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SoundsXP Presents

Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

Sparrow and the Workshop
6 Day Riot
The Nuns
Singing Adams
Y Niwl
Colours
Dignan Porch
+more tbc

The Windmill
Brixton
Price tbc

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”

Latest Forum Posts

Single/Download Review

Jacuzzi Boys/ Cours Lapin/ Hjaltalin/ The Marked Men/ The Fresh and Onlys/ Mazes
Singles update

Article written by Ged M - Aug 24, 2010

Jacuzzi Boys are a Florida three piece who’ve been on several trendy labels (like their awesome ‘Island Avenue’ on HoZac) and have now washed up on Mexican Summer with their new 7” ‘Bricks or Coconuts’. Now I’m not too keen on playing head-the-ball with either of those things but the record itself is a different prospect, basic no-frills rock’n’roll played unrestrained in a Black Lips style and focusing on the fun. Of the two b-sides, ‘Freakazoid’ stands out as 90 seconds of adrenalized Ramones-style punky-pop. Myspace

Cours Lapin are four Danish soundtrack composers on a Copenhagen label singing in French and ‘Cache Cache’ (Fake Diamond Records, download) is an enticing mix of surf guitar, jazzy orchestral touches and classic French pop, with a catchy chorus sung by Louise Alenius. That measured mix of styles is very cinematic but on this evidence it works well. Their self-titled album is released this September. Myspace

‘Sweet Impressions’ is a song composed by Mum but arranged by fellow Icelanders Hjaltalin (self-released). It’s multi-layered 70s-style smooth-pop, with him/her vocals (him crooning, her swooning), sweeping strings, orchestral touches and a guitar solo. But Steely Dan were never my bag so I’ll pass. Myspace

The Marked Men are a punk band from Denton, Texas who are four albums into their career but who also play in other bands (co-singer/guitarist Jeff Burke was previously in the excellently named Vomit Punx). Their single, on 540 Records, sounds like Ramones '76 meeting Ramones '79. The early version, displayed on 'The Other Side', is fast and moshy punk while 'On' is slightly slower, more romantic punk-pop. Good stuff and well played, but I suspect that this is band who are best experienced live. Myspace

The Fresh and Onlys are particularly prolific - Tim Cohen has released his second solo album alongside his band’s constant output - but their garage rock quality stays high. 'Impending Doom' (Agitated Records) is strange and doomy 60s psych-pop, rushing insistently onwards in a weird-but-catchy train rhythm while 'Trembling Vision' sounds like Bay Area psychedelia with a haunting reverb-heavy guitar riff and trippy flute part. Maybe they're more like really good album tracks than sides of a single but they're still worth hearing. Myspace

Mazes might come from Manchester but sound like the best American guitar bands - they even named their label after a Silver Jews' song. Their laidback, happy 'Cenetaph' (Suffering Jukebox 7") has the melody and chimes of Pavement and Guided By Voices while 'Go-Betweens' picks up the pace like a light-touch Lemonheads. They're a young band but clearly have an educated record collection and their single reflects the best of it - highly recommended.
Myspace

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