Tag Archives: New Music 2018

DORIAN: Just What Is It That Makes Dorian So Different, So Appealing?

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When I was at University back in 2006, there was one band in particular that saved me from loneliness and homesickness. A band that I would listen to almost religiously- The Long Blondes. I think them splitting up was one of my biggest heartbreaks I’ve ever encountered. But, we must move on. I still listen to them. Certain songs are still my crutch. Kate Jackson’s solo record blew my mind and know it is time for Dorian Cox to step up and show us what he’s made of.

Dorian has been involved in a number of projects over the past few years, and his current one is heavily and wonderfully influenced by two of the greatest bands of all time- Suicide and The Velvet Underground. I can accept a lot of things in life, but I have a hard time accepting that someone wouldn’t be a fan of Suicide or The Velvet Underground. Their dirty and raw New York sound is something I have always been in love with, and I love finding music that has been influenced by one or the other, or both. Dorian’s debut release is wonderfully titled Just What Is It That Makes Dorian So Different, So Appealing? It sounds like an early title from a song by The Smiths doesn’t it? Bloody great.

This EP reminds me of early Suicide with a massive nod to the genius, Mark E. Smith. The distorted vocals over the synth and drum machine work so well. I’ve listened to this a few times now since it came out at the end of January and I can safely say that the lyrics to Forever Is My Favourite Cliché possess some of Dorian’s finest work, lyrically. I have always adored Kate and Dorian’s song writing skills both separately and together. I love the sheer sleazily and dirty feel in the songs- it stays true to that eeriness of Suicide and darkness of Lou Reed’s words. Sure it’s an acquired taste, but I think those who love Suicide will adore this. It takes you back to the first time you heard the likes of The Fall and Suicide, and it stays with you. That feeling builds and builds with every listen. These aren’t songs you’ll hear in a club- these are songs you’ll hear at house parties at 2am when everyone has emotionally crashed and needs something to lift their spirits. It’ll spark up conversations with potential love interests, it’ll bring together people who wouldn’t probably talk to each other at any other time.

It is has got this quality and feel to it that can ignite feelings, thoughts and wonder. You can play it at any given time and it’ll make you feel like you are elsewhere. I first played it when it came out. I was sat at my desk at work and I just played it a few times to try understand what was going on and what Dorian wanted to achieve with this record. I feel that if he wanted to create this real raw and dirty sound then he has done it easily. No problem. I love music that makes your ears feel a little violated and your mind warped. I love anything that’s a bit dark and sinister. Just What Is It That Makes Dorian So Different, So Appealing? is a brilliant EP and one that is probably best enjoyed around 3am when you can’t sleep. When it ends, allow yourself to drift off and have insane dreams. Maybe Alan Vega will come visit you with Mark E. Smith in tow.

Dream baby dream.

You can listen to/buy the EP here:

https://dorian.bandcamp.com/releases

THE SOFT MOON: Criminal

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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!

SHADY FRANCOS

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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.

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

 

JADED JUICE RIDERS.

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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.