Tag Archives: British Columbia

BAD HOO: Splat EP.

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I’ve written about Bad Hoo loads, and in my biased opinion I can safely say that they are a great band. If they were shit, I wouldn’t write about them. I’ve stupidly only just realized they put a record out on everyone’s favourite Garage Rock/DIY label; Kafadan Kontak Records. Turkeys finest. Anything that has been released by this label is just simply, perfect and Bad Hoo are another band that can add their music to the list.

What do I love about Bad Hoo? Well, they are loud and they play as if their lives depend on it. There’s this beautiful hunger in their sound that just makes you want to either start your own band or throw things around and just scream the words along with them. They give you this heart-bursting feeling of freedom. I fucking (sorry mum) love this band a hell of a lot. They know it too (I hope!) I just love their sound so, so much and this new EP is a strong example of why they are just brilliant.

Five songs to blow your mind, and then some. It’s just such a great EP that leaves you wanting more and more. Bad Hoo have released exceptional music, and the Splat EP fits right up there. If I could drive (and it’s probably good that I don’t) I would most certainly go on long drives blasting out some Bad Hoo and having no clue where I am driving too and not knowing how to get home. It’s fine to get lost once in a while though. Anyway, this EP is all kinds of magical and if you’ve never listened to Bad Hoo before then make this your first time. Then keep on going. You won’t be able to stop. This record is just perfect- everything about it just makes everything alright you know? It’s one of those records that makes you feel good.

I love how Bad Hoo always make you feel as if you’ve somehow sneaked into their studio or rehearsal space when you listen to them. You can really hear that raw DIY sound coming through. That rugged sound is just heavenly. There’s nothing worse than hearing something that’s been overproduced and has no bite to it. Bad Hoo have plenty of bite, and that’s what keeps you listening to them. They’re the kind of band you see play a dingy bar, and by the end of the first song you’re covered in your own drink and someone else’s drink. Bitter Greens has this wonderful feeling of despair to it, and with some it may come across as desperate or just awful; but Bad Hoo do it in a way that feels a bit comical but entirely relatable. I just really love them, and the way Bitter Greens goes smack into Wooden Nickel is so good!

Splat EP is the kind of record that you want to hang in a museum and tell everyone why this is a masterpiece. I mean, I do feel that way about a lot of records and about most of Bad Hoo’s records too. I just love the sheer loudness and all over the place feel to this record. It’s like a drunken rant, and for me that’s the perfect sound. With every listen to the Splat EP, I’m just reminded of why I bloody love this band, and I hope that if anyone reads this that they go out of their way to listen to Bad Hoo too.

This record is just peak Bad Hoo, and even though I’d happily want another 20 songs added to the record, the handful they have given us on the Splat EP is just remarkable. They are effortlessly cool and such a joy to listen to. If you’re looking for a band to make you feel something other than constant dread- Bad Hoo are THE band for you. Buy this record and play it loud. Buy all of their records!

BAD HOO: Right As Rain

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Ready for something so majestic, so excellent, that you will have to pinch and slap yourself over and over to believe it? Then you’re in luck. Tomorrow, beloved tykes Bad Hoo release their 3rd full length record.

Is it weird? Yes. Will it leave you on edge? I hope so. Will it blow your mind? Of course. Is it their best record so far? Well, yes. But everything they do is just incredible. You see, last year’s gem What Is When was a phenomenal record and was everything you could possibly want from a rowdy Garage Punk record but Right As Rain has a more relaxed feel but don’t let that fool you. Bad Hoo will still corrupt you, and you will love it.

Right As Rain has a new recording of Skim Milk Twist, along with a couple of covers (Silver Jews and Country Teaser fans- you won’t be disappointed) Bad Hoo are a band that evidently get better every single time, and hearing the new recording of Skim Milk Twist is a prime example of this. This band were sent to make this shitty year better by giving us some good ol’ Garage Rock that makes you feel like you’re riding the waves at the beach, without a care in the world. Play this record constantly to really soak up how beautiful it is.

The songs are chaotic and rowdy, just a real pleasure to listen to and if you’ve been a fan of Bad Hoo for some time- you’ll definitely hear something new in this sound. It’s a step up from what we’ve heard before and given how much I love this band anyway- they’ve just left me in awe of what they have done with this record. If you have a checklist of things you look for in a band/record, chances are Bad Hoo will tick it all off and then some! You can’t stop a band like this. The Splat Came Back (currently my favourite) is the hyperactive number that just makes your brain spin as you fall into a trance listening to this song. Then from the 2 minute and 25 seconds mark- it just turns into this urgent sounding and blistering anthem. You cannot get enough of it. It’s just bloody fantastic. You know when Britney sang Gimme More? Well, this is what she meant.

Don’t Like People is not only a great name for a song, but it’s such a great cover. There’s nothing that Bad Hoo cannot do. You just wish you were as cool as them. Their Silver Jews cover of Time Will Break The World is unlike anything else on this record and anything they’ve done. The vocals on this are so strong, and if it doesn’t break your heart even just a tiny bit, then maybe the world has turned you cold already. It’s a gorgeous cover and a lovely way to wrap up such a perfect record.

If you can’t wait until tomorrow to listen to this masterpiece, then click here: https://www.cupsncakespod.com/news/2020/10/11/album-premiere-bad-hoo-?fbclid=IwAR3jO00QA-twViK8vqbfitJ06RtiNtBVvVqLD7ya2Akhl4mmPIWD-R44w8s

Right As Rain is one of those records that just give you some added security to your mind. By listening to this record, you will be left feeling you have properly took care of yourself. The record is out tomorrow (16th) and the band are offering to send free downloads of the record if you are struggling. They are also offering a PWYC (Pay What You Can) for the record also. Just check their Bandcamp page here for details: https://badhoo.bandcamp.com/

SPECTRES: Nostalgia.

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Today I had the day off work, and I’ve done nothing. Absolutely nothing, so it’s only right I try do something with my time. There’s a new record out today by Canada’s finest Post-Punk heroes, SPECTRES. They create intense atmosphere again on their new record. I wrote about Utopia which came out in 2016. Either on here or for Heatwave- I can’t remember. Either way, I’m a HUGE fan of theirs and I’m super excited to write about this record.

 Nostalgia is a sublime record, and for me I hold it as highly and as dear as I did with Utopia. I adore this dark and eerie sound that is delicately flowing through the record, and there’s a load of devotion too which you pick up in the vocals, and its devotion that just melts your heart. It’s the perfect record to listen to if you’re wanting to escape the news, and such. Or if you just want something to fill your heart up with something really pure and honest.

 There’s something about this record that reminds me so much of early Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy, which for me is nothing short of perfect. I love the moody sounds of the bass and the guitar. I love the urgency in the drums, and the vocals are delivered in a way that makes you realise that this band are not to be messed with. They are the best at what they do, and this record firmly shows us just how much they’ve grown and how bold they are in experimenting in their sound.

 

 

Songs like Pictures from Occupied Europe have this pace to it that make you really soak up the urgency and brutality in the songs. When a bad is this unafraid to show us what they are made of, you cannot help but adore it and respect it. This is my favourite song from the record so far, but like with Utopia, you cannot just pick one solid favourite. The whole damn record is divine.

 The 9 songs on this record were made to pause you in your tracks and to just make you really think about what you’re listening to. You cannot help but feel that the ideal setting for listening to this record is in the pitch black whilst the rain falls hard and taps at your window. The alternative is taking a walk on a grey, foggy day and just play the record over and over; clear your head and free your mind. Fate and Insurgence are the perfect songs to do this to. I mean, the whole record is but these 2 songs in particular just feel like they made for this. I just love the sheer strength in this record and how you can truly hear and feel the growth in this band. I love how they can channel Seventeen Seconds by The Cure (similar eerie atmosphere) and go spooky like early Bauhaus too. There are nods to Joy Division too I think- the rhythm section oozes it, and it sounds so wonderful.

 Nostalgia has songs that are made to be chanted back at the band with such passion and vigor. I love everything about this record, which I’m sure you can sense. The Call sounds like the song they’d end their set on, there’s something about it that feels like it could close the show in such a majestic fashion. Again, it’s another highlight on the record and it’s met with Along the Waterfront which closes the record. This has a finality to it that’s perfect to closing the record. When the record ends, you feel like you need to take a deep breath, and as you breathe out you start the record all over again.

 

 

 

If you’re looking for a sullen record, but also one that will be a source of comfort- Nostalgia is for you. From start to finish it is nothing short of exceptional, and so worthy of all of your love and attention.

 Nostalgia is out now via Artoffact Records.

BAD HOO.

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Tomorrow, Bad Hoo are putting out a new record. I can’t wait until then to write about them. I can write about the record separately anyway.

Bad Hoo are a completely off the wall, in your face band from Victoria. They deserve to be your favourite band. The kind of band you play to unwind to, except their songs are so hectic and loud it’d do the opposite. It’ll get you pumped, and ready to go to a show and have the best time. Bad Hoo have a brilliant sound that makes you feel carefree and oblivious to all that’s going on. Sometimes, we need that kind of escapism and they deliver it so well.

They’ve only been around a couple of years (I think) but ignore time on this one, they’re just a really great band. And you know, if I didn’t have a torn tendon in my shoulder I’d probably be throwing my limbs around to their music. I’ll just do it mentally for now. Something I really dig about them is that they sound like a band that you’ve just got to see live. (Hey, Bad Hoo- if you see this, can you come to the UK? Specifically Manchester, please?!) They have this really cool sound that makes you feel like you’re at their show, you don’t feel like you’re listening to a recorded version of them. They’ve got this effortlessly cool sound, and this is the kind of sound that just rules you. When you find bands that give you this feeling, it becomes something that you seek in everything else. I just love this raw and brutal sound they have – it’s a real rugged Punk sound. They are fearless with their music, and I have nothing but respect for that.

I’ve only listened to one or two songs from the new record, but I am super excited to hear it and write about it. The energy that Bad Hoo have is just ridiculous. They sound like a bunch of hyped up kids who have drank too many energy drinks and refuse to sleep. Their hyperactive sound is an absolute joy to listen to, and you can’t help but want to be part of it. I just adore this wild and weird sound- it’s great. I honestly cannot praise them enough, but obviously will try to!

There is something quite rebellious about their sound. I don’t really know much about music from Victoria, but let’s just call Bad Hoo as the best band from there. If everything sounds like this, then we need more and more bands to com forward and hit us with this rambunctious sound. I can’t get enough of it. Irrespective of if I play it sky high or through headphones, the same feelings are there. Bad Hoo are just a great band who make you forget about the world and all it’s shittyness.

Bad Hoo take elements of Surfer Rock, the eeriness of The Cramps and The Mummies and give you something that’s destined to blow your mind, melt your face and destroy your hearing in the most pleasurable way possible. I desperately hope they come to the UK because I reckon their shows will just be utterly wild. You can picture it now- drinks flying, sweat hitting everyone, the heat getting too much but none of it matters because the music is just every form of perfection.

Alright, that’s enough for now. Their new record, What Is When is out tomorrow. I’ll save some more words of praise for that!