We’re late as usual for our date with Valentine’s Day and there’s a lot of necking to get through so this will have to be split over two days. “Ooh, painful” as Frankie Howerd would have tittered. Possibly even three. Call it Valentine’s Weekend. So without further ado let’s get on the job.
‘atom’ Chris Dall & Powerband (Denmark) – Amagerfræser (single/possible future album track)
Tonight’s first ‘Valentine’ band on the surface has nothing to do with the Day of Lurve but I couldn’t help but be attracted to the inspiration behind their new single which comes from The Pogues and Violent Femmes.
The former because of the outright conflict between Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl on ‘Fairytale of New York’, in which they bitched each other into the ground.
And the latter because it suggests how some Valentine’s Days unfortunately end up.
‘atom’ Chris Dall & Powerband never fail to come up with an absolute banger of a piece of punky rock and true to form that’s what they’ve done on ‘Amagerfræser’ which Mr Google tells me translates as ‘Amager milling cutter’. (Don’t ask). Except there’s a twist this time.
It’s the first single from their forthcoming debut LP which will be released later this year and it’s ridiculously catchy from the opening bars which suggest a hoedown might be a-coming.
But in fact it turns out to be more of a frenetic Irish jig and by the time the bridge arrives – complete with fiddle of course – you’ve been transported to Dublin’s Temple Bar where the pubs are exploding with this sort of thing.
I can’t understand a word Chris Dall is singing but it matters not. The musical vibe alone will suck you in.
And to the cognoscenti that will recognise what I mean, doesn’t it remind you of Britain’s gone and lamented Trembling Bells?
That’s a gap ‘a C D & P’ could easily fill judging from this track. If the album is of the same quality they are on a surefire winner.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atomchrisdall
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomchrisdall/
Bandcamp: https://chrisdall.bandcamp.com/
Motylki (Sweden) – I woke up like this’ (single/future album track)
‘I woke up like this’ is the second single taken from Motylki‘s forthcoming debut album ‘Chrysalis’ which as many readers will know was a highly respected British record label in the 1970s and 80s. That’s a good start.
And their name translates roughly as Butterflies in Eastern European languages apparently so it’s all coming together nicely.
There is again an alternative Valentine’s Day theme here as the song refers to the unfortunate tendency for dreams to evaporate upon awaking but for the nastier recollections to linger.
Just as a broken heart can last forever while what broke it in the first place flutters and then disappears into the void.
It’s very grungy. So much so that if you’d told me this had slipped out of Seattle back in the 1990s rather than Stockholm today I’d have believed you.
Motylki are a duo that became a trio, each part carrying historical personal baggage. The Chrysalis I guess. And thus do they add an ethereal vocal sound to that punky musical background shared between male and female vocalists who complement each other very nicely thank you.
And the female part of the equation has a look of Toni Basil about to sing ‘Mickey’, which I found quite endearing.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552742571820
