Review: Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

Klaxons? Get real. Metronomy? Fuck off! Late Of The Pier are the new masters of electro-punk.

Their debut, "Fantasy Black Channel" is a chaotic mass of crunchy indie guitars and euphoric synthwork that hits you right in your face, pisses in your pint of Guinness and blazes off before you have a chance to catch your breath. From the heavy electric blues of "VW" and "Hot Tent Blues", throught the euphoric synthy rock'n'roll of "Random Firl" and  the aptly titled "Whitesnake" right into the fizz-bang-fuck-off energy of "Focker" and "Dose A", this album has a bit of everything. "The Enemy Are The Future" is a delicious slice of indie-disco, although it does drag on for 6 minutes and eventually you probably will get bored of hearing Sam Dust croon "It's an easy life, easy life". "Space And The Woods" and "Broken" are stadium-worthy fist-in-the-air anthems. And "Mad Dogs And Englishman", with its prickly guitars, is what it would sound like if Bloc Party had a one night stand with Foals in a pub toilet.

This is new-rave at its very best. Just the right balance between dance and rock, changing from Human League to Justice to Muse in the blink of an eye. Plus the frontman has nice hair. What more could you want?

I give "Fantasy Black Channel" 4 stars!

For fans of: Klaxons, Human League, The Offspring

Quick review: Justice - A Cross the Universe

Thought Alive 2007 was epic? You ain't seen nothing yet.

Justice's first live album, A Cross The Universe, just further goes to prove that Justice rock harder than any so-called "real band" ever could. What? You don't believe me? Oh, how predictable, you're using "D.A.N.C.E" and "We Are Your Friends" as evidence. Well you clearly haven't heard them spasming over Metallica samples and "Atlantis To Interzone" sirens.

Listen to this album. And if you're you're not jumping around and headbanging by the end, you have no soul. 

I give Justice's "A Cross The Universe" 5 STARS!

For fans of: Crystal Castles, Klaxons, Metallica