CRYBABY SPECIAL: ‘No Excuses.’
Coming from the current musical hotbed that is the Medway area of South East England, it was perhaps inevitable that CRYBABY SPECIAL should spurn the advances of more, perhaps ‘established’ labels and record their debut album with the excellent ‘local’ The Preservation Presents … This after all is the label that broke long-time LOUD HORIZON tips, Theatre Royal and is current home of the equally magnificent Lupen Crook.
The freedom of expression afforded by such a label is worth its weight in gold to a band such as CRYBABY SPECIAL ( I see they’ve dropped the ‘& The Monsters’ tag) who espouse the true DIY ethic by scraping by on finances whilst still managing to play virtually every gig on offer and producing their own hand-made CDs and merchandise.
This ten track album runs to around thirty minutes and is filled with a sweaty blend of gypsy punk, ska and oom-pah – all delivered with a menacing snarl of punk.
The vocals throughout are rasping and at times rather manic in a kind of psychotic way. The style of music is completely different, but without seeing the band first hand, I think there are similarities in the ethos and ‘feel’ of the band to Glasgow’s Mummy Short Arms – if that means anything to anyone.
The album comes across very much as you’d expect to hear from a ‘live’ performance. There’s a genuine excitement about the production and you are left feeling slightly exhausted by its end – as if you’d been actually skanking it big-time down the front at one of their shows.
I know there’s a fair bit of gypsy punk around at the moment, so it takes something a little bit special to stand out from the crowd and I feel ‘No Excuses’ provides this. Every track is really’ meaty’ in its sound and where the ska influences merge, it’s with more of a full-bodied Capdown aggression than simply a twee, tinny backbeat. (Check out ‘One Thing Left To Try’ and ‘I Got It Wrong’ for starters!)
This is the style that more grabs my attention and for what it’s worth, is the direction I’d personally prefer the band to follow.
‘Murder In The Wall‘ though, despite the title, has more of a bouncy, ‘light’ feel to it, with the chorus and sax hook being more Bad Manners than skacore! ‘One Winged Bird’ features that stomped ‘oom pah’ refrain I briefly referred to earlier. It’s very dramatic, and with the main vocals more spoken than sung it more than simply doffs its hat to the vaudeville style. And in that respect, I could probably pay no greater compliment than to say there’s a wee hint of Alex Harvey in there – especially so when it comes to the maniacal laugh that ends the track.
The mere thought of a ‘Beelzebub Boogie’ tickles me and with this album-closing track, CRYBABY SPECIAL emphasise the fun side to their music writings. If I were to say there were shades of early Madness about this track, I’d be meaning that in a very complimentary way.
My only little niggling doubt about this album is that the style, for the moment at least, doesn’t allow too much room for variation, with their being a bit of familiarity running through the tracks.
That said, it’s still one heck of a debut, and as an advert for their high-octane live shows, it’s a definite winner!
(Released through The Preservation Society Presents … on 6th May 2013)
(9/10)
[COLIN JACKSON]
THE LAZLO DEVICE: ‘Uncertain Beginnings’ / ‘Cora.’
The group of friends that would eventually morph into the London band known as THE LAZLO DEVICE set out on their voyage of musical discovery back in the summer of 2010. Their course has altered slightly during that time, as have the crew, but they’ve now set a steady course that should see them leave visual traces on the radar of those that seek music with a bit of depth.
They have of course built a considerable following from playing around some of London’s established venues these past couple of years and just over a year ago they released their debut ‘Step Forward’ EP, which saw THE LAZLO DEVICE hone their sound and move in a slightly different direction with added synths and backing vocals. This in turn saw the lads garner further critical acclaim and with a fresh bunch of songs almost ready to be aired, the band have decided to issue two of the tracks from that earlier recording as a double-a-sided single.
The aptly named ‘Uncertain Beginnings,’ starts out in a very classical mode. The slow and rather downbeat piano is joined by hushed and slightly depressed sounding vocals for the first minute and a half, and despite the warm, gentle harmonies I was wondering where this was headed. The answer comes in the remaining two and half minutes where the pace perks up and the song develops into something altogether more dramatic. In fact, there are two further ‘movements’ to ‘Uncertain Beginnings‘: that initial change in beat gives the song a sort of deliberate and plodding feel for a minute or so before the piano arpeggios become more frantic, the music louder and the whole piece blossoms into a full-on final flourish that skirts the boundaries of gypsy-punk.
‘Cora,’ couldn’t be much more different!
I’m very much into my psych music and marvel at the various interpretations that bands come up with for this particular genre. You have some that present a dry, sun-drenched, stoner-type of desert rock; some teeter towards space-rock in their presentation. Others take on an altogether more trippy, psychedelic feel. THE LAZLO DEVICE seem to lean more towards the latter … but there’s something quintessentially English / British that’s difficult to explain about their delivery. The guitar effects are used to (um) good effect in supplementing the synths and the steady bass line and added reverb give the song great depth and atmosphere. The quieter vocals provide an interesting juxtaposition to the crashing sound of the instruments and this, without doubt is my personal favourite of the two tracks on offer here.
In fact, I’d say I would like to hear the band develop their sound around this particular style. Good stuff indeed!
As mentioned, both these tracks featured on last year’s EP release, but if you missed out on that, you can get hold of them both (again!) on THE LAZLO DEVICE’s debut album (as yet unnamed) which is due for release this summer.
(8.5 / 10)
[COLIN JACKSON]
ALL CHANGE AT LOUD HORIZON!
I’ve never had one before so I’m not sure if this is what you’d call it, but when writing up that little piece last week on THE PLIMPTONS’ final show I think had one of those ‘epiphany’ moments!
Seven years ago come July, I started LOUD HORIZON as a kind of ‘hobby’; something to do during a period of unemployment. As time progressed however, it became more, much more, than that. An obsession, some might say! Virtually every spare moment I had was devoted to reading e-mails and band biographies; listening to CDs and then writing about them. I’d frequently get up at 4am to do some writing before starting work (I had by this time formed my own Petcare Service business) and then spend another hour or so on the blog at the end of the working day.
It was a challenge – a very enjoyable challenge, and of course I received lots of great music (and some not so great!) for nothing. What more could a Scotsman want?!
However (back to THE PLIMPTONS) when writing that article last week, it struck me just how many bands that I’ve become friendly with over the seven years are no longer playing together.
Everything changes. Everyone moves on.
And so am I.
It’s been great fun dealing with so many good people. I’ve had the chance to meet and chat and drink beer with loads of great bands (special mention for BAD FOR LAZARUS who were so friendly and down to earth; BO NINGEN who were true gentlemen; Andrea Zollo of PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES who was an absolute delight, and the late POLY STYRENE who took time, despite her very advanced failing health, to talk to me.)
Oh – and I can’t forget to mention the mental FIGHT LIKE APES who had a capacity King Tuts crowd chanting my name!!
(But then, it’s really unfair to single out a few bands as I’ve never met any at all who were anything other than polite and accommodating.)
Over the years LOUD HORIZON (and my ARTROCKER MAGAZINE connection) has led to many bands stopping over at our house when touring and passing through Glasgow / Scotland. There have been so many – every one of them respectful and a pleasure to host – regular visitors, back in the day, YOU SAY PARTY! and THE HOT PUPPIES in particular.
And as the blog developed its integrity and reputation for honest reviews, it rose to the dizzy height of ranking #66 out of over 12,000 music blogs registered with the Technorati directory. (It generally hovers around the #150 / #200 mark.) LOUD HORIZON has recently also been ‘accepted’ onto The Hype Machine, which seemingly carries a bit of kudos.
But the time has now come for me to catch up with with some things that have been neglected due to lack of available time: the last two years’ issues of Record Collector for a start; my Spanish and Mandarin language courses; the DVD Christmas presents from the past five years; the three books I’m currently reading on North Korea (honestly – how topical am I?!) and of course my own personal record collection and the underground Japanese psych vinyl albums that I’ve been buying!
I should at this point also mention my long-suffering wife, Diane (who fortunately remembers what I look like because we went on holiday in January) as she’s spent so long these past few years alone watching re-runs of ‘Location Location, Location,’ in the next room!
BUT ….. and here comes the good bit – our BRETT, my younger son, has volunteered to keep the blog going! Woo Hoo!!
Brett presently works at The Garage nightclub here in Glasgow and was formerly drummer in a pop-punk band that frequently played support slots to Twin Atlantic as well as some of America’s big commercial punk outfits like Zebrahead, Aquabats, Army of Freshmen and others. They supported the likes of the excellent Failsafe and Sonic Boom Six from here in UK and also toured around Scotland and Northern England as well as a mini-tour around the Stockholm area of Sweden. So Brett has a wide experience of what its like to play in an aspiring band and an appreciation of what is required to ‘get noticed.’
Me? My intention is to return to dabbling in the buying and selling of vinyl records – purely on a less demanding ‘hobby’ basis, you understand. (Watch this space in seven years from now ….!)
So – thanks to everyone: bands / artists; record labels; PR Companies and to all the loyal readers of LOUD HORIZON (there are some!) for their support over the years. It’s been a blast!
It’s all yours, Brett!
___________________________________
Please just bear with us a day or two so we can get everything transferred over, and LOUD HORIZON will be back.
All unanswered e-mails up to Sunday 7th April have been / will be deleted, so there is a fresh start. Apologies!
THE TRAVELLING BAND: ‘Hands Up.’
LOUD HORIZON likes to be among the first to tell readers of a ‘new’ or totally ‘undiscovered’ band, but of course there are going to be times when I am indeed very late to the party … and come across a band and their music that people have been raving about for ages.
Still – I’m not proud. Here’s one I missed earlier!
THE TRAVELLING BAND are obviously so well known that the Press Sheet I read says next to nothing about the band’s biography. But just in case there are others like me out there who sometimes miss the boat completely, here’s a little of what I’ve found out:
Marc Riley of Radio 6Music and the Eavis family (Glastonbury Festival) are counted as big fans. Early fans at that … both championing the cause even before the Manchester band had self-released their debut album ‘Under the Pavement’ in late 2008. Now, five years down the line, with over 400 shows under their belt, and their second album ‘Second is Something,’ appearing back in 2011, they are preparing to release their third LP ‘The Big Defereeze.’
As a taster, the ‘Hands Up’ EP has been released via THE TRAVELLING BAND’s Bandcamp page on a ‘pay what you like basis.’
(The following video, for any philistines such as myself, illustrates the otherworldly story of a man searching the wilderness for answers.)
I’ll know the next time ……
THEATRE ROYAL: ‘Three Ships’ EP
THEATRE ROYAL are doing very well for themselves, thank you very much.
But if ever there was a band that deserved even more attention than it’s already getting, then it’s the Medway four-piece.
LOUD HORIZON has been championing the cause from way before the release of the band’s first album, and indeed wrote about them in ARTROCKER MAGAZINE some two and a half years ago! Since then (though not necessarily as a direct result of!) their stock and standing has steadily risen, with their two albums and other EP releases garnering ‘five star’ ratings from the afore-mentioned music bible, as well as broadsheet newspaper mentions and plentiful airplay on national radio.
Each release showcases the increasing maturity of song-writing (though I have to say it was of a pretty high standard from the off) and this new EP, featuring five previously unreleased recordings certainly highlights that fact.
I say there are five new recordings … though not exactly five new songs – the track ‘Three Ships,’ appears on the band’s last album, ‘At The End Of A River, The Sea …’ However it has been completely re-worked ( and slightly re-titled) for the this EP. This version ‘Three Ships (disappear here)’ has a more ‘confident’ ring about it; a sturdier feel. It’s more Seventies sounding guitar and stomp than the more acoustic and harmonica based original.It’s also about a minute and a half shorter. Better though!
‘Learning How To Be Idle,’ is dominated early on by piano and Oliver Burgess’s vocals, but then in comes the gentle twang of what sounds like a pedal-steel guitar, giving the track a bit of a bluesy, country feel … but not too much! There then follows an acoustic / solo version by Oliver of last year’s vinyl-only single, ‘Katherine’s Sleeping,’ and a similarly styled demo recorded (at the famous Sun Studios no less) by guitarist Robbie of ‘Orchard Song.’ Maybe because I’m biased, I still enjoy both although I have to say Oliver’s vocals are the better suited to this type of delivery.
‘(Just Like) A Sunny Day In June‘ is the type of song that made me think way back that THEATRE ROYAL are going to attract a LOT of positive attention
This is the first release from the band on their own Medlar Records label and is being made available on a very strictly Limited Edition, hand numbered CD format as well as the usual download. Both can be ordered through the THEATRE ROYAL Bandcamp page.
GENERATIONALS: ‘Put A Light On.’
They say you can’t decide whether or not you’ll enjoy a book until you have read the first twenty pages. But I reckon that as regards music, I can make up my mind within the first twenty seconds … sometimes less!
And this track, from New Orleans duo, GENERATIONALS is one of them. Forget the video’s imagery for a moment, and feel the vibe from the bubbling synth mix with the hand-claps and the instant hook of the vocals. Time it – twenty seconds, that’s all. If you’re not sold on this track by then I’ll give you your money back. (Well, maybe not – but I am sure you’ll not switch off.)
Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer met as freshmen at High School in New Orleans, thereafter attending college at Baton Rouge where they formed The Eames Era with three classmates. When the band dissolved four years later in 2007, Ted and Grant then started writing songs as GENERATIONALS.
Now, with the experience of a couple of EP and album releases behind them, GENERATIONALS are ready to release their new long-player, ‘Heza,’ through Polyvinyl Records on 8th April. The following video for ‘Put A Light On,’ is lifted from the album.
THE ST. PIERRE SNAKE INVASION: ‘Call The Coroner.’
Just the one post tonight … but what a post!
THE ST. PIERRE SNAKE INVASION are a five musical mentalists from Bristol. They have been noising up the Bristol venues since 2011 with their wild stage shows, and having already released one EP (‘Flesh‘) they are about to burst onto the wider scene with the follow-up, ‘Everyone’s Entitled To My Opinion.’
Bass player Mark Fletcher says: ”This E.P is our reply to to a stagnant genre of music. It’s a return to a time when guitar music didn’t just mean characterless jangly Advant garde or overly macho chest beating chugging. The title itself represents the fact that even when you put your heart and soul into music you’re still only voicing an opinion and as much as you’re entitled to your opinions everyone else is entitled to ignore them.”
You’ll be able to assess what THE ST. PIERRE SNAKE INVASION are all about from the following video for ‘Call The Coroner,‘ and having heard the other four tracks on the EP, I can confirm their sound is both abrasive and accessible and laced with sharp, witty lyrics.
It’s not terribly often that I agree with the views of BBC Introducing, but this time around I think they’ve got every right to be excited!
(‘Everyone’s Entitled To My Opinion’ is released on 30th April 2013)
(9/10)
DELTA MAINLINE: ‘Oh! Enlightened.’
Last night LOUD HORIZON rather excitedly posted a comment about Edinburgh septet DELTA MAINLINE, and asserting that on the basis of the ‘highlighted’ track, ‘Florentine Regime,’ the forthcoming album ‘Oh! Enlightened,‘ is going to be something special.
Well, having now had a chance to listen to the album in it’s entirety the first thing I have to say is that the aforementioned track is not exactly typical of the remaining thirty-four and a half minutes. That’s not to say it’s potential to sell in healthy numbers and garner much critical acclaim is diminished – but maybe it was a little bit misleading as far as my personal taste goes.
I’ll qualify that comment however. Even though it may generally be a little ‘downbeat’ for me personally, you just know it’s one hugely classy album. It’s hard to say just why that is, but when you listen to ‘Oh! Enlightened,’ as a continuous piece, something intangible shines through.
Opening track ‘Tus Nua,’ opens quietly and the synth drone builds throughout its forty-four second duration before crashing straight into ‘Misinformation,’ which rages in a furious flurry of searing guitar and crashing cymbals. The vocals are slightly distorted and spat with a punk / rock ‘n’ roll rhythm. The tempo is unrelenting ….. this is an excellent start!
‘Stop This Feeling,‘ slows things down as it opens with the vocals taking on what I consider a slightly choked, Eighties goth style, then morphing into a latter day Jim Kerr style. In fact, even the superb big ‘wide-screen’ production cannot stop me thinking this track sounds like something from Simple Minds back in the late Eighties.
‘Dead Beat Blues,’ has a haunting feel to it. There are definite ‘traditional’ Scottish influences at work on this one and the image it conjures (for me) is of a motionless, dark loch with the mountains rising above it. (I tried ever so hard not to think this way … !!)
‘Fixing To Die,’ sounds a right cheery little ditty! Actually, it is a lovely song! I’m not big on ballad types, but starting out simply with piano and vocals it expands into a big, rousing production before dropping back down again. This followed by ‘The Church Is Up For Sale.’ Another slow one, but with reverb- drenched guitars rising and falling, shrouding the deep sounding, tremolo-enhanced vocals, it’s easy to see where the occasional comparison to Spiritualised comes from. (Perhaps a little Jesus and Mary Chain / Simple Minds in there too?) At almost six and a half minutes, it’s a bit of an ‘epic,’ and certainly one of my favourites on the album – one track that I think will in future become the band’s ‘standard.’
‘The Strange Fate Of Raoul Duke’ is a very short (sub one minute) and quiet acoustic song that leads into ‘Florentine Regime.’
‘Home To You,‘ is a downbeat blues inflected song that opens up into something altogether more expansive with the addition of a brass section before it finishes as it began, with quiet piano. Again, you can possibly hear a little bit of a Jason Pierce influence on this one.
The penultimate track is ‘Dark Energy,’ although I would have saved this one to last! (But then, what do I know?) The atmospheric start transforms into a psych / space-rock / shoegaze cacophony – much more up my street! The video of the live version perhaps doesn’t quite capture the same intensity of sound as the album track, but none-the-less gives a feel of what DELTA MAINLINE are capable of.
Closing track ‘Self Inflicted Ills,’ is a sort of piano led, blues / country hybrid – a nice enough song, but a bit of an atmosphere killer after the excitement of the previous one.
So, yes …. I’m still predicting big things for DELTA MAINLINE – they seem to have enough in heir armoury to go down either the raucous, psych route or the more introspective and moody road.
Personally, I hope it’s the former!
(‘Oh! Enlightened’ is released through Rehab Sound Recordings on 20th May 2013)
(8.5 / 10)
DELTA MAINLINE: ‘Florentine Regime.’
DELTA MAINLINE are a seven-piece from Edinburgh that weave some brilliant psychedelic textures into their expansive sound. Although they have been around since 2009 and contributed to various compilation albums as well as releasing their own EP (the catchily named ‘In a World Full of Madness, the Simple Joy of Melody Can Pull You Through’) in 2010, they are only now getting around to releasing their debut album.
‘Oh! Enlightened,’ was recorded at Glasgow’s iconic Chem 19 Studios and saw the band holed-up there for much of last year. The following track is lifted from the album which is scheduled for a May 20th release, and if this is typical of what to expect, then we’re in for a beezer!
WE ARE THE PHYSICS: ‘Go Go Nucleo – > For Science.’
LOUD HORIZON love them long time!
WE ARE THE PHYSICS celebrate the announcement of some ‘live’ dates that take in both Aberdare, Wales and Moscow, Russia (!!) with the video of another track taken from their second album, ‘Your Friend, The Atom,’ which was released last year.
‘Go Go Nucleo – > For Science‘ was directed by Joe and Lloyd Stas of Holomax.
Joe comments:
“With the band being based 283.2 miles away from us it wasn’t that easy to get together and do a video so we succumbed to the ultimate power of Cyberman and sent some files back and forth over the internet. Then we cut it all together with some ace mid century educational videos about the power of the atom and how you have to rinse your eyes out with water if you get nuclear radiation in them. It took us about five months to finish it off as we couldn’t persuade anyone to get brainwashed as we wanted pure authenticity. Luckily our friend Tom was in a period of depression so we convinced him that being brainwashed would help him. He’s dead now.”
This is where you can see the band play in the coming weeks:
29th March Kaluga, Russia
30th March Moscow, Russia
13th April Glasgow Old Hairdresser’s
16th May London Brixton Windmill
17th May Aberdare Elliot’s Bar
18th May Brighton Fools Paradise & Bad Math Alternative Escape
19th May Newcastle Head of Steam
VIENNA DITTO: ‘Vienna Ditto’ EP
It’s like winning the lottery: you’re rehearsing as a band for only the second time; you hastily record that session – and then somehow (?) that recording finds its way to Radio 1′s champion of new music, Huw Stephens. And then, from the hundreds of submissions he receives daily, he picks this particular one to play; and likes it; and plays it on his daily show!
The reaction’s great and you’re invited to play on the Radio 1 Introducing stage at Glastonbury – where your music is picked up by Tom Robinson who invites you down to Maida Vale studios to play a live session for his Radio 6Music show.
It’s definitely the stuff of dreams – but that’s the way it happened for VIENNA DITTO. The duo ( Hatty Taylor and Nigel Firth) garnered much critical acclaim from, amongst others, Artrocker, Q Magazine and The Fly for their debut single ‘Long Way Down,’ way back in 2009, apparently. (Is it really that long ago? Jeez, I’m getting old!)
I’m not sure what they’ve been up to in the intervening time, other than record the following EP which is due for release on April 22nd. Work is also under way on their debut album.
Perhaps it’s Hatty’s sultry tones, but VIENNA DITTO remind me a little of Dark Horses and in particular, vocalist Lisa Elle. The music’s certainly not as ‘dark,’ but I get the same feeling of something really classy when I hear both bands.
Looking forward to the album!
EMPIRE MACHINES: ‘Proper Ghost Man.’
EMPIRE MACHINES are a four-piece indie band from Austin, Texas. Although originally formed in 2009 by High School buddies Matt Blackwell (vocals, guitar) and Trey McKinley (bass, backing vocals) the present line-up was not completed until last year when Clellan Hyatt (drums, backing vocals) joined, adding to the talents of James Boriack (guitar, keys) who had been enlisted the year prior.
Presently working on their second EP which should be ready in time for the summer, the band have been playing some ‘unofficial’ shows around their home city during the recent SXSW Festival … their first venture gig-wise along the famous 6th Street!
Ahead of the new EP, the following track, recorded at the tail end of last year, has been released. I’m not sure if this will make it onto that particular release as I’m led to believe that although they are really happy about the song itself, it doesn’t quite ‘fit,’ alongside the others that they are working on.
I’ll take that as a good sign!
‘Proper Ghost Man,’ would certainly compliment any collection of songs, I’d say. It definitely shows how the band has grown from their the release of their debut eponymous EP in 2011 (see below.) There is a real feel of ‘confidence’ in this track, a notion emphasised by the steady, metronomic stomping beat as it marches right across the track.
On the face of it, there may appear to be not too much going on here, but I reckon this is one of those tracks you need to actively listen to: to merely pass this song off as ‘indie rock,’ would not really give a true picture – I’m not so sure I’ve heard anyone blend ‘shoegaze’ and ‘psych,’ before, but that’s what I’m hearing at any rate. The vocals are rather nicely mono-toned, verging on the ‘disinterested,’ but are lightened by some subtle harmonies and the sparingly used whine of synths. The guitars shimmer in the backing, breaking out for little, light ‘indie-style,’ solos.
Like fellow Austin-ites (??) and current LOUD HORIZON favourites Black Books, EMPIRE MACHINES buck the indie music ‘norm,’ in that they are trying to have their music heard outwith the confines of their home city …. just as the rest of the world, it seems, is trying to have theirs heard inside!
If the forthcoming EP stands up to ‘Proper Ghost Man,’ then they may just get their wish sooner rather than later.
(8/10)
(Here’s the earlier, debut release … available as a free download.)
SYD ARTHUR: new double-A-sided single!
OK – so it’s not so new now … it came out on March 11th – but I’ve been busy, right?!
And you know what? After me banging on about how everyone should go see this band on their recent UK tour while there was still the chance of seeing them play without the need for a soapbox and a pair of binoculars …. I bleedin’ missed them in Glasgow!
So although LOUD HORIZON has already featured one of the tracks on this ‘new’ AA-side, I’m just going to console myself and be a little self-indulgent by posting it again, together with the other track, ‘Edge of the Earth.’
So sue me!
DIAMOND RUGS: ‘Hightail.’
Maybe you’ve had a crap day today; maybe you’re about to have a crap day today! I guess it depends on the time zone from which you’re reading this.
Whatever – hit the ‘play’ button on this little beauty, and everything will seem alright!
DIAMOND RUGS are the blue-collar super-group featuring members of Deer Tick, Black Lips, Los Lobos, Dead Confederate & Six Finger Satellite, and they are set to release their first album. The eponymous long-player will be available from next week (25th March) and although I have not yet heard it, if this single (released on the same day) is anything to go by, then we’re in for a treat.
From the opening drum rhythm (Chubby Checker-esque) to the vocal delivery of John McCauley (Jonathan Richman-esque) ‘Hightail’ will have your feet tapping from start to finish.
I’ll make sure I get round to the album in the next few days and get a word or two posted here. Think it may be one to watch out for!
REVERE: ‘I Won’t Blame You.’
It must have been before LOUD HORIZON adopted this present format, but the band REVERE have been featured before on this blog … way, way back! I can’t get my hands on the EP that was reviewed (I must get my filing system sorted!) but I do recall noting that the layered sound they produced had shades of Arcade Fire about them.
I believe they released a few EPs and followed that with their debut album,back in 2010. Since then their stock has risen and support from several broadsheets has been augmented by regular slots on Radio 6Music.
Theirs is a wide, expansive sound – cinematic I guess you could say, and twists and turns all ways in dramatic fashion. Their second album, ‘My Mirror / Your Target,’ is due for release later this year, but right now they have made the first single ‘I Won’t Blame You‘ available as a free download from their bandcamp page.
Go get it!
(And here’s the video that accompanies the track:)
THE BOAT ENGINE MAKE NOISE: ‘The Boat Engine Make Noise’ EP
It’s been a while since I’ve posted any decent hardcore sounds to LOUD HORIZON. Probably not since I last reported briefly on this Italian outfit back in November in fact.
The strangely but memorably named THE BOAT ENGINE MAKE noise are a five-piece hardcore / electro fusion band from Genoa and this eponymous release is their debut recording.
In the earlier review (of the track ‘Ascension‘ which is included in this five-track EP) I remained to be convinced with regard to the slowed-down, electro influenced interludes on that particular track. I was really hoping that the rest of their work wouldn’t be too clouded by this mix and that they didn’t end up being like one of those instantly forgettable (for me at least) pretentious synth-led ‘alternative’ rock bands … see, I can’t recall any of their names to illustrate what I’m driving at!
But I needn’t have worried. This EP leans more on the ‘hardcore’ side with the synths most definitely taking on a support role. In fact, having listened through the tracks several times I’d say that the afore-mentioned ‘Ascension,’ whilst still a strong enough track, is my least favourite of the five.
There are two main reasons I think why I like THE BOAT ENGINE MAKES NOISE: firstly, the straight-up nature of their aural attack – there’s no over-complication or over-indulgence to their songs … they seem to just step up to the plate and knock it right out the park; secondly, the main vocal assault (and some guitar flashes) remind me a bit of one of my favourite all-time bands, the mighty Five Knuckle.
All of the tracks are kept short and direct – in the main hovering around the three-minute mark. The first of these is the self-titled ‘The Boat Engine Makes Noise,‘ which hits the ground running. The heavy, dark riffs are incessant but lightened in the chorus with synths and more melodic vocals. The lead vocal though is loud and proud – sitting comfortably somewhere between screamo and the gutteral grunts of death metal.
‘Every Word,’ has a controlled fury about it. Again there is the light / dark juxtaposition between the guitar and synths (which sound like they have some added tremolo) with the former certainly having the edge. ‘Ascencion,’ as mentioned previously has the basis of a great track – but this time there is more of an emphasis on the grandiose, and frankly unconvincing, electro side. The hardcore edge is more my personal taste – but hopefully this is just a little experimental blip!!
‘Black Rainbows’ is a kind of hardcore stomp! It marches steadfastly and determinedly through its two minute duration, but this time incorporates some little quirky distorted vocals in the chorus. The EP then ends with ‘No Connection,’ a raging track with an eerie sounding whine (like from a B-rated horror movie!) appearing in the first half while the final minute or so is filled with stop / start riffs. This track probably typifies best what the band are all about.
Yeah – THE BOAT ENGINE MAKE NOISE alright …. and it’s a pretty damn fine racket if you ask me!
(”The Boat Engine Make Noise’ EP is available now on a ‘name your price’ basis from the band’s Bandcamp Page)
(8.5 / 10)
FAT WHITE FAMILY: ‘Champagne Holocaust.’
You know how sometimes bands have a sort of intangible ‘feel,’ to them; a certain ‘something’ about their whole being, the way they are presented and the general atmosphere they create – even for those who like me in this case haven’t seen that band play?
Good. So if I say that for me FAT WHITE FAMILY have the same sort of ‘feel’ to them as fellow Londoners Flowered Up did back in the early Nineties, then you’ll know what I mean. I don’t mean that there is any specific similarity on the music front (though there are little flashes) but …… ah well, I know what I mean! (It’s a compliment, by the way!)
The band have been around a year or so, tearing up the stages of their home city as they have built up a bit (a pretty damned big bit) of a cult following for their stage antics which apparently, planned or otherwise, involve various incidents of chaos, blood, nudity and general weirdness! It all adds to the FAT WHITES’ (as they are also known) notoriety of course. And ‘notoriety’ in turns leads to hype; and ‘hype’ in turns leads to big expectations.
And in this case, these ‘big expectations’ are most certainly fulfilled! This is one helluva debut album!
(I’m not too sure if my downloaded promo copy ended up in the correct track order, so don’t hang me if there are any discrepancies!)
Opener ‘Auto Neutron,’ is I suppose the closest musically to anything done by the afore-mentioned Flowered Up. Not that it’s so much ‘baggy,’ but it’s certainly got a trippy, psychedelic feel to it. The vocals are quietly sung and harmonised, but in an almost disinterested manner while the guitar provides a downbeat sharpness.
‘Raining In Your Mouth,’ is an amalgam of several sounds. The vocals are like a manic Johnny Cash morphing into more of a Johnny Thunders as the song progresses , while the backing has a Velvet Underground feel mixed with the Christmassy chimes of tubular bells.
‘Without Consent,’ features a thumping bassline running through the fast-flowing track that at points slightly echoes The Stone Roses with the shuffling drum rhythm and reverb on the vocals. ‘Special Ape,’ goes a little bluesy, in a FAT WHITE manner with a stomping beat and a bit of a background cacophony that lasts less than a minute and a half in total.
Next (in my order) is the current single (released on 18th March.) The video for the excellent ‘Cream Of The Young,‘ follows.
‘Wild American Prairie,’ has a kind of psycho-country ring to it. I can’t describe it any other way. It stomps and pounds its way through its three and a half minute duration with a twanging guitar riff and low-sounding gang vocals.
‘Borderline,’ continues with a sort of country theme. It’s more acoustic sounding and reminds me very much Canned Heat back in the Seventies – it has a sort of ‘jug band,’ basis to it.
‘Heaven On Earth,’ rips right into flow, the guitar riff raging incessantly with muffled sounding vocals being uttered like some mad, drunken jakey on a Saturday night. It’s all a bit of a distorted mess … but yet absolutely engrossing.
My favourite track is ‘Bomb Disneyland,’ so rather than try to describe it, I’ll share it here. Brilliant!
‘Garden Of The Numb,’ closes (my) album. It really just does as it says on the tin …. really bored and tired sounding vocals draped over a floor-tom beat and cabaret-blues-type picked guitar. (If Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh was to release a record, this’d be it!)
I love this album – and hopefully FAT WHITE FAMILY will be allowed out of London some time soon so that they can unleash their madness on the rest of UK. I for one will be waiting!
(Released on April 1st 2013 through Trashmouth Records)
(9/10)
SPRING KING: an update.
A few days ago, I posted a few tracks by Manchester based band, SPRING KING.
Since then, I have managed to glean a little more information and background:
SPRING KING is indeed a new band and like all new bands – they are totally skint! This is why at the moment they have no decent photos or ANY PR material in fact! The band is basically the project of music producer and engineer Tarek Musa who started writing his own music last March and made available a track called ‘ Lets Ride,’ that landed a small sync with Adidas and was featured on Abeano.
Quite how this happened remains a mystery to Tarek, but it obviously showed the same sort of instant appeal that attracted me to the three tracks LOUD HORIZON featured … (and have done so again.)
Tarek’s musical ethos is to write and record in the one day:
“I really like the idea of getting something done in a day and seeing if I can enjoy it. Obviously this means some songs aren’t as good as others but that’s fine – for me this project is literally about making something, anything.
The whole process is done internally by me. It’s all recorded in a downstairs bathroom which is disused due to disrepair: (its the only room I’m allowed to make noise in really!)”
There are four other people in the band along with Tarek, but owing to the lack of quality musicians in the area that are not already tied up with work, the line-up is currently subject to frequent change, with the exception being guitarist Peter Darlington who has been a part of SPRING KING since day one.
So there you go – a little more info on a band that LOUD HORIZON certainly feels even at this early stage has much to offer.
(If you like what you hear, please Tweet / Facebook links and let’s see if we can spread the word a wee bit!)
BLUE SUNDAY: ‘Blue Sunday.’
Towards the end of October last year, I predicted big things for London based BLUE SUNDAY.
At that point, I had heard only one song by the band. ‘Last Night‘ was accompanied by a brilliantly shot video and the whole (little) package just oozed class.
Well, the lads have just this week released their startling debut EP. Initially, BLUE SUNDAY was just the project of guitarist Jeet Mukereji, recording his efforts on a knackered laptop in his bedroom. Through a friend he met guitarist / vocalist Fred Valentino and as the desire to play live grew stronger the two gradually became four with the addition of Peter and Lasse.
In effect, BLUE SUNDAY as we know them now really only came into proper existence in September 2012.When you consider how far they have come in five short months, I’m sure I’ll not be the only one raving about their prospects!
DECADES: ‘Decades.’
Toronto four-piece DECADES have been around since the tail-end of 2010 and have gradually morphed their sound from out and out punk-laced garage rock into something altogether more expansive. In many ways, especially as can be seen and heard from the video for ‘Tonight Again,’ they engender a feel of late Eighties / early Nineties shoegaze and Brit Pop which is then laced with a bit of an electro feel on some other tracks.
Having crafted their sound by playing with (supporting) the likes of Deerhoof, Tribes and Palma Violets the lads will shortly release their debut, eponymous album, three of which are available below as free downloads.
Thanks lads!
(‘Decades’ is released through White Girl Records on 30th April 2013)
THE DEADLINE SHAKES: ‘Boy.’
I know, I know ….. ‘here he goes again,’ you’re thinking.
Let me take you back to 22nd August last year. That’s the date LOUD HORIZON first brought news of Glasgow’s THE DEADLINE SHAKES. At hat point, they had made no recordings and had played only a handful of shows. This is what LOUD HORIZON said then.
Since that date, my conviction has has proved justified with the likes of STEVE LAMACQ, TOM ROBINSON, VIC GALLOWAY, JIM GELLATLY, ARTROCKER, THE LIST and loads more adding their support.
Their new single, ‘Boy‘ is scheduled for release on the Flowers in the Dustbin label on 18th March and the video, which was directed by band member Iain McKinstry, photographed by Gregor MacEwan and filmed on location in Platform Theatre, Glasgow is shown below. (If you’re wondering why The Soundcloud link is also posted, it’s so that the track is also played out via the LOUD HORIZON page on the HYPE MACHINE.)
FROM MESPOTAMIA: ‘From Mesopotamia.’
Yet another little treat from Chile!
Musically, FROM MESOPOTAMIA generally follow the psych route as tread by a couple of other bands (Follakzoid and Spiral Vortex) that have featured previously on LOUD HORIZON. Where they differ however is in that the trio of Daniel, Gonzalo and Fernando seem to rely more on processed beats than drums and there is more emphasis on the synth / keyboards. As a consequence, while the resultant sound still draws out big musical soundscapes, it is perhaps more in line with various Continental DJs of the late Nineties who produced some synth-led ‘trance’ tracks. For me, the lack of a genuine driving force in the drums means it lacks a real ‘guts.’ The music, whilst still a great listen however lacks real ‘balls.’ You know what I mean?
That said, there’s still a great deal to enjoy on this mini-album, and maybe it’s a little unfair to make any sort of comparison on the basis of the country of origin as I’ve just done! It’s certainly worth about eighteen minutes of anyone’s time!
(Available to download now via Bandcamp, see below)
(8/10)
TIGERMONKEY: ‘Pretty Mad.’
Oh God!
Am I going to regret this …. it’s all so alien to LOUD HORIZON?
(But, whisper it, TIGERMONKEY could just be my new ‘guilty pleasure!) Billing themselves as a ‘Gangsta-Nerd duo with sassy lyrics ‘n’ fat beats,’ theirs is not a style of music you’ll often (if ever again) see on this blog.
But as Madeleine and Guy, who put TIGERMONKEY together last year and whose first release was ‘Do The Mobot‘ in December, say: “We are all about freedom and fun. We highlight issues and make light of them, life shouldn’t be so serious! And we do it all with a poetic yet comedic finesse!“
You can’t argue with that!
OK – so maybe it is a little Timmy Mallett meets The Ting Tings … but what the hell!
Something for the weekend, anyone…?
TEHESSE:’Toumrakata.’
(Firstly, apologies – there should be ‘acutes’ over the first and last letters ‘e’ in the band name…. but my laptop won’t play along.)
It’s a while since I’ve had anything ‘arty’ and quirky on LOUD HORIZON. So here’s the new video from French band (Lyon / Paris based) TEHESSE. The track is taken from their debut EP, ‘‘Toumrakata.‘ This is a charming seven-track mini-album, albeit a little on the quiet side for me personally.
The music is very minimalistic and the vocals pure and warm. I wouldn’t normally stream a whole album on the blog, but in this instance feel it better to do so rather than try to merely describe it! You can also purchase the tracks directly which would the band very happy indeed!
Téhessé ∎∎∎ F E A R ∎∎∎ from Téhessé on Vimeo.
