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Single Review

Dan Sartain/ Transit/ The Champagne Socialists/ Explode Into Colors/ Reverend & The Makers/ Dinosaur Jr
Singles round up

Article written by Ged M - Sep 16, 2009

We love Dan Sartain's dirty garage-rock, sounding like his guitar is conducting lightning, but his new single on Jack White’s label is nothing like that. The sound of ‘Bohemian Grove’ (Third Man Records 7”) is sassy old r’n’b carried by jazzy piano ripples both delicious and unsettling, as he laments his life: “I’m working just to live/ so the elite can live like primitives”. The flipside 'Atheist Funeral' is a dark, bluesy strut as he warns his girl "don’t you speak about God at my funeral" - not what you expect from a native of the red states! The unpredictability of the songs is their trump card and this single is most definitely recommended. website

In the discography of Jack White, in say 25 years’ time, Transit will make a very odd footnote. Performed by employees of the Nashville Metro Transit Authority, their 'C’Mon and Ride' (Third Man Records 7”) sounds like a soft-soul advert for their bus company while ‘After Party’ is a bizarre mix of soulful sax, prog-rock guitars and Keith Emerson-style organ. The concept of a workers’ band is inspiring and their slogan "there ain’t no party like a Transit party" is inviting but you may want to find other means of transportation this time. website

The Champagne Socialists are Jihae Simmons Meek (ex-The Royal We) and Wallace Meek (still apparently part of Bricolage), relocated from Glasgow to Jihae’s home state of California. It's not the best name for a band but 'Blue Genes' (Slumberland Records 7") is classic pop: an indiepop recast of the 60s girl group sound combined with a rock'n'roll rumble stripped to its essence. ‘Young Runaways’ even comes complete with revving engines like the best transgressive 60s pop tunes. A dirty collision of Blondie and the Shop Assistants, this is class. Myspace

Explode Into Colors are an art/dance-pop three-piece from Portland, Oregon currently garnering much attention and this 7” single (M’Lady’s Records) certainly piles on the intrigue. Using drums, percussion, melodica and baritone guitar, plus voices, they create something intensely rhythmic on ‘Coffins’, that brings a touch of Beat Happening, Lilliput and ESG to these ears. Then 'Sharpen The Knife' adds a wailing melodica to a ritual pounding, where the bass sounds immense thanks to the work of Shellac’s Bob Weston. Weird and witchy but mesmerising too. Myspace

I like Jon McClure’s politics and he can rattle off a neat lyrical couplet but the music of Reverend & The Makers doesn’t raise holy hell. In fact, like the man himself I suspect, it’s too polite and well-intentioned. That said, ‘No Soap (In A Dirty War)’ has a nice touch of Blondie pop though the album version is more soulful and less desperate than the radio edit that is nominally the lead track.
website

'Pieces' (PIAS, limited 7" and download) isn't a lot different to the Dinosaur Jr of old but now you might describe it as "classic rock" rather than alt.rock as they settle, middle-aged, into a more comfortable existance with each other and the music biz. There's a powerful Neil Young influence as 'Pieces' combines some furious J Mascis soloing with plenty of melody. website

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