Clever Eleven May 2009
Another month, another 11 cracking tunes, this one sees the return of some of my personal faves from the 90's - and there's even a comeback from a certain 80's act that didn't allow us to forget about them.
1. Ash - Return of White Rabbit
- Something of a curveball from the Northern Irish power-popsters, with its choppy guitars and lurking electronics, this free download is stated as being a prequel to their series of 26 singles in 12 months project, kicking off in September.
2. The Morning After Girls - The General Public
- Putting Alan Moulder behind the mixing desk is clearly not the worst of ideas for a band that wants to sound like Ride meets BRMC, as showcased by the hypnotic title track from the expat Australians' new EP.
3. Jeremy Enigk - Restart
- Taken from his fourth solo album OK Bear, this jangly track sees the onetime Sunny Day Real Estate frontman in surpringly conventional, almost country&western mode.
4. Barcelona - The Takers
- Barcelona were indeed the takers of most football trophies this spring, a feat this song probably doesn't dwell to long on, concentrating instead on taking the grandiose piano-driven anthem to new heights. It's one of the new tracks recently added to the Seattle trio's reissued '07 release Absolutes, following their signing to the big league.
5. Placebo - For What It's Worth
- Brian Molko & co return with a new drummer and funky horns (!) on the groovy spearhead single from their sixth studio album, the critically favoured Battle for the Sun, released next week.
6. Lightning Seeds - Ghosts
- It's been a massive ten years since Ian Broudie put out an album under this moniker, but it only takes a matter of seconds to recognize the scouse pop perfection mastermind behind this bouncy track, tailor-made for summer slacking.
7. Simple Minds - Moscow Underground
8. Silent Film Project - Two Days
9. Kasabian - Underdog
- The Leicester lads will probably estrange more fans than they will attract new ones what with their third long-player West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum being as weird and trippy as the title suggests. The opening track were at least straight enough to feature in the new Sony Bravia TV ad alongside Brazilian footballer Kakà.
10. The Airlines - S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y.
- LA foursome spell out everyone's favourite weekday on their debut EP.
11. Leaves - Aeronaut
- Being Icelandic and often leaning on the atmospheric and brooding, the Sigur Ròs comparisons are inevitable, but this bunch often come closer to Doves in their lighter moments, even when they bring out the brass.
SUBS:
The Answering Machine - Obviously Cold
The Von Bondies - Blame Game
Alessi's Ark - Over the Hill
You Me At Six - Finders Keepers
Superfamily - Let's Go Dancing
