Monolith Cocktail Blog

BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEWS ROUNDUP – INSTANT REACTIONS.

Beauty Stab ‘Bring Me The Boy (MAX EMRG REMIX)’
Single (Self-Release)

The new single from the art dance duo Beauty Stab is now upon us, and what a tune, what a banger -as you can see, I have slipped into modern terminology hoping that the kids of today may take notice of it. Along with Man /Woman Chainsaw and Bridget Calls Me Baby, Beauty Stab could be one of the new breed of Alt pop to actually drag the music from the underground into the mainstream.

‘Bring Me the Boy’ is a dance floor gem. It is the ghosts of Bronski Beat, Soft Cell, The Associates and Dead Or Alive all getting together to dance, party and talk teary eyed nostalgia about when singles with glamour, sex and seduction would light up daytime radio. And this is where this single belongs, on daytime radio blasting out pure joy bringing a smile to one’s lips and a thrust to one’s hips.

August Darula ‘What I Live Without’
Single (Self-Release) 13^th September 2024

“What I Live Without” is a beautiful and sad touch of melancholy, an alt pop/folk Lo-fi ballad with a great deal of heart and soul and quite touchingly refreshingly fine lyrics:  “Just wanna get stoned and be alone, scroll on my mobile phone/ Just wanna say I love you, and hear it back/ Just wanna keep the knife in my hand, and not in my back”. Alt folk poetry at its best. A song that could have strolled off the wonderful Micah P Hinson And The Gospel Of Progress album from way back in 2004: and that is high praise indeed, believe me.

Neon Kittens ‘Those Damned Dirty Tapes’
EP (Metal Postcard Records)

This is a special release and not just because it is the latest in a long line of releases by the prolific Neon Kittens, but because it is the record label Metal Postcard Records 500th release. Yes, 500 releases and still going strong.

It is probably apt that the 500th release is by the Neon Kittens as it captures what Metal Postcard is all about: releasing strange yet commercial and rewarding art that deserves to sell and be heard by the masses but are only heard by the lucky few. This is mostly down to the lack of adventure from the music industry in its current state. But if bands like the Neon Kittens keeping making music with art in mind and not commerce and labels like Metal Postcard are still willing to release it there is still hope.

The Phantom Handshakes ‘Sirens At Golden Hour’
Album (Self-Release)

The Phantom Handshakes are a Dream Pop band or duo, but whatever they are they are dream pop. And as Dream Pop music goes it is very good: all the normal shimmering reverb guitars and soft lilting female vocals. All very nice and Dream Poppy; all very mellow Cocteau Twins like with a touch of The Sundays and The Pale Saints; and all very Dream Pop. If you are a fan of Dream Pop this will be right up your shimmering glaze of succinctness. 

Trust Fund ‘ ‘Leaving The Party Early’
Single (Tapete Records)

“Leaving The Party Early” is a rather beautiful jazzy acoustic blessing of a song, a lovely nip and tuck into the art of breezy pop writing; a song I have become rather attached to over the last few hours, a stroll into the psyche of nostalgic bliss in fact. A summer awakening of longing that also reminds me a touch of Momus in his acoustic days: without the darkness and filth, which is both a good and bad thing, but I have room for both in my life.

Wings Of Desire ‘Shut Up & Listen’
EP (WMD Recordings)

In the mid to late 80’s I used to work in a record store that was a chart return store, and this EP by Wings Of  Desire reminds me of the kind of bands record reps used to turn up with trying to sell and get into the charts by offering free copies to the store so they could sell them cheap, or, by offering bribes to the manager. They were always released on a major record label offshoot that was pretending to be an Indie and would very often sound like this, well produced and anthemic alt rock, a bit like Simple Minds and U2. Who remembers Then Jericho and Cactus World News out there? Two prime examples of the airbrushed alt rock brigade. But this is actually quite good: in a shiny alt rock 80’s kind of way. And the third track, “Same Old Place I Used to Know” is a pretty good song, quite JAMC like in fact.