricky business these days; as a general rule, if you've heard of a band, they're already out of date. So considering Ladyhawke was being interviewed by that doe-eyed, slack-jawed Northern goon Nick Grimshaw on the BBC last weekend, it's probably time to move on.

On the other hand, if you ever though that the world needed an electro version of Bananarama's 'Robert De Niro's Waiting', then we're happy to say your prayers have not been in vain. MF


Goldfrapp – Caravan Girl
Mute
Goldfrapp's latest single from new album 'Seventh Tree' is, like most of their stuff, just plain, middle-of-the-road nice. It's not earth moving, doesn't incite tears or limb-thrashing – it's pure, folktronica background music.

It speaks of summer, blue skies and clean living and has a cool video featuring the 'Caravan Girl' who is pretty nifty on a long board. Makes you want to feel the wind in your hair. No great shakes. LC


The Long Blondes – Guilt
Rough Trade
Where once upon a time Kate Jackson was the sassy but downtrodden indie heroine, the Long Blondes' new Erol Alkan-assisted disco direction has seen her take on a new persona. The cheated on of 'Weekend Without Makeup' has become the cheater.

A catchy, if slightly watery tune, Kate's seductive coo is this track's strongest point and the danceable indie groove is certainly passable. The problems are elsewhere – the other two girls still can't play, the drummer still has an afro and hard as he may try, Dorian Cox will never be the guitar playing version of Jarvis Cocker. MF

Music Team