ALL TOMORROW’S PARTY
You Doo Right, You Doo Slide (Alive; CD)
Jason Keane is the songwriter, guitarist and vocalist of the trio All Tomorrow’s Parties.
He is probably a big fan of the likes of The Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Spaceman 3 and the
early JAMC, as he likes the stark contrast between fragile, almost pastoral tunes and distorted,
discordant guitar noise. This album will suit devotees of this style, but in my opinion frequent
use of juggernaut riffs, feedback, pedals and effects does not embellish songs, it spoils them.
It comes as a small surprise that two of the songs, ‘Juliette’ and ‘Sure Love’
begin with gently strummed acoustic chords and sweet harmonies, and continue in the same vein all
the way to the end without any loud discordant guitars. Devoid of effects, the songs lack distinction
and are merely pleasant.
www.alive-totalenergy.com
Phil Suggitt
THE BLOODY HOLLIES
If Footmen Tire You….( Alive; CD)
Detroit’s Bloody Hollies crank the volume up to max and bludgeon the listener with pile driver riffs
and really heavy string-bendin’, git-stranglin’ action. Whilst he is a good player in the power
trio tradition, lead guitarist Wesley Doyle is a very limited singer and an uninspired songwriter.
The songs are highly derivative and the vocals sound like early White Stripes, if you like that kind
of thing. There is plenty of loud modern geetar rawwk action here, but little in the way of decent
singing or standout tunes. This CD is living proof that much modern garage rock’n’roll
is very, very conservative music.
www.alive-totalenergy.com
Phil Suggitt
PAUL COLLINS
Flying High (Lucinda; CD)
Paul Collins’ Beat produced some 
great power-pop/punk records over 25 years ago.
It’s heartening to discover that Paul decided to carry on in 1989, and has been recording
and gigging in Spain virtually ever since.
Collins always had a knack for power pop melodies and hooks, and it hasn’t
deserted him. The punkier stylings of the earlier recordings have been replaced by a lighter,
more acoustic approach. The songs are well supported by a Spanish band and Paul’s son (?)
on backing vocals. Octavio Vinck deserves special mention for tasteful, economic lead guitar parts
and backing vocals. The websites are short of information, but I presume that Paul now lives in Spain,
where pure pop gets a warm welcome.
Whilst the twelve songs here are not instant classics, they all have nifty hooks and catchy choruses.
Let’s hope Paul keeps writing and playing stuff like this for another 25 years.
www.lucindarecords.com
www.paulcollinsbeat.com
Phil Suggitt
JAMES COOPER
Second Season (Whitewash Recordings; CD)
This one strikes me as a singer-songwriter using the disc as a vehicle to demonstrate his breadth
of stylistic taste. The set starts well with a great power popping ‘Everything To Everyone’
and is repeated half way through with another of similar ilk and weight in ‘Christine’.
‘Love In London’ despite relying on a synth for colour (sorry, I can’t get on with them)
is still a pretty modern pop pleaser. Then there’s ‘Sammy’, the sort of song that makes
me reach for the off switch, a long and low piano ballad. ‘Save Me From Love’ is a song
that goes marching off into a verse structure not a million miles from ‘All You Need Is Love’,
but again is a pretty enough song. Overall, this guy clearly has talent and a bunch of attractive songs.
They don’t work as a whole for me, but individually some are the sort of songs I’d
like to hear an album’s worth of. Nonetheless, if you like modern melodies with a vaguely
early/mid-‘70s thread running through them, this will serve you well.
www.james-cooper.com
Paul Martin
BART DAVENPORT
Maroon Cocoon (Antenna Farm; CD)
After the relatively big productionGame Preserve--which saw the singer backed by a full band,
indulging in an eclectic song selection--San Fran’s gentlest troubadour Bart Davenport returns
with a predominantly acoustic basis for his third album. Recorded at home on a vintage eight track,
it’s a stripped down affair featuring an early drum machine, flat mate Sam Flax Keener’s
sax and occasional electric guitar; fragile, almost unfinished, yet remarkably pretty.
Tropicalia, ‘80s Prince, radio friendly ‘70s pop, Arthur Lee and UK folk are all referenced;
but it’s the singer’s passive, sweet lyrics, child-like innocent voice and overall humanity
that register the most. Beautiful music.
www.antennafarmrecords.com
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
THE GENE DRAYTON UNIT
Smells Like ’66 (Disques Carmel; CD)
Our fave London instro-heavy combo The GDU impress again. Alongside dance floor grooves and cool jazz number
aplenty come a few surprises, namely the superb ITC adventure show styled ‘Theme From The Filth’
and the vocal numbers: pop soul ‘Mill Town Soul’ (sang with finesse by Mark Norton)
sounds like a mid 80s hit ala Big Sound Authority, whilst the snotty mid-‘60s Brit R&B
stomper ‘Life Is Sweet’ and the heavy bluesy funky rocker ‘Midnight Train’
are nearly as good. Also particularly cool is the opening riff to the sax led TV crime show
theme-alike ‘Due Bottoni’ on which more than a shade of garage hit ‘Liar Liar’
can be heard.
www.genedraytonunit.com
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
THE DREADFUL YAWNS
The Dreadful Yawns (Bomp; CD)
There’s really nothing dreadful about The Dreadful Yawns, but they do make me yawn. This new alt
country-rock American band taps a hefty dose of slow burning morphine into The Beachwood Sparks’
lamentful Byrdsian source and in doing so have lead me to sporadically dose off whilst half enjoying
their snail paced, delicate melodies. If a little louder and sincere this could be really good.
Unfortunately, it’s washed up Tyde than prime time Poco, and I guess that’s what these kids
are aiming for.
www.bomp.com
www.dreadfulyawns.com
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF MAY
The Eighteenth Day Of May (Hannibal/Rykodisc; CD)
It seems the once maligned and misunderstood world of folk music is currently enjoying something
of a renaissance. The Folk Britannia festival and tie-in BBC TV series, the public re-emergence
of '60s/'70s figureheads Donovan, Vashti Bunyan and Jade, the virtual Sainthood of Bert Jansch
by a new generation of doe-eyed 
guitar slingers and the mainstream exposure of acts like
The Eighteenth Day Of May all point to a widespread acceptance of folk and folk-rock that hasn't been
witnessed for many years.
While the NME-sponsored US contingent (Devendra Banhart, Sufjan Stevens, The Espers) veer towards wayward,
singer-songwriter stylings that nod knowingly toward the past rather than emulating it, The May
(as they're cutely known to their pals) favour a more traditional approach, taking their cue
from classic British folk-rock acts like early Fairport Convention, Pentangle and Trees,
infused with the strung-out drone qualities of The Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized.
Part of their charm is that they are very clearly a group as opposed to a leader figure surrounded
by some guys he or she managed to drag out of the pub for the night.
The May's sound is based around distinctly Byrds-like 12-string electric guitar, throbbing bass/drum
patterns, exotic instrumentation such as dulcimer and sitar and the male/female vocal interplay of
Alison Brice and Ben Philipson which, sadly, becomes drowned in the mix at times. Radically re-worked
traditional pieces (not enough Trad Arr credits these days - Ed) like "Flowers Of The Forest"
and "Lady Margaret" sit seamlessly beside May originals like the bouncy "The Highest Tree", the electrified
"Cold Early Morning" and the entrancing six-minute opener "The Eighteenth Day Of May".
If you're a newcomer, don't be put off by outdated notions of pot-bellied sailors drunkedly singing
unaccompanied sea shanties - this is rock and roll and one of the most impressive new releases
of recent months.
Highly recommended.
www.theeighteenthdayofmay.com
www.heyday-mo.com
Andy Morten
THE EMBROOKS
45 & High Times (Munster; 2-CD)
Hmmm, niiiccceee. Well yes ok, I’m a big Embrooks fan (from afar anyway I’m too old
and lumpy to get out much these days). I was intrigued when I heard this was coming out as I could
not actually recollect all the 45s The Embrooks had recorded over the years, which seemed to be on
a different label every time as well. So it’s good to have them all mustered in one place
for inspection. The 20 sides of wax take up disc one whilst disc two matches a radio session
recorded for New Jersey WFMU’s Cherry Blossom Clinic show in Sept ‘03 and a live
set recorded in Madrid in Nov ‘04. I always thought the group’s first LP was a bunch
of great songs that if not ruined, were seriously wounded by the overuse of reverb. This gave it
the 
effect of having been recorded in the deep end of an empty public swimming pool. The first single sides
(‘But I Didn’t Know Him’ and The Golliwogs’ ‘Fight Fire’)
are from those sessions and I still think the same. As the singles go on the reverb lessens and
the sound thickens, which is where The Embrooks start to really take off. The mid section of the disc
stretching from ‘Natasha’ to the cover of the only decent record The Red Squares ever made,
‘You Can be My Baby’, map a steady and onward march in confidence and ability.
‘No No No No’ and The Yardbirds’ ‘Think About It’ lead into the final
third of the disc which gathers The Embrooks most recent singles and their strongest and biggest sound
ever on tracks like ‘Jack’, ‘Back In My Mind’, ‘The Time Was Wrong’
and the MSS’s ‘Children of Tomorrow’. These of course correspond with the albums
Our New Day and the almighty Yellow Glass Perspections which saw the group leaping from
strength to freakbeat strength. Disc Two compiles 12 tracks comprising a radio session and a live gig
from the early noughties. A lot of the classics are here ‘Standing Upside Down’, ‘Happy
Fickle Girl’, ‘Helen’, ‘Not A Priority’ and ‘Emilia Burrows’.
It’s always interesting to hear great songs played live and especially from a three piece unit
where the lack of overdubs will always show. The energy quota is high and the sound is big and beefy,
especially on the live Madrid set. You can get sweaty just from listening to a track or two.
The sound quality is good (though my live disc started skipping when I played it on the computer)
and any enthusiast for the group and their sound will want this. A useful career summary of the
group’s first decade, which along with Colin Bryce’s breezy liners provides a useful
reference work for all Embrooks users new and old. Respect.
www.munster-records.com
Paul Martin
A note from the Editor:
I have all the old 45s and have seen the band numerous times; I count them as friends as well.
The Embrooks were fab and in recreating the garage and freakbeat sounds in such a textbook manner…
they somehow almost managed to sound as if they had invented it. Unfortunately they split last Summer.
RIP Embrooks.
THE FAKERS
Professional Weekenders (CDBaby; CD)
The Fakers cover all shades of rootsy 
Americana, sometimes bringing to mind The Skeletons in their willingness
to tackle a variety of styles.
The first few songs are slightl ydeceptive, as they have some of the facets of good bar band roots rock.
However, The Fakers have many more strings to their bow, and the strong backing vocals and interesting
lyrics indicate that the band possess literate, intelligent songwriters who are comfortable in a variety
of styles. The band have three capable songwriters in guitar/vocalists Brian Bilby (six songs)
and Leo McClusky (eight songs), ably assisted by bassist Ron Strebel (three songs). The songs follow
conventional song structures and forms, but run the gamut from rootsy rockers to ballads, countryish pop
and bittersweet laments. Influences range from classic ‘60s invasion pop to The Replacements.
The guitar based line-up is variously augmented with keyboards, strings, brass and harmonica,
so that the CD while not necessarily groundbreaking, makes a coherent satisfying whole.
It’s an album you can listen to the whole way through.
'Well – crafted' can be a backhanded compliment, but in The Fakers' case it is apt.
www.cdbaby.com/fakers
Phil Suggit
THE GREEN CIRCLES
Black Vinyl Heart (Biff Bang Pow; CD)
This one has a definite stylistic statement to make in the packaging and the title. The ‘60s
blond in slacks posing next to her portable Dansette and vinyl 45s liberally strewn across the floor
on the cover. Pictures of records / stylus heads etc appear elsewhere also. OK, so now we know this
a modern modernist assemblage and being on Biff Bang Pow, you would not expect it to be anything else.
I sometimes get a little peeved at the overstatement of the visual symbolism on these sort of packages,
but fair enough, at least you know what to expect. In this case it’s not a bad set of songs,
‘Kneejerk Reaction’ sets the tone and isn’t. The chords are crashing and
suitably freakbeatish, the vocals adequate to good. My overall impression though of the first
half at least is that it is average mod revivalist stuff although there are some rather tasteful
tunes in places such as ‘You Think I Don’t Know’ that has a rather nice hook.
The vocals are strong enough as is the instrumentation but I couldn’t find much lift in it.
In the second half however, the songs seem to get stronger. Numbers like ‘In Her Own Time’
sound good but the arrangement could be improved. ‘Armourette’ hits the nail more
squarely on the head with a good signature riff and suitably hard attacking rhythm guitar.
‘Wunderkind’ pinches a bunch of clichés and turns them into something more interesting
than the sum of its parts whilst closer ‘Paper Scissors Rock’ offers a nice Beatleseque
tune that sits somewhere between ‘Rain’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’.
www.biffbangpow.org.uk
Paul Martin
THE GREEN PAJAMAS
21st Century Séance (Hidden Agenda; CD)
Seattle’s Green Pajamas have been producing their brand of subtle, literate, and vaguely
psychedelic pop since the early ‘80s, ignoring trends and following their own intriguing path.
The band’s small cult following will buy this CD regardless of the media, so this review hopes
to interest new listeners to take the Pajamas to bed (ouch!)
Green Pajamas’ songs often have interesting song titles that sound like short stories, such as
the opener, ‘The Secret of Bethany’s Mouth’. The lyrics, like the playing, are subtle
and literate. Strangely Jeff Kelly’s notes on the songs are included with the press release but not
to be found in the liner notes. This is an odd omission because long-time fans and new listeners alike
will find it interesting to discover the inspiration for the songs, which concern ghosts in various forms.
Without the notes it isn’t possible to work out, say, that two songs were inspired by a novel
about a woman who resembles Lizzy Siddal, the pre-Raphaelite model, or that ‘Mostly Alice’
wonders if Lewis Carroll’s love for 8-year old Alice was pure.
Subtle, intriguing guitar playing, ethereal keyboards and a pure, yearning lead vocal characterise
the songs. Individual songs are capable of standing on their own merits, yet the band’s albums create
a definite mood over a series of songs. You are drawn in to a unique vision that gradually builds a mood.
For instance, the excellent ‘All The Lost Kisses’ takes unexpected and interesting turns,
and has some delicate and sinuous guitar lines, but it is best enjoyed in the context of the songs
that precede and follow it
www.parasolrecords.com
Phil Suggitt
THE HI-FREQUENCIES
Money Isn’t Everything (Teen Regime; CD)
'Talkin About You' is such a familiar and oft-covered song that it is a strange
choice as an opener, but the album soon picks up. The Hi-Fidelities mix late '50s/early '60s style
instros and original tunes with an affectionate but not over-obsessive nod to the pop, soul and rock
of the early '60s. The instros are all highly danceable and not over-complicated. Mixing the vocal
and instrumental numbers up makes for a well-sequenced album, as some talented instro bands struggle
to sustain interest over a whole CD. Live, I guess the band do separate vocal and instrumental sets.
(?)
The vocals of Jayson Brooks are a major plus, as they add a soulful R&B flavour to the tunes.
The original vocal tunes are fun without being instant classics. Nevertheless this is a
highly listenable album.
www.hifrequencies.com
Phil Suggitt
THE INVISIBLE EYES
Laugh In The Dark (Bomp; CD)
The main instrumental interest in sound of Seattle’s Invisible Eyes is the keyboard work
of Janet Hurt. Her organ powers along some of the tunes, particularly the catchy garage rock
of ‘Tired Night’, Monster Blues’ and ‘Cyclone’. There are several
good songs here, driven along by a very tight, solid rhythm section. The problem is that the only
singer in the band, guitarist Aubrey Wearing, has the kind of vocal style you either love or loathe.
I can take his bluesy howl or hoarse shout in small doses, but after a couple of tunes his voice really
starts to grate, and over a whole album it makes me wonder what the songs would sound like with a richer,
more melodic lead voice.
www.bomp.com
Phil Suggitt
THE JET SET
Let’s Get Broken (Wee Rock; CD)
Phew! A vinyl single – with stickers and badges to boot! It feels like 1978 all over again!
It’s no bad 
thing that this record stands out like a sore thumb amongst the stacks of CDs,
because this is exactly the right format for The Jet Set’s music. They play simply recorded,
crude, raw, enthusiastic, dirty, danceable garage punk. Three songs over two sides is just right –
it’s fast, frantic and fun. At the moment a 50 minute CD would be the wrong format for the band.
I particularly like ‘I Have Seen The Devil’ but all three songs have something to offer.
The band have many influences but they don’t copy their heroes, neither do they drown their songs
in fuzz and screams. On each song you can progressively hear more of Trisha’s farfisa –
as if she kept turning up her amp when the boys weren’t looking! The three piece that recorded
this single are now a four piece, with a new Farfisa player and the addition of a bassist, so more is
to be expected.
www.weerockrecords.com
Phil Suggitt
THE KINGS OF FROG ISLAND
The Kings Of Frog Island (Elektrohasch; CD)
In sunny Leicester (UK), there is a misbegotten, rundown industrial area of former textile factories
and still 
extant factory outlet shops that sits in the middle of a forlorn and muddy
looking river. This is known as Frog Island. It is though the constant closure of the bridge that runs
over it and the endless detours necessary to crawl in or out of the city for which it is renowned.
I rather doubt that such a place is what these guys envisaged being king of! Continuity links aside,
this is a soundscape that plays loose and free with light and shade. The opener ‘Everybody’s
Gonna Lose Their Heads’ is more of the axe grinding new-metal sound Elektrohasch expound.
‘The Longest Hour’ is something of a similar style, but then there follows the 2.18 acoustic
(gasp!) instrumental that is ‘Leon’ that acts as a segue way into ‘The River’,
a slow builder that relies on vocal stability and measured acoustic strumming more than metallic
guitar chords. It’s almost a Nick Cave murder ballad in lyrical content and slips effortlessly
into ‘Slate Blue Sky’ which picks up the pace a little and gives us some electric melody again
before we crash back into uber-metal land with ‘Psychomania’. A more measured and thoughtful
album than you might usually associate with this style of music and all the more enjoyable for that.
Well worth your investigation this one if you have a broad enough sound palette appetite.
www.elektrohasch.de
Paul Martin
THE MAHARAJAS
A Third Opinion (Low Impact; CD)
Wa-hey! This really is modern garage band perfection… These rockin’ Swedes, featuring the
nation’s garage-punk guru Jens Lindsberg, ex-Stroller Mathias Lilja and the overlooked band backbone
Ulf Quttormsson, have conjured up yet another superb album (see what I said about their previous efforts www.shindig-magazine.com/reviews-jan2004-2.html
and www.shindig-magazine.com/reviews-mar2004-2.html).
The formula is faultless. A pile of good songs; a soulful voice; perfect playing and solid production
all informed by the halcyon days of rock and roll and beat music. What more could you ask for?
Many have tried but very few succeed.
This time around it’s another successful mix of mid-tempo garage-folk-rock (‘Sunday Girl’),
the classic mid-80s take on ‘60s garage (‘I’m Crackin’ Up’), moody beat-ballads
(‘Misty Night’), tough pop-rock with a biting fuzztone (‘Ethanol Rocket II’)
and Jen’s demented R&B that takes us right back to The Highspeed V (‘A Hole In My
Head’). The winner of the bunch is the Gene Clark inclined ‘Flying’. The Maharajas
put Swedish achievers The Hives to shame!
I don’t say this often, but this is exceptional modern day garage rock. And thousands should
enjoy it. At SD HQ though we do realise that this won’t happen, but the few hundred of us
privy to The Maharajas should feel honoured … I’m sure that this bunch of fine craftsmen
are unconcerned with the big time anyhow and are more than happy to please the likes of you and
I. People that care… and people that know. Let the masses have The Hives and White Stripes;
they’re welcome to ‘em.
www.lowimpact.nu
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
MAMA GUITAR
Mama guitar’s Holiday (Beatball; CD EP)
For several years the Tokyo trio 
have been playing a brand of gentle ‘60s influenced pop with strong instro and
surf influences. When she gets it right, guitarist Jun’s songs are cute, innocent and hard to resist.
The second of the seven songs on this CDEP, ‘Our Little White Car’ is a case in point,
with a soaring harmonies and a catchy chorus. Simple instrumentals like ‘After Dark’
work because they don’t try to be too clever or instrumentally ambitious. Similarly the slow
ballad ‘Tomorrow’s Sea’ really suits the bands’ simple, sometimes fragile sound.
Some fans of the contemporary garage sound may find the sweet schoolgirl style singing rather
‘twee’. I concede that when they don’t quite hit the mark Mama Guitar songs can
sound a little thin, and their variable English pronunciation can sound cheesy rather than cute,
as on the opener ‘When we Put Bikinis On’. Overall, though, they unashamedly adopt the sound
of an earlier, simpler and more innocent pop era, and they do it really well.
This well-packaged South Korean release nicely fills the gap before the next album, as it compiles
a couple of hard to find singles.
www.beatball.com
www.mamaguitar.jp
Phil Suggitt
DAVID MCCORMACK AND THE POLAROIDS
The Truth About Love (Laughing Outlaw; CD)
There are a few hints here that 
Australian singer/songwriter David McCormack isn’t about to treat
us to some simple celebrations of requited love. The cover shows a meat cleaver. The lyric highlighted
in the liners is ‘Love comes out of a can of poison in the water, and you’re drinking all
the time.’ Striking song titles like ‘If You Leave Me I Will Hunt You Down And Kill You’
and ‘I’m Going To Execute Your Ex-Boyfriend’ suggest we are not entering the world
of bland, optimistic teen pop! Both songs are really punchy yet melodic, and are among the best tunes
in a generally strong collection.
McCormack is a talented and versatile songwriter who sounds comfortable in a variety of styles,
from the memorable, orchestrated epic title to the country/roots lament ‘Lonely’. The
songs are confidently crafted and subtle hooks and melodies abound. The tunes are ably supported
by the sharp production and the snappy playing of The Polaroids.(Ouch!)
One of the challenges of being a stylistically diverse songwriter is that it is difficult to establish
a coherent identity. It may take a while for McCormack to match older Australian troubadours
like Dave Graney or Nick Cave, who have an immediately identifiable, unique sound, even on very
diverse material.
www.laughingoutlaw.com.au
www.davidmccormack.com.au
Phil Suggitt
THE MEAT FAIRIES
Ugh! (Elektrohasch; CD)
This is the side of the neo-metal divide I tend to fall away from. Shouted (nay bellowed) vocals and a sort
of death-metal chording approach which I admit creates its own atmosphere and fair enough to that,
but it’s essentially homicidal to melody. This is purely about riff with any residual niceties
squeezed well and truly out. This is the sort of mosh-pit pleasing stuff that leaves me behind
I’m afraid. www.elektrohasch.de
Paul Martin
NIXON NOW
Altamont Nation Express (Elektrohasch; CD)
You’ll know of course, if you have any familiarity with the Elektrohasch label, that this isn’t
exactly going to be a folk album! All-out overdrive pedal to the floor guitar rock / metal / grunge,
whatever you want to call it, is the order of the day here. It’s a big sound that melds post-heavy
metal guitar thunder with psychedelic lead guitar washes and paranoid, claustrophobic vocals.
Personally, I can swing either way on these sort of albums. On this one I swung in favour.
Everyone should listen to an album like this now and then just to let the Kiss fan in you out for an airing!
As with a number of the albums on this label, it’s not so much an album of songs as a sound wash
that works its mojo on you. Tracks like ‘Bad World’ or ‘Revolver’ are heavy in
every sense, but my fave is closer ‘Electric Teenage Nurnberg’ which is a 4.13 instro of heavy
psychedleic guitar licks over a frenetic beat storm. If you work in something like customer relations,
this’ll set you up in the right mood to tackle the moaning minnies every morning!!
www.elektrohasch.de
Paul Martin
MICHAEL RAULT & THE MIXED SIGNALS
Michael Rault & The Mixed Signals (CDR)
A pleasing and promising mini-collection of original songs comes from Edmonton, Alberta’s Michael Rault
& The Mixed Singles. A young group comprising of Rault on vocals, guitar and song writing
with able support from Byron Kerkhoff on drums and Mason Wilson on bass. The seven songs (a total
of 18 minutes) on the CDR are fast (but not overly so) and enthusiastic guitar led garage rock and pop.
Rault sings with a suitably feral sounding teen snottyness on numbers like ‘Ticking Time Bomb’,
‘Numb’and ‘Only Thing Keepin’ Me Sane’. ‘I’ll Be Waiting’
bumps up the guitar reverb and slows the pace for a more smouldering approach. All of which are
teen-cool garage shots, but it is ‘Go! Go! Go!’ that stands out and shows real garage
/ power pop potential. A neat Jim Basnight type guitar line (think ‘Hello Mary Jane’
if it were twice the speed!) permeates throughout whilst the frustrated vocal insistently pushes it along.
It has commercial (at least in the limited sense of those, like me, who dig this stuff) appeal and would
make a great album kick-off track. Overall, a god mini- showcase of what sounds like an emerging talent,
there’s certainly plenty of potential demonstrated here. Visit the group at their website below.
www.myspace.com/michaelraultandthemixedsi
do_the_dog@hotmail.com
Paul Martin
ROCK E ROLLINS
Superheterodyne (Vinyl Frontier; CD)
Rock E. Rollins last record, The Post-Modern Adventures of 21st Century Rock and
Roll Boy,was a melodic treat chock full of really strong guitar based power pop. On first hearing
I was somewhat disappointed by this new release, as the songs were not as immediate or fully formed.
After a couple of plays it became clear that the sharp sense for hooks and riffs hasn’t deserted him,
but that the approach was very different.
Superheterodyne is a real solo album, entirely written, produced & played by RER.
There are several great hooks and some fine singing. After a while tunes like ‘Shag 72’
‘45’ really won’t leave your head. Other tunes are also brief but perfectly formed,
like the great ‘Girl With A Choker’
The downside is that several songs at the beginning and the end don’t work.
Sometimes there are good ideas, songs that you expect to take off, but don’t really
get off the ground, remaining rather repetitive fragments. ‘Mercury Girls’
and ‘JetAgeSuperTrashWhiteStarHero’ fall into this category.
RER is a gifted tunesmith and a good singer and guitarist, but the drums are his weakest instrument.
Several songs are marred by pedestrian drum tracks, which move at a metronomic plod.
‘Kissing Cobras’ is a case in point; dragging on for almost seven minutes of repetitive
rhythms without finding a tune. ‘The Electric Eel’ sports one of the most tuneless
and unlistenable guitar solos I have ever heard. It is odd that such stuff should sit with a brace
of cool pop songs in a Move/Shazam style. Perhaps Rock E. needs the band situation of his last album
to consistently bring out the best in him.
www.rockerollins.com
Phil Suggitt
SCREAMIN’ ERIC
ShakeIt! (Hepcat; CD)
Screamin’ Eric’s songs are based on fast, simple punky riffs. The trouble with
songs that are built around such riffs is that they need to be really catchy and memorable.
Unfortunately many are standard, rather predictable garage rock fare. There are some better,
catchier tunes towards the end of the album, such as ‘She’s So Pretty’
but overall the album lacks a sense of imagination or adventure in the lyrics and the tunes.
Eric’s limited vocal range doesn’t help, as he maintains the same style on every song.
There is a pause after the last song, ‘Little Girl’ followed by a slowed down reprise
of the song. When the pace is slowed down, the sound is sludgy Metal. ‘Nuff said.
www.heptown.com/records
Phil Suggitt
SLIDESHAKER
In The Raw (Bad Afro; CD)
Anyone familiar with Denmark’s Bad Afro label will know it is one of the main centres of excellence for
Scandinavian post-retro garage guitar thrash groups. Slideshaker are no exception. Big blasts of guitar and
an indignant vocal style push the needle into the red (e.g. ‘Bones’, ‘The Last Straw’
or ‘Better Version of You’). Closer ‘No Love Lost’ however, sounds like an
oscillator fest that recalls the heyday of Hawkwind circa Space Ritual or Killing Joke circa
What’s This For? Some might find this music humourless, but it always puts a big smile
on my face, so thumbs up here.
www.badafro.com
www.slideshaker.com
Paul Martin
SPACE VACUUM FROM OUTER SPACE
Starcade (Dionysus; CD)
Vintage tin toy robots and spaceships on the cover are always a good sign in
my book. Liner photos of a band wearing silly space wigs and sporting funny names like ‘Pubitor’
and ‘Orgasmatra’ led me to expect a science fiction instro band with a sense of humour,
in the vein of Man Or Astroman. On hearing the CD, I was disappointed to discover a collection
of ordinary, traditional rock tunes with space lyrics and female vocals which are slightly reminiscent
of The B-52’s, yet lack their sass’n’savvy.
If space is a void, it seems a void of great tunes. Some are gimmicky and laden with effects,
such as the annoying ‘Space Monkeys’.
www.spacevacuum.com
Phil Suggitt
JACQUELINE TAIEB
Scoop! (CD)
'Jacqueline Taieb is back!' claims the blurb on the promo sleeve. Well yes she is, and she's
singing in a rather different style than her iconic ‘60s ‘7 h du Matin’. This is
a modern album employing modern instrumentation and stylistic approaches. ‘Les Djeunes’
has one of those strident Jacques Brel type rhythms ( a la ‘Next’) but more softly played.
‘Le Bateau de Notre Amour’ on the other hand is a ballad played with some Sting-like
semi-jazz backing music. ‘Salam’ is a funky workout riding on hand drum rhythms whilst
the title track has a certain modern café jazz feel to it. An interesting enough album if you like say
Jane Birkin’s recent material, for this is a very French (obviously!) album that has a charm
and appeal that it would almost certainly lack were it a British or American album. Bonus tracks
include the original ‘7 h du Matin’ that stands out like a sore thumb amongst the rest.
There’s also a bizarre reworking of the song with all manner of studio trickery and effects
that rather sullies than enhances the whole. Anyway, there is no doubt a market for this in France
if not beyond.
www.amazon.fr
Paul Martin
>UK STATES
House (DDCD03; CD)
Very nice late nighter stuff this. A basically acoustic album of lilting, drifting and engaging
songs augmented by bass and drums. Mark you, kick off track ‘64 Star Huts’
is a lovely neo-sike teaser that makes a strong case for an album’s worth more like it.
For most of the time you’ll find yourself in stripped down, updated Crosby, Stills &
Nash territory here with occasional revisits to that neosike teasing (e.g. on ‘Pump The Gas’).
I like this album a lot; it grows stronger with each play. I think it might be something to do with
the way the sparse yet poignant use of electric guitar and the soft plaintive vocal structures combine.
Whatever, this is a very enjoyable aural experience and a great form of stress relief!
It won’t bust your bank balance either, buy it direct from the group at the website below,
you won’t regret it.
www.ukstates.com
Paul Martin
THE UNTAMED
Strange Unknown (Hepcat; CD)
Copenhagen’s The Untamed are not copyists, but they share all of Lux and Ivy’s obsessions,
particularly a deep love of late ‘50s rock’n’roll, rockabilly, and trash culture,
delivered in a stripped down guitar-bass-drums-voice line-up. On this, their second album,
there is a playful sense of humour in the tongue-in-cheek comic book monster movie trash lyrics,
such as ‘Villagers With Torches’, ‘Zouweena Of The Jungle’
and ‘The Cannibal King’.
Guitarist Marco Burro is a solid singer and guitarist, ably supported by his wife Helle on bass and Jakob
on drums. The songs have sufficient variety and some neat riffs, keeping the listener interested
all the way through.
www.heptown.com/records
Phil Suggitt
MIGUEL ANGEL VILLANUEVA
Ningun Cielo (Medicinales; CD)
Miguel Angel Villanueva’s tasteful, melodic tunes would sit very well on a volume of
Fading Yellow. To be fair, they would be among the best tunes. The vocals are in Spanish,
yet this isn’t too much of a problem for non-Spanish speakers, as Miguel uses his voice as another
layer of texture, almost as another 
instrument. Three of the songs are also presented on a separate CDR
in English versions. It’s not clear if these are planned for release, or if they are an experiment.
Understandably Miguel sounds less confident in English.
The Spanish vocals are excellent; with fine double tracked harmonies. The opening song,
‘Desde Que No Estas’ is particularly strong. Miguel has a knack for melody and his voice
really suits the songs.
The string, brass and woodwind arrangements by ex-Honeybus main man Peter Dello are another real plus.
Sometimes Dello provides instrumental flourishes to complement Miguel’s restrained guitar parts.
On other songs the orchestra comes to the fore and forms the instrumental heart of the song.
However, the important thing is that the arrangements are economic, unlike the ‘60s soft pop
which drowned the songs. David Angel perfectly complemented Forever Changes, and Peter Dello
is just right for this CD.
The rhythm section is Andy and Louis from Bronco Bullfrog. The unobtrusive organ is also good,
but I’m not sure who plays it. I should have taken that Spanish night class. Miguel’s guitar
playing is also considered and tasteful. Unlike many guitarists, he sounds as if he spent a long time
deciding what to leave out.
All in all, a quiet gem.
www.miguelangelvillanueva.com
Phil Suggitt
THE WOOLLY BANDITS
Say Hello To My Little Friend (Dionysus; CD)
Members of The Woolly Bandits are also in the modern incarnation of The Seeds, and play raw ‘60s
garage punk (the 
Merinuk cover sorta gives the game away!) When they get it right, the Bandits
produce some fun songs that sit well with those of the obscure teen combos that inspired them in
the first place. A couple, like the opener ‘Bomp Shu Bomp’ and ‘Let Me Know’
are sung in a raw, danceable, soulful R&B style. Others are very much in the Pebbles/Teenage
Shutdown mould, such as the nifty ‘Don’t Want You Around’.
Like many of their ‘60s heroes, the Woolly Bandits have made an inconsistent first album.
About half of the twelve songs are successful, but in some cases the tunes aren’t strong enough
to really set the place alight, such as ‘Last Night’ and ‘Molly’s Shell’.
The cover of Barrett’s ‘Octopus’ is brave but the vocal destroys the wistful
melody of the original. A cover of ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ is also an odd choice.
Given the connection with Sky Saxon an obscure Seeds tune would have been a better choice than a classic
that all potential purchasers will have heard a zillion times. This version is not a patch on the original,
and misses out one of the best guitar breaks in the history of pop!
www.dionysusrecords.com
Phil Suggitt
THE YOUNG PLAYTHINGS
Pick Up With… (Dionysus; CD)
The Young Playthings play garage bubblegum pop with the emphasis on pop.
The sound draws on many influences without losing its’ own personality. The vocals of Lura
and Wendi Jones combine elements of ‘60s girl group pop and ‘70s punk and New Wave girls.
Elements of Girls In The Garage bands like She also crop up on the raunchier cuts.
In Lyres fashion Wendi’s Farfisa plays most of the lead lines, whilst Gabe Lowry lays down
the rhythm on guitar.
Driving tunes like ‘Love Sick’ are nicely offset with memorable pop ballads like
‘Bring Your Heart’ and Tommy Roe’s ‘Sweet Pea’, (the only non-original on
the album) to produce a varied and highly listenable album. It’s great to hear a modern garage band
who put the emphasis on hooks’n’harmonies rather than howlin’n’hollerin’.
www.dionysusrecords.com
Phil Suggitt
SHORTS
I’m not a CD single fan,
but the three tracks comprising The Fay Hallam Trinity’s single are exceptional.
Former Makin’ Time/Prime Movers mainstay Hallam is both an excellent singer and keys player and she
demonstrates both skills amply here. Lead track ‘We Live To Shine’ is anthemic and beautiful
whilst ‘Good To be Alive’ and ‘Forever’ have a funkier feel of another trinity,
that of Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll. 10/10 for this, I hope it is indicative of a coming album
and not simply an interim stop filler. Either way it’s a thing of beauty and you should hear
it now. www.biffbangpow.org.uk.
Mustang Lightning' s Texas Voodoo Surf is a 14 tracker full of modern surf guitar
workouts and on tracks like ‘Slow Walk’ almost Cajun swamp pop. There’s a strong Cramps
via Dick Dale vibe to a lot of it and it powers along pretty well without really putting forward any one
track to rise above the rest. Still, if you like this kind of stuff, it’s well executed and boasts an
Alex Chilton co-production credit.
www.mustanglightning.com
www.cdbaby.com.cd/mustang
Paul Martin
