Greg O'Keefe feels vaguely ridiculous when name-dropping his favourite new band...
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong: Lucio Stars Fires - Single of the Week
Great tune which will be lapped up by Jam fans and new scenesters alike.
Frontman Joe Lean’s face will be familiar to Peep Show fans (as Sophie’s brother) so he scores high on kudos points for that - but very low for the band name.
Why, why pick such a terrible name? Do they want people to sound like twats when name-dropping them? I’d feel vaguely ludicrous asking for it in HMV.
Regardless, it’s a top tune and single of the week.
The Rumble Strips: Time
This is ace. A lovely bit of feisty ska buoyed along with brass and happy-go-lucky lyrics. It’s rousing, dance-floor filling stuff without being massively original.
Super Furry Animals: Run Away
Pfolific and perennially underrated the Welsh psuedo-popsters return with this Spectoresque effort swathed in synth, tambourines and harmonies.
Lyrically, Gruff Rhys drops the wackiness and comes across all soulful and sincere which actually works surprisingly well. SFA should go for the heartstrings more often on this evidence.
The Cribs: Don't You Wanna Be Relevent
Live The Cribs can border on the shambolic but on record they often walk the walk. This is fairly basic rendition of their spiky guitars, shouty verse/chorus blueprint.
The Yorkshire lads veer between great and drearily formulaic...this is somewhere in the middle.
Kano Feat Damon Abarn: Feel Free
Spooky keyboards pick out a hastily spat out rap complete with school-yard chanting on this Specials-tinged number.
Genre-hopping Albarn’s vocals are a nice addition but you have to wonder if he is just ticking stylistic boxes now instead of trying to build a lasting legacy of work.
The Was: Make Mould
A blissed out summery pop tune with horns and a cheery little melody which doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Synths, a delicate bass riff and obtuse lyrics propel it along quite nicely thanks.
The New 1920s: Torpedo Libido
There's not much new here and the tune doesn’t compensate. The Scottish outfit have been touted as one to watch but I found them strangely reminiscent of a Noughties Bluetones on this evidence.
Much lyrical waffling about lying in mid-summer and a forgettable arrangement.
One Night Only: You And Me
If you’ve ever been in a band you’ll know the mix of frustration and awe One Night Only trigger.
Barely 18 and capable of knocking out perfect little pop songs like this...the mind boggles.
Apart from the knees-up mother brown piano segue this was a close contender for single of the week which doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t. Which is refreshing.
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