Ivy have been around as a trio since 1993 and although the name might not ring many bells they have slowly drifted into the public consciousness culminating in their score for the Farrelly Brothers ‘Shallow Hal’ flick. Made up of French born vocalist Dominique Durand, Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger (he of Fountains Of Wayne fame) Ivy have left much of their indie guitar roots behind them of late, preferring instead to mine a sound not too dissimilar to Morcheeba. While this has its own pitfalls in a market that lacks differentiation songs like ‘Edge Of The Ocean’ can still be enjoyed without feeling that you’re swallowing old hat. Durand’s vocal harmonies are particularly noteworthy as the cascading chorus blossoms; elsewhere the music sounds like it just wandered off the set of ‘The Beach’. The perfect comedown for those short catch-your-breath breaks between World Cup games. KD

Ivy - Edge Of The Ocean

More Info: Ivy
Buy Album: [UK] Long Distance [US] Long Distance
Year: 2001

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‘The Church Of Seduction And The Republic Of Business’ is worth it for the opening spoken line ‘You stand convicted of asshole-ism’ alone. For some reason it always makes me smile uncontrollably, the bonus of course is that the tune that follows it is so remarkable. Remarkable because it courses by with such deep melodic fluidity, the guitars are deft and incendiary and Rick Bowman’s voice is so likeable it warrants multiple revisits. The Frauds are from Baltimore, had their debut album out for 2 years before deciding they needed to reissue it. All the evidence points to a unique talent at work here, the music is friendly on the ear, familiar yet alluringly apart from everything that has proceeded it. KD

The Frauds - The Church Of Seduction And The Republic Of Business

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Some Genuine: Frauds
Year: 2006

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Leftfield may not have scaled the heights of their contemporaries Orbital or Underworld but they certainly had their moments. ‘Release The Pressure’ was their first electronic foray and in a bid to hedge their bets the song includes the chilled out tones of reggae legend Earl Sixteen. This is the extended album version that pulses and swaggers for almost eight minutes. It may take some time to wiggle into the glorious synth shakedown at its core but it is never less than a groovy accessory to the hedonistic weekend you may have planned. Paul Daley and Neil Barnes prove adept at building the atmospherics to a point where refusing to succumb to its charms is a futile exercise. The duo were to have their biggest success when joined by John Lydon for the energetic but much less subtle ‘Open Up’. KD

Leftfield - Release The Pressure

More Info: Leftfield
Buy Album: [UK] Leftism [US] Leftism
Year: 1995

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One game down and just 63 more to go. And what a start it was with Germany and Costa Rica sharing 6 goals. The Irish National Television network RTE has recently started to raise the bar in their choises of background music used to advertise the sporting events they are covering (just picture the ancient clash of the ash with Explosions In The Sky and Sigur Ros aural scenery). So in a fit of inspired musical acumen they played the fade out of Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Darts Of Pleasure’ as we salivated over Philip Lahm and Torsten Frings wonder strikes. ‘Ich heisse Superfantastisch! indeed, and if ever there was proof that music and football washes away the boredom of everyday life then this was it. Here's to a fabulous month of football. KD

Franz Ferdinand - Darts Of Pleasure

More Info: Franz Ferdinand
Buy Album: [UK] Franz Ferdinand [US] Franz Ferdinand
Year: 2004

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Better known for their super novelty hit ‘Where’s Me Jumper’ the Sultans Of Ping were dedicated followers of the beautiful game, so much so that they appended the F.C. (Football Club) to the end of their name. Their debut ‘Casual Sex In The Cineplex’ contained a host of excellent tunes proving that behind all Niall O’Flaherty’s madcap antics lay a genuine talent. 'Give Him A Ball (and a yard of grass)' is a song about Brian Clough’s son Nigel who while keen of thought and skill lacked that yard of pace to become one of the greats. The song has a hair raising choppy bassline, while O'Flaherty uses the words of Clough senior to wonderful effect. This should be a staple in your nearest indie (it was a) dive (ref) for the next month or so. KD

The Sultans Of Ping F.C. - Give Him A Ball (And A Yard Of Grass)

More Info: The Sultans Of Ping F.C.
Let's Go Shopping: The Sultans Of Ping F.C.
Year: 1993

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I’ve got to be honest, I had never heard of Brooklyn based Rainer Maria until ‘Burn’. Listening to it had me imagining a fresh-faced urchin agog with the world and her seemingly fruitless attempts at relationships. Surprising it is then to find out that Rainer Maria is in fact a threesome that have been on the go since 1995. Caithlin De Marrais is the voice and a good one it is too. Just on the right side of tortured it would be capable of producing goosebumps by a mere rendition of the alphabet. ‘Burn’ has a steady build up, made all the more enjoyable by the jangling riffs and elegant drumming. It is taken from the bands latest LP ‘Catastropher Keeps Us Together’ released on the Grunion label. KD

Rainer Maria - Burn

More Info: Rainer Maria
Buy Album: [UK] Catastrophe Keeps Us Together [US] Catastrophe Keeps Us Together
Year: 2006

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Hugger wasn't always into the sounds of the underground. In fact in the days of Ford Cortina it was amassing quite a collection of early Madonna 45's. The thrills came easier back then, the charts supplied all the ammunition required to part with the weekly 1.99 (the price of a vinyl single). In days of yore the Neverending Story ranked high (still does if I'm honest) in the list of favourite movies. The wonder, the imagination and the plain old joy of watching the quiet boy getting his own back on the bullies by way of an enormous flying dog. That and the wonderful music supplied by Limahl (him off Kajagoogoo and that frightful hair..winch). Here was a premier slice of pop with cascading synths and Limahl's continual surge of vocal melodies. The 12-inch was ever more splendid as it focused on the panoramic electro movements. There is an inescapable sense of innocence with 'Neverending Story' that persists even in the savvy world of today's youth market. Something to ponder as childhood imaginations gradually succumb to the nothing. KD

Limahl - Neverending Story

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More Info: Limahl
Buy Album: [UK] Very Best of Kajagoogoo and Limahl [US] The Best of Kajagoogoo & Limahl
Year: 1984

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In what sounds like the intro drumming on ‘I Am The Resurrection’ quickly descends into an organ fest that the Inspiral Carpets would have been proud of. Led by vocalist Max Decharne (who used to be the drummer with Gallon Drunk) the Flaming Stars could never be labelled as Madchester fiends, not least because they crawled out of Camden several years after the event. They currently have a retrospective on release that dishes the dirt on 42 of their finest moments including their singles, choise b-sides and other rarities. ‘Ten Feet Tall’ sounds like Lou Reed has just walked into a bar with the coolest jamboree in progress, rather than upset the applecart he adds his dry tones to perfectly seal an unforgettable night. It's cool, abstract and about as commercial as a Mark E. Smith rant. KD

The Flaming Stars - Ten Feet Tall

More Info: Unofficial & Myspace
Buy Album: [UK] London After Midnight: Singles, Rarities & Bar Room Floor-Fillers 1995-2005 [US] London After Midnight: Singles, Rarities and Bar Room Floor-Fillers: 1995-2005
Year: 2006

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While some might regard the remix as the lowest form of artful creation there an abundance of examples where a third eye can augment an original. One only has to look at the reworking of Bloc Party’s ‘Silent Alarm’ to see how other fertile dimensions can be appended to classic tracks. Sneaker Pimps might not be in the same league but their output was ripe for recycling, no more so than on Armand Van Helden's masterful remix of ‘Spin Spin Sugar’. This song deserves its place in the pantheon of dance classics, owing a debt to drum’n’bass master Roni Size yet making ample use of Kelli Dayton’s soulful voice. This version almost breaks 10 minutes but it reinvents itself so many times using a cathedral of sonic shapes that it’s hard to be divisive. KD

Sneaker Pimps - Spin Spin Sugar

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More Info: Sneaker Pimps
Buy Album: [UK] Becoming X [US] Becoming X
Year: 1996

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It’s been a while since the heady days of the Frank & Walters and Sultans of Ping glorious emergence from Cork. In the interim there hasn’t been a lot to shout about but the Waiting Room seem set to change all that. There is a lot to admire in their sprightly guitar rambles that recall C86 but there are also moments that Mogwai could also call home. ‘Another Take’ and ‘Denis’ peer into the heart of the band from different angles. The former is sees the band caress their instruments with careful attention resulting in an almost dreamlike production. All that is left is for the singer to do is to trip daintily alongside the laidback arrangements. ‘Denis’ is a jauntier affair, with supple riffs flashing by almost as quickly as the machine gun drumming. This is not too far from the sort of exotic jangling that Film School are producing. The Waiting Room are set to release their David Odlum produced second LP this summer. KD

The Waiting Room - Another Take

The Waiting Room - Denis

More Info: The Waiting Room
Buy Album: Catering For Headphones
Year: 2004

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The start of the dance revolution, stripped bare but with more ideas than you could shake a glow stick at. A Guy Called Gerald is rightly revered for giving dance’s infancy a credible face. Manchester born Gerald Simpson was the principle who not only imagined ‘Voodoo Ray’ but also wrote 808 State’s ‘Pacific State’. ‘Voodoo Ray’ is a laconic stroll through measured beats and a female vocal that rivalled anything the Orb were able to come up. It sounds so totally of its time yet so eerily relevant almost 2 decades on. Imagine the scene in the Hacienda as the synths spilt from the speakers like an anaconda, in the process creating a seething mass of twisting bodies. KD

A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray

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More Info: A Guy Called Gerald
Buy Album: [UK] Essence [US] Essence
Year: 2000

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Despite taking a unanimous bashing from all quarters on their chosen name Meath band Ham Sandwich (hmm, there's a joke in there somewhere) have decided to let the music rather than the moniker do the talking. They’ve already built up a reputation around the Dublin circuit as an unusual live experience, which of course counts for nought unless the music provides a classy backdrop to their antics. Thankfully they come up trumps in this department even if ‘St Christopher’ does nab some of its percussive joy from Nirvana’s ‘Smells…’. The video even strikes a similar theme early doors, albeit in the subtlest of new century ways. ‘St Christopher’ is a glorious success because Podge McNamee and Niamh Farrell’s vocals are diametric and the playing is vivacious and inviting. The tune changes its direction on several occasions leaving a neat map of ideas for the listener to follow, culminating is a jangling riff as satisfying as a packed lunch. KD

Ham Sandwich - St Christopher

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Don't Consume From Boot Info: Ham Sandwich
Buyt It: Ham Sandwich
Year: 2005

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Quite definitely the first Polish band to be featured on hugger. And what a timely post too with the festival of footie only a week away and Poland sitting pretty and ranked second in a comparatively easy looking group. Even if the footballers don’t impress the neatly named Iowa Super Soccer will surely be on our side for a long time to come. The evidence is there for all to see on ‘Morning’ with its melancholic boy/girl couplets, stripped down acoustics and the gentle build to a truly irresistible finale. This is heart-swelling stuff that any savvy label would be crazy to overlook. Sweet music with a big heart. KD

Iowa Super Soccer - Morning

More Info: Iowa Super Soccer
Buy ISS's CD For $5 (free p&p): Iowa Super Soccer
Year: 2006

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Funny how a little word like ‘The’ can have such significance. In Verve’s case it was what saved them from going to court with the Jazz label Verve Recordings over naming rights. How, anyone with a command of their senses could have ever misinterpreted what Ashcroft & Co. was doing with a work of Jazz is a mystery. And how the same people who were confused were somehow salvaged by ‘The’ is again something that Jack Palance will have to take a look at. ‘A Storm In Heaven’ was released a full 4 years before ‘Urban Hymns’ became a storm on earth but there is much to admire in its broad sweep and unrestrained ambition. Ashcroft was never one to just dabble in the illegal stuff and much of Verve’s debut is made up of trippy, psychedelic soundscapes. At this stage Nick McCabe’s guitars were already epic and even if Ashcroft's vocals were sometimes fleeting they remained central to the Wigan bands cause. ‘Star Sail’ is the grand opening to the album, a supreme gesture of a band playing by their own rules. Although it could have skulked with the other shoegazers there was a suggestion that it was drawn from a brighter more diverse palette. One of the reviews at the time described listening to the song and believing that a man could fly. Yep, Dicky wasn’t the only one downing the head churning stuff. KD

Verve - Star Sail

More Info: Verve
Buy More Songs: Verve
Year: 1993

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Trying to impress some friends with the latest band you’ve discovered? Better steer clear of Animal Collective then as it will most likely scare them away forever. Not that Animal Collective’s music is particularly frightening, just a tad inaccessible for the first couple of hundred listens. But, as we all know patience does have its own rewards and in this case they are plentiful. ‘Feels’ is AC's most recent of 7 albums and by the time you reach free bus travel you should be declaring undying love to its zig zagging electronic contours and wispy lost in the dense undergrowth singing. ‘Banshee Beat’ is about as close as an AC tune gets to being a straightforward pop song but even at that it is as eclectic as the contents of a female handbag. ‘Banshee Beat’ takes about 2 minutes to take root, the chords are gently bruised and Avey Tare’s timid vocals are near inaudible. The climbing momentum is worth waiting for though, for it is awash with imaginative rambles, curious asides and noises that go bump at the mere glimpse of a human earlobe. KD

Animal Collective - Banshee Beat

More Info: Animal Collective
Buy Album: [UK] Feels [US] Feels
Year: 2005

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I prefer the Monkees to the Beatles. Don’t know what it is about me sometimes, there is a piece of my music judging faculties that are somehow badly wired. Another example has me muttering ‘What’s all this fuss about the Smiths?’ when no one is listening. Anyway my fab four were artificially assembled but they made me laugh during those classic 30-minute shows. And the music always seemed to have a point with sucrose melody forever appearing at the right moment. In the early days the Monkees didn’t even play the instruments on their records, but as a consequence of the critical lambasting and Mike Nesmith’s vociferous pleas they managed to played and write on their third album ‘Headquarters’. ‘Sometime In The Morning’ comes from the previous album and was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin with Mickey Dolenz drafting all his charms into a lush vocal performance. The harmonies are exquisite, the music achieves the sweetest of undertows and it’s wrapped up within 2 and a half minutes. Ah, they don’t manufacture them like they used to. KD

The Monkees - Sometime In The Morning

More Info: The Monkees
Buy The Album For Peanuts: [UK] More of the Monkees [US] More of the Monkees
Year: 1967

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