News Singled Out: Top Five (19th April 2012)

Here’s my favourite tracks from last week’s Singles Out. Though they were all brilliant, honest.

5.The Lake Poets - City By The Sea
My fragile human brain is hard-wired to get all weepy and pathetic when I hear songs about where I grew up (I interpret this as punishment for my deserting the North East as soon as was humanly possible), and even though The Lake Poets are a way up the coast from Teesside, there’s something in the lyrics of this that makes me foggy-eyed. ‘You do what your dad did, or you don’t quite belong.’ ‘Scuse me while I have a quick blub; you can acquire this from the ever-excellent Tiny Lights; and there’s some kind of lovely limited edition package to go with the CD, if it hasn’t already sold out.



4. Bill Callahan - Heaven Help The Child
Bill Callahan, like Bert Jansch too, is someone who was inexplicably omitted from my musical education, and so I’m eons behind others without this disadvantage in falling in love with everything he’s done both under his own name, and as Smog. I’m currently working my way backwards from his 2011 album ‘Apocalypse’ and boy, do I have some making up for lost time to do. This is a cover of country singer/songwriter Mickey Newbury’s track, which has been re-released on 7’ on Drag City. (This makes me want to do a little cry too - talk about April showers this week.)



3. Citizens! - Reptile
There’s something a little bit silly about Citizens!, and I intend that in an entirely positive sense. I mean, they’re using (I assume) a reptile as a metaphor for warning against icy, self-effacing cold-blooded cool-ness - which, as a band residing in East London signed to a super hip label, could be an insult with which they’re more than familiar. But there’s a warmth to what they do, and their lyrics are on the ridiculous side, and I just find them really likeable. It’s out on 7’ on Kitsuné.



2. Hhappiness - All Kinds Of Trouble
Another Scandi-band to fall head over heels with. They remind me slightly of Brakes, and also slightly of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and I like them a whole lot. This is from their ‘Bananas EP’, out on 7’ on Almost Musique.



1.Tourist - Placid Acid
I knew little to nothing about this guy - Pitchfork reliably informs me he’s a Brighton-based (quelle surprise) producer formerly known as Little Loud, and who also sometimes goes by the name of Will Phillips. This is from a 7’ EP he’s releasing on Make Mine. There’s something steadily euphoric about it, and I really like the little toy synth break down in the middle.