|
by Paul V.
 Singled Out
Ladyhawke - “Paris Is Burning” (Modular)
She looks like Stevie Nicks, cites Van Halen, Patti Smith
and Peaches as inspiration, and sounds a bit like the Yeah
Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, with some of the rough edges smoothed
out. Her debut single is all breezy guitars, melodic piano
lines and a très bien, super-infectious chorus. Speaking
of Peaches, check out her sizzling electro remix of this.
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing (Sony)
While humility is an honorable trait, don’t pay attention
to the humble title of this smashing record from London’s
the Ting Tings, because what’s packed inside this duo’s
debut sure is a helluva lot of something. And that something
feels so natural and unforced, buoyed by stunningly infectious
melodies and a playful, DIY bubblegum spirit that’s
equal parts Blondie, Tom Tom Club, Nancy Sinatra and the
Primitives (remember them?). Leading the hit-making charge
is “Great DJ,” bursting with jingle-jangle guitar
chords, tambourines, hand-claps and those thunderous drums.
Then, before you can even catch your breath and stop singing
along, the hip-shaking contender for single of the year drops
right into your lap; “That’s Not My Name”—with
its double-dutch jump rope intro, bawdy drum beats and singer
Katie White’s petulant, riot grrrl declaration of independence—is
the kind of instantly catchy ditty that sticks inside your
brain like a gallon of Crazy Glue. Want more? Put on the
Chic-inspired funk-rockin’ “Shut Up and Let Me
Go,” and see if you can sit down. And the perky, jumpy “Fruit
Machine” sounds like the aforementioned Nancy Sinatra
fronting the B-52’s. Elsewhere, there’s a jazzy
waltz (“Traffic Light”), some no-wave detachment
(“Impacilla Carpisung”) and straight-up indie
rock (“Keep Your Head”). Even with a few flaws,
We Started Nothing reminds us how simple pop hooks and youthful
exuberance is sometimes all you need. It also doesn’t
hurt that both of them are adorable to look at!
Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia (Astralwerks)
I think I want to move to Australia. Aside from having some
of the most beautiful beaches in the world (and even more
beautiful men!), the land down under is clearly the epicenter
of the finest indie rock/electronic music marriages. Combining
crunchy electro and swirling prog-rock in equal parts might
spell a recipe for disaster, but Midnight Juggernauts fully
succeed with this hybrid, and Dystopia might even remind
you of Air, as produced by Giorgio Moroder, with some Beach
Boys harmonies thrown in for good measure. The Juggs’ essence
is cosmically synthetic and subversively euphoric, with
literal and figurative references to the future, astronomy
and sci-fi sex. The nether-world imagery even extends to
titles, like “Twenty Thousand Leagues” and “Into
the Galaxy,” which, along with the eerie and bass-throbbing “Shadows,” sounds
like perfect, popper-fragranced space disco for bath house
encounters. With its utopia frosting and lines like “Floating
off the edge of the ocean / Out into the galaxy,” the
entire disc gives its listeners the impetus to escape out
of their heads. Other standouts include the Bowie-esque
melodic techno-glam of “Road to Recovery” and
the languid and sleepily acoustic title track. Fortunately
for us, the trio exhibits a deft understanding of the difference
between revivalism and lazy ’80s revisionism, and
they pull it all off effortlessly, without irony, sarcasm
or pretension. Rather, they’re more like next-level
dance floor futurists. I’m booking my plane ticket
tomorrow, mate.
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha (Astralwerks)
England’s Supergrass just can’t seem to catch
a break here in America. Even with consistently great records
and a strong underground fan base, they seem to get less
love here in the States than lesser Britpop bands. Their
sixth album settles into a groove that, while admittedly
up-tempo with ripe tension, is decidedly less pub rock and
more polished, courtesy of super producer Nick Launay. The
Kinks’ jangle-pop is at the heart here, especially
in the blossoming chorus of “The Return of...,” and
the nervous funk of Fear Of Music-era Talking Heads anchors
the call to arms urgency of “Rough Knuckles”.
Acoustic guitar and shakers accentuate the energy of “345,” a
song that echoes the aerodynamic sheen of their underrated
Life On Other Planets effort. Meanwhile, “Whiskey & Green
Tea” sounds like an intoxicated fever dream starring
the Stooges and early Roxy Music as the house band. Speaking
of Iggy, his presence is felt in the explosive choruses of “Bad
Blood,” a definite highlight here. But the disc’s
diamond in the rough is the super catchy “Rebel In
You,” which is laced with a glam-rock swagger and “woo
hoo hoo!” chorus. While certainly not their best work,
Diamond Hoo Ha finds Supergrass sounding loose and inspired,
and overall, it’s a brash, confident record that lessens
a bit of their sometimes clownish reputation as snotty, geezer
rockers. If you dig the White Stripes or the Eno-produced
sounds of Bowie, then pump this one on your stereo.
Check out DJ Paul V. spinning: Bootie LA first Saturday
monthly at the Echoplex and Dragstrip 66 at Safari Sam’s.
Tune in to Indie 103.1 FM, Fridays at 5:30 p.m. for the “Smash
Mix,” and “Neon Noise” on Saturdays from
midnight-3 a.m. More info at – myspace.com/neonnoise
|
