sound of the suburbs

A little round up today of things new in the shops, on the the web or just plain new discoveries for this balding 40+ man than still gets a kick out of finding new music.

Carbon Silicon are still at it, that is recording new songs and posting them before they have time to change their minds. In case you don't know or don't remember Carbon Silicon is the latest project from Mick Jones (the Clash and BAD) and Tony James (Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik), these two are who are probably old enough to the father to many of you reading this currently make music for kicks, no record company deals, no pressure, no bullshit just quickly available free music. The latest batch is 'Psychotic Fish' and 'Cab Driver' both being well worth the space on your hard drive my favorite is the second track and I leave the words to the band "waiting for a cab full of guitars... to take us where we wanna go..."
During my summer holiday this year I finally got round to reading Simon Reynolds hefty tome 'Rip It Up And Start Again' one of the bands that made it one my list of records to buy as a result of this book was Josef K, this list is rather long and I doubt that even with the best of intentions that I'll get round to obtaining everything on it, though thanks to those good folk at Domino its looks like I'll soon be dropping Josef K from the list as they have just released 'Entomology' a comprehensive anthology of this Scottish band who's legend has far outlasted their all too short life span. 'Sorry For Laughing' probably their best known song that has recently been covered by Nouvelle Vague. 'It's Kinda Funny' was their third single and a tribute to the recently departed Ian Curtis.
I've recently found a new UK music mag going by the name of Clash, this publication does a better job than the more established part of the press in helping us to discover new sounds, from time to time they offer a cover mounted CD to provide an aural illustration for their prose, the following songs are all new to me and were found on the CD 'One To Watch' from the November Issue.
Koop with the track 'Koop Island Blues' is one of those jazzy lounge songs with sensual female vocals over a walking bass line, just the thing I've always been a sucker for. Husky Rescue have a name that betrays their origins, they're from Finland, having started out as a one man and his studio project, Marko Nyberg released the 'Country Falls' album on UK indie Catskills in 2004. Since then a real band has formed behind the name they are now a five piece complete with female vocals. 'Diamonds In The Sky' is a lovely slice of dreamy pop that will appear on their second album 'Ghost Is Not Real' due in January 2007. Candie Payne has already been snapped up by a major and offers her first single 'All I Need To Hear' that was given a 7" only vinyl release earlier this year. Sounding very 60's with it's Spector like production and impassioned vocals. Definitely one too watch out for. 1990's who share the same pedigree as fellow Glaswegians Franz Ferdinand provide us with 'Arcade Precinct', the band are currently residing at Rough Trade and were able to obtain the services of Bernard Butler to produce their soon to be released debut album. Jeniferever apart from having one of those names that make you look twice thinking that it a typographical error, are from Sweden and provide the sort of indie rock that put many a UK band to shame as can be heard on 'A Ghost In The Corner Of Your Eye'.