nz singles

Rip It Up, Issue 226, 1 June 1996, Page 31

nz singles

SHIHAD Debs Night Out CD Single (Wildside) Killjoy's 'Debs Night Out’ has been given a going over by one of those remix types in Los Angeles, but differs only minimally from the original — a louder vocal and a slightly funked-up drum beat. I’ll stay loyal to the original. Also on this disc are two awesome, unmissable treats: a powerfully angry cover version of ‘Flaming Soul’, first recorded by Wellington’s Flesh D-Vice (the band fronted by Shihad’s manager Gerald Dwyer), and a ballistic and snotty rendition of Devo’s ‘Gates of Steel’. While in LA last year, Shihad recorded the two included, casually stoned jams, entitled ‘Last Day of a Three Day Journey’ and ‘Coming Down’, and both are ideal for doing exactly the latter. FAT MANNEQUIN Room & Spine CD Single (Hark) The latest platter from Fat Mannequin, and gone are the Pearl Jamisms of Bigger Than Buddha, a sure sign that wagon has cleared the station. That said, Fat Mannequin are still overtly earnest on the polite, mid-tempo metal exercise, ‘Room & Spine’ — kinda like Danzig in a frock. Two demo recordings follow, 'Any Better’, and the spooky ‘Joy Joy’, which holds great potential. COELACANTH Miracle Body Rub CD EP (Sun Pacific) Mostly rather impressive tunes from Otara based Coelacanth, on their debut five song EP. The dramatic power pop of opener ‘Out of Sync’ is never quite beaten, but elsewhere the fuzzy guitar strains of ‘Hundred Friends’ gleans a smile, as does the high tension desperation of ‘Trollup’. Write to PO Box 47382, Auckland. BIKE Bike CD EP (Flying Nun) ‘He is back in the saddle with Bike,’ says Flying Nun, referring to exStraitjacket Fits strummer Andrew Brough, and the arrival of his band Bike’s first EP. Generally there’s few surprise on this four song recording.

Brough has come through the intervening years between the Fits and Bike with his atmospheric vocals and ability to pen floating, chiming guitar melodies intact, and I can’t help thinking I’ve heard these tunes before; ‘Save My Life’ is ‘Down in Splendour’, and ‘Don’t Cry’ is ‘Hand in Mine’. I’ll be more interested when Brough writes and records the predecessor to the totally masterful ‘Such a Daze’. NOTHING AT ALL! Busted CD Single (Zero/Festival) More barely controlled screaming and shouting from Auckland trio Nothing At All! on the brash and wiry ‘Busted’, the first single from their eponymous debut album. There’s also five bonus tracks here, including ‘Super Bullet’, which first appeared on the Busted cassette EP this time last year, plus ‘Loophole’, the snappy ‘TV Generation’, ‘Careful’, and this single’s best track, ‘lf You Want’, a belligerent dose of ‘up yours’Yock ‘n’ roll. TIM TEEN & THE TEENTONES Let’s Rock Cassingle New AK outfit Tim Teen & the Teentones may well find themselves part of the Frisbee clan if John Baker’s ears hear this. The instrumental (save for a few scattered 'Baby’s) is too close to the Bad News classic ‘Warriors of Genghis Khan’ for comfort, but ultimately reveals a heart and a sense of humour in the right place. Write to 1/1 > Ayr Street, Parnell, Auckland. BITUMUS When I Want to Drown CD Single (Bitumus) Bitumus singer Julz Cairney last appeared on CD handling backing vocals on Blackjack’s cover of the Promises’ hit ‘Baby It’s You’. I’m unsure if ‘When I Want to Drown’ is a step in the forward direction, as it’s a hellishly awful four minutes of overblown 80s power rock that, having heard once, I don’t wish to endure again. Way more palatable is the Violent Femmes-ish closer, ‘She Knows’. Write to PO Box 1041, Hamilton.

JOHN RUSSELL