Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul, said Martin Luther. He’d clearly been listening to this week’s selection of hot new tunes.
Kula Shaker - Let Love B With U
With a piano motif that sounds like Nina Simone’s Sinnerman and a title that could have been borrowed from Prince, Let Love B With U swirls and dances its giddy, psychedelic way into the listener’s consciousness like a bolt from the celestial blue. Govinda would be delighted, we imagine.
The Posies - Unlikely Places
Unlikely Places might not be the best track on the new Posies album - that’s Titanic - but it’s as sweet as a barrel full of high fructose corn syrup. At the same time it’s tinged with sorrow and regret in a way that suggests the Jon and Ken have plenty of melancholy moments left in their musical pantry. Power pop at its prettiest.
Lucer - Bring Me Good News
You’ll find this track on the CD that comes free with the current issue of Classic Rock, and very good it is too. We’re not just saying that because we’re obliged to - Bring Me Good News is also kinda power-poppish, but in a Weezer way rather than a Big Star style, and melody drips from its very pores, like honey from a hive. It’s accompanied by a terrific video set in a chaotic newsroom.
Little Brother Eli - Hanging
While Oxford might not be a city associated with The Blues, Little Brother Eli are attempting to change all that and bring life to the Cherwell Delta. Hanging features lots of slide, some thumping garage riffs, and an epic vocal performance that suggests we’ll be hearing much more from these sprightly young bucks. The band’s debut album will be out in June.
Hotei - Move It (Featuring Richard Z. Kruspe)
Our old pal Hotei is back with a single that features the howling vocals of Rammstein’s Richard Z. Kruspe in an impressive electro-clash guitar freakout explosion. “Get out of my way!” screams Richard, as the chords ring out and synths cartwheel and the solos fly. “I’m bringing the pain!” Yes indeed.
The Order Of Israfel - Von Sturmer
The Swedish doom metal titans are back with a riff so riven with sludge it sounds like the soundtrack to the swampocalypse itself. It’s both mystical and monstrous, and bodes well for the band’s second studio album Red Robes, which is out May 27 via those hard rock beatniks at Napalm Records.
Lionize - Cold Nelson
A bright, soulful punch-in-the-face from Maryland’s finest blenders of reggae, sci-fi and hard rock. Yet for all the beastly, distorted grooving, there’s something rather sweet and psychedelic about Cold Nelson; like chilling on a beach with a pina colada, round the corner from a metal club. They’re on a post-Desertfest tour in the UK next week, so check ‘em out if you’re around…
Bad Company - Can’t Get Enough
From the days when men were men — tightly-trousered and bare of chest — comes the classic Bad Company line-up playing the classic rocker Can’t Get Enough in front of a rapt Wembley audience. It oozes the seventies, bringing to mind a heady mix of Old Spice, patchouli, Ruddles County and wild, uninhibited coitus.
