Nathan's Mailbag Review

Ikara Colt- Modern Feeling

There used to be a time when you pretty much knew what to expect from an Ikara Colt single. So when I heard that Niklas Flyckt mixed this single, the man behind Rachel Stevens 'LA-ex' and 'Sound of the underground' by Girls Aloud, I was either expecting this to be a fantastic slice of art rock infected disco pop or a spectacular shambolic mess, Luckily it's the former. Synths have been employed and Paul Resende's vocals are reminiscent of Iggy Pop and are coupled by sultry harmonies from guitarist Claire Ingram. This could be the song that brings Ikara Colt to the attention of a whole new audience and will be played in alternative night clubs for many years to come.

Help she can't swim- Bunty vs Beano

First off I was never a fan of Bunty or The Beano come to that.
This song reminds me generally of Sonic Youth in there more commercial moments, it also reminds me of Bis in places especially near the end when the female vocals enter.
This song which is a burst of little over 2 minutes deals with sexual stereo types and mention's Mariah Carey, Frank Skinner, Courtney Love, Simon Cowell and many more. Definitely a band to look out for in the future.

Gisli- TV = The Devil

For those of you who don't know Gisli is a solo artist who like Bjork hails from Iceland. The similarities to Bjork don't end there though, as he is also quirky and is an artist who you will either love or hate.
Gisli's music and lyrics are heavily reminiscent of Odelay era Beck and Eels.
This song acts as a social commentary on reality television and its subject matter is probably unlike anything else you will hear this year.

Black Mountain- Demo CD
www.black-mountain.tk

The music Black Mountain play is a melodic form of American radio rock, the music reminds of recent Pearl Jam and in places Led Zeppelin. The vocalist also happens to share an uncommon resemblance to Eddie Vedder which may just explain why they remind me of Pearl Jam so much.

Cats Against The Bomb - Mostly Illegal Tracks
www.catsagainstthebomb.co.uk

The music on this CD is hard to pigeon hole, in places it brings to mind Aphex Twin. But most of the time the music is more remiscent of cut and paste experts DJ Shadow and DJ Yoda; this is probably down to the choice and the inventive use of samples. Like DJ Yoda, Cats against the Bomb isn't afraid of using samples that other people might shy away from and for this he has to be commended.

CLOR- Welcome Music Lovers

It's hard to categorise CLOR because as soon as I think I know where their headed with their music they tend to go off in the complete opposite direction.
Initially this CD made me think of Sparklehorse, but in places it even reminds of Odelay era Beck and even Prince, especially on the track "Magic Touch". While Third track "making you all mine" sounds like a new wave Gary Numan. With fourth track "Gifted" being the most straightforward and traditional sounding song on the CD, it will be interesting to see where CLOR decide to go next, as im pretty sure it won't be easy to predict.

Dangerlust - King of The World
www.dangerlust.rocks.it

This demo standouts as it both sounds fresher and more polished than many others. There are some mind numbingly infectious choruses and great use of dynamics in the songs. As there is a female singer, lazy comparisons will always be drawn. But this band truly reminds me of Hole, Elastica and Sleeper. There is a need for a strong female fronted rock band and maybe Dangerlust could fill it.

Electric Eel Shock - Go Europe

The only thing I knew about Electric Eel Shock before listening to this CD was that they were a Japanese rock band. Therefore I was half expecting this CD to be rammed full of kitsch 50's influenced rock with a slight eccentricity about it and a heapful of clichés. To be honest my expectations weren't far wrong, but instead of it being based on 50's rock n roll it was instead 70's rock. The music instantly brings to mind other retro based rock bands especially The Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion and The Datsuns, in places it even recalls Electric 6 if only for a few passing seconds. The lyrics though both simple, repetitive and clichéd can be easily forgiven, considering these seem a staple of the genre and especially as English isn't there first language. This record is rammed full of energy and will bring a smile to your face on the first listen and for many times after that.

More of Nathan's reviews will appear in the next issue of R*E*P*E*A*T