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Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

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On Our iPod

Golden Grrrls - New Pop 7”

Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital (album)

Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester (album)

Throwing Up - Mother Knows Best 7”

Howling Wolf - Complete Chess Masters 1951-60

The Ketamines - A Rotten Bond/1 Yr (from Oddbox Singles Club Pt 2)

Cardinal - Hymns (album)

Proper Ornaments - Taking the Gamble Out of Buying 12”

Darren Hayman - January Songs (album)

Various: Marshall Teller EP 12”

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Album Review

Various Artists
Electio Pop - An 'Anti-Politics' Compilation Helen Llewelyn Product Nineteen

Article written by Paul M - Aug 29, 2010

Electio Pop

Political songwriting has presumably been in existence since the first caveman picked up two dino bones and battered a boulder in a vaguely rhythmic manner while complaining about his neighbour's poo being dumped on his doorstep. By the 1960s this had evolved to such an advanced state that people wearing corduroy caps were making a living out of performing such songs. Well, in areas with poor sewage systems, at least. But by the 21st century all this had gone out of fashion. Even acts like Chumbawumba and Billy Bragg, who in the 80s spent so much time supporting causes, they ended up perma-scorched by the flames of the countless braziers they’d stood around, struggled to remain motivated in the face of the apathy all around them. The former turned to disco and writing ditties about the problems with remaining upright while pissed and Bragg could find so little left to motivate him in song that he ended up fighting for long weekends (presumably so he could spend more time overseeing the cleaning of his moat in Dorset). If someone told me Crass are now working as mortgage advisers at Santander I wouldn’t be surprised.

But, surely now is the time for our youth to be motivated at last, as a reinvigorated Tory party returns with its scythe and a mission to bring misery on the poor and needy, yelling “Huzzah!” as each public servant is laid off or benefit cut? There’s even the added bonus of betrayal (the Lib Dems sold their principles and our trust for a chance of power…? Who’d have thunk it…?). I’m spitting grouse feathers just writing this.

So who are the current crop of fiery activists, armed with a guitar and a head full of wrongs to be righted? Well, this album has a few of them and some are really good. Those maudlin folkies David Cronenberg’s Wife are joined by Thee Intolerable Kidd and their dark tale of diplomats and human rights activists (The Diplomat) is a gloomy treat. Tim Ten Yen sneaks on here with a solution to all our ails – bring back Princess Diana (Diana). I’m not sure digging up a corpse is a sensible proposition but his is the most immediate cheeky pop tune on here. There’s also a terrific effort by somebody who sounds like they are chewing gravel – but it’s an uncredited ‘hidden’ 12th track and so I can’t tell you who it’s by or what it’s called.

However, the disappointing thing about this comp is that three of the acts here are old geezers from the 90s, still rattling cages, albeit under new monikers. The grizzled warriors, S*M*A*S*H (now called Bozwood), Kingmaker (now Kingmaker MMX with The Paddingtons assisting) and Fruitbat from Carter USM (now Abdoujaparov), should be applauded for still giving a hoot but it’s sad that not enough young Turks could be found to fill their places. Fruitbat’s protest against the Facebook generation is probably most apt; it’s far easier to type a ten word dismissive missive online from the comfort of your bedroom than it is to go out and man a picket line on a cold night. As the old sage’s song title explains, Politics is boring. And compared to Call of Duty, Farmville and X Factor, it presumably is.

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