DRUNK ROBOTS - Drones & Bones

EP review by Bloopie

DRUNK ROBOTS' new EP picks up right where the their last album left off, with beats just as caliginous and aggressive as I'd come to expect. Again, it's helter skelter from the get-go and I'm tossed into an ocean of driftless robotic noises as momentum builds and things prove more tumultuous by the second.The first track, one of four simply titled 'Drones & Bones', lays the foundations for what would prove to be an enigmatic 16 or so minutes. It's a long - rather monotonous - introduction, featuring an eclectic array of rusty, exotic sounds formulated to darken anyone's mood. Surprisingly, the following number is a different animal altogether. A compelling use of the marimba produces a sanguine tone as bleakness subsides and makes way for the merry side of the DRUNK ROBOTS to show, one that is refreshingly less hostile. With another sharp twist, track three then recaptures that familiar menacing vibe from the band's debut LP.

The fourth and final track, heavily influenced by Nine Inch Nails, is hands down the finest piece of this strange puzzle, as it boasts the sort of character that previous tracks sorely miss. Interestingly, it was the last track on the previous album, titled 'Sunday's Last Cigarette', that also emerged as my personal favorite. It feels thoughtfully constructed and stands out as a more poignant composition than the rest, while maintaining that grungy industrial identity.There is potential here, but as a whole it feels unpolished. It's diverse, but inconsistent. A sense of heaviness looms from start to finish and it lacks enough depth to hold interest past the first several listens. Having said that, I for one am curious to see how this band's sound evolves as they continue to experiment.
 
DRUNK ROBOTS' website





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Artist To Check Out: Markus Hulthén

Article by KevW

All this recent talk about David Bowie and the 40th anniversary of his seminal 'Ziggy Stardust...' album has come as a reminder that mystery can be an important factor in the overall persona of pop stars and music makers in general. You probably wouldn't have found Ziggy tweeting his opinions about how England were getting on at the Euros, would you? Well Markus Hulthén, although almost certainly not heading for anything approaching that level of fame or reverence, certainly likes to keep us guessing. Following an email with a soundcloud link which we received last week, our web searches have revealed as much as our request for more information: zilch.

According to this email, Markus Hulthén is a Swedish band who describe themselves thus: "We play instrumental music, a bit psychedelic, folkrock....and . a bit melancholic". They may not be forthcoming but at least they're telling the truth. The few tracks posted to their soundcloud page fit that description perfectly. From the gentle psych-folk of 'Åka bil' with its gentle cooing, to the acoustic, 60's-styled psychedelia of newest track 'Visa från Svedmyra' with its relaxed organ, these are subtle and appealing songs. Incidentally, the genres they use to describe these recordings as are 'psychedelic', 'Lalalalalala', 'Library Tape' and 'Dream Lullaby', all of which neatly sum them up.





Markus Hulthén's website





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James Canty - Shark In The Shallows

Single review by KevW

Thanks to modern technology, recording and releasing songs is essentially a piece of piss. Anyone can do it. The downside is that the internet is awash with hideous half-baked ideas and songs that would never have got so much as a glimpse of any recording equipment twenty years ago. The main culprits are, of course, solo artists with acoustic guitars who expect us to part with our cash in exchange for some below par strumming and sixth-form musings. Which brings us to Essex songwriter James Canty. He has an acoustic. He has some songs. He wants us to buy them.

Should we? Well in this instance we should at least listen, because this debut single pops its head above the flood of singer-songwriters clogging up our bandwidth. 'Shark In The Shallows' has some guts and is sung with some actual emotion. It might be a well tested formula but the beats and strings add extra force to his already fierce vocal. Without question it's a good track. B-side 'Hare On The Hill' is more routine fare, pick your favourite acoustic troubadour and you'll have found an easy comparison. Still, its also done with some aplomb, and while it doesn't match the lead track, it's not just here to make up the numbers either. Well done The Internet, you've uncovered a good one here.



James Canty's website

Buy the single





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Annie and the Beekeepers - My Bonneville

Album review by Simon Francis Hambrook

Jim Morrison said on a television interview in 1970, that American music tends to come from two stocks: either black, bluesy stock or country and folk stock. He also rather insightfully predicted that music would in the future be much more from single identities on their own with "electricity, tapes and machines". Annie and the Beekeepers are from the country stock in essence and you can tell it from the first notes. It is accessible though, and has moved beyond the simple dynamics or any country rules. ‘It Aint Fair’ is a brilliant gusto-pop tune with a chorus to die for, the kind of thing Camera Obscura or Tennis could genuinely be envious of. 

They seem to know what they’re doing with their progressive sound and the more you trust them the better the result - I hope they always continue to write songs as generous as this - for the fact is we’re getting three and sometimes four fine melodies in each track. Production-wise Annie and the Beekeepers deserve some attention from those who hold the strings. The sound is not poor on this album, it's not unaccomplished either, but in a couple of instances the difference between a good pop tune and a hit pop tune is of course in the co-ordination and skill of the sound engineering. That said, this album is by its very nature positively endearing to the ear, with tracks like ‘My Bonneville’ clearly demonstrating that the band are having fun and can surprise you with any kind of soundscape they desire to explore. Another song of note is the opening track ‘Wake up Mama’ which is slightly darkened in theme, reminding me of some of the spooky tracks by Sufjan Stevens. 

Listening more it becomes clear a fragrance of new folk, such as that Vetiver might create, is approaching the more demure and lovely scent of the best Sol Seppy can provide. This is a luscious and laden album. I think this band are an exception to Mr Morrison’s observance, for although the vocals are truly country-ish in origin there are notes of bluegrass in here which do not seem at all out of place. He was right about the machines though, wasn’t he?

Annie and the Beekeepers' website





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Charlie Big Time - Dishevelled Revellers EP

EP review by KevW

If you're on the hunt for a decent indie/pop band then searching the rosters of certain labels can often be a trustworthy route to take. Finding a group that have be under the reliable guardianship of both Cloudberry Records and Matinee Records is almost a fail-safe indicator that the discernible indie fan is in for a treat. On new EP 'Dishevelled Revellers' the English band have also recruited Trembling Blue Stars vocalist Beth Arzy to provide an extra spark to Charlie Big Time's very British sounding guitar-pop tunes. Theirs is a more relaxed and less sugary sound than you might expect, high on melody and with its foundations lying in erstwhile heroes The Smiths as well as others from that era such as The Housemartins.

Because these two bands have rarely slipped out of fashion and have been aped and referenced endlessly since their heyday, the resulting songs are timeless and, naturally, include the odd witty lyric, such as the title-track's "bigger than a fat lady's dinner plate" line. Others who reference this era and genre often go hell for leather to produce exuberant and pacey, high-tempo pop. Charlie Big Time's sound is more restrained, swerving as close to Galaxie 500 as to C86. The contemplative 'The Liberation Of Love' could just about disguise itself as a Sundays track. These are songs that may not fizz enough to catapult them into indiepop stardom, but there's more than enough here satisfy the palate of connoisseurs of delicate, jangly guitars and bleary-eyed sunshine pop.





Charlie Big Time's website

Buy the EP





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The Young Evils - Foreign Spells EP

EP review by KevW

Do you like guitars? Do you like them buzzing and chiming in equal measure? Do you like pop hooks? And what about boy/girl harmonies? Do you like those? Have you got any Jesus & Mary Chain albums? If the answer to any of those questions is "yes", then step right this way. Because although the formula is hardy new and we're not exactly suffering from a dearth of this kind of thing, Seattle combo The Young Evils carry it off in a suitably impressive manner and are no slouches on the tune front. New EP 'Foreign Spells' sees them steering their good ship into deeper and darker waters than their debut album, and they feel perfectly at home here.

There are handclaps aplenty on the chugging 'Darker Blue Bayou' which flourishes from humble beginnings into pure shoegazey-pop wonderland for the chorus, the shared vocal duties work triumphantly. Opening tracks are often the strongest, so it's not really a surprise that they can't better it on the other three songs. While they don't surpass it, they don't fade away either. The catchy, fizzing 'Dead Animals' is single material in its own right and 'Devil's Barricade' is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bouncing ideas off criminally overlooked 90's heroes Cuckooland. 'Touch Tone Lovers' is also carried along on some dirty guitars and seductive vocals. There's not a bad song to be found here, needless to say, if any of the checklist at the beginning excites you, then 'Foreign Spells' won't let you down.



The Young Evils' website

Pre-order the EP





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Artist To Check Out: Spakkiano

Article by KevW

Naturally the boundaries of music, film and art intertwine. Music itself is an art form and videos are the promotional tool of choice for any chart star. Art installations accompanied by a soundtrack are also commonplace. While we normally stick to the music here at The Sound Of Confusion, we thought we'd share these intriguing pieces of minimalist electronica from Italian artist Spakkiano, who uses exotic and repetitive sound textures designed to go hand in hand with these unusual and seemingly abstract pieces of film, although surely each one has a tale to tell.

'Papparsali' is a place in northern India, near the Himalayas and feels trapped in the past. This old black and white footage is backed by eerie but beautiful music that's subtly mesmerizing. The music enhances the film, and the film enhances the music. It's a wonderful and seemingly natural combination that defies categorization and doesn't really require it either. 'Macadam' with its series of facial expressions is surreal and captivating, and the gentle rumble of 'Beringia' is equally mystifying. Spakkiano is making genuinely imaginative art, whatever bracket it comes under.







Spakkiano's website

Download the songs for free at bandcamp





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