Various Artists – Smalltown America ʻPublic Service

Broadcast #10′ Sunday, September 11th, 2011

This is the tenth new bands compilation from the renowned Belfast label Smalltown America, who have garnered a reputation for sniffing out the best up-and-coming underground talent and giving them exposure beyond their local scenes. This year the Public Service Broadcast will be released on vinyl for the first time in an edition of 500, and is, as usual, an eclectic mixture. The compilation begins with ʻThreeʼ by Glasgowʼs United Fruit. The past three years have seen them work solidly towards becoming one of the best live bands in Scotland, and their debut album is brimming with quality. This particular song shows that theyʼre capable of more than aggressive post-hardcore (not that thereʼs anything wrong with that, dear readers), hinting at an interest in the textures and atmospheres beloved of early ʼ90s bands like Swervedriver or Slowdive, but with more focus and a well-developed pop sensibility. Where to go from such a strong start? Recent Brew Records signees Blacklistersʼ ʻKing Prickʼ is a blast of Jesus Lizard-esque scuzz with a molar-grinding riff, and is yet another feather in the cap of the Yorkshire punk scene (as if it needed any more- if it were a real piece of headgear itʼd resemble a Native American head-dress by now). Event Horses continue the hardcore theme, albeit sharing the more polished sound favoured by a fair few of their Northern Irish contemporaries. Itʼs still a fearsome noise; vocalist Lee Cartwright has a pretty exceptional voice, and they show real promise for a band so recently out of the stalls.

Just in case you were getting settled into a comfy chair marked AGGRESSIVE, along comes an unexpected shift in style. ʻCoal My Lips Are Sealedʼ by Ramsʼ Pocket Radio is a shimmering slice of piano-led pop, bouncing here and there and everywhere like Nik Kershaw after a bag of gummy bears. Itʼs perhaps slightly incongruous in the context of the rest of the compilation, but as a standalone track itʼs charming, if a little sugary. Stylistically, things now begin to hop all over the place, from Daily Lifeʼs entertaining slacker-rock wonk-pop to VVolvesʼ majestic melancholy. Like a bastardisation of Mogwai and Rough Tradeʼs 1989 catalogue, ʻStrange Bloodʼ is deeply beautiful, sad and uplifting all at the same time; a definite high point of the album in my humble opinion. Derryʼs Our Krypton Son delivers a piece of blissful finger picked psych-folk, awash with layered harmonies, harpsichords and mariachi horns; a Laurel Canyon heat haze with a skein of dark smoke drifting through it. This is followed by General Fiascoʼs ʻThe Bottomʼ, which, you may be disappointed to find out, isnʼt about rear ends. They make up for that with a twinkling indie-pop gem, subtle, earnest and over-wrought all at the same time (or different times if Iʼm being honest, but you get the picture). The compilation shifts back into ʻrawkʼ mode with ʻHe-Man Womun Haters Clubʼ, a shrieking collision of riffs and time signatures, fracturing and reforming constantly. Like Lightning Bolt with guitars or a more vicious Future of the Left, Battle For Paris sound like theyʼre about to spontaneously self-combust. This leaves the final track, ʻShallow Goalsʼ by Mnemotechnic. On first listen they share quite a few similarities with Death From Above 1979 and other early-noughties dance-punk types, although to be fair theyʼre more inventive than a lot of the dullard hype bands that were doing the rounds back then. Four to the floor drums and shuddering bass mixed with wiry guitars may sound like punk-funk-by-numbers on paper, but the way the instruments and vocals slide in and out of syncopation makes things far more interesting. A strong finish to an excellent collection of songs, one that STA should be damn proud of curating. Iʼm sure they are, seeing as theyʼve gone to all that trouble, but you know… Just saying. Stewart Allan There will be launch shows to coincide with the release which are as

follows: 18th September – Sandinos Back Bar, Derry – Our Krypton Son 23rd September – Captains Rest, Glasgow – United Fruit 23rd September - ʻCulture Nightʼ, Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast – STA PSB10 LISTENING PARTY 24th September – Ma Kellys, Ballymoney – Axis Of / More Than Conquerors / Event Horses 1st October – Nations of Shopkeepers, Leeds – Blacklisters / Talons 1st October – Buffalo Bar, Cardiff – VVolves 5th November – Le Cube à Ressort, Brest, France – Mnemotechic Listening Party For full information on Smalltown Americaʼs Public Service Broadcast #10 and the artists involved please visit: http://www.smalltownamerica.co.uk