and accessible , what I ’ d probably do is ring up a guy in leather trousers who used to call himself Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel , and ask him if he could conduct a string quartet playing my songs . Oh yeah , and I ’ d test out the results by playing live in New York ’ s Guggenheim Museum . Zola Jesus did all that , and – well , just listen to Versions ! Or get your mum to do it for you . NG
singles
BLITZ KIDS * Run For Cover ( Red Bull )
Described by the guitarist as “ just basically your run of the mill fists in the air , lager on the floor , punch your best friend in the face and eat a kebab after you ’ re finished kind of tune .” Yeah ? “ About getting blagged by your missus when you ’ re out on tour with the lads .” I can ’ t improve on that . NG
DANIEL STEINBERG **** Salamander EP ( Arms & Legs )
Despite releasing an album only a few months back , Daniel Steinberg returns with four brand new tracks . Salamander is quirky , jazz-influenced electronica , while Moon Ride is similar but tinged with acid . Beautiful is a darker , brooding affair , and closer Lazy Bones is ska-infused beach music . RH
GENNA MARABESE *** The Birthday Party ( self-released )
The Birthday Party sets its tone early and sticks by it : heavy , chromatic piano lines , tremolo guitars and a mannered – at times rather selfconscious – lyrical style . It ’ s an interesting approach to a well-explored sound , but not enough , perhaps , to make it feel as though you haven ’ t heard it all before . BK
KROMESTAR ** Rhythm On My Mind ( Cosmic Bridge )
This fancy-pants coloured 10-inch release suggests that dubstep has reached its LTJ Bukem phase – mirroring how the rough and raw jungle sound mutated into the smoother , chin-stroking intelligent d ’ n ’ b . It wubs , wobs and throbs in all the right places but it ’ s one for the headphones rather than a club ’ s subwoofers . SE
MACHINEDRUM *** Eyesdontlie ( Ninja Tune )
Looped vocals singing the track that they belong to ’ s own portmanteau title over and over again may indeed sound like hell , but Machinedrum actually makes a pretty good job of it : fastidious production values and the ability to strike a balance between the irritating and tranceinducing ensure that Eyesdontlie stays fresh throughout . PM
MUNKE FEAT . BARNB ** CEO ( MunkE Music )
Does the world need another Psy ? MunkE thinks so . Although a fun , dumb floorfiller in the vein of Gangnam Style , and undeniably catchy ( as is the plague …), this is a stinker . If you ’ re partial to such an expertly constructed lyric as “ OMG , I ’ m a CEO !”, this is for you , along with therapy maybe . IR
RAGLANS ** Digging Holes ( Cuckoo )
Think of an indie track . Any indie track . Now remove all unique characteristics and , hey presto ! You ’ ve got Digging Holes . It ’ s a shame , too , that Raglans have led with this – the most relentlessly derivative track in their songbook – because their B-side , Sand In My Pockets , is a cracking little tune . BK
SISTER BLISS & WALLY LOPEZ **** Dalt Vila ( Junkdog )
Former Faithless lady knocks talent with Spanish sunshine soundtrack maker Wally Lopez for what is a rather tasty slice of Balearic house . Dalt Vila plays it cool and restrained , with a smooth vocal from Laura White and an economic bassline . Proggy and dub remixes come from Sister Bliss and OFFSHR respectively . RH
TJH87 ** Deadlock ( La Valigetta )
This Fearne Cotton-approved Finnish electro duo has made a pop dance record that sounds like standing outside Tiger Tiger , as the DJ plays One More Time inside and taxis whizz past blasting Kiss FM and Capital . Rico Tubbs stuttering electro and Roisto ’ s discofied version are the pick of the remixes . SE
demos
TREE OF WOLVES www . treeofwolves . bandcamp . com
I dawdled somewhat on reviewing the first official offering by Carmarthen quintet Tree Of Wolves ( who only formed in April this year , apparently ), and now their seasonally-minded spiel has gone to pot . “ Icy Water will be released in May , casting its shimmering light over winter ’ s final retreat .” If you ’ re not one of those tools who ties all their music listening to the weather at the time , you will be able to appreciate this polished , stirring Big Rock twinklefest , a lil ’ folksy and a tad U2-y , just as well as before . NG
THE RED TEARS www . reverbnation . com / theredtears
More tardy behaviour . When The Red Tears ’ manager emailed me about this commendably out-of-time pop-punk trio , they were still to travel to London for a mid-May support slot with OPM , of Heaven Is A Halfpipe fame . Passing over the question of who lives in London and elects to see OPM of an evening , I daresay The Red Tears ’ choppy if polite nod to Rancid et al would have been a perfectly decent warmup . Although they ’ d be even better opening for 4Ft Fingers , No Comply and Mouthwash in 1999 . NG
FRIENDLY THIEVES www . soundcloud . com / friendlythieves
Friendly Thieves , from Cardiff , are also given to the melodic punk canter , but are slightly more up to date than The Red Tears , in that they seem to be chiefly channelling latter-day rabble-rousers like Frank Turner and Against Me !. Although it could as easily be The Clash and New Model Army , which would make them less up to date . Hmm . This is all based on one song , Protest Songs And Singalongs , and its lyric “ Take up your guitars and let ’ s go to the streets ...”. Nice weather for it I s ’ pose . For now . NG
THIS MONTH ’ S
DVD PICK
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES 15 ( StudioCanal ) Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper star as two men struggling to balance morality and fatherhood . The movie ’ s visually impressive and admirable in its ambition , but loses control of its own complexity – stumbling and falling into its third act . Not that it ’ s going to deter anyone who wants to see Gosling with his top off . ** MM
BEWARE OF MR . BAKER 15 ( Curzon ) Uproarious documentary about ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker . An impressive lineup of talking heads explain how and why this percussionist – rated higher than Bonham , Moon and Animal – inspired the Police , the Grateful Dead , Metallica and everyone downstream . And why he wants to punch them all in the face . **** MM
GIRLS : SECOND SEASON 18 ( Warner Home Video ) Watching 20-something girls stumble through love , life , sex and relationships wouldn ’ t typically be the type of ‘ comedy-drama ’ I ’ d find myself watching , but HBO ’ s Girls , although a little relationship-heavy , manages to hold my interest with its sharp writing , liberal humour and complex characters ; each with enough depth to make this more than just another superficial American comedy . *** GL
GOOD VIBRATIONS 15 ( Universal ) In this biopic set against the bloody backdrop of 1970s Belfast , record shop owner and loveable rogue Terri Hooley has an epiphany when he attends his first punk gig . He soon turns impresario , pressing records and promoting bands as the local punk scene takes off . This quirky film has a great cast , a big heart and a cracking soundtrack . Recommended . **** GM
JAVA HEAT 15 ( Metrodome ) Subtlety and sensitivity are not high on the agenda as angry American Jake Travers teams up with a local cop to track down a jewel thief believed to be responsible for a series of suicide bombings across the country . While things descend into a chaotic blend of guns and explosions , the film does capture some eye-catching shots of Indonesia , with the film shot on location in the heart of Java . ** JD
THE LOOK OF LOVE 18 ( StudioCanal ) In my innocence , before watching this film I had no idea who Paul Raymond was . As it turns out , the philandering ‘ porn baron ’ who made his money transforming Soho ’ s soft-porn industry to become the richest man in Britain , has a past as complex and sordid as any scriptwriter could have dreamed of . Steve Coogan delivers the entertaining biopic ’ s light comedic touch as Raymond , but overall it ’ s a steady but unremarkable watch with a lot of experimentation . *** GL
THE RETURNED 18 ( Universal Pictures ) This French supernatural / zombie / day-of-reckoning thriller effortlessly seduces its viewer . A suicide , a weird hostel and various dead spouses suddenly return home and appear alive and well . Or are they ? The complex and ingenious delivery exploring themes of loss and belonging and the unsettling soundtrack give it sophistication . Brilliant . **** EC
THE VILLAGE : SERIES 1 15 ( BBC ) The start of what looks to be an intriguing multi-series historical drama , The Village charts the life and times of an old Derbyshire village through the eyes of one person , Bert Middleton , from boyhood ( series one ) to old age . With a strong cast throughout , the series is beautifully evocative and written with sharp attention to detail ; you can ’ t help but be swept along by the tumultuous and engrossing storyline . *** GL
ESCAPE 15 ( Entertainment One ) Set in Norway shortly after the Black Death , Escape follows the fate of Signe , a young girl whose family is murdered by a gang of bandits . Having escaped the killers , she must draw on all her courage and strength to avoid capture . Murder , mayhem and a mother ’ s love turned bad make for an intriguing combination in this decent medieval thriller . *** GM
BUZZ 41