Wanna Takes All

Regular readers will have twigged by now that Parallax View is mad fool for The School, so no alarms or surprises to see their debut release 'All I Wanna Do'/'Valentine' (out on Elefant Records from today) made Single Of The Week. Produced by Ian Catt (most readily associated with Saint Etienne) and described by one of their MySpace fans as sounding 'like Kirsty MacColl's ghost meets Camera Obscura' it's a sweet but vaguely sinister ditty of devotion that recalls 60s girlgroups, Caledonian Indie and a keyboard refrain that threatens to echo the Eastenders theme tune. In short, it's bloody marvellous.

Runner-up goes to It Hugs Back for their single 'Other Cars Go', released on Too Pure Records on light-blue 7". Not sure whether it's meant as a lyrical rejoinder to The Arcade Fire's 'No Cars Go' but can tell you that sonically it resembles a melodic slant on Neil Young-influenced slackers Dinosaur Jr and Swervedriver, a mesmerising post-rock road anthem which builds and swirls to a stunning climax. Worth exploring.