The origins of The Far Cries are quite intriguing - "Liz Holdforth, an aspiring ballerina spent weekends at her grandfather's sweetshop in Peckham, South London, before she was seduced by London's art and music scene. Martin Bjorck arrived to the city after a stint as a hotel pianist in Prague, with a suitcase full of lyrics and a head full of songs. The two of them met in a café, where they instantly clicked." Their setup as a two piece has led to comparisons to The Kills, but 'When Your Heart Spills' reminds me of a less abrasive yet equally feverish Help She Can't Swim. A pounding intro leads us into 2 and half a minutes of mutated indie pop complete with obligatory catchy, melodic chorus. Listen out for it at an indie clubnight near you.
I vaguely remember seeing Popular Workshop support jazz-prog-somethings Acoustic Ladyland along with talented young scamps Kill Kenada a while back. They have a similar vibe to KK, noisy Sonic-Youth-alike mentalists. They may have less romantic beginnings than their vinyl mates (forming via the Drownedinsound.com message boards in January 2005) but their offering, 'Sean' is compellingly intense. A melée of guitars open the track before an incisive guitar line takes over and the edgy vocals of Gypsy enter the fray. His passionate cry of "Sean, I don't want your love!" strikes an immediate chord before being itself outdone by the somewhat disturbing repetition of the song title. Definately one of the most absorbing tracks I've heard all year.The Far Cries - When Your Heart Spills
Unfortunately, due to the internet hating me I couldn't upload 'Sean' but it's available for a short time on Upside Down, Stupid Hat [link]
However, thanks to a recent Artrocker compilation:
Popular Workshop - Son Of A Dog
You can buy this impressive ltd edition 7" (1000 vinyls) direct from Tigertrap Records on their MySpace [link].
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