Fourth album of big beats, hip hop samples and general turntablism from Macclesfield's Andy Carthy, AKA Mr Scruff. 'Ninja Tuna' (if anyone knows of any other albums named after puns of the label they're on then drop us a line) is all good fun in a slightly 'didn't we used to listen to music like this a few years ago' way and awards must surely be won for the cartoon fish-based marketing of this album alone.
One of those acts we may have ignored due to the name making them sound like a typical support band, Tilly and the Wall's third album 'O' is full of big, drum-heavy (augmented by tap-dancing, would you believe), pop songs with a 70s glam rock swagger to them. The wall of lush female vocals is a delight to the ears, and we intend to flagellate ourselves for at least an hour as punishment for not paying them enough attention in the past.
We're sure their adoring fans will be appalled when we say that we can't shake the feeling that of Montreal's singer Kevin Barnes is how we imagine Jake Shears would sound if he wasn't rich and famous. From the fact that the band are dressed like twats a child's idea of Native Americans, on the back cover of the promo CD we've been sent, to the way that the second track on 'Skeletal Lamping' starts with some falsetto swearing and follows it with some complete balls about him being a "black she-male" (he isn't), or how it seems you're never more than a few bars from a Beck-wannabe, freak-out section, leaves us with the distinct impression this is music by the kind of attention seekers we'd leave a bar to avoid.
Surrey's You Me At Six are emo by numbers, which isn't entirely a criticism. 'Take Off Your Colours' is an album entirely influenced by other albums released in the genre of which it wishes to be placed, and it succeeds with a collection of hard edged, US-tainted, guitar pop songs with all the bits in the right place. While it all sounds sincere it is, like fake ID, completely phoney and no use to anyone over the age of 18.
It's all about Montreal this week (well, a bit). Quebec's Land of Talk made a mini-album we liked a lot, a little while ago. It reopened paths of pre-grunge, off-kilter guitar pop that we had long believed closed prematurely. Their first big album 'Some Are Lakes' lacks the immediacy of that first release and, on first listen, the strength of songs too (except for the single 'Young Bridge' which is still ace). Hmm. Maybe we'll have to live with this one for a bit. Or maybe we'll just put it on a shelf with all the other CDs we told ourselves were 'growers', only to never play them again.
That one-band version of Jo Whiley's Live Lounge, Nouvelle Vague, takes a detour to do smoky voiced, slightly jazzy cover versions of songs from big 80s movies, under the name Hollywood, Mon Amour. None of them are better than the originals, nor do they bring anything interesting to the musical table. What's the point? It does have Skye who used to be in Morcheeba on it, if you ever wondered what happened to her. But you probably didn't.
Fourth album of big beats, hip hop samples and general turntablism from Macclesfield's Andy Carthy, AKA Mr Scruff. 'Ninja Tuna' (if anyone knows of any other albums named after puns of the label they're on then drop us a line) is all good fun in a slightly 'didn't we used to listen to music like this a few years ago' way and awards must surely be won for the cartoon fish-based marketing of this album alone.
One of those acts we may have ignored due to the name making them sound like a typical support band, Tilly and the Wall's third album 'O' is full of big, drum-heavy (augmented by tap-dancing, would you believe), pop songs with a 70s glam rock swagger to them. The wall of lush female vocals is a delight to the ears, and we intend to flagellate ourselves for at least an hour as punishment for not paying them enough attention in the past.
We're sure their adoring fans will be appalled when we say that we can't shake the feeling that of Montreal's singer Kevin Barnes is how we imagine Jake Shears would sound if he wasn't rich and famous. From the fact that the band are dressed like 
Surrey's You Me At Six are emo by numbers, which isn't entirely a criticism. 'Take Off Your Colours' is an album entirely influenced by other albums released in the genre of which it wishes to be placed, and it succeeds with a collection of hard edged, US-tainted, guitar pop songs with all the bits in the right place. While it all sounds sincere it is, like fake ID, completely phoney and no use to anyone over the age of 18. 
It's all about Montreal this week (well, a bit). Quebec's Land of Talk made a mini-album we liked a lot, a little while ago. It reopened paths of pre-grunge, off-kilter guitar pop that we had long believed closed prematurely. Their first big album 'Some Are Lakes' lacks the immediacy of that first release and, on first listen, the strength of songs too (except for the single 'Young Bridge' which is still ace). Hmm. Maybe we'll have to live with this one for a bit. Or maybe we'll just put it on a shelf with all the other CDs we told ourselves were 'growers', only to never play them again.
That one-band version of Jo Whiley's Live Lounge, Nouvelle Vague, takes a detour to do smoky voiced, slightly jazzy cover versions of songs from big 80s movies, under the name Hollywood, Mon Amour. None of them are better than the originals, nor do they bring anything interesting to the musical table. What's the point? It does have Skye who used to be in Morcheeba on it, if you ever wondered what happened to her. But you probably didn't.