Loathe as your reviewer is to quote directly from press releases, it must be said that a band described as "Billy Bragg brawling with Johnny Cash in Bill Hicks' coffin" is liable to pique his interest.
And "Bling Bling Baby" is one of those rare occasions where the reality actually outstrips the fanfare of the hyperbole. It's an absolute corker: a circus burlesque slice of ska-bound Mike Skinner-meets-Dylan's-"Subterranean Homesick Blues" from the mean streets of, er, Sarf Lahndan. Apparently Simon Mackrell (guitar/ vocals), Jim McCullagh (guitar) and Loz Curtis (drums) who are collectively known as MILK KAN are a large part of the antifolk movement (see www.antifolkonline.com ) but whatever/ whoever they wanna align themselves with, them I'm having some of it, because the lightning-fast wordplay of this little cracker (sample chorus: "So keep on running on your treadmills/ and chokin' on your vitamin pills - 'cos it ain't working honey!") is one of the best what-the-fuck-is-up-with-society? broadsides your reviewer has heard in many a blue moon.
Just to prove it ain't no fluke, they've also got "Real Fake World" and "Kill All A&R Men" in reserve an' all. The former is chock-full of further wise'n'witty observations ("Just because I sing, don't mean I'm Robbie Williams", "just 'cos I like the weekend, don't mean I like the week") delivered at breakneck pace over what sounds like a hotwired version of the riff from The Cars' "Best Friend's Girl", while "Kill All A&R Men" is a bruising rockabilly juggernaut heading down Dead End Street with no brakes and is apparently based on Milk Kan's pre-signing shenanigans with various industry suits in New York City. It's a long story, but one I would suggest you clap ears on yourself, though suffice it to say they reference MC Hammer and get away with it: surely a sign of impending genius.
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Milk Kan, then, are fast, furious, funny and utterly fantastic. This one's not out for a little while, but I'd suggest you start getting in line to taste their potent elixir while you can. The queue'll be down the street(s) and round the corner if they can keep this up.
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