Placebo, The Vines, XisLoaded

Placebo
‘Soulmates Never Die (Live In Paris 2003)’
(Hut)

It may sound strange that Placebo release a Parisian show on a DVD but the fact is that this band is more appreciated abroad than in the country they are based in. ‘Soulmates Never Die’ is a superb collection of the band’s live versions of hits and what a solid bunch it actually is.

One of the most underrated combos in the UK sound good, record great pop-rocky tracks with some of the catchiest hooks, the singer looks good [in an androgynous way]… With extras, the DVD cover-blurb sums it up nicely: “Every so often it all comes together: band, crowd, venue and the music itself. Always the music but each element has its own part to play. Without one the rest is nothing. Alchemy, they sometimes call it. They also sometimes call it - a great show.”

This is Placebo’s… Phuqing ace!

9/10
*

The Vines
‘Winning Days’
(Heavenly)

Last year’s most promising Australian export, similarly to The Strokes a year earlier, fairly stalls on its sophomore album, and the media gets accused of the - backlash. If they created the hype in the first place, aren’t they allowed to speak the truth, in the end?

The Vines have based their musical phrasing on the Nirvana legacy but, unfortunately, end up sounding like their compatriots of few years ago, Silverchair. There is nothing here to really distinguish - despite singer/guitarist/mainman Craig Nicholls being ‘weird’ - The Vines from plenty of other bands that are a clandestine tribute outfit after all. Only the disc’s title is prophetic… [erm, we hope.]

4/10
*

XisLoaded
Borderline, London
22 March 2004

People who have hailed The Vines into ‘stardom’ should look closer home. XisLoaded is a very good candidate for a Bright new hope of Brit rocking. They may even be inventing a new genre - ‘hard indie’: sounding in part like Muse-with-balls, Korn on speed, psyched-out The Cure, epic-reaching like Suede used to be, they are a band unrestricted by trend-chasing.

Complex arrangements and dynamics with technique to deliver as tight as The Darkness’ underwear, this quartet led by Jake Robertson is ready to make some serious inroads into the mainstream. The current double-A sided single ‘Laugh, Point & Wave/’The Start Of Everything’ - dedicated to their record label, Music For Nations that organised this little launch/showcase - plus songs ‘13 Days’ and ‘Panzer’ are great display of the outfit’s dexterity.

Their selection of material from Spring-due debut album ‘Raw Nerve’ is blasted within 45 minutes without an encore. Extremely impressive.