Greetings, readers bought Orestes P. Coltrane’s guide to stalking your kindergarten teacher (vol. 1 Jello o’death!! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ’em. Mahalo.
This week’s singles come courtesy of Mexico‘s own Safari Tacos. Great food, so-so service, great memories. Go for a Quesafari al Pastor, which basically is a big arse quesadilla with pastor meat (the non-unionised Mexican equivalent of kebab meat). It fucking rules and best of all: it has a lot of piña (that’s pineapple in Spanish).
Ah, singles, right:
Field Music – A New Town
Those fashionable, good looking musicians from the always classy Field Music are back into the fold, with their swanky chamber pop (accordions!) that mixes with that syncopate and sway. A playful song (love the semifalsetto), it even has a very bubbly sound effect in the back. Where’s Doris? –Orestes “P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way” Xistos, Sydney, Australia.
Alvin Purple – Huh her / Please Please
‘Huh her’ has a very interesting thing going around. Besides the front cover (TOTOOOOING!). The electronica rhythm is catchy and good for head-bobbing, but it’s the out-there freakout that really makes it a better song. It’s like finding a razorblade on that disco biscuit. Ah, memories of bad nights out in Nottingham.
‘Please please’, on the other paw, is easy breezy pace, more rock than clash. It’s bloody cool when it all ignites and as much as ‘Huh her’ is enjoyable, ‘Please please’ is the strongest one right here. The guitar work is right up my alley and that solo, with its trippy atmospheres and the haunting voice is what really sold it to me. – Sam The Spam
Master and the Mule – Kingdom
Someone masterfully mentioned before in this very site the pure magic that is Master & the mule. The slow burn of their songs, the heavy, incense like atmospheres that they display, zig zagging between Post Rock and those sounds the BBC Radiophonic conjured. ‘Kingdom’ is the newest single (out on Feb. 6th) which is yet another flavourful morsel before their album drops (March 19th). The creepy and lingering guitar tone is always following you during ‘Kingdom’, like a maleficent spell cast by a spiteful villain over a long forgotten kingdom. Very Gothic and certainly filled to the brim with atmosphere. That’s 2 for 2 for Master & the mule. –Sam The Spanner
Cut yourself in half – Say goodbye to the world / Psycho human being disaster
We’ve mentioned before (we really did!) that ‘Say goodbye to the world’ is awesome. And if you need some riffage to get some bad vibes out of your system (like when some idiot almost runs you over on his blue Focus – wanker!), then Cut yourself in half is a good way to get it out of your system. Those last seconds of the song are awesome sauce.
Slightly sludgier but still moving with the ferocity of a mudslide, ‘Psycho human being disaster’ goes for the overdriven guitar shadowboxing. A dark b-side, veering into some horror rock that is sorely missed in my stereo. Goes trippy and into a bad trip freakout in the ending, which is always a good queue for riff therapy. Something for you fact fans: what the Mayans predicted for 2012 was actually the return of riff heavy music. -Orestes P.hineas Xistos
Blacklisters – Trickfuck
As my fellow reviewer mentioned, the year is starting with some military-calibre riffing and Blacklisters (who we mentioned before) are back with ‘Trickfuck’. Their senseless violence (the best one, just read the Old Testament!) and the marl-hard rock provided by them is a grinding throwback to that metal we had on the early 2000s (and which I miss thoroughly). Worth it’s weight in lead, precious as gold. -Sam (This is the second single cover this week that will get me in trouble with one of our readers… ¡Hola, Mamá!)
Holy State – Dial ‘M’ for Monolith
Short and furious (no, not Paul Walker) are the words to describe to this rock track with a lot of punky attitude and your 5-a-day of palm mutings and desert rock emotions. Yes, this is the week of heavy riffs and Holy State is a good trip down the hill in a BMX. With no steering bar. Funny, that’s how I met my wife. Rockin’. Orestes P.hun times Xistos
Baddies – Bronto
Like a trip through the aisles of PC World in the darkest part of the wrong side of town (no, not Beeston), this dancey rock track goes for a darker side of Baddies. A bit of electronic sequence for you midi fiends (we all know each other, right?). A lighter shade of Industrial Rock for you kiddies. -Orestes P. hillips Light Bulb Xistos
Retro video of the week: Men at work – Overkill
That’s odd, I always remembered he threw himself from the roof by the end, but he is alive and kicking. Uh. That song always made me think that Colin Hay was a vampire. Suck my bovine neck, baby!
Until next time, I’m Orestes Xistos and I rule this dump. I’m the one waiting for Abigail. I’m the one who know that there’s a light. I sing The Payroll Union‘s sweet assssss songs while I cook calabacitas con elote. See ya and kisses and (((sholay))) (((hugs))).
Links:
Field Music Website. Twitter. Facebook. Myspace.
Alvin Purple Website. Facebook. Twitter. Bandcamp.
Master and the Mule Website. Facebook. Bandcamp. Last.fm. Twitter. Myspace.
Cut yourself in half Facebook. Myspace. Soundcloud.
Holy State Website. Tumblr. Facebook. Last.fm. Bandcamp. Myspace.
Baddies Bandcamp. Facebook. Myspace. Soundcloud.