Back with a bloody vengeance, heroes of the North East, Kingsley Chapman And The Murder have yet another unconventional and untypically passionate love song for troubled and untroubled lovers. Or in this case, not really lovers. Lovers that need egging on so they actually become lovers. Or, become lovers once more.
The fury in the piano mixed with urgency in Kingsley’s voice just makes this one of the finest declarations of love you’ll hear in a long time. Probably all year.
The truly wonderful thing about the band is that they sound like they’ve been together for decades. Lovers oozes the eeriness and desire that’s found in Murder Ballads (if you don’t own a copy, then your record collection is naked and incomplete.) The lyrics in Lovers is that of someone who has truly watched in awe the person they lust after. We’ve all done it. Sometimes it ends in the worst way, and sometimes it works out.
I’ll admit, I’m not one for fawning over a brass section and pianos, but Kingsley and his band have proper nailed it. They’ve made it accessible and they’ve made it dark. It’s like Poe meets Cave in a sordid bar whilst munching on a parmo. It’s nothing short of brilliant. You cling onto every word that falls beautifully from his mouth, the brass section is composed brilliantly. This goes beyond being “just music.” It’s the song that can make destined lovers collide at 2am when the world is falling asleep. It’s just a pure and unfiltered dedication of love. It could melt the coldest of hearts and tame the wild ones.
I have a handful of bands/singers that when I listen to them, all I want to do is write about them constantly. I don’t care if it means repeating myself or sounding boring. The whole point of writing about music should be because you adore it and simply cannot live without it. That’s what you get from Lovers. You instantly get the urgency and unconditional admiration within it. “Your city won’t love you like I do” it’s on a par with something Morrissey would write. I bet Moz would hear this, chuckle to himself and think “This guy knows.” He bloody does know.
Love songs can be sickly. They are the “no added sugar” 39p can of pop from your local shop. Lovers is the opposite of that. Lovers is a bold and vulnerable masterpiece. Play it loud. Serenade the one you want, serenade your pet or just sing it loudly whilst alone. Drink a can of 39p pop if you want and let the sugar substitute send a rush to your head and Lovers act as a push to the body.
You can buy Lovers on 7″ at the end of next month which is out via Too Pure. Only 150 copies will be available. You know what to do.
Manchester Psych Fest III is happening in about 2 weeks. If you’re not going, you’re going to be missing out on a night of fun and brilliant sounds. Crocodiles and The Lucid Dream are just some of the bands playing. One band in particular are making their live debut at the show.
Freakout Honey will be kicking the festival off. All I have to go on is a little demo they sent me the other day. It is dreamy and has the backbone of Shoegaze in it. Shoegaze mixed with something completely weird and wonderful. When you hear something new for the first time, you just know within seconds if you’re going to be a committed fan or not. Freakout Honey are wonderfully named and they sound beautiful. I want more than the demo I currently have, but I can wait. I’m super excited to see them play- especially as it is their live debut. I have every faith that they will be a talking point of the show, and a band that become one to watch.
They formed early this year in Manchester and the band members are from all over the place from Bradford to Greece. These guys and girls have got a distinctive sound and I wish them nothing but the best for their debut show and beyond. I think the demo I have is called Surf. It feels like you are riding the waves without a care in the world. Perfect to dream to, to do nothing to, to fall asleep to, to go on a path of self-discovery to. They’re just instantly brilliant. I feel like a 5 year old wishing for their birthday to come around waiting for more music by Freakout Honey.
There are six of them in the band. They’re the Wu Tang Clan of psych/shoegaze/whatever you want to call them. Each member brings something vital to the band, and I’m pretty sure they’re going to exceed any expectations at their debut live show.
I’m pretty sure this is one of the shortest pieces I’ve written, but I’ll report back around the 14th June with more thoughts on the band. For now, you can wait like the rest of us!
If you’re in Manchester, then head down to Night & Day on the 13th June and come to the Psych Fest. Let Freakout Honey be your new favourite band.
I have no idea who came up with the concept that the second record for a musician is difficult. Maybe it was another lazy music “critic” but it’s total bollocks. A band can put a good or bad record out at any time in their career. Fortunately there are bands that breeze over this lame idea of the second record being a difficult task.
On Monday PINS will be releasing their second record, Wild Nights via the ever reliably brilliant Bella Union. The record consists of 11 tracks that make you think you’re listening to a band well into their career. Their second record surpasses their debut, Girls Like Us. It is different and shows that they aren’t this dark, mean and moody band many were assuming they would end up being. Sure their debut was dark and eerie, and yes there are dark moments on Wild Nights. Wild Nights was recorded in America but they didn’t let the States rule their sound. The record sounds like a strong Manchester record. And if you’ve got your wits about you, you’ll know that Manchester is the home/hub of great music. I was going to do this as a track-by-track thing but I always get distracted and will end up going way off track.
I’m going to mention Oh Lord first because it is the one I’ve been playing constantly over the past few days. Oh Lord is one of the key moments on the record. It has this haunting bass-line which is one of the highlights of the record. Oh Lord sounds like Joy Division’s She’s Lost Control in some parts. I was never a big fan of Joy Division, but as I’ve got older my interest has grown. They say your tastes change as you get older. I just hope I don’t start liking dubstep any time soon. The last minute and a half of the song has this explosion of greatness and boldness to it that really justifies why PINS are basically one of the best bands around.
House Of Love is a song that was floating around in their live sets before we knew anything about Wild Nights. House Of Love is a cult anthem in the making. It’s a massive highlight in their live shows and yet again another vital moment on the record. I’m not going to make any cheap comparisons to their debut, but House Of Love could easily have sounded equally as perfect on that as it does on Wild Nights. No song on this record sounds out of place, no song is a filler. Every song is an extension of what PINS are capable of.
Dazed By You is a love song for modern lovers who don’t care for conventional. The lyrics are poetically gorgeous and beautifully written. The innocence of being in awe of someone on Dazed By You is stunning. In a way it reminds me slightly of Bedroom Eyes by Dum Dum Girls. It’s just got that innocence and purity of devotion flowing through it. Seeing this one live is also a standout moment in their live set, especially for the little jam at the end. It become uncontrollable and if you’ve seen it live, you’ve probably been left with this burning desire to start a band. Go for it.
There are no dull moments on this record, just songs that you want to play over and over. Much like their debut, this record has the sheer potential to influence kids to pick up an instrument and make their own noise. It’s a dreamy record that is perfect to play as the sun sinks down. Girls Like Us was a cold winters day. Wild Nights is the walk home as he sun rises after a night out on a warm summer morning.
If Only is lyrically my top song on the record. I adore the vulnerability and honesty in the lyrics. Anyone who can’t relate to it is lying to themselves. It is so open and so pure, it is just so poignant. Songs like this show us what PINS are made of. They don’t just make songs for you to dream to, they make songs for you to actually FEEL something. What you feel when you hear this song is your own doing but it is such an important song. I hope it becomes a world wide hit so everyone can appreciate the beauty in the lyrics.
I have thousands of words and thoughts about the record, but I can simplify it by saying that it is the bet record to come out this year by a band from the UK. It just reinforces the idea that Manchester is the home to some of the best bands around.
There’s a tour in September so from Monday when the record comes out, it gives you plenty of times to learn the lyrics and make up a dance routine to some of the songs if you want.
Everyone has a handful of bands they don’t ever get tired of listening to or seeing live. I’ve probably got more than a person should, but there are worse things I could spend my money on.
Prior to seeing PINS on Wednesday night, my pal and I were stood outside the venue whilst he had a cigarette. A man comes up to him and asks if he can buy a cigarette off him. I catch a glimpse of him and on his shoulder he has a pet rat. A white thing with horrible pinky/red eyes. He sees us look at his pet, and he plants a kiss on it. He walks off happily with his pet and cigarette. Not much can shock you I suppose when you’re constantly in a busy city. But this? It was just weird. If it gets him through the day, then so be it. Also, I had a really good photo of the band on stage to use, but guess who dropped their phone down the toilet at work yesterday. Yes, this idiot writing this.
PINS are fascinating to see live. You see there are some bands who seem almost scared or probably too uptight to look like they’re enjoying themselves on stage, but with PINS you can tell that they really love playing live. Faith sings in the crowd, Sophie beats the shit out of the drums, Anna makes you wish you could play bass in a band like PINS and Lois likes to wander off a bit on stage. She got behind something on the stage at The Lexington and every so often you saw her glorious blonde hair peer over the side.
The show on Wednesday was a launch for the new record (Wild Nights) which is out on Monday. Some copies were being sold afterwards and of course, it is one of the best records to come out this year. As I’ve called Crocodiles as having the record of the year, I’ll say that PINS have put out the best record in the country. I’ll write about why I love the record this evening.
I’ve seen PINS either 5 or 6 times now and I probably should have run out of things to say about them, or I’m likely to repeat myself. They’re a band you just don’t ever get tired of seeing. The only thing that annoys me are the creeps right at the front who really need to stop taking photos of the body parts of the band (everyone can see you zoom in on the bums and such, just stop.) Other than that, those who go to see PINS are those who really get what the band are about and aren’t there just to hear one song. Everyone still goes nuts to LUVU4LYF and Girls Like Us. But new songs such as House Of Love and Too Little Too Late are starting to get the same reaction as old favourites.
From seeing them a few times, it is just bloody brilliant to see a band develop into something truly wonderful. Their shows aren’t as dark and as moody as their records, but there is something sinister that flows through songs like Oh Lord that come alive when you witness it live. Watching them live is like being at decent house party and your mates band come along to play some songs. There probably are words to describe their live shows, but it isn’t good enough. You’ve just got to see it. They drag people on stage for their take on Hybrid Moments by the Misfits. Girls Like Us is mashed with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. You just want them to play forever and go a bit louder each time. They go mental at the end of Dazed By You which is amazing to witness. They can do the slowest of songs and they can go off the rails on another. They’re showing everyone what they are made of, not just live but on the new record.
I’ve seen them support bands I love and I’ve seen them headline their own shows. Ain’t no party like a PINS party. I wish it was home time so I could unleash my thoughts on their new record.
What I love about PINS is that they evidently have something in them that’s going to fuel younger generations to pick up an instrument and make their own noise. PINS are quite simply one of the best bands from Manchester, and there are loads of them. PINS have got this thing about them that make you want to sack off your 9 to 5 and start a band. To hell with it, you might as well do it. Their sound could intimidate some, but once you’ve met them you’ll realise that they’re just proper lovely people who make the kind of music you wish you could. I’m sort of holding back a little because I’m reserving it all for my thoughts on Wild Nights.
They’ve just announced a tour for September and you can get tickets here: https://www.songkick.com/search?page=1&per_page=10&query=PINS+UK&type=upcoming
It’s pretty tempting to go see them in Manchester. Pretty sure a home crowd is as good as it gets. The record is out Monday and you can buy tickets to their new tour now. You know what to do.
There are many ridiculously good bands from Manchester. Bands that make you want to leave where you live in order to throw yourself into what Manchester has to offer. I’m sure other cities have a decent music scene, but there’s something about Manchester that makes it tower above the rest. Some London crowds are too precious to get murky with their sound, but us Northerners aren’t afraid in the slightest and it shows in so many bands.
Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali are a super group in every sense. From the merge of bands coming together to the fact that they’re bloody brilliant. Drums to send you off into a head spin, guitars that make you feel as if you’ve gone several rounds with Ali, keys to make you feel like you’ve dropped acid and bass to send you off into some kind of heavenly trance. Dreamers and body thrashers shall unite under the sounds of this phenomenal band. With the summer sun luring outside trying to tempt me out on my lunch break, I’ve decided to stay indoors and spend my time wisely by writing about YOUR new favourite band. They’re mine too, but I think that’s a given.
The rule of being in the band is simple and to the point: “The only rule for the band members is they must own at least one leather, any more is a bonus.” Get yourself a leather jacket (or maybe some chaps if you’re feeling liberated) and get yourself to one of their shows. They played London recently, well, Kingston. That’s the wrong side of the river for me (I’d need a holiday to recover from the journey) so I missed out. But you lucky sods in the North can see them real soon here:
7th June – Brudenell Social Club Leeds with The Bohicas
8th June – Soup Kitchen Manchester with The Bohicas
Their sound is that of a proper garage rock band who know exactly what they are doing and how they want to sound. It is loud in all the right places with beautiful smack in the face moments. They are for those who want their music to be a noisy, a bit fuzzy and unlike anything else you’ve heard before. When you listen to them, it’s like “Fuck….I’ve been waiting ages for a band like this!” Basically it’s like, going through a series of shite relationships and dates and finding someone who isn’t a total twat. It does happen!
Get your lugholes round these delights for now:
I’ve already made my mind up about my favourite record of the year, but when we get into EPs I always find there is more to offer. More bands seem to be going down this route and although it can be frustrating at times- PALBMA have got it right. 6 songs that whisk you off into a solid groove that although they leave you wanting more, you are still satisfied. You’re okay with waiting for me. I don’t know when the EP will be out, but it is by far one of the finest things I’ve heard all year. There’s nothing typical about their sound. They’re making noise for ruffians to go nuts to. Seriously, the EP is just a brief showcase into how brilliant they are.
If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know who’s in the band. If you’re lazy, then I’m not going to tell you. But basically, it is the finest Manchester based musicians coming together and creating this excellent dream band.
If you want to treat yourself, you can buy some music and a t-shirt here: http://palbma.bigcartel.com/
Play loud (Hollow Bones is the one to play extra loud.)
“I don’t really mind All of this wasted time Just wish that I had something to show for it.”
Best Coast are one of those bands that magically take you to a place that you possibly can’t ever afford to go. In my case, I’m far too broke and too much of a coward to go on a plane for longer than 50 minutes. Best Coast take you by the hand and take you to a Californian beach. With their past records they have taken us on some ethereal journeys to the West Coast, their latest and probably best release, California Nights is no exception.
With Best Coast, I always seem to hold some sentimental value to Bethany’s lyrics. Some that in time will eventually leave me be, the rest will probably irk me for a few more years. You adapt and can sometimes forget. Crazy For You had songs on it that were a constant reminder, The Only Place was easier to listen to and Fade Away made it easy to be an adult. Where does that leave California Nights? The escape route, easily.
The record consists of songs about leaving, growing up, being unsure and general growing pains. There are many bands that can write in a vulnerable manner but there is something about the way Bethany does it that makes you feel as if you’re the one she’s writing about. It is exactly as if she’s got in your head and wrote every nagging thought you had down and projected them for the world to hear.
Every band has that one record that defines their career and becomes their defining record.Combined with the growth in Bethany’s lyrics and Bobb’s ability to take you on some lucid trip with his ridiculous guitar skills, these are just some of the factors that make California Nights their defining record. They’ve gone from fast-paced sun-kissed tracks to hazy sunset and anthemic gems for the lost. Their sound has grown into a fully fledged adult still flailing in that awkward stage. Listening to California Nights is like falling in love, finding pieces of yourself and getting to grips with self-acceptance. Thing is, it doesn’t matter if others don’t like you or accept you. If you don’t accept yourself, then it can get difficult. I know. I know. Records like this make it so much easier to feel alright in your skin. Even if you dislike it.
It is fair to say that this record is one of the best this year. It just shows how strong a band Best Coast are. California Nights is the essence of looking into the sunset on your own, as the sun sinks into the sea with a cool yet calming breeze circling around you. It is the sound of the summer that you can feel all year, that’s the backbone of Best Coast and it is much stronger and a lot clearer in this record. The songs on this record can mend and fix a person all at once. The songs on California Nights are what daydreams are made of. Full of hope and courage at best. Songs like Jealousy see the wrong in how people behave, songs like In My Eyes make you think of the wrongs you are trying to correct even if nobody wants to know, songs like When Will I Change are like coming to terms with everything around you. The art of growing up is underlying in this gorgeous record. There is so much to say about this record; it’s the kind you sit down with someone and talk about how bloody brilliant it is. Or you could be a sad case like myself and write about it!
The vulnerability in the songs is what makes this record so damn honest and easy to connect with. I’ve read reviews about this record that say that every song sounds the same, they haven’t grown. The same old shit from those who like to be mean. Maybe it’s because I really do love this band a hell of a lot that I can’t see why anyone would slate it. Maybe I’ve got some sentiment clinging to this record that I daren’t let a bad word be said. Or maybe, just maybe I can hear a band that I’ve been a fan of for so long and who mean a lot to me, have become the band that they deserve to be. The lo-fi sound isn’t as prominent as it once was but the subtle angst peaks through and when you feel it, it’s something to really treasure.
Whether you’re a stroppy teen or an uncomfortable adult, guaranteed there are songs on this record that will make you feel as if it was written for you. Maybe it was because really, nobody likes feeling alone.
I’ll stand by the title track being the most euphoric on the record and is easily one of my favourite songs of the year, but I feel with this record that each song, with every listen they will become a favourite. There are no album fillers and there aren’t any dull moments on this record. It’s a record to take a long walk to, to listen to on your bed at 2am when you can’t sleep, to wander aimlessly up and down the beach to, to get lost and found to. Just let this record become your world, let it be the soundtrack to the summer and beyond. Records like this make you proud to be a fan of a band you quite simply adore.
I started to write this and managed to delete everything I had written. Maybe it was a sign. Or maybe I’m just clumsy with my fingers. Probably both. I’ll start it again. Unfortunately I have a really bad memory (sometimes it’s a good thing) so I can’t remember what I originally wrote. Hopefully I won’t mess up this time.
Punk is alive and well in certain bands. It’s alive in most of the bands I listen to, other bands have basically pissed all over what Punk is and created something truly horrendous called “Pop-Punk.” Awful. Really awful. Punk had this bite to it that made you listen. It was, in all its glory obnoxious and brutal. It was snotty and portrayed angst in a way that caused parents in the 70s to wash their kids ears out at bedtime religiously in the hopes they wouldn’t go to the “dark side.” Punk is the one kind of music that really made me pay attention fully to what I was listening to. I was aware there was a message coming through, and the message was my own to decipher. Punk was for those and is for those who aren’t happy with how things are. Those who are bored and tired of routine. Those who know there is something more and would rather kick the door down than knock politely.
Dead Boys were fronted by one of the greatest frontmen of all time, Stiv Bators. Stiv and wiry body leaped and flailed across the stage in a way that would leave you thinking his body could snap at any moment. He got his point across by being snotty on stage. A proper obnoxious brat who when you listen to him, made you as pissed off as him. What or who rattled your cage? Doesn’t even matter. All that matters is letting it out.
What I absolutely adore about Dead Boys was their ability to really capture the essence of Punk and make it so brutal to the point of being sinister. Some songs like Ain’t It Fun and All This And More have something really terrifying about them. Bands like the Ramones portrayed the frustrations of daily life better than most but Dead Boys took it some place dark. Dead Boys weren’t and aren’t for the faint hearted I guess. Thing is, I can’t stand loud people at all but I love loud music. I don’t like obnoxious and arrogant people, but I love music that has that about it. I don’t know why, but it’s just something that holds my attention longer than most. Dead Boys were as bold as they came. Stiv sometimes tearing up his stomach with a mic stand- he was as outrageous as Iggy. Except I don’t think Stiv ever covered himself in peanut butter. His wiry frame and distinctive voice made him and Dead Boys stand out amongst the Punk scene. I believe they are one of the most underrated bands of all time. Cheetah is one of the finest guitar players ever. Him and Johnny Thunders just made you wish you could make noise like that. Trashy, loud and so perfect. It made you want to play as loud as them and without a care in the world.
At best their songs were sordid, depraved and smutty. All the best songs are. They took you to a world where conventional means wouldn’t. They unleashed this world upon on you with their close to creepy songs. No other band could get away with it, no other band could do it like Dead Boys. There was something so special and rare about these guys. They went beyond being “just another Punk band.” They started something that is still in the belly, burning in some of the bands I listen to.
Known for their lewd live shows, no other band has come close to how they were on stage. They aren’t a band that you can say “oh they could have been great.” Shit. They INSTANTLY became great the second people started paying attention. In all their obnoxious glory, they were one of the best bands ever. Their unconventional and so far from romantic songs about girls were brilliant. I guess now “feminists” would be all whiny about how they objectify women or whatever. As a female, I don’t really care. I love the music and the content. It’s a different world to what I know and I love it. They take you to some underground and unsafe place covered in darkness. You can’t help but play it loud and try to move around like Stiv.
Sadly Stiv died in 1990 after being hit by a car. If he was still around know he probably would be teaching us all how its done still. Dead Boys may be no more, but what they did for Punk and many who were against “typical” will never be forgotten or undone. They were before my time, but when I listen to them I feel like I am in the moment from when it all began. Timeless, forever influential and nothing short of greatness.
There are some bands that repeat themselves with every record they make. Their blandness is what some may be drawn to and keeps them “loyal” but there are some bands who not only exceed any expectations one may have of them, but they also manage to come out with something hugely different to what they’ve done before. There are a few bands I love that fall into this category, and they’re ones that I’ll continue to write about because it’s just bloody wonderful to hear what they’re going to do next.
12th May is the release date for my pals new record. Crocodiles are finally releasing their fifth record Boys. Everything I am going to write about this record is just my biased opinion, and if I were you I’d just buy the record and sack off anything I may say because it’ll just be an enthusiastic ramble. But if you’re into that kind of thing, let’s be friends and go into this together.
I did want to do this as a track-by-track review but I don’t really like doing them because it’s so structured, and I don’t like any form of organisation.
For me, the record sounds like it has stemmed from the roots of depravity in the back streets of New York in the 70s when Punk was slowly but surely getting some attention. In all the right places, Crocodiles have picked up on the smuttiness and wit in the likes of Transformer and Sally Can’t Dance. They’ve also got something Iggy Pop-esque flowing around Kool TV. Last year when they played Hackney Wonderland, I remember them performing some new tracks and Foolin’ Around was one that really stood out. The bassline is slick as the one on Groove Is In The Heart. This record is sordid and brilliant. If this record was a place, it would be a camp dive bar in the underbelly of Mexico city. It makes the uneasy feel alright in their skin. Crybaby Demon sounds like something that The Stone Roses could have easily put out. It’s got something really special about it that just cements the idea that Crocodiles are probably the best around.
There’s a song that I need to do a special mention on. Blue is probably the best song that they’ve done to date. Every record they’ve put out has one song on it that towers a little over the rest. It’s just over 3 and a half minutes long, but it feels like a lengthy and satisfying daydream. It’s the perfect song to drift away to as the sun sets, you just gaze into nothing in particular and Brandon’s hazy voice sends you on this gorgeous trip. Charlie enhances the dream with the whirling guitar sounds that flow in and out of your ears. It is my personal favourite from Boys, and easily in my top 3 songs by Crocodiles. I would happily write a massive essay on the song, and when you listen to it next month you’ll see exactly why. A gorgeous song that you just have to keep going back to. You zone out properly to this one.
Although the record was done in Mexico, it feels like something from Iggy, Bowie and Lou’s take on Berlin. It’s got that something about it that just feels really familiar and comforting, but then there are songs that just feel like something you’ve never experienced before. There are many bands that are doing weird and wonderful things, but Crocodiles take it some place else. More than anything, I wish these guys were credited more for their lyrics. Their lyrics are bouts of depraved prose and thoughts to expand the mind.
Boys consists of songs you would hear in an underground drag bar in the depths of New York, Mexico, London…anywhere and everywhere. They are songs to lure in a lover at 2am when everyone is being spilled out into the street or to just throw your limbs about to (go nuts to Foolin’ Around, Hard and Do The Void.)
Writing about a band like Crocodiles is easy because they make every release as interesting as the last. Each record feels like hearing them for the first time. The first time I heard their music was back in 2009. I moved back home after being dumped, wandered into HMV and saw the cover of Summer Of Hate staring at me. I didn’t know anything about them, but I picked it up along with Love Comes Close by Cold Cave. I turned one of the worst feelings possible into something I could handle. I found two bands who have since become the world to me. The thing about Crocodiles that I love the most is that they make me feel like I am anywhere but where I am. I don’t feel like I’m in 2015; I feel like I’m in the 70s watching Punk win over hearts and guiding those who are fed up. Crocs are a mix of all the stuff I love and things I’ve never heard before. They bring all these insane sounds together and make something that is worth treasuring.
I’ll say it’s their best record until number 6 comes out, you know how it is. If you’ve yet to experience the world of Crocs, then let Boys be the one that seduces you, let it be the one that you cheat on other bands with. And in time, it will go from being your bit on the side to the love of your life.
Crocodiles start their US tour in 3 days time, and will be coming over to Europe in June. Personally, I’m massively excited to see them in Manchester as part of the Manchester Psych Fest along with July (this is fucking HUGE.) I’ve always wanted to see them in Manchester, and with July also?! Oh man who needs Christmas!
Boys is out via Zoo Music on the 12th May and is produced by the incredible Martin Thulin. And yes, it is my record of the year.
“Wear those clothes, break your back, give me looks. Bite your tongue, buy new face, all better now. Bin ich Frau? Bin ich Tier? Bin ich Biest?”
Labelled as “Spaghetti Western Rock & Roll” Chick Quest are one of the most exciting and brilliantly different bands to be making glorious noise in Austria. This Vienna based band are every part punk as they are “Spaghetti Western.” Imagine the Ramones playing in the background of one of Leone’s films, that’s pretty much Chick Quest.
Their debut record, Vs Galore is released on the 20th April, and it contains several noisy numbers. Some with vocals, some are just instrumental. The lyrics are from a female point of view but there isn’t a standard theme to the record. Don’t worry about the songs having a female point of view, they’re not done in a modern day feminist way which is bloody good because they are an annoying bunch. But that’s for a different setting altogether isn’t it.
The songs on Vs Galore really do feel like drunken brawls in a Spaghetti Western film, even instrumental tracks such as Sounds Like Bruce feels like two guys falling out of a saloon bar in a heap, rolling about trying to grab their gun before the other. Vs Galore at times sounds like a proper 60s undiscovered Garage rock classic. Everything about their debut record (and it’s hard to accept that this is their debut) sounds like something a band of *insert a certain amount of years that make a band established I guess* would make. It doesn’t feel like a debut, and I suppose it is because the record sounds like a band who know EXACTLY how they want to sound. No songs feel out of place or disorganised. This is the kind of record a band 5 years+ into their career would be making. What’s exciting about bands who make music like this is that they amaze you with every release, and I feel like that is going to happen with Chick Quest. I’ve found this in bands like The Kills, Crocodiles, The Horrors, Dum Dum Girls….I could go on, but I won’t. My point is, although it is a debut, don’t be fooled by it. There’s a secure sound here and with their future releases I have every faith you’ll feel like you’re listening to something different each time. I’ve gone round the houses with that one, but you know what I mean.
Vs Galore is a hyperactive record that just exploits the passion that the band have for making music. With an urgency, they need to be heard.
For me, my favourite track off the record has to be Fashion Fascist. I love Ryan’s vocals on this one, there’s something about it that towers over the rest of the record. I think the song perfectly sums up how narcissistic most people have become with their ridiculous pouting and taking photos of themselves constantly. If you’re having such a great time, why are you spending it taking photos of your face? It’s just getting stupid now, and people are becoming more and more dumb. Their zombie like stares as they look at their phones, oblivious to everything around them. Nobody can hold a conversation any more can they. Fuckers.
Anyway, that was a little rant but I shan’t apologise for it.
Vs Galore has immediately made Chick Quest one of the bands I am in urgent need of seeing live. I think, and this is just going by the record, that they are a band that HAVE to be seen live in order to really get their sound. They have this Gogol Bordello feel to their sound, meaning they sound like excited kids who are bouncing around after having too much lemonade. It’s absolutely brilliant and it needs to be played so loud.
Out on the 20th April (21st if you’re in America), Vs Galore is a mighty fine record that must be purchased and played pleasantly loud. It’s a record to dance to (probably better on your own so nobody can ruin your moves) and to constantly have on repeat. It was produced by the band’s singer, Ryan and is quite frankly just a taste of what is to come from this exciting new band.
If a song scares you shitless, then you’ve probably found something you’ll cling onto for years to come. Whether you’re a proper “goff” or you lob your limbs about to Dead Boys and all in between, you will find a handful of songs that fill you with fear and the utmost pleasure when you subject your ears to them.
I wrote about Kingsley’s new band about a month ago. I banged on about how Olympians was one of the best unconventional love songs I’ve ever heard. I don’t want nauseating love songs that go on about how someone’s tummy is filled with butterflies when they see them. I want the brutality and the annoyance, because that’s pure, real and raw. And I fucking hate butterflies.
Poison Tongues is Kingsley Chapman And The Murder haunting your dreams and documenting your night out. Poison Tongues is based on an incident that Kingsley saw in Middlesbrough town centre. Blood, sweat and guts were flying everywhere. A bloody mess that is portrayed brutally and beautiful in Poison Tongues. The build-up in this captivating witness account is glorious. It is proper atmospheric, it feels like a bunch of mad school kids being unleashed in a school music room, and creating something that shocks them in a good way. Poison Tongues is a masterpiece. It is a grand (I mean big) and theatrical song that HAS to be played loud. I’ve got it on dead loud and it just sounds that much better when you feel like that walls are shaking.
Kingsley’s vocals portray the bitterness and rage so perfectly. He’s got the storytelling qualities of Lou Reed and the darkness of Nick Cave. From a personal point of view, Kingsley just brings everything I love about music together and creates these huge songs. As a friend, I am so proud of him. As a fan, I’m in awe of how bloody fantastic he is. Poison Tongues is massively sinister and if you want to creep yourself out, play it around 11pm and you’ll probably think there’s a Crimewatch segment in this song waiting to happen.
You can picture blokes being bundled out in a bloody mess out of a rough establishment, and as they spill out into the street you fear your own safety. You want to hurry off home but the way Kingsley tells this tale makes you want to stay and watch the outcome. Voyeuristic but bloody brilliant. You feel as if Kingsley’s is sat at the end of your bed at bedtime telling you this tale as you drift off to sleep. It’ll catch up with you in your dreams, leaving you in the morning turning to the first person you see, “You won’t believe what happened last night….”
For me I want a song to make me feel like I’m experiencing everything that’s being said- Poison Tongues is easily one of those songs. It is terrifying, honest and brutal. It’s got the bitterness of Stagger Lee. If only Kingsley yelled “motherfucker” at some point in the song, that would top it all off.
This four and a half-minute tale is an accurate portrayal of what happens in most clubs most weekends, so I guess if you want to see it with your own eyes go loiter around an Oceana at 3am and pull up a chair.
If you’re lucky enough to live in the North, you can catch Kingsley Chapman And The Murder on the following dates:
1st May – The Georgian Theatre, Stockton-on-Tees
16th May – Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough w/ Frankie & The Heartstrings
Beat In My Bones. 