Three is a magic number!
Three is seen as a lucky number amongst owners of Mini Cooper’s from the 1960’s because it represents the 3 used in the classic Michael Caine Film The Italian Job.
This may not actually be true but I’d like to think it is.
What is true though is that Marc has again defied the odds and released his 3rd compilation album of the best unsigned indie music around, as he strives to go once more into the upper reaches of the official chart where none of the artists featured have been before.
This time he has really cranked the dial up to 11 and pulled in a collection of artists and songs that will quite literally blow the competition away and if in a few years time some of them arn’t household names, I’m driving the coach off that cliff.
So onto the album…..lets break it down into sections this time.
First up the big hitters and the album is certainly filled with them.
You’d have to of been living on the moon these past few years if you like your indie music and hadn’t heard of The Heavy North, Apollo Junction, and The Rah’s – THN kick the album off with their masterful rock/blues Darkness in Your Eyes, keeping the trend of going big with the first track, Marc has pulled a masterstroke here. AJ submit probably my favourite song of theirs from the album All In, Porcelain is a perfect slice of new millenium power pop that borrows from the best of the 80’s/90’s greats. The Rah’s Sweet Talker is also one of the best tracks off their debut album which got everyone talking about how great they also are.
If these 3 don’t make it to the big time then there really is little hope for popular new music and we may as well give up now. No chance – these 3 are gunna smash it.
The singer songwriter boys are represented well also, James Hargreaves with his infectious brit-pop throw back song that is just great, infections are rife in this album as Sam Lambeth Nods his head as well with another country rock banger and the cool Jackson Lucitt has the Text Back Blues as he enters into the race to become the next Eddy Cochran (ask your grandparents), Jay Tennant gets all Bond with his Spectre, a song that really does deserve to be on a film soundtrack, ultimately all of these songs show the boys off to the max.
But here come the girls.
The Facades and The Flixx both have female vocalists and both show huge promise for the future and can stand up front and rock it like the best. Amelia Coburn with her love letter to Dublin is just a perfect ending to the album with a voice so pure it’s hard to imagine she drinks pints. The standout for me though is Maya Lakhani and her track The Line, before now I have had many people tell me how great she is and I should check her out. They are not wrong. It’s an amazing track that rekindles thoughts of Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt, high praise but clearly someone that is destined to go far. In fact these songs are just the tip of an iceberg of female vocalists making their way through the indie quagmire, its just a shame festival promoters aren’t doing their bit to put more on the bill.
As well as all this, we have the more established indie bands making a noise, The Lilacs with the less in your face Reytons sound – more melody and craft from the lads, The Superlatives with their power punk tune Sonder rekindling other great trio’s like The Jam for power and great tunes. Senses give us an exclusive from their debut album, big heartfelt tunes and We’re Not Wanted continues that trend that sees them making more and more friends. Class all of them.
Finally we have the new to me maybe new to you tracks.
Komparrision are one to keep an ear out for – more electronic and dance based to the rest of this album and certainly interesting enough to prick my ears. The Juice also show of their skills with Tell Me Tina which is well juicy, whilst the kids of The Katuns and Blackbirds show the youth still want to be in bands and make great music. Blackbirds especially mining the John Squire Second Coming/Seahorses guitar sound is just what I like to hear.
18 tracks – varied, interesting, from all over the country – proving naysayers wrong again – Indie/ New Music is healthy and rich in its quality and quantity. It may be an odd world right now but again B&P hits the Marc(sic) and leaves you waiting impatiently for number 4 (go on Marc you know you want to).
Brits & Pieces III is available for pre order now at these places:
https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/various/brits-and-pieces-iii
Go get a copy now and lets bust that Top 30.
Peace N Love
Michael
The Rebirth Of Cool 