22. 'Dubstar'

 

“The wind's whistling, my mind's twisting, I was making myself the usual cup of tea when the doorbell strangely rang…

 

…Because I've been up here for a while I'm starting to feel the monotony of a tower block,

I'm not so manic now”

 

“It's alright I'm just a girl she said. Talk down to me and take me to bed, I don't think I don't feel and it don't really matter at all, kiss me in darkness turn and out the light, pretend you're with someone else tonight, you don't think you don't feel and I don't really understand why”

 

“If you need somebody around you, well then I'll be the one who's there”

 

“Is it asking too much to be given time, to know these songs and to sing them?

Is it asking too much of my vacant smile and a laugh and lies that bring them”

 

“I'm a person who speaks I'm a person who thinks but you hope I'll forget as you ply me with drinks and you cannot buy me and you cannot use me but I know that you'll want to try”

 

“As the stars are going out, and this stage is full of nothing, and my friends have all but gone, for my life, my God, I'm singing. We'll take our hearts outside, and leave our lives behind and watch the stars go out”

 

 

Nicely fitting in the period between the Kirsty MacColl ‘Titanic Days’ and ‘Tropical Brainstorm’ albums, ‘Dubstar’ are best described as a ‘jangly’ indie band whose rhythm section had been replaced by a lot of electronic programming. Fronted by the vocalist Sarah Blackwood, a lot of this band’s records were akin to Kirsty MacColl’s ‘Angel’ being re-recorded by Susan Anne Sulley, in the way that Sarah’s vocals remained deadpan throughout their adventurous melodies.

 

Signed to EMI’s indie label ‘Food’ (David Balfe’s label that had originally put out records by ‘Brilliant’ and ‘Crazyhead’ in the old independent days), ‘Dubstar’ are probably best remembered for a version of an old obscure indie song called ‘Not So Manic Now’ and for having a very suggestive album cover. People thought the album cover was ‘disgraceful’, which was very well since this was also the debut album’s name. The album was quickly banned even though the cover only showed a pencil case and a balloon. A fluffy pink bunny ‘slipper’ replaced the image on the sleeve, and this is the version I have got, even though no extra tracks were added at the time.

 

The album is one of the best albums that I own, a quality album, if measured only in the number of times album tracks such as ‘Just A Girl She Said’ and ‘Not Once, Not Ever’ are played more than the singles.

 

Whilst everybody may know the cover of the song ‘Not So Manic Now’, with it’s very ‘wordy’ opening about the “monotony of a tower block” some people here might know of a song by the title of ‘St. Swithin's Day’. This is another great album track from ‘Disgraceful’ and it is another cover, though this time from the great ‘bard of Barking’, Billy Bragg.

 

Now, as some of you may have already guessed, this is where another comparison with Kirsty MacColl will fit, in the way that one of Kirsty’s most famous songs is actually a Billy Bragg original. Whereas I love Kirsty MacColl records such as ‘Free World’, ‘Fifteen Minutes’ and ‘England 2 Columbia 0’, when it comes to ‘A New England’ I prefer the Billy Bragg original. In comparison to ‘Dubstar’, I think that their version of Billy Bragg’s song is as good, if not better than the original ‘Brewing Up with…’ version.

 

Another great song from the ‘Disgraceful’ album was called ‘Elevator Song’ and back in the mid 1990s there was a great remix of this song on one of the in-store ‘EMI Playlist’ compilations that I used to pick up from a record store in Hyde.

 

Unfortunately, ‘Dubstar’ could not build on the success of this wonderful album, with a second volume of their deadpan tales briefly hitting the charts just over ten years ago. Hopefully, one day EMI Records will get around to releasing a deluxe version of ‘Disgraceful’, an album I like to see filed next to ‘Pulp Intro’ or ‘Different Class’ in any critical list.

 

Stars is their best song: B)

 

 

 

Mmm Sarah Blackwood.

Stars is their best song: B)

 

 

 

Do you like the album as well?

Stars is by far their best song. Not So manic Now is good as well but I don't rate the album that much. Have just been listening to it as I am in the middle of converting my CD collection into mp3s.

Mmm Sarah Blackwood.

Sarah is the same person as the Client band front woman I think... :)

 

 

Do you like the album as well?

Sorry but I never listened to it

Edited October 16, 200717 yr by Alin

If you like the singles, you should listen to it as it is a brilliant album. I have recently found the album again after a few years and it has hardly been off from my CD player over the last two weeks, it is that amazing.

I quite liked "Disgraceful" when it came out, really good quality Pop Music... And if anyone's interested, check out Sarah Blackwood's new band Client... Really cool Synth Pop with a slightly dark edge to it....

Sarah is the same person as the Client band front woman I think... :)

 

Correct.

 

Dubstar were fantastic - the bast*rd children of The Smiths and the nPet Shop Boys, really - clever wordsmiths and killer hooks all the way.

 

I preferred the 2nd album, but the 3rd, their final, was pretty bad if I remember correctly.

 

Client, though, still going strong, and still criminally underrated in their homeland. Apparently, they've given up releasing singles in the UK due to lack of interest and radio play and are concentrating on their biggest markets - mainland Europe, and America and Mexico, where they have huge fanbases. Damn shame, really, as Zerox Machine remains my favourite single of the year and their 3 albums are each modern classics.

Dubstar were fantastic - the bast*rd children of The Smiths and the nPet Shop Boys, really - clever wordsmiths and killer hooks all the way.

 

I well guess that is a simpler way of putting across that ‘jangly-programming theme’.

Dubstar were fantastic - the bast*rd children of The Smiths and the nPet Shop Boys, really - clever wordsmiths and killer hooks all the way.

Then I should listen to their albums... ^_^

 

I preferred the 2nd album, but the 3rd, their final, was pretty bad if I remember correctly.

So, now Dubstar is gone forever?

 

Client, though, still going strong, and still criminally underrated in their homeland. Apparently, they've given up releasing singles in the UK due to lack of interest and radio play and are concentrating on their biggest markets - mainland Europe, and America and Mexico, where they have huge fanbases. Damn shame, really, as Zerox Machine remains my favourite single of the year and their 3 albums are each modern classics.

Yeah, Zerox Machine is really good!

One of the best of 2007

 

 

PS what do you say about the album cover of Disgraceful? :P

Quite interesting isn't?

Edited October 18, 200717 yr by Alin

I really love both the sleeves for Disgraceful - all Dubstar (and Client's) artwork is pretty stunning.

 

Dubstar are, unfortunately, no more.... shame really, they released some of the finest pop singles of the 90s - Stars is an all-time classic for me. Lyrically perfect, mournful yet uplifting. Beautiful. And yes, if they're still available, definitely check their albums, especially the gorgeous second one - the album tracks are way, way better than the singles they chose to release off it.

 

The new Client single, released, for the time being, in Europe only, 'It's Not Over' features some pretty stunning remixes from Azzido de Bass and S-Xpress's Mark Moore - definitely worth checking out. It's strange that, whilst Ladytron are sweeping the 'cool' boards and selling pretty well in the UK, our very own, and infinitely better, Client, have been ignored by the radio stations and general public.

 

I would say it's 'disgraceful' - but that would be rather cheesy ;)

The new Client single, released, for the time being, in Europe only, 'It's Not Over' features some pretty stunning remixes from Azzido de Bass and S-Xpress's Mark Moore - definitely worth checking out. It's strange that, whilst Ladytron are sweeping the 'cool' boards and selling pretty well in the UK, our very own, and infinitely better, Client, have been ignored by the radio stations and general public.

 

I would say it's 'disgraceful' - but that would be rather cheesy ;)

 

Client are being more associated with the Underground EBM/Electronic scene in this country though. They've been touring with the likes of Covenant (whom the band themselves totally love, and it's safe to say that Covenant are certainly an influence on their sound... ;) ), so that does pitch them more on the left-field than perhaps Ladytron or Goldfrapp... It is unfortunate that they're marginalised to this extent in the UK, but there's LOADS of great US, European and Canadian underground electronic acts such as Covenant, Wolfsheim, Rotersand, Assemblage 23, Mesh, Apoptygma Berzerk and our very own VNV Nation who are in the same boat.. Radio and TV in this country plays commercial SH!TE simple as.... Anything with a bit of balls or edge about it always finds a more receptive audience in Europe, especially places like Germany, Scandinavia, etc....

I have not actually heard any records by ‘Client’, so I will have to take your word for it in regards to the sound that they produce, though I think that I’ve heard their name before in relation to ‘Depeche Mode’, who as you may know became one of the biggest alternative/indie acts of the late 1980s and 1990s.

 

If they are more left-field than ‘Goldfrapp’ then they must be very ‘alternative’ as ‘Goldfrapp’ are an act who should be considered alongside people like Bjork and ‘Moloko’ rather than Kylie and Dannii. If the new Kylie Minogue single sounds like ‘Goldfrapp’, then I guess it just shows how long their ‘sounds’ have taken to filter though to a commercial pop level.

 

On the other hand one of the best Kylie records is ‘Confide In Me’, which sounds like Edward Barton’s ‘It’s A Fine Day’ channelled through Billy Mackenzie’s ‘Breakfast’ by the ‘Brothers In Rhythm’.

 

Dubstar were a fantastic band.

 

"Disgraceful" is in my all time Top 100 albums of all-time & I loved the lead single from their second album.....

 

Dubstar - No More Talk (1997 UK#20)

I have not actually heard any records by ‘Client’

 

have a look through these little wonders, then, Mondo - Zerox Machine, Pornography, Client, Radio, Lights Go Out... all stellar singles, criminally overlooked by the general public.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=client

The epitome of the 90s, really. I might buy the Dubstar album if I see if on the cheap, I was a bit too much of a Livin' Joy fan to fully appreciate them at the time!

They were alright, though I preferred people like ‘Snap!’, ‘Jam & Spoon’, ‘Nightcrawlers’, ‘GGM/Blackbox’ and a lot of the Italian ‘Media Records’ output at the time.