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l()l K i l t (HRHNIL‘A
BEIRUT/ REALPEOPLE March of the Zapotec/ Holland
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Ever since he quietly elbowed his way onto the 2006 end of year polls of several critical organs with debut Gulag Orkestra, there's been intrigue surrounding Zack Condon and his peculiar combination of Eastern European party music, heartfelt baritone croon and refined pop sensibilities. Every bit the musical prodigy, playing most of the instruments, despite it sounding like (and originally mistakenly assumed to be) a documentary recording of a ten-piece marching band, his latest release is a pair of EPs showcasing two different sides to his unique musical vision. March of the Zapotec retreads faux naive folk ground, this time with a Mexican bent and a plaintive tone amid the oompah, accordian and unforgiving Mariachi horns. Throughout, the gentle meandering vocal, sounding in the vein of Midlake or King Creosote, keeps the whole enterprise within the confines of pop music. Resurrecting a pre-Beirut Condon moniker, the Holland EP from Realpeople is a different project entirely. ‘No Dice‘ is straight machine music with the burbles, kick drums, snappy snares and wibbling synths of indietronica. Surprisingly, there is some overlap between the EPs, with ‘The Concubine' bringing together both harmonium with synth warbles, and if you’ve ever wondered Boards of Canada would sound like with a horn section and a vocalist, ‘Venice' ends your wait. Less chalk and cheese twins, more like siblings separated at birth, reunited and surprised at what they have in common, for lesser artists this sort of thing could be seen as clever-clever display of versatility, but each is so well put together and exquisitely arranged that it’s hard not to be taken into his world. (Hamish Brown)
one of Jon Faueau's many speeches tor the new president. Records of introspection and musical archaeology — Dell/s and Dust and The Seeger' Sessions respectively — have dominated his 005 Output but this record has him embracrng his rock. The E Street Band provrde polite. it
expansive hacking for his moescreen tales of Americana. draWing in thoughts of everyone from Tom Petty to the Beach Boys. There's several incongruous moments of style oxer substance here too. hut like Ohama. he has the weight of the people to )t)\‘.’(?l‘ this or: thr0ugh. lMark Roher'tsonl SEEM-"N BOY Vertical Variations
Vol. 1
lVertical Pecordsr
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Folk and club Culture hate been mixing and Isometimes mis-l matching for a while
now. With the late Martyn Bennett as chief pioneer and trgurehead ot the enterprise. Edinhurg h DJ Dolphin Boy. ot t.her JISC known as Andy Levy. acknowledges Martyn's prodigious influence. and dedicates this disc of contemporary mixes of songs and instrumental tracks culled from the Vertical
C Dolphin Boy
Record Reviews Music
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it” «1.x MORRISSEY Years of Refusal »po",’lol oooo
t could he argued that Morrissey's inertia is our gar". While his old partner in crime Johnny Mar'r who'es it ahout \‘Jlttl e‘~.'eryorle from Modest Mouse to The Crlhs. a veritahle six— stringer for hire. Quick to adaptt 0 any r‘ew vlhrat trons St (2 l he h Patrick rerrieins haletully aloof to anything heyond his own tight llltltSlCEll hon/oils Ant 'that s tt ( trick. it :s pa": of 'l.'."i‘at makes him still so appeallr‘t l nine solo {lIDU' 1‘8 it.
This hls tirst slitce
2006 s Ping/eater of the Torrrlentors ls unlikely to hit the pea aks of 2003's in: stertul You Are The Ouarrv but it shows the same robust splrlt. st ‘.‘JltllC‘tC(l croon has deve'cped into more of a halfis hellorr these da.s his muSIc and deliver, have drorxr samll'arly 'husCu ar l..'t"| r‘ tlrhe. Producer. the ate Jere, an has 21008”) a greater sneer“ to the Eros and 703 infused stomp ’hou ‘OS'r‘g any of the
Kl'le’th energy, Ths is most certa nly a FOCK record — a great one at that. Merrlssey's most
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MIKE BONES A Fool for Everyone leu 00..
()n frrst g llai‘it: -ll./1 kt,- Bones sewing, llkt' a right ll‘lfitrltttht,‘ llasta't ()lfl‘lllllt; his tll‘lialt allluih wrth a protru‘l "ll- protracted rhoar‘ rinsrrr called Today lt‘t: \.‘.’r,rl: is Worthy of My Loathing. ht- sets his agenda for ilpside (iota/n srillles ga'ort; Person/ere thotiglr arid the oddly llegtililitl approach of Dinosau' ._l' play/inglirlderstir:ks songs in the style of Bright Eyes isn't sum: a hard idea to
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The heanpole tmt nty soliiethirlg Ne. Yorker trades in deadpan exrstential rniserahllsrh. sr)undirlg hooklsh hut confident rather than aloof and cynical. Lyrically, he trades in fillillk’lfl,’ bittersweet hlinutae to American Music Clubs Mark Elt/el. and as he
props a jacket under the
head of a drunk before launching into a ‘HlfU,’ Wire-like two-note guitar solo on the immaculate ‘Give Up On Guitars. it s‘udderll, dawns that he may be onto something prett/ damn special here. lMark Robertsonl
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t. th" tht watt ltul eye gt a Phantorr Allin iv“ the like“. lt‘usrt' ’t.' to1 tll‘l tracks such as '(jlllllw' \tl‘tt 'I't t .Itll‘t' Bubblewrap Holocaust Brawn/en. 'tlt‘ r‘l’t‘ttt‘aus.’ Capriclot 'llljltlttllt‘tlf; vocals aria tlt’"t;tt?tt ‘t is tlt‘rekery tl‘l ; ()t hut altlu'ii l“
Gl lasgovl features sloppy guitars and lyrical hattonnery that doesn't take itself too seriously. relentless sugar coated anarchy as their n tme suggests
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tour piece
Emmy the Great First Love MCI/one Harboutl Yummy duirkin 2:: hut don't lries , .Jith her'
Em imy s hypnotic
dr but is a sell produced fairytale where passive aggression meets poetic (lenoueirients captl‘v'ation prohahle John Holt rout) mm of Ho/t
(ire/and jnlversa/ Music; Perele? sod and digitally re mastered. this two- CD deluxe edition otters t9 unreleased tracks making Holt's reggae rnasterr'liece even more electrifying second time round, Various Holt/(If; Pevo/utzori (Remus) Calling all techno. funk and house fans! This triplecompilatlon is a cocktail of essential releases. where mixes by Josh Wink. Luke Solomon and Stephen Parker bring a dash of SOUI, funk and bass to Sun every electro taste.
Jackie Leven Men in Prison and Munich Blues (Cooking V/nyU Recorded live in Bergen‘s Men’s Prison and at Cafe Muflathalle in Munich these gritty reCOrdings capture that honest fragility that makes Leven's eclectic folk music so gorgeously humane.
THE LIST 65