The debut single from Royal Treatment Plant ahead of the release of mini-album Hope Is Not Enough, Get Played starts out as a good rocking tune with added 80′s style synth. And it manages to jog along all good and well enough with preacher’s daughter PP providing fine femme-rock vocals but the whole thing is just slightly too art-rock for those of us not “privileged” enough to live in London, attend an Art School or frequent Glasgow’s Merchant City cool bars. Plenty of style but just not enough substance in the foundations yet, think Russell Brand’s “China… China…? Are you in Tibet? GET OUT!!!” radio references – the intention and idea is good, it just somehow loses significance somewhere amongst the posturing.
Royal Treatment Plant – Get Played
Look See Proof – Do You Think It’s Right
March 26, 2008
Look See Proof are a slow burning band from Hertfordshire, steadily increasing their fan base and word of mouth about their music over the past year. Each of their first three singles gaining the band more and more exposure via MTV2, Steve Lamacq on Radio One and even Jonathan Ross on Radio Two.
Do You Think It’s Right? is surely destined for repeat outings on many indie & alternative club night dance floors – it’s upbeat choppy guitars and layered vocals providing a pleasantly danceable tune for the mainstream trend follower indie kids as well as those more discerning about the quality of their indie credentials. Backed with the chunkier electro-tinged Don’t Say A Word and the Os Darkroom Remix of Casualty it’s a fine fourth single to tide interest over until the release of their debut album later this year in June.
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Late Of The Pier – The Bears Are Coming
March 17, 2008
Late Of The Pier are a band that I had always overlooked and never bothered to listen to, I’d heard them name-checked too often by music journalists and scene bloggers – always a good sign that the band won’t be to my taste! Based on this single I’d say that my cynical disdain may well have been misplaced.
The Bears Are Coming is rather a seesaw ride – initially struck by a cool percussion intro, interested piqued by that weird honking sound rhythm and then disappointed by plain old normal vocals only to be excited again by the scratchy instrumental melody. We’re only 45 seconds into the track so far but the ride continues right the way through and I’m constantly switching between loving it, hating it and going “ooh, I like this bit”. Three and a half mintues and I feel like I’ve been on an album’s worth of journey, I’m looking for a media player that allows me to skip parts of a song in the way I ignore poorer tracks on albums!
So maybe those music journos & bloggers know a thing or two after all – I enjoyed the chaotic indie pop of “next big thing” Late Of The Pier afterall – who’d have thought it!
Jakobinarina – This Is An Advertisement
July 10, 2007
A sarcastic and sardonic Icelandic indictment of the lack of integrity within the music industry. Jakobinarina’s English vocals have a strong accent which adds to the feeling of contempt thrown up here, and the target is a good’un. Seemingly borne out of the oh-so-fake indie pop punk genre popular with trend setters and chart watchers, Jakobinarina (pronounced yakob-in-arena) have a better understanding of the Punk part of their genre labelling than most. With an anger reminiscent of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin playing Top Of The Pops, This Is An Advertisement provides a healthy antidote to newspaper punks who think media attention on their shitty behaviour covers for their shitty music. Here the punk is in the message, the sniping vocals criticising industry moguls, peers and you; the guitars baiting you to get a kicking if you even look at them funny; keyboards snorting speed round the back and the drums smashing fuck outta a phonebox.
The underlying attitude is there but it isn’t smashed over your head in a horrific bile filled onslaught, rather it comes away as being a rousing and inspiring track, managing to avoid wallowing in the negativity and bitterness of it’s message. The success is not half down to the band’s trick of balancing the fine line between disaffected intelligence and drunken imbecility—tongues are in cheeks here but the whole thing works because, underneath, that bitter negativity is most probably real.
