swankers, bear suit, marvin THE martian and more - singles for THE week beginning dec 3!

MARVIN THE MARTIAN / GET BY (NO CARBON) Kicking a political ball into the back of the net, Marvin returns with this sparkling juxtaposition of social relevancy and firecracker beats. Against a backdrop of slimy politicians, terrorism and estate poverty, the uncomfortable question of “Why fight when you can just sit by” rears it’s ugly head. And while most bands use political posture to disguise a lack musical innovation, Marvin’s a kind of hip hop stuntman – he pulls off both with a flashy grin. BLACK LIPS / VENI VIDI VICI (VICE) If the Daily Mail ever gets hold of this song they’ll be accusing it of “inciting voodoo boogie” amidst the impressionable young teenagers. ‘Cos that’s what it sounds like – a trip to Hawaii with all the witchdoctor bad guys from Live and Let Die. The perversely dirty lead guitars and Hendrix-esque sex grunts only add to its foul nature. Down with this sort of thing! BEARSUIT / FOXY BOXER (FANTASTIC PLASTIC) So ‘bedroom’ it sounds like it was assembled on Blue Peter, there’s a teenage DIY ethos to this track that’s guaranteed to make you dribble like a happy pervert. The song (based around the aforementioned sport of sexy women fighting each other – “or pretending to do so” in revealing clothing) contains just about enough ideas to re-write the indiepop encyclopaedia – in crayon. PJ HARVEY / THE PIANO (ISLAND) Trust the Pee Jay to reintroduce supernatural vibrations to the music world. Word has it that her new LP is a thing of beauty, and that she taught herself the piano so that it could become the driving instrument on it. Thus we come to ‘The Piano’ – not so much a love song to her instrument as an example of her opening a vein through it. Emotionally distressing and poetic, the lass is still writing with both eyes open. IAN BROWN / SISTER ROSE (FICTION) The mean streets continue to bleed into this dark single by the Roses man who many predicted would be burnt out by now. Like the film soundtrack to the Ninja Turtles movie they should have made this wreaks of cinematic danger and nut-busting rhythms. It would make a great accompaniment to a late night drive through the countryside, and is the best advert for embracing paranoia that I’ve heard in a long time. THE WALLBIRDS / THE AVENUE (DANCE TO THE RADIO) Goddamn I hate those modern Dylan obsessives – all of ‘em trying to re-create Subterranean Homesick Blues on a yellow keyboard and claim hereditary genius. This is something of a first then, for me to hear a song that sounds “mildly Dylan’ that is actually a jolly good trot through the Funhouse. ‘The Avenue’ doesn’t give too much of a shit where it comes from, it’s just determined to get pissed on cider and do a jig on the table tops. Meanwhile the B-side sounds like Shabby Rogue, which can only be a fine thing. PLANS AND APOLOGIES / MEETOO (PANDAZ POP) It seems strange to pen a song about being in love with a manic depressive that’s both casual and upbeat - yet PAA turn this into a workable theory. Snippets of Pavement, The Beach Boys and Horsebox all combine into a whistlable and perky little numba that occasionally shoots rockets of rawk into the stratosphere.