*Single Of The Week*
Foals – Red Socks Pugie
Transgressive
If it wasn't for the repetitive drum kick at the beginning of 'Red Socks Pugie', you could think it was going to be one of the slower, more ambient tracks on the 'Antidotes' album, as it lacks the peppy intro of 'Cassius' or 'Balloons', and starts with a minute of their signature high guitar frets.
Vocals describing the physical rush of love then kick in and have more impact as each layer of instrument combines, culminating in a powerful and surprisingly danceable climax. EM
Little Man Tate – What Your Boyfriend Said
Yellow Van
This is an underwhelming, vaguely annoying song by a band from Sheffield named after a Jodie Foster movie. Little Man Tate's latest single is about a girl cheating on her boyfriend with lead singer Jon Windle, and includes the lyrics: 'and then my telephone beeped. And I get another text from you, saying you can't sleep.'
Basically the singer is grappling with his conscience and the girl is gagging for it. Must be that obvious 'I've got a Yorkshire accent and I'm not afraid to use it' lady-killing (did someone say Arctic Monkeys?) singing style of his. LC
Sonny J - Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand)
Stateside
Entirely indebted to plugs in Popbitch, Sonny J is the producer of last year's forgettable Jackson Five bootleg 'Can't Stop Movin'. Sonny continues this trick of remixing vintage soul with a Donna Hightower track.
He's added a catchy lick and bassline, making it easier to understand if you're on drugs. Seemingly bereft of original thought, he's blown an expanded budget on a duff video pastiche of Thriller – apparently starring his girlfriend, or at least some girl who's too ropey for TV. JH
Feeder – We Are The People
Echo
Yes, it's another power ballad from the Welsh trio, complete with the ubiquitous cod-spirituality (angels and miracles both feature prominently) and a really big chorus. Music to lift your lighter to – didn't see that one coming.
The predictability and weakness of this record is not helped by Grant Nicholas's insistence on shouting the verses like he's auditioning for the Pigeon Detectives. Not exactly 'Buck Rogers', but at least Radio 2 listeners have something other than Snow Patrol to occupy their speakers. MF
Laura Marling - Cross Your fingers/Crawled Out of the Sea
Virgin
It might sound a bit chauvinistic, but possibly the best way to describe Laura Marling is a songbird – her voice actually warbles like a chaffinch.
'Cross Your Fingers' is a slightly depressed take on the whole Belle and Sebastian twee indie pop shtick, and is the perfect soundtrack to being very upset and locked in a room. 'Crawled Out of the Sea', on the other hand, offers a Decemberists-style sea shanty complete with working men's club harmonies – a very schizophrenic song. DH
Scooter – Jumping All Over The World
All Around The World
In case you're not aware of the latest European club craze, 'jumpstyle' consists of huge slices of sampled pop sandwiched between eternally numbing wastes of slowed-down gabber. The accompanying hopping moves – a sort of ketamine-casualty Michael Flatley routine – seem to be the main attraction, however.
Now hard-dance enormo-sellers Scooter want to take it global. They might be able to, but only if 'the world' turns out to consist of bleach-blond losers from the Netherlands who look like Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer in combat pants. RH
We Are Scientists – Chick Lit
Domino
Whatever happened to that endearing, booze-sodden goofiness that was once WAS's stock in trade? While 'After Hours' showed promise that their second album would continue the indie-shtick-for-losers theme, this follow up sees them take a sharp turn towards bland-ville.
Coming across like a new wave ballad, 'Chick Lit' rides a wave of self-pity and with a groove that manages to be instantly catchy, and then forgettable a split second later. A poor choice of single, from an otherwise fairly solid album. MF
The Duke Spirit – My Sunken Treasure
You Are Here
Oh they should be so bloody good, The Duke Spirit. And yet it just never quite happens. Leila Moss looks great and she sounds great but they never really seem to do anything. 'My Sunken Treasure' from second album 'Neptune' abandons the usual gritty guitar thing in favour of Dresden Dolls kookiness but shorn of their punked-up Victoriana.
It's bouncy enough and creates a nice wave for Moss's better-assimilated Nico vocals to float around on. But after a bit, you kind of realise that it's just pootling nowhere. Again. TJ
Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me
Island
On this re-release of her debut single, the 16-year-old London-based Aussie soul pop singer's voice shows impressive range and depth normally reserved for '60s soul divas. Musically, it's an infectious mix of refreshingly simple melodies and catchy playfulness utilising a standard three-piece band of a guitar, bass and soft drum brush strokes.
With a truly global appeal, it even features in deodorant ads across Europe. This is a bluesy head-bopping ditty that you can't help but sway to, from one of the stars of 2008. SS
Mirror! Mirror! – Wolf Gang Bang
Holy Roar/Tough Love
Hailing from the unlikely suburban hell of Nuneaton, 'Wolf Gang Bang' from Mirror! Mirror! is such a pitch perfect take on the whole no wave scene, it almost transcends into pure disco. It's like a combination of 'House of Jealous Lovers' by The Rapture crossed with Blondie's 'Atomic'.
You could definitely dance to this whilst wearing a glitter jump suit and Nike Airs in some sweaty Manhattan warehouse… or something. Quite possibly a contender for the dance punk record of the year. DH
Foals – Red Socks Pugie
Transgressive
If it wasn't for the repetitive drum kick at the beginning of 'Red Socks Pugie', you could think it was going to be one of the slower, more ambient tracks on the 'Antidotes' album, as it lacks the peppy intro of 'Cassius' or 'Balloons', and starts with a minute of their signature high guitar frets.
Vocals describing the physical rush of love then kick in and have more impact as each layer of instrument combines, culminating in a powerful and surprisingly danceable climax. EM
Little Man Tate – What Your Boyfriend Said
Yellow Van
This is an underwhelming, vaguely annoying song by a band from Sheffield named after a Jodie Foster movie. Little Man Tate's latest single is about a girl cheating on her boyfriend with lead singer Jon Windle, and includes the lyrics: 'and then my telephone beeped. And I get another text from you, saying you can't sleep.'
Basically the singer is grappling with his conscience and the girl is gagging for it. Must be that obvious 'I've got a Yorkshire accent and I'm not afraid to use it' lady-killing (did someone say Arctic Monkeys?) singing style of his. LC
Sonny J - Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand)
Stateside
Entirely indebted to plugs in Popbitch, Sonny J is the producer of last year's forgettable Jackson Five bootleg 'Can't Stop Movin'. Sonny continues this trick of remixing vintage soul with a Donna Hightower track.
He's added a catchy lick and bassline, making it easier to understand if you're on drugs. Seemingly bereft of original thought, he's blown an expanded budget on a duff video pastiche of Thriller – apparently starring his girlfriend, or at least some girl who's too ropey for TV. JH
Feeder – We Are The People
Echo
Yes, it's another power ballad from the Welsh trio, complete with the ubiquitous cod-spirituality (angels and miracles both feature prominently) and a really big chorus. Music to lift your lighter to – didn't see that one coming.
The predictability and weakness of this record is not helped by Grant Nicholas's insistence on shouting the verses like he's auditioning for the Pigeon Detectives. Not exactly 'Buck Rogers', but at least Radio 2 listeners have something other than Snow Patrol to occupy their speakers. MF
Laura Marling - Cross Your fingers/Crawled Out of the Sea
Virgin
It might sound a bit chauvinistic, but possibly the best way to describe Laura Marling is a songbird – her voice actually warbles like a chaffinch.
'Cross Your Fingers' is a slightly depressed take on the whole Belle and Sebastian twee indie pop shtick, and is the perfect soundtrack to being very upset and locked in a room. 'Crawled Out of the Sea', on the other hand, offers a Decemberists-style sea shanty complete with working men's club harmonies – a very schizophrenic song. DH
Scooter – Jumping All Over The World
All Around The World
In case you're not aware of the latest European club craze, 'jumpstyle' consists of huge slices of sampled pop sandwiched between eternally numbing wastes of slowed-down gabber. The accompanying hopping moves – a sort of ketamine-casualty Michael Flatley routine – seem to be the main attraction, however.
Now hard-dance enormo-sellers Scooter want to take it global. They might be able to, but only if 'the world' turns out to consist of bleach-blond losers from the Netherlands who look like Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer in combat pants. RH
We Are Scientists – Chick Lit
Domino
Whatever happened to that endearing, booze-sodden goofiness that was once WAS's stock in trade? While 'After Hours' showed promise that their second album would continue the indie-shtick-for-losers theme, this follow up sees them take a sharp turn towards bland-ville.
Coming across like a new wave ballad, 'Chick Lit' rides a wave of self-pity and with a groove that manages to be instantly catchy, and then forgettable a split second later. A poor choice of single, from an otherwise fairly solid album. MF
The Duke Spirit – My Sunken Treasure
You Are Here
Oh they should be so bloody good, The Duke Spirit. And yet it just never quite happens. Leila Moss looks great and she sounds great but they never really seem to do anything. 'My Sunken Treasure' from second album 'Neptune' abandons the usual gritty guitar thing in favour of Dresden Dolls kookiness but shorn of their punked-up Victoriana.
It's bouncy enough and creates a nice wave for Moss's better-assimilated Nico vocals to float around on. But after a bit, you kind of realise that it's just pootling nowhere. Again. TJ
Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me
Island
On this re-release of her debut single, the 16-year-old London-based Aussie soul pop singer's voice shows impressive range and depth normally reserved for '60s soul divas. Musically, it's an infectious mix of refreshingly simple melodies and catchy playfulness utilising a standard three-piece band of a guitar, bass and soft drum brush strokes.
With a truly global appeal, it even features in deodorant ads across Europe. This is a bluesy head-bopping ditty that you can't help but sway to, from one of the stars of 2008. SS
Mirror! Mirror! – Wolf Gang Bang
Holy Roar/Tough Love
Hailing from the unlikely suburban hell of Nuneaton, 'Wolf Gang Bang' from Mirror! Mirror! is such a pitch perfect take on the whole no wave scene, it almost transcends into pure disco. It's like a combination of 'House of Jealous Lovers' by The Rapture crossed with Blondie's 'Atomic'.
You could definitely dance to this whilst wearing a glitter jump suit and Nike Airs in some sweaty Manhattan warehouse… or something. Quite possibly a contender for the dance punk record of the year. DH
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