Don't call it a come back...it's just some reviews

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)

Oracular Spectacular. Interesting title, interesting album. MGMT fit into that category of trendy American bands that are actually pretty good. Comparisons generally being drawn with Flaming Lips (Dave Fridmann produces) and their ilk; I personally think the Secret Machines is quite a good approximation too. Layered in psychedelic synths and sweet melodies (‘The Youth’ in particular sticks in your head), the album isn’t overly long (pressed up on a single piece of vinyl rather than being stretched to two) or as pretentious as some of their promotional shots would suggest. Oracular Spectacular doesn’t set the world alight, rather it’s a solid debut from a promising new band; even if one of them looks a like a new rave Kevin Rowland.

Supergrass – Diamond Hoo Ha (EMI)

A quintessentially English group, Supergrass peaked commercially in the Brit Pop years but have only got better since - their last album Road to Rouen was arguably their best since We’re In For The Money. This record is a little different from their last. Written as a twosome while bassist Mickey Finn was lying in bed quadraspazzed after a nasty sleep walking accident, it finds the band taking a fair rawer, stripped down approach; and they’re fucking good at it too. The title track lead single is an absolute rocker but there are highlights all over the album such as ‘Rough Knuckles’ and ‘Whiskey & Green Tea’; and also some very nice horns. Not an album that’s gonna set the world alight or win them any new fans but it certainly keeps the old ones baying for more.

Neon Neon - Stainless Style (Lex)

SFA’s Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip might seem like an odd couple but this is a cracking concept album. Based on utter joker million dollar play boy John Delorean and his rise and fall from grace with the train-wreck of a business that was the Delorean car and drugs, the album is full of variation. Funky 80s beats (‘Raquel’ and ‘I Lust U’), left-field hip hop (‘Trick or Treat’ sounds like it could have been nicked off Mike Ladd’s Majesticons project) and blessed out melodies (closer ‘Stainless Style’) all fit together extremely well without sounding forced. Definitely a worthy addition to both artists’ canons. Peep it.

Sharon Jones – 100 days, 100 nights (Daptone)

Today most ‘soul’ singers are lacking in one quite fundamental element – SOUL. Joss Stone, Corinne Bailey Rae, Duffy and all those slags need a year on some hard drugs and some actual life experience. For all her faults at least Winehouse has lived and sounds like she means what she sings. She also has a dope little band, the Dap-Kings, one which she shares with American soul singer Sharon Jones. Jones has been around the block a few times and paid her dues and produces a solid funk-soul LP, replete with a dope-ass retro sleeve. I’m gonna invest in her previous two albums of the back of this and I suggest you do too.

Ghostface Killah – Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam)

This came out ages ago but I’ve been a busy boy, and to be honest there’s not a lot of shout about anyway. It seems that Ghostface has got lazy with this release, something that he’s not normally guilty of. To be honest it’s just a collection of filler for the fan base that won’t appeal to a wider audience like Fish Scale did. There are some better tracks such as ‘Killa Lipstick’ and the self-produced ‘Supa GFK’ but even they don’t stick out that much from the rest. It’s not a shit album but Ghostface has set his standards that high that it’s just not really good enough; you’re much better investing in the Wu’s new opus 8 Diagrams. Now that really is immense.



More up soon

Sam Yo

The Best Song In The World?

Maybe. Definitely the best hip hop song in the world, though. No question.



God, I love Big L.

Thomas Trouble.

Channel Ruffhousing

Since the departure of Ruffhousing’s ‘Channel U Classics’ the 3barfire head office has been bombarded with letters of complaint, death threats and the odd suicide note – proving once and for all that a regular intake of ruffhousing is as an important part of your weekly routine as a trip to the supermarket or a aggressive, tearful wank.

With that in mind we bring you Ruffhousing TV – many of you will sneer and suggest that we merely have run out of videos to post up from channel U, many of you will be right.


Genius Cru – Course Bruv

This next video comes from before the conception of everyone’s favorite cultural experiment, but if there ever was a video that set the trend for 99% of the shit that is seen on channel U today then this is surely it. Just imagine! Without these videos you may never heard of the genius of Junior Spesh, the lyrical ferocity of Flirta D or the albino rodent ramblings of L.Man.


The video features social etiquette specialists Genius Cru – who, in a tumultuous period in the late 90s when people where bewildered and confused as to how to approach a colleague to request a small sip of their beverage, solved this conundrum with not only a musical hit – but a social phenomenon.



Not content with the simple club setting of their previous smash hit ‘Boom Selection’, the Cru uped the ante with a thrilling backdrop of international espionage and high stakes gambling - this video is everything Casino Royale wanted to be – I’m fairly sure there all working as IT consultants now.


Bob Marley

This week it’s been announced that production is beginning on a big Hollywood bio-pic of marijuana smoking, wife beating, gay hating, reggae legend Bob Marley. Its sure to be a feel good hit, missing out these inconvenient aspects of Bob’s life, and most likely ending up resembling a Lilt advert. Anyone who’s been on a gap year or is contemplating one should pre-order the DVD from their local independent retailer (not HMV, they rape Tibetan children and pay them in buttons).



Apparently Lauren Hill is in the running to play Bob Marley’s wife – there’s no real front runners as to who’ll play the man himself but my money is firmly on Martin Short. It’s been lengthy absence for the Father of The Bride (1+2!) star and this may just be the project to lure him out of the cinematic wilderness. Fingers crossed.


Devliman

One of the miracles of the modern age is our increasing level of social acceptance. In the 1500s, if a man from the midlands with a penchant for hunting hats and the voice of a Chinese robot began publicly spouting obscene jibberish about poisoned foodstuffs, he would have been roundly thrashed and flame-grilled as a demon-smuggling nutbox.

Here in the twenty-first century, however, the openly mad are actively celebrated and even - in some cases - given access to recording studios in which to vent their twisted brain-bile. Which brings us to 'Chinese Tale' by Birmingham's Devilman. A psychedelic urban gem, or the ramblings of someone who has something very wrong with their mind? You decide.

Chinese Tale


Words: Robin and Tom
from 3 Bar Fire

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