Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Long and Blonde
Watch out. Cutting shapes with their scuzzy artrockpop across the nation's indiedisco dancefloors are Sheffield's young upstarts, the Long Blondes. Both the band members and the music are stylish, energetic, wry and sexy. Beret wearing singer, Kate, delivers their songs with a knowing sneer, telling tales of crap relationships, bored desire with a penchant for the banal queerness of British life. She has a distinctly English accent and veers between bored teenager and screaming banshee. In the best possible way, of course.
On their recent single, Appropriation (By Any Other Name), Kate sings the verses in an aloof, poetic drawl, using long words and complex word orders (uh-oh! language student alert!), which has an oddly intoxicating effect. The subject matter and the delivery reminds me of Black Box Recorder's anthem "The Facts of Life" in the way that it provides a very perceptive and cutting commentary on the way things are in relationships. It might sound trivial if you haven't heard it, but like most bands that I blog about, they have to be heard to be believed. The B-side, Lust In The Movies, gives its A-side a run for its money and was even played twice at Trash on Abstractboy's last visit. It is more social-realist relationship drama, tales of a man who has had 18 lovers, and this girl proclaims "I just want to be ya sweetheart" in its air-punching chorus. Gripping, pouting stuff.
After a quick trip to NYC, the Long Blondes are playing around the UK with Maximo Park and doing a few mini-festivals. You'd be advised to check them out - the press are catching on to their angular rhythms and interesting, quirky lyrical themes. They are an enthralling live act and you will be converted as I was.
posted by Unknown at 7/06/2005 12:45:00 am
0 Comments:
