Ring A Ding Ding reviews
atomicduster.com (scroll down) Following the release of their much lauded album - Give Blood, comes a single that will surely need no introduction. The first track from the album, 'Ring A Ding Ding' comes complete with the killer hook - "Ring A Ding Ding, my head's in a spin..." a line I defy anyone to hear and not have it tapping at their senses throughout the remainder of their day.
In true Brakes fashion this clocks in at 1'38", with the entire 4 track CD single just edging past 8 minutes, so they don't give the listener a chance to tire. The lead track features not only that great hook, but a cutting guitar that rips through the sub-two minute tune. Also offered are the Johnny Cash standard 'Jackson' & Camper Van Beethoven's 'Shut Us Down', before settling for another original Brakes tune to end proceedings. Value or what! 9/10
playlouder.com It's rare that a supergroup manages to live up to the former five letters in that description, but, to be honest, we've found ourselves returning to 'Give Blood' rather more than the British Sea Power album this year. This, as many of you must know by now, is its opening salvo, clocking in at an extravagant, for Brakes, 97 seconds and recalling the concept of Ade Blackburn dissecting the Crazy Frog to the strains of 'Virginia Plain', which is, as you'd imagine, a world of rude, complicated trouble. One of 2005's more excitingly corrosive sticks of Brighton rock, all told.
thedownloader.co.uk Probably the most underrated (and amusing) record of the year, Brakes debut Give Blood is a mind-frazzling sprint around every conceivable hiding place for lo-fi, infectious pop shenanigans. Of which new single Ring A Ding Ding is the undoubted highlight. Clocking in at a princely one minute thirty eight seconds Ring A Ding Ding is musical lunacy tussled up in a spit ball and gobbed heroically out the end of a battered biro tube. It's so much fun; you'll want to play it again and again. And again.
dgr.se Taken from one of the years best albums here's the latest single from those funsters the Brakes. 'Ring A Ding Ding' sounds like Husker Du given over to amorphous Camper Van Beethoven mannerisms. The lines are repeated as passion takes over the track.
Popex.com: "...The title track of the latest release from the Brakes launches forth at you with riffs that remind me of the Sex Pistols and then the full force hits in indie rock fashion... We are back on more familiar Brakes territory with the brash and urgent Shut Us Down and then a country music reprise with If I Should Die Tonight"
r13.co.uk Well, I said to the powers that be (Gawd bless 'em) send me something unusual to listen to. I'm so bored with U2esque riffs and coldplay whinging. I got the Brakes new single, I'm a happy bunny.
RING A DING DING captures all the joyful mad weirdness of Brian Eno and early Roxy music. I can't tell you how mush I love it, it's an absolute stunner. It's a wonderfully refreshing brand of lunacy. The CD includes the video for RADD, not only the music that's freaky, I can tell you. GIVE BLOOD is the name of the album, well just watch the film, shades of Monster Club (the 1980's Vincent Price movie, not the band)
JACKSON is a lovely slice of hoopy country it bounces along merrily. It can be found on the 7" and CD. SHUT US DOWN follows these two corkers on the CD version. It's pure Neil Young. Basically you can't go wrong with this diverse, quirky little outfit.
angryape.com Ring A Ding Ding is an infectious blend of madman vocals about "monkey macaroni", chugging guitars and swirling Hammond organs for a 2 minute garage-rock monster. B-side Jackson is another track from album Give Blood; an equally addictive number with vocal contributions from Leila Moss (The Duke Spirit), and Shut Us Down is a 1 minute blast of bluesy-rock riffs The Rolling Stones would have been proud of.
Brakes are the sound of four friends jamming and having fun, pretending to be Neil Young, the Rolling Stones and combining country, rock, punk and blues. This is uplifting, toe-tapping party music you won't ever tire of. Recommended.
makenoiseanddance.co.uk The song tells the tale of a man fighting the system who grows feeble under the weight of the pressure to become a minion of popular culture. Throw collectivism out of the window kids! It beautifully illustrates Eamon Hamilton's vocal hybrid of country and punk, producing the anomalistic sound of his erratic yelping vocal over punchy country-punk guitars. Incorporate some dynamic drumming to create an undoubtedly jerky danceable number.
soundsxp.com It's little short of daft genius. The vinyl contains If I Should Die Tonight, that I promise you gets closer to capturing the gauche songwriting genius of Will Oldham than the thousand or so studious acoustic guitar pickers who slave daily over the task ever will. Like I said, genius.
musicomh.com Its quirky nature makes sure that your ear is caught quickly: yes the opening bars of guitar could sweep into Jean Genie, and yes, this is possibly the strangest and most likeable song you've heard in quite a while. Brakes appear to be a band whose members can revel in the fun of music and the delight of occasionally retarded lyrics. Even the straight face country stomp of Jackson retains a sense of fun, and this is why we should be thankful for the Brakes. You've got to love a supergroup that for once lives up to the name.
2-4-7-music.com It's not like they have any trouble getting anything below the requisite length to qualify for the singles chart, this clocks in at a man-sized 1 and a half minutes, but even listening to the album which buzzes past in a flash there's no hint that they're about to become a classic little singles band. But by crikey with a cowbell, they have! Can't fault them. Best super (well, if you can call it super) group ever? We think so.
unpopular.typepad.com The new Brakes single is acer than an ace thing being very ace. Ring A Ding Ding sounds like Clinic, which of course is no bad thing. Oh, and they do a stonking cover of the country classic Jackson.
xplosure.com Rather unique this, rather edgy country falavad alternative indie style rock ... almost towards Kings Of Leon ... but a little sweeter. Ring A Ding Ding pulls in at 1min 38secs, Jackson (the town not the bizarre) - 3'07", then the short and sharp Shut Us Down is 1'18", If I Should Die Tonight 2'02". They may feel the need at some point to follow The Rakes example and extend one or two of these, then again it's always a good idea to leave the audience wanting more. Different and rather good, see them launch this single at Cardiff Barfly on Thursday 20th October.
tangents.co.uk Well, hell, if this track isn't like a great lost Clinic track then, uh, I'm something I clearly could never be. That it's also sounding like a great lost Roxy Music single is also to its credit. Now I didn't fully catch up with Brakes Give Blood album of the summer, but on this evidence I'm going to make amends post haste and I suggest you do the same. Oh you already did? I'm sorry, I'm just slow. And for the connection spotters there's links here to British Sea Power, Electric Soft Parade, The Tenderfoot, and from thence to Blind Cowboys, Monster Bobby, Pipettes, and no doubt a heap more of Brighton's brightest and best. The single is out on October 17th but this lead track is on the album, so you've already heard it.