The only phrase that comes to mind is "Oh no they didn't!" It's hackitude at a new level with UK buzzband Apartment (not to be confused, of course, with the similiarly de-articled Editors or Architects). We break the no-image rule again with the visual component to what I think may be the biggest piece of faux grass-roots marketing & blatant well-executed hackitude that I've seen since that night we caught She Wants Revenge on that test market tour. Because when things get to this level, you have to share. Naturally, Fluxblog beat us to the punch by like, nearly nine months; I thought "Everyone Says I'm Paranoid" sounded familiar when I heard it again -- and not just because it sounds like any number of other bands we could namedrop here. *cough* And of course, we could comment on the fact (but don't really need to) that Apartment have been "in development" for over a year, which should always be suspicion-raising. Because it totally takes two years to invent that perfectly tooled blend of Interpol and Franz Ferdinand. I mean, it's almost embarassing. And something tells me those She Wants Revenge fans are gonna eat it up. Take a listen to this XFM session from late 2004 (!!), and note how the songs just kind of slide through your brain. There are hooks, but no barbs; everything is smoothed over to the point that it's completely devoid of meaning and feeling and ... Of course, by even posting about this band, am I adding fuel to the fire, becoming part of the problem, or doing a public service. What I will tell you is that I immediately ran to the Jim Yoshii Pile Up to cleanse my brain and check in with some more convincing Television-chime-y, melodic bass-driven naked male pain. I'm feeling much better now, yeah. Thanks. Jim Yoshii Pile Up -- Silver Sparkler (dead links removed)