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ZINES
A Short Fanzine About Rocking #15
£1 for 80 A5 printed pages
I sometimes wonder how when I dedicate so much of my life to hunting
down zines I manage to miss such a kickass established zine such
as this. ASFAR is pretty much entirely interviews and reviews but
each is carried out with a ton of verve. The only thing that slightly
annoyed me was that despite the fact there is a contents list,
there aren’t any page numbers! Overall I’m impressed,
in fact I’ve already subscribed! Bands featured include Sick
of It All, Bring Me the Horizon (I never expected to see them in
a zine!), Against Me! (Rah!), Thrice and loads more. Shame there’s
no columns as I’m sure this lot have plenty say!
http://www.myspace.com/ashortfanzineaboutrocking
Nick, Flat 18, Tall Trees, 8 Mersey Road, Manchester, M20 2PE
Anarchoi #17
£1.50 for 40 A4 Printed Pages
I always seem to give all zines I get a good review in Beat Motel,
and this is no exception. Anarchoi is insightfull, swearfull, and
I would say it’s ‘OiFull’m but that would give
negative connotations. This zine is more cut ‘n’ paste
than a Sweeny Todd pie and all is all the better for it, although
some of the text is a bit Mills N Boon in size. This issue has
a massive bit on a Chernobyl benefit gig that looked like a bloody
good Craic. There’s the second oart of the history of Punk
Rock do-dad too.
James, 3 Hazel Grove, Kilwinning, Ayrshire, KA13 7JH
Artrocker #43
£1.95 for 28 (nearly) A3 Colour Glossy Pages.
I don’t get it, this mag/ zine is mostly full of big label
glossy adverts and bands that look like escapee History Teachers.
I’m sure I must be missing something here, but it looks like
it would suit arty type, er, like the subject suggests I guess.
I’m going to buy some more issues as I’m sure I’m
missing out on something here and I don’t like zines that
make me feel like a think cunt.
Chris, 3A Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RN
Backlash #5
£1 for 40 A5(& a bit) Printed Pages
This is one of the zines I picked up a the marvellous zine symposium
in London earlier in the year. These dudes looked a little lost
in the largely anarcho crowd that was swelling the squat so I thought
I’d go say hi and trade with them. Backlash is a very pro
looking and glossy printed zine but has a very big heart (or several
hearts) behind it. The music covered in pretty much mainsteam (Eels,
Pistolas) but written very much from the perspective of the underground.
There are also some great columns like the vaguely disturbing ‘Your
Dad’ and a column written by a member of Jet Plane Landing.
There’s a nice mix of columns and reviews but sadly no zine
reviews, but then you do get a free cd with a pretty Bumble Bee
on it! This is a classy mag and I look forward to seeing the next
one.
120b Bethune Road, London, N16 5DU
Bald Cactus #24
50p for 28 A5 FootPrinted Pages
Bald Cactus is a constant in this hurly burly world of UK zines.
This issue has an interview with the always interesting Andy Higgins
of Just Say No To Government Records and Higgins++ . This issue
seems to have more rants that usual, but with Andy Cactus’ outlook
on life that can only be a good thing! There are some brilliant
little news bits pasted into this zine that made me chuckle. The
weirdest thing is I’m sure I’ve reviewed this issue
before, but I can’t find it anywhere!
Also covered with class and insight in this issue is Abrasive Wheels,
The Dauntless Elite and The Restarts. What can I say, layouts are
great, content is great, this all adds up to a zine that you really
should own yourself. Get in touch with Andy for details of his
distro too.
145-149 CARDIGAN ROAD,LEEDS,WEST YORKSHIRE,LS6 1LJ
Blackpool Rox II #9
£2 for 28 A4 Printed Pages
Andy has really stepped up a gear with this issue, it’s pretty
much a proper printed magazine now, just minus the gloss! Actually
it’s missing more than that, it’s missing the bullshit
attitude that comes with most of the glossies. For the first time
(that I know of) there are also columns in this issue, along the
theme of ditching ya telly. There’s an impressive slew of
zine reviews and some damned insightful interviews with The Weakerthans,
the punks that put on Wasted and more. If Mensa had a Punk section
Andy would be in it for sure, probably standing at the front of
meetings shouting his head off with a half crushed can of beer
in his raised fist!
www.jsntgm.com
Andy Higgins, PO BOX 1025, Blackpool, FY3 0FA
Bubblegum Slut #23
£1 for 68 A5 Printed Pages
Although I would have thought it previously impossible zinester
Alison to cram anything more betwixt these pages compared to her
previous publications but she’s managed it somehow! Bands
lovingly covered in this mammoth issue include Hanoi Rocks, Dresden
Dolls, Tiger Army, Rezurex, Trashlight Vision and chuffin’ loads
more! There are also chats with a few models and fashion which
seems to be something that’s getting more and more commoni
in zines. I’d like to see more columns, but bar that this
zine is damn near essential.
www.myspace.com/bubblegumslutzine
Alison B, 27 Stores Lane, Tiptree, Essex, CO7 0LH
Empty Playground #1
£1 for 34 A5 Printed Pages
Very nicely printed new metal/ rock zine from not a million miles
away from where Beat Motel hails from. I’ve been to the birthplace
of this zine (Frinton, Essex) and zinester Ben has done the only
thing you can do if you live in such a place, dedicate your efforts
to putting out a kick ass little zine. This is all laid out very
nicely, although my eternal gripe about to much white space in
zines comes into play again here. Bands covered/ interviewed in
this issue include Therapy?, Biomechanical, Inflames, My Ruin and
Four Day Hombre. This zine is written with proper passion and there’s
not many zines that pull off something this awesome with their
first issue, I look forward to reading more! One particularly original
and cool idea is that the interview with Biomechanical is actually
a separate sheet folded and ‘stored’ inside the zine,
great stuff!
Ben, 84 Pole Barn lane, Frinton-on-sea, Essex, Co13 9NH
Everlong #15
£1 for 48 A5 Printed Pages
Apparently this zine is knocked out by an ex Vice Squad drummer,
but then I’m not sure that narrows it down much. This is
a solid wee zine with some smart features like a report on the
Dutch wasted festival and some very insightful interviews with
the likes of Goldblade and The Straps. Ses it’s a Bristol
Punk zine but much like ourselves it’s cirque of influence
is far wider. In fact the music taste on display in Everlong seems
pretty similar to our tastes too, with Dinosaur Jr getting a live
review. One of the live reviews made me laugh, there’s a
band called Gerbil Diarrhoea!
Dave, 7 Nicholas Lane, St George, Bristol, B55 8TY
Fast N Loud #6
£1.50 for 34 A4 Printed Pages
This zine is always a ‘read now’ kinda zine, by which
I mean I’ve always read it cover to cover within 24 hours
of it’s arrival! This issue is no exception with a fascinating
and insightful interview with Beki Bondage and a fantastic bit
on the 4BE2s which taught me a whole lot I never knew about John
Lydon’s wee brother. This zine is put together with a helluva
lot of research and it really shows, there are related news clippings
up the yin-yang and I eagerly await the next issue!
Jon, 88 Overbrook Road, Hardwicke, Gloucester, GL2 4RZ
Fear and Loathing #61
£2 for 40 A4 Printed Pages
Blimey charlie, I haven’t seen one of these for a while!
This zine shows proper old school sensibilities. It is well thought
out, well written and dead informative. Fortunetly the text isn’t
as micro-small as it was in the last issue (hell, I really am the
pot calling the kettle black there!). This issue is a must if you
are a Damned fan as there is an absolutely HUGE interview with
messers Scabies and James in here.
Andy, 17 Medway Avenue, Witham, Essex, CM8 1TF
Food Stamp #1
Free? For 8 A6 copied Pages
Make by the same zinester as Gulper, this is an 8 page musing on
food stamps, written whilst waiting in line for food stamps, and
printed on a foodstamp application form. So as far as themes go
they’re pretty damned consistent!
Shoshanna Choen, PO BOX 6294, Portland, OR 97210, USA
Funky as Fudge #3
£1 for 34 A5 FootPrinted Pages
Good to see this back on paper after the last issue came out only
on PDF. Gareth Fudge has packed another issue full of stuff he’s
really into like ‘Joan as Policewoman’ and ‘Volcano’.
I’ve not heard of any of the bands but they are still enjoyable
to read about as it’s all done with such fresh style. FAF
is one of the most original zines I’ve seen in yonks, the
layouts are pretty basic and in some instances lack a bit of originality
but this is more than made up for by bits like the intermission
in middle of the zine. Keep up the godo work Mr.Fudge!
Gareth Ludkin, 57 Chestnut Ave, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk,
NR32 3JB
Gadgie #21/ Ripping Thrash 23
50p for 46 A5 FootPrinted Pages
In this day and age with fuel prices rising ever skyward, the cost
of penny sweets spiralling out of control and with some Sunday
newspapers costing nearly two quid I find it stunning that it’s
possible to get something of far more value for just fifty pence!
Of course most of us could live without the above, but I’m
not sure we’d do so well without honest to god good ole proper
punk zines. And here we have two of the best join forces! Ripping
Thrash has it’s usual high standard of interesting interviews
with bands I’ve never heard of and even some advice on fare
dodging. Steve at Ripping Thrash really crams his zines full, which
is something I love to see and there’s an impressive number
of zine reviews in here too, just a shame they ain’t alphabetised,
but hey, who am I to get critical on how someone else lays out
reviews, and in fact it probably makes the reader check out stuff
they would have otherwise ignored! Gadgie, whilst also a hot favourite
of mine and a bastion of the UK hardcore zine is a totally different
circle pit of fish. In this issue Marv Gadgie takes us on another
journey through the mists of time to his childhood and a mental
meander detailing his recent trip to our failing footy cousins
up in Narrrrrrrrrich. This is great as usual but my only complaint
as usual is that it ain’t long enough! If bum blasting hardcore
is your thing then you should buy this zine for the hardcore reviews
if note else, corking stuff.
Marv,PO BOX 93,Boston,Lincolnshire,PE21 7YB
The Gulper #1
£? For 28 A5 Copied Pages
I love zines like this, created for nobody other than the author,
and designed to appeal to whoever might fancy it, rather than pandering
to anything, well, at all! Zinester Shoosh lets us know what she
likes and hates, what she’s been up to recently and well
as chucking in a few tasty recipes, all through the medium of what
looks like the worlds most knackered typewriter. I’ve just
noticed this zine came out nearly five years ago! But I’d
still recommend getting a copy, it’s well worth a few minutes
of your distraction!
Shoshanna Choen, PO BOX 6294, Portland, OR 97210, USA
Happy Times #2
AUS$2.50 for 34 A5 Printed Pages
Wow, I love zines like this. It’s part comic book, part scrawled
explainations of the graphical stories. The first story was written
by the author over a period of 24 hours with one page being written
every hour.
You can kinda tell when the guy must have been getting sleep deprived
as the drawing style noticeably changes and things get a little
weird(er) in the story line. You can even spot when the author
broke his pen! The second graphic story is a post apocalyptic story
of friendship and disembodied personalities. This zine is all the
way from Australia and I heartily recommend you track it down,
it’s like Morganmuffle but with a lot more oddness. I really
loved the glossary in the back explaining cultural references used
in the stories, like Black Flag! I got this zine from Sticky Distro
down in Australia so your best bet of grabbing a copy for yourself
would be to email them on sticky@platform.org.au. This issue came
out July 2005 so with any luck you’ll be able to grab some
newer copies too!
High Heels Slut #9
€1.50 for 58 printed A5 pages
I had a bit of trouble looking for this zine on Google, ooh, the
results would make Traci Lords blush! This is an incredibly enthusiastic
zine from Belgium. There are lots of (hopefully not patronising)
endearing things about this zine like the author Wim’s constant
use of the acronym R’n’R for Rock n Roll instead of
Punk Rock, although to be honest I think Rock n Roll is probably
a better description! There’s a bunch of very human interviews
with the likes of Heart Attacks, Guilty Hearts and Mexican Blackbirds.
There’s a massive feature on European zines which is bloody
great. I really like the constant use of words ya just don’t
here over here anymore like ‘Retards’ and there’s
so much crammed in here it will take you forever to read. I’ve
always wondered why so many foreign zines are written in English,
maybe zinester Retard Wim can enlighten us!
http://www.myspace.com/highheelsslut
Insomnia Magazine #3
£2.50 for 48 A4 Printed Pages
Holy moly this zine has undergone a radical change since I last
saw it! The print job and layouts are awesome, I’m honestly
seriously impressed with the speed this zine/ magazine has developed
at! The bands covered are along similar lines to Devolution and
to a certain extent Black Velvet and Trashpit, so you can expect
a bunch of gothic punk/ metal stuff. There are some seriously foxy
young ladies in this zine, all very classy I might add, not least
in the lowdown on the presenters of Redemption TV. There’s
even a big lump of fiction in here, this just helps cement this
zines place in the UK scene, expect to be hearing about this everywhere
soon. Oh, and there’s a free 16 track cd on the cover!
Mark, 75 High Street, Loscoe Heanor, Derbyshire, DE75 7LG
Maximum Rock N Roll #281
$4 for bloody loads of A4 printed pages
I was going to stop reviewing MRR, not because I don’t like
it, but because I like it so much I get it as often as I can! If
I reviewed every copy then it would take up most of my zine review
space! If you’ve never read MMR you’ve missed out on
fantastic columns ranging from funny to shocking, from eco-warrior
to boozehound. You’ve missed out on fantastic photos from
around the world. And if you don’t buy this issue you’ll
miss out on a fantastic Blackpool scene report written by our mate
Andy Higgens of Blackpool Rox II/ Just Say No To Government Music
fame. So basically not getting MMR leads to a whole lot of missing
out on your part!
Negative Reaction #5
£1 for 30 A4 Printed Pages
A zine I always run off to the bog with as soon it comes through
the door, and there’s so much smart and funny stuff in here
that I’ve come close to getting a big ring shaped pressure
sore on my arse every time a new issue comes out. Trev is doing
things a bit differently this issue, he’s making a stand
on his own, well nearly on his own, he’s got a bird! Said
lass (Dawn) writes some fucking funny stuff too, from the sound
of it Trev is half boyfriend/ half semi-tame pet! Interviews this
issue include Anti-Nowhere League and Dr.Strange Records. Now Trev’s
interviews ain’t the usual crap so check them out. Other
stuff to tickle your fancies include a map of Blair’s Britain,
another inside scoop about working at ASDA and something I never
thought I’d see in this most Oi of zines, poetry!!! If you
think you don’t need to by this zine you’re fucking
deluded you cunt. Oh-er Trev’s rubbing off on me, oh jebus
that’s no good, I’ll get me coat.
Trev, 20 New Front Street, T/Lea, Stanley, Co.Duhram, DH9 9LY
Robots and Electronic Brains #14,15,16
£1 for up to 44 A5 printed pages
Wahoo! I love the type of humour and personality that this zine
oozes by the bucket load. It’s kinda cliquey but when reading
the zine you are very much made to feel a part of the joke. The
bulk of each issue is taken up by a squillion reviews, but don’t
let that put you off as there is just as much humour and personality
in the reviews as the best of zines have in their columns! Each
issue follows a sort of artwork theme, all based on some sort of
silly but cute futuristic machine, it’s all very endearing.
Each issue also comes with a compilation CD, which is pretty impressive.
This zine has been going for ten years, and as we all know time
is the ultimate cull for shite zines, so by that logic this is
a corker! I wanna be a robot.
www.robotsandelectronicbrains.co.uk
Jimmy Possession, c/o r+eb, 133 Green End Road, Cambridge, CB4
1RW
Snailwell Gazette #1
£1 for 40 A6 Printed Pages
This is a neat idea, this is a kinda family newsletter, that’s
available to the whole world. This zine is written by an American
family headed up by their mum (acting as editor), who is a peace
loving yoga teaching eco-groover with a smart sense of humour.
The family are currently living in a small Suffolk village called ‘Snailwell’ whilst
their dad flys fighter jets from a nearby USAF base. What you get
for your quid is 40 cute as pie pages filled with wee drawings,
observations on Suffolk life (from the humorous perspective of
a visitor) and a few other random musings. Everyone gets involved,
even one of the neighbours gets a page dedicated to them! I’m
hoping they stick to their promise to get out four copies a year
as I can’t wait for the next one! In the zine it says to
get copies from the USA address below, but I’m sure if you
email them direct they’ll sell you a copy direct! The Snailwell
girls have found the perfect perzine, it's intimate, funny, and
when you've finished reading it you feel like you've made another
friend! It’s zines like this that make the whole zineworld
so much more accessible.
c/o Uncle Chris, 174 Delancey Street, Apt 7R, New York, NY 10002
www.snailwellgazette.com
Trashpit #9
£1 for 32 A5 gloss Printed Pages
This mag just looks better and better with every issue. Zinester
Rob has found a nice balance between being a fully blown magazine
and a good ole zine. Hell, if I could afford it I’d print
Beat Motel this way! There are only a few reviews but I guess Rob
picks out the albums that he really loves, either that or the lucky
bugger isn’t drowning under a massive review pile like I
am! The Trashpit theme is kinda sleaze metal and hair metal, although
having said that there is a hilarious interview with Bowling for
Soup, but then you’ll see the connection with the rest of
the zine when you read it, which you will.
Rob,95 Frlamstead Ave,Loscoe,Heanor,Derbyshire,DE75 7RP
A few more that I haven't had a chance to review for this issue
but I’d still recommend: Last Hours (any issue), Hey Surburbia
#4, Riot On Your Own, El Diablo, Runnin’ Feart, Oscars Eye,
Punker Mentality #1.
RELEASES
:(
First Blood
CDMINILP—MUST DESTROY MUSIC
(Division PR)
If Ministry had used a ZX80 on their industrial stuff, and had
a fruit machine guest on each track it might have sounded something
like this. Is is possible to be creative and new when you’re
this retro? The vocals sing a good madchester type tune, but next
to the silly arcade noises they sound like a bit of an afterthought.
Andrew Culture
Against Me!
Americans Abroad
CDLP—FAT WRECK CHORDS
Rip-roaring live London show from this massive band. This live
album sees Against Me make them most of their massive back catalogue,
and when old and new songs are played back to back it really highlights
how much this band has developed. This is a good fun album and
fans will love it, if you’re not 100% up on Against Me! Then
this would be probably serve as a pretty smart intro. Get this
album if you like passionate political power punk pop.
Andrew Culture
Alice Donut
Fuzz
CDLP—HOWLER RECORDS
(Division PR)
Man this band has a full sound, there’s all kinds of stuff
going on in here! It’s a pretty smart sound too, like surfy
garage loose drunken rock. This is a fun, good time rock n roll
album,the artwork made me laugh and the actual band are a funny
looking bunch of goons too!
Andrew Culture
ALICE DONUT
FUZZ
CDLP – HOWLER RECORDS
Alice Donut sound like Liam Gallagher and Neil Finn fighting over
a joint, tripping over instruments, pretending to be Nirvana and
pressing record. To be frank, the album bored me and I found myself
skipping each track after about 3 minutes. The recording quality
is pretty facking good, but that’s what you’d expect
from 20 years practice – maybe by 2026 they’ll start
writing facking good songs?
‘Fuzz’ is out in September on Howler Records – steer clear… unless
you enjoy mediocre grunge – rock. Didn’t think so.
Fisher
Amarillo
9 Minute demo
CDEP—SELF RELEASE
Seriously people, don’t fucken send me country music, not
even if you’re being ironic. You wouldn’t like it if
I took an ironic piss in your fridge would you.
Andrew Culture
Angel City Outcasts
Deadrose Junction
CDLP—I USED TO FUCK PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN PRISON RECORDS
This is a promising name for this fastish melodic punk band, just
a shame there’s just too much cock in this rock for my tastes.
Add a few ‘whoa ohs’ and you’d have old Bon Jovi.
Bugger, I think I’ve used that line in a review elsewhere
before.
Andrew Culture
Arch Stanton
Comfort in Stereo
CDEP—MEANTIME RECORDS
Another great hit of tuneful interesting inventive sonically different
punk with a (very) vauge emo edge to it. Buy this is you like Vanilla
Pod & Southpaw.
www.myspace.com/thestanton
Andrew Culture
Autons
Snakes
CD-S - R*E*P*E*A*T RECORDS
The fact that Autons claim to have met while auditioning for extras
on Doctor Who gives them a better back-story than basically any
other band, ever.
The lead track on this single, Snakes, is a great two-minute punky
blast. I like it – sounds like the kind of thing that’s
even more fun live. The b-side, Ice Major, is good too, although
not as memorable understandably. Together, it’s ace – five
minutes of great electro pop-punk.
Charlotte Sometimes
Bestial Mockery
Gospel of the Insane
CDLP—OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS
Ya know, I only heard ‘Scum’ by Napalm Death for the
first time last week, now I know where bands like Bestial Mockery
get their ideas from. Although this album can’t be all that
bad, a punter in my shop tried to buy it while I had it on the
shop stereo! If you wanna know what French grindcore sounds like
then get this album.
Andrew Culture
Black Tax/ Heroic Doses
Split Album
CDLP—HOLLOW SKULL RECORDS
Black Tax are screamo-hardcore I guess, I dunno, there’s
some lad with something stuck in his foot or something proper screaming
his head off while the rest of the band are trying to play faster
than each other. Heroic Doses sound much the same, but with some
slower DUH DUH bits, and some vocals that sound like the Darkness.
I’ve heard enough.
Andrew Culture
BLACK TAX/HEROIC DOSES
BLACK TAX/HEROIC DOSES
CDLP – HOLLOW SOUL RECORDS
This split on hollow soul records is a collaboration of fast-core
punk by Black Tax and Heroic Doses and it bodes well that the Tax
are first in line to be mentioned, because they steal this CD from
the off. Their brand of energetic hardcore-punk is hardly original,
but contains enough variety in progression and sheer balls to carry
the songs off. The tracks sound good and are delivered at such
pace and with such ferocity that you can’t help but get into
it. Heroic Doses unfortunately fail to grab the attention with
a rather ropey intro to their first song, but the impact of the
harsh and exciting vocals redeems this. On a whole the songs aren’t
particularly strong, and the recording doesn’t sound half
as tight as those recorded by Black Tax. The band’s sounds
work together and would work live great, but to be honest I’d
feel quite happy if my CD got scratched from track 6 onwards. Black
Tax/Heroic Doses is out now, available in shops that sell it.
Fisher
Bombshell Rocks
The Conclusion
CDLP—HOUSEHOLD NAME RECORDS
Effortlessly sliding between Screeching Weasel fast punk to punchy
Good Clean Fun style riffs this band plays damn intelligent hardcore.
It sounds like a hundred years in the planning as there are very
few weak tracks here, although bizzarely one of the best tracks
has been relegated to being the secret track!
Rah, get your fist in the air, get your arms around your mates
and jump in time and gang shout along to the choruses, this is
a dam fine record.
Andrew Culture
Bossk
1
CDEP—Q not Q Records
First of all calling this an EP really doesn’t do it justice!
Slightly heavier than Pelican and live they can shift impacted
faeces at 200 yards. Swirrling effects laden instrumental melodies
with world ending crunch downs. This may be one of my favourite
cds of the year so far, I’m totally in love with this band!
Holy crap I hope they play live nearby soon!
Andrew Culture
Bullets To Broadway
Drink Positive
CDLP—HOUSEHOLD NAME RECORDS
Sometimes, if I’m in a bad mood from reviewing too much mediocre
punk shite I approach each new album with a scowl and it takes
a hell of a lot to make me listen past the third or fourth track.
Thankfully Bullets to Broadway are a decent cheery USA punk band,
with duel boy/ girl vocals that lifted my mood and had me smiling
in minutes. Think along the lines of Screeching Weasel and you’ll
get the vibe I’m trying to describe, good stuff.
Andrew Culture
The Clerks
The Dissidents
CD-S – ART GOES POP
Ooh, I like this. The a-side is really catchy and good at the same
time. For some reason The Clerks have been likened to Franz Ferdinand,
but I don’t see much of that in them. They’re more
similar to all the dancier bands coming out of Leeds at the moment.
This is quite commercial, but at the moment it works for them.
I’d be interesting to see what happens if they make it big – they
sound like they’ve got quite a lot more in them, and I hope
they don’t just stick to this admittedly quite excellent
dance-punk formula. As long as their songs stay as great as the
two in this single, though, I can’t really complain.
Charlotte Sometimes
Circlesound
Feel The Energy
CDEP-REVERB
(Work Hard-PR)
Finally, a band with enough musical integrity and aptitude to actually
amount to something bigger than one hurried demo tape that was
recorded in your mates’ garden shed, with no electricity!
This is a very promising EP that is driven by intense emotion and
compassion. Circlesound have been able to maintain a level of maturity
that outstretches their time together as a professional band. Even
in the early years of their career they have supported other indie
elitists such as The Departure, Maximo Park and The Editors. Feel
The Energy is the most appropriate title for this four-track EP
as that it what you must do in order to appreciate the majestic
power that dominates every song. Their quirky, indie-rock is riddled
with melancholic guitar jangles and intelligent lyrics, which elevates
them miles higher than most guitar bands that are being mass produced
in the market today. Circlesounds’ potential certainly does
outweigh the majority of their superiors. Check them out.
Tom Watsom
The Common Redstarts
Save It For Your Friends-Radio Edit
CDEP-SEECA
(Work Hard-PR)
Where has the excitement gone? Why do I feel an overwhelming sense
of apathetic emptiness after listening to this single? I mean,
The Common Redstarts don’t sound overly bad. They have adopted
the reputable playfulness of early Stereophonics and appear to
be a band with a degree of musical ability. The single, “Save
it for your friends,” has had mass audience appeal by the
listeners of Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and XFM. But that’s not
enough (for me at least). It lacks creativity and the freshness
that indie-pop owned during the 90’s. It has all been done/heard/criticized
before. The Redstarts are proud ticket holders of a reserved seat
on the overcrowding indie bandwagon as it grudgingly chugs along,
with bands such as The Arctic Monkeys and The Paddingtons as its’ fuel.
When is it going to cease or take another direction? And what will
come of the infinite number of bands such as The Common Redstarts
when it does? Only time will tell.
Tom Watsom
CONFLICT
Back catalogue reissues
CDLP - CHERRY RED/ MOTARHATE
Right,I’m sure most people are aware of Conflicts exitstance,but
should you not – then the setting is 1981 & a new ep
appears on CRASS records by a new Anarcho punk band from Eltham
named Conflict.Whom over the next few years will follow in a similar
vein to Crass (Starting their own label,giving a platform to a
host of new raw talent,while always keeping record & gig prices
low) & kind of carry the torch as Crass played their last gig & demised.So
to these here reissues,they are put out by Mortarhate / Cherry
Red in nice digi-packs,all digitally remastered & containing
bonus ep’s with excellent bulky lyric,info booklets.First
up is
IT’S TIME TO SEE WHO’S WHO – Debut album that
suffered a poor production at the time,on hearing it again for
the first time in ages was great,slightly loose in places but good
pissed of punk straight outta the Crass camp with some memorable
numbers on here “meat means murder”,”One nation
under the bomb” (though the best are yet to come) also includes
the Disarm or die & Nation of animal lovers ep’s (that
must have turned 1000s to vegetarianism or direct action with it’s
7” packaging) in their entirety.INCREASE THE PRESSURE - 2nd
album from 84,containing a studio & live side from Brixton
Ace in 83,the former is powerful from the off with a good intro
build up & “Never mind the bullshit here’s the
facts” Straight into it with a punch,Angry & in your
face with mellower melodic moments & running one song into
the next,with a tyrade against,nuclear arms,hunting,the law etc.The
live side’s ok & contains a lot of the 1st album.This
package includes the excellent “Serenade is dead”ep
/ This is not enough & other alt mixes.
THE UNGOVERNABLE FORCE - Brilliant production & argueably their
finest release.At a time when the authorities were obtaining more & more
power & clashing with these said authorities was more & more
frequent.This an ass kickin document of that time challenging the
changing face of punk & the law,we’d had riots,Stop the
city,The miners,Stonehenge & Thatcher still at the helm.This
really takes me back to an angry youth.Still sounds great & comes
with “Battle continues” 7” & a few alt mixes.So
we culminate with TURNING REBELLION INTO MONEY or the gig known
as “The gathering of the 5000” which saw Conflict team
up with Crass frontman Steve Ignorant to perform a set of both
bands songs.The event was a brave venture,in hiring the Brixton
Academy for a mammoth benefit gig.Come the day,optimism filled
the air,rumours went round about Conflict,Police plants,riots & more.As
for the gig the prolonged intro to “Banned from the Roxy” whipped
it up into pure excitement.This is a well recorded document covering
both bands catalogue that unfortunately ended up with ugly scenes
both inside the venue & out.The accompanying booklet to this
cd gives a good account of the build up to the event,how the day
itself unfolded & the aftermath.I was at this gig & on
leaving the venue,the streets were lined with cops & vans,were
they expecting trouble ? It certainly seemed on reflection & after
the buzz of charging up Brixton High Road to a soundtrack of breaking
glass,that the Met Police had a good rehearsal of their ability
to both start & quell a minor riot.All in a good bunch of re-issues.Look
out for more to follow from Conflict & the Mortarhate label
archives.Conflict are still active,check them out at www.conflict-uk.com
Rikki Flag
The Cravats
The Land of Giants
CDLP—OVERGROUND RECORDS
(Division PR)
This is a two disc set that is allegedly the best of the Cravats.
I really wish I hadn’t listened to this first thing in the
morning with a headache. This ‘jazz punk’ is one of
the most horrible things I have ever heard, it’s all discordant
and grates really quickly. Maybe I’m missing something as
I’m not a real musician, and to be honest I’m fucking
glad because if being a proper muso meant listening to shit like
this all day I think I’d rather plug my ears with molten
lava. By track 4 I felt like I had a swarm of switchblade carrying
wasps trying to escape from behind my eyes. If this is the best
I fucken hope I never heard the worst.
Andrew Culture
Dead Hearts
Bitter Verses
CDLP—FERRET MUSIC
Coming across like a thoughtful and contemplative Sick of it All
Dead Hearts play the This Mourning After game of hardcore, they
soften you up with some nice light instrumental parts before slamming
into some noise capable of causing permanent organ damage, not
bad at all.
Andrew Culture
Dead To Me
Cuban Ballerina
CDLP – FAT WRECK RECORDS
Kicking off like the Dickies and pounding on in a Stiff Little
Fingers vein, only not quite as pissed off. I haven’t used
the word ‘enjoyable’ to describe an album for a long
time, but this album just has a really cool positive vibe to it.
The tunes are strong as snorting vodka (don’t try it).
Andrew Culture
Destructors 666
06:06:06
CDEP - ROWDY FARAGO RECORDS
Some bands take a long time to get round to recording, before the
internet came along bands used to practice for at least a couple
of years before recording their first demo. As you know a lot of
bands enter the ‘studio’ after only being together
for a matter of minutes these days. Well Destructors make a stand
for the old skool, they formed in 1977 and as far as I can tell
this is their first release. Dispite being originally a 77 band
they have a very 80s harder metallic sound. The lyrics are kinda
hilarious, I can’t tell if that’s intentional or not,
like in ‘The Neighbour of The Beast’.
www.destructors666.com
Andrew Culture
Destructors 666/ The ruined
Plus Ca Change Pour La Meme Chose
CDEP - ROWDY FARAGO RECORDS
Destructors 666 play pacey simple 80s sounding punk with simple
shout along choruses. Eg, the first chorus is ‘bullshit,
bullshit, fucking bullshit’. Oh bollocks I just dropped the
cd case and it’s bust! There are elements of Screeching Weasel
in the band sounds really English, which means I’ll probably
find out they are somewhere far away. The second Destructors track
has a slight riffy metal edge to it and to be honest is a far stronger
track than the first one. The Ruined play what I guess you could
call horror punk, there’s more than a passing resemblance
to the Misfits but a healthy slice of something original going
on there too. One of the best things about this EP is the note
on the back, it says, “It was Easy, It Was Cheap, Now you
do it! Any way you look at it this EP has pedigree, the Destructors
have been going on and off since 1977 and have had such members
as Giz Butt in their ranks!
www.destructors666.com
www.the-runined.com
Andrew Culture
Devilish Presley
Memphisto
CDLP-NOVEMBER 10TH RECORDS
There were moments within Memphisto that unwillingly brought me
to wince with sheer embarrassment. This brutally tedious 12 track
record fashions Devilish Presley’s own brand of “sexy
horror-rock”. In all honesty, there is more sexual implication
in Rik Waller’s overflowing toilet bowl, filled to the brim
with refuse. This record sounds like Richard O’Brien, squealing
with orgasmic delight, whilst he humps Angus Young’s leg
in mid-flow of Highway to Hell. From the opening howler, “Prick
up your ears,” to the anti-climatic “Jukebox Hades,” Memphisto
certainly is one of the worst records that I have ever listened
to.
Tom Watsom
Escape the Fate
Dying Is Your Latest Fashion
CDLP—EPITAPH RECORDS
Eee-gads, the second track on this album has a vocoder on it! Well
I can’t tell if it’s a vocoder or if they’ve
treated the singers vocals to make them sound in tune, either way
it’s poo. Escape the Fate are the 763rd emo band to join
the Warp tour in search of rock and rolls riches. They claim they
are here to change the face of music, which I think about a third
of the bands I review in Beat Motel claim, unfortunetly like most
of the bands of this ilk that I hear they seem to grab a whole
bunch of influences and seem to think by jamming them together
they are creating something new. I can’t deny that they are
crossing quite a few boundries, they even have some mock growly
metal vocals on ’The Guillotine’. As this album plays
on Escape The Fate make me think that maybe they do have something
new to offer. Just as I’m starting to enjoy this I look at
some of the lyrics, ‘You’re the only one that wore
your seatbelt, we’re the only ones that cried catastrophic
accident, you’re the only one that died so keep my casket
closed.’ Oh dear...
Andrew Culture
Fallopian
Dammit, Eat Your Pudding
CDLP—AVEBURY RECORDS
My first impression of this band was that they were a dodgy knock
off of The Raincoats only not as talented at playing in time or
in tune. But as this album continues it’s mix of Huggy Bear,
Helen Love and every band of 12 year olds you’ve ever heard
starts to burrow into your head. This album comes across as more
of a collection of playground chants backed by half assed instrumentation
than a disc of well crafted tunes. It’s pretty patronising
of me but this whole package comes across as undeniably cute, and
we’re not just talking cute like a toddler saying fuck, we’re
talking cute like sitting in field with fluffy bunnies jumping
around you and a novelty size lollipop in hand making daisy chains
in the shapes of boys you fancy. Man, I think this album is so
cute it’s turning me! Highlights include ‘Free Peepshow’, ‘I
love Beans’, ‘My Thoughts On Boogers’ and the
great ‘Check Out My Rash’. This band comes across as
more of a gang of rough but cute girls, the kinda girls you’d
fancy at school but be mildly terrified by if they cornered you
by the candy machine.
Andrew Culture
Feverdream
You are Happening
CDLP—COALITION RECORDS
Wow, someone has stolen this band’s fuzz pedals! The songs
are all reasonably structured, but sound very restrained. The album
has a very live feel to it and the tunes are dangerously close
to MOR rawk for my tastes.
Andrew Culture
Frommars
Frommars
CD-EP - 48V RECORDS
I don't understand why this EP has a picture of a foetus on the
front at least, I think that's a foetus. It's not particularly
edgy anymore, guys.
This is just dull. There's some quite nice guitar sounds on the
first song, but it's all a bit epic and powerful for me, I'm afraid.
The kind of music that's going to appeal more to classic rock fans
than anyone else, I expect. I have nothing particularly against
it, it's just I don't understand how these songs are supposed to
hold my attention. There's nothing interesting here, nothing that
I haven't heard before. They remind me of Wolfmother a bit, just
less crazy. Not awful, just not memorable. For all their attempts
to be grim and cutting-edge, it's a bit too safe.
Charlotte Sometimes
GALLOWS
Orchestra of wolves
CDEP – IN AT THE DEEP END RECORDS
First impressions remind me of Refused but with a hint of some
thing I can’t quite put my finger on at the moment. Refreshingly
the singer doesn’t put on an American accent which is great
as he adds a lovely cockney feel. Gang chants help make any things
better if done right and they do. Tight drums, duel guitars, crunchy
bass and a singer who really helps set this band apart from most
other groups in today’s "scene".
A let down would be the keyboards although they help calm down
the chaos at the end of “roll with the punches’" half
way through the album
"Ladies and gentlemen... may I have your attention please... this is the
captain of your ship...I’m sorry we depart this way...
YOU LEAVE ME BROKEN HEARTED. But I never loved you anyway"
For fans of Refused, WOW owls, Bones Brigade, The Birds Are Spies…
MushrooM
Ghostwood Shanks
Farewell Dead City
CDLP-KILLA MOTHZ
This is a promising debut from the LO-FI four-piece, Ghostwood
Shanks. Recorded at the home of guitarist/vocalist, Paul Dale,
it holds a refined DIY sound that effortlessly carries itself through
14 absurdly unique tracks. The record opens with the acoustic driven, “My
Extended Network,” where we first hear Dale’s peculiar
vocals, as he carelessly steps in and out of tune to the melody.
This is later followed by the hauntingly beautiful instrumental, “Mountain
Song,” that melts the ears with its delicate guitar harmonies
and spaceward sound effects. However, the record begins to lose
its’ charm nearing the last couple of songs as the original
concept becomes tiresome and boring. There are definite influences
from bands such as Modest Mouse and The Velvet Underground- which
is evident in their overall sound- yet they don’t live up
to the magnitude of either. But still, Ghostwood Shanks show great
potential to be a respectable LO-FI indie band. I’d like
to think that they have progressed since the release of this record
and, in return, show greater prospects of being acknowledged by
a wider audience.
Tom Watsom
GL*XO BABIES
DREAMS INTERRUPTED: THE BEWILDERMENT YEARS 1978-80
CDLP – HEARTBEAT RECORDS
‘Dreams Interrupted: The Bewilderment Years 1978-80’ is a collection
out on Heartbeat records by a band as sophisticated as they sound surreal.
Gl*xo Babies’ unique style mixes post-punk with grunge and
rock, to create an eerie drone that penetrates the ears. This initial
sound experience is for me where the interest ends, as the speed
of the songs and the overall sounds becomes very tedious, very
quick. What back in ’78 would seem a revolution in sound
now sounds like bored, unhappy men making boring, unhappy music.
Undeniably intelligent, undeniably *opens mouth, breathes out deep
and pats with palm of hand*.
Fisher
Good Riddance
My Republic
CDLP—FAT WRECK CHORDS
Man, I’m sure Good Riddance rattle their albums out, although
I could be confusing them Lawrence Arms for some reason, I don’t
exactly know what I’m talking about. This album pounds along
nicely enough, there’s no one stand out track, party due
to the thick production. If you’re a fan grab it.
Andrew Culture
The Hazey Janes
Fire In The Sky
CDEP—MEASURED RECORDS
With Bluetones style vocals and instrumentation this band pulled
no surprises and were so inoffensive it was nearly offensive. Not
my cuppa.
Andrew Culture
Heavens
Patent Pending
CDLP—EPITAPH
Oo-er, I know all about style revivals (ska etc) but this album
sounds like ti could be at the forefront of a New Romantics revival!
The vocals are pushing out a nice strong tune but they just sound
so bored, that laid back Talking Heads/ New Order/ Early Cure sorta
vibe and the lyrics certainly nod knowingly at The Smiths. There’s
not a ton of variety going on here and most of the songs have a
similar dum dum dum dum sort of flow to them. This is okay, but
left me a bit cold, lets just hope there won’t be a new romantics
revival!
Andrew Culture
Hostage Life
Sing For The Enemy
CDLP—HOUSEHOLD NAME RECORDS
Mile a minute hardcore with no let up to the pounding aural beating.
I’ve always wondered how music can go a mile a minute though,
I mean, surely that’s travelling at 60mph isn’t it?
So if a rumba cd was travelling in the boot of my car (shh) and
I was on the motorway then that music could be considered faster
than a mile a minute? I’m wandering from the fact, this album
is good fast punk, but not exceptional.
Andrew Culture
Icons of Filth
Onward Christian Soldiers
CDLP—MORTARHATE
Motarhate resissue of the debut Icons album from the early 80s.
Coming from a background inspired by Crass, Conflict. They brought
a heavy anarcho sound, on this and their first few (now highly
collectable) E.Ps. A good merging of the above mentioned bands
meeting more of a Discharge/ Varukers sound. Popular in the day
and still sounding good. Although the band had been playing again
recently and recording again, this is probably the best testament
to vocalist Stig who sadly passed away a while back.
Rikki Flag
Johnny Mental
Pining For The Fjords
CD-S – HANGMANS JOKE RECORDINGS
No, I’m sorry, this is SO BAD. We already have loads of ‘heavy’ and ‘melodic’ bands
that scream and jump around seriously, why are there so many bands
from Wales alone that fit this description? – we don’t
need another one that doesn’t even try to do anything new
with the formula.
You know what’d be really great? if a band did that kind
of music but made it a bit more cheerful. Instead of having song
titles like ‘Meat Cleaver’ and ‘Flies In Amber’ they
could have tracks called things such as ‘I Like Your Hair’ and ‘Blueberries
Are Ace’. Not that you’d be able to hear the lyrics
if they were anything like this band, but still. No, I’m
sorry, this is still really, really dire.
Charlotte Sometimes
Judder and the Jack Rabbits
Demo
CDEP—SELF RELEASED
Further proof that Psychobilly is coming back in a big way, this
Norwich band have dug their sound from a dirty dank graveyard of
rock and roll. Far from the clean sounding bands like Rantanplan
this band is rough and wild, and vocals that wouldn’t sound
out of place in Send More Paramedics this is a great combination.
If you’re a fan of psychobilly in general and like a bit
of Misfits style debauchery then check this lot out.
www.myspace.com/judderjackrabbits
Andrew Culture
Kenisia
Prototype
CDLP—HOUSEHOLD NAME RECORDS
More fun pop ska punk funky stuff from one of the most popular
Londonish bands doing the rounds at the moment. There is a fair
amount of variety here but this isn’t a band that binds to
my soul, I recognise they are talented and original but they just
don’t light my fire.
Andrew Culture
The King Blues
Under The Fog
CDLP—HOUSEHOLD NAME RECORDS
This release is totally different to anything else I’ve heard
on HHN. They play largely acoustic music with a very chilled vibe,
this ain’t no Coldplay bollocks. It’s all vaguely skiffle,
vaguely reggae, vaguely barber shop and totally original and refreshing.
Andrew Culture
Last Stop China Town
Vital Signs
CD-LP – CARGO RECORDS
This is so, so bad. I can’t get over how genuinely and unashamedly
awful the lyrics are – the first song alone contains perhaps
the worst chorus ever – ‘just ashes remain in my place
and a crimson covered knife’. The music is just as dull and
uninspired as this suggests.
I’m amused by the fact that the singer looks like Captain
Jack from Doctor Who, but that’s not really much of a redeeming
feature. This is boring, so unoriginal that it borders on self-parody
I’m now wondering if I’ve fallen for some elaborate
joke and I honestly can’t think of anything nice to say.
So I’ll stop.
Charlotte Sometimes
Left Alone
Dead American Radio
CDLP—HELLCAT RECORDS
This bears more than a passing resemblance to Rancid but with a
great sounding Hammond type organ rumbling away in the background.
The album whips by and is over before you know it, but you’ve
just gotta go back and put it on again, I listened to this three
times in a row! There’s a lot more to this band than I’m
expressing here, so check it out.
Andrew Culture
Lily Allen
Alright, Still...
CDLP – EMI Records
Whoever declared that chav-chic was dead was basically well and
truly misinformed, as Lily Allen’s bling-encrusted entrance
on to the pop music scene is twenty-four carat gold evidence of.
For months on end the Artic Monkeys have been the press’s
playthings, hailed as The Beatles of the 21st century spawned fresh
from cyber space, well My Space to be more specific. We’ve
been treated to dosage after dosage of delirium via music publications
surrounding these masculine Sheffield-based young rockers and now,
Ms. Allen is living, breathing, singing, shining proof that the
girls of the internet have something to contribute to the cyber
cultural movement that the music charts seem to be evolving more
towards these days.
To dismiss Lily as just another kid getting rich off the back of
their parent’s fame (ahem… Paris Hilton) would be
wrong, as: yes, this gold-loving girl is daughter of comic legend,
Keith Allen (the grubby-looking guy in Twin Town who ends up naked
in a nearby field as a result of too many magic mushrooms), but
music-lovers should just let her material do the talking. As I
hail this young woman, after listening to this delicious debut
album, as the female equivalent of Streets front man, Mike Skinner.
She’s got the down to earth, girl next-door persona. She’s
got the songs saturated in sombre streetwise soliloquies and the
poetry-peppered choruses. The press have attempted to sensationally
shroud her in disapproval after she openly admitted that she was
set to celebrate smiley, shiny, summer single, ‘Smile’ reaching
number one by treating herself to a line of cocaine. Or by repeatedly
referring to the gigging goddess as ‘Keith Allen’s
daughter’ but I’m sure Keith Allen shall soon be known
as ‘Lily Allen’s dad’ and nothing more because
his realism-spouting songstress of a daughter is going places.
Songs sprinkled full of memoirs from trips down the pub (Friday
Night), common heartbreak (The Littlest Things), observations of
a stoner of a younger brother (Alfie) and the filth taking away
your license (LDN) makes ‘Alright, Still…’ a
winning formula. I just hope that whiny, pale-looking female solo
artists churning out soppy ballads about how they can’t live
without their blokes is a thing of the past, and hopefully Lily
Allen’s lascivious array of gold sovereigns shall light the
way.
Saz
Lost Cherrees
Free To Speak, But Not To Question
CDLP—CHERRY RED RECORDS
Apparently legendry anarcho band with a new album, I say apparently
cos I’m no expert. The male/ female vocals are cheery and
the music is basic and have a dose of ska in there too, it’s
all decent enough, although I imagine that if this is your kinda
thing you’ll love this!
Andrew Culture
Lost Cherrees
In the Very Beginning …
The Studio & Live Recordings 1982-1985
CDLP—CHERRY RED RECORDS
I should probably of heard this before listening to their new album
(see the previous review). The really early stuff is pretty great,
raw and kinda pissed off. It’s anarcho in a strangely innocent
kinda way, and the vocals sound more than a little bit like Becki
Bondage of Vice Squad. It’s a shame the second CD is damn
rough, in fact it’s worth having to show just what a decent
studio production did to make the band what they are.
Andrew Culture
LoveMat
The Fearless Hair Days Of Youth
CDLP—DISTUBIA RECORDS
Okay, so maybe the current trend for ridiculously long band names
may be fading away, but silly long album titles appears to be coming
in vogue. It’s a real trick to be in a band where everyone
is really talented and not come across as arseholes, but LoveMat
seem to carry it off pretty well. The songs are all big riff slightly
psycadelic and sound dirtier than a festival goers skids. Track
8 sounds like it’s got a Suede sample in it! It also makes
a change to hear hand claps in a song without it sounding either
cheesy or just naff. LoveMat have found a nice balance between
retro and total originality, I’m impressed.
Andrew Culture
The Marble Index
The Marble Index
CDLP—HIGH COIN RECORDS
(Division PR)
Now what would a marble index actually look like do you think?
It sounds like the kinda thing I could have done with when I was
a wee kiddy with marbles strewn all round my room, I could have
done with some sort of organisational system to keep track of my
marbles. This band is apparently yet another ‘best kept secret’ (man,
how many bands use that!), but this secret is from Canada. I must
say, if a best mate smooshed up to me in a pub and excitedly told
me they had a secret they could no longer keep from me, then it
turned out to be a band I’d be pretty disappointed, I mean
that’s pretty greedy. If you find a band you like you are
supposed to share it with your mates, not keep it a secret! Yeesh,
some people hey. Anyway, this band sounds very English, in fact
they sound like most NME bands do at the moment. But at least this
lot sound like they’re putting a bit of soul into their music.
Pete Dogherty should sit up and take notice, then he should have
a wash, get a proper haircut, then maybe pay the window cleaners
or something, what do I know or care? Hell, I can’t even
spell his name right.
Andrew Culture
Mercury Tilt Switch
Kiprono
CDLP—PET PIRANHA RECORDS
This album kicks in like a heady mix of Mogwai and Cave In which
made me prick my ears up. This Dundee band hammer through this
album like they’re in a hurry to get somewhere, but in a
good way. As the album draws to an end I couldn’t help but
feel the tracks were getting a bit middling. On the whole this
is a remarkably strong album, that will be a long time favourite
for very many people.
Andrew Culture
Mercy Killers
Bloodlove
CDLP—HELLCAT RECORDS
This is kinda like a gothic mix between The Clash and Rancid with
some church organs thrown in for good measure. Not bad at all,
just didn’t thrill me.
Andrew Culture
The Meteors
MONKEYS BREATH
CDLP—ANAGRAM RECORDS
Number 50 (blimey!) in the current Anagram/ Cherry Red reissue
frenzy. I’ve always thought of the Meteors as a bit of a
safe bet when it comes to Psychobilly but this album from 1995
sees the band push the boundaries a bit with some pretty original
sounding sonic trickery. This is a good album, as are most Psycho
albums, but as an introduction to the band I wouldn’t recommend
this album, although if you’re a fan then grab it! As with
all the Anagram reissues this comes in a nice digipack with a wee
history of the band and some bonus tracks.
Andrew Culture
MJ Hibbett & The Validators
We Validate!
CD-LP - ARTISTS AGAINST SUCCESS
I'm fed up with people plucking quotes for press-releases (here
from those guys at Rolling Stone that seem to like any music from
Bury) that slag off a more popular band. We should 'fuck the fucking
Libertines', apparently, 'cos 'this is the true face of post-millennial
Albion!'
If you ignore this silly playground tactic to gain support, the
album's actually, er, kind of amazing. I really like the singer's
accent, too, which is probably a pretty weak reason to like a song
or twelve, but there you go. He sounds a bit like Billy Bragg,
but happier. Silly amounts of fun can be had singing the chorus
to 'The Lesson Of The Smiths', while the cheeriness in 'Better
Things To Do' makes me smile. This album is much more fun than
an intelligent indie record has any right to be. It's also packed
with extras, so it’s good value for money and everything.
If y'want to spend the summer miserable, give this a miss, but
otherwise give it a try. It's worth it, I promise.
Charlotte Sometimes
Mob Rules
Ethnolution A.D
CDLP— SPV RECORDS
(Work Hard PR)
This album has it all, synth string driven metal with Bon-Jovi
style guitar solos, searing vocals, piano ballads, it has all the
ingredients to make perfect power metal, which is why I hate it
so fucking much.
Andrew Culture
MONSTROUS
MOTHER NATURE’S SLAVES
CDLP – HOWLER RECORDS
Like the Eels with distortion, Monstrous exclaim their tuneful
melodies with a good deal of crunch. They create technical songs
that sound simple and are very easy to listen to. Not really my
cuppa’ tea, but not a bad band at all. For fans of rock and
roll who like their shit on the tepid side of hot, but can appreciate
craftsmanship. “Mother Nature’s Slaves” is out
in September.
Fisher
Monstrous
Mother Nature’s Slaves
CDLP—HOWLER RECORDS
(Division PR)
These days people seem to be either impressed or damming about
bands that have been together a long time, well this band has been
together twenty years and this is their first major release! What’s
more amazing is that they are only in their early 20s themselves,
yup, they are brothers. Whilst brothers in bands can lead to horrific
consequences (Bee Gees anyone?) these three are leaning more towards
the Neil and Tim Finn arena of brothers forming bands that are
actually good! Musically this band swings wildly between dreamy
ELO stompalongs to lightish stoner rock to physcadelia that wouldn’t
sound out of place on Abbey Road by the Beatles. The vocals have
something of Janes Addiction about them. All in all it’s
a decent record, with great growing potential. I’m listening
to this sitting in my shop on a blistering day, with a gentle breeze
and it’s fitting the mood nicely.
Andrew Culture
Motorhead new album
A new Motorhead album is a lot like a meatball sub from Subway.
You know what you’re getting, there’s not a lot of
surprises but there’s room for a few new ingredients to
be snuck in without spoiling the general taste. It’s great,
it’s nothing new (apart from the yukky ballad) but you
know what you’re getting, and you know you love it.
Andrew Culture
Misery Signals
Mirrors
CDLP—FERRET MUSIC
I’ve had so much metal to review recently I found myself
actually hoping this band was going to be emo with a name like
Misery Signals, that should tell you how much bad metal I’ve
been getting here recently. Sadly this was more of the same stilted
guitars gruff bollocks vocals and slicing discordant guitar fucking
awful bullshit. I was having this chat with my lass last night
about how no music is shit, there’s just music you like and
music you don’t, I was starting to agree with her till I
heard this unoriginal dog shite. I’ve heard some of my mates
really love this band so maybe I’m just missing something,
maybe it is something I would love if I hadn’t heard it at
tail end of an awful day of reviewing.
Andrew Culture
Mishkin
Elevate
CD-LP -
Why is it that Brits have to insist on ditching their homeland
accents, eh? Mishkin are fresh from the UK... but like a million
other bands before them insist on shedding their accents, because
they are under some illusion that good punk-metal has to sound
like a replica of Metallica. Dammit! A blend of gorging masculine
growling, combined ironically with what sounds like choir boy crooning.
It'll get the moshers moshing, as 'Elevate' is a whopping 6 minutes+
track, so on a positive note you'll have a good alibi to rip a
dance floor up near you at least!
Saz Parry
Mushroom Head
Savior Sorrow
CDLP—MEGAFORCE RECORDS
(Division PR)
Apparently this lot were doing shite metal crunched down repetitive
vaguely industrial stuff before Slipknot or Evanesence, so it’s
kinda odd that they sound like a watered down Marlyn Mason. Also,
isn’t that claim like being one of many pigeons and claiming
you were the first to shit on statues?
Andrew Culture
MYBE
SMALL MAN SYNDROME
CDLP – ON THE ROAD RECORDS
You strapped in? Seriously, check your seatbelt. Done? Good. Press
play. FUCK. Belts just don’t do the job. MYBE are a three-piece
pop-punk band from Sheffield who create shit-pushingly catchy riffs,
laced with piss-inducingly melodic vocal harmonies. “But
hasn’t this been done before?” “Cant I just
buy a simple plan CD?” – yes and fuck off. We all know
this is about as unique as Sir Elton John is straight, but just
LISTEN! Fuck originality. If I cared about originality I wouldn’t
listen to punk past the 70s, I wouldn’t watch scrubs and
I certainly wouldn’t be playing in a ska/punk band that wants
to be NOFX so hard that I’m considering circumcision. They
take what has been done so many times and physically, musically
and vocally slap so much wit, intelligence, smut and dear-me-lord
catchyness that it makes you wanna destroy all your previous pop-punk
records. “Small Man Syndrome” is out now, as is “The
Shite Album” and “A Trip Down Mammary Lane”.
Buy them all, see them live, make fun of their height, and for
the love of god stop listening to Simple Plan.
Fisher
The Other
We Are Who We Eat
CDLP—FIEND FORCE RECORDS
(Division PR)
You kinda know what you’re getting when an album turns up
on your doorstep with band in gore makeup, spiked hair and a singer
with a big pointy fringe. The artwork inside confirms things, with
zombie/ horror makeup adorning each band member and gruesome scenes
being played out. In fact this is a pretty decent horrorpunk/ vauge
metal album along the lines of The Misfits/ The Devil Rides Out.
If you’re into horror punk you’re gonna love this,
especially the vocals, imagine Nick Cave fronting Send More Paramedics.
Andrew Culture
Patchwork Grace
Zebra
CDEP—TRASHPIT RECORDS
Imagine sugar power guitar pop minus the sickly bit and you’ve
pretty much summed up this band. It’s accessible, cute, cutting
and memorable. The knob twiddling duties were carried out by none
other than Paul Yeadon (The Wireless Stores) and it really shows,
great stuff!
Andrew Culture
Pama International
The Trojan Sessions
CDLP—TROJAN RECORDS
It must really take something to be the first new band signed to
Trojan in 30 years, but Pama International have done it! This album
is proper old style Reggae full of soul and summer. This album
reads like a who’s who of old Reggae with input from members
of The Specials, The Loafers and Special Beat.
Andrew Culture
Popup
Lucy, what are you trying to say?
CDEP—ART GOES POP
Frantic cute ScotPop along the lines of Bromheads Jacket and very
much sounds like it belongs on t the Art Goes Pop label. Holds
itself at arms distance from serious and boring indie twee-pop.
Despite the singer’s inability to hold a solid note the personality
in his voice coupled with the stunning lyric dexterity and speed
of delivery of some of the lines make complaining about tune holding
the musical equivalent of getting a blowjob and complaining that
the giver has teeth. www.popuptheband.com
Andrew Culture
Rantanplan
Two Worlds At Once
CDLP—CHERRY RED RECORDS
Take four young and innocent young German lads, give them enough
beer to sink a battleship, lock them in a studio with a nutter
and this is what comes out. This is a very together and polished
sounding Psychobilly album, which is surprising when you research
the environment they recorded it in! As this sort of music goes
this is of a pretty high standard I guess, they only recorded one
album before most of the band went on to get normal adult jobs.
There’s a slight country twang to this album, with the singer
occasionally twanking a banjo but ultimately this just sounds like
a whole load of other Pshycho albums I’ve heard recently.
Andrew Culture
Raw Poo
Job Nonseekers Allowance
CDEP—SELF RELEASE
Hell, this band has gone to a whole lot of effort with their packaging.
The whole thing is packaged up like a modern day UB40, er, dole
booklet thing. It would be a great idea if Junk Culture hadn’t
already done it in 1996! The music is pretty good standard early
80s sounding streetpunk along the lines of Beerzone or something.
Lyrics are a very comedy Oi type, for example, ’drinks white
rum, does ’em up the bum’ and ’He’s had
birds untold, and some of ’em have been quite fit, he does
this one girl up the arse but his dreadlocks hung down to far,
pulled it out it was covered in shit’. The stand out track
by miles is the last track, ’ode to my last beer’ and
it stands out by miles, bloody great song, shame about the fade
out at the end though. They really should send this to Trev at
Negative Reaction! Smart to see a band make a fucken effort.
www.myspace.com/rawpoo
Andrew Culture
Raymond Simmons
Hot Percussion Licks Parts 1 & 2
CD-LP - THE SIMMONS MUSIC COMPANY
Yea! We have an American accent from a guy who is actually, wait
for it: American! Wahoo! This is blues all the way, the kind of
chilled-back blues that could leave an innocent music-lover comatosed.
Mr Simmons can sing, but his repertoire seems to be a decade...or
two behind the British music industry. Could be used to sedate
loonies at the local asylum though, as yes it is that laid-back!
Saz Parry
The Resistance
CD-S - R*E*P*E*A*T RECORDS
This three-track single which doesn’t seem to have a title,
although the tracks are called Crossing The Road With Your Eyes
Closed, Sleeping and Polar is the first that The Resistance have
released. About as far away from the dull riffing of many self-proclaimed
rock bands, they mix guitars with electro with feedback. It’s
a bit pretentious – the fact that the music apparently ‘has
something it wants to say’ all seems a bit dubious, considering
the complete lack of a vocalist. If you ignore the fact that the
first song on here seems a bit like an intro that’s got caught
on repeat, this is pretty decent, however. Not the best thing I’ve
heard all day, but certainly not the worst.
Charlotte Sometimes
Rolo Tomassi
Rolo Tomassi EP
CDEP—HOLY ROAR RECORDS
Let me set the scene, in the last years of the twentieth century
Dixons in an illadvised marketing move have opened a branch store
in an conjunction with a travelling circus. On the opening night
the circus organ player pops in with his mate Tazzy the clown to
check out their selection of of casio keyboards. With a look of
expectant joy in his eyes he plonks himself down in front of the
flashing keyboard display and hits the ‘shop demo’ button
while Tazzy is off looking for clown filth in the dvd section.
After a matter of seconds the flashing lights prove too much of
a stimuli for the organ player and an epileptic fit kicks in. Seeing
his gay lover passed out and twitching on the bank of keyboards
Tazzy loses it and starts screaming and shouting at the manager.
Andrew Culture
Row Z
Stalemate
CD-SINGLE - PULVER RECORDS
Allegedly described by Jools Holland as 'amazing'... but these
Beeb kiss-asses will endorse anything, won't they Jonathan Ross?
I am sure that jazz maverick, Richard Smith, brainchild of this
ensemble is a talented musician, however this fact does not change
the transparent truth: this single is basically the music that
hotels play in their lobbies, or pop on when you are riding in
their elevators. Brass boogie, it'll be appreciated in jazz circles,
sadly not by me. The nearest branch of 'Novotel' might be interested
though...
Saz Parry
Samiam
Whatever’s Got You Down
CDLP—BURNING HEART RECORDS
I’ve mentioned it before, but I swear that Yorkshire bands
have a particular sound. I have no idea where Samiam are from,
and I’m pretty Samiam was the name of that hairy bugger that
lived in a pile of sand and could grant wishes to ugly rich kids.
Or was that the Samad? Anyway this is reasonable popish punk with
a northern twang and some interesting ideas thrown in, there’s
just not a ton to really turn me on. The cover nearly made me vomit
and made me really glad I’ve never done acid.
Andrew Culture
Selotape
Injection
CD-LP - ABSORBMUSIC
These lads, I have to say really impressed me with this electro-indie
effort fresh out of Birmingham. Think the surrealist sound of 'The
Mighty Boosh' dubbed in with a dash of good indie: it sounds well
worth trying don't it? There is a lot of whiney bad indie around
at the moment...ahem Embrace... but this is top drawer, and I am
sure with the amount of air play these lads are getting, combined
with the rate this Brummie bounty are touring that many more peeps
are gonna have heard of 'Selotape' by the end of the year.
Saz Parry
Send More Paramedics
The Awakening
CDLP—IN A THE DEEP END RECORDS
They’re back and they want your brains, jeez, how many other
reviews of this album are gonna say that! If you’ve never
heard SMP before then you can expect some Slayer type riffs with
a serious hardcore punk edge, while the vocals owe a lot more to
80s thrash than flat out metal. This album is going to have fans
spewing blood with joy and is accessible enough to garuntee the
already meteoric rise of Send More Paramedics continues it’s
ungodly rise.
Andrew Culture
Skid Row
Revolutions Per Minute
CDLP—SPV RECORDS
There is no way in hell I’m going to actually chose to listen
to a Skid Blow album. I’ve never eaten a dog shit but I don’t
need to scour the streets for canine droppings and shove them in
my gob to confirm that it would be fucking horrid.
Andrew Culture
Sharp End First
Songs for the betrayed
CDEP—GLASSTONE RECORDS
Take a large portion of chuggy chuggy sillyness, shake in some
Lost Prophets sickly harmonies, sprinkle liberally with duelling
guitars. Bake for 40 minutes in a commercial scale oven and ignore.
Andrew Culture
Stasi
Mixed Inglish
CDEP-RIOT CLUB MUSIC
(Work Hard-PR)
It can’t be easy, knowing that your music is nothing but
a half-decent regurgitation of another bands’ sound. Well,
that’s exactly what Stasi have done. They’ve taken
the sophistication and profound intensity of Radioheads’ “Kid
A,” and merged it with the melancholic greatness of Radioheads’ “Amnesiac”.
The overall result is not a good sound at all. This EP consists
of 3 lengthy “songs” that are all strenuously repetitive
and dull. The band lack originality and direction, which is evident
throughout the EP. This is not to say, however, that they are not
gifted musicians. The production, for example, is top-notch and
the vocals are superb. But, they have enough musical ability to
create their own sound instead of depending on Tom Yorke & co.
to do it for them. A disappointing waste of talent.
Tom Watsom
Stage Fright
Island of Lost Souls
CDLP—ANAGRAM RECORDS
Cool, a local Psychobilly band! From the dark wilds of East Anglia
Stage Fright play an old school almost rockabilly style of ‘billy.
As with the rest of the marvellous Anagram collectors series you
get a nice booklet thrown in as well.
Andrew Culture
Stig
Rum ‘n Brass
CD-LP – REBEL MUSIC RECORDS
It’s another album with a foetus on the front – and
no, the fact that he’s holding a bugle I think doesn’t
make it better. I really don’t know what to say about this.
I don’t like it, it’s not enjoyable, but I think I’m
probably about as far away from the target audience as it’s
possible to be. It’s all a bit too ‘being-crazy-for-the-sake-of-it’,
which puts me off even more.
Probably best if you listen to this when you’re really, really
shitfaced. As I’m not, however, I’m going to have to
say that this is probably best avoided.
Charlotte Sometimes
Strike Anywhere
Dead FM
CDLP—FAT WRECK CHORDS
I’ve never been much of a Strike Anywhere fan, which I’ll
admit is a shite way to start a review, but I’m going to
try and claw back and say I kinda warmed to the band with this
album. It’s not that they’ve gone more pop, they just
seem more accessible, in a Bad Religion kinda way.
Andrew Culture
The Studiofix
Will Change Your Life
CDLP—AVEBURY RECORDS
First up WOW what a voice! This album is pretty easy going and
is full of nice little surprises in an unusual Wire type way. The
album is undebyably great and it’s worth grabbing just to
hear that great female voice, totally stunning in a Making Eyes
At Elvis/ Charlie Brown type way.
Andrew Culture
Suns of the Tundra
Tunguska
CDLP—SHINY MACK RECORDS
(Work Hard PR)
Is it me or are a lot of bands claiming to be stoner rock these
days? Anyhew, this band actually has a cool riff groove feel to
them, there are moments in here that remind me of Kyuss, Fu-Manchu
and even Nebula, and lets face it, if you’ve got those covered
you’re headed in a good direction. I felt the album lost
it’s way a bit in the middle and if anything lets down proceedings
then it’s the vocals, but given time I’m sure I’d
grow to love them, they’re just a bit ‘relaxed’.
To sum up this album I’d say it’s Psycadellic-Stoner
Rock, then I’d eat some pizza, which is exactly what I’m
going to do now.
Andrew Culture
The Superkings
Secret Chiefs
CDEP-FEEDBACK PROMOTIONS
This collection of demos, from 2005, epitomises what the Superkings’ ethos
is as songwriters. Their ethos is simple, which is “to try
and capture what excites them about songwriting and performance…” And
this is achieved with eight bitter-sweet, jazz-imbued indie gems.
Vocalist, David Wright, delivers with such splendour as he quivers
through tracks such as the salacious, “Requesting Balance,” and
the tender, piano-driven, “Little Hope”. This is what
Morrissey would sound like if he fronted the Bad Seeds. It contains
a plethora of various genres, ranging from folk, to jazz, to indie,
to piano-pop, which makes it harder to pinpoint which audience
they are aiming towards. In other words, their songs are likeable
but not anthemic. Nevertheless, “Secret Chiefs” is
a gracious attempt in being unique and innovative-both in sound
and appeal-however, in terms of being memorable, it doesn’t
quite make the grade.
Tom Watsom
The Tailgators
The Tailgators
CDLP—ANAGRAM RECORDS
Number 51 in the seemingly never ending psychobilly series of Anagram
reissues, and indeed may they never end! Not familiar with these
first time round, the Tailgators play in more of a Rock and Roll
vein than your straight up Psychobilly in the vein of The Meteors.
Contains some interesting extras like a Clash cover, plus a rocked
up version of ’Tainted Love’ and a bunch of live tracks
tacked on the end ta boot.
Rikki Flag
Tat
Champagne, Cocaine & Strawberries
CDEP-EX RECORDS
(Work Hard-PR)
Now, I know that I don’t like this record. It’s so
cheesy that your speakers will secrete parmesan for the duration
of the song. The lyrics are cringe worthy and the structure is
overly simple. However, ever since the first time it entered my
hi-fi system, it has been lodged inside my head and refuses to
budge. No matter how hard I try (no matter how much Against me!
I listen to…) I can’t stop hearing it go over and
over again in my head. Tat is a female-fronted pop-punk band that
produces undeniably catchy songs, but contains no substance or
value. Their second single to date, “Champagne, Cocaine & Strawberries,” is
a concoction of light-hearted sassiness and childlike humour. The
result is your average, run-of-the-mill, pop-punk song that will
piss you off for weeks on end. One thing is for sure though; Warped
Tour certainly has gone downhill if they chose to put these popsters
on the bill. Listen to this if your Simple Plan CD is all scratched
up from constant use and unable to play anymore.
Tom Watsom
Teenage Casket Company
Eat Your Heart Out
With band members including Real Overdose columnist/ Panic main
man Jamie Delerict and nicer hair than any other band around I
wasn’t sure quite what to expect from this band. Actually
that’s a reviewing lie, I’ve seen this band live, fuck
I’ve even booked them for an ill-conceived fireworks party
gig in Ipswich! Teenage Casket Company bring an edge of punk to
a very glam metal sound. Get yer eyeliner on, wrap a bandana round
your hear and dig out your vintage metal shirts, this band means
business.
Andrew Culture
Thumpermonkey
Not the Motorcycle Diaries
CD-SINGLE -
When John Lydon stood up for punk as a seventies god, I am certain
that the Sex Pistols did not sound like this, as this single sounds
like just another heavy, Americana, screaming 'modern-punk' band.
But hey, maybe 'run of the mill' was what these guys were aiming
for? A lot of hype has been circulating about this trio, but don't
expect anything that you have not heard before circulating your
local 'alternative' music circuit. Hats off to them for trying
to incorporate a bit of funk into punk, however I'm angling more
towards 'old hat' than 'hats off' in this instance.
Saz Parry
Turbo!
Sailboats are White
CDLP—POPTONES RECORDS
(Goldstar PR)
The cover of this album has a giant cat attacking a city on it,
which earned them a few plus points. These were sadly short lived
as their album of xxxxCasioGrindCoreSmoreGoreBorexxx has been ruined
by a shouty drunk somehow getting into the studio and yelling his
head off over the tracks. Although to their credit it does sound
like the band was trying to out-rubbish him by pretending they
couldn’t tune or play their guitars. I don’t know if
this noise based exorcism was successful as I could only make it
to track 6.
Andrew Culture
Twelve Tribes
Midwest Pandemic
CDLP—FERRET RECORDS
Now I sometimes have tolerance for Tazmanian Devil vocals like
this if there’s something interesting and crushingly heavy
going on behind them, along the lines of Isis or Bossk but this
backing seems to follow the norm of slicing guitars, lurching breakdowns
etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc
etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc
Andrew Culture
Unleashed
Midvinterblot
CDLP—SPV RECORDS
(Work Hard PR)
The press sheet for this album opens with the phrase ‘Swedish
Viking Death Metal’, as you an guess I really wasn’t
looking forward to yet another album with widdly widdly guitars
and Wookie vocals. But this band seem to have branched a little
bit beyond the standard Slayer/ Bathory standard. Don’t get
me wrong, they haven’t strayed far, and it’s still
not enough to make me embrace death metal but it did make me raise
an eyebrow in a curious fashion.
Andrew Culture
US Bombs
We Are The Problem
CDLP
I guess the US Bombs are a pretty legendary punk band. Duane Peters,
the vocalist certainly is. I guess I never really had a big opinion
on them, an old band mate used to rave about them big time. In
fact I think I may have an older album or 2 sitting around at home
but it obviously never really rocked my world as I can't remember
them. So I was going into this whole CD reviewing with a pretty
open mind about them. This is pure rock n roll street punk. I gotta
say it's not really my thing, the whole album is really quite samey.
It would appeal to fans of Rancid for definite. 16 tracks and although
they do try a couple of different sounds ("Heartbreak Motel" wouldn't
sound out of place in the movie Grease for instance, Track
12 sounds like a harmonica is being used and there was one which
was pretty short and fast, kinda almost "Coffee Mug" by
The Descendents esque but nowhere near as good) it's really just
a street punk plod through for me.
So if you're already a fan of the band then I'm sure it's gonna
be great, if you like Rancid then yeah get it. But it's just seems
a bit unimaginative as a whole. More ideas next time please Mr.
Peters.
Mr. T
Varsity Drag
For Crying Out Loud
CDLP—BOSS TUNEAGE
Formed by Ben Deily of The Lemonheads this album offers up more
than a slight nod to the aforementioned band. Ben has a pretty
smart voice but it’s weak in really odd ways, there are some
high notes that he can really belt out but then some really simple
singing lines come across as being totally out of tune. The tunes
are alright I guess, but this has a really cheap sounding production
and it makes the whole album sound like a bit of a rush job, either
that or songs were written just before they entered the studio.
This is worth a listen, but I don't I’d miss it if I didn’t
hear it for months.
Andrew Culture
Various
It’s All Looking A Bit Black Over Bill’s Mother’s
House… - Random Camel Records Sampler Vol.1
CDR – RANDOM CAMEL RECORDS
The second track on this – the badly titled Born A Cunt,
Die A Cunt,by Ben Shadow is really good – it involves what
sounds like a siren or an alarm and volume changes, but you really
need to hear it to understand why it’s so good.
This compilation is odd – it starts off with experimental
music that’s basically feedback and not a lot else. It’s
quite interesting, but tracks 3 by Buttercup Insurgent and 4 by
Decentered Space in particular are very long and everything start
to merge together. There are songs that are more conventional later
on – and by conventional I mean ‘feature a vocalist’ – but
they’re not actually worth listening to. It’s quite
hit-and-miss in general and probably not worth a look unless you’re
deeply into the sort of experimental noise that’s the main
focus here.
Charlotte Sometimes
Volume
Blind / Do The Knowledge
CD-S – ILLICIT RECORDINGS
I didn’t like this much on first listen, but it’s growing
on me. The first song – Blind - is a bit anthemic, but its
good fun and I like the slightly distorted vocals. Nice keyboard/synth
work, too, I like that they haven’t taken over the sound
but are still quite key to the songs.
The second song isn’t as good, and could perhaps have been
a b-side instead of the second a-side, but I like the more frantic
moments in it - nice and sharp. I don’t quite think that
Volume’ll ‘ultimately make you realise what you never
knew your life was missing’ like their press-release claims,
but they’re worth a listen or two.
Charlotte Sometimes
You, Me and the Atom Bomb
Shake Up
CDLP—HOUSEFOLD NAME RECORDS
I remember playing with this lot in Burgess Hill a few months back
and being really impressed by them. This CD is a pretty fair representation
of the nut clenchingly tight live show they put on. Seriously,
I’ve never seen a band play so well whilst retaining a live
sound, sure bands like U2 play note perfect and tight as hell but
lose all soul. YMATAB (c’mon, I can’t be the first
person to acronyze this band!) are tight and note perfect whilst
retaining more character than a year of soap operas. These days
so many hardcore bands are getting so good that a band has to be
totally expeptional to stand out from the crowd, last issue it
was ‘Crime In Stereo’, this issue it may well be You,
Me and the Atom Bomb. The breaks and pauses in the songs are like
momentary lapses of concentration during a drunken conversation
and the rung out chords are the call back to reality. One thing
I’ve learnt from writing a lot of reviews is that when I
start spouting shite like that it’s time to quit for a while…
Andrew Culture
Various
Anti-Capitalism
CDLP—OVERGROUND RECORDS
DIVISION PR
Admittedly I was going to start this review with a joke about this
label selling a cd about anti-capitalism but I’d be wrong.
Turns out this forth in a series of compilations put together by
Sean McGhee of Physo Faction. This isn’t your usual comp
either, Sean has tracked down a lot of rare stuff ‘ere. Conflict
are present as expected along with Crass but some of the real gems
are bands I’ve never heard of like Anarka and Poppy who play
a quite jolly number along the lines of The Lost Cherries. Any
Anarcho compilation wouldn’t be complete without a band that
sounds like they recorded everything in room full of tin foil shavings,
and Atomic Filth embrace the foil and make it one with their fizzy
music. There’s futher evidence of the author of this disc
and his punky archaeology with tracks like the D&V one, you
can actually hear the ancient tape going round the reels with this
one, the vocals have got a proper wobble on them! The Cravats track
gives a hint of punk to come with the smattering of horns in their
track ‘XMP’. The Culture Shock track really sounds
like Citizen Fish, in fact I was so sure I looked into it and Jasper
fish was indeed involved. There’s no real reason for me telling
you this, I’m just really proud that I actually knew something
about punk history! I’d say if you’re into anarcho
punk, or even just wondering what it’s all about you should
sit in a knackered arm chair with a dog on a string tied to your
shoe, a bottle of warm cider between your legs, the great 24 page
booklet that accompanies this cd in one hand and a roll up in the
other and ENJOY.
Andrew Culture
Various
Gigantour
CDLP—SPV RECORDS
(Work Hard PR)
Massive double LP featuring live tracks from the bands on Dave
Mustaine’s travelling heavy metal freak show. Featuring classics
from such bands I can’t stick, like Anthrax, Fear Factory,
Dream Theatre, and of course Megadeath. Bored the arse off me,
but you might like it.
Andrew Culture
We Are Invasion
Demo
CDEP—SELF RELEASE
At last, something decent to review! We Are The Invasion are kinda
like a heavier and more structured version of Lightening Bolt but
with the most sublime female vocals laid perfectly over the top
of the meaty riffs and rock solid drumming. Sadly this taster only
had three tracks on it so I’m hoping to hear some more soon.
I’m also trying to snare them for an interview some time
so hopefully I’ll find out more about them soon.
Andrew Culture
LIVE REVIEWS
Less Than Jake
Norwich UEA
12th April 2006
As ever the tedious drive to Norwich from sunny Ippo meant we weren’t
able to give support acts Boys Night Out and Bullets To Broadway
a good listen. That said, the few songs of whoever was on second
sounded pretty good !
Less Than Jake have been perennial faves of mine for many years,
having seen them on most UK tours since before the ‘Warner
Bros’ days. I recall seeing them play a packed show at the
much smaller Norwich Waterfront club around 1999 / 2000 with a
fledgling MxPx in support and what a gig that was. With an incendiary
live show and some quality albums released since, the band has
gone from strength to strength.
Normally bands tour to coincide with the release of a new CD however
in this case ‘In With The Out Crowd’ is not in the
shops yet so the sold out crowd had not had time to become familiar
with the new stuff, hence only 3 new songs were played. Due to
us standing on the left hand side of the UEA and the sound being
bass heavy the song titles when announced by singer / guitarist
Chris escaped me but they sounded typical LTJ, plenty of attitude,
horns and certainly danceable.
Recent years have seen the bands line-up stripped right back from
the early days when they would record and tour with anything up
to 9 people. In the live setting this certainly has no major effect
on the fullness of the sound and with the brass section adding
both backing vocals and a very visible stage presence you never
lack for action. In some ways the band staying as a 5 piece has
brought a cohesion to the live performance that perhaps was overlooked
when the number of members was higher and the stage constantly
over-run with dancing skeletons, fire-breathers and a plethora
of horn players. Nowadays each member has their role and plays
it to the max with all quite clearly having a blast on stage. It’s
also good to see bassist Roger taking the occasional lead vocal
as his voice is markedly different and suits his songs.
The set itself consisted largely of tracks from the more recent
albums…’Hello Rockview’, ‘Borders and
Boundaries’ and ‘Anthem’ which was fine by me
as they represent classic LTJ. All the hits were played and in
the live setting only serves to ramp up the atmosphere even further.
What seemed like a breath-takingly quick set actually ran for 80
minutes which, for a punk show, was quite lengthy. A 2 song encore
followed and then they were gone. A fast and furious visit from
a band that the UK crowd seems to have taken to their hearts and
continues to support irrespective of trends elsewhere in the ‘scene’.
Hopefully LTJ will be playing some of the European festivals this
summer as that setting suits them too and it’s good to see
bands of their calibre mixing it on the live circuit.
Wast
Mary McBride
Hayseed Dixie
Cambridge Junction
26th April 2006
It’s been a while since I saw a band at the Junction and
I’d forgotten what a good venue it is. Last time I saw the
mighty Hayseed Dixie their support band failed to make it from
the previous nights gig in Nottingham due to van trouble so the
headliners simply played for another hour which made for a fantastic
night. With expectations set for a similarly eventful night we
made our way to the front to watch support act Mary McBride.
Basically a country styled songstress with acoustic and electric
guitars backing she played for about 40 minutes and seemed to please
the crowd. After a few songs her voice began to grate but maybe
that’s because it was very high in the mix as you would expect
of a lead vocal. Apparently one of her songs was used in the movie ‘Brokeback
Mountain’ but having not seen this much acclaimed film I
couldn’t vouch for it. However that particular song did strike
a chord with the audience and got the best reception of the night.
All in all an entertaining enough opening set but not quite to
my taste, although my girlfriend has pledged to get both of Mary
McBride’s CD’s next pay day so there’s at least
one convert which is always good news.
Given Hayseed Dixie don’t have much of a backline to set
up the wait was minimal. In fact the only work for the roadie was
to bring out a massive crate of beer for the band to consume between
songs !
For the uninitiated Hayseed Dixie specialise in bluegrass country
versions of classic rock songs. This bizarre combination works
wonderfully well and has seen the band perform at Glastonbury as
well as several plays on Radio 1, apparently Chris Moyles is a
big fan.
Lead singer (and guitar and fiddle player) Barley has been scalped
since we last saw HD but this only goes further to emphasise the
hillbilly look and fortunately, unlike Samson, has had no ill effects
on his musical abilities. All 4 musicians are incredibly accomplished
and regardless of the songs they play I would pay to see them as
they are truly entertaining. Opening with AC/DC’s ‘Dirty
Deeds’ they proceeded to rock an 80 minute set containing
all the classic covers from their 4 CD’s…’Detroit
Rock City’, ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’, ‘Ace Of
Spades’ etc. It was noticeable from the last time I saw them
in Colchester that only one new cover song has been added, Green
Day’s ‘Holiday’ which admittedly was done fabulously
well. Instead more original songs have been incorporated and these
additions give the band the chance to demonstrate more of their
musical prowess while still keeping the enjoyment factor high.
‘Brothers’ Don Wayne Reno and Dale Reno, banjo and mandolin respectively,
trade licks and continually amaze with their dexterity. Dale in particular
puts on quite a show, playing the ‘axe’ god and showing the crowd
some classic poses all the while dressed in cut-off dungarees, bandana and
a tye-dye t-shirt. This tour has seen the application of some eye make-up which
adds a ‘glam’ feel to the proceedings and had us howling when he
burst on stage. By contrast Don Wayne looks more like Mike Love from the Beach
Boys but none of this detracts from his incredible banjo playing. I was delighted
to hear them finish with ‘Duelling Banjos’ from the film ‘Deliverance’ which
is a marvellous workout although by the time it finished they had lost their
way a little with the improvised nature of the song however this may have had
more to do with them draining the aforementioned beer crate.
The between-song banter is pretty damn good too. I expect it is
rehearsed but their tales of the deep South, ex-wives and on-the-road
sagas makes the whole event interesting and the set flies by. Like
I said earlier the previous gig I attended lasted longer due to
the support act problems but this show, I felt, was far more entertaining
as Hayseed Dixie now have more touring experience under their belts
and know how to play the UK crowds. I’ve just heard they
will be back at Colchester in July so I know what I’ll be
doing on that particular night…breaking out my copy of ‘Let
There Be Rockgrass’ and heading over to the Arts Centre.
Wast
UK Subs
Red Flag 77
Wally & The Wankers
Saigon Kiss
The Railway, Ipswich
5th May 2006
It’s been a while since I ventured to the Railway for a gig.
Previously it was notorious as a biker pub and this was reflected
in the bands and punters giving it a particular appeal, or not
depending on your musical tastes. Some well known bands have played
there including Status Quo, Magnum and Girlschool but as you can
see from that list it was a rather limited genre in terms of mass
appeal.
Since Ray from the Saxmundham White Hart took over things have
started to change. There’s still an ample selection of original
rock and covers bands but this is now being interspersed with old
school punk plus some up and coming local bands. All in all it’s
becoming a well rounded venue with good facilities for live bands.
That said it could seriously do with a facelift but from what I’ve
heard recently this is on the cards. If successful it could make
the Railway even more popular, recent gigs already generating some
big crowds.
I hadn’t planned to go to this gig, not least as I was away
for the rest of the weekend in London seeing Me First and the Gimme
Gimmies but once I realised I was at a loose end this particular
Friday night and Red Flag were playing it seemed a shame to miss
out. I didn’t get to see the UK Subs when they played the
old Drum & Monkey so this was a good opportunity to check them
out too and see if time had been kind to Charlie Harper.
Arriving as Saigon Kiss were kicking off it was good to see so
many there already. With the very reasonable admission fee paid
and a good vantage point taken up near the bar we set about watching
the first band on. Not the most original of punk bands it has to
be said but you can’t fault them for energy or enthusiasm.
The lead singer was climbing all over the wooden railings that
surround the stage after only the 2nd or 3rd song such was his
desire to get the crowd going. I suspect they often open bills
like this as theirs is a very pedestrian set of 70’s punk
but even so it was a good opening to what promised to be a great
night.
A brief chat with Rikki Flag at his Know Your Product stall, during
which time I secured the new Bad Religion DVD, and it was onto
Wally and the Wankers. I’ve seen them a few times since their
very first gig at The Smock a couple of years ago. I always thought
they were a throw-away version of a Ramones style band but each
time I see them they get better and better. Admittedly Boon Dog
is never going to be the greatest singer but he isn’t half
funny and he leads the band well th