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The Fracture Clinic EP  The Ape Drape Escape

Info: Irripresible Records   A lot of bands try to be quirky and just sound a bit stupid. It can be very easy for wilful unusualness to sound annoying self-conscious. The Ape Drape Escape, however, peddle a fine brand of angular, slightly bonkers punk, and do a grand job.    The sound is somewhere between the Pixies, old skool punk and new wave. Singer Martin Clark sounds like the bastard and medically impossible lovechild of Frank Black and Johnny Rotten.    There is a certain sameiness to the songs, but that’s a minor point against a very interesting-sounding band. Top marks for the Pete Fowler-esque CD artwork too! Contact: [link] Sun, 3rd August 2003... Review by PJM

Broken Nose  Tommy Binks

Info: Grated Cheese Records   This is the new four track single from Rotherham’s gravely-voiced Evan Dando lover.    ‘Broken Nose’ is a raw, bluesy number with dark, surprisingly Nick Cave-esque lyrics. ‘Happy’ is a summery poppy number, while ‘The Harrowing Tale of The Little Fly’ is a rather poignant but funny parable about a fly that couldn’t be arsed to fly.     Final track, ‘Morning Comedown’ is my favourite out of the lot, it’s a gentle Lemonheadsy song with nicely cryptic but romantic lyrics. Not sure the Saddam Hussein reference entirely fits the song, but it doesn’t derail things that much.    Once again, Tommy proves he’s one of the best young songwriters around these parts. Check out his new band, The Alcoholics, for full on rawk versions of these songs, but make sure you get a listen of this to remember just what he can do on his own. Contact: [link] Sun, 3rd August 2003... Review by Pete

King of the World/Permanent Vacation  Dangerlust

Blimey, it’s Floater with teeth! Throwing their previous incarnation’s tweeness away, Dangerlust rock with the best of them. It’s a kind of summery type of rock that’s fun without being jokey, and it’s refreshing to hear a band who enjoy themselves this much.    Big stadium riffs abound on both tracks, ‘King of The World’ being a poppy put-down anthem for flashy buggers, and ‘Permanent Vacation’ being a slightly quieter, but still rocking number.    Good stuff… we want more! Contact: [link] Sun, 3rd August 2003... Review by PJM

The Cosmonaut EP  The Bedford Incident

This band are great, they sound like Belle and Sebastian, with a knack of telling melancholic kitchen sink tales the reminds you of Richard Hawley.    Going all the way from jaunty to epic, this is a versatile band that none the less keep a distinct identity. Both vocalists, Jamie Lisle and Jill Farrar, are good singers, and the whole thing is backed by acoustic guitar, cello and ambitious keyboards.    In a similar way to Paraglider, this is a band that need to get a couple of rungs up the ladder and replace their keyboard sounds with a real orchestra. Then their rather lovely musical vision can be unleashed properly.  Contact: [link] [email] Sun, 6th July 2003... Review by PJM

The Human Race  Mook

Mook is the singer/songerwriter alias of Jill Farrar of the Bedford Incident, which I suppose makes this the Gentle Waves to their Belle and Sebastian.    It’s not a bad comparison either, as Farrar’s breathy vocals and delicate instrumentation are very reminiscent of Isobel Campbell’s solo project. The songs on this album are beautiful, simultaneously melancholic and uplifting, sparse and epic.    Mook is one of Sheffield’s many hidden treasures. You can imagine this LP being a 30-something’s one album of the year, but also on the stereo in an Offbeat kid’s bedroom. Great stuff, and talent that we hope doesn’t remain unknown for long.  Contact: [link] [email] Sun, 6th July 2003... Review by PJM

This Is Not a Library  MJ Hibbett & The Validators

Info: Artists Against Success   Ok, this band aren’t from Sheffield or South Yorkshire, but sometimes we get an out of town record through the L2SB letterbox which deserves a mention anyway. One of the tracks mentions the ‘trams of Sheffield’, so I’ll use that as very tenuous justification.    MJ Hibbett is a Peterborough singer/songwriter, backed by his band The Validators. There are obvious Billy Bragg influences in there, but although politics are mentioned (in such things as national identity and rail privatisation) the main topics are the more mundane things in life, such as love, friendship and pubs.    In fact the good old public house constitutes a large portion of the subject matter here, including a convincing argument that the symbol of England should be a pub, and laments that times in old locals are now sadly gone.    It’s the sound of a man with a few niggles to sort out, but who is generally content with life as long as he has a foaming beer in his hand and a bar to prop up. It’s a charming album with intelligent lyrics, that warms the cockles of your heart and has you thirsting for a pint of mild.    Hibbett is threatening a Sheffield gig later in the year. Make sure you all pop down.  Contact: [link] Sun, 6th July 2003... Review by PJM

The James Bailey Experience  Commercial Dual Purpose

Obviously ambitious this lot, they’ve sent their album over two CDs, with daytime and night-time designs.    This is a band that’s full of ideas, from the rocket-trip theme of the album sleeves, to overtly political songs such as ‘Thatcher Milk Snatcher’. However they don’t always convince that they can pull the ideas off so well. Sometimes the lyrics sound pretty weedy, and the slightly shuffly guitar is uninspiring at times.    One song, aptly called the ‘The Shouty One’, has a proper full on nu-metally bit that uses lyrics from Ice Cube’s ‘Wicked’ and sounds really good. The acoustic track that follows is quite good as well, as is the funkier ‘My Love’, which starts the night-time CD.     And that’s probably their problem, too many ideas and trying out too many things. There’s talent there, but maybe they’re trying to be a bit too clever. As it is they don’t really hold interest for ten whole tracks. Final track ‘Tony Blair’s Petrol Fiasco’ is ace though… more like this please lads!  Contact: [link] Sun, 6th July 2003... Review by PJM

Slapper  John Merrick's Remains

Info: DMP Records   This band once traded under the lovely name of I Had Sex With John Merrick’s Remains, and are signed to new Donny electro label DMP.    The a-side is a demented slice of dark avant gard electropop, with a catchy shouty chorus (“Slapper! Slapper!”). The b-side is more of the same, continuing the bonkers lyrics and  Whigfield-gone-goth backing.    Imagine a less credible Prodigy, with a sense of humour, fronted by Phil Oakey’s brother, and with an unhealthy Elephant Man obsession. And you’re still not quite there. Debut album ‘Digging Up The Remains’ is out soon, and should be very interesting indeed.  Contact: [link] Sun, 6th July 2003... Review by PJM

Demo 2003  Southpaw

A no-nonsense guitar-driven indie rock act, but they rise above the competition with singer Ants’ quivery, slightly theatrical voice, and the fact they seem to worship at the feet of the good lord Morrissey rather than those pesky Gallaghers.    First track ‘I Woke Up Dead’ is probably the most commercial of the three tracks here, but other tracks, the quieter ‘Blue and White’ and the nicely sinister-sounding ‘Bruise’, are probably better.    It’s nothing new, but after the annoying bluster of the zipped-up parka brigade its refreshing to hear an indie guitar band that’s thoughtful and has a soul. Good songs performed well, and that’s what it’s all about really.  Contact: [email] Sun, 6th July 2003... Review by PJM

Richard Hawley  Leadmill

Having previously postponed his hometown gig twice due to the re-occurrence of a rare bone disorder which affects his finger, it's third time lucky for Sheffield's Richard Hawley. The Leadmill is comfortably full as he unassumingly saunters on stage with his four piece band. "Before anyone asks it wasn't a wanking injury" he jokes before launching into the aptly titled 'Coming home' from his self titled debut LP. Shorn of the strings and studio paraphernalia this is a stripped down and more human sound compared to his recorded material, a format that very much suits the rich tones of his voice and the subtle textures of the songs.    The Hawley vibe is unashamedly retro (names such as Roy Oribson, Walker Brothers, Chris Isaak and, more recently, Edwyn Collins come to mind) and in current musical climes could be considered a tad uncool, more Radio 2 than Radio 1. Equally, though, there's much merit in Hawley's back to basics approach, championing good, old-fashioned song writing and balladry in a similar manner to Billy Bragg in the 1980s. Add to that a genuine pride about the city of your birth and you start to get the frequency.    Predictably we get a hefty slice of the critically acclaimed 'Lowedges' LP but not before we're treated to the shimmering beauty of last year's single and stand-out track from 'Late night final' - 'Baby You're My Light' - a song that, with any justice in the music world, would have comfortably made the number one spot. There's a more low key feel to the new material, the gentle nostalgia-tinged lilt of 'Darlin', the fantastically titled 'You Don't Miss Your Water (Till Your River Runs Dry)' and the current single, 'Run for me' which crashes and soars while the singer lays himself bare.    Hawley matches the number of songs with guitar changes (lap steels, f-holes, 12 strings – you name it) but we can forgive him this apparent self-indulgence – “I’ve just collected a lot of guitars over the years”. ‘The Motorcycle song’, another high point of the set, encapsulates Hawley’s appeal quite nicely. Not a full throttle tribute to two wheels as one might expect, more a forlorn tale of pushing a Triumph Trophy back home with a tank full of holes. “One of the best three songs I’ve written” he tells us.    After more humorous quips, including parochial references to Fir Vale School, Sheffield City council's architectural misdemeanours and a surreal rant about the virtues of Sham 69 (!) the hour plus set draws to a close. "Thanks, you've been rare good". Aye lad - you weren't so bad yerself. Tue, 3rd June 2003... Review by Denzil Watson