A Very Indie Christmas

A Christmas Gift For You From Moshi Moshi – Various

Ahhh Christmas, time of festive cheer and goodwill to all men. Also about this time, when artists do shameless covers of already good songs and who can forget the best of cash-ins.

Thank goodness, through all the marketing ploys there is something here on offer worth a punt from one of the hottest independent labels, Moshi Moshi, which represents a refreshing alternative to the norm.

Despite the album being in effect a Christmas covers album, if you explore above the surface you are sure to find little snippets of joy. The album features a clutch of the finest new acts on the Moshi Moshi imprint and represents a good introduction to one of the hippest labels around.

Each track brings something fresh to the original. on the album you’ll find the criminally underrated ‘Christmas Wrapping’ getting the lush vocals of Summer Camp’s Elisabeth Sankey, James Yuill producing an acoustic folk led version of ‘Winter Wonderland’ and the fuzzy pop goodness of Sheffield’s Slow Club, which with its nostalgic feel is one of the key tracks on here, and let’s not forget Idiot Glee’s stunning atmospheric ‘White Christmas’.

Ingo Star Cruiser brings the upbeat electronica of ‘Just like Christmas’ and to end the album, Liverpool’s indie pop act Hot Club De Paris contribute some quirkiness to the proceedings without upsetting the boat.

It turns out to be a great gamble all round as not only does this album standout as a record to soundtrack your Christmas festivities but you also get to hear from some new talent in the process.

Now, that really is my idea of a Merry Christmas!

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The History of Apple Pie – You’re so Cool 

(Roundtable)

by Dan Nelson  

Remember the scene in the first American Pie movie when Jim asks his buddies what third base feels like. To which Oz replies, like warm apple pie, (spoiler alert) leading to a memorable scene with a pie.

The movie centres on the themes of life, loss and regret and that’s where this new fresh faced quintet from East London comes in. The History of Apple Pie’s debut track ‘You’re So Cool’ with Jerome’s fuzzy guitar chords wrapped around Stephanie’s sweet vocals, evokes lost youth, hazy summers and first love.

The movie centres on the themes of life, loss and regret and that’s where this new fresh faced quintet from East London comes in. The History of Apple Pie’s debut track ‘You’re So Cool’ with Jerome’s fuzzy

Remember the scene in the first American Pie movie when Jim asks his buddies what third base feels like. To which Oz replies, like warm apple pie, (spoiler alert) leading to a memorable scene with a pie.

It’s a catchy love song that could soundtrack any future teen comedy but which also wears it’s lo fi credibility proudly on its sleeve.

It’s just like a slice of warm apple pie.

With THOAP bucking Yuck’s trend of 90’s nostalgia this summer looks to be set for a nu-grunge revival.

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Viva Brother – Famous First Words (Geffen)

August 10, 2011 by Dan Nelson

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Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past year, you will no doubt have come across Brother or Viva Brother as they are now called. There hasn’t been a day gone by when their name or more specifically their views on the current musical climate and their lofty ambitions haven’t been mentioned. NME have referred to them as the return of the British guitar band and even heralded them as kings of a new genre, grit-pop, whilst others are just dismissing them as average Joes who have too much to say but not much to show for it.

Kings of Leon, Mumford and Sons who they call a ‘painted by numbers’ band, and even Mercury prize winning London Dubsteppers the XX have been branded as ‘very boring’, have all been on the sharp end of this Slough born, gobby four piece’s rhetoric. Not a great way to earn friends in high places or to adhere yourselves to peoples affections. This was all before they had even released anything, with their debut album under their new moniker Viva Brother (apparently there is an Aussie Celtic band called Brother) this is a chance to see if these pretenders to the Britpop throne are all mouth no trousers or they actually have something worthwhile to say.

‘New Years Day’ sets the standard for what the band are all about, anthemic guitars and rabble rousing choruses and feels perfectly about what Britpop revolves around, with its sing-along chorus of ‘Run Away Run Awaaaay’. The trend continues with ‘Still Here’ but this wears a little thin over the course of 10 tracks and what transpires is a band that are so immersed within the Britpop genre that they lose all originality, and they lack the passion to stretch themselves. Sure, they’ve got all their bases covered from Oasis ‘Electric Daydream’ to Blur to Suede to also-rans Cast, remember them? But where is the energy and the ideas, and more importantly the tunes.

It is frustrating, as they do have the capacity to create huge belting choruses but they don’t really let them soar, giving up midway. Case in point is ‘Darling Buds of May’ which is actually a catchy song (there are too few of them on here) despite its trite lyrics and forgettable chorus ‘her birthday is in May, it is what it is’, if it wasn’t so half-hearted, it could’ve been something worthwhile.

The masses should love this sort of thing and that’s probably why their record label has spent big on them, even giving them a producer like Stephen Street, but for anyone who’s expecting something with a bit more personality and bravado, which the band displayed prior to the release, it’s a complete disappointment as they don’t seem to be able to match that with their music, which is a shame. ‘Famous Last Words’ would’ve been a better title.

Britpop belongs in the past and on the evidence of this misguided rehash, that’s where it belongs.

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