26th April 1999


Single of the Week

"Blossoms Falling"

Only one band in the world could trot out this line - "like a cloud of blossoms falling, I'm falling for you" - and not end up sounding as fey as a pack of pink pixies. Ooberman are that band, and manage not only to make such sentiment sound sincere, but also blend all the sounds together and serve up a delicious, Lightning Seeds-style pop milkshake with extra buzzsaw guitars sitting on top like a big, fat cherry. The likes of Ooberman are why you got into music in the first place: listen to them, love them, stroke them gently then lose yourself in their world.

B-sides reflect Ooberman's infectious exuberance and eclecticism. "Grey" is a gentle ballad, Danny plaintively emoting lyrics such as "I don't know what I'm doing anymore, spend my evenings lying on the floor" backing coming from someone playing piano whilst dabbing at their eyes with a hankie. "13", on the other hand is an insane romp that challenges Half Man Half Biscuit in the hatstand stakes as it pinballs round the room, overdosed on Sunny D and Skittles, pausing only briefly to reflectively "wish I was still 13" before flicking the v's at the vicar and dropping its keks.

Rating: 10/10

The Rest

"Korean Bodega" by Fun Lovin' Criminals

I love bands with a mission. Huey and crew-y's singular goal in life seems to be to capture how it sounds to be stoned off your nuggets. On "Korean Bodega" they get as close as anyone has managed in the past - including the likes of Spiritualized - by essentially capturing the sonic equivalent of a big dopey slack-jawed grin. More laid-back than (sick joke removed by my conscience), this particular version is the Aero Mexicana mix by none other Garbage, and is thus further blessed by the slinky sound of Ms Manson's vocal chords oozing over the chorus.

Bit of a variety pack of b-sides. First is the all-time classic "The Fun Lovin' Criminal", all Good Fellas style and streetwise hipness. Then you get the video to "Big Night Out" (the "I got supermodels on my D" song), which is all Good Fellas hipness and streetwise style. One trick ponies perhaps, but not many ponies I've seen rap like Robert de Niro.

Rating: 9/10

"Why Don't You Get A Job?" by The Offspring

"My friend's got a girlfriend and he hates that bitch" - this'll be the new Steps single then? Not quite - this is instead the follow-up to "Pretty Fly" from everyone's favourite punk poppets The Offspring. Lacking the seriously pounding riff that the previous song injected into your veins, "Why Don't You Get A Job?" is nevertheless another unsubtle blast of colon-clearing punk; a white trash marching song, no less. Taking selfish one-sided relationships as its lyrical theme, the song stomps through its paces with all the grace of a brick, but has a damn good time in the process.

(Incidentally, in case anyone could accuse the band of sexism, they thoughtfully balance things up in the second verse with the other side of the lyrical coin: "My friend's got a boyfriend and she hates that dick" - can't say fairer than that...)

B-sides are more hardcore, maaaan. "Beheaded" is old skool shouty speedcore punk just like Grandpa used to listen to. Then it's a 1-2-3-4 with "I Wanna Be Sedated", a slightly sprightly cover of The Ramones classic. "Put me in a wheelchair and get me to the show" - aah, they don't make 'em like that any more...

Who said "thank fuck"?

Rating: 8/10

"Beat Mama" by Cast

In one part of the world however, it is always 1996. Here, Cast have pitched their tent and continue to churn out rabble-rousing mop-topped guitar ditties uncaring of what the rest of the world is up to. Mind you, when the rest of the world is up to the likes of Cartoons and The Stereophonics (sorry, Guy...), who can blame them, and "Beat Mama" is actually quite a pleasant little toe-tapper, John Power holding court over a song that knows its place, yet kicks up a belter within it.

The La's were better though.

"Get On You" is similar to a million other Cast songs, apart from the anachronistic Sonic Youth-style guitar crackling away in the background, like a particularly welcome gatecrasher. "Nines Are" is more or less the same, but at twice the length and half the speed, is ten times as dull.

Rating: 5/10

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