So as a reviewer it is obviously primarily my main goal to write things that are funny and that make me look clever and cool and maybe just a little bit sexy. This is because all music journalists (that’s what I say I am to people who don’t know me, just for a laugh) are failed musicians and need to make themselves feel better by laughing at other people’s music. If they point and laugh then they hope that people won’t turn round and ask them “What do you do?” because, honestly music journalists, writing about music isn’t a proper thing to do. Doing things with a shovel or carrying things is a job, but writing about music isn’t a job. Physics tells me that.

So it is with great irritation that I find myself writing about this compilation on Audio Antihero. I’m annoyed because it is in aid of a charity that is aiming to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Now I tried and tried to get a gag out of this but some part of my brain kept flashing a warning light. So, denuded of my weapon of choice what am I to do? I’m going to do the earnest thing. People like that in place of humour sometimes.

This is a really great compilation. I am shy of bands I don’t know (don’t ask) and this was full of them but almost all of them are friendly and good. Highlights include bands that we have previously issued glowing reviews to (such as Broken Shoulder, Paul Hawkins and the Awkward Silences, Fighting Kites, Wartgore Hellsnicker and Benjamin Shaw) who all offer excellent new and exclusive items. There are also some exciting new prospects on there, such as BITCHES, Superman Revenge Squad (formerly one half of Nosferatu D2) and “tom” all of whom provide excellent value for money, which brings me to economics. This album is available from Bandcamp for £3.99 for which you get 36 songs. That works out at 11.3333 a song. Call it 12p. This is clearly why the compilation is so named (grammatic errors and all). Because only in some alternate universe (I’m not doing the full stops) should one be able to buy an album with this many good songs for this kind of price. In fact, I will go as far as this. If you have read this far and decided not to buy it that makes you essentially a baby killer. Just saying.

http://audioantihero.bandcamp.com/album/audio-antihero-presents-some-alternate-universe-for-fsid

Kim Monaghan 

Good plan!

Nosferatu D2 are two brothers from Croydon who deliver engagingly sloppy songwriting that projects mid 90’s US lo-fi through a prism of distinctly English melancholy. The guitarist/vocalist has a charmingly downbeat selection of lyrics delivered as though slightly drunk and he is backed by his drummer brother, who is armed with colourful array of fills and tricks that make this two man band sound like at least three.

Whilst listening to Nosferatu D2 I thought of Sebadoh and how Arab Strap might have sounded if they’d taken coke to make their records rather than Special Brew. Tracks like “2 People,0 Superpowers” and “Mojo Top 100” are an excellent place to start listening to this band with some of their funniest and most clever/banal lyrics and also some excellent and charismatic musical flourishes.

I suspect that this band will stand or fall on the strength of their live performances and if they ever make it up to Birmingham I’ll be sure to go and catch them. Go to http://audioantihero.com to buy the album or download your free copy of their super festive Christmas single “It’s Christmas Time For God’s Sake”.

Kim Monaghan

Nosferatu D2 on Myspace