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
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