Reds, Blues and Blackened - Singled Out!

‘Mexican Wine’ is the new single from Fountains of Wayne who had a massive hit with their Rachel Hunter inspired ‘Stacy’s Mom’. Taken from their third album ‘Welcome Interstate Managers’, ‘Mexican Wine’ is a guitar based, syrupy, rocky ode to sunshine and wine with “pop-orchestral flourishes”. This New York four piece certainly know how to write a catchy summer melody, which is what this tune is. Not very original but is sure to please those who are currently anticipating the come back of Hanson.

My Red Cell hail from Barry, Mid-Wales and their new full single release ‘In a Cage (On Prozac)’ is clearly slating those inbreds who pissed them off back home. The intro is a fast and furious punky riff that spits on other guitar based bands around at the moment. Frontman Russell Toomey sounds like he has been sucking on nettles for the best part of his short life, and with lyrics like ‘Got a knife and I know how to use it, got a knife and I know that he’s to blame’, you’d be wise to get out of their way before they run you and everyone else over.

There are ‘A Million Ways to sing the Blues’ and The Features have a pretty good take on it, what with their combination of hill-billy rock 'n' roll, infused with plenty of feedback and riffs that would be familiar to any The Kings of Leon fan. They are the hottest thing to crawl out of the mid-west since, well last summer. This gritty poppy tune is only 2 minutes long and despite their similarities to The Kings… they have a more mature, developed sound and you can see their faces, what more would anyone want?

InMe’s latest single ‘Faster the Chase’ is two minutes of frantic guitar based noise. There is a lot of energy in this tune, their first release from their forthcoming album, but unfortunately that is pretty much it, don’t waste your money on this one, buy The Features instead.

Scout Niblett aka Emma Niblett from Nottingham evokes memories of a young PJ Harvey with her intense but melancholic voice. Her cover version of the Althea and Donna track ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ is a simple, stripped down track featuring only a guitar and Ms Niblett’s achingly beautiful voice, Niblett’s version is practically flawless and medication for the ears. The fact that she has opted for such a simple single release proves that she has faith in her own voice and the power of musical minimalism in an industry bogged down with over-layed instruments.

The Vines ‘Winning Days’ is their latest single from their album of the same name. Choir boy backing harmonies take you into a simple and forgettable melody that is the main stay of this track. Guitar solos rip through the middle of ‘Winning Days’, after which there is a pause that makes you believe they are done, then the Aussie boys break into another nice but forgettable chorus. Shame.

6.58minutes!!!! That’s how long ‘Semi-detached Soul’ by Camp Actor is. Electro-pop is the name of the game and Camp Actor does it well. Produced by an ex-Human Leagues engineer, this is “rock music made with machines”. There are lyrics on this track, but you couldn’t be blamed for not noticing them as they don’t kick in until 4 minutes into this very long single. With Numan–esque beats, ‘Semi-detached Soul’ is one for all the patient people out there.

Blonde Redhead consists of One Japanese lady and two Italian twins and the music they make is just as disjointed as their make up. Lead singer Kazu Makino has Bjork tendencies with a high pitched voice that borders on being painful. New single, ‘Equus’ encapsulates the talents of this New York trio and will hopefully follow the success of quirky counter parts, Scissor Sisters. The guitar riffs that introduce the track are quickly taken over by Makino’s ranting lyrics transforming into a breathy voice that is mesmerising but taken over once again by the forceful shouts that make up the bulk of this tune.

The Duke Spirit’s new release ‘Dark is Light Enough’ is a pounding, energetic, we-don’t-give-a-**** track that's the follow up to their mini-album. Furious guitars open the track for this London five piece, while Leila Moss’s mardy vocals convey the attitude of the band perfectly. It's all a little bit too ‘we don’t give a toss’, and whilst it listenable enough, you get the feeling that they could do a hell of a lot better and probably will in the future.

‘Blacken My Thumb’ is the latest release from The Datsuns, and is punk rock at its best. This single is the first release from their forthcoming album and was produced by legendary Led Zep bassist, John Paul Jones. It's a thundering, screeching concoction of noise that is a real treat. Dolph Datsun shrieks his way through the track and after just over two minutes you are left gagging for more. Go get the single when it comes out on May 31.