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RUMBLINGS FROM THE OLD DART
NEW ORDER: Ceremony (Factory)
SIMPLE MINDS: / Travel (Arista Import) Big robotic disco sound that grabs you by the eardrums. Fantastic; production, effects galore marshalled with military precision. Sure there are influences at work, a Ferryish touch to the vocals, the odd familiar synth s o u n d ... but meshed together with majesty! Dignity! Power! Love It!
These people are Joy Division without deceased lead singer Ian Curtis, and with the addition of one of the band’s girlfriends on bass. ‘Ceremony’ like the best of Joy Division is after midnight space music; heavy almost ponderous bass, repetitive guitar and vocals drowning in the aural soup, busy high hat. New Order’s music is solid, all encom passing — most music isn’t this physically moving . . . I keep getting the feeling that my ears are missing half the bass because it’s so low. There is warmth here in the midst of cold. ‘Ceremony’ doesn’t tear you ap art. . . it oozes into you. A very good piece of music.
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THE PASSIONS: I’m In Love With A German Film Star (Polydor Import) Once again that heavy British bass/drum sound, a hint of Cure guitar swirl, but- over the top a deliciously languid vocal (female) that counter points the ‘seriousness’ of the music wonderfully. A hint of Teutonic decadence, 30’s escapism, but with tongue enough in cheek to avoid over rampant narcissism. Slinky and smooth. Dreamy. A delight.
POSTCABD
JUMP VISION: Can’t Get Used To You (Basilisk) Before I get terminally depressed and go the way of poor ol’ C urtis. . . something UP for a change. Jump Vision are one of the new bands in the Sydney underground resurgence. A three piece, like a lot of the bands, they pump out ‘Can’t Get Used To You’ with oodles of exuberance and at a pace sufficiently under breakneck to avoid aural blitz. The singing lacks a bit of tone, and the beat gets a little repetitive but the end result isn’t bad at all. The flip, ‘The Jump’ is a ska-style instrumental with lots of echoy brass, and while it could have done with a toast in the middle for a bit of variation, it’s good danceable stuff.
THE CHURCH: The Unguarded Mo ment (Parlophone) O.K., so they’ve ripped off the riff from ‘Ticket To Ride’. I don’t care. It’s what you do with stolen goods that counts and the Church do good things with this, their second single. Everything works — guitar, vocal (and they’re what counts) with ‘ crnderpinning rhythm. If it’s given a chance — a hit.
TINSLEY WATERHOUSE BAND: Full Of Ink And Talking Shorthand (E.P.) (Project 9) Enjoyable, undemanding soul/R&B freshi from the front bar of Melbourne’s ‘Home of Pub Rock’, the Station Hotel. The best track is the one original, ‘I’ve Been Dreaming’, which features triffic horns and Mr. Waterhouse’s strong gravelly vocals, with feeling.
POP MECHANIX: Jumping Out A Win- ' dow (C.B.S.) Haunting organ, distinctive vocals, unusual arrangement all combine to make another winner from across the Tasman. A real grower this one - it took me three plays before it really grabbed me, but once it did the hook just wouldn’t let go.
sing along withTHE REELS
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SORT SOL: Marble Station (4AD)
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Danish Joy Division according to the man at Phantom. The latter is obvious (Hannett, Prince of Denmark?) — the same heavy bass, slow pace, ringing guitar. If you’re terminally hooked on ‘Closer’ you’ll probably like it, but non-manic depressives should not apply. God, it must be gloomy in Denmark.
THE REELS: Shout and Deliver (Mer
ADAM AND THE ANTS: Cartrouble (Do
cury)
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A pre ‘Kings . . . ’ recording by the present Ants line up — double drums and all. No Red Indians or pirates in sight as Adam rollicks through a simple, big beat, catchy chorus single. Antmusic without the trappings — curious, but definitely FUN.
FULL OF INK AN' TALKIN SHORTHAND
Another steaming slice of mutated pop from the most underrated band in the land. Consists of a six-line chorus (conveniently printed on the single bag) sung a number of times over heavy drum beat and lazy keyboard pattern. Annoyingly insistent and very clever. I like it.
DONALD ROBERTSON.
THE GREAT SOUTH LAND STRIKES BACK
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JOSEF K: ‘It’s Kinda Funny’ (Postcard Records of Scotland) It’s kinda slow and Lou Reedy, with a poingpoing syndrum sticking up like some kind of musical jack-in-the-box every now and then to offset the threat of turgidness. The guitarist flips almost into free-form jangling mid way through — like youthful exuberance being deliberately held in check. A strange undercurrent of tension. . . amateurish in the nicest possible way.
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Never
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Ah, now this is what I call a POP record. Deep, full sound with pop pensmith Neil Finn’s vocals soaring clean and clear as a lark high above. Fitted together tighter than a meccano kit by whiz-kid Dave Tickle and capable of penetrating lead walls with a single shot, this one should be cooing prettily at the top of the charts in many countries b ^ore the leaves are fully off the trees. Who NEEDS history when we’ve got the Enz.
in town.
LARGE STOCK OF IN D EPEN D ENT SINGLES AVAILABLE When in Perth, shop secondhand at ATLAST Records, 2nd R oot, Royal Arcade, City.
DIRTY POOL LIVE REPRESENTATION • • ’ there iz a ROADRUNNER 3Q H
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difference