iForward, Russia! Leeds, UK. Gang of Four, David Bowie, Ted Leo, Television in brighter and paler shades, respectively. Gang of Four, Gang of Four, Gang of Four, which as you may remember were also from Leeds, a city legendary for its arts school and university incubator of a post-punk tradition. Playful nods to Soviet anonymity; their song titles are simply numbers (e.g. "number three"). Their hit "Nine" sold out in a hurry, supposedly due to a popular UK DJ's love affair with it. The vocals alternate between sanity-bending wails and barbaric Byrne-esque yawps, which are themselves sliced by staccato guitar-funk and percussion whose energy rivals Animal's from the Muppets. You're inspired to scream along; this is the sonic version of the Edward Munch painting.
That's all for now, folks. See you next time on "Indie Music Reviews for the Attention Deficient."
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