Hooton Tennis Club’s P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L. P.I.E.R.R.E.
Getintothis’ Matthew Wood sees a joyous return from some hometown heroes, silken grooves and an unconvincing return from Jack White and co. in his rummage through the new releases for this week’s Singles Club
Single of the Week
Hooton Tennis Club – P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L P.I.E.R.R.E.
Homegrown heroes Hooton Tennis Club have teamed up with Alden Volney for our single (and video) of the week with P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L P.I.E.R.R.E. There’s a real confidence and swagger about the tune with brave moves throughout. Discordant riffs clash in the backdrop while frontman Ryan Murphy spells out the chorus carelessly and, it has to be said, incorrectly.
The lo-fi rockers are having an enviable amount of fun, and it shows, with the Hanna Barbera inspired video that features a magic patriarchal cross that throws a fox (Leopold) and a well dressed chap (Furious Jacques) into a Pokemon-esque evolution scene that’s somewhat baffling, and very much open to interpretation as the morphed creatures melt into the sea watching the sunset.
It’s almost like Blur’s The Magic Whip has struck Parquet Courts’ Sunbathing Animal on its lazy butt with episodes of Huckleberry Hound on repeat in the background.
Neon Indian – SLUMLORD
Four years on since Era Extraña comes VEGA INTL. Night School, the third LP from Alan Paloma, aka Neon Indian. The lead single Slumlord is a delicious track that oozes funk from its sweet synth layers.
Paloma eases us in gently with a sparkling 80’s synth jam before knocking us upside the head and propelling us into pure infectious grooves, synths swirling and colliding for a sound that mirrors his fellow funk addict Toro Y Moi.
Menace Beach – Ghoul Power
Brilliantly fuzzy and delightfully grungy, Menace Beach bring us Ghoul Power, their latest single ahead of the release of their Super Transporterreum EP out September 25th – to be supported, it’s worth noting, with a spot at next month’s Psych Fest. With a surging bass, battered snares and snotty vocal delivery, there’s a real youthful force at work.
While it brinks on sounding almost immature with melodies plucked straight from a playground of taunting school kids, this is the Leeds outfit’s charm, much like that of their slacker counterparts Wavves and Joanna Gruesome. Hit them up to make your brain buzz.
The Invisible – Easy Now
With a number of killer Liverpool shows under their belts, including Sound City back in 2009, The Invisible return a well oiled machine with a tank full of funk and the open road ahead. Their latest single Easy Now bounces elegantly along with a smooth undercurrent of synth that acts as a solid backbone while booming bass drums and sharp snare claps make for a mellow groove and textured feel.
Arpeggiated synths spiral upwards as the track reaches its full capacity and knowing that the London trio’s upcoming album will feature Floating Points is nothing but exciting, particularly for you electronic junkies out there. Keep your eye on The Invisible is all I’m saying.
The Dead Weather – I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)
Earlier this year Jack White announced he was taking a break from live performances for an extended period, however, with the release of The Dead Weather’s I Feel Love(Every Million Miles), he must have been referring to his guitar projects alone as surely with new album Dodge and Burn set for release on September 25th, a tour will follow?
The Third Man Records release is by all means a track with real potency and directness but its perhaps a little too direct. There’s no real riff progression, and the break is ripped straight from Lazaretto; but at least it has White’s approval. What’s more is the lack of guitar solo, so while its a cracking track, made by Mosshart’s raging vocals, it seems to simmer on one level and fails to bubble into anything outstanding.
Søren Juul – Ambitions
Standing among some alternative giants such as Deerhunter and Ariel Pink at 4AD, Søren Juul’s latest effort Ambitions is right at home in such company.
An ethereal quality floats throughout the track, which gains momentum in its own time and races like a hound through the woods, moonlight glinting between the trees in a fast paced pursuit.
A mesmerising track that recalls full moons, and pensive, crystal evenings.
HEALTH – STONEFIST
Any of you familiar with HEALTH and in particular, the nature of their music videos, will know that the LA experimental noise outfit are gaining a bit of a rep for outrageous content.
NEW COKE features a slow-mo vomit montage while DIE SLOW is a blood-soaked affair with frontman Jake Duzsik looking nearly as awkward as Michael Cera singing ‘These Eyes’ in Superbad. STONEFIST is indeed no exception; the key? Facial reconstruction…
While the video complies with a common theme, the band have shuffled things around musically, ditching their formally favoured noise/shoegaze influence heard on their preceding album Get Colour and instead reaching out for the pop manual.
Duzsik’s vocals are now towel drying themselves on solid ground rather than bobbing around competing with waves of noise. HEALTH may always have had something to say, now it seems they want us to hear exactly what is it.
The band’s third album DEATH MAGIC is out now.
WHITE – Blush
Gabriel Bruce and later Bowie spring to mind with Leo Condie’s seemingly infinite vocal range. The track is a leather gloved slap onto the dance floor, your dance moves become a blur, but the quality of production on this track ensures the sprightly pop foundations are not lost within the slick, dark grooves of the Glaswegian five-piece.
You can catch these at Reading and Leeds Festival at the end of the month on the BBC Introducing Stage.
LISS – TRY
If you stare long enough at LISS lead vocalist Søren Holm you realise he comes to life during the chorus of the Danish 4 piece’s first single: TRY. His interesting vocal delivery leaves us hanging on his every word, and its quite the voice too, almost Connan Mockasin-esque at times.
While the band perhaps go slightly overboard with vocal effects, there’s a lyrical potency, ‘I try to be the man that you adore’, a killer chorus and some fantastic production that speaks volumes for their potential as a band.
Grab your 7” October 2nd.
Shigeto – Pulse
Zach Saginaw, aka Shigeto weaves vibrant electronic tapestries that are equally capable of soothing as they are enlivening. His latest is the aptly named Pulse that plods with persistence through dark, ghostly yawns, short, constant gasps and unfinished utterances.
The power of the contrasting layers, particularly in the percussion section, are what make for such a rich palette of sounds and give the track an addicting quality; the plinks and plonks scuttle around in time signatures that are tricky to detect, while the pounding bass drum pulsates with certainty.
Pulse is one of six tracks on the Detroit based, Ghostly International signee’s latest EP Intermission set for release October 30th and as seems to be the case with all his releases, the album artwork is top notch.
Abandcalledboy – LA DICK
Belfast based weirdos combine the brutality of experimental noise rock outfits such as No Age with the lighter, twinkling punk riffs of American Football sewn together with a post hardcore vocal delivery, screaming in a Touche Amore fashion.
It’s a messy amalgamation but makes for a real interesting listen, and viewing, given the low-budget, artsy accompaniment.
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