Cougar Microbes are marching in like army ants…

Things have been a little quiet around here for the past couple of weeks and this was entirely predictable given that the World Cup has kicked off. Now that in the past few days the tournament has finally come to life, in particular for many Cougar writers’ gambling accounts, its a good time to return refreshed and stronger.

My twitter stream has been filled with references to the tournament (and insults to the commentators). Hopefully the good times are here to stay now.

TRACKS:

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Monarchy ‘The Horse Head Nebular’ Remix)

La Roux - Bulletproof (Spectors Wings Of Steel Mix)

I find it difficult to be impartial about a group who have named themselves after the best left-back football has ever known. Screaming Maldini clearly know world class when they see it parading around a football pitch in a red and black striped shirt. However, do they have the expertise to compare with the majesty of their namesake in a parallel musical universe? It’s certainly a big ask.

Alcopop, landlords to Wolf Am I and My First Tooth, are the label to have taken the leap of faith in the Sheffield six-piece. On the evidence of five-track EP ‘And The Kookaburra’ the leap is anything but a blind one.

From the get-go the words that spring to mind are ‘angular’, ‘melodic’, ‘orchestration’ and most certainly ‘pop’. Screaming Maldini are experimental with song structures, as you would want your emerging artists to be, without disappearing up their own buttock valleys. They weave rock breakdowns into pop songs as effortlessly as they drop atmospheric horn sections and light percussion over their boy/girl harmonies.

Often with EPs it is difficult to know how many ideas an artist has left in the bank and hence how they would transfer their energy to a full length. Screaming Maldini show enough variety within each track, from opener ‘Secret Sounds’ to closer ‘Miniatures’, to reassure the doubter that they could make the transition with the greatest of ease.

These folks are definitely worthy of that oldest of clichés used pretty much whenever referring to emerging artists; ‘ones to watch out for’. Having said that, I’d still rather have good old Paolo over to dinner.

‘And The Kookaburra‘ is out now on Alcopop Records

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Post by Kenny the World Cup medal winner.

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TRACKS:

Screaming Maldini – The Extraordinary

This is where I alienate half my readers by writing about my second biggest love, football. The new season is about to begin in all the major European leagues (if it hasn’t already begun) and its looking like exciting times; unless you are an AC Milan supporter that is. Back in January I wrote a thinly veiled attack on Manchester City‘s hostile transfer policy. Sadly in that post I correctly prophesied the inevitability that Kaka would move to Real Madrid.

Turns out all the money in the world CAN buy you prestige.

TRACKS:

Beethoven’s Fifth Gold Digger (Kanye West vs. Beethoven vs. Walter Murphy)

Gold Mahna Mahna (Kanye West Vs. The Muppets)

Football lives to see another day. For a while I thought Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite better known as the legendary Kakà was going to succumb to the charms of the petrol-dollars and become the World’s most expensive player but something happened behind the scenes that changed all that. Only one man is mad enough (and a big enough megalomaniac) to refuse an offer of 110 million and that is Silvio Berlusconi.  I’m not sure we’ve heard the last of this and he will probably head to Madrid in the summer (so i can always use the post i typed out in frustration) but for now I want to scream FORZA MILAN, FORZA RICKY!