Singles for the week starting 13th August!

Django Django
Hail Bop
(Because Music)
*****
It's taken Django Django a long time to get here; the treck from being refused mainstream coverage for 'being too old' to becoming THE upcoming festival band is a long slog. But their quirky mix of dance, new wave and psychdelia is music which fits the 'party music' bill perfectly, and it's why they've finally won everyone over. Hail Bop is isn't the best single off the album, but the fact it's stil solid gold – jerky synth lines, clapping drums and a grin creating chrous – for the summer months says something on just how good these guys are.
Nicholas Burman


Theme Park
Jamaica
(Transgressive)
***
Club Tropicana, drinks are freee... oh wait, this isn't Wham. And I'm not in the 80s. Theme Park don't care. This little slice of tropical pop harks back to the days when bands made lots of money and ended up spending their days on yachts in the pacific. Despite this Jamaica does well at being a bit of fun.
Nicholas Burman


WHY?
Sod In The Seed
(City Slang)
***
Sod In The Seed is a move back towards the older hip hop style of WHY? Seemingly random, non-linear trains of thought are transformed into intelligently constructed rhymes and clever raps laid over a folk-hop beat. Carefully pack this together with indie choruses and instruments from bongos to xylophones and you have the road map for the exciting new direction of Yoni Wolf and crew.
Joe Woolmer


The Heavy
What Makes A Good Man?
(Ninja Tune)
****
If geographical puns were an acceptable form of wit then I’d tell you that it’s a good job this four-piece are from Bath, because this is some of the filthiest rock you could ever wish to hear. From their third studio album What Makes A Man is a combination of funk and soul infused rock with jazz horns and distortion sloshing over the sides. A Deep South, Clutch-like growl is backed by soulful gospel vocals – picture Gladys Knight getting a ride on the back of Harley.
Joe Woolmer


Miniature Dinosaurs
Lemonade
(Integrity Records)
****
It's been over three years since their debut single (I Want To Watch) Top Gear – a paean to staying in – and it's good to see Miniature Dinosaurs are still at it. Musically they've grown, now boasting a fleshed out pop sound of shiny keyboards and glam touched guitars. Lyrically however they're still focusing on the everyday and finding happiness in the little things. “If you're into cider then I'll stick with lemonade” kicks off the big romantic chorus, and instantly you're hooked. Lemonade will be played endlessly on repeat by, and taken into the hearts of, many.
Lee White


Lower Dens
Candy
(Domnio Recordings)
**
Candy – the third single from Lower Dens album – is a echoey slice of Lynchian pop, with more than just a hint of malice. The vocal is similar in style to fellow Baltimorean Victoria Legrand (Beach House), but where their contemporaries rely on dreamy layers of keyboards Lower Dens provide something starker. Aiming to simulate or accompany a “long-drive towards a lonely horizon”, Candy succeeds – providing the road on which you drive is lined with Douglas firs. This aimless nature excuses the lack of satisfying conclusion.
Lee White

Coasts
Lions
(Intruder Records)
****
Is tropical indie a real genre? What does it mean? By the sound of Coasts, it means lo-fi indie with a big pop sensibility. Solidly within the Wu Lyf and Bombay Bicycle Club sounding club, the chorus is a big crackling sing-a-long, while the verses are jerky, dance-able slices up bright indie. Tropical, almost.
Nicholas Burman