The Juan Maclean – Titos Way

DFA seemingly can’t do any wrong. Juan McClean is one of the labels finest acts and this new single lifted off his forthcoming debut LP. ” Titos Way ” is a blinder. It’s got a great funky beat to it, and it’s easily very danceable. The live drums are a main focal point and the robotic voice has a nice ring to it. It’s like a mix of Four Tet and the LCD Soundsystem with amazing results. The promo video is quite good and should not be missed as either.

By John Siwicki

The Music – Freedom Fighters

Having toured the world three times over in support of their debut album The Music finally make their comeback. “Freedom Fighters” is simply a mega tune. Taking the formula from their last record and just improving on it. They boys are a bit older and bit tighter with their playing. Never has a rock song made me want to dance. The boys sound perfect on the dancefloor or really anywhere you want and that’s what makes The Music so special. Dance for the freedom people.

By John Siwicki

The Libertines – The Libertines

The life of these lads is not something that is ordinary and normal. Drug addiction, jail time, love, betrayal, and anything else you can think of has happened in the Libertines camp. The mythology of the boys is just so mega. The Libertines are in shambles: Pete has been on and off in the group and with one listen to the record you will hear it. These boys are broken.
After all the talk, their album is finally with us. The opening chords of “Cant Stand Me Now,” which is beginning where “Don’t Look Back In the Sun” left off, starts the record. “Cant Stand Me Now” has a certain dark tone to it – you almost feel like you’re in the room with the band arguing over some issue. It’s a deeply personal track, yet at the same time kids can dance to it. “The Man Who Would Be King” is essentially the brother of “Tell Your Kind” from the first LP since they share a similar feel. The lyrics deal with making it in the game and tease us by saying they got a “secret for us.” This is a bloody brilliant tune. “Music When the Lights Go Out” is an older song according to the boys. The song has such a sad guitar riff and really feels like a private moment of the boys’ where they are just letting out there feelings over losing a friend. “Arbeit Macht Frei” has such a cool name I think. The boys get louder and angrier here than they have in awhile. The vocals are almost inaudible but the energy is fierce and intense. “What Katie Did” is an old live favorite that finally makes it onto a record and wow what a song. The track is a love song done the Libertines way. Also the track throws back to some old 60s records with a “swoop swoop delang delang.” The track is beautiful and shows them getting a bit more romantic and playful. “What Become Of the Likely Lads” closes us down and does so on quite a down note. The lyrics are dreadfully personal and you can relate to the story of the Libertines quite well. “They sold the rights to all the wrongs” – that line just says everything. All we want to know is what will become of the likely lads? Will this be it?
: The Libertines second album is not a dramatic departure from their early work but they still know how to craft a great pop song and they still really know how to turn things up. You can tell that the time recording this album was difficult; just one look at the lyrics will show that. The band who are in pieces have made a defiant album.Whatever happens with the band they have left us with some great music and stories. This album is the best album they could have made during these hard times. I think its pretty damn good.

By John Siwicki

The Prodigy – Girls

Remember these guys well they are back. Its been about 7 years since their last record and about 3 years since “Baby’s Got A Temper.” We all tried to forget about single. But instantly when Girls starts kicking its certainly something you weren’t expecting. The track is more beat and groove based compared to their 1997 album “Fat Of The Land.” The song has a great beat and will get up and moving. A welcomed return from veterans of the scene, yet I think we are all concerned about the album.

By John Siwicki

Prodigy, The – Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned

Prodigy have finally delivered the follow up to their album “Fat of the Land,” which was released 7 years ago. The attempt at a comeback was 2001’s single “Baby’s Got a Temper” and was pretty much just laughed at. It was a poor excuse for a song. “Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned” was made by only one member, Liam Howlet; the other two have no contributions here. Instead, Liam called on loads of guest vocalists to help him out.
The song “Spitfire” kicks off the album in a big way. The track is loud, in-your-face, and relentless. Juliette Lewis provides the vocals and, surprisingly, has a great voice. The track does harken back to “Fat of the Land” but is otherwise a killer opener. “Memphis Bell” features an appearance by the rapper Princess Superstar. The track has a slick little beat to it and is a nice dance song. It’s nothing amazing but it is still good fun. “Get Up, Get Off” features Twista on vocal duties and the beat fits perfectly into his style. It really gives Twista something good to work with. It is an amazing collaboration; they should work together more often. “Wake Up Call” is the track that maybe Liam wrote after the 2001 disaster. Kool Keith is on vocals for this song. The beat is mega, except for that bell which reminds me way too much of waking up. “Medusa’s Path” features an amazing intro which is a sample from Iranian artist Gholam Hossein’s work. The track is a mix of an Iranian tune plus elements from Prodigy, which really makes for an interesting and very different track. It is one of the album’s true highlights. “The Way It” has a rather intriguing sample on it since Liam was able to get the rights to Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller.” That must have been incredibly difficult, but it’s an amazing remix of the song minus the vocals.
“Always Outnumbered

Orbital – One Perfect Sunrise

What a way for Orbital to go out. The last track from their new LP “The Blue Album” is their first single from it. The track is a angelic and dazzling track that really showcases the potential of Orbital for making a killer tune. The only real problem is that it sounds like its 1995 still. But the song still works it’s a splendid little number and we all still love Orbital.

By John Siwicki

Kasabian – L.S.F

Their first single was a top twenty hit, Leicester ’s finest return to try to one up their success. After first listen you can tell this is very radio friendly. The simply and delightful electronic noises against that catchy hook, gets you going immediately. Easily noticeable are the Oasis and Primal Scream influences with a hint of the Happy Mondays (these tunes do have a certain swagger to them). While the tunes are good but its nothing really new here but certainly the band are poised for big things.

By John Siwicki

The Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now

The boys always seem to have something going wrong. This new tune comes out while Pete is in rehab similar to last summer when they released “Dont Look Back Into The Sun.” Clearly, “Can’t Stand Me Now” is autobiographical of Pete and Carl’s relationship. The vocals’ duelling back and forth makes the listener feel like they are actually listening to one of their many arguments. The duo sound like they’re talking to one another more than singing, but somehow this song is relatable. We all have had the same arguments with friends but it never sounded this good.

By John Siwicki

What Made Milwaukee Famous – Trying To Never Catch Up

WMMF is a new four piece that hails from Austin , Texas . This
album was self released back in 2004. The band have several influences, from say The Kinks, My Bloody Valnetine and The Cure but add their own twist to the final product.
The album kicks off with “Idecide” great intro here with all the spacey effects. At times the track is a bit haunting, very raspy vocals and all the added atmospherics make this one a corker. “Mercy Me” sounds a bit like Jeff Buckley at times. It has a good solid hook, there’s a great tune in there that could be massive.” Next To Him” featuring some nice organ work, slick bass and nice jangly drums. The vocal here is a bit softer than previous and there is a much fuller sound, and the keyboards are on the edge of being cheesy but it works. “Trying to Never Catch Up” goes in almost a post-rock direction. Fast, loud instrumentation with a soft and at times distorted vocal, it’s a nice change, and something they handled well. “Selling Yourself Short” has a more pop feel again. It’s a bit faster and more upbeat.”Building A Boat From The Boards In Your Eyes” is a bit on the poppy side. The keyboards make for it to a light pop tune. It just simply gets wild at the end.
WMMF made a album full of genre bending rock tunes. They try different things in each track but it doesn’t get to be too much on the listener. It’s a smooth transition and you want to go with them. It’s only a matter of time now.

By John Siwicki

The Ordinary Boys – Over The Counter Culture

These boys hail from Brighton and take their name from a Morrissey song. They don’t seem to care about much. But they clearly like Paul Weller and The Smiths. After three hit singles here is it is.
The album is filled with songs about the problems and issues faced with the modern youth. “The List Goes On” talks about how boring radio has become. To the almost anthem like “Talk Talk Talk” with the lyrics “how’s the weather gray and boring its back to work on Monday morning” a song everyone from England can relate to. “Little Bitch” which is a cover a Special’s tune. The guys seem to have a lot of fun with this one. The song is chop full of energy and excitement and some great lyrics to boot.” Weekend Revolution” sees Preston talk about how people just go fucking mental on the weekends and makes the “five day prison” sounds so bad and yet we do it week in and out. “Maybe Someday” clearly one of the highlights from the album. Its fast and it pacts a good solid punch. Preston sounds massive and I love the lyrics “I’m waiting for some inspiration.” Now here is were the album goes a little downhill “Just A Song” is to bad to even talk about and “Robots and Monkeys” features the hook “what are you going to be a robot or a monkey” I think that says it all.
The Ordinary Boys have created an album full of tunes about life that well everyone lives. They don’t just take the piss out of it they give it a good kick in the ass. The album has some great tunes and some rather typical ones. Overall its pretty solid start.

By John Siwicki

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