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Specific Heats / Dawn Landes / The Wave Pictures / Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele / Pains of Being Pure At Heart / Lacrosse
Singles Round-up Various Labels

Article written by Paul M - Aug 9, 2009

Pop on 45!

Specific Heats were one of the highlights of the recent IndieTracks weekend festival where they proved to be a Farfisa rhythmed joy in the restricted confines of the church. Fortunately the subsequent fiver spent at their merch stall on their Back Through Tyme EP proves that it wasn’t just the copious quantities of real ale we’d all been quaffing that left us clapping like a bunch of giddy seals at the end. The record brilliantly captures their sunkissed sound as they meander between 60s garage and sweet indiepop. The production places the lead vocals and harmonies slightly to the rear, allowing the chiming guitars and swirling keys to take a more prominent role and it gives it all an echoey effect that feels like you’re listening to it in a basement through a light fug. Wonderful stuff. (Out now on Total Gaylord / Hugpatch - http://www.myspace.com/thespecificheats)

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele may have burdoned himself with a daft moniker but he has a canny knack of delivering swoonsome tunes. Howard is a lovely country steel guitar ballad but it’s May’s yummy part croon/part falsetto vocals that inevitably pilfers the show. (Out 24/8 on Paw Tracks – http://www.myspace.com/dentmay)

The Wave Pictures rattle off songs as frequently as Kate Moss pops out for a swift half. While Tattersall can occasionally hit the jackpot with his quirky lyrics and neat hooks, the quality control isn’t always what it should be. Fortunately Watching Charlie’s Angels is one of the better efforts, a midtempo strummer with handclaps and even the trademark lead guitar noodling has been kept to a minimum. B-side Swimming is a lovely ballad but spoilt slightly by Tattersall’s occasional downfall – his insistence on over kookyfying the lyrics and spoiling otherwise good tunes (“I’m swimming with koala bears / I’m swimming with kangaroos”). (Out now on Spanish label Acuarela – http://www.thewavepictures.com)

It sometimes feels like the entire nation of Sweden has picked up a musical instrument. Nine million chirruping, strumming and tooting Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha wannabes. Approximately 30% of them it seems took part in Lacrosse’s We Are Kids video, a track that doesn’t so much build from solid foundations as start in the attic with the ladder missing. It seems like a never ending chorus, in need of chopping into a thirty second burst that would make an ideal jerky soundtrack to an ad selling mobile phones or oven chips. Few songs sound like could benefit from a remix treatment but this is one of them. Variety is the spice of life, and all that jazz. Conversely, Bandages for the Heart on the flip is slightly eery but gentle prog wigoutery. It tries a lot less to be liked and is more enjoyable for it. (Out now - http://www.myspace.com/lacrossesthlm)

The highlight of their recent mightily impressive debut album Come Saturday by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart is a glorious breathless headfuck of fuzzy pedalled guitars and airy warbled vocals. If one record is guaranteed to get even the most retiring of wallflowers dancing like a demented wildebeest it’s this dazzling slice of indiepop. TPOBAH don’t do duff tracks so also seek out the froth n fun of Side Ponytail on the flip. (Out 24/8 on Fortuna Pop - http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart)

Dawn Landes may spend her entire waking hours stroking kittens and knitting pink shawls for all I know but there’s always a slight menace to the Kentucky woman’s songs that is extremely attractive. Her forthcoming Romeo single helps show off her edgy country charms, her understated hushed vocals rebuking a former lover over a tune that borrows so heavily from 16 Tons that she can’t resist switching to its lines towards the end. (Out 31/8 on Cooking Vinyl – http:// www.dawnlandes.com/)

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/dentmay

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