Spoonfed Singles Club with Times New Viking, The Vaccines and Girls Aloud

Spoonfed Singles Club with Times New Viking, The Vaccines and Girls Aloud

14 November, 2012
by: Music Team

Too early for Christmas songs?

Times New Viking – Over and Over
Witchita

Times New Viking - Sleep-In by Wichita Recordings

Out of all the bands that came out of the no-fi explosion of the late 00s, Times New Viking were probably the most maddening in their output. Armed with an attitude that seemed to sneer at the point of putting any effort in at all, their recordings veered from Guided by Voices brilliance to odd, half-arsed noise pop efforts.

Their first EP in a year or so, 'Over and Over' pretty much sums up TNV's career in microcosm. Decidedly more back to basics than last year's 'Dancer Equired' it throws up bangers in the shjape of 'Sleep-In' and 'Middle Class Drags', but the rest is kind of muddy and a little bit uninspired. It's great if you like TNV, but they're not going to win many new fans with this one. 3.5/5
DH

The Vaccines – I Always Knew 
Colombia

The life of a 21st Century band goes like this: hype > backlash > mediocrity. The Vaccines have settled into their last phase pretty well with this. Liam Gallagher said they were boring, and he'd know, but they wear woolly hats above their ears and sing about feelings so they’ll probably do alright for themselves. And that’s another thing – you’ve had a number one album, you don’t have to dress like a homeless person any more. 

“They’re a couple on an emotional rollercoaster, right? So let’s do that, but instead of a rollercoaster, let’s put them on like, one of the other ones that spins round?” In my day when you went to the funfair you got stabbed, and that’s if you were lucky. 3/5
TA

Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn Macarthy – Christmas Eve Can Kill You
Domino

Given the people responsible, I should probably like this song more than I actually do. Fair enough, The Everly Brothers were one of the best musical acts of their time and the same can be said of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, but when it comes to Christmas songs I like the sombreness to be at the very minimum and saccharine joy to be at its highest. 

In terms of its message and its construction this is a great song, but it's just not on par with Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmas Time'. Nothing is. 3/5
CO

Kyla La Grange – Been Better
Sony

Been Better - Kyla La Grange by ATTM Overflow

Kyla La Grange has quite a punchable voice. You know how some people have a punchable face? Yeah, like that. If it was possible to punch a voice, she'd get battered I think.

Although this is a pretty angry, angsty song, 'Been Better' makes me think of those annoying people who whoop “Bravo!” and try to start a standing ovation for a three-star show. Shut up! Sit down! What are you on about? Just go home! 2/5 
MK

Girls Aloud – Something New
Sony

"Something New" by Girls Aloud by AleksandrDissan

David Guetta gets everywhere doesn’t he? He’s like an iPhone, AK-47 and brown rat all crossed together and working in music. In fact he’s become so pervasive that even people who have nothing to do with him end up sounding as if he produced them, as this new Girls Aloud single shows.

There was a time when Girls Aloud used to innovate in pop, so it’s sad to see them making air-headed club fillers like the rest of them. ‘Something New’ with its tedious ‘We girls gotta go go go’ intro and big dumb wrap-around sunglasses and Miami beach sound would be fine if Little Mix were the ones doing it, but this is Girls Aloud, son. This isn't fit to lick 'Something Kinda Oooh's boots. 2/5

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Music Team