Foil - Spread It All Around (13th Hour Recordings)
Are they punk ? Are they Metal ? Are they Art Rock? It matters little because Foil, along with Feeder
are doing their utmost to fill the gaps in the UK rock market. They've probably been listening to
Helmet, Girls Vs Boys, Pixies and other noiseniks, but remain firmly Scottish. Their celtic origins are
evident for all to see on 'Control Freak', with it's Ewan MacGregor-esque spoken lyric. A clutch of fine
singles has now metamorphosed into a fine LP and includes the 1996 debut single 'Reviver Gene',
along with 'Are You Enemy' and 'Don't Come Around'. Noticeable by their absence are 'Let It Go
Black' and 'Man Overboard', to my mind their finest recorded moments yet. A solid debut LP, well
worthy of your cash.
Andi
Chaos UK - Heard It, Seen It, Done It (Vinyl Japan)
Andi
Now this most certainly is punk rock. Not old skool like the Buzzcocks or The Clash, but that second
generation, leather and bristles stuff, so beloved by our American and German cousins. You can
almost smell the cheap cider (and moth balls) on this cheap collection of punk tunes, given a run
through, quite literally in places, by one of the longest serving punk stalwarts around. Songs by The
Sex Pistols, ( the charming 'Belsen Was A Gas'), Elvis Costello ('Pump It Up') and even Ian Dury, who
gets honoured twice ('Plaistow Patricia' and 'Blackmail Man'). The strangest one of all isn't really a
proper punk song at all, the wonderfully moickered 'Gob On You', which was created by the writing
team responsible for Not The Nine O'Clock News, and performed by Griff Rhys Jones, and Mel Smith.
Funny in its own way, you really need to be a fan to buy this, or a sado-masochist, at the very least.
Andi
Moonspell - Sin/Pecado (Century Media)
Portuguese goth metal anyone? No, not us mate we're all stocked up on that one, I hear you cry (as
much in fear as anything else!) Now don't all run at once, but if you like Paradise Lost, Type O
Negative or even The Sisters Of Mercy, then this bands 3rd long player should suit you sir (or madam!)
There are guitar solos and doom laden lyrics aplenty, and this is obviously not music to be listened to
whilst there are still daylight hours remaining. Industrial in places, which by coincidence is the same
number of words in this review. (I lied, but then I was bored!)
Andi
Air - Moon Safari (Source)
If I hold my hand to the pad by the door, the door swishes open to reveal the inside of an opulent apartment overlooking St Tropez, furnished with all the beautiful things that lots of money can buy. I glide over in my orange and purple kaftan to the chaise longue, and as my waiter pours me one of his special cocktails, I press a button that starts up the latest groovy recording from this years popular French people, Air.
So much "easy listening" puts you in this mood - in particular, the classic "Music to Watch Girls By" by Andy Williams - which has a certain gangsta-rapper-ness to it that has to be heard to be believed. However, the easy here just isn't sleazy enough for me, only "Sexy Boy" really has the required glamour, most of the rest whimper along with all the passion of a faded popstar on a crap daytime quiz show. SW.
An intriguing fusion of avant-garde sounds and quirky lyrics overlay the more conventional Stone Roses theme that can be identified throughout this album. From the first track which includes wedding bells and a variety of voices,this more contemporary style is apparant. The rest of the album continues along this theme with the David Bowie-esque current single 'My Star' being the bright point of the album. The low point of this is Ian Browns questionable obsession with zoo animals. Both ostriches and lions manage to make an appearance. If you loved the Stone Roses and you love Ian Brown you will buy it whatever my opinion, if not, listen to a copy before you buy it. Lucille
If you've ever harboured secret desires to sit in a Parisian café, drinking café latte and eating croissants, but can't actually be arsed to go to Paris, then there is help available. Simply sit in your dingy room (If it's not dingy then make it dingy) and smoke about 30 Gouloise fags, until you feel about ready to pass out. Then, make a cup of Nescafé and invite a friend over. Ask him to bump into you every five minutes, spilling your coffee. Apologise to him in broken French every time he does so. For the final atmospheric touch, slip on this remix album by Spring. It comprises of loads of songs you've never heard of, remixed by a load of people you'll never care about. That said, it's pleasant enough, and if St. Etienne doing The Cardigans sounds like your bag, then this will put a spring in your step. (Groan.) 
Dawn Of The Replicants - One Head ,Two Arms, Two Legs (EastWest)
You can keep yer Radiohead. Not content with getting singles of the week, now they go and steal the coverted 'Album Of The Issue' too, and right from under the noses of the Warm Jets. Manic, kooky lyrics and off kilter music do it for me every time. It's almost a Best of….with their first release, with 'Candlefire', 'Lisa Box', 'Radars' and 'Cocaine On The Catwalk', all previously contained on various EP's, plus the next single 'Hogwash Farm'. The lyrics probably only make sense to Paul Vickers, with lines like 'keep away from my daughter, she has homework to do, all year round'(Hogwash Farm) and 'She learns to take the frog's mistake, voodoo clowns, voodoo clowns' (Candlefire), the men in white coats can't be far behind. Without peers at the moment, trawling through the waters of Captain Beefheart, just off the coast of Tom Waits, steered by Salvador Dali, but don't you dare mention Tiger.
Warm Jets - Future Signs (This Way Up)
The long awaited (well by me anyway) debut album by one of our tips for 1998. Again, like DOTR, there is a fair smattering of previously released material, 'Hurricane', 'Never Never', 'Move Away' and 'Autopia' all make it, alongside the likes of 'Silver Surfer' and 'Liverpool Street'. Forget the Zoe Ball connection, this is good music in it's own right. Not a classic, but you won't hear many better debuts this year.
Cold - Cold (A&M)
Now this is most definitely rawk music, as it should be. With the strangely named Scooter Ward on vocals, a man not afraid to wear his expletives on his sleeve, Cold steer through eleven songs with power searing through every sinew. A bit depressing with titles like, 'Ugly', 'Everyone Dies', 'Insane', 'Goodbye Cruel World', 'Serial Killer' and 'Makes Her Sick', obviously Scooter is far from a happy bunny. The songs bounce along in a Soundgarden, Korn type of way, but I can't shake the vocal feeling of Richard Butler from 80's band Psychedelic Furs, especially on 'Give', Insane' and 'Everyone Dies'. Much better than the over rated Coal Chamber or Tura Satana, and with HWP taking off, the future of US rock is in safe hands. Touring with Clawfinger, catch them at The Duchess on March 13th.
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