MY GREAT AFFLICTION new video alert.
I am very pleased to share with you MY GREAT AFFLICTION ‘s new video for ‘Another Man’.
I don’t have too much to say on this band apart from the fact that this is just pure unadulterated Rock music. The group have been together since the mid 2000′s & have done many great things, however, none come more prestigious than opening the second stage at the 2010 Download Festival.
If you are into any form of Rock music whether it be old or new, this is a must watch for anyone. Visit their Facebook page HERE!! Also check out the new video ‘Another Man’ below.
JIMMY EAT WORLD new single online
Some say that JIMMY EAT WORLD are not rated as highly in the UK as they should be. Some people say that they are one of the best rock bands of all time, either way we all know one thing…. Both of these statements are more or less true!
JIMMY EAT WORLD have been around for a number of years and have always been that band that you love but are quiet enough to leave an impression on your mind whilst never getting sick of them, unlike other bands who you just out grow. It doesn’t matter who you talk to in a club whether it be a rock club or a club full of chart music. If you play one of JIMMY EAT WORLD’s hit songs then the whole dance floor will stay and sing along (proof, I am a bar supervisor in a trendy nightclub that plays chart music.. Once or twice a week they will play ‘The Middle’ by JIMMY EAT WORLD and everyone dances and sings.)
Swiftly moving on…
The news of JIMMY EAT WORLD releasing their new album ‘DAMAGE’ is available to pre order now but will not be on general release until June 11th. The first single to come out of this album is ‘I WILL STEAL YOU BACK’. This song will be available digitally next week, however, the band have been kind enough to post the song on their website for people to listen to.
To listen to ‘I WILL STEAL YOU BACK’ follow the link HERE!!!
Finally, a little bit of exiting news coming to all in the UK as well as the rest of the world. JIMMY EAT WORLD are set to announce a WORLD tour following the release of this album, keep your eyes pealed!
HIGHFIELDS new music video
Modern Folk outfit HIGHFIELDS have released a new music video for their song ‘THE CHASE’ (OH LORD). This band are very appealing for the fans of Monsters and Men, Modest Mouse & The Lumineers. I for one do not listen to this type of music, however, I found myself tapping my feet and really enjoyed this song. Well worth checking out.
HIGHFIELDS latest album ‘THE CHASE’ was released on April 8th & they are worth looking up!
I USED TO BE A SPARROW album released next week
I Used To Be A Sparrow are set to release their new album ‘You Are An Empty Artist’ next week. That being said I am here to give everyone a wee taste of what to expect from the due hailing from Sweden. These guys have previously been compared to Death Cab For A Cutie & I could not agree with that any more. This Indie, Pop, Punk group have our attention with their raw, heartfelt music.
If their new single ‘Warpaint On Invisible Children’ is anything to go by, this album is sure to impress even the most stubborn music lover.
You can also listen to a remix of this single HERE
BROWN BEAR & THE BANDITS: ‘Olive Tree.’
The coastal town of Largs on the West of Scotland is probably better known for its famous ice-cream parlour than for producing credible, pop / soulful bands with masses of potential. But that now seems set to change with the emergence of three-piece BROWN BEAR & THE BANDITS.
Around a year ago, they released their ‘Truth Or Dare‘ EP and the gig-going public of Glasgow and around sat up and listened! There has been a general buzz going around these parts since then and now, with the release of their first single proper, ‘Olive Tree,’ the likes of BBC Introducing are finally picking up on the vibe.
I reckon that ‘vibe’ will soon turn to fully blown ‘hype’ shortly. So, if you’re in Scotland and fancy being able to make that claim of ’I saw them play before they were famous,’ then this is where you need to be:
Friday 23rd February : Tolbooth, Stirling (supporting Miniature Dinosaurs)
Friday 1st March : MV Festival, Aviemore
Thursday 25th April : Hootananny, Inverness **
Friday 26th April : King Tuts, Glasgow **
Saturday 27th April : PJ Malloys, Dunfermline **
Sunday 28th April : Electric Circus, Edinburgh **
(** – Revolving headline dates with Miniature Dinosaurs)
…And here are a couple of tracks from last year’s ‘Truth Or Dare’ EP just for good measure:
GARDEN OF ELKS: ‘Rowan’s Magical Bucket.’
At the time of writing the post back in late November that announced the arrival of Glasgow’s GARDEN OF ELKS, it was not known exactly what song would be the second ‘A’ of the the band’s debut release, the ‘double-A-sided’ ‘This Morning We Are Astronauts‘ single. Well, somewhere along the way (probably ’cause of Christmas and my fortnight’s holiday straight after) it completely eluded me that the honour went to the following track, ‘Rowan’s Magical Bucket,’ which has now been set to animation.
But I’m right on the case this time! GARDEN OF ELKS’ next single goes by the name of ‘Floaty,’ and will be released as a digital download in March, with a limited batch of tapes on sale for one night only – the 7th of March in Nice ‘N’ Sleazy (Glasgow), where they will be supporting Scottish unsigned music veterans, Campfires In Winter.
SECRECY OF STATE + KILL GOLIATH = ?
OK – so here’s today’s little puzzle to keep you occupied for the next, ooh, five seconds.
When Irish bands SECRECY OF STATE decided to join forces with their compatriots KILL GOLIATH, what was the resultant sound like?
As your teacher would have undoubtedly said, here’s the ‘working out.’ (At least, that’s what it was called in my day in Glasgow!)
So, we have:
PLUS
EQUALS
(The full answer, in video form, and written explanation can be found in a LOUD HORIZON post of 6th February )
HADOUKEN!: ‘Levitate.’
Probably not the kind of band you’d expect to see here on LOUD HORIZON (with 248k+ Facebook ‘Likes’ already, they’re hardly in need of more publicity!) and the video’s already gone viral so you’ve probably seen it already … but just in case there are other ‘slow’ people out there like me, here’s sound of HADOUKEN‘s new single, ‘Levitate,’ which is due for release on March 11th, together with the equally impressive and brilliant video that accompanies it.
HADOUKEN! will be touring the UK in April, and you can catch them at the following venues:
April 17 – Norwich Waterfront
April 18 – Leeds The Cockpit
April 19 – Glasgow Arches
April 20 – Newcastle Academy
April 22 – Sheffield Leadmill
April 23 – Birmingham HMV Institute
April 24 – Manchester Academy 2
April 25 – London Electric Ballroom
April 26 – Brighton Concorde 2
April 27 – Bristol Fleece
KAGOULE: ‘Monarchy’ / ‘Mudhole.’
Having taken time out towards the end of 2012, a year that saw Nottingham’s KAGOULE attract the attention of both Radio 1 and XFM, the young three-piece return with the double-A-side, ‘Monarchy’ / ‘Mudhole.‘
These are two BIG songs …. slow-burners in every sense. First up is ‘Monarchy,’ a veritable slab of grunge-inspired noise. Opening with a football-terrace-like drum beat, the clean guitar chimes soon morph into something much more fuzzed-up and sinister. The song rises and falls in intensity, the vocals set slightly back and with subtle distortion, and surrounded by crashing cymbals and raging guitar. It’s heavy all right, but has that kind of anthemic feel to it that will have you singing along without even knowing it.
‘Mudhole‘ is streamed below so there’s no need for much comment from me other than to say that if this indicative of the fruits of their labours, then 2013 could be a very big one in the world of KAGOULE.
(Released through Denizen Recordings on 25th February 2013)
(8/10)
GOD DAMN: ‘I’m A Lazer, You’re A Radar.’
Crashing out of Wolverhampton come GOD DAMN, a three-piece of spitting fury and angry noise with more energy than the Hadron Collider!
In general, their music would appear to comprise equal portions of metal, blues and grunge to create something, if this particular track is anything to go by, that is hook driven and strangely melodic in its own way.
I believe this is their second single, the first released on the Distorted Tapes label, with this being a split release through the same label, together with Gravy Records from Norwich, and is available from 11th February.
ARROWS OF LOVE: ‘Conspiracy Podcast.’
Forgive me …I’m going do some of that ‘copy and paste’ shit that I despise other blogs / sites doing …… but the background to this song by East London’s ARROWS OF LOVE is a tad complicated and detailed – too much so for me to quickly relate in my own words.
(It’s interesting though!)
Believing everything you are fed by government and the mainstream media can be problematic for some. East London’s explosive post-punk quintet Arrows of Love came across such an entity with their experience of a close friend’s addiction to internet theorists. This prompted the band to write their brand new single ‘Conspiracy Podcast’, a track that is scheduled for release via Strong Island Recordings on December 10th available on 250 slabs of very limited edition handcrafted vinyl, CD and select digital music channels mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac.
The chaotic track, which is a frenzied melting pot of gritty baselines and stabbing guitars, fuelled by a vocal tale of the unexpected, tells the story of a girl who became a disciple of an online conspiracy theorist. Pulled deeper and deeper into his weekly podcasts, she became an unquestioning devotee of his radical sermons, relentlessly preaching his views to all she met, and losing her previous optimistic will for change to a doomed perception of everything around her.
“It got to the stage where she was saying that buildings were evil, pointing up at aeroplanes shouting that we were being sprayed with poison, and raging at anyone who tried to have a conversation about any of it”, says singer/guitarist Nima Teranchi.
But while the verses recount the tale with a healthy dose of scepticism, the choruses take the perspective of the person sat at the computer screen, eyes wide open, absorbing overwhelming possibilities, feeling surrounded, panicked, powerless, and coming to the conclusion that if we do nothing, if we don’t ‘conspire’, then every inch of freedom will slowly be taken from us.
“While as individuals we do feel distrust towards the authorities, their motivations, their secrets, and the gutter-dragging of anything anti-establishment with the term ‘conspiracy theory’, it doesn’t mean people should believe everything they hear or read without question. In the same way you wouldn’t believe the government or media without question. This stuff can really fuck with your head. And some of the people preaching it are more into their ego and self-image as our new age messiahs, than actually giving a shit if people are losing their minds over it.”
So the listener can make their own mind up whether they hear a large dose of scepticism, or an embedded call to arms, but the fact that the band spent Guy Fawkes night spraying the CDs for the forthcoming release with a symbol reminiscent of the Eye of Horus seems quite fitting.
This new, detonative tune is followed by a b-side recorded after a failed trip to a recent over-ticketed 80′s Matchbox B-Line Disaster show. In the queue they decided to walk back home and title whatever they recorded as the “80’s Matchbox B-Side Disaster”. This very raw, lo-beat track is fronted by the subtle tones of Nima’s female counterpart Lyndsey Critchley, whose breathy vocal over bass closes another stunning Arrows of Love single release.
The single will be released as a limited edition run of 250 handcrafted 7” vinyl records via Strong Island Recordings. Look out for the band playing at the following live shows:
LIVE SHOWS:
Dec 4 – Glasgow – King Tuts (too late! It was a free show with Kick to Kill, but starts at 8:30- I would have been there!)
Dec 5 – Inverness – Madhatters
Dec 6 – Birmingham – Hare and Hounds
Dec 11 – Portsmouth – 4pm – Pie and Vinyl (Instore Acoustic show)
Dec 11 – Portsmouth – Edge of The Wedge
Dec 12 – Brighton – Blind Tiger Club
Dec 15 – London – The New Empowering Church – w/ BOXED IN (live) and TOY (dj)
Dec 18 – London – Old Blue Last – Artrocker Magazine Party (w DINGUS KHAN)
Jan 26 – London – Old Blue Last – presented by JEN LONG (Radio One) w/ Wild Swim
TERMINAL GODS: ‘Lessons In Fire.’
TERMINAL GODS are a four-piece London band with a sort of ‘post industrial’ / Eighties retro sound. They formed back in the summer of 2011, but quickly established a loyal following and attracted lots of positive media attention for the release of their debut single ‘Electric Eyes,’ which was of course featured here on LOUD HORIZON.
Clad in black leather jackets and emoting a dark and slightly threatening attitude, their music does reflect bygone days, but at the same time has a very ‘current’ edge to it.
Their new single, released in both 7″ vinyl and digital formats, is ‘Lessons in Fire,‘ and most definitely confirms the band’s stature as ‘ones to watch’ in 2013. The video for the track is shown below .. as indeed the video for the single’s B-side, ‘The Card Player.’
(Now, that’s one pretty damned organised band for you!)
And just for the record .. if I were marking the A-side out of ten? Nine …. yeah …. nine.
BAD FOR LAZARUS: ‘My Muddle’ (+ tour dates.)
It seems like no time at all since LOUD HORIZON carried a review of a single entitled ‘Old Rats On A New Ship,’ by a band called BAD FOR LAZARUS. I loved it!
Well – that was about three years ago apparently, and although there have been little snippets leaking through here to LOUD HORIZON in the ensuing time, it didn’t seem like much was happening. But actually, it was: gigs with the likes of Eighties Matchbox, Hawk Eyes, Liars, The James Cleaver Quintet, Exit_International, Winnebago Deal, Black Moth, and Baby Godzilla, as well as several sojourns up and down the country in their own right have seen their stock rise, and with new single ‘My Muddle,’ and the forthcoming album ‘Life’s A Carnival, Bang, Bang, Bang,’ the time is now right for the UK to sit up and take notice.
Boasting ex-members of Nine Inch Nails, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and UNKLE, the band have the credentials and experience to make a huge impression on the musical landscape as they meld genres from the classic sound of Motown artists through to the gooey phlegm of punk. In their own words; “We like Motown and we like Richard Hell. So we sound like Motown Hell.”
TERMINAL GODS: ‘Electric Eyes’
This one comes courtesy of Andy Oxley, who directed the following video for Screen 3 Productions, and whose own bands have in the past featured on both this blog and received mentions in ARTROCKER MAGAZINE.
In his words, Andy ‘stumbled upon’ TERMINAL GODS a while back and has become a big fan. Here is a band that are quite unashamedly ‘Eighties’ in their style and delivery, but don’t seem to give a tu’penny f… about current ‘trends’ and fickle populist styles!
Drum machines, smoke machines, guitars and good old Gothy styled Rock and effin’ Roll, man!
‘Electric Eyes‘ is available now and can be bought in 7″ vinyl format from TERMINAL GODS website.
BLEECH: ‘Mondays.’
Two sisters (Jennifer and Katherine O’Neill) plus their old school-mate (Matt Bick) make up London alt- rockers, BLEECH. New to me, they have actually been around a while – long enough to have turned ‘drinking age’ and garnered a reputation that has seen them offered tours with the likes of Wolfmother and The Joy Formidable, and support slots with the Charlatans, The Subways and Pete Doherty to name a few.
This particular track has also been featured on BBC’s ‘Waterloo Road’ drama.
Pretty high profile then … (Jeez! I must have been asleep this past year or so!)
You can view the video for this single below, so there’s no real point in my trying to describe it – which I guess is a bit of a cop-out, simply because the vocal style sounds so familiar, but I’m buggered if I can think who it reminds me of!
Suffice to say, this is the kind of stuff we like here at LOUD HORIZON. It’s loud for a start; it’s up-tempo, has a catchy as hell chorus, is drum-propelled is really just the type of song you would love to hear played live in a dingy, sweaty little intimate venue.
(Did I say it makes me think of a female-fronted Foo Fighters? It does.)
(Released through Billie Records on 16th April 2012)
(8.5 / 10)
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THIRTEEN: ‘D.H.B.C.S.I.A.W.D.’
I have absolutely no idea about the title. Thought I’d just get that out the way right from the off. Apparently it means something to the band, but they’re not letting on. Perhaps it stands for: The British Dyslexic And Arithmetical Correctness Association?
THIRTEEN are from London / Cambridge and produce a noise like you’ve probably never heard before – unless you’ve caught Glasgow based Super Adventure Club play. The title track is like some mad, spazz-jazz freakout, interspersed with progressive guitar rants that rise, fall, stop, start, and move every which way! This makes it sound like it’s all over the place – and I guess it is, but after a few listens it starts to make a bit of sense. It’s kind of like some progressive rock band from the Seventies mixing it with a more contemporary Math rock band in a jam session at Ronnie Scott’s.
The other two songs on the release are remixes of tracks lifted from the band’s debut album, ‘Degraded Jazz Tones’ which came out in 2010.
The first of these, ‘Pandora (Regraded Version)’ is built on a ska base … but it sure ain’t a ska track! Again, all sorts of influences are called into play, with a sort of free-form jazz being the most obvious. Having said that, there are also some big ‘classic rock’ riffs thrown into the chaos as well as some funky bass – and metal-core style screaming!
‘Fly By Worlds’ starts out slowly and gently, with only the brushed drums giving a semblance of jazz. But there are over five minutes to this track, therefore plenty time for it to develop. Which it does, of course! A little jazzy bass line follows a manic scream at the halfway mark and is then joined by a fuzzy guitar line, again with shades of the Seventies. This one is not nearly as mental and busy as the others, and if I’m honest, much as I like the other songs, this one is probably my favourite of the three.
There’s no getting away from it – this one is not for the faint-hearted. Nor is it for those who like their music neatly packaged into little bite-sized chunks of conventional harmonies and choruses.
But if you just keep an open mind and give it a chance …..
You may have to actively listen to these songs but please do make the effort. It’ll be well worth it, I promise!
(Released through Milky Bomb Records on a digital basis from 26th March 2012)
(8/10)
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DAMN JAMMAGE: ‘She Drowned.’
This is, I think, the third DAMN JAMMAGE single / EP to be reviewed here on LOUD HORIZON and with each such mention it becomes more and more difficult to come up with something original to say.
I think I peaked too early in the superlatives department!
So, at the risk of repeating myself, here goes:
DAMN JAMMAGE are a ’blues come folk come punk’ type band. Ok – so you say there are a few of these ‘types’ around. May be. But they don’t all sound quite as deranged as these guys. They don’t all (any) feature a lead vocalist who sounds like Tom Waits on speed – a vocalist whose gruff, rasping delivery is beautifully offset and complimented by dulcet female harmonies. There’s no getting away from it, it’s the vocal duo of Danny Rapscallion and Jasmine Daniels that give this band their unique sound.
Of course, it’s not all about them. The backing is upbeat, bouncy and yet more than just a little sinister sounding. It’s as if there was something in that slice of cake that provoked a bad trip for Alice when she attended the tea party in Wonderland.
And now I’m stuck – here’s the video!
(Self-released and available on a download basis from 19th March 2012)
(9/10)
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SHOOT THE DEAD: ‘The Rage.’
Is it a Venn diagram that you used to draw at school? You know – the one that involves maybe three circles that overlap? Yeah – that’s the one:
So – draw your three circles, and name them ‘Pop- Punk, ‘Rock’ and ‘Dance.’ Now, see that bit in the middle where the circles all meet? Insert the words ‘SHOOT THE DEAD.’ You got it.
That’s pretty much where I see this particular single (says the man who failed his Maths higher twice and was kicked out of Music class after second year with a condition now widely accepted as ‘hard of thinking.’)
This is the second single from Brighton unit SHOOT THE DEAD and although perhaps not exactly my bag, personally speaking, I can see this appealing to a great many people given the right exposure.
The video for the lead track ‘The Rage,’ features below, so you can see for yourself just how accessible this song is. However for me, it is the second track ‘Hypnotised’ that commands most attention. This would be more cup of tea. If it’s mathematically / geometrically possible this song seems to somehow expand that area in common with all three circles, by increasing the size of the ‘Rock’ and ‘Pop-Punk’ while still retaining a portion (albeit smaller) of that tagged ‘Dance.’
I don’t ‘do’ ‘Dance’ music as you may already have gathered so bands like The Prodigy and more so Pendulum leave me pretty cold – and quite nauseous in the case of the latter. The synths make the sound just too sickly for me, and while this feeling is quite diluted with the overall mix of genres in ‘The Rage,’ Andi’s vocals take a harder and rasping edge on ‘Hypnotised,’ and consequently act as an aural antidote. The integration of a brass section also offsets the zippy sound of synths whilst the chorus is catchy, and combined with the Wham-esque drums the whole track is instantly more commercially accessible.
Maybe I’m talking bollocks …… this type of music is not exactly my forte (no shit, Sherlock?!) but I’d certainly suggest that SHOOT THE DEAD are a shot in the arm for a rather stagnant and sterile commercial / chart market.
(Self-released and available through all major download sites from 26th March 2012)
(8/10)
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CHRIS DEVOTION & THE EXPECTATIONS: ‘A Modest Refusal’ / ‘Tell The Girl.’
Also referred to as CD / EX, this double-A-sided single is the rather belated follow-up to the band’s ‘I Need Your Touch’ release at the end of 2010. That particular single really caught our attention here at LOUD HORIZON, and this one is no different in that respect.
Listening to ‘A Modest Refusal’ and ‘Tell The Girl’ is as refreshing as your first lager after a weeklong course of antibiotics during a heat wave. As with the earlier release, Chris’s devotion to traditional Rock ‘n’ Roll is obvious, the opening bars of ‘A Modest Refusal’ reflecting the simple guitar / vocal / harmony intros from many an early Sixties teen-love anthem. However, with a brash mood and key change, the song erupts much in the same fashion as Leftover Crack’s ‘Crack City Rockers’ (oh yes it does!) and transforms into some kind of rowdy, modern interpretation of Doo-Wop with little Spector-esque breakdowns. Ticks all my boxes, then ….
‘Tell The Girl,’ also races on and bounces away, but although the vocals have that little tremolo preferred by some Rock ‘n’ Roll icons, this one has more of a prevalent New Wave attitude. Know what it makes me think of? Like a generic Altered Images song with Clare Grogan’s voice played at 33rpm while the backing is played at the proper 45rpm! The guitar solo on this one also echoes a little ‘Scottishness’ in the same way as early Big Country work did. The chorus is catchy as f… and overall I don’t think you could get much better.
There – I think that just about sums it up.
(Released through Armellodie Records on 19th September 2011)
(10/10)
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THE TWILIGHT SINGERS: ‘ Blackbird and the Fox.’
THE TWILIGHT SINGERS are one of those bands that I have to confess have kinda passed me by completely. Only because I’ve just never bothered to give them a chance, to my shame.
But now that I’ve been cornered and ‘forced’ into listening for the purpose of writing this review, I can see (well, hear) what I’ve been missing. OK – so it’s probably still not really my bag, but there is an inherent quality about this track. Which is not surprising really when you consider that lead singer Greg Dulli was the erstwhile leader of Cincinnati’s Afghan Whigs.
Opening rather quietly, the initial dual vocals harmonise nicely over gently strummed guitar before the song transfers into the second phase where the drums contribute a deep sounding beat and the voices gain in strength. The final minute sees the track rise to a rousing crescendo with the prominent guitar lines giving it a bit of a (country?)-rock sound supporting the now powerful but beautifully controlled vocals.
It’s maybe a little bit MOR for me personally, but definitely likeable all the same.
(Released through Sub Pop on 8th August 2011)
(8/10)
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BORN BLONDE: ‘Solar.’
I’ve not heard too much in the way of hype for this band, but f***k me! – On the strength of this single alone, there should be some radio station and record label bigwigs wetting themselves right now.
Yeah – the West London five-piece have still to show what else they have in the locker, but this is most definitely ultra promising. Even just listening to this one track, you get the impression there is something pretty ‘cool’ (sorry, I can’t think of a better word) about BORN BLONDE. There would seem to be an atmosphere of ‘purpose’ about them, mixed with a bit of an understated swagger.
The band have been together for a couple of years now, honing their swirling psychedelic sound that (in this case at least) gives a modern take on the late-Eighties adaptation of the immensely popular Sixties counter culture!
I mentioned in an earlier posting that ‘Solar’ was like a more trippy Stone Roses / Happy Mondays freak out. However, if any comparisons need be made (and they don’t as it happens, because this track is strong enough to stand without any added support) then the Manc lads should perhaps be substituted by the London boys that were Flowered Up.
There is that shuffling, almost laid-back, dreamy beat mingling with what sounds like (but isn’t) a sample from the Mike Oldfield opus, ‘Tubular Bells.’ The key changes are smooth and effective and add to that overall celestial and almost hallucinogenic feel.
The ‘b-side’ is a Hologram re-mix of ‘Solar.’ And you all know my feelings on remixes being used on the ‘single’ format! However, because the main track is so damn good and truth be told, the remix is considerably different to the original, BORN BLONDE are forgiven! This time!
(Released through Moriarty The Cat Record – Limited Edition 7” vinyl, and as a free download from www.borneblondeofficial.com on 11th July 2011)
(9.5 / 10)
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CYNIC GURU: ‘Catastrophe.’
With my long-standing penchant for music of the psych variety, it was a bit of a stick-on that I’d be right into this one.
Firstly, the background:
CYNIC GURU is the brainchild of Roland Hartwell, a Japanese / American violinist with The Iceland Symphony Orchestra. With bassist Ricky Korn the only other permanent member that I can ascertain, they initiated the band in Hartwell’s home city of Los Angeles, but moved operations to Reykjavik, Iceland in 2001 when Roland began his work with the orchestra.
However, although ‘Catastrophe,’ does feature Hartwell’s violin playing, it certainly doesn’t linger around the fringes of Classical music. Rather, it mixes a heavy psych grind with a more Sixties / Seventies styled psychedelic vocal harmony, combining this with a pounding beat enveloped in a swathe of dramatic strings. The video below pretty much confirms that this is prime movie soundtrack material, whilst at the same time losing none of its impact as a stand-alone track.
B-side ‘Secret’ is a bit more of the same really. It’s slower and with a bit of a grunge feel to it. The opening is quieter and builds with some nice rising key changes, the vocals soft and hushed in the main, although the chorus has a hardened rock crust surrounding it – an atmospheric rock track, I’d say. Nice.
(Released through The Birdman Records on 4th July 2011)
(8.5 / 10)
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SHOOT THE DEAD: ‘Don’t Stop Dancing.’
Hey, look! I don’t care how eclectic one’s musical taste is – when you get sent shit-loads of CD’s and stuff to review, it’s inevitable there are going to be a few that really miss the mark. And I’m afraid this is one of them.
For me at least, Rock and Dance are two genres that don’t make a good combination – although I dare say thousands of Prodigy and even Pendulum fans will disagree. But I find it all too sickly; too repetitive … and even a bit too false.
Sure, vocalist Andi has a powerful and wide-ranging voice. And yes, ‘Don’t Stop Dancing’ has plenty of bounce. So I should like it. But as we say Up North, it’s ‘neither owt nor sumat.’ It ‘s not one thing or another and consequently it falls directly between two distinct stools.
Even the imagery in the video I think fails to define what SHOOT THE DEAD are.
Or maybe it does?!
The band quite obviously have got something going on – they recently ranked overall second the Grand Final of the Jar Music National Battle Of The Bands at the O2 Arena. They were subsequently asked to headline at Primal Scream’s official ‘end of tour after party.’
So, SHOOT THE DEAD … I’m sorry. It’s not you – it’s me.
(Self-released on 27th June 2011 and available through all major download sites.)
(5 / 10)
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AWOLNATION: ‘Sail.’
This one’s only just arrived here at LOUD HORIZON, and so we lag well behind Radio 1 in that they have already identified AWOLNATION as a band to listen out for and have subsequently added ‘Sail’ to its famed ‘In New Music We Trust’ playlist.
But that’s not gonna stop us having our say …. though with the track streamed below (the excellent video has had its embed code disabled, unfortunately) and the band’s burgeoning reputation spreading like wildfire across the U.S. , there’s probably not a lot more we can add.
For what it’s worth, this is one of those distinctive and original tracks that have the listener hooked right from the first hearing. The slow, blues-dripping theme, the steady and incessant handclaps, the soulful and slightly hoarse vocals, the almost gospel-like backing and the little synth hooks certainly had me bought in right from the off.
(Released through Red Bull Records on 13th June 2011)
(8.5 / 10)
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