DUBS Vinyl Records and CDs

Don't be afraid: Dubstar's music has nothing to do with Jamaican knob twisting, big spliffs or Zionist rants. This is dance music for people who are too shy to dance. Dubstar come on like Cocteau Twins, Electronic and Saint Etienne streamlined in a lounge act for Alt Dance wallflowers. Sarah Blackwood's sexy but remote vocals front melancholy dance grooves and jangly guitar licks. Their lovely cover of Billy Bragg's "St. Swithin's Day" keeps all of the song's dour emotions while throwing in plenty of BPMs for the club crowd. When Blackwood sings, "With my own hands when I make love to your memory" it sounds fetching, where Bragg's version sounds seedy and despairing. Check out their second album Goodbye (1997). The American release adds tracks from their European debut, making it a perfect introduction to a band who have plenty to offer.