The Woken Trees - Yells

Single review by KevW

No doubt there are flourishing music scenes in all corners of the globe, but lately there's been the sense of something stirring in Denmark's alternative rock scene. Once isolated from UK and North American audiences (The Raveonettes aside), this new breed are beginning to make inroads into a wider public consciousness, perhaps spearheaded by the success of Iceage and their offshoots. Copenhagen's The Woken Trees also deal in noisy guitars but rather than the no-wave racket peddled by some of the city's more prominent acts, this sextet look to the bleaker side of post-punk to form their unholy sounds and moody soundscapes.

The two tracks on this debut single show something of a contrast, 'Yells' is a throbbing, bass-heavy monster that feels concrete and industrial. It owes a debt to early Factory Records as well as 1980s goth and is a juddering tour de force of clanging guitars and reverberating vocals. Trading in even more desolate sounds is B-side 'Holy Water' which brings with it a stark feeling of hopelessness and resignation, seeking redemption whilst knowing salvation is almost certainly out of the question. Much like the subject matter, it ends with a whimper, hardly having had time to put its desperate message across. There's something stirring alright, and while its outlook may not be good, the apocalypse could have a fittingly barren soundtrack.



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The Little Philistines - Nuclear Envelope

Album review by KevW

As we reported back in August, London collective The Little Philistines had been gradually unveiling their new album 'Nuclear Envelope' track-by-track for quite some time, and now, voila! Here it is in all its fully-formed glory, still without any explanation as to what a nuclear envelope actually is. It sounds dangerous though, but the band seem much more friendly and fun and their idiosyncratic form of indiepop is packed with colour, zeal and willful eclecticism. Their riffs are sharp and lively, their lyrics are witty and urgent and their choice of instruments goes beyond your stereotypical bass, drums, guitar set up. In short; they're individual, playful and highly adept.

Compared to many albums, 'Nuclear Envelope' is a fairly immediate hit, especially if, like us, you know many of the songs from their gradual online unveiling, but it's great to have them slotted together into a cohesive whole. Even if you're yet to sample the sound of this or any of their previous recordings, they won't take long to begin embedding themselves in your consciousness. The Little Philistines are a dab hand at coming up with memorable pop hooks. Just look to the bouncy 'Hot Phone' or angular opener 'She's My Food' for examples of addictive indie-type goodness; plus a sprinkling of lyrical witticisms only adds to their cause (sample: "I treated you like a number two when you should be number one").

When it comes to comparisons to other bands we could be here all day, but that's not because they've plundered and pillaged all their tricks from elsewhere, it's more that with such a vast musical landscape there will be inevitable similarities, particularly with an all-embracing style such as this. For a quick starter if we say The Futureheads meets Belle & Sebastian meets Talking Heads they can't have too many complaints. When they drop the kookiness the results are just as good, check out the brass-drenched 'The Lightest Part' and the hectic post-punk of 'Stammer From The Heart'. 'Nuclear Envelope' is a riot of enthusiasm and a bundle of energy, recognisable enough to provide instant gratification yet unique enough to avoid being derivative; it's a little atom bomb of indiepop fun.




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Koalia - I See Wet People

Album review by KevW

If you're after some serious introspection then there are a million earnest singer-songwriters out there, go and listen to some of them and wait for the Prozac to kick in. Finnish crew Koalia are here for a party instead, they're not bothered by image, navel-gazing and cutting edge sounds; they're here to have some fun, and judging by their debut album 'I See Wet People' that's exactly what they're doing. There's no room here for muso experimenting or critically lauded innovation, this is a record of explosive three-minute pop-punk songs that have been engineered for pogoing, singing along too and playing very very loud. Koalia are a band for the people, not for the cynical music press to pick apart.

They begin with the gonzo punk of recent single 'Wine & Brandy' and hardly pause for breath until the final bar of the dubiously titled 'Are You Wet Yet' which is also built around buzzing guitars and quick-fire lyrics. Koalia have an objective about how this album should sound and they rigidly adhere to it. Because of this, I See Wet People' will be one of those records that you'll either love or hate. Inhibitions need to be discarded to allow your brain to accept these high-octane, slightly goofy songs with their simple lyrics about love and hate that are littered with profanities. It all feels a bit 2001 but if you can get passed these issues and take this album for what it is then you might just find yourself grinning along.

When they push their sound that little bit more and ditch the deliberately dorky style there are some top tunes to be found. 'Come Alive' works just fine and more of the same would see them taken more seriously, and 'Let Us Party' has a great melody. A few tracks are that bit too knowingly oddball for their own good, such as 'I Don't Care' and 'Johnny's On The Run', plus the occasional hair-metal guitar solos feel slightly out of place. It's difficult not to criticise Koalia for being just that bit too immature, but that's rendered futile by virtue of the fact that this seems to be the whole point. So overall 'I See Wet People' should be considered a guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.
 





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Siren - Here Today

Single review by KevW

At just 21 years old, Stefan Evan Niedermeyer is a well travelled man and must surely have been influenced by many cultures. He's half Australian, half German, was raised in Singapore and is currently living in London where he's already building a reputation as a prodigious talent. The multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter has worked with The Shoes and Alex Metric before launching his solo project Siren earlier this year. His impressive CV hasn't gone unnoticed and has led to him working with acclaimed producers and mixers Ash Workman (Metronomy) and Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Florence & The Machine, Anna Calvi, Arctic Monkeys), so his own talent combined with some experienced studio hands should result in some accomplished sounds.

Following a debut double A-side earlier this year, he's set to release the follow-up on November 12th. 'Here Today' does indeed sound like the work of a team that know what they're doing, but crucially it's not a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. This is a well produced and carefully considered track, there's no scruffy lo-fi chic on display, they're aiming for music that sounds masterfully recorded without airbrushing away any of its soul. The best description may be classy pop with an alternative edge; it's not commercial enough for the ringtone generation and is too clean for the indie hipsters. Which is essentially saying that this is a very good track, but we're not sure who the potential audience will be. With any luck there will be plenty of takers though, because 'Here Today' is a song that deserves to be heard.





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Cheval Sombre - Mad Love

Album review by KevW

Since people began experimenting with new ways of producing music in the late 1950s, there's been an alternative lineage that's run alongside popular music; you could think of it as a parallel universe where experimentation and innovation have evolved outside of the mainstream, almost as if hiding in its shadow. These roots can be traced back to garage originators The Wailers and sound explorers such as those at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Then came The Velvet Underground who took tender acoustic songs and embellished them with drones and unorthodox production and arrangements. There's been a continuation of this work running in the background of popular culture ever since, and even before hearing a note of the new album from New York's Cheval Sombre you can tell he's become a part of it.

One of the leading lights in keeping this spirit alive and the subterranean flame burning is Spacemen 3/Spectrum legend Sonic Boom; anyone acquainted with his work will spot those familiar fingerprints all over this record, alongside him are long-time collaborators Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips (Galaxie 500, Luna) and recent space adventurers MGMT. The credits read like a who's who of blissed-out, psychedelic sonic exploration, and like that illustrious list, many of the songs on 'Mad Love' have bare acoustics at their heart which are then coated in electrical drones, organ and strings, creating a sound that feels not of this world; the very same effect crafted by The Velvet Underground, Spectrum and Galaxie 500; this album almost feels like the baton of true psychedelia being passed from one generation to the next. All of these songs could be stripped-back, but those magical sounds that augment each track feel essential in continuing this legacy.

And so the gentle strum of 'Someplace Else' is doused in antiquated organ sounds and minimal electric guitar speckles; it's like watching a kaleidoscope in slow motion, as is the cover of traditional folk song 'Once I Had A Sweetheart'. Possibly the best introduction to these magical sounds comes with the stunning 'She Went Walking In The Rain' which is something akin to The Dandy Warhols finding a massive spark of inspiration, or maybe the hallucinatory dreamworld conjured up by 'Walking In The Desert'. The lengthy drones of 'Couldn't Do' and 'February Blues' may be lost on some people, but to others they're a simply beautiful and shimmering noise with hypnotic properties, just like the rest of this gentle and otherworldly journey. Ending with the reflective and maudlin 'Let Me Follow You Down', it really does feel as though Cheval Sombre has taken you on a journey. 'Mad Love' is an album to get lost in and a triumph for sound, and you know popular music's mysterious underbelly is in safe hands.







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Menace Beach - Menace Beach EP

EP review by KevW

Menace Beach sounds like the title of an episode of Scooby Doo. It's probably not though, but we can pretend. It's not clear yet whether this band (not to be confused with the US band of the same name) is here to stay for a while or is a one-off project, as it was recorded in several sessions over the summer and includes contributions by various players from other bands including Hookworms, You Animals and Sky Larkin. The songs were the product of late nights and short attention spans and share common ground with fuzzy American alt-rock like that by, in their own words, Pixies, The Dandy Warhols, Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr., and they're not alone in looking to that era and those artists for inspiration at the moment.

There's a wealth of new talent taking fuzzed-out post-grunge as the marker to ignite their own creative spark and Menace Beach are making a tidy job of it, which is hardly a big shock given their pedigree. It's not all about style, and of course style is nothing without the tunes to back it up. 'Dream Out' has enough melody to be interpreted in many musical styles and the psychedelic 'Teenage Jesus' throws a few different ideas into the mix, providing a terrific, if brief, highlight. More routine is 'Wake Up' but that too is given a lift by some ragged harmonies, whereas 'Burn Out' is the most simplistic, coming over like an early Teenage Fanclub B-side. Whatever the various future plans for these guys are, let's hope they reconvene for another jam or two sometime soon.





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The EP will be available in November from Desire Records





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Shortwave Party - Where To Begin

Single review by KevW

As you know, we like reading band's own descriptions of their music, and this Austin, Texas five-piece have gone for "Jangle pop that makes people dance and/or nod their heads approvingly." A slightly humble description I think you'll agree, yet it suits them well. Shortwave Party's debut single certainly gets an approving nod from us, but we'll pass on the dancing part as we'd just end up looking like a twat with two left feet. Anyway, 'Where To Begin' seems an appropriate title for a first offering and musically it should catch the ears of people whose tastes include soulful indie-type guitar music. B-side 'Hopeless' is a particularly heartfelt and powerful example of vocalist Shelby's fine pair of lungs and you can see how she's been compared to Florence Welch.

Sound-wise Shortwave Party are less commercial, and this is to their credit. Second B-side 'Terez' is a great little lo-fi pop tune given extra clout thanks to that voice, it's a combination that works wonderfully and you hope they don't get tempted to buff up the sound to go seeking more widespread appreciation, but then people have to make a living, and if the songs are still up to this standard then we can't really complain. It's the lead track that understandably marks the high point of this debut single, mixing a scratchy riff with some twanging guitars and a bouncy rhythm that's got "underground hit" written all over it; it's an appealing little number for sure. We look forward to nodding our heads approvingly when the next release comes around.


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