Artrocker Magazine’s Single Reviews for the week commencing July 12th

Lupen Crook
World’s End
(Label Fandango)

“And if my woman’s kind enough, she’ll let me back beneath her bed” is a peculiar line to contain in song about introverted depression. It pains all Artrocker staffers when we hear that another human has been caught in the net of self-absorbed depression. So, as our self-appointed moral responsibility hangs in the balance, our deepest, most sincere advice must be voiced:
Mr. Crook, STOP REFERRING TO YOUR EX AS, “MY WOMAN” she is her own person. I would suggest that your music would exponentially increase in popularity were you to edit out this type of lyric, you’re not James Brown. One that note, do you know what killed the aging coke riddled womaniser? Modernity. That’s what. He departed this world to the sweet sound of equality. Perhaps that’s why you “see no future”. (You’ve got 5 stars in the hope that it cheers you up.)
Samuel Breen


The Helmholtz Resonators
Moonlight Lovelytime
(Genepool Records)

The Helmholtz Resonators, possibly the maddest band you’ll ever hear, put aside their usual array of instruments/scientific apparatus for simple but lovely third single ‘Moonlight Lovelytime’. Taken from their marvellous debut album ‘Crystal Submarine’, ‘Moonlight Lovelytime’ is a gorgeously whimsical love song that belongs in a time of innocence, sadly long gone.
Close your eyes and listen to this and it’ll conjure up images of gondolas and lakes, beautiful ladies resplendent in flowing dresses and dashing gentleman with waistcoats and pocket watches. Lyrically it’s fun and beautiful in equal measures with lines like ‘strolling by the river under the stars, with my favourite gal under my arm / she looks at me and tells me she loves me, I look at her and tell her she’s lovely’. There aren’t many bands that could pull this off without it sounding crass, insincere or a flat out piss take but the Helmholtz Resonators manage it beautifully. Without a shadow of doubt this will make my top 5 songs of the year list.
Mark Cousens


Jaga Jazzist
Bananfluer Overalt EP
(Ninja Tune)

Kenny G successfully ruined all of the goodwill that great jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker had previously accumulated. Thanks to him, the image of frighteningly cool individuals sat in smokey bars and stroking their goatees was replaced by a poodle-haired saxophonist – who was the epitome of cool in nowhere but his own mind.
Scandinavian nonet (yes, nonet) Jaga Jazzist’s latest LP aims to right these musical wrongs by embracing the epic nature of jazz music and combining it with elements of prog and alt. rock to create something which drags all three often maligned musical styles kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
It’s bafflingly good, incredibly diverse and proves that they are to this end of the jazz spectrum, what someone like Steve Vai is to guitarists: a merry band of virtuosos who are capable of creating staggeringly brilliant music.
Rory Carroll


1913
Atlantis
(Modern English Records)

Another day, another indie band from Manchester. Rolling bassline? Check. Echoey guitar? Check. Arch vocals? Check.
To be fair, ‘Atlantis’ is a decent enough tune. Sounding like Interpol on adrenechrome, it’s got a healthy swagger and stickability, and the band look poised to offer a Northern riposte to London upstarts Chapel Club.
‘Atlantis’ is named after a Danish silent film, which told the story of a doctor’s transatlantic search for love, and controversially featured a Titanic-style sinking just one year after the big ship went down to Davey Jones’ Locker. Whether there is room for 1913 on the already crammed indie lifeboats remains to be seen, and with the ever-increasing rate of bands coming and a-going, 1913 are going to need perseverance and some heavy-duty lifejackets to stay afloat.
Michael Bennett


Kasper Rosa
EP2
(Field Records)

Kasper Rosa’s second EP of instrumental ambient-metal begins with the Deftones-esque ‘Team Building Exercise’, which features a very familiar pattern: there’s a gentle noodly bit that (sssh) goes a bit quiet…THEN A BIG CRUNCHY RIFF… followed by a plodding, heartfelt melody. It’s the sort of song you can imagine them playing onstage with their eyes shut and biting their bottom lips for emphasis.
I’m not quite sure what Kasper Rosa are trying to achieve with this stuff. Perhaps they’re out to corner the market in background music for dystopian TV dramas? Either way, for the discerning Artrocker ‘EP2’ is about as interesting as mildew.
Michael Bennett


Darwin Deez
Up In The Clouds
(Lucky Numbers)

Darwin Deez is something of a media darling at the moment. A clear favourite of the Sunday supplements and BBC radio, this quirky popster can do no wrong – and certainly has the tunes to back up the notoriety.
‘Up In the Clouds’ is the third single to be taken from his eponymous album and although it’s a little repetitive and not as good as ‘Radar Detector’, it’s a poppy little number nonetheless, which features one of my favourite instruments… the handclap!
Second track ‘Hey Mom’ has been a live favourite for some time and is much more interesting – although it does have a midway wobble when the band go freestyle on your ass.
Mark Cousens


Holy State
Holy State EP
(Dance To The Radio)

Take one Iggy Pop soundalike, add a hellfire rock 'n roll groove, wind the whole thing up and send it trotting off the end of the globe. Sit back, watch fireworks.
Sounds like a tasty recipe to me, and you'll be pleased to know that Holy State have got the Satan factor in their music which distinguishes them from acts like Band of Skulls (who basically plaster cast their heroes without decorating the results).
'Palms' in particular feels like a band letting go of the wheel; it's builds up with a Rosemary's Baby-style sense of disorientating doom, then flicks the switch marked 'DON'T FLICK THIS SWITCH' and launches into a bonkers rock apocalypse.
All of which is completely worthy of your drool of course - my one ickle complaint being that the band could do with defining themselves from the heard just a little bit more.
Ric Rawlins


Tokyo Police Club
Wait Up (Boots of Danger)
(Memphis Industries)

There is a certain strain of indie orientalism that seeks to invoke “clubs” in bandnames. In Bombay Bicycle’s case, the innocent strains of the bloody British Empire are resurrected for sepia scouting parties.
New Young Pony, despite looking like over-the-hill arts students, suggested some sort of militant rich children’s political organization, running riot through the outer-suburbs of Surrey. Tokyo Police meanwhile, favour a sort of kung-fu ebullience, like that classic Ash single, or a bejacketed shoot-out at dawn before Tarantino nicked it.
And this single matches: it’s gutsy, contains enough twists you keep you interested, and enough pop hooks to hang your club jacket on. The good thing about clubs, as civic associations, is that you can choose whether or not to join them. A decent offering, but ultimately this single is a couple of badges short of a starter-pack.
Daniel B. Yates


Standard Fare
Philadelphia
(Melodic/Thee SPC)

Philadelphia is home to musical luminaries The Roots, musical illuminati Will Smith, and a whole host of dubious, cheese-related produce. Standard Fare’s new single is called ‘Philadelphia’ and it is about a transatlantic love affair.
It sounds, meanwhile, like a transatlantic accent. It’s trapped between ‘80s underground Americana and the green streets of the band’s hometown of Sheffield. The song is reeled off with nonchalance, well-suited to amateur indie. However, the band have got enough English pop charm to pull this off without arrogance. Their name would be ripe for parody, almost pre-empting a thrillingly nasty comment about them being deadeningly average. It’s a good job, then, that ‘Philadelphia’ is like sharp, boyish, haircut on a cute girl. A song for people who like French stationary products, cheap cider, and dressing like deceptively nubile secretaries.
Max Feldman