New Young Pony Club

New Young Pony Club (NYPC) got lucky with that 'Ice Cream' hit that they had ("I can give you what you want" etc) which is now regular fodder at indie discos up and down the country, and has progressivly moved later and later in the setlist. The indie up-starts have taken to it and the catchiness is obvious. But you have to wonder what's going on with them. They seem to lack some kind of reckless abandon that I want in my rock and roll bands. The latest single, 'The Bomb' is similar in vein to 'Ice Cream', but doesn't have quite as much catchiness. I'm not quite sure of the point. Its danceable but it isn't going to inspire you. I can't imagine that you would ever hear anything by NYPC (certainly in the near future) that is going to make you turn round and form a band, and start fucking things up, as rock and roll should. It's pretentious. It suits the kids who wear luminous skinny jeans, who don't dance, but strike poses in some form of rhythm provided by the latest hip 7 inch single. And I'm not sure why it is. It's not the style of music. The whole scratchy sharp thing can have passion, check Gang of Four, Talking Heads, early Echo and the Bunnymen, even The Gossip have more passion. I'm sure that NYPC would have Lester Bangs turning in his grave. I think they epitomize the scene at the moment, NYPC. I realise that there are lots of subscenes in the indie scene these days, as has always been the case I guess. Most of the kids that dance to NYPC won't have bought it, most probably they will have downloaded it illegally. If not, then they will probably have downloaded it off iTunes. Most won't have heard the music that has inspired NYPC, and is, for my money, considerably better. How many would know 'Metal Box'? I don't want to sound like an old man, because I think it's good that proper scenes are forming, that people will fight for. I like that. It's a romantic image of rock and roll. But, I'm not sure that this kind of music (NYPC) is what I am after. I much prefer the Horrors. Now they are exciting. Brash, chaotic and properly rock and roll. I don't buy the bullshit about them all dressing like that before they met etc, but I don't mind that they have created that image for themselves, after all, we all like The Cure don't we? And it's the same look. The Cure created it for themselves, so why can't The Horrors? I can't imagine I would ever see NYPC lob a bin full of beer cans into a crowd of music business executives as Faris Rotter did at this years SXSW. Anyway, NYPC, danceable and 'scene' but somewhat lacking for my money.

Currently listening to Echo and the Bunnymen 'Shine So Hard' live EP

Sam