News Singled Out: Top Five (23rd March 2012)

I spent this fortnight’s show nigh-on squealing with barely concealed excitement. I mean, obviously I love all the music I play on my show. Otherwise this whole thing would be a bit pointless. But something about the releases of the weeks commencing 19th and 26th of March have raised me to a higher plane of delight. Which, obviously, makes it all the more difficult to pick my favourite five…

5. Spring Offensive - Worry Fill My Heart
This was a real grower. I didn’t really get into it until about my fourth listen, and I didn’t even realise I’d got into it until I found myself singing ‘And if I can’t pay my rent then I’m completely dependent’ while I was cycling across town one day. For me, it’s always the ones that creep up on you like that that linger the longest - I like the earnestness of it. They’re self-releasing it on CD.



4. Veronica Falls - My Heart Beats
When I grow up, I want to be in Veronica Falls. The first single since their eponymously titled debut album (one of my favourite of 2011), this is out on 7’ on Bella Union.



3. Black Black Hills - A Drowning
I really, really want to live in Brighton, and I think this might be why I keep falling in love with bands from there. Not to detract at all from the brilliance of Black Black Hills (who I first heard of in their previous incarnation Pope Joan on a compilation released by excellent local label/promoter OIB), but some of my recent favourite bands include Gross Magic, Nullifier, Us Baby Bear Bones, Fear Of Men, all of whom call that super cool city on the South coast their home. This is out as a double A side on 7’ on the excellently named local label Friendly Dinner.



2. Fantasy Rainbow - No Hope. Not Ever.
Fantasy Rainbow is 18-year-old Oliver Catt, a few loop pedals and recently some band members as well. This the title track from his brand new EP which is a triumph and only to be missed if you’re a numpty. It’s on CD with a hand-drawn lyrics zine affair and you should totally buy it from his label Tiny LightsLights. And isn’t this a charming video?



1. Kindness - Gee Up
I. Just. Bloody. Love. Kindness. I really do. I heard ‘Cyan’ in late summer last year and when describing it to someone the word ‘funky’ just tumbled out of my mouth for the first time in a decade. I actually squealed aloud with equal delight and frustration when I first heard the tiny wonder that is ‘Gee Up’. His debut record ‘World, You Need A Change Of Mind’ hasn’t half had some terribly half-arsed negative reviews, mind, in which the criticisms seem to be largely levelled at Adam Bainbridge’s posturing hipsterdom. Well, in the immortal words of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, ‘[A hipster is] someone who kind of dresses up like an artist but they don’t actually make anything. So all you people calling me a hipster can go fuck yourselves cause I’m makin’ shit all the goddam time.’ Well, quite. And Adam Bainbridge has made a sublime cover of the Eastenders theme tune, so you can go, er, do what the man said. Out on 12’ on Female Energy/Polydor Records.



Listen to Lucy’s latest show here.