Welcome back to my virtual singles box. There's quite a few to get through here so if you don't mind I'll keep the introduction to the bare bones and cut to chase. And where better to start than...

Sugarloaf
The Golden Fable are a promising young duo consisting of Rebecca Palin and Tim McIver. Now neither are old enough to remember A Bao A Qu, an early 80s solo EP from Virginia Astley (who was also one third of The Ravishing Beauties), but this is what Palin's beautifully pure voice brings to mind. The song is light and airy, too, building to a lovely lilting instrumental bit before the vocals return. Sugarloaf has been attracting a bit of interest from various UK radio stations, and quite rightly, too, because it really is rather delicious, but I saw The Golden Fable live recently and I can tell you now that there were other tracks that stood out even more. All this bodes well for their debut album. Ones to watch I reckon...

http://soundcloud.com/goldenfable/sets/sugarloaf/
You can buy the album here: http://goldenfable.bandcamp.com/

Carrion
Carrion is an ambient sounding piece where a lone piano plays over various noises and background hiss. It seems to have instrumental written all over it until a sombre voice suddenly joins the, er, party. It's pitched in some lonely sounding place between Hood and Elbow but slowly and gradually it pulls you in.

http://soundcloud.com/morrmusic/orcas-carrion
https://www.facebook.com/weareorcas

Adore Me
Some harsh sounding chords thrash over a thuddy beat before Pierre Hall's deep resonant voice comes in. The vocals bring to mind Interpol, but this is an Interpol who have been more influenced by Josef K than by Joy Division. It's very early 80s post-punk and brings to mind a band from those times called Nadsat Patio, who I once saw follow an over-bearingly arty duo who had inflicted some interminably long performance on us. I can't remember the exact details now but I recall it culminated in one member throwing Corn Flakes over the other. I'd like to say you had to be there, but you were probably lucky not to be. Nadsat Patio were good though and so is this.

http://www.mushrecords.com/artist/GoldenGlow.php http://www.myspace.com/goldenglowmusic
http://soundcloud.com/mushrecords/golden-glow-adore-me
Full album review on EvilSponge.

Loose Ends
There's a hypnotic feel as Moon sings in an almost whispered voice over a finger-picked guitar. Some nice percussive touches and the odd bit of angular guitar in the background flesh things out beautifully. It's more mellow than a lot of stuff I've been listening to of late, but I've found myself playing this one a lot.

http://dmatwd.bandcamp.com/
http://soundcloud.com/adair-park-recordings/damon-moon-and-the
Free Download: http://dl.dropbox.com/damonmoon_looseends_7_18.mp3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdRDt1tdzBE&feature=youtu.be

Genesis
This band's name is something of a misnomer. I was expecting lots of scuzzy sounding guitars and shouting from some mad, unwashed hairy bloke with a sore throat, but it transpires that Grimes are an electro pop act. Genesis opens with a certain delicacy and vocals that aren't a million miles away from The Golden Fable before things get altogether more beat-y. It then treads a dangerously thin line between catchiness and being, well, annoying but it just manages to remain on the right side of the fence. It's a close call though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olP3279j5_0

Settle Down
Yalls have been described as "free-ambient-funky-psych-pop", which is a bit of a mouthful in my book. What you actually get, here at least, is a bouncy beat with some deep voiced "woh's". It's a bit Arcade Fire with tinny organs and is another that comes dangerously close to being irritating but its feel-good factor and a certain charm just about save the day.

http://soundcloud.com/goldrobotrecords/yalls-settle-down
7" review on EvilSponge.

Marksman
Soviet Soviet obviously like to play with our expectations as they appear to be from Italy rather than any former union of Socialist Republics whilst the male singer wails some demented woman over a furious thrash. It's all done in a manner that Teenage Jesus-era Lydia Lunch would be proud of until everything apart from the bass and drums suddenly and unexpectedly fall away before the guitar starts to slash away and we're off again. There's some wonderfully atonal guitar playing on this – in fact for just a couple of moments it sounds quite unlike any guitar sound I've ever heard. There's some good ideas going on here and personally I think it's a shame that it's all over so soon. Others, however, may think differently of course!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/soviet-soviet/147071194809
LP Review on EvilSponge.

Tondi Karaa (The White Stone)
Tondi Karaa, taken from an album entitled Koïma, is African music with nice interplay between the male lead singer and the female backing singers. It doesn't really go anywhere, but that's OK, because it doesn't half get your toes tapping.

http://soundcloud.com/thrilljockey/sidi-toure-tondi-karaa

Sylvia
Sylvia opens with some deep throbbing funky beats, and with a touch of When Doves Cry and Word Up about it, we're back in the 80s. And I'm not ashamed to say I'm thinking I'm going to like this, but it then builds in a more rocky direction and gets altogether less interesting. The sudden change in the middle doesn't work either. Disappointing, because that intro really is promising.

http://www.myspace.com/imaydasong

Seaside Voice Guitar
Noisy seven and a half minute thing with levels turned to ten for maximum distortion. Consequently, this isn't the most pleasant of listens initially, but you do tend to forget about this as your ears slowly adjust. Well on some listens anyway. On other occasions, you might just want it to end! It doesn't really go anywhere though the silly voice and tinkly bit at the end is a surprise.

http://www.xinlisupreme.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdwcBdZ7PpI
Free download: http://virgin-babylon-records.com/SVGmp3.zip

Knew You Well
This is another with a touch of Arcade Fire about it. It's pleasant, it's poppy and Tamara Jafa has a nice throaty touch to her voice. It's not my favourite track in this review but it's not difficult to imagine these making something of a name for themselves.