DR MEAKER – Try
As a taster for an album due in the autumn, Try is one of Dr Meaker’s most commercially sounding tracks in quite a while. Featuring the vocals of the very, very talented Laurent John, this is chart-bound fayre of the highest order. A sultry and soulful vocal leads us into one deep, deep wobbling bass accompanied by the gentlest of keys before climaxing into a ‘just give me one more try’ chorus. Luscious sax fills the middle eight and gives you time to pull your partner close and smooch in the twilight, before gently leading them to the bedroom for a raucous night of make up sex! If you were ever in doubt, don’t worry, Dr Meaker has you covered…Out May 10th.
PULSES – Beat Messiah
A timeless bass guitar leads us into this exotic piece of modern dancefloor. With hints of summery New York disco, swirling synths and a punchy beat, this is music made for the summer for shiny, happy people everywhere. Nottingham producer Pulses is not afraid to wear his influences and his heart on his sleeve and he’s clearly picked up a new toy (bass guitar0 since his last offering only a short month ago. The only thing missing from this is a sultry, repetitive Donna Summer vocal and we’d be projected straight back to the 1970’s. A possible track for as ‘Shaft’ re-make soundtrack or a bump and grind trip to the dancefloor? You decide. Available now at Bandcamp and highly recommended!
18 FEVERS – Death Punk Disco
This female fronted four-piece from Seoul City are simply tearing up the world at the moment and this month sees their storming five track EP ‘Death Punk Disco’ flood onto the streets.
This is speed punk excellence full of screeching guitars, military precision drumming and angst filled vocals. Heard it all before, we hear you say, but not played like this you haven’t!
Save The Venom kicks off in a My Chemical Romance kinda feel, but when you get to Gate Keeper, the band really claim their own sound.
You can catch them in the UK at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool this August, but in the meantime why not head to your local indie store and get your hands on this modern punk gem!
(Or get it here from Juno)
SWELTER – We Fight, We Fall, We Rise
90’s alt rockers Swelter continue their welcome return with their second single release of the year following January’s ‘Smile’. This. is harder, faster fare than we’re used to from the boys. With metal guitars, heavy drums and a James Hatfield-esque vocal delivery this is a very, very heavy sounding Swelter! This is a bit of a stomper with a sing-a-long chorus and intricate maths rock middle eight reminiscent of a Tool B-side. Available at the end of the month.
HERTENFELS – Voyager One (EP)
Not one to stand still for very long, Hertenfels releases a three track liquid-tinged EP of the highest magnitude. Voyager One comes in three shades and sizes, Discovery, Contact and Arrival and full of rolling bass lines, high impact drums and his unique take on everything drum and bass. It almost goes Macky Gee in places, but he holds off swinging into full on jump up with deliciously pulsating effect. Hertenfels may well be one of the most prolific producers around today and he’s not afraid to experiment with the nuances of sound and rhythm which again he does so here so splendidly! Buy it now!
CIRCLE RED – You’re My Heaven
Like stablemate, Hertenfels, Circle Red continues to explore dance rhythms of all shapes, sizes and genres. Just when you think you’ve got this producer sussed, he changes direction at the drop of a hat and throws you deliciously off kilter. You’re My Heaven in all of its 8 plus minutes of ecstatic dance floor magic is oh so memorable and made for heady Ibiza nights full of sweat, sex and beer. Time to get that beach body ready and head for the summer!
Out Now!
The Deepshakerz/Turntables Night Fever – Oh Punk!
This could have been recorded anywhere from a New York basement in 1975 right into some future-verse full of dystopian gladiatorial sex midgets. This is pumping disco/house of the very highest, so get out those gold spandex shorts, your boob tube and hit the dance floor with your roller skates tied tight! (Girls can wear what they want!). Sublime!
JULIETTE LOUISE and BASSFUZZ – Daydreaming EP
Striking piano chords open Daydreamer accompanied by Juliette’s soulful and passionately phrased vocal, before the reese bass and drums kick in to take us on a glorious journey through the more experimental and less trodden paths within drum and bass. At times her vocal soars so high that birds fall from the sky like they don’t belong in the same stratosphere as her majesty. “Come to me’ she swoons and we shall obey, for such is the exquisiteness of her command. Enigmatic, enduring and euphoric. You should buy this!
Released 19th April.
Portobello Express – Sorrow & Pain
In a shallow world where graves are but the depth of a body, it’s refreshing to find musicians that still want to challenge the organised and recognised spheres of contemporary music.
This ‘piece’ is ‘inspired’ by Sonata for Piano No: 20 in A major, D 959’ by a certain Franz Schubert. Pretentious, self-reflective drivel you might want to immediately say and think, but hold on just a wee minute boyo! This ain’t Radiohead! Never judge a book…
It’s equal parts meandering gypsy dialogue with prog rock overtones and sudden injections of blues that cascade over the ‘sorrowful’ tale of Schubert’s decline into a syphilitic last few year’s on earth. You won’t find Ed Sheeran or Miley Cyrus turning to such classic referencing for their repulsively sickly sweet, sugar-coated common-denominator themes. So bravo Betty and the Vienna based Portobello Express. Hats off to psychedelic rock, Syd Barret rides again in female, wistful, glorious and whimsical form!
Out May 10th.
SHY FX / Mr. Williamz feat KINGH – Gideon’s Charge
This is proper jungle from a proper jungliest warrior! Shy FX returns with an absolute screamer with guest vocal by Kingh. It’s got a heavy African vibe about the vocal, but could have dropped straight out of the sky from 1995!
This is big, bold and brash and will have you skankin’ your nuts off at a rave near you soon!
P.O.D. – Veritas
It’s been a long, long time sine the (then) Godbothering POD screamed ‘I’m so alive’ at a Papa Roach,/Limp Biscuit infested world. They’ve (thankfully) come a long way since then. Their sound has matured and taken on a heavier, more nuanced edge and although some of the old whimper than thou angst still permeates, this is simply, not bad man! Kicking off with ‘Drop’ these eleven track simply pulsate with tuneful menace and drag you kicking and screaming through back alleyways full of scurrying rats, would be rapists, muggers, pimps and whores. But they don’t want that world, they still want us to ‘do better’. They still want us to change this mother focusing dreary assed world that we live in and make it a brighter, happier place and all to the tune of the Deftones. I’m on. board guys. Let’s ‘untuck’ the world this very minute!
‘Afraid To Die’ and ‘Dead Right’ are standard rock/rap fare, but they’re well produced standard rock/rap fare and made to pester the lower reaches of the Billboard chart. If Linkin Park are to make a return with a female vocalist towards the end of the year, then they could do better than drag POD out on tour with them to fuel the audience for one more papercut!
To add weight to this, track five, ‘Breaking’ could quite easily be the Bennington led boy band of yesterday with echoes of Numb pulsating from the bass speakers. Magnificent! I’m hoping ‘Lay me down (Roo’s song) isn’t a paean to the (now bearded) Shrek look-a-like footballing genius? That would simply be too ironic! ‘This is my life’ is POD from the 90’s and nobody really wants that. ‘Lies tell themselves’ is bland American punk rock and best left alone.
Final track ‘Felling Strange’ sees the guys ‘experimenting’. There’s a synth in there for chrissakes! And a Latino spoken word vocal that fades and leaves us, slightly, wanting for more.