Ahoy, mateys, Orestes here with the latests EPs we’ve been checking out for ya…

Hanetration – Tenth Oar EP

“I’m recording silence!” “You’re recording silence?” “Now I’m recording Tony fucking Wilson!”   The life of someone doing the field recording gig isn’t an easy one. You find pretty quick that recordings NEVER go as you want them and you really need to live by the “best laid plans” motto. However, it gives you ample range to experiment and, fuck it, you might get something better than you wanted or you’ll luck in with a VST and a couple of well placed filters. It worked for ILM and BBC Radiophonic. Really enjoy this one while reading a sci fi short story or just by zoning out in your own bed. ‘Rex’ mixes vocal samples overlapping with machine like drumming (that’s a steam motor, right?) ‘Alarm’ is disturbingly soothing (love the drone), ‘Rufus’ is Hanetration tackling IDM and ‘Wreck’ is not what the title says, but feels like the protagonist (a nameless cyberman with a bad headache) is having one of the worst days of its life. We all have been there. It’s a free download, so go and check it (or I’ll send the cyberman your way and believe me, aspirin won’t work).

Call it: Musique Concrète.

Don’t call it: Patterns in the shape of an “x” while you watch the static on TV.

Hanetration Bandcamp. Facebook. Soundcloud. Last.fm. Website.

The Social Club – For Dancing

Happy punk from the people of Alcopop! and it’s tenacious rock shenanigans. The Social Club sends happy vibes to all you morose navelgazers that can’t put down your tablet for a minute and laugh at the penguins driving golf carts in the park! Seriously, 5 quick tracks full of pep (one which we gave you for free a while ago). Get that piano ready (Andrew W.K. style!) in for ‘Love, laugh, learn’,  ‘Hey Presto, Manifesto’ is the party anthem here (memories of summer of ’99 surfaced. Yes!), ready for the summer season, which in England is one day where the average temp is 10 degrees celsius. ‘She’s in love’ is for the school dance (mind the spiky hair, though, I got kicked out because of it). You need a happier shade of punk? Call The Social Club , they got your dose with enough piano (and organ for one of the tracks) to fill yer tank.

Call it: 5 for punkin’!

Don’t call it: Uh?

The Social Club Facebook. Twiter. Myspace.

Tomos Lewis – Four Songs

Folk of the Welsh demeanor, Tomoslewis ‘ Four Songs does exactly what says on the tin (or paper cover). 4 little tracks of folk (introspective as ordered by many a Doctor). ‘I died a deep inside’ might be TOO introspective for its own good, but the other three songs are much more uplifting. ‘What’s a man to do’ rocks the C & G chords a lot, and you can’t go wrong with that. ‘Elinor’ is beauty in a country way (golden fields, sunny days and dandelions flying around) and ‘These boots’ is the loudest folk offered here, an excellent song that easily surpasses the other three, but then again, Four Songs was building towards this ending, so well done!

Call it: Wistful.

Don’t call it: “Welsh boys look pretty when they play guitar”.

Tomos Lewis Website. Twitter. Facebook.

Strange & Partners – EP

Uh, this is glammy, but without the big swaying moments nor the slow claps, so don’t let the slightly mushy title of ‘Beautiful woman beautiful trouble’ make you think this will go Van Morrison on you (mind you, he’s good). A lil’ bit of 70s rock is always a good genre to tap, specially with these kids today that think that 70s is just a year away from the stone ages. Brutes. Strange & Partners have been compared to The Kinks in many a review (and in the local Sheffield media). I wouldn’t do that comparison, as I’ve never listened to The Kinks nor plan to do in the foreseeable future (busy reviewer!) ‘Raging days’ is the catchy one but it’s ‘Right end wrong hand’ which deserves your dosh, the gem with the seedy undertones and psychedelic shizzbanging (with mash).

Call it: Rock (of the classic sort).

Don’t call it: “You really got me (nesh)”.

Strange and Partners Website. Facebook. Myspace. Reverbnation. Last.fm. Soundcloud.