Cynical Smile - The Circle


Now, there may well be a CD with this here issue of YAZ, but I’m by no means the first person to do this sort of thing. But one of the most important and prolific are those very nice people at the Org. I’ll readily admit I nick a load of ideas and stuff from them. I try not to emulate, cos I can’t compete with it, but they do some great stuff, and are way more important to music than say Kerrang! is. And the Org zine may be on the way back. Get it if it does, cos it’s the Bible. And this is another example of the great work they do. A single, that just happens to come with 17 tracks by 12 bands. Mainly, if not all UK bands. Some you’ll have heard of, some you wont. Some you may like, some you probably won’t. That’s not the point. The point is supporting and discovering, and that’s what Org is so great at. They give us all the chance to do so. Before stuff is picked up by the people of power. But enough of them, to the music mobile Robin.

Of the 17 tracks on offer, 5 are by Cynical Smile, 4 originals and a bleeding remix. you know I struggle with those, though fairs fair, it isn’t that bad. Done by the Vitro people in case you were wondering.

Monkey Boy, who are pretty wonderful are they not?, donate the Primus inspired Planet Paul Pope, while Cay, who didn’t overly tickle the tastebuds a few issues back, are beginning to grow on me with their contribution, Princes and Princesses. Still not the greatest band in the world however. Elsewhere Lukan still sound uninspiring to me, in their post grunge / pre grunge way. Eleven Pictures offer a grungy melodic sort of thing, which is quite nice.Vocally reminds me of a more relaxed Vedder. Nice. I was kinda surprised by it. Pleasantly.

Little Giant Drug, with yet another surprisingly melodic offering. So when is the album due then? Speedvark are going for the plain weird, with the almost choirboy style backing vocals. bizarre.

Track 11 is about some bed of nails. Sugargun. Knuckles are drawling, doing something a little different. And telling us to "burn all your records as well." A bass dominated, spartan sound, which is actually pretty good. Speedurchin are next with a punky offering that in my lazy mode reminds me of a NOFX style. But it's good, and it's better than a lot of the American NOFX wannabies. No, I won't get fooled again. Then it's good old Liberty 37 and Scarehead in which the female vocalist (sorry don't know the name), does the switch from really sweet girl vocals (not meant to be patronising), to gritted teeth on the chorus. finish things off. Some stuff I'm not so keen on. But that's always going to happen. It's about supporting the whole, not just the bit parts. For 2quid, you get 65 minutes of music, and that is a bargain that shouldn't be passed up.

Beware, these singles are limited to 1000 copies. Just make sure that you help ensure there are none left. These bands and these people deserve your support.