Week Commencing: 4/4/05
By: Toby L
A,
Belated 'Weekly Editorial' is better than no Weekly Editorial at all. Unless you hate reading our weekly/fortnightly gibberish. In which case, thank you for your time. Now, naff off.
Otherwise.
Anyone noticed the latest, sheer glut of fab, new unsigned/fast-emergent acts peppering the country up and down? Arctic Monkeys, with their sonic guitar-pop onslaught and rigid grooves and harmonic anthemery, are the finest new indie act on the planet, possibly. Intelligent, cheeky, wry, infectious - they illustrate a youthful bluster and raggedness that infuses the greats. Check out live-reviews guy Andy Willson's full-on report/shots of their impossibly packed, soon-to-be-iconic London Dublin Castle gig from this week.
And then there's Humanzi. A Dublin act currently being hotly courted, inspired with the fraught, taut angular-isms and bellowing vocals of Public Image Limited and the intensity of The Stooges or bass-conjecture of the 'Division. It's an edgy soundscape, and especially pummelling live, according to our spies. More on them soon.
We also praise new Interscope signings The Noisettes so much that we've invited them to headline our next Queens Of Noize/Camden Barfly assault, occurring next Friday (15th April); please do come along and join in the celebrations and reverence. Transgressive's latest sell-out hit, burningpilot, do the honours with a rare support slot, whilst Mystery Jets and the resident rockfeedbackers do the spinning. Buy tickets here now.
And, remember, The Basement is back on Thursday April 28th - with very special guest headliners to be announced a fortnight in advance (next week, in other words). Clue: they performed three times last year, when unsigned. Be: excited. Reserve: tickets here.
UK Chart-action, this week: Morrissey and his Patti Smith cover - 'Redondo Beach' - enter at eleven; Dead 60s' 'Last Resort' achieves 24 (look out for an interview-story soon with them); Arcade Fire scrape 30 with their debut, 'Laika'; 'What's Hideous' from Do Me Bad Things whacks up a holy 33; Yeti - January's Basement Club stars - are 36; Pink Grease and 'Peaches' are 44; Thirteen Senses with their 'Salt Wound Routine' attract 45; 'Work' from Jimmy Eat World (again, interview-feature to follow with those chaps, too); and 'Spit It Out' from Brendan Benson is 75. Albums - New Order's return occurs at 5 with 'Waiting For The Sirens' Call'; James Blunt re-enters at 73 with 'Back To Bedlam'; and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' immaculate 'B-sides & Rarities' retrospective charts at 74.
Sorry, no time for gig-listings this week - in-depth Secret Machines and Nine Inch Nails interviews to bring to you shortly. Speak in a few days' time.