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Weekly reviews

Tempest by Broken Water

Jesus, this album often resembles Bardo Pond getting the Swirlies trashed in a squat, like proper primal, druggy and possessed indie rock but with this untamed demented tremelo'd pop sensibility driving through its veins. The songs where Abi sings are the cutest doses of phantasmagoric smack rock you'll hear right now on the US underground, proper maelstroms of sky shattering guitar meshing and downer space pixie vocals whilst the drums are often straight garage feral.

How the guy from the irrepressibly underwhelming Celebration is involved in this I dunno. His songs are more cool slacker early '90s buzzbombs with a homely drawl draped over bafflingly familiar hooks. Yeah he does sound a bit Thurston. The third track 'Yank Dyagileva' conjures up prime Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and NY's Versus with a hint of the slightly dangerous A-Frames towards the end. Does anyone recall Babe the Blue Ox or X27? Hmmmm…I'm getting too obscure maybe?

This three piece have written a timeless melodic '90s US indie rock album, stacked with hits as far as I'm concerned and a couple of endearingly weak moments, one of which sounds a bit like Pearl Jam FM radio punk angst near the end but is still somehow cool.

But the gems for me are still where Abi sings, I'm smitten, this music so often rides on her murky rumbling bass and pure sad tones whilst Jon Hanna lets loose with hot wild guitar shredding and the steady earthy drums piledrive away. Both tight but brilliantly loose, these youngsters have developed rapidly since their last couple of wax platters chirped up the scene for us older, set-in-our-ways types.

This is the sound I loved when I was younger, done so, so well it makes me grin from ear to ear.  A list of bands never hurts so if you like OLD groups like Swirlies, Treepeople, Pain Teens, early Medicine, MBV, Sonic Youth, dustDEVILS, St. Johnny, early Afghan Whigs...I'm sure I even heard Siouxsie and the Banshees laced through one track, then this gorgeous racket is yours. So not a brand new sound but I love bendy guitar noise that sounds like abrasive velvet on a stylus and 'Tempest' has lots of this and hooks that glue themselves in yr mind like aural marmite.

Fistula / Mobility Plaza by Chips for the Poor

This is ace! Chips for the Poor appear to be going up in the world, recording this new seven with none other than Bobby Conn. 'Fistula' has got a drum machine beat, an afrobeat guitar line, and then a wall of fuzzy jangle and Mark E Smith-esque chanted vocals over the top of it. The intro's a bit Paul Simon but then it turns totally fucking smart, like Sauna Youth playing an Ian Dury song or something - infectious, intuitive melodies and dirty tones.

Flip it and 'Mobility Plaza' is a more downbeat number, with their “clacker box” pushing along some shoegazey jangles while S.C.O.T.T. yelps over the top. Quite summery and once again there's a bit of an Afro feel in the second half when the bass line is joined with these little staccato runs of guitar chords. This one gets a bit repetitive towards the end and could maybe be a minute shorter but these are both quality summer jams.

This week's top picks from the team at Norman Records

(You've no idea how many arguments this causes every week.)

Tempest by Broken Water

Tempest
Broken Water

...according to our Brian

Jesus, this album often resembles Bardo Pond getting the Swirlies trashed in a squat, like proper primal, druggy and possessed indie…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
Fistula / Mobility Plaza by Chips for the Poor

Fistula / Mobility Plaza
Chips for the Poor

...according to our Mike

This is ace! Chips for the Poor appear to be going up in the world, recording this new seven with none other than Bobby Conn. 'Fistul…view full details.
  • Available on: 7"
You Wont Let Me EP by Jack Dixon

You Wont Let Me EP
Jack Dixon

...according to our Business Lady

Ah, more sweet goodness. Not heard London producer Jack Dixon before but the combination of the blazing sunshine and the openin…view full details.
  • Available on: 12"
Among The Leaves by Sun Kil Moon

Among The Leaves
Sun Kil Moon

...according to our Clinton

The last two Sun Kil Moon albums,the drifting Spanish guitar-led 'Admiral Fell Promises' and the lengthy devastating paean to lov…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
Volumes 1 & 2 by Pye Corner Audio

Volumes 1 & 2
Pye Corner Audio

...according to our Brian

Been really looking forward to this one after catching him live in Newcastle a few weeks back. Personally I'm actually not massively into some of the …view full details.
  • Available on: Double LP
Gallery by Craft Spells

Gallery
Craft Spells

...according to our Business Lady

And talking of Captured Tracks here's the new one from Justin Vallesteros a.k.a …view full details.
  • Available on: 12"
The Sister by Marissa Nadler

The Sister
Marissa Nadler

...according to our Clinton

The one thing you can say about Marissa Nadler is that she has a swooping voice. It swoops and swan dives all over this albu…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
A Jumpers Handbook by Doomsday Student

A Jumpers Handbook
Doomsday Student

...according to our Business Lady

Arab On Radar were one of the most intense and inventive bands to ever emerge from any scene let alone the historically guarded and relati…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
Composed by Jherek Bischoff

Composed
Jherek Bischoff

...according to our Business Lady

Leaf have scooped up a nice li'l record here from Jherek Bischoff - a Seattle…view full details.
  • Available on: LP
Valtari by Sigur Ros

Valtari
Sigur Ros

...according to our Mike

On this new Sigur Ros record the superstar Icelanders sound exactly like Sigur Ros. It's proper warm and lush and epic. They don…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
Colourbox by Colourbox

Colourbox
Colourbox

...according to our Clinton

Now here is a band both ahead of and somehow of their time. Those people who whine that 4AD have gone insane by signing the likes of …view full details.
  • Available on: CD box set
Several Sundays by Culkin

Several Sundays
Culkin

...according to our Business Lady

Stockholm's Culkin play old school gnarly shoegaze-pop the way a lot a people like to hear it; loud, fuzzed out and influenced as …view full details.
  • Available on: CD
  • More from: Culkin
  • More on this label:
Ecliptic Plane by Joe Evans

Ecliptic Plane
Joe Evans

...according to our Ant

Here's a new thing on Runningonair which comes with a bonus DVD as well for you fans of the DVD format. The release is about th…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
Voices Of Packaged Souls by Suzanne Ciani

Voices Of Packaged Souls
Suzanne Ciani

...according to our Mike

Many of you, like me, probably only properly got exposed to the work of Suzanne Ciani when …view full details.
  • Available on: LP
W115 / Part Tiger by Survive

W115 / Part Tiger
Survive

...according to our Mike

Aw shit yeah. This record is making me feel like such a badass. It's quite a crisp, clean bit of synthpop from a quartet of Texans calling themselves Survive. I don't know many Texan synth ba…view full details.
  • Available on: 7"
  • More from: Survive
  • More on this label:
Thunder May have Ruined The Moment by Vieo Abiungo & Peter Monro

Thunder May have Ruined The Moment
Vieo Abiungo & Peter Monro

...according to our Phil

I think I know what these guys are on about. There's at least two or three times in my life when thunder has ruined the moment but I'm not sure if it's the same sort of thunder. This is essen…view full details.
  • Available on: CD
Bring Me The Head by Aggi Doom

Bring Me The Head
Aggi Doom

...according to our Mike

Aggi Doom are a girl from Remember Remember and The Royal We…view full details.
  • Available on: 7"
The Wired Lab- Wired Open Day 2009 by Oren Ambarchi/ Robin Fox/ A Lamb/ G Bradbury/ D Burraston

The Wired Lab- Wired Open Day 2009
Oren Ambarchi/ Robin Fox/ A Lamb/ G Bradbury/ D Burraston

...according to our Brian

Right, I listened to a fascinating documentary on this mad set up in Australia a while back on the recommendation of our Ant who is good friends with the man David Burraston (also known as Da…view full details.
  • Available on: Double LP
Jupiters / Orocas by Four Tet (Fourtet)

Jupiters / Orocas
Four Tet (Fourtet)

...according to our Clinton

Here we go with another surefire winner from the man we at Norman call Fourtet. Opening with a squelchy, hi end twinkly keyboard motif…view full details.
  • Available on: 12"
Petition/ My Better Self by Tennis

Petition/ My Better Self
Tennis

...according to our Clinton

This is the thickest record I've ever seen. It's so thick - it's like a breezeblock! It looks like two records stuck together. The record player can't cope with its sheer weight. Thicker tha…view full details.
  • Available on: 7"
  • More from: Tennis
  • More on this label:

Weekly update

Yo Yo Yo! Welcome, people, to another week of fun packed joy and that!

Some site news first, though. We made a massive technical change last Friday to the whole infrastructure behind the site, which largely went okay but has thrown up a few wobblers. We’re trying to get those sorted asap so please bear with us, but this is the last big change we’ll be making now in ages. Little tweaks here and there from now on, we promise.

If the site continues to give you any sh*t for pretty much whatever reason - adding and amending addresses during checkout and in your account area seems to be causing particular problems - then clearing your browser cache and cookies will often work. Pain in the bum, we know, but if it's any consolation we intend to give Nathon (our web guy) a good shoeing every day when he leaves the deathly embrace of his current employer and starts here full-time, where he belongs.

And, yes, we’ll be bringing back sold out items at some point but I’m not sure when!

Well this week we’ve survived a break-in and the hot weather (which makes a change as the office is normally freezing) to bring you a nice spanky update chocka full of nice records and that. Records such as a brand new Sigur Ros LP for you emotional floaty lads and lasses, or if you’re into a certain Mr Mark Kozelek then you’ll need to check out the Sun Kil Moon album which is a limited funky 2CD jobber.

The Jherek Bhischoff album on Leaf is ace and it’s got David Byrne warbling all over some of it....If you’re a big beard then you’ll want the The Wired Lab - Wired Open Day 2009 LP by Oren Ambarchi, Robin Fox and some other dudes...you should read up about it as it’s a well interesting project! The Pye Corner Audio LP has finally landed so that’s freed up some space in our pre-order boxes! If only the bloody Heads & Sleep LP’s would come in we’d be sorted then! Brian loved the Broken Water album on Hardly Art and Business Lady loved the new Arab On Radar-related thing by Doomsday Student. Nice!

We managed to score some more copies of that Ty Segall & White Fence LP which came and went in a flash! If you’re into experimental electrionics then check out the Suzanne Ciani LP on Dead Cert in a fancy shiny sleeve! There’s an album on Discrepant by Cedric Stevens featuring folks by Leyland Kirby, Fennesz, Motion Sickness and a ton of other nice people. If you like Dinosaur Jr/Teenage Fanclub/MBV ‘90s indie rock fun then you should check out the Culkin CD which is great! Singery songwriter lovers will be enamoured with the new Marissa Nadler album! There’s three new things in this week on Line by Frank Bretschneider, Pinkcourtesyphone and Robert Curgenven & Richard Chartier. And there’s more albums by the likes of Horseback, Suum Cuique, Xaddax, Alt J, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Mark Leckey, Yee Koo, Dolphins Into The Future, Eli Keszler & Keith Fullerton Whitman, Thieves LIke Us, Chrome Jackson, Craft Spells, Colourbox,  and Vieo Abiungo!

Singles wise we have a few choice morsels by the likes of Four Tet, Liars (woo!), Tennis, represses of Windowlicker and Come To Daddy by Aphex Twin, Swim Deep, Bjork, English Singles, Michael Kiwanuka, Survive, Aggi Doom (Divorce folks), Fiction, Van She, Chips For The Poor and probably a lot more that I’m forgetting right now!

OK there you go... short and sweet!

Boss Man Phil and the League of Normalmen

xxx

What's been getting Team Norman all excitable this week?