Tag Archives: New Music

CHEAP-SKATE.

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What is there to do on a boring Sunday evening but write about one of the most exciting bands from Australia- CHEAP-SKATE! I genuinely thought I’d written about them before, but turns out I’ve ignored the list on my phone of bands I want to write about for some time now, so I’ve deleted it. My notes app is a questionable place and the list of bands I had jotted down was probably the only coherent thing I had on there.

I’m very late with this, and this is a band I should have written about years ago it seems but, I do not like order or being organised. I don’t like it when it’s forced upon me, and it makes me want to do the opposite of what I’m told. Basically, I don’t like being told what to do. Even if I’m the one telling myself what to do. I’ve gone off track- sorry! By years ago, I mean in 2022 which is still pretty recent, right? Anyway, CHEAP-SKATE started in 2022 and over the past few years they’ve become a solid name in the Australian Garage Rock scene, and rightfully so.

What our boy Blaike Murphy has created as CHEAP-SKATE is something really beautiful. It makes you want to drink lukewarm beer in the sun and attempt to skate down the promenade. I cannot skate but I LOVE skateboarding as much as I love football, pizza, and music. Oh, and my cat. CHEAP-SKATE make the kind of music I wish I could; if I was in a band, I’d either want it to sound like this or The Jesus And Mary Chain. I remember listening to CHEAP-SKATE towards the end of 2022/start of 2023, and I remember getting this eternal summer feeling from the music. It felt like even on the coldest of December days, the sun was on my back when I was listening to them. That feeling hasn’t gone at all, and I know CHEAP-SKATE is Blaike’s side project, but I just hope he never stops making music as CHEAP-SKATE.

With a handful of singles and EPs already out there, there’s no denying just how bloody great CHEAP-SKATES is. I wish I could tell you their best songs or where to start, but I can’t. You just have to go in head first from the start and work your way to present day (or to a few weeks ago.) One of the last releases was SUN, which came out at the start of December if I remember correctly, and it’s made up of 5 songs and it doesn’t even hit the 15 minute mark. So, if you’ve got a really bad attention span- then it’s the record for you. CHEAP-SKATE are the band for you. There’s this divine sun-kissed sound going on, and it’s the fuzzy guitar, it’s the intense drums and blissed-out vocals that make CHEAP-SKATE the band that they are. However, there was a nice surprise drop 2 days ago and new EP GROM came out. It may only be 3 songs, but those 3 songs totally rip. They were written and recorded in a few hours, and if this is what CHEAP-SKATE can do in a few hours, then there’s no telling how great what comes next will be.

CHEAP-SKATE make the kind of music for those of us who are alone a fair amount of the time- stick our headphones on and go about our day with our favourite sounds in our ears. By no means is it a bad thing, if anything it brings a lot of inner peace and you know what? You, me, whoever- we deserve it. There’s no better feeling than being at peace with yourself, and listening to music that makes you feel good, you know? No better feeling. CHEAP-SKATE for me are just another band that I’d sell my kidneys to see live. You can just tell that the energy is right, and the show would be unreal. If I ever won the lottery (have to play it first, I know!) there’s a bunch of bands I’d be bringing over for tours, and CHEAP-SKATE would be high on my list.

I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about the band that I love so much, but I think it’s the feeling I get from listening to them. Everything just feels alright, and given how cruel the world is- we all need that band in our corner. It all started in 2022 with the song I Don’t Wanna and now we’ve got to the GROM mini-EP; everything in between shows us why CHEAP-SKATE are such a great band, and one worth telling any and everyone about. I love that listening to the band makes you feel like you’re hanging out with someone who REALLY gets you. That’s a rare feeling- to find it in music and in a person, and Blaike does it in such a way that isn’t overwhelming, and the songs are delicate when they need to be and I think that’s part of why the band own a piece of my heart. I feel like I’m hanging out with my best mate when I listen to CHEAP-SKATE, and it’s such a pure feeling to gain from listening to music. We don’t get it enough, and I think that’s why bands like CHEAP-SKATE need to be treasured and appreciated. There’s a strong lo-fi DIY sound to the music, and its Surf-Punk at its finest (if we’re needing labels) and hand on heart, this band feel like home.

If you love bands like SKEGSS, WAVVES, Hockey Dad, Goblin Mode…all the good stuff! Then you’re going to fall in love with CHEAP-SKATE. I can’t wait to hear more from the band this year because the sheer joy they bring is just heavenly!

DITZ: Never Exhale.

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Nearly a decade ago, the band DITZ formed, and nothing was ever the same since. From their first EP in the same year to 2022’s debut, The Great Regression and a live record thrown in the middle- the band have made a name for themselves. They’ve become one of the best bands in this country, but also- criminally underrated. They aren’t a band for casual listening. They’re a band that when you listen to them, you listen with intent. With everything you have, and more (if you have it in you.)

In about 16 days’ time their new record, Never Exhale will be released. How early it is in the year to call it as one of the best records of the year, but it’s an accurate claim and I know by mid-September I’ll feel the same. I cannot budge on my love for DITZ. Never. Everything about their new record shows the band at their very best, and it doesn’t feel like it’s a band who are about to give us only their second full length record. This is a record that holds a lot of weight, importance, and passion. It’s a bloody unreal record and it just reinforces why I love them so much. I think any DITZ fan is going to fall madly and utterly in love with this one.

I won’t get into how great Taxi Man and Space/Smile are because with them being the two lead singles so far- you already know how great they are and beautifully set the tone of the record. The urgency on Space/Smile is throughout the record, and that raspy tone in C.A. Francis’ voice is just divine. You want more and more of it. There’s so much beauty in the lyrics on the record, and for me Senor Siniestro is lyrically up there as being my favourite. I love how C.A. Francis describes standing on a snail in the rain and the feeling and sounds it beings. The way this song kicks in just before the 2 minute mark is WILD, and I think live this is going to be one that truly sticks with you. There’s desperation in this song, and I think for me, that’s what makes it hit hardest. They are a band that HAVE to be seen live, because there’s no way that these songs should be confined to you listening to them in your bedroom.

For me, DITZ make the kind of music that you want to crawl inside of and stay there. You want every sound, lyric, note- every element of the music to just consume you in all ways possible. A person could never come close to giving you this; but music can. It always has, and always will. DITZ are a band that just never seem to stop and the bursts of energy on Never Exhale show this. There is this force in the songs that feels like you are preparing for something, they hype you up but at the same time you find a home and comfort in them.

Every song on this record serves a purpose, and that purpose is to make YOU listen. You have to. Like I mentioned, they aren’t a band that you have on in the background and casually listen to them. Oh no! DITZ are to be heard. You cannot just passively listen to songs like God on a Speed Dial and go about your daily business- absolutely not! Every emotion possible will go through you. It’s vocally one of the best moments on the record. Smells Like Something Died In Here isn’t only the best song title of 2025, but it may just be DITZ at their very best. It’s heavy, it’s brutal, it’s eerie and it should unsettle you. It’s the kind of song you’d want to hear during a horrific scene in a sketchy Horror film and something truly awful is about to happen. The atmosphere on this record is haunting and tense, and it is heightened on this song- well and truly. If a Horror film could be captured in a song, it’s this one.

On the way to work this morning, I was listening to The Great Regression and as I listen to Never Exhale, I can hear just how the band have secured their sound and built themselves to be one of the most thrilling bands we have in this country. Caleb kills the bass on 18 Wheeler, then when Sam comes in with the drums to back up the punchy tones of Caleb- it all comes together with Anton and Jack adding this extra heaviness, and it just makes for one of the most captivating moments on the record. It also has that distinctive DITZ sound- like you’re having an MRI scan, or someone is drilling your skull, and they pour their sounds into your ears, and it just swallows you up. Nothing else can be heard. It sinks deep into you. It’s consuming, and it is beautiful. This band go beyond giving you all that you need.

The Body as a Structure is the one that’s got me right in the gut. This is the one I’m most excited to see live (if they play it!) and touches on “the separation of the physical from an ingrained sense of reality” which is a beautiful way of explaining how important this song is. I feel this is going to be the song that I keep going back to. I don’t think I’m going to personally hear a song that will hit me in the gut like this for the rest of the year. There are a few reasons why this one hits me the most, but honestly? No one needs to hear it, nor does it need to be written down. It’s just one of the most powerful songs we’ll get this year.

The record ends with britney; 7 and a half minutes of greatness. The record consists of perfect moments and every song deserves its place. This the perfect way to close the record and it is the band at their most vulnerable. It’s one of those songs that will leave you crying at how beautiful it is- it’s the 2 minute mark onwards that grips you. It’s a tough listen, but if you can stomach it; then you’ll feel every emotion possible on this one. It’s heavy, and it’s by no means an easy listen. It’s one where you sit and let it consume you. It’s poetic, it’s passionate and it’s intense. That sums the record up in general, but my god on this song it exceeds it all. You have to listen to this with headphones on and with your eyes closed. Don’t let anyone or anything near you to distract you. For those 7 and a half minutes- you belong to DITZ and no one else. The build up and the release during the last 2 minutes on this song feels like something is clawing it’s way out of you, then when it all ends and the quiet hits all you are left with is how the record has made you feel, and what the hell do you do afterwards. You’re overwhelmed in the best way possible.

Never Exhale is a record that will stay with you for a long time after you’ve listened to it. Certain moments on the record will hit you as you go about your day, and you’ll feel the need to stop everything, and let the record consume you all over again. The same feeling I got when I heard them for the first time is alive and well after listening to the new record, and I think if a band can do that, then you know you’ve found something special. And you know that they have created something that goes beyond words and feelings.

SNARLING DOGS: S/T LP.

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Craving some loud, rowdy music is like wanting a pizza or something else that’s apparently bad for your gut. You want the music to hit you in the gut and give you tummy cramps right after you’ve consumed too much of it- utterly gluttonous but exactly what you need at that time. This is where the debut record from Snarling Dogs comes in. It’s the kind of music that, if it came out when Dead Boys did- your folks probably would have been disappointed or kicked you out. I’ve got a cool mum, so she’d probably say this wasn’t for her, and let me carry on.

As far as debut records go, this one is a real ripper of a record. It feels like a thousand kicks to the face in the most majestic way possible. Snarling Dogs are the kind of band who you just KNOW put on a hell of a show. They’ve got this beautiful and rowdy feel to their sound. Does it feel like you’re listening to Dead Boys for the first time? Yes. It’s got that edge to it, it’s got that bite of Young, Loud and Snotty. One of the finest records of all time. Perfect from start to end. That’s exactly what you get with Snarling Dogs. Put on your battered leather jacket and go cause some trouble! This record, although it came out in November, is the antidote to those January Blues we’re all hearing out. Hey, don’t let anyone tell you that you need to have a bad time- or good time for that matter!

Only one song just goes over the 3 minute mark, and if you’re like me and have a really bad attention span- this band will give you all you need. I’m playing it quite loud, and my cat is happily sleeping away next to me. Is this what joy is? I think it just may be! If she can sleep through the noise and not run off scared, then it’s fair to say that Snarling Dogs know where it’s at. They’ve got such a chaotic sound, and honestly, this record makes it hard to accept this is their debut. It’s truly something else.

I’m An Animal has a real Stiv Bators feel to the vocals mixed with David Johansen (New York Dolls) to it. There’s a lot going on on this record, but that’s not a bad thing. Every song serves a purpose, and that purpose is to play the bastard really, really loud.

The adrenalin on this record is divine; imagine being in the same room as the band as they recorded this monster of a record?! I love the ferociousness of every single song, but the one that oozes it the most has to be Sniper and it then goes smack into Highway Of Hurt. Come on now! This is so good; it should be illegal! I feel they’re a band that need to be seen live, and this record was made for two things- to be played loud and to be seen live. Can someone get this band to the UK? It’s so easy to love a band like this when you’re already obsessed with Punk. As someone who does need/like quiet in their head, having music like this go through my bones and soul calms everything. Do I know why? No. Do I want to know why? Nope. Snarling Dogs have been influenced by so many bands I love and have taken that inspiration, and made something really remarkable. It’s the kind of music you’d chain smoke to (I don’t smoke but go with it) and probably down about 20 beers (I can only drink one before I feel sick!)

You can easily imagine bodies being thrown about in the pit at their shows, and people leaving covered in beer and sweat- none of which may be their own. I just love the sound they have, and I hope whatever comes next for them is just as big as this record. Like I mentioned above, this doesn’t feel like a debut record but you can tell it’s been a long time coming this record, and that hard work has truly paid off.

The record is filthy in the best way possible. It’s rebellious, it’s loud, it’s smutty, it’s all the things we were warned against. It might even be bad for our health, but that just makes us want it even more. And louder too. Their debut record is like a rabid dog gnawing at your leg, and will not let go at all. This band won’t let you; they need you to listen.

THE BATTERY FARM: Dark Web.

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Some bands are put here to make a difference. Some go beyond making a difference, and you wonder how we managed to get this far without them. The Battery Farm aren’t just a band; they’re something else. Something that we need, something we’ve needed for so long.  There are messages and meaning in every single song. You don’t need to be told what they are, use your ears to work it out. You’ll get there. I don’t think they realise how powerful they are. There are some bands that just make a difference- think of bands like Benefits. The messaging is clear.

Dark Web is a fighter of a record. It’s rowdy. It’s angry. Really angry, and we’ve got a lot to be angry about. Ben’s vocals on Hail Mary start soft in comparison to how gritty his vocals usually are, but you can hear the rage. You pick up on that rage. The whole record feels like a smack in the face but also a call to change. His vocals really kick in on this song, and it’s that raw and gnarly tone that really pricks up your ears. You HAVE to listen.

You can really sense that this was a cathartic record to make, and you feel it may have taken a fair bit out of them to make. It’s a record that HAS to be heard live, I don’t think it was made for any other purpose other than getting it heard by as many people as possible wherever they can. Dark Web starts gentle, like Ben’s vocals are light on this but the last 30 seconds or so- his voice is still light, but there’s something really menacing about it- and it’s so beautiful.

Icicles is the oddest sounding song on the record, and I mean that in the best way possible. Musically, its brilliantly all over the place. The guitar has NO business sounding that slick and that good on the record- you can move to this one. But the heaviness of the lyrics creates this collision of worlds and what you get is a song that just stops you. You have to really sit and listen to this one; it pulls you in different ways and that’s not a bad thing at all.

For me it’s all about the passion, fury and honesty on the record. The most open song on this record is It’s A Shame, Thanks A Lot. The way Ben speaks about his experience and his mental health on this really, really hits you. I’ve had to stop and start this one a few times. Anyone who has had to carry around having really shit mental health will get why this one hits the gut very hard. I don’t see a need for me to write about this song because it is SO personal and so vulnerable. Just, there was a time where this song would have summed up everything I was feeling, and I’d have turned it off. I think the band have created something here that will help so many.

As far as second records go, they’ve nailed it and then some. They’ve surpassed all they did on their debut. Dark Web shows us exactly what they band are made of. How loud they can do, how fearless they are musically and lyrically and how much they have grown from then to now. They’re a band that Manchester is proud to have and claim. They’re just everything we need, and so much more. This is The Battery Farm at their finest, but we know they’ll keep getting better.

Bands that challenge their fans and those who listen are to be treasured, and we need to treasure The Battery Farm with all we have.

BAMBARA: Pray To Me.

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That feeling of a band you absolutely love and adore putting new music out never ever gets old. Last week Bambara announced a UK/EU tour for April 2025, and I cannot wait to see them again. They’re one of those bands that when you see them live, they change EVERYTHING. They become a band that you don’t just see once and that’s enough. They’re a band that you have to see, no matter what. They put on a show that goes beyond being put into words- you HAVE to witness it. You HAVE to be in that moment. It is the most euphoric thing and you never want it to end. I cannot liken it to anything else.

And with a tour comes a new record, and a new song to lure us all back in. We never went anywhere, we’ve been waiting for this for so long. They’re back with a new song called Pray To Me which is 3 and a half minutes of heaven. It’s Bambara at their very best, and of course that happens with everything they do. They’re a band that get better every single time, and how on earth can they top anything else they’ve ever done? They’re a criminally underrated band for sure. Reid has one of the most calming voices I’ve ever heard. You could be having a really tough day, and the second you start playing a Bambara song, it all feels okay. The lyrics are dark and unholy, and that’s why I love them. I love how dark, poetic and twisted the lyrics are. Reid could easily write a novel with these lyrics. Not a poetry book- I’m talking a super eerie novel that messes with your heard, and you cannot help but go back to it. Think Tony O’Neill, Arthur Nersessian – the good stuff. Pray To Me is violent and haunting; there’s no way you can get enough of it.

The video fits the mood of the song perfectly. The close up of Reid’s face as he recites these beautiful and chilling words to the camera- this band couldn’t be any more perfect if they tried. If you go back and listen to every song in full, you’ll hear just how their sound has developed and gotten firmer. They have such a distinctive sound, and it’s one that may scare the listener a little bit but there’s the dark romanticism in the songs that make them so divine. We don’t need those boring and artificially sweet love songs. Give me the dark and eerie ones. They make more sense.

Bambara will be releasing the record via Bella Union (what a sign!) and the tickets for tour go on sale tomorrow. Everything you need is here: https://www.bambaranyc.com/tour

The new record, Birthmarks is out 14th March, and you can pre-order the best record of 2025 here: https://bellaunion.com/products/bambara-birthmarks

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS: Detroit.

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The best Geordie lads are back! Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (I have to count every time!) are thankfully back with a beautifully heavy number, Detroit.

Detroit, in their words is about, “a ghastly, needy and controlling man.” And the world knows we have plenty of them- especially at the moment! This is Pigsx7 at their loudest, at their utter best. If a new record is coming (let’s be honest, it must be because a tour’s been announced too) and this is the sound they’re going with, then I think we’ve found the record of 2025 already.

To quote the band, “Detroit’ is massive slab of striking noise rock about a hideous man with even worse behaviours. Better we let Matt take it from here: “Detroit reflects on the worst manifestations of male jealousy and resentment, and the ways in which the deliberate avoidance of accountability can lead to deflecting responsibility in exchange for blaming external forces like fate or God for perceived injustice”.  And if I couldn’t love this band anymore, all the money the streaming of Detroit generates will be donated to domestic abuse charities prior to the tour. THAT is how you do it.

The new song is heavy and rowdy. You can feel the aggression and the story-telling really makes it, you feel the rage too. You almost feel as pathetic as those types of people who behave this way, and that’s what makes Pigsx7 such a bloody incredible band- they put you in the position of others, even when that position is really unsettling in every way possible. For me, Pigsx7 are a comfort band. I love nothing more than just being on my own, wandering round or at work with their music blasting worryingly loud in my ears. I find the whole sound just makes me feel really safe. I cannot explain why, it just does. I’ve only seen them live once, and I remember being stood at the back but I could see EVERYTHING and even though the room was packed- I felt like it was just me in the room. Easily one of the loudest and best bands around, and the gig was definitely up there as being one of my favourites.

A new tour for 2025 has been announced, and the dates are:

UK – APRIL 2025:
03 – Brighton, UK – CHALK
04 – London, UK – KOKO
05 – Bristol, UK – SWX
07 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
08 – Birmingham, UK – The Castle & Falcon
09 – Birkenhead, UK – Future Yard
11 – Manchester, UK – New Century Hall
12 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
15 – Edinburgh, UK – La Belle Angèle
16 – Glasgow, UK – St Luke’s

EUROPE – MAY 2025:
17 – Paris, FR – La Maroquinerie
22 – Cologne, DE – Gebäude 9
23 – Düdingen, CH – Bad Bonn
24 – Munich, DE – Strom
26 – Leipzig, DE – UT Connewitz
27 – Berlin, DE – Säälchen
28 – Hamburg, DE – Knust

So, if record number 5 really is on the way then I think it’s safe to say it’s going to be nothing short of divine!

BRUISE CONTROL: Left Behind.

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Writing about Bruise Control is a dream. It’s a luxury. It’s something I’ll never get bored of because I just bloody love this band with all I have. I’ve seen them play small sweaty venues and I’ve seen them rip the roof off the Albert Hall whilst supporting Amyl and The Sniffers (if you were there, you’ll know how special that gig truly was!)

Manchester’s finest are back with an excellent new single and video to match. Left Behind is a perfect Punk anthem. That’s what Bruise Control are about- writing perfect anthems that sum up the fury and frustrations of daily life. They let it all out, and in turn, we shout the words back at their shows. They are one of the most exciting bands around- and I don’t just mean in Manchester. I mean in general. My love for this band is massive, and I could write you a full on thesis on why they are the best but I’ll save that for the next record. I’d say that Left Behind is Bruise Control at their very best, but anyone can tell that they are ALWAYS at their very best- it’s dead easy for them. Their sound is theirs, and theirs alone. No one else out there sounds like them, and that’s why they are such a joy to listen to.

I adore the chorus of the song, and it massively sums up the pains of living in a city that seems to want to build ugly high rise glass buildings. Green space is a myth. Community spaces are turned into pretentious coffee shops. It’s a drag to see, and it’s happening everywhere. It’s happening here in Manchester, and it’s heartbreaking because not only are these glass buildings ugly as fuck; they’re painfully expensive. Nowhere should cost that much to live. It’s vile. Anyway, I’m going to end up ranting so I’ll stop. I’ll save the rants for when I get a taxi because local taxi drivers LOVE to talk about how awful these buildings are, and I’m totally here for it.

Learn the chorus, and shout along with the band.

We desperately needs bands like this, and when you find them- cling onto them. Sometimes you just need to find something in a band like Bruise Control because they let it all out.

Their biggest headliner show is in a few weeks at YES in Manchester on the 29th November. Buy a ticket, learn the words. Have a lovely time!

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS: Cartoon Darkness.

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Some bands make the world better by making music that you truly feel in your gut. Their music becomes the voice in your head that you need when things feel a little too much. That’s the thing with music- it’s always there. People aren’t. They come with conditions and at times, demands you cannot meet. Music doesn’t do this. So, what does this have to do with the new Amyl and The Sniffers record? Absolutely everything, and more.

Cartoon Darkness is THEIR record. The record they were always destined to make. It could have been immediately, or it could have been in 15 years’ time- but it’s now and thank god it’s now.

The record opens with the latest release, Jerkin’. It feels like it’s a much-needed dig at male journalists who objectify Amy. We’ve all seen it- not just with Amy, but countless of other female musicians. They seem to think talking about what someone is wearing is far more important than the words coming out of their mouth. That isn’t journalism, that’s being a total prick. But what do I know!

We then go smack into Chewing Gum, which is lyrically, one of my favourite Amyl and The Sniffers songs. They’ve come a long, long way from being a little pub rock band, but it was so obvious that this was going to happen. Some bands are destined to make it, and this band are one of them. I won’t focus too much on the songs that have already been released, but I do want to mention that hearing Big Dreams in between Tiny Bikini and Its Mine is so beautiful. Big Dreams is THAT song you go to when you feel awful, and it just makes everything alright again. Then, you go back and play Chewing Gum. That’s when it all clicks, and you feel alright.

Over the past 8 years or so, they’ve been making their own noise and on their own terms. I remember hearing the Giddy Up EP and it blew my mind. I felt like a kid in the 70s hearing Punk for the very first time. I found the band I was always was meant to find, and it’s been a wild ride since. Everything they’ve released has been magical; how can a band be this good? HOW? For them, it’s easy. Each of them has this glorious style and sound that just has you hooked. Bryce is an insane drummer; Gus is THE coolest bassist, and Dec is just a monster on the guitar. Amy is one of the best frontwomen around. Actually, fuck gender. Irrespective of gender- Amy is one of the most charismatic and divine singers I’ve ever seen. The way she holds a crowd, how she can control them and just have everyone hooked on the band? Effortless. If you’ve seen them live, you’ll know exactly what I mean. This band have it all, and then some!

Cartoon Darkness is a treat for us Punk fans. It’s 13 songs and just over half an hour long. As someone with awful attention span and cannot sit still for too long- this record feels like every single thought bouncing in my head. Like a pinball machine in the corners of my mind- back and forth, then a bit chaotic in the middle. It’s a fucking great record. Right now, my favourite song on the record is Doing in Me Head closely followed by Pigs and maybe Motorbike Song. I think Doing in Me Head may be my solid favourite; I don’t think I can change my mind on that (this isn’t counting Chewing Gum or Big Dreams.) The record is fun, and sure some of the topics are heavy, and Amy has said the record is about a range of things such as war and climate crisis- but there’s fun on this record. It’s got an innocence to it, and you find that in everything this band do. There’s this beautiful gentleness and fragility on Bailing on Me- it’s heartbreaking, and hearing her voice so delicate on this will cut through it. It’s such an easy song to relate to. We’ve all had someone who constantly lets us down, and when you get to the point of realisation of it and let it go- that’s the biggest relief. Trust me. Letting things and people go that just let you down may feel tough, but when you do it- everything feels lighter. It’s one of the quieter moments on the record, and it then goes right into U Should Not Be Doing That (the bass reminds me of Psycho Killer, and it’s SO good!) Me and the Girls wraps up the record- it’s a chaotic night out with a description of the morning after; the perfect way to close a phenomenal record. Also, don’t overlook the power of the song Tiny Bikini- that song will also be incredible live. The whole record is a fervent work of art.

I guess in short, we can say that this is their best record so far. Their finest release. I’ll always, always have space in my heart reserved for Giddy Up- it started everything for me, and to hear the band go from songs like Stole My Pushbike to all they’ve created on Cartoon Darkness is a joy to see and hear. There’s no other band quite like them, and I honestly don’t think we’ll ever get another band like them. Bands like this are so rare, and we’ve got to treasure them whilst we have them. The band will ALWAYS have that rowdy and raw sound, and it’s so clear on It’s Mine. That song is going to be WILD live. The whole record is going to be insane live; I cannot wait. Imagine witnessing It’s Mine and Motorbike Song live! It’s going to be unreal.

Their debut self-titled record to Comfort to Me, then to Cartoon Darkness- you can definitely hear the growth. The production, the way the band play, the writing and the strength in Amy’s voice is unreal. This record is their first on a massive label, but it’s not changed their sound at all. They’ll always have that beautiful raw sound we all fell in love with many years ago.

The energy on this record will set you up right for the day. I think I’m on my fourth or fifth listen now, and I just keep picking up on more things to love about the record. There’s so much to love and appreciate on this record. The second part of the record shows a more vulnerable side to the band lyrically, and I think Going Somewhere may be their biggest sounding song to date. This live is going to rip. I cannot wait to hear these new songs live; their songs are all made to be heard live-that’s the kind of band they are.

Every song on this record deserves its place and needs to be played so loud. It’s one of those records that makes you so proud to be a fan of the band.

JASMINE.4.T: Elephant.

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For the past few months or so, I’ve been obsessing over a singer that is based in the city the city that I too, call home. I should have written this months ago, and now I’ve got a list of records I want to write about that’s longer than I intended to have. I’m not one for prioritising things (life is too short for order and structure) but this should have been done months ago. I guess the best time to do it is now. On a Tuesday afternoon as my cat has another nap next to me, occasionally moving when she thinks a bird is flying past.

Jasmine.4.t is everything you could want from a singer/songwriter. She’s honest, relatable and has a beautiful way with words. For the most part, I listen to music that could be loud enough to wake the dead but we all need balance. Jasmine is that balance, and she does it in the purest way possible. She recently supported the equally stunning Tom Rasmussen at their Manchester show last week (I couldn’t go and I feel I will regret this forever) and you can only imagine how beautiful that would have been. Jasmine’s voice is there to comfort anyone, but there’s something else to her beautiful sound that feels like home. Her voice is so delicate, so gentle; you cannot help but feel connected to the words she sings and how she sings. How can someone so wonderful create such beauty? Turns out, pretty easily. Her voice feels like the comfort you need when everything is really heavy. It’s like a protective cloak.

Jasmine’s new song, Elephant was released today and if you listen to it in passing, you’ll just think it’s a really good song. That’s absolutely fine, but if you want the meaning, here you go: “I wrote ‘Elephant’ very early in my transition about my first t4t love. It’s about when it hurts because you’re trying to be friends but you both want to be more. My life in Bristol fell apart when I came out and, having no safe place to live, I was staying on queers’ sofas in Manchester, traumatised and in no place to start a relationship.” When you read that, it changes how you hear the song in the best way. It shows this vulnerability that we may not get often, and I guess that’s why you really feel every word, right? No one should ever feel unsafe, and I think as Queer people, we do find it hard to feel safe and when you find a safe space- you cling onto it. I think that’s why I stay home a lot- my safe space is wherever my cat is. I cried when I played Elephant earlier because it is such a beautiful and honest song. I keep using those two words to describe Jasmine’s music, but I don’t think there are any other words right now I can think of. Initially I was going to write about their music in general, but Elephant is too an important song to not give attention to. There’s light and heaviness on this song, and in Jasmine’s sound in general. The tender moments are to be treasured and the louder moments are there to be truly felt and be turned up. You get a real sense of community in her music, and that feeling doesn’t come around often. It is to be treasured and to be kept close.

The video shows Manchester in all its glory, and why it’s such a beautiful city. Even when it’s pissing it down (all the time, we get it. We hear it all the time!) it’s still the best place, and it’s still home. I’m so happy that Jasmine calls this city home and feels safe here.  It’s important to mention that Jasmine’s band are also trans, and having that support on tour for each of them must be such a relief to know you always have someone there who understands and again, keeps you safe.

Jasmine’s debut record, You Are The Morning will be out 17th January. The last song on the record, Woman sees Jasmine backed by the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. I reckon that’ll be the song that makes me cry like an absolute baby. If Elephant is anything to go by, I’ll probably weep listening to the whole record anyway! I am SO excited to hear the record and to see what’s next for Jasmine and her band (Phoenix Rousiamanis and Eden O’Brien.) They deserve the world and more.

I also want to mention that Jasmine does a lot of work for/with Trans Mutual Aid Manchester. They’re a grassroots organisation based here, and they do amazing work in the community. If you have a few minutes to spare (which you do, because you’ve read this! Please read up about the work they do and how you can help here: https://linktr.ee/tmamcr )

CROWS: Reason Enough.

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I have stopped and started writing this more times than I can admit. I have deleted, deleted, and slammed my laptop shut, then tried again to even start this. How do you even start writing about this record? It’s pretty obvious that Crows have never (and will never) release a bad song or record. The 3 singles from the new record have all been exceptional (I don’t think any song has truly moved me like Vision Of Me has, and I’m sort of able to listen to it now without having a little cry! That’s growth 😉) and sometimes when a band releases such strong singles, you feel the rest of the record may not match up. There is nothing to worry about on Reason Enough. I have no idea how many times I listened to it yesterday, but I didn’t feel ready to put my thoughts down. But I am now.

The record opens with the title track, Reason Enough. If you’re looking for the best opener for a record this year-it’s this one. The drums and the bass? HOLY.SHIT. It’s got this heaviness to it that is on a Stoner Rock level. Jith and Sam truly shine on this one. The drums feel like a crashing into the ear drums and the bass feels like someone is possessing your body with electric shocks, and you’re not mad about it. When it all comes together and gets heavier, and heavier- as a Crows fan, you feel this relief. Relief that this record is FINALLY here. Inject this song right into my eardrums. I don’t care about the damage. James’ vocals on this are simply perfect, and Steve’s guitar on this should be illegal. In fact, it should be a crime for a song to be this euphoric. The way it changes for the last minute or so, and the song comes alive in a different way altogether- are you kidding me?! This live is going to be wild.

I’m going to skip over Bored, Is It Better? and Vision Of Me because I’ve already written about them, and I think my feelings towards Vision Of Me are very clear. In 30 years’, time, I will still be calling it as one of the most beautiful and honest songs ever written. I want it tattooed on my skin and carved into my brain. It’s a reminder. It’s a crutch. Much like Healing and Room 156. I think they’re my holy trinity of Crows songs; I’d play them to someone who hadn’t heard them before, but I don’t think I could handle a negative reaction! Anyway, let’s move on because I will go into why Vision Of Me is probably one of the best songs ever written again!

Land Of The Rose is a perfect anthem declaring how shit this country is. Turn on the news and all you see is pain, poverty and politicians repeating their nonsensical lies. This is why we need bands like Crows. This is why we need music or any form of art- it’s an escape but also helps you to see how awful it all is but can give you a little bit of hope that it might get better. Maybe. The way James writes and sings about shame, despair, and every emotion possible. The lyrics on this record are heavy; but with aspects of sadness flowing throughout. That isn’t a bad thing at all- it just makes you think, and it also makes you feel less alone, and odd for feeling the way you do. The songs on Reason Enough feel a lot more personal and tougher. There is still that beautiful gentleness in James’ writing that we lean into and cling onto. I guess at the heart of it, when you find a band that you truly get and they get you- it becomes a safe space, doesn’t it? This record definitely feels like a safe space. As far as political songs go, this one holds some true weight and given how awful this country has been; we need songs like this to really hammer home that things HAVE to improve.

Every Day Of Every Year is another one I’m excited to see live. I love the way the lyrics take you on a journey of every thought you’ve probably had, and by hearing someone else say it- you feel this connection. It’s a connection you won’t get from friends, lovers, families- it’s one from music and sometimes that’s the biggest and most permanent connection we’ll feel, and that’s absolutely fine. I’d be lost without that type of connection, and this song is a really solid way of expressing that. Every single day this feeling repeats and every single day you fight with yourself and the world to keep fucking going. It’s hard, I know. But I like to think it can and does get a little easier. What do you have without hope? I think this song is on the same level as Vision Of Me- there’s something about the lyrics that really get you in the gut. The guitar on this one is of the best moments on the record.

There’s such a natural growth on this record, and I don’t mean from Silver Tongues to Beware Believers to Reason Enough. I mean every single song in its own right is a step up from the song before, and that’s how you know you’ve found a truly special record. The way we get to Lie To Me from Bored is a whirlwind, and it’s heavenly to hear. You can hear the band grow with every song on this record, and you can really feel it in every single element of the songs. The production on this record is unreal too. It always is with Crows isn’t it. Lie To Me is exceptional, and the way we go right into Living On My Knees? Who gave the band permission to be this great? They just took it. Over and over again. The line, “I’m not strong enough for self defense” cuts through you, my god! What a line!

Living On My Knees is my favourite. Of course, I’ll change my mind in a week or so. I’ll call Vision Of Me as my favourite Crows song ever (please see holy trinity a few paragraphs above!) but Living On My Knees is something else. It makes you want to write; it makes you want to get every raw feeling out there; it makes you want to have this song on repeat for hours. It just gives you something that you can’t put into exact words, but you know you’re listening to something truly remarkable. There are heavy moments on the record, but there are also lighter moments, and it’s found on Silhouettes.

James’ vocals on Silhouettes will blow you away. It’s a different side to what he can do, and I think it’s one that will leave us Crows fans in awe for a long, long time. The bass on this is divine- again, it should be a crime for something to sound so perfect. I feel bad for any band about to release anything after next Friday because Reason Enough is THE record of the year. From around 2 minute 20 on Silhouettes, you cannot help but let every part of you feel smacked about from what’s going on in this song. When James sings, “You don’t find peace when you’re older” my god it gets you in the gut. This song truly shows the growth in the band in every single way, and how they have a distinctive sound BUT you can hear they’ve pushed themselves on this record. Go back and listen to their earlier stuff, then listen to Silhouettes and you’ll hear how stronger they all sound- both together and separately.

Reason Enough ends with D-Gent, and it reminds me of their earlier sound. The record starts heavy and ends heavy, and what more could you ask for?! This record is made up of their best work to date, and the opener and closer of the record are the backbone of it. What happens in the middle is that you get a mixture of soft, loud, gentle, vulnerable, anthemic and healing songs. Every emotion possible is in the middle, and you may feel all over the place but the closer, D-Gent brings you back to where you need to be. Where you should be. This record feels like home.

Record number 3 is THEIR record. Sound-wise it is full of moments that will make you realise why you fell in love with the band at the start. For new listeners, you’ll probably have found a band that will become your life. Crows have completely nailed it with this record, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a fan if I tried. The record is honest, political, brutal, heartbreaking, hopeful and an ethereal work of art. It’s the band at their best and I love so much how they have experimented with their sound and made something really out of this world.

The first few listens, I had to stop what I was doing and really take in the record and what was going on. Then with more and more listens, I was able to really get into what spoke to me on this record. It’s obviously everything, and honestly? The 3 singles we’ve had so far don’t do this record justice. There’s so much creative freedom on this record. Everything is heavier and you can really hear in the songs that not everything has been overthought- it’s just a natural progression, and like James said- “This is Crows in high definition.”