From the very beginning, the new track from Beach Fossils makes it presents the obvious fact that they fall into Brooklyn, New York’s indie scene. From the vaguely fuzzy guitar riff, straight into the jolty fills and trippy vocals that retain an ounce of 1960’s pop sensibility, carrying the single.
Achieving a sound similar to that of their local contemporaries – The Drums, if they were to dabble in an intake of hallucogenic drugs and introduce a melancholic lo-fi approach to their writing process.
The definite standout point of the track is the use of the woozy twee pop hooks that pull themselves into your mind and clog your brain with an air of New-Wave insouciance from across the pond. Nicely filling the gap between their debut album release and the upcoming Long Play addition.
Having only formed back in March 2010, the Australian Garage-Pop Punks,Bleeding Knees Club’sdebut effort, the Virginity EP, didn’t quite achieve multi-platinum status. It did, however incite some great reviews from major music publications and land the lads a handful of shows on the other side of the world, here in England, to promote their forthcoming debut album Nothing To Do, set for release on 27th February. Taking all of this into account, we caught up with the band to discuss the album, the UK and some things that would have been more beneficial if we were kept in the dark, unbeknown.
So after the conventional polite introductions we got down to the raw nitty-gritty. Playing the safe card to start with, asking the band about their experiences of the UK, with each member – Alex and Jordan – agreeing that “it’s pretty cool and the weather is good” as drumming front man Alex went on to justify an unexpected fondness for the cold, gloomy weather of central London with “lips pink and damaged from the cold.” Then going on to tell all about their headline show at Camden’s Barfly the previous night, ranking the gig as “one of the best London shows” but assumingly overridden by “a Karaoke bar in New York, it was really different, and fun.” Also forcing Alex to sing through the Karaoke PA, something that doesn’t happen quite enough in the Rock ‘N’ Roll world. But when we asked about the crowd reactions that the band have been receiving in London, the results were that“they’re just getting used to us, so they’re pretty chilled. They just worry about how they look, so don’t want to let themselves go. But there was a pretty cool guy, wearing a red hat. What was he on?”
Then came a different turn to the interview, let’s just say; a graphic portrayal of actions generally left residing behind closed doors. As the band went on to (literally) tell all about the early days and formation. Alex’s exact words were: “Well I had a crush on Jordan (Malane, guitarist) and met him in a bar, then we were in bed one night and he suggested we form a band, so I told him that it was a good idea. So we got up in the morning and I picked up a guitar and serenaded him, he thought it was genius. So we rolled with it.” The explanation went on, but let’s keep it PG, and leave it at the fact that the band’s name came from a resurfacing of personal experiences of homosexual oral fun on gravel. Needless to say any more…
Providing the time for a swift move, we talk about the album. “It has twelve tracks, and is kind of like a mixture of our EP and a progression of everything we’ve learnt along the way. There’s songs about drugs and girls and all that kind of cool stuff. But Dev (Hynes) worked on it and made us sound pretty.”
How did you hook up with Dev Hynes? And what did he bring to the table? “We toured with him in Australia, when he was Lightspeed Champion. Our manager hooked us up. He played bass on the whole album and some keys. Plus, he arranged all the back-up vocals. But mainly he just gave us confidence in our songs.” Then the band revealed the recording process mishaps, being that “Dev got stuck in England because his passport expired, so we just waited around in New York for five weeks for him to come home.”
So as the chat with the band was coming to close, we asked two final questions: one about personal hobbies out side of music and, finally, the band’s plans for the rest of 2012. The former received a blunt, simple answer – “Umm, girls?” followed by “reading books and croquet” not very punk rock? But leading us to the latter answer: “To just release the album, tour it and see how it goes.” Ending with a role-reversal, seeing a repeat of the same question, but coming from the band. So there you have it, if you enjoyed the EP, then make sure you pick up the album. The UK crowds spend more time mirror kissing than enjoying themselves and to the guy under the masque of the red hat: whatever you may be doing, you’re doing something right.
Bleeding Knees Club's debut album is out now, check out the title track below:
Coming from the official best British male and breakthrough artist, having achieved the honor at the recent Brit Awards ceremony, Ed Sheeran has come a long way in a year. Since being slung in to the stratosphere of fame, arising from his debut single – A Team, he has sold out whole tours around the country and put smiles on the faces of many festival punters.
Showcasing the acoustic-rap style that Sheeran has become so renowned for, the vocal harmonies in the chorus are a definitive, commendable element of the track, but the shuffling, slap guitar line through the verses grabs hold of you and pulls you in to a concrete jungle full of omnipresent urban teenage wonder.
Drunk isn’t necessarily Sheeran’s strongest or most exciting track, but presents the absolute fact that he is staying true to his name and carrying on his career, doing what he does best.
Having played live sets in 2011 alongside the likes of The Computers and Young Guns: Scholars are currently in the midst of a UK tour to promote the single, having begun on 9th February in Stevenage and will come to a close on 25th February in Basingstoke, ending just before the single’s official release.
Having been written from the perspective of the base-rate employee, the track begins with a catchy guitar riff, carrying the track into a shouty vocal zone, instantly inciting a pop-punk atmosphere, with power chords aplenty and a steady rhythm, provided by the bass line and drum beat. Gradually breaking down into a softer, spoken part, then increasing tempo into a repeat of the title, “you’re bad for business”.
Another great track from the up and coming Scholars, having finally polished their signature sound, that is now distinguishably Scholars.
Last night (21st February) marked the annual Brit Awards ceremony, seeing British artists and bands receive praise and recognition for their creative efforts over the the past twelve months. Hosted by none other than James Corden, the show kicked off with a performance from Coldplay. The band, who wowed the room with new single Charlie Brown, went on to pick up Best British Band.
Great performances were also delivered by Ed Sheeran, having picked up the gong for both Best British Male and Best British Breakthrough, as well as Best International Male: Bruno Mars and Best International Female - Rihanna. However the biggest talking points came from Adele, winner of the MasterCard Album of The Year award for her sophomore effort, 21. Having performed, yet having her acceptance speech cut short to allow time for Blur’s Outstanding Contribution To Music status, leaving them to close the show after an incredibly long speech from front man Damon Albarn.
Blur went on to perform a quintet of classics from their back catalogue. Including Girls & Boys, Song 2 and Parklife,featuring an expected guest appearance from Phil Daniels, providing cockney charm. A shaky start was soon forgotten by the finale of Tender and This Is A Low, the former invited a gospel choir onto the stage, rather than rigging up a mac book to provide the accurate studio sound. Whereas the latter provided top-notch vocals from Albarn, proving the band’s worthiness of the award.
Throughout the past few years we have witnessed the appearance of many indie bands that have disappeared after just one or two singles. Perhaps due to the impoverishing struggle than surrounds so many of these bands, or maybe it’s just the fact that their music isn’t really substantial enough to stand up to the chart-topping giants.
However, this does not seem to be the case for London formed and based - Electricity In Our Homes. Having released a small handful of singles, now going on to release their full-length debut album Dear Shareholder. Notably including latest single – Aching, Breaking, Shaking For You, clattering along held together by Charles Boyer’s slap-back vocals, similar to a way point somewhere between Gary Numan, David Byrne and Gaz Coombes.
Other high points include the array of ready made singles: Oranges, for instance, upholds a rip-speed guitar riff and a categorically shuffle drum beat from Paul Linger, sounding similar to a Buddy Holly LP sped up to 45, but the unique selling point is undoubtedly Bonnie Carr’s plodding bass grooves, leading the choruses and breakdown. Continuing on to yet another single worthy number – Buddy Lemonade mimics The Kinks through the 60’s, as a song quintessentially exploring death, but making it’s way to the much more cheerful end of the spectrum. Whereas Appletree sees Carr assume lead vocal duties, in a different version to the original ten-minute recording, upholding melancholic atmospherics, led by a constant figure and additional brass section.
Ending with the stripped back, super-liminal Play It Over, simply urging a rerun, with the repetition of lyrics: “play it over, play it over, play it over again”, bringing Electricity In Our Homes’ bizarre debut to a finish. Whilst providing a magical mystery tour through a 50’s and 60’s Rock n Roll foundation, elements of funk, soul and even progressive rock are added to build their arty noise-rock signature sound after a few years of good practice. Proving that Electricity In Our Homes are indeed, a band to look out for.
Although originally hailing from Wigan, the duo have been categorised into the respective Manchester music scene, alongside contemporaries Patterns and Milk Maid, producing proper underground Lo-Fi tracks.
Purveying a constant 60’s style guitar riff, drenched in an abyss of fuzz, wrestling against Mark Vernon’s reverberated vocals and gang (of two) chant choruses – espousing a Lux Interior styled yearning. Manifesting the composition into a cacophony of all out Garage Rock raucousness.
Anyone But You is definitely the strongest track of Brown Brogues’ back catalogue of evident influence from the Garage Rock movement, demonstrated through their impressively generated wave of Lo-Fi sludge sitting atop their wild Rockabilly catchiness.
Today, 20th February 2012, marks the 45th anniversary of the iconic Nirvana frontman – Kurt Cobain, prior to his untimely death back in April 1994. Whatever you think of Kurt Cobain, there can be no denying that Nirvana were one of the pioneering bands of the Grunge movement, and left a stain upon society, that will never be washed out.
With their angsty lyricism, harsh distorted guitars and Dave Grohl’s iconic whip cracking drum beats, they provided a path for a teenage revolution, that had been brooding since the hey day of 1970’s punk. Forming in 1987, in Aberdeen, Washington, their debut album Bleach, selling just 40,000 units in North America between the 1989 release and 1991. Thus, the band didn’t release their masterpiece – Nevermind until 1991, formed from a couple of years worth of pasted nihilistic poetry from Cobain. Recently celebrating it’s 20th anniversary and within two months of it’s release, was selling 40,000 units in America per week.
Nevermind contained great tracks such as; Lithium, In Bloom and Come As You Are. But most notably it contained the track that catapulted their success into the stratosphere of mainstream recognition that it thoroughly deserved, receiving almost constant radio and MTV airplay: Smells Like Teen Spirit, branded as the Sex Pistols’ Anarchy In The UK of the generation andknown by just about everyone under the age of 50.
Sadly, in April 1994, after a short stint in rehab, Kurt Cobain’s body was found, by his wife Courtney Love, with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to his head. The grunge legacy has carried on, with bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Alice In Chains, as well as a new wave of Grunge that has fallen into the Indie categorisation, from band’s such as Tribes and, to an extent, Howler.
Check out our favourite track from Nirvana, containing interplay of slow ironic verses with up-beat, distorted choruses, showcasing Kurt Cobain’s gritty vocalisation at its absolute finest…
Nowadays there are different attitudes and opinions towards what makes a good punk track, the majority of so called “punks” believe that a punk song is invalid if it either lacks throat shredding, screamed inaudible vocals or if the band/track don’t toe the line between mildly and hideously offensive. Whereas some others tend to judge the band’s music on the lead singer’s fringe. Therefore, if you use any of these to judge punk music, you probably won’t enjoy The Menzingers’ latest album very much.
Having recently signed to Epitaph records the Philadelphia punks have written and recorded their third studio album; On The Impossible Past. Previously providing live support to such acts as Against Me! And Anti-Flag, while constantly gaining notoriety from their single releases thus far.
The album opens on an omnipotent high note with Good Things, a short, sharp burst of proper punk energy,purveying a stadium-ready, sing-along chorus, reflecting the Gaslight Anthem, straying out of the 59 sound’s control, led by gritty vocal undertones. As does single; The Obituaries, implementing penetrative, staccato power chords that materialise into an energetic wall of sound. Again, led by unique vocals purveying stark lyrical realism, abiding to a typical western neo-punk style.
Whereas, latest single - Gates ventures into a new territory, indistinguishable upon the band’s previous releases, from the arpeggiated chords to the whip-cracking snare that leads the mellow verses, accompanied by brief guitar fills, right through the storming chorus, seeing a controlled explosive dive into up-tempo masterpiece, settling back into the verse, a technique repeated through the whole track. The album also contains the odd slower, laid back tracks, such as the title track and the closer – Freedom Bridge.
Thus, from the poignant opening right through to the solemn finale, accepting and enveloping the journey that On The Impossible Past takes us on, exploring different sounds and territories that are prominent upon works from other punk artists. Being the sun-drenched riffs through Mexican Guitars and the narrative Sun Hotel, that steps onto the bridge that divides folk-punk from pop-punk, yet maintains to a true punk rock style, leaving the album as a strong contender for punk album of the year!
It’s been a while since we heard any thing from the controversial Smiths legend, since those unsavory comments about KFC and his struggle to achieve a record deal. However, EMI have announced, with Morrissey’s full co-operation, the release of his groundbreaking debut album; Viva Hate on 26th March, containing classic singles such as Suedehead and Everyday is Like Sunday.
The album has now been remastered by original Smiths producer Stephen Street and the artwork has been restored to the original photgraph. In addition, it features Treat Me Like A Human Being, which replaces Ordinary Boys, and features a written introduction from Morrissey’s long-time confidant Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders.
The album will be available on CD and vinyl. The LP version will be a 180g heavyweight, gatefold vinyl, housed in a wide-spine sleeve with a pull-out poster. The CD will be housed in a gatefold, card sleeve.
Following the album’s release, on 23rd April, coinciding with 2012’s Record Store Day, Morrissey will release a limited edition 10-inch picture disc of Suedehead (Mael Mix), a remix of the song by Sparks, who have previously heavily inspired Morrissey. The single will be backed with two previously unreleased live versions of We’ll Let You Know and Now My Heart Is Full, recorded at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in February 1995.
So here it is, the one time of year that invites an annual tradition of boyfriend forgiveness, with a bunch of cheap flowers and a bag of Cadbury’s misshapes making up for all of those Black Ops hours of social isolation.
But if you’re one of those that feels the urge to kick cupid right in his smug little face and smash the hell out of February’s festive isle, look no further…
We all know that love is a constant trending topic in the music business, but every now and then, the odd anomalie comes along. Generally in the exploitative form of ballsy punk rock from The Avengers to Zebrahead.
So rather than sitting home alone, flicking through television channels in a desperate attempt to come across a channel that isn’t broadcasting a slushy rom-com containing Hugh Grant, why not head out to one of the many punk gigs being put on across the land? Discovering an environment where you can dance and drink your cares away, or find your self on the administering end of habits that have, so often, nearly ruined all of our evenings. Whether that be the hurling of pint glasses that rain substances that we can only hope to be some form of beer, or clambering your way to the no-man’s land that divides the crowd from the iconic shrines of popular music, whilst kicking a fair deal of punters in the face on the way.
Hot picks include…
Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach:Attack Attack!
Edinburgh, Tunnels:Pulled Apart By Horses
London, Bush Hall:Pure Love (Frank Carter ex Gallows)
Meanwhile, we’ve compiled a decathlon of anti-love classics that raise a finger to Saint Valentine…
New Found Glory – My Friends Over You
Proper Warped Tour pop-punk about the dilemma of affable loyalty put up against tricky relationship calamities. Equipping satirical humour to the tale that we’ve all heard before, about guys putting bro’s before hoes.
The Vandals – My Girlfriend’s Dead
A bittersweet, all out lie to avoid the embarrassing fact that they’ve officially been cast into the single bargain bin. But the whistles alone plummet the song in to pop-punk anthem territory, not to mention the matter of fact lyrics.
Green Day – Good Riddance (The Time of Your Life)
Intentionally written as a non-bitter track about Billie Joe Armstrong breaking up with his girlfriend. Perhaps the most depressing of the bunch, presented as a sombre acoustic tale of honesty, citing the breaking of love and eventual acceptance, as you stretch your eye lids to reduce those post-breakup tears
The Misfits – Die, Die My Darling
A psychopathic burst of anger from the legendary horror punks, harshly wishing death upon the protagonist lover, purveyed through Glenn Danzig’s shredding trucker vocals. Accompanied by harsh, staccato power chords, each sounding and feeling like a fatal stab to the chest.
The Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love?
Perhaps one of the world’s most famous punk songs, since dabbling in the mainstream, having been used in countless adverts and TV/film backdrops. Bestowing a narrative of unsuited love, set to fail from the very start, which is in itself pretty disheartening and slightly Shakespearean. Combining crashing guitar riff with ominous fills and a stadium worthy chorus, recognisable by just about everyone.
So there you have it, another year of slushy valentine’s lovey-dovey fodder, can be clearly overridden by an anarchic punk attitude!
