APRIL 2005 NINE INCH NAILS - THE HAND THAT FEEDS Trent Reznor in bombastic easily accessible Lenny Kravitz style shocker? Is the most underground sounding rock artist about to get the chance of playing on TOTP thanks to major airplay on XFM and Kerrang? Perhaps so, considering this is undoubtedly the most mainstream offering you will hear. That’s like saying Iron Maiden will start doing 3 minute pop-metal records. Whatever the reason, it is without a doubt the most upbeat thing Reznor has done, and will lapped up by casual rock fans in droves. (CA). Release Date: April 18th. Link: Fansite: http://www.9inchnails.com/ DAFT PUNK - ROBOT ROCK You can always have too much of a good thing. Case in point, Daft Punk’s opening single from new album “Human After All”.   Opening riff is catchy, fun, and has already been lifted to soundtrack trailers for sub-channels such as T4. Problem is, it goes nowhere afterwards. We get that riff FOR THE WHOLE SONG. Save for the odd robotic vocoder of “Ro-bot Rock”, that’s it. Which of course means it gets pretty damn boring pretty damn quick. Apparently out of the 4 years they’ve been away from us, the new album took 6 weeks. The Robots need a lesson in time management methinks. (CA). Release Date: April 11th. Link: Fansite: http://humanafterall.free.fr/news.php LUCIE SILVAS - THE GAME IS WON Oh dear. Her piano playing ballads and catalogue looks were tolerable on her first two singles. They weren’t brilliant, but they were the sort of inoffensive love songs that your casual fifty quid man would fork out for, in preference to Tori Amos, who he finds just that little bit weird, or is to narrow-minded to seek out Sarah Mclachlan just because she hasn’t been on Des and Mel. Anyway, if her previous two singles were light, inoffensive, charming, whatever; this is a ballsy power-ballad that makes Bonnie Tyler / Anne Wilson from Heart seem coy in comparison. One Joss Stone is bad enough, but if you want to hear a piano playing version singing songs about mysticism or Lewis Carroll-esque imagery, this is for you.  But not for me. (CA). Release Date: April 11th. Link: Official Site: http://www.luciesilvas.com/ RAZORLIGHT - SOMEWHERE ELSE 2005’s going to be a bloody good year indie wise, I can feel it in my bones I tell ya. 2004 suggested things could return to the glory days of ten years ago, and it seems events are only going from strength to strength. And the point of this rambling? Well, Razorlight head the crowd of up n coming bands with one quality album behind them, and this latest single is a lovely little gem, full of dramatic urgency and it has the rare ability to create goosebumps upon listening to it. Adorable, and a must buy. (AF). Release Date: April 4th. Link: Official Site: http://www.razorlightmusic.com/ MARCH 2005 GARBAGE - WHY DO YOU LOVE ME? Spend time on shampoo and conditioner? Take three songs into the studio? Not Garbage, they just want to record and go. OK, dodgy reference aside, this returning single off the forthcoming album “Bleed like Me” sounds like its trying to be all things to all people and lacks any major focus. We go from the tuneless intro to the cyber-metal electroclash pop only Garbage can do well, then we hit a more introspective withdrawn bridge section, and ultimately return to the triumphant electronica rock previously discussed. So in essence it follows the pattern of a Meat Loaf record, only adapted for Garbage’s ethos. For all Shirley Manson’s erudite and informed opinions, it worries me that they couldn’t have made something a touch less stylish and accessible. But they have. Taken the elements of Version 2.0 and the meatier elements of Beautifulgarbage and returned with an inoffensive, average track. (CA). Release Date: March 28th. Link: Official Site: http://www.garbage.net/ WEEZER - BEVERLY HILLS First listen of this had me cringing at their dumbing down to basic levels. On further reflection, it is incredibly infectious. Must be something in the water across the Atlantic. Accessibility is the new watchword. Anyway, the Steve Miller references have been done to death, the talk-box of Peter Frampton and David Grohl gets an outing, and the power chords make it fun enough for Chris Moyles listeners to enjoy, and perhaps even understand? As far as their back catalogue goes, it’s probably marginally better than stuff on Maladroit and the Green album, but not quite as great as Buddy Holly, Say It Ain’t So, and The Good Life which remains my favourite single of theirs. (CA). Release Date: March 28th. Link: Fansite: http://www.weezerfans.com/ THE ARCADE FIRE - LAIKA Funeral has been regarded by many in the music press as the first wondrous offering of 2005.  Hearing this it’s not hard to see why.  A touch more generic than the wonderful Tunnels, it still has beautifully melancholy pained vocals, and minimalist guitar and keyboard melodies reminiscent of Interpol, but no less intriguing than their New York counterparts. Wouldn’t have been my choice of single, but the band are definitely one of the most promising things to come out of the year so far. (CA). Release Date: 28th March. Link: Official Site: http://www.arcadefire.com/html/ DO ME BAD THINGS - WHAT'S HIDEOUS? Back in Black meets Scissor Sisters, essentially. Oh, you want more? OK this 9 piece outfit features 3 lead vocalists, take the retro riffs brought back into the mainstream, add the camp showmanship of Scissor Sisters, and build to a big finale like Earth Wind and Fire. It is highly entertaining, of course, and hopefully will be this year’s Scissor Sisters. But better. (CA). Release Date: March 21st. Link: Official Site: http://www.domewebthings.com/ THE SUBWAYS - OH YEAH ”Have I ever seen the light?” and “I will live and I will die” are two examples of the exciting and quite frankly revelatory lyrics from the Subways. And there’s a chorus which repeats the words “Oh yeah”. Ah, the originality, it’s so fresh, it’s so exciting. Sorry. Sarcasm’s too hard to resist sometimes, especially when assaulted by something so trivial. It’s as if they got out the big book of indie clichés and stole from every page. (AF). Release Date: March 21st. Link: Official Site: http://www.thesubways.net/ NATALIE IMBRUGLIA – SHIVER Another one of these Alanis-copyists, her first album had her pictured as this tortured soul, but was no less bubblegum than former Neighbours cohort Kylie. Cover ‘Torn’ fooled a lot of people into thinking she was relevant and credible, but subsequent album White Lilies Island was uninspiring and dull.  It was MOR laments and a poor man’s Sheryl Crow.  Four years have passed, and nothing’s changed musically. Credibility comes this time from husband Daniel Johns (of Aussie rockers Silverchair), but they were as inspiring as The Vines are now.  As far as producer / singer matrimonial albums go, it’s a far cry from Steve Lilywhite / Kirsty MacColl. If Johns / Imbruglia were going to do such a personal record, they should have listened to MacColl’s ‘Kite’ for pointers on how to get it right. Shiver is as dull as it gets. The four years it took to come out with this must have been an intensely lazy experience, and it’s clearly reflected in the music. Destined for your local commercial station’s airplay, so stay well clear. (CA). Release Date: March 21st. Link: Fansite: http://www.natalieimbruglia.com/ THE MARS VOLTA – THE WINDOW Where Televators left off, The Widow carries on.  Much less frenetic than their At the Drive-in days, or indeed some of De-Loused in the Crematorium; it is a tremendously introspective and melancholy ballad. Another one of these best served listening to on a cold winter night’s driving through torrents of rain and hail surrounded by densely wooded forest, no doubt. Take away that ambience, and the track is a languid, banal little ditty which never threatens to move somewhere more interesting. One of these bands it doesn’t pay to listen to cold and study over hard for any form of analysis. Just enjoy it when you’re in the right mood to. (CA). Release Date: 14th March. Link: Official Site: http://www.themarsvolta.co.uk/ AVRIL LAVIGNE – HE WASN’T I really thought I wouldn’t be saying this. With all these image changes and style changes, I think Miss Lavigne has found herself a style of pop-rock I can actually enjoy. Sure, she’s taken the glossy shiny metal of The Colour and The Shape, and turned her own brand of songwriting into glossy corporate punk. Where ‘Complicated’ was actually C&W balladry dressed up as an Alanis-lite angst ridden fluffy pop song, this is punchy and pacey. It will push all the right buttons of your budding rock chicks into joyous headbanging. Perhaps she will follow the path laid by Melissa Auf Der Maur, and actually produce a good, mature rock record before too long? On this evidence, I’m a little closer to believing it. (CA). Release Date: March 14th. Link: Fansite: http://www.avrilbandaids.com/ THE KILLS – NO WOW Sleazy rock, there’s just not enough of it is there. And no, this isn’t sarcasm, I’m tired of nu-metal and hard edged rock and have craved someone to do something different with it for ages now. So kudos to The Kills then, for actually doing this. Lyrically you might not agree with some of the content, their suggestion that once in a while you should burn down your house might not be to your taste (unless you’re an aspiring arsonist of course!), but otherwise there’s absolutely nowt wrong with this at all. (AF). Release Date: March 7th. Link: Official Site: http://www.thekills.tv/ Click here to discuss the above singles on the Garbled Forums.					APRIL'S SINGLE OF THE MONTH: THE TEARS - REFUGEES
						Imagine if Bernard had written anything from Coming Up onwards, or Brett sang McAlmont and Butler tunes, and you’d pretty much have the sound here. The interchangeable circumstances mean a lack of distinction between the aforementioned projects. OK, Richard Oakes guitar licks were at times less elaborate, but it many ways they worked - Trash and Beautiful Ones for example; and both McAlmont and Butler albums were superfluous in their arrangement. The first meeting of minds of Anderson and Butler since Dog Man Star mirrors McAlmont and Butler with Post-coming up lyrics. Anthemic, extravagant, incendiary. Trash with Strings? Quite possibly. If I sound like I keep retreading the same ground with this review, then it possibly because doesn’t set itself apart from any of their previous work. Which I guess is the whole point. And for the record, I liked it. (CA). Brett Anderson lied to you and me you know. Last year he told the press that The Tears wouldn’t have that quintessentially Suede sound, but lo and behold, it bloody well does. But let’s not complain, this is classic Suede, Suede before they went all pointless and trivial on us all (album four onwards then, basically), and it’s such a delight to see that you just because he’s slightly older, Anderson’s not lost any of his intelligence and ability to write poetic lyrics. (AF). Release Date: April 18th. Link: Official Site: http://www.thetears.org/ ALSO RELEASED IN APRIL: April 4th: Anastacia - Heavy On My Heart/Underground Army Elvis Presley - Crying In The Chapel Feeder - Feeling A Moment Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone Kristian Leontiou - Fast Car Natasha Bedingfield - I Bruise Easily The Paddingtons - Panic Attack People In Planes - Talking Heads Pond Life - Crazy Frog Chorus Pure Reason Revolution - The Bright Ambassadors Of Morning [Ltd Ed] April 11th: Ben Folds - Landed Bloc Party - Banquet Editors - Munich Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You Emiliana Torrini - Heartstopper The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It Thee Unstrung - Psycho April 18th: Athlete - Half Light Blues Explosion - Crunchy Chemical Brothers - Believe Elvis Presley - Way Down Ian Broudie - Smoke Rings The Raveonettes - Love Is A Trashcan Robert Plant - Shine It All Around April 25th: Ciara Ft Missy Elliott - 1, 2 Step Delta Goodrem - Mistaken Identity Elvis Presley vs. JXL - A Little Less Conversation Triple 8 - Good 2 Go
						MARCH'S SINGLE OF THE MONTH: HOT HOT HEAT - GOODNIGHT GOODNIGHT
						It is more of the same.  More of the fun. The infectious melody, the Robert Smith/Kevin Rowland yelp emphasising on the vocal, the sheer pop brilliance. They haven’t really strayed that far from Knock Knock Knock, but the subtlest of subtle changes from the last album could ensure a break out from the shadows of critical acclaim. Could it be possible that the Canucks have usurped the superlative energy of Make up the Breakdown?  If a touch more straight up and down than Bandages was (It at times sounds like The Strokes on Pro Plus), it still is a slice of classic new-wave pop-punk. Steve Bays rhymes niceties (or more accurately nice-er-tees) with keys, and fits paragraphs into such a concise tune, whilst retaining that rhythmic brilliance that kept you guessing on the record that made them in the UK. This should prove they weren’t a one-album wonder. Taken from album Elevator. (CA). Release Date: March 28th. Link: Official Site: http://www.hothotheat.com/ ALSO RELEASED IN MARCH: March 7th: Brendan Benson - Spit It Out British Sea Power - It Ended On An Oily Stage Days Of Worth - Take Me Through DJ George J - Never Gonna Let You Go The Donnas - I Don’t Want To Know Elvis Presley - Good Luck Charm Hellogoodbye - Hellogoodbye  James Blunt - Wise Men Jin - Learn Chinese Jon B - Lately Kill City - Hooligans On E Marilyn Manson - The Nobodies 2005 My Chemical Romance - I’m Not Okay (I Promise) New Order - Krafty Nine Black Alps - Shot Down Ocean Colour Scene - Free My Name Park Slope - La Dee Da Dee Phantom Planet - California Planet Funk - The Switch Sunset Strippers - Falling Stars Tyler James - Foolish Wolfmother - Wolfmother EP March 14th: Ana Johnsson - Don’t Cry For Pain Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh Beck - E Pro Cherry Falls - My Drug Elvis Presley - She’s Not You Erasure - Don’t Say You Love Me Gwen Stefani Ft Eve - Rich Girl Jem - They John Legend - Used To Love U Joss Stone - Spoiled Lola Ray - What It Feels Like Presidents Of The United States of America - Love Everybody Roots Manuva - Too Cold Shapeshifters - Back To Basics March 21st: 50 Cent - Candy Shop Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life Damien Rice - Volcano Dizzee Rascal - Off 2 Work/Graftin’ Elvis Presley - Return To Sender Estelle - Go Gone Finn Brothers - Edible Flowers Fischerspooner - Just Let Go Green Day - Holiday Hood - The Negatives I Am Kloot - Over My Shoulder Jimmy Eat World - Work Kasabian - Club Foot Le Tigre - After Dark Mario - Let Me Love You Mercury Rev - Across Yer Ocean Queen Adreena - FM Doll Sophie B Hawkins - Beautiful Girl Van Hunt - Down Here In Hell Wendy James - Grease Monkey March 28th: Alsou - Always On My Mind Brandy - Who Is She 2 U? The Dead 60’s - The Last Resort Elvis Presley - (You’re The) Devil In Disguise The Features - Blow It Out Garbage - Why Do You Love Me? Hanson - Lost Without Each Other Hard Fi - Middle Eastern Holiday Kiosk - Stratospheric EP Kylie Minogue - Giving You Up Lemar - Time To Grow Mariah Carey - It’s Like That Marie Miller - Playground Mark Knopfler - Trawlers’ Song Mis-Teeq - Shoo Shoo Baby The Others - William Rachel Stevens - Negotiate With Love Thirteen Senses - The Salt Wound Routine
	Alex Finch, Craig Aston. The Singles Review Archive: January and February 2005 November and December 2004 September and October 2004 July and August 2004. May and June 2004. March and April 2004 January and February 2004 November and December 2003 September and October 2003 July and August 2003 May and June 2003 March and April 2003 January and February 2003 November and December 2002 September and October 2002 July and August 2002 May and June 2002. March and April 2002. January and February 2002. November and December 2001. September and October 2001. May to August 2001. January to April 2001. June to December 2000.
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