Tag Archives: Music

DEAD BOYS: O2 Islington Academy 2 08/02/2017.

Posted on by

a08820a14c

 

 

If I was someone who made a bucket list, then last night would have been something I could have ticked off. I never in my wildest dreams, and they are wild, would I imagine seeing one of the bands who made a record that I religiously play. Never would I have imagined seeing one of the greatest bands of all time.

Last night I finally saw Dead Boys play a small venue in London. It felt like we had all been thrown back to the golden year for Punk, 1977. 40 years ago Dead Boys, fronted by the one of a kind, Stiv Bators, released their debut record Young, Loud and Snotty. We all know that Stiv sadly passed away in 1990, so who on earth could come close to possessing his demeanour and way of performing the songs? It’s by no means an easy thing to do, and to some it’s probably damn near impossible but one man is doing it. And he is doing it in a way that probably has Stiv smirking down on the band. Jake Hout is remarkable, and his tribute to Stiv before dedicating Calling On You was beautiful.  His voice is incredible and he really captures what Dead Boys were about. He has that same snarly voice that Stiv had- he’s not as wild as Stiv but bloody hell he is great. For a few songs he hangs off the light above the stage. He also manages to crowd surf.

Although I was stood at the back, it was probably a solid spot to be in. I could see a sea of beautiful Punks in front of me all reliving the first time that they heard Dead Boys. I couldn’t sing the songs; all I could do was just smile like an idiot. I thought about Stiv a lot throughout, and Jake gave a beautiful tribute to him. I thought that was a really beautiful thing for him to do.

The crowd took me back to when I saw The Jesus And Mary Chain in 2014, and the crowd was mainly older men who had grown up with the band. With this show, it was a mix of everyone- and the older crowd were shouting the lyrics back at the band with as much love, passion and power as they must have done 40 years ago.

For me, I think this will be one of those shows that I’ll remember forever. There was such a lovely atmosphere, and given that the lyrical content of some of their songs may make others cringe- who cares?! The songs are as important as ever. The delivery of songs like I Need Lunch, All This And More and of course the ever influencing, Sonic Reducer is just impeccable.

I’m fairly sure last night Cheetah put a lot of people to shame with his guitar playing. He’s just as great as he was the first time around. Still loud. Why should you quieten down? You cannot tame a band like this, and why should you even want to? Johnny Blitz was as loud as ever, and that familiar sound he created all those years ago just took you back to the first time hearing the Dead Boys. The sound of the Dead Boys is massively distinctive, and to see Johnny Blitz and Cheetah- two of the pioneers of this sound, was mind-blowing.

I think with this show, the crowd and the band were equally contributing to how amazing the show was. Sometimes, you see a band and they are amazing but the crowd give nothing. This however, was such a great balance. I’m almost certain Jake would have had the crowd hanging from the lights above the stage with him if he could. I think also that if a kid who had never really heard of the Dead Boys before and was possibly only just getting into music, if they were at this show then I’m sure they would have left wanting to start a band. Like people did when they saw the Sex Pistols at that infamous Manchester show.

I was worried that the show would come across as almost karaoke like or that it would just take away the legacy of the band, and this record. But I had nothing to worry about at all. It was perfect. I could happily go see them every single night. Every night venturing closer to the stage and shouting the words back. It was nothing short of an honour to see Dead Boys and to be part of a crowd that truly idolise this band. Sometimes when I go to shows, I have this romanticised feeling of always wanting to be in that moment forever- I got that feeling last night.

punk_stiv_bators1979180

It was such a small venue, and it gave that proper Punk feel to it. All of us crammed in this room to see undoubtedly, one of the greatest bands ever. There is nothing quite like it.

12 Essential New York Records.

Posted on by

CBGB bowery OMFUG rock punk

 

I’m not someone who gets overly annoyed easily (but if you chew loudly or sniff constantly on public transport, I’ll probably want to smack you in the kisser.) However, after reading the apparent “essential” NYC records chosen by BBC 6Music, I got annoyed. In fact, it went beyond being annoyed. I am pissed off. A pissed off Punk who is absolutely infuriated by this list and I know that I am not alone in this.

If you want to share my rage, here is the list:

1. The Strokes – Is This It
2. Wu Tang Clan – Enter The 36 Chambers
3. Blondie – Parallel Lines
4. Talking Heads – 77
5. Nas – Illmatic
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
7. Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends
8. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
9. Princess Nokia – 1992 Deluxe
10. The Rapture – Echoes
11. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
12. LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver

 

I am a massive fan of Nas, Wu Tang, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Strokes. The Strokes first record was my crutch for a long time, and I do agree with it being there- but not at the top. There is so much missing from this list- how can you even condense it down to 12 anyway? Maybe 20 wouldn’t even be enough.

So with my burning rage, I have to come up with my own list. I don’t want to claim that my list is correct or anything like that- it’s just an opinion. I could be wrong, or someone may feel like they agree with me. The severe lack of Punk in the list just makes me sad. I do agree, as I said with some of the records being there, but some are wrongfully missed.

Also, it isn’t in any order- I don’t like order, it makes me nervous.

Ramones-Ramones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HUGeA2lur4

It was either this or Leave Home. I think Leave Home is my favourite Ramones record, but their debut deserves to be there because of the huge impact it had. I remember hearing it for the first time when I was about 14/156. The age where everything and anything can influence you. I remember hearing it and feeling like I had been born in the wrong era. Every song gave me this incredible feeling, and every song just made me idolise them. I think it is obvious that I worship Joey Ramone. Oh man, Beat On The Brat is one of my favourite Ramones songs. I love the lyrics and I love the humour in their songs but there is a real sensitivity in Joey’s voice that is so unique and beautiful. It’’ just such an iconic record. It was made to influence and to be played loud.

Lou Reed-Transformer.

The most important NYC record of all time. ALL.TIME. Why the hell wasn’t it included?! It’s pretty insulting to Lou’s legacy that this record isn’t on there. It’s not only a great NYC record; it’s probably my favourite record of all time. As a gay person, this record gave me this sense of freedom that I hadn’t found in any other record when I first heard it. I didn’t come out until years after hearing this record, but it gave me this feeling of being alright with who I was. Besides, me being gay doesn’t define me. Never has, never will Transformer is just the coolest record ever made. I hate the word cool, we know that but fucking hell Lou Reed was THE coolest person to have ever lived and he just smacks it in our faces with this record. Sally Can’t Dance and Coney Island Baby are obviously worth mentioning. Pretty sure my list could just be Lou and Ramones records. Vicious and Andy’s Chest…man alive! “You hit me with a flower.” That’s GOT to move you in some way. I love the lyrics to Vicious, and I think this whole record shows Lou in a different way, you know? He just expressed himself in a way nobody else had dared to. I still don’t think anything can touch this record.

New York Dolls-New York Dolls.

The clue is in the bloody name really. Absolutely criminal and horrendous that this record isn’t on the list. My mum got me into the Dolls at a very young age. I don’t even think I was a teenager. I remember finding her copy of the record, and being in awe of the Dolls in drag. How beautiful they were! I was drawn of course, to Johnny Thunders (the greatest guitarist of all time.) Subway Train is such a beautiful song. Jet Boy has this incredible snarl to it. The whole record oozes attitude that is so unique to the Dolls. The lyrics to Trash and Personality Crisis are just great. This record is New York through and through. It’s got the charm and grit. It’s got the attitude and bite. It’s a record that I always find myself going to time and time again, and discovering more things to love about it. It’s just timeless.

Richard Hell + The Voidoids-Blank Generation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HMXuL0SShA

Alright so Richard isn’t from New York- but this record was recorded at Electric Lady Studios so, it’s a NYC record. And he moved there pretty early on, so it’s fine. It’s acceptable.

I am a Richard Hell obsessive. I paid £30 once for a Richard Hell t-shirt from a shop on Brick Lane. Yeah it was too much money, but it’s Richard Hell.

Blank Generation would easily be in my list of best Punk records. It’s got this raw attitude to it, and I just love Richard’s voice. As a singer and as a writer, I just love him. His autobiography is one of the best of its kind I’ve read. He has most certainly lived a colourful life. Sure he’s done questionable things, the little bugger. But, he’s made some incredible music along the way.

Suicide-Suicide

Suicide are probably the best duo of all time. Frankie Teardrop is the best 10 minute song of all time. Dream Baby Dream is a masterpiece. The whole record is a work of art. If any record can capture the roughness of New York in the 70s, it’s this record. It is such a grand record and well ahead of its time. It still is. Nothing and no one has ever come close to this. For me, I think Suicide are massively underrated but they have influenced so many bands that I adore. It still hurts and it still sucks that Alan Vega is no longer here. I remember when he passed; I had the same reaction most had for Bowie. Suicide were never afraid to push their sound and to make music that was entirely different. It is a beautiful noise that brings such pleasure and joy to the ears. It is a gritty record from start to finish, and they keep that grittiness throughout every record they have ever made.

The Heartbreakers-L.A.M.F

I think this was recorded in London, but Johnny Thunders was a New Yorker, The Heartbreakers were a supergroup. I did want to pick a solo Johnny record, but I remembered how much I am obsessed with L.A.M.F (it stands for Like A Mother Fucker.) and how One Track Mind is such a great song. I can’t help but imagine what it would be like if Johnny was still here. Like I said earlier on, for me he’s the greatest guitarist of all time. His style was just impeccable and one of a kind. No one else could play like him. His style was way ahead of its time. He was ahead of his time.  He had this way of just magnetising you with every note. The record has been reissued so many times, but regardless of what version you have- it’s a genius record. It is proper Rock N Roll and has Punk foundations. Of all the records I own, I think this might be my most played. It’s one of those records I just really enjoy listening to over and over again.

Nas-Illmatic

Nas is one of the greatest rappers of all time, that’s obvious. There are so many Hip Hop records I could have chosen. I know that The Big Picture by Big L is one of the best. I bought it when it came out, and to this day it is still one of my favourite records. Like Nas, Big L was and still is above the rest. Illmatic portrays New York in a way that most don’t want to hear. Nas is not, and has never been afraid to show the harsher side of life. From losing friends to growing up in the projects in Queens- he really takes you there. He’s a poet, a storyteller. Halftime is one of the songs on Illmatic that really show this. He makes you see the world and his world the way he does with Illmatic. Is it his best record? For sure. It’s one of the best Hip Hop records of all time. Nas has constantly brought out remarkable records that have, and still do influence so many. It’s one of those records that you can’t imagine not ever happening. It is such an important record- irrespective of what kind of music you’re into; it is such a phenomenal record. What he did with this debut record most want from their whole career.

A Tribe Called Quest-People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

Tribe have always made consistently great records that are so experimental and diverse. They fused together all styles of music. There are so many records by them I could have chosen, but it felt right to go with their debut. It came out in a time where you had groups like NWA with their aggressive songs. Sure their songs may have been, but it is important to remember that NWA were telling us about the things that were happening in Compton- it is just as important and to an extent maybe more so. But this about New York right now. What I love about the first Tribe record is that it frees your mind, it gives you something that you won’t find anywhere else. Q-Tip and Phife are two great rappers, and I don’t think they have ever got enough credit it. Tribe’s records each have distinctive sounds. Push It Along is nearly 8 minutes long, Bonita Applebum is genius, I Left My Wallet In El Segundo is timeless and Luck of Lucien is just amazing. The samples on this record used range from Grace Jones to The Beatles to Lou Reed. It’s a record that quite simply, you need to own.

 Sonic Youth-Confusion Is Sex

I could have happily listed every single record by Sonic Youth. I’d have no idea where to start- so I went to the start. It’s such a heavy record; it’s a record that has influenced so many. It is powerful, it is loud and it has Jim Sclavunos on drums. What more do you need? (She’s In A) Bad Mood is such a brilliant way to start the record. Jim’s drumming is so brutal; they all just move you in a way that you wouldn’t expect. There is nothing calming about the sound on this record- they just rile you up in a way that is mind-blowing.

I think it is possible the record that shows us all just how amazing Kim Gordon is. I mean, we know that anyway but Confusion Is Sex has some awesome moments that just leave you inspired by Kim. Shaking Hell is my favourite on this record; it’s so aggressive and really brutal. The louder you play this, the better. The way she yells “Shake off your flesh!” is so hypnotising.

The Velvet Underground-Loaded

Maybe I should have gone with their first record. Maybe. But, Loaded is my favourite and I remember buying my copy of this in Brussels and feeling like I had won the lottery. My copy doesn’t play as well as it should but that’s because I am always playing it. I love listening to it and allowing Velvet Underground to take me some place really magical. Rock & Roll is such a fantastic song, and you can’t help but think you’re the person Lou has written about. Lonesome Cowboy Bill is out of this world- it’s not like anything else.

Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ is up there as being one of the greatest songs of all time. It’s one of Lou’s best, easily. I’ve written about this record so many times, and I’m sure I have never done it justice.

Television-Marquee Moon

I cannot make this list without mentioning Television, and this record. Many have regarded it as one of the best records ever made, and they aren’t wrong. It is such a wonderfully created record. From the vocals to the production- it is so effortlessly great and really does have a slick sound that you know is from New York. Every song on Marquee Moon is so distinctive. You hear one note, and you immediately know that it is them. The intro to the title song is one of the most iconic ones of all time. It’s an intro that just stays with you. You immediately go back to the first time you heard it as soon as it comes on. It’s just a magnificent record that definitely does deserve its status as being one of the greatest records ever made.

The Strokes-Is This It

There are a number of records I could have picked. I could have gone with Foxy Brown, Mos Def, Interpol, Talking Heads, Big L- so many. Why did I stick with The Strokes when I could have picked someone else? Because this record holds a lot of importance to me. It’s got me through hell and back. It still does. I adore Julian. I love his words, his voice and just him. It’s a record I constantly go back to. I can play it and I immediately go back to my first time hearing it. I was 15 years old, being bullied at school. I’d play it every day. And every single day I would imagine I was hanging out with Julian in New York City eating pizza, going to record stores and going to shows. This record was my escape, and it still is. It captures New York and it captures what music means to me. So from a totally personal point of view, this record is New York. This record is important. Again, it is one that is still a massive influence to bands. They are all great musicians, and there will never be anything else quite like it- just like all the records I have mentioned.

 

Like I said, there are so many records that could have been named. This is just my personal take. Maybe it is wrong, maybe it is right. It’s just a point of view, like the 6Music one is. But I just find it hard to accept that so many great and influential records were missed off.

THE SOFT MOON: Criminal

Posted on by

sbr192-thesoftmoon-300_1024x1024

 

Sometimes the term ‘genius’ is thrown about far too much, but sometimes it is needed. Sometimes it is the only word to use. It’s a word that undoubtedly fits Luis Vasquez aka The Soft Moon. With his record, Criminal out today via the equally brilliant Sacred Bones Records, I think it is pretty safe and accurate to say that Luis is a genius.

It’s probably been said but Criminal is his best work. As someone who has been a fan of The Soft Moon since the very start and holds some sentimental value to previous records- Criminal has taken over. It is truly one of the most powerful and magical records I’ll hear all year, that I am sure of. I love how every song feels like white noise taking over your brain and how his words eat at you. There is something so brutal and delicate about this record that holds your attention hours after you have listened to it. It stays with you and leaves an impact you have been craving for so long.

Something I really admire about Luis’ delivery of lyrics is that for the most part, they are unclear but the tone in his voice gives away just how urgent the meaning is. He has this way of just getting to the root of it all with the way he sings these words rather than what he is saying. His voice is the rumble of a thunderstorm and the music is the lightning bolt crashing down.

Criminal has really shown the strength in his ability to make music that can hit you right in the gut. It is such a perfect record, and it seems totally right that it has been released on Sacred Bones. The style of this record has the same wave of horror pouring through it like Pop.1280 which is something I absolutely adore. Pop.1280 make straight up sinister music that could scare anyone. It’s got this attractive evil and eerie sound that you cannot tear yourself from. The Soft Moon has a sound that does evoke some horror and terror, but it also carries this fragility to it. You know that these songs have come from a delicate, raw and very honest place- and I think that’s what makes it such a beautiful record. I love the aggression and vulnerability in Born Into This, and right now I think it’s my favourite but I’ll change my mind soon enough. Records like this aren’t made for you to favour one song over the rest. It is made for you to cherish each and every song in a way that is personal to you.

On this record there is definitely a shift in sound and style, and I think any band or singer that does this is to be respected. There is nothing worse than a band/singer making the same record over and over again, and not even attempting to experiment. I don’t get it at all. The best thing, as a music fan, is when a band you love just changing with each record. The bands I write about, the bands I go see at shows, the bands I love- they all do this. They all make records that sound different but keeping something similar in a way that lets you know that it is them.

I’m sure it’ll be picked up on but Criminal reminds me of the first Nine Inch Nails record mixed with Cold Cave. So basically, it is the perfect record. It’s got everything you need to comfort you and to keep you going. I reckon it is one of those records that will be talked about in years and years to come. It has something about it that you cannot love, and as a HUGE fan of The Soft Moon, it just makes you so proud of him and all he has done so far, and especially on this record. There is something here that cannot ever be replicated nor can it go unheard. It’s one of those records that when you hear it, you’ll want to turn everyone on to it. It is an absolute pleasure and joy to listen to.

It is made of moments that allow you to just be. Be whatever the hell you want, and the best song to do this to is Give Something. Everything about this song just resonates with you.

Criminal is just a fantastic record from start to finish. It’s a record that you’ll carry with you for a long time, and in some respects it may become your shield and saviour.

LOS TONES.

Posted on by

14681916_1067479886701862_6843985302070112628_o-e1512408810322

 

It can be utterly criminal at times when a band you love are hardly written about. You look for past articles written about them, and you find virtually next to nothing. Maybe the odd review of a record that’s only a couple hundred words long- nothing to make you believe that someone else loves them as much as you do. Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands. I’m going to do that with Sydney’s finest, Los Tones.

Los Tones catapult you way back in time. They make you feel like you’ve discovered The Standells, The Vagrants and The Gruesomes for the first time. They are a combination of everything amazing about Garage Rock and modern day lo-fi sounds. They’re the kind of band you play on a lazy day doing a whole load of nothing. I’m pretty sure that if you played them to someone who was around when The Standalls first came out they wouldn’t thing that Los Tones are from now.

Los Tones have a solid catalogue of music to really feast upon. It’s totally fine to over indulge in their music and shut the world off for a few days to soak it all in. With their two records and a few singles, they have definitely developed a sound that is soaked in wonderful reverb and murky vocals to get lost in. The songs are loud in all the right places. Songs like Cry have this amazing part where it just goes off, and the only reaction you can have is to just turn it up as loud as you can. Bands that can do this are great. They let loose and just go for it. This exciting energy that just bursts from their music is so good. It’s beyond being ‘so good.’ That’s a weak ass description on my part- sorry!

You can’t really compare their two records. Psychotropic came out in 2014 and What Happened came out last year. In the years past between these two records, you can hear a steady growth but you can definitely hear in both that Los Tones are a band that know exactly how they want to sound and how to make it work. There is something really beautiful about this, and both records are just out of this world. Their music is appealing to any and everyone. No need for snobs or pretentious wankers here- Los Tones has this brilliant laid-back sound that just eases the mind, body and soul. Even when some of the songs are more rowdy than others, they still have this blissful relaxed glow to them. You can easily zone out to their music, especially on songs like Ordinary Man but at the same time you can lose yourself in the likes of the glorious Battery Acid. There is something for everyone, and I’m sure your Grandma would enjoy them too.

Los Tones have such a raw and urgent. It’s almost as if they HAVE to get these songs out of their system and to create this beautiful music. They are everything I want from a band. They have every element that I just adore about music. If you’ve got no plans this weekend, spend it by listening to Los Tones. If you do have plans, maybe you should cancel them and just listen to Los Tones instead and allow yourself to be transported into a time and place that only they can take you. They’ll be your escape route and your cure for boredom.

Los Tones make you wish you could join their band or be in a band that tours the world with them. They’ve got this mesmerising energy to their music that makes you want to constantly hear it and be around it.

Some bands you just fall in love with instantly- Los Tones are one of those bands, easily.

You know what to do:

https://los-tones.bandcamp.com/music

 

DRUNK MUMS.

Posted on by

0005683888_10

 

Some bands are quick to call themselves Punk, and they sound like some real shitty knock-off band that Joey Ramone would probably rightfully laugh at. Some have said Punk is dead, others take a different view. It is most certainly beyond being just a style of music. It is something else. You’ve either got it, or you haven’t. Sometimes you can be blissfully unaware that you are. Labels are lame, but Punk isn’t a bad one to be lumped with.

One band in particular that have this real essence of Punk in their music and have that same snarly attitude as the great Stiv Bators is the brilliantly named, Drunk Mums. The name alone oozes something pretty cool. Just like Dead Boys did with their name. It’s teetering shocking with their name, but shock value or not- Dead Boys, and Drunk Mums are bloody great. They still would be even if they didn’t have a great name. So, what’s in a name? Whatever you want. Whatever the hell you want.

They’ve been around for some time now, and their extensive list of songs is something well worth getting into. The songs that unleash the fury of being stuck in a situation you are dying to get out of- well, they just make it a little easier. There is no denying that I would happily pack up and leave London right now if I could. It’s not home. For me, Drunk Mums unleash this frustration in a way that’s so easy to connect with, and to truly fall in love with. I love how loud they are and I love that they make me feel like I am not in 2018. I feel like I’ve gone back 40+ years. They make you want to put on your favourite (fake, of course) leather jacket or denim jacket that’s covered in badges and patches and heading down to your favourite dive bar to lose yourself in some great music.

They have recently released the 4-track EP, Denim which is up there as being one of the strongest releases of the year and definitely some of their best work to date. It’s damn near impossible to pick my favourite record or song, so I won’t. There’s no point. Everything I’ve heard has just blown my mind. I love the rough and aggressive sound that they have. It just makes you want to throw shit around and be rowdy. I always look for bands that make me feel like, this is how I would want to sound if I was musically talented and had a band- Drunk Mums are definitely one of those bands. They have this energy that really hits you in the gut and makes you want to blast their music out as loud as possible.

Drunk Mums are one of those bands that, once you listen to them you are hooked. Completely and utterly. They make you want to dive in head first into their music and not listen to anything else. There is something really therapeutic about a band that can let out this fury and frustration we carry towards daily life. Certain things are hard to switch off, and change but thankfully bands like Drunk Mums are here to get it out of our system for us. Again, they are one of those bands that you just know that their live shows are going to be totally wild and great. I have no idea if/when they’ll head to the UK, but when they do I’m pretty sure it will be something to remember.

You can listen/buy their music and merch right here:

https://drunkmums.bandcamp.com/

Play it as loud as you can to truly hear just how amazing they are. Maybe subject your neighbours to them too. They are honestly one of the best bands I’ve heard in a long time, and they just leave you wanting more and more. They immediately make you their biggest fan with the first listen. They have something about them that just draws you to them. I don’t really want to listen to anything else right now.

 

WATER TRASH

Posted on by

a3774100880_10

 

 

In an ideal world, everyone would get paid to do something they love. In an ideal world, I’d be paid to write about music. Nothing too over the top. Just enough to pay my rent, maybe get a dog, buy my girlfriend presents without a care and to live off food that isn’t soup. Or pasta. Being Italian, I should be okay with pasta, right? In moderation. Not because your bank account is crying at you to leave a city you have no reason to be in. I’m only working to pay my rent at the moment- that alone just fucks my head up and has set me back with this bastarding anxiety and depression I have, and cannot shake. But hey, enough of that. A slight vent from a frustrated soul. I’ll write about a band that eases the mind and mood slightly.

Ready?

Water Trash has got it going on. They’ve got this exquisite laid-back sound that makes you forget all your troubles. Every song feels like it has come from the heart, and I think that’s what makes you relate to the songs, and what allows you to let the music just take you away. It’s powerful in all the right ways, and it is done in a beautifully subtle way. I know for the most part I do like music that makes me want to flail my limbs around in a small, sweaty dive bar. Water Trash does give me that same feeling, but the only difference is that they make you feel like you’re the only one. What I mean is, if you were to catch them play live- you’d feel as if it was just you in the room. Irrespective of size, they’d make you feel it was only you in the room. Like when the person you’re besotted with looks at you and when you look at them. That’s one of the best feelings in the world, and when music can evoke this grand and gorgeous feelings- that’s when you know you have found something to truly treasure when everything else seems painfully unruly and bland.

Their debut record from last summer is stunning. It’s got a beautiful summer feel to it. Something we all need when it is bloody freezing outside. They just take you somewhere really tranquil and serene. They add the perfect amount of calm to the mind, body and soul. For me they have that similar relaxed feel that is in the likes of Warpaint and Beach House. Two bands I absolutely adore who can calm any chaotic mind right down. For me, I feel that Water Trash have got this tight sound and I think it stems from them knowing each other since they were around 12 years old. They are growing together, and you can really hear that on their debut record, which sounds effortlessly timeless.

One of the louder moments on the record is a song called Elevator which has this heavy guitar sound that reminds me of the hook in Undone-The Sweater Song by Weezer. It’s laid-back then it just gloriously smacks you right in the choppers. I love when a band spring that kind of surprise on me. I think that’s when you know just how great a band is; no matter how many times you listen to the song it still has the ability to hit you. It’s such an amazing feeling.

Water Trash is such an exciting band to listen to, and you can really pick up on how much dedication and care has gone into their music. They’re the kind of band that you just cannot get enough over.

You can buy/stream their glorious sounds here:

https://watertrashpa.bandcamp.com/releases

 

LOVERS CLUB: Empty Ballroom Blues

Posted on by

a0409383280_10

 

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!

SHADY FRANCOS

Posted on by

10933798_1118102434882210_4780586266936259874_n

 

It’s pretty hard to listen to anything else or care about anything other than The Fall right now. It’s been a few days, and it still hasn’t sunk in that the greatest and most unapologetically honest frontman is no longer with us. It sucks. It really, really sucks.

I needed something this morning to lift my mood up a little bit this morning. I found a band called Shady Francos. Proper Rock n Roll band that have this excellent psychobilly sound flowing through. If you dig The Cramps, you’ll probably love this band. I’m not sure what they’re up to right now, or if they’re still together, but it’s alright. There’s enough music for me to work on to write about them.

https://soundcloud.com/fieldtripssd/shady-francos-cant-opener

They have this effortlessly cool sound, the kind of sound you wish you could make. They’re the kind of band that if you walked past them rehearsing, it would stop you in your tracks and you’d never leave. It’s an intriguing sound that leaves you wanting more, and more. It’s a real lucid sound that you cannot shake. You can’t get enough of it. Feel free to lose your damn mind to this band. Their bio says that they are from the shady part of San Diego. They really do make you feel like you have ended up on the wrong side of town. I’ve just finished reading Digging The Vein by Tony O’Neill (if you’ve never read his work, you’re really missing out. He’s an underrated genius) and Shady Francos really do make you feel a little creeped out with their sound. They are loud, off the wall and brutal with their sound.

I love the distorted and shaky vocals. I love how you can hear this trembling in the vocals that makes you cling onto every word. I love how aggressive the drums are which go perfectly with the vocals. Everything about this band is just brilliant. They remind me a little of The Cramps and Küken. Some bands are just made to be played loud. Some bands are made to just take you some place obscure- Shady Francos do exactly that. They make you want to sit and do a load of nothing with their music blaring out.

You can imagine some kid in San Diego listening to them and just wanting to do what they do when they are older. They’re subtle heroes, and given the chance could take over the world. Things take time, so I’ll let them takeover mine. I don’t mind.

Soggy Diner Toast is so far my favourite song by them, but I’m obviously likely to change my mind as I repeatedly listen to them and find new things to love about them and more songs to claim as my favourite. If you’re looking for a band to do a whole load of nothing to, then Shady Francos are the band for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyBpfkPyio

Play ‘em loud, piss off your neighbours and relax.

 

MARK E. SMITH

Posted on by

the-fall-mark-e-smith

 

I was about to settle down with a book and play The Fall when I read that Mark E. Smith had died. My hands are shaking. Hitting the keyboard to try type out some sense is all I’ve got.

I’ve been into The Fall for close to 16 years. I worshipped Mark E. Smith. His words were like religious scriptures to me. His words were to the point, honest and hilarious. Observational and vital. Pure and unapologetic. Genius, genuine. Northern. My hero.

Some dismissed him. Those who dismissed him didn’t get him. Those that got him adored him and like me, clung onto his words. For me, his words were my crutch when I was on the dole for a while and his words have rang true whilst I struggle living in a city that I just do not want to be in. His words, his voice, him. The hell do we do without him? I thought he would outlive us all, in a way he will. There will never ever be anyone like Mark E. Smith. There was no one else like him before. No one else will come close to him. He’s one of those people who are just so rare and so precious. I feel like someone has repeatedly punched me in the stomach. Can this just be a joke? Come on now.

His autobiography is my second most read book (my first being Just Kids by Patti Smith.) My copy is well read. It’s been everywhere with me. I’ve taken it on trips, I’ve used it to provide laughs, I’ve quoted it at appropriate and inappropriate times. I’ve clung onto it like a baby holds a blanket for comfort. Mark’s words were a safety net. They always will be. An escape route from the mundane.

The way he used his words was nothing short of brilliant. The guy was a genius. A proper poet. The people’s poet. He had this way of just getting in your head and making everything fall into place. Sure he had a reputation of being difficult or whatever, but he probably had his reasons. People can be idiots at times and he was probably rightfully annoyed at their stupidity. We can all relate to that.

I have this weird ritual that any time I leave London to go home/north, I have to play Hit The North a certain amount of times. When I hear this song, it gives me butterflies because I know I am going to see people I love. It reminds me of home. I don’t know why, but it always has. I used to listen to it at uni when I got homesick. The Fall have always been my band. Everyone has that one band that is theirs (I don’t mean in a “I love them more than you” way at all) They were a band I found on my own. By on my own, I mean staying up late to listen to them on the radio when John Peel would play something by them. I was hooked instantly. First listen and I knew I had found a band that would be a massive part of my life. A band that I would come to rely on over and over again.

Mark E. Smith was undoubtedly the most hardworking person in music. He was my superman. He had this ability to just make you connect to his words in a way that no other could. I know I love Morrissey with all I have, but Mark E. Smith was the King of Manchester. He truly, truly was. He made you want to have a pint with him in his local and just talk about anything and everything. He was so fascinating. I can’t get my head around writing this in past tense. It just doesn’t make sense at all.

I remember finding a copy of The Wonderful and Frightening World Of… in Oxfam on the Isle of Man and thinking I had won the lottery. In my head, it was my version of winning the lottery. It is one of my most played records. A couple years ago my mum got me a bootleg live record at a car boot sale on the Isle of Man along with Captain Beefheart and The Pretty Things.

I know this is all over the place, and there is so much more I could write. Maybe I will another time. For now, I have to let this settle in my head. How most felt about Bowie leaving us is how I feel about Mark E. Smith leaving us. The greatest frontman of all time, one of the greatest writers of all time. Entirely genuine and effortlessly charismatic. His humour and intellect was apparent in every single song, every single record, every single word he spoke, sang and wrote- it was all there. Always.

Mark E. Smith could make you belly laugh, he could make you chuckle at his observations, he could leave you in awe with his wisdom. He made you feel and think so much. He made you see things differently, and it was such an honour. The Fall weren’t a band that you listened to once in a while. They were, and are…fuck they ARE a band that just become so important to you. The amount of times I have had a panic attack and used Hip Priest to calm me down. It’s over 7 minutes and it’s one of the few songs that can calm my mind down. I can zone out, and all is okay.

Maybe it is pathetic, but I genuinely feel like someone has ripped my heart out and punched me in the gut over and over. It’s one of those things you dread. What do you do when your hero goes? I’m at a loss with this one. Like I said, there is so much more I could write and maybe I should have left it longer to get this out so it was written in a better way.

He had this laugh that was like a naughty schoolkid. I can hear it now as I blast out Hip Priest. His cheeky smile was infectious too. He was one of the good ones.

Thank you, Mark E. Smith. Forever my hero. Safe trip x

JADED JUICE RIDERS.

Posted on by

avatars-000209920110-9zua29-t500x500

As I am slowly approaching 10 years of writing about music, I realise I’ve got sloppy with it. I’m more likely to sit and watch crime documentaries than do what I love. Maybe it’s a distraction- but what from? Anyway, I’m going to push that aside briefly and write about a band that have given me the urge to write about them because they are THAT good. The thing is, I do want to write- but maybe I also don’t want to. I’m talking to myself.

Jaded Juice Riders are made up of two brothers, Josh and Mateo Hwang.  They have a sound that I always gravitate towards- they make me feel like I’m on a beach in California with a load of nothing to do, watching the world go by with some good music blasting in my ears. I think part of me will always want to do that, but the other part (the bigger part) hates flying and would get annoyed by the heat. I’d rather escape in my mind than physically.

What I really enjoy about Jaded Juice Riders is this playful yet distorted sound. It makes you want to dance around but they also relax you. You can be anywhere in the world when you listen to them, and for me that’s a huge thing. Their sound reflects a gorgeous summer mood. I think anyone who loves Wavves (who doesn’t!?) would really like Jaded Juice Riders. Both bands give off that same feel in their music. I can’t really put it into words, but I do know that I absolutely love it. Maybe this was the kick I needed to write again. I just want to shut off and listen to Jaded Juice Riders. It’s grim in London today, and this band have taken me to a warmer place. Year 22 is definitely one of the songs that you there.

Their last release, Bowl Cut came out in October last year and it is criminally underrated and nothing short of brilliant. It’s got the perfect mix of lo-fi/Garage with Surfer Rock tones. I guess that’s a sound? I’m not sure. I read it once when reading about a band I like. Jaded Juice Riders sound like a party I wouldn’t bail out on going to- and I’m useless at parties. They just make you want to relax and just be. Be whatever you want. Do whatever the hell you want. They are an absolute delight to listen to and to get lost in. Oh and they are huge fans of playing Fifa- something which I can relate to. They’re the perfect band to listen to whilst playing, for sure.

The slight fuzzy sound and distorted vocals are so great, and so easy to fall in love with. I love the songs Agriculture and Mr Psycho so much. The lyrics to Agriculture are my favourite- so far. They have a number of releases that are well worth investing time (and money) in.  If you’re new to them, start with Bowl Cut and work backwards. Or go in whatever order you like. Their first record (I think it is self-titled) is my favourite so far. It’s got a more raw sound, but they still keep with that in the likes of Bowl Cut. It’s a real distinctive sound that you cannot help but enjoy. They’re just a brilliant band, and I hope one day they make it over here because I reckon their live shows would be wild. They have that sound that is just made to be played in a live setting.

If you’re having a shitty day, Jaded Juice Riders will make it much better. Stick your headphones on, play it as loud as you want, shut off from your surroundings and let them take you somewhere magical and trippy.