von bondiesThis is a polished, occasionally anthemic, slice of 'indie' music cut from the cookie cutter template established in the mid-90s. The guitars are shiny and precise, the vocal chants have half an eye on the big stadiums, the drums are tight and energetic, the bass lines have that classic picked sound that's been around since the Pixies. The record overall reminds me a little of the Dandy Warhols, with its 'bohemian' poses and slick shiny surfaces. It is a sound that was getting old 10 years ago and now it's just so totally boring. There's no hint of a performance or feel of a group playing together in these polished tracks, everything is carefully placed and the moments of 'emotion' are so choreographed that they utterly fail at having any kind of impact. The tropes of 'indie' music are now so mainstream it's amazing that anyone still sees the point of copying the Velvets, the Pixies, REM or Nirvana (please no)? If bands do insist on copying this sound, they should at least have the balls to make it messy and exciting. Otherwise let's just leave it to Avril Lavigne. -- nick ilott
:: The Von Bondies/Love, Hate and Then There's You - Fierce Panda/Cargo
