Tag Archives: Alec Hatcher

BIG DIPPER: Just Love.

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What sounds like The Cramps and The Count Five, and is a masterpiece? The new song by Big Dipper of course! The new single from Mr Big Dip himself was released on the 14th, and you can treat the song as a little Valentine’s gift for your ears and soul. The song is divine.

If I was one for genres, I’d probably make one up and call this Cowboy Punk. I love this song, and I love his vocals. I love the woeful lyrics and how you really feel for him. Sad cowboy blues- the Dip has sure got ’em on this one.

One of my favourite lyrics from the song has to be, “But at the end of the day it’s just a fart in the breeze.” I don’t even need to quote the line before it to point out how great it is. It basically just poetically tells you how rubbish/pointless some things can be. But there’s a lot of sadness on Just Love that is so beautifully written- it’s that last verse; it’ll rip right through you especially this part; “When I really start getting to thinking about it, it all becomes so clear. See, I cut my fingers so I can’t touch her no more. And I cut my arms off so I can’t hold her no more.” There is something so painful and beautiful about this part, it just really hits you in the gut.

The romanticism in the song has a proper storytelling feel to it; you cannot help but be reminded of Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Scott Walker (I’m just naming my favourites but the point still stands.) The longing and heartache in the song will ruin you but my god it’s beautiful. If a song can’t take you on an emotional and spiritual journey- then what’s the point? You just want to get completely lost in this song and feel the way Big Dip does. When you listen to the song, you feel like you’re sat outside on a step with him, a little bit drunk at 2am when the bar has closed and you’ve been thrown out and he’s just pouring his heart out. We’ve all seen sights of people doing this on a Friday night, and usually with sick on their shirt and a questionable burger in their hands, whilst bits of lettuce and mayo fall to the floor. This however, is different. There’s class to this drunken breakdown.

The longing and hopefulness that turns to hopelessness in this song really gets to you, and it also shows you how great a writer/singer/musician our Dip is- but also the other musicians on this song are exceptional. With every listen, you soak up little details and they fast become vital to your appreciation of the song.

Whether you’re loveless or full of love, listen to this song and let it grip you.

BIG DIPPER.

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Here’s something for you to get wonderfully lost in- the new project by Alec Hatcher; Big Dipper.

If you’ve ever heard anything Alec’s done before, you’ll know exactly what to expect and you’ll know just how great it will sound. But, if you’re new to his genius then I’ll let you in on a little secret- you’re going to fall in love with his Big Dipper project.

This is a real raw and gritty record. It’s Bluesy, it’s Punk, it’s out of this world. It’s like The Cramps meets Muddy Waters and collides with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. It’s a work of art, and for me- it’s just one of the finest records I’ve heard so far. The record opens with Biscuits and Gravy which you just know would sound perfect in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere. It’s a song for the outlaws and rebels. The whole record is for us degenerates who don’t quite click with what’s around them. It’s just a perfect record, and I implore you to get obsessed with it.

The six songs on this record were clearly made to be witnessed live. They are brand new songs, and were only recorded between January and February this year. The songs are brand new, but you totally feel like you’ve gone way back in time listening to this record. There’s something really nostalgic about this record. It takes you way back, and I think if you don’t become obsessed with it, then you’re not listening to it properly.

If you’re in London next month, then get yourself to the Shacklewell Arms on the 15th June (the show on the 19th is sold out) and witness Big Dipper and Hemi Hemingway LIVE. If that isn’t a dream lineup, and the ideal first gig to attend since all this shit started, then I really don’t know what is! If I still lived in London, I’d be at that show just having the best time of my life. I’ll be there in spirit. But for now, we’ve got the record to treasure and adore.

Every single song on this record is just divine. I love Alec’s storytelling and his way to tap into this rogue way of living, and just describing it all in the most poetic way possible. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he wrote a book or several in the future. Can you imagine how dark, witty and insane it would be? It’d be a modern classic (no pressure Alec, you don’t have to do this ha!)

If the inner sadist in you wants to have your heart broken, then play I’m Bad. It’s heartbreaking but so beautiful. It’s the song that every and anyone can relate to. It will truly leave you feeling like your heart has been ripped out, and it definitely shows us how great Alec is vocally too. It’s such a beautiful song, and I reckon this live will be stunning. I feel it will leave everyone floored. It is such a gut-wrenching song, and you just can’t get enough of it. There’s something about this song that will just stick with you. Maybe it will leave you unsettled at first, but after the second listen you’ll realise that it is a masterpiece.

I could write thousands of words about why this record is divine, but it’s obvious right from the start that this is one of those records that will just stick with you. It’s so cool and just a joy to listen to. You feel invincible listening to this record, and it really hits you on My Friend Dip. That song will make you feel ten feet tall. Again, this is another song that will just sound grand live. These songs are made to be heard live, but until we live in a world where we can all scream these songs back at Alec in dive bars- just play the record religiously.

This record could be the soundtrack to a Western film from years gone by, or it could be the soundtrack to your life. It is simply, one of the best records you will hear all year.

LOVERS CLUB: Empty Ballroom Blues

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One of the most exciting bands to emerge from London, Lovers Club has just released their phenomenal EP Empty Ballroom Blues. It excels everything they have done to date, and it truly shows how great they are and undoubtedly, 2018 will be their year.

There is only one criticism of the EP-it’s not long enough. I want, I need more songs. This is a band that leaves you needing more. The need is greater than the want here. Everyone seems to follow certain “buzz” bands without giving a thought to those who are making something worth listening to. Lovers Club are that band. They are massively underrated and effortlessly cool. Alec’s vocals are nothing short of eerie and gripping. They make you feel like you are being chased down a dark alleyway with no hope of survival. They fill you with this dark excitement that takes you back to hearing The Cramps and The Mummies for the first time. That might just be me, but it’s alright. Lovers Club have this sound that makes you just want to totally immerse yourself in all that they do and hope they never ever call it quits. It’s a beautifully creepy sound that takes you over in the best way imaginable.

The opener, Empty Ballroom Blues truly sets the tone for the EP. It has this grand sound to it that is found in bands that have been at it for decades, but Lovers Club have this magnetic confidence in their sound that just makes you feel and believe that this is a band who have been around for decades. It’s a proper established and powerful sound that as I’ve said, just leaves you wanting more. Needing more. Alec’s guitar skills remind you of part Poison Ivy and part Johnny Thunders. The band has this raw Rock N Roll feel to their sound that is lacking in music right now. Are they are saviours? If you want them to be.

The Barge is just under 2 minutes and again, it isn’t enough. But it is taster of what Lovers Club is capable of and what is to come. It feels completely right to just keep on hitting repeat with this EP. Nothing can touch it. I truly feel that this is going to be one of my favourite things I hear all year, and will most definitely be one of my most played. The Barge has this brilliant distorted sound to it. It feels like it could have been in a Vincent Price film- it’s got this brutality to it that comes through effortlessly in Alec’s voice. Everything about this song just goes so well together. When the chorus kicks in, you can really hear just how great Alec, Oliver and Matt are. Towards the end the song has this energy to it that makes you think it’ll go on forever. It makes you want it to go on forever. Then it ends making room for the closer, Dark Country.

Dark Country is a heavy song. It carries something quite sinister to it, and I think that’s why I really love this one. I love the whole EP but Dark Country has this really heavy feel to it which just oozes a shade of evilness that makes you want to be part of it all. The whole EP feels as if it was made for a Horror film. The atmosphere they create in their music is something which I absolutely adore, and I really cannot wait to see and hear what they do this year because they really are the best new band around. Sure it is a biased opinion, but I’m not going to waste anyone’s time by writing in a negative manner. That’s just pointless. I love finding new bands and writing about how much I love their music, and how exciting they are. Lovers Club are one of those bands that make me want to keep writing about music- and recently that love has been fading. It’s back again. I think. I hope.

Anyway, you can buy/listen to the EP right here: https://loversclub.bandcamp.com/album/empty-ballroom-blues-ep

They are playing a few dates in London over the next couple of months at:

23rd February- The Black Heart

1st March- The Lock Tavern

See you at the front!

LOVERS CLUB.

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If the bio for your band states that you are the best Rock ‘n’ Roll band in the world, then you’ve got a lot to live up to right? Wrong. Who cares about expectations! Who even needs them! Lovers Club have made a bold statement, and they are true to it. They are easily one of the best around and most certainly one of the best bands in the UK.

Whatever you’re expecting from Lovers Club- ignore it. There’s no point in assuming that they are a gentle band with such a loving name. Far from it. The irony. Their sound is The Cramps headbutting The Jesus And Mary Chain. They are loud, the sound is aggressive and it is all so brilliant. If you’re wanting a band that sounds like they are crashing into your skull and possessing your body, then Lovers Club are for you.

Lovers Club put their first release out in March this year. I think it was only released as cassette. The songs on this tape are heavy- they have the heaviness of Sleep and the eeriness of The Cramps. For me, they just have the perfect sound. I’d pretty sure that the top three bands in this country right now are Table Scraps, Night Shades and Lovers Club. Each band has a distinctive sound that just takes over the mind. What does it do to the body? Well if you’re questioning it, then you’re not listening hard enough.

Lovers Club have this sound that makes you wish you could continuously go to their live shows and live in this world that they have created. The world that they have created feels like a horror film from decades and decades ago with a hint of Edgar Allan Poe lurking throughout. They just have this instantly iconic sound and style- it makes you want to do what they do, but all you can do is listen. Religiously.

Lovers is possibly my favourite song by them at the moment but I am likely to change my mind as the day progresses. I love how brutal everything sounds on this song. It sure does hit you throughout in all their songs, but Lovers is the one that is a little more in your face than the others on the tape- and it is the one I keep going back to. There is something really, really special about this band. If I could describe what makes them so bloody brilliant there would be no point. They just immediately draw you in. It’s like they’ve got you in a headlock and no part of you is going to even fight an escape.

Lovers Club are more than just a Rock ‘n’ Roll band. Their sound is beyond being just Rock ‘n’ Roll- it is truly something else. Lovers Club are here to shake your skull, potentially deafen you and make you move in a way that you feel sure about doing. They make you want to join their band and add some more noise to their sound. They’ll only get better and louder, and I really cannot wait to hear more from them. They’re just effortlessly cool and they make it loud/sound so easy.

The next Lovers Club show will be at the Old Blue Last on the 13th December.

Buy the tape, and play it loud: https://loversclub.bandcamp.com/releases