Everyone needs that one song they play when they just need a few minutes to themselves, to just shut everything off for a little while. I’ve got a bunch of songs that I do this to, and it’s never ending. Does that say something about me? Probably. Who cares. Anyway. In a few weeks Kristin is releasing her debut record as Kristin Kontrol. You’ve heard X-Communicate and Show Me, right? If you haven’t, go listen to them. Again. And again. Even if you have, just listen to them. X-Communicate has this insane feel to it that would make ANYBODY move. You can unleash some serious dance moves to it, don’t hold back. Same with Show Me.
(Don’t) Wannabe has this perfect moment of bliss almost immediately in the song, which carries on throughout. It just feels like a huge euphoric moment and I think that’s what makes it’s one of best songs I’ve heard all year. I’ve not heard the record yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s one of the best and I’m not being biased (I could be, but it’s alright.) X-Communicate is easily my favourite song of the year, but there is something about (Don’t) Wannabe that shows exactly why I love Kristin as a songwriter, not just as singer/musician. I fully stand by my statement from years ago when I said she’s the Patti Smith of my generation. What do I mean by that? Well, if you read her lyrics, they fall as gentle poetry that just soothes the soul and makes everything alright- exactly like Patti. Her newest single is a body of vulnerability that anyone can relate to. It is so easy to relate to her music irrespective of how she makes it, she’s just got this rare way with words. It doesn’t come around too often but when it does, you really connect with it. Kristin Kontrol sounds like the name of a superhero, and with songs like this- it’s fair to assume she probably is.
I love (Don’t) Wannabe because it’s got the strength of a power ballad mixed with the sadness of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye by Soft Cell. It is just a gorgeous song and the courage and honesty in the lyrics and in Kristin’s voice just makes it nothing short of powerful yet heartbreaking. Let it break your heart, gently. It’s alright. The truthfulness in this song will seep into you, and once it gets there nothing else will feel, or sound the same.
About two weeks or so ago Willis Earl Beal wrote something so important regarding music writers and how certain publications rating systems and the like are fucked, how they force feed readers to like what they like and expect them to hate them when they turn their back on them. What I’ve noticed is too many music writers are passionate about hating a band rather than praising one they love. It made me think about review records and if there’s really any point. I don’t review something in the hopes someone agrees with me, I do it because I hope someone goes and buys the record regardless of what I write. I could never ever write about a band or singer I didn’t like. I’ve been told by some place I was going to write for- they told me they never gave full marks for a review so I wasn’t allowed to praise something I loved too much. I pride myself on having better morals than being a semi-decent writer. Needless to say, I didn’t write for them. Which is probably why I’ll never make a living out of this. You accept it after nearly 10 years. So, with all of this said I’m going to write about why Pop.1280 have yet again released another mind-bending and mind-blowing record. I know of one other person who digs this band as much as I do(my uncle.)
Pop.1280 make music that is hard to stomach at times. When I first heard them I had this feeling that they would become something of an obsession. I loved how loud and frightening their sound was- and still is. Decades ago, kids used Punk to piss off their folks. I sincerely hope some kid is out there blasting out these guys to piss theirs off, and their neighbours. The thing that I love the most about Pop.1280 is that with every release, they get a little more terrifying. This is the kind of music you play when you want to scare someone shitless. Personally, I’d be tempted to use their music to try use it in a more romantic setting. Their music sounds like falling in love anyway- tormenting and chaotic. Have I been doing it wrong? No. My mind and god knows what else is wired differently. Paradise sounds like a nightmare, probably, to those who’ve never delved into this murky world that Pop.1280 have been building for years. It’s a world that makes you shudder, ache and think. Paradise just reinforces my love for them and if anything, has got me pretty excited for their London show in a few weeks.
9 songs in 39 minutes. 9 songs that are set to fry your brain, make your eyes go funny and make you question your surroundings. Something I’ve admired for some time about Pop.1280 is their ability to make you feel as if you’re trapped. Trapped in the hell of your own mind, in the midst of others- anywhere. They create this atmosphere that makes you feel as if you’re the last person left on Earth and everyone else has disappeared. It’s creepy. Really fucking creepy, and it isn’t for people who dream of sunshine and rainbows. I don’t know what kind of person latches onto a band like this. I have, and I guess you can draw up your own conclusion about it. I initially started writing about this record last week, but I stopped myself from writing because I realised quite quickly that this isn’t a record you casually listen to. I’ve taken it in. Or maybe this record has taken me in, chewed me up and spat me out. Do what you want, Pop.1280. This sinister feel to the record (and like their previous ones) has got me ready to see them live in a few weeks. I’ve never seen them before, and I’m really hoping it sounds equally terrifying live.
Phantom Freighter is the second track on the record, and in some ways it sounds like someone losing their mind. In general, Pop.1280 seem to capture the sound of madness really well. Phantom Freighter is a tension-filled track that makes your heart beat quicker than it probably should. It keeps you on edge, and I think that’s pretty much a solid for Pop.1280’s music overall.
Paradise will make you delve into some dark and lonesome emotions, and that’s perfectly fine. You shouldn’t always feel comfortable or secure when listening to music. Nobody should want predictable. For me, the fact that a band like Pop.1280 exist and can still make people feel a little uneasy like The Birthday Party did gives me hope. Not sure what kind of hope, mind. I’m pretty sure Paradise justifies why Pop.1280 are one of the best bands on Sacred Bones (pretty much all bands/musicians on that label are great) but it also shows why they are one of the best bands around. They’ve still got that raw and unpredictable sound that was on The Horror and Imps Of Perversion, and I think it is something that they will always be able to really put into their sound.
Sometimes you don’t need the news or a horror film to scare you shitless- just listen to Pop.1280 if you want some kind of kick.
Every single time I find a band I love and discover they are from Italy, every part of me wishes I was fluent in Italian (I’m half Italian and it is shameful I can’t speak it that well) and packed up my stuff and moved there. I’m pretty sure the way of life is less rushed and annoying than that here in London. My main gripe is other people on public transport. I value my personal space a lot. I love hugs and things, but I really don’t want your smelly armpit or vile coffee breath on me at 7am, you know? 7am or anytime- just back off a bit. Which is probably why I blast Fugazi or Flesh Rag really loudly in my ears on the way to work so I can drown out my surroundings. This is all kept inside, then I get to work and I’m calm. Rage and longing to live some place else aside, I’m going to write about No Deal- a band from Italy.
No Deal are a proper Rock & Roll band with elements of Punk and Garage Rock. For anyone who thinks music in Italy is watered down nonsense, you might want to take back your words. There are SO many great bands from Italy, and it’s enough to make you question all that you listen to. No Deal are no exception. With the handful of songs I’ve heard, I’m confident that they are one of the most exciting bands in the country.
No Deal make music that’s made for live shows- the drums are furious. From watching a couple of live clips (they don’t have soundcloud etc) it is fair to say that their live shows is where you need to be. Right in the middle of it with all kinds of bodily fluids falling off you-even if they aren’t yours. Who cares! No Deal will make you want to launch your body into walls whilst clinging onto someone in the crowd as your sweat falls onto them, and vice versa. It’s nasty stuff to some, but for others- it is the ideal live setting. There is nothing more boring than seeing people stand still and rigid at a live show, especially when you can see the band putting their all into it. The videos I’ve seen of No Deal show how a crowd should be at a show. They aren’t afraid to move themselves in a questionable fashion. Who cares who sees!
Their songs are unruly, chaotic and fast. There’s no time for thinking about your next move when you listen to these guys, all you can do is throw your body about and take the music in. No Deal tap into the part of you that lays dormant around others, but when you’re around like-minded people who like this kind of music, then it comes out. Surround yourself around people like this and let No Deal take you wherever you want to go.
Today I hobbled down to my favourite record store. I say hobbled because I can’t walk like I normally do as I’ve apparently damaged the discs in my neck which is causing a nice bout of pain in my back. Migraines I can handle, but this? This is starting to piss me off. But it’s fine, it means I can justify buying records a week before pay day. It’s important to always treat yourself. I didn’t know what I was in the mood for, but I knew that as soon as I saw it-I would grab it with both hands. Wait patiently until 5pm so I could go home and play it loud.
I was flicking through some 7″ releases and all of a sudden I saw one that said it was for fans of the Dead Boys and The Stooges. One copy, in my hands- my lucky day. Poison Boys are a pretty new band who sound like a proper smutty 70s Rock & Roll band. They’ve got elements of glam (New York Dolls- Johnny Thunders esque riffs galore) and snotty Punk like Dead Boys. Their debut EP came out a couple of weeks ago, and it consists of 3 songs that were clearly made to be played loudly at a boring house party just to get a reaction out of someone. They’re the kind of songs you play when you’re at a party and you play them in the hopes of the person who takes your fancy/makes you a bit giddy inside will take a hint because you’re a bit of a social misfit. It’s alright. It’s something I would probably do but fully aware it wouldn’t work. So what if they don’t notice? At least you got to hear some great music.
I know it’s boring for me to keep saying but Poison Boys are the kind of band I’d want to sound like. They’re fearless, not afraid to be a little perverse with their words and make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. There’s no other band around that sound quite like them, and the fact that they have taken pieces of bands I love and made something like this on a 3 track release is pretty damn great. I’ve had it on repeat for the past hour or so, and I think I’ve pretty much learnt the words. They need to play a show in the UK. Even if it was in the depths of Grimsby I would find a way to be there, front row so I can flail my limbs about without acknowledging that body shouldn’t be doing it. Who cares about physical pain when music sounds this fucking excellent.
Poison Boys have this glorious and infectious sound that is so so raw- and I know people use that term so often without understanding why they’re using it. Do you remember hearing someone like Iggy Pop or Nick Cave for the first time? Maybe you heard TV Eye or something by The Birthday Party. Maybe it left this uneasy feeling inside of you but you knew you had to keep listening over and over. You knew you had to stick with it because it would turn out to be something really really phenomenal? That’s what you get….that’s what I get from Poison Boys. There’s a sense of danger but not to the point where yo fear what you’re hearing. They lure you in so wonderfully. Where the hell have they been all my life?! In some songs they remind me of The Damned. There’s the brutal energy that is in each song, like a kick in the gut. You want the blood, sweat, violence and tears. You know, sometimes I hear a band and think that Lester Bangs would have loved them- I’m pretty sure Lester would love these guys. For those who are cynics and claim Punk is dead- quiet. It’s a state of mind, a way of doing things- Poison Boys are doing it right. Take note.
If you’re lucky enough to live in the States, go see them when they come to your city. If they ever make it to the UK, I’ll see you there.
France. Home of two people I love- Serge Gainsbourg and Eric Cantona. I should say Zidane being a Juventus fan, but I can’t forgive him for headbutting Marco Materazzi. You’re an adult, not a kid in a playground. Anyway, as I’ve written about Druggy Pizza before it is fair to say that they are also a fine product of France. Their sound is destined to mess with your head, and if you don’t feel slightly nauseous and unsteady after listening to them, then you’ve done it wrong.
Their split record with Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali came out towards the end of last year, and both bands made a lot of noise on the record. It is one of the finest splits to have happened in the long time, and it can only be played loud. Obnoxiously loud, in fact. I delved deep into the world of Druggy Pizza when I wrote about them recently, and I’m happy to write about them again with the focus on the video to Like Pigs In A Slot. The video to this incredible piece of noise will have you fearing sleep and being aware of the grim reaper following you as he casts a dark shadow over you. The video is equally as rowdy as the song. The song totally messes with your head, that’s for sure. But when you sit down and watch the video- you feel uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. For me, that’s how music should be. I’ve said it many times before that I hate it when music feels too safe. I want something that teeters on the edge of madness, and Druggy Pizza do exactly that.
If you don’t feel tormented and troubled after watching the video, then I don’t know if there is any hope for you. It’s a great mind-fuck and it’s a harmless evil. The video makes you question going outside and plagues you with concern about looking over your shoulder. It is perfectly unsettling, and for some this is probably a massive turn-off but I take comfort that out there, someone must feel the same as me when listening to music like this. It isn’t for those who want something conventional or something gentle. Don’t get me wrong, gentle is fine and all- but sometimes you want something that dangles you over the edge grasping on a hint of sanity. It’s brilliant and reinforces my love for Druggy Pizza.
You can listen to more of Druggy Pizza here, and you can also buy their split record with Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali: https://druggypizza.bandcamp.com/
When you have next to no information about a band you immediately like and feel the need to write about, you sort of make your own assumptions about them based on what you’re hearing. But to be honest with you, I don’t want to know the ins and outs. I don’t want to know favourite colours, snacks and names of their pets. That’s no use to me. Too little is better than too much if you want your mind to work. I think mine works….
Soda Boys are a relatively new band from St Louis. They sound like a REAL Punk band. By that I mean they sound like Richard Hell mixed with the Sex Pistols and the snottiness of the Dead Boys. Their obnoxious yet playful sound is addictive, and you can’t but help smack repeat at the end of every listen. Soda Boys sound like they were around in the late 70s- not 2016! I don’t know how they’ve done it, but they nailed that pure and rowdy Punk sound. They sound like they’ve just stepped out of CBGBs and right into the belly of New York City. Is this what’s happening in St Louis right now?!
I could be wrong here, but I think their first release (and possibly only) came out in July last year. The songs are short, full of solid Punk guitar riffs and drums born out of fury. Their songs are made to be heard live, and these are the kinds of bands that make me glad I’m not deaf. Although the levels I listen to music through headphones, I probably will be if I’m not careful. I’ve always had a slight disregard for myself, it makes the day less of a chore at times. Soda Boys songs are barely 2 minutes long, and I know some may have an issue with that. There’s always someone who wants more-but you can’t have it. The songs may be short but if they lasted any longer it would take the fun out of them. We don’t always need 7 minute symphonies. Sometimes you just need a slice of rebellion that fits in under the 2 minute mark. Soda Boys have got me head over heels for their perfect Punk style.
Their songs touch on fizzy drinks, junk food and girls. Their songs make you want to pick up a brick and smash some windows. Or maybe a baseball bats and really go to town on some fancy car- whatever you want to do! Their songs eptomise youthful crushes, being bored and general hanging around. The lust for someone whilst knowing you’ve done wrong (Doghouse) to wanting someone to be yours (Soda Girl) shows that Punk was and is romantic. It’s just not the conventional type, but who wants typical/conventional anyway? That’s boring.
It’s pretty clear I know nothing about Soda Boys, but what I do know is this- they are a middle finger to those who say Punk is dead. Punk is a state of mind, a way of life I guess. I think Soda Boys are keeping the ethos of it alive and well. There will never be another Stiv or Joey, but what they gave is in bands like Soda Boys.
A few years ago I wrote about Autumns. I wrote about how much I loved them and how Christian is the Northern Ireland equivalent of Alex Zhang Huntai (Dirty Beaches/Last Lizard.) I think I mentioned how brilliant it is to have one person make a load of noise with such urgency and passion. A few years have passed, and now I get to write about Christian’s new EP, Das Nichts.
Christian is currently in America where in the next few weeks, he will be playing his first set of live shows out there. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He makes the kind of music I wish I could, the TV static sound and the distorted vocals aren’t to everyone’s taste but for me it’s exactly what I look for in music. I sincerely hope the American audiences fall in love with him and hear what I hear. I’ll post the dates towards the end, but for now- Das Nichts.
Das Nichts is the kind of record you play late at night when you should probably be asleep. My sleep pattern at the moment is semi-questionable but I can still function. I think life would be easier/better if we all took more naps. Anyway. With this EP Christian has definitely delved into the Electronic side of music more. For some they associate this with really bad 80s music, to an extent they could be right but what they don’t seem to acknowledge is the darker side. Das Nichts sounds like Suicide meets My Bloody Valentine with the fury of Rowland S Howard. The songs are going to torment your mind and you won’t want to sit down with a cup of tea whilst listening to this. With one listen, I loved it but I feel because it is the kind of record that puts you on edge, I feel that’s what makes it Christian’s best work to date. When I hear music like this I always seem to want to know what goes on in the head of the person making it. But recently I’ve started thinking what goes on in my brain and how it would sound if I translated it to music. It would sound a bit like this record. Maybe slightly more tame as I’m annoyingly shy. I try to get better at it, but what can you do. Das Nichts is a remarkable EP that is made for night time/very early morning listening when the world is asleep.
This EP is intensely dark and would sound perfect in some Danish Thriller that messed with your mind. If this is how Christian’s debut record is going to sound, then we are most definitely in for a treat. It’s the right kind of loud, the right level of noise and creepy. I can only imagine how brilliant this is going to sound live. The first track on the EP, Motel Lover is 19 minutes and 45 seconds long. It’s a solid way to start the EP and I think it straight away indicates to the listener where the EP is going. It’s going somewhere no one and nothing else can take you. You feel like you’re on a motorbike at 2am heading deep into the unknown. The night air sends chills over you and the dark mist keeps you on edge. It’s beautifully terrifying and is under 20 minutes of straight up noise. The static guitar sound mixed with the repetitive kick drum keeps your attention locked. There are swift changes in the song here and there but it’s the torment of the kick drum that remains your focus throughout. When it comes to an end, you find yourself looking around to check who was there and who took you to wherever this song may have taken you to.
I really can’t praise Christian enough for what he’s done with Das Nichts. It’s a captivating listen that will scare you a little but you won’t want to turn it off. Something about this EP will make you feel a little uneasy and unsure of what is around you- it will heighten all you feel as you listen to it, and that for me is what makes this the best thing he has done to date. The suspense in the EP makes you feel like it is the soundtrack to something. I’m 100% sure that Christian could easily create a soundtrack for some dark and unsettling Thriller film going by this EP. He would be perfect for it. Das Nichts isn’t a kick in the gut kind of listen, it is more like someone messing with your head in a way you didn’t know was possible. This kind of exposure of the mind is what makes this one of the best things I’ve heard this year. Sure there’s still many months to go, but this is truly something else.
As mentioned previously, here are his US dates for this month:
3/09 New York @ Nothing Changes + (with Nite Fields)
3/12 Lafayette @ The Spot + (with Nite Fields)
3/13 Indianapolis @ State Street Pub + (with Nite Fields)
3/20 San Francisco @ Rickshaw Stop * (with Lust For Youth)
3/21 Frenso @ Dynamite Vinyl + (with Nite Fields)
3/23 Long Beach @ 4th Street Vine – (with Gold Class)
3/24 San Diego @ The Whistle Stop
3/26 Los Angeles @ Non Plus Ultra # (with SEXTILE)
Christian will also be drumming for Nite Fields on all of their dates.
This week a band I love and a singer I love unleashed some new music. The Kills and Kate Jackson. If bad things come in threes, then maybe good things do too. The third is Kristin Kontrol. I’ll get it out the way-Kristin is Dee Dee from Dum Dum Girls. Still the same person, don’t let rip pointless comparisons or longing for something new from Dum Dum Girls. Go with this, it’s brilliant. Trust me.
There have been times where bands or singers have gone in a different direction from what we know, and sometimes it ends up being terrible. Of course this is all down to person taste. When I read that Kristin was doing this, no part of me doubted how great it was going to be. I felt like all DDG records told something important at the time they were released, and although a new DDG record would be great- why not go some place different? I don’t like it when a band makes the same record over and over. I don’t like rigid routines or order. It’s bullshit. This is why Kristin has totally blown our minds with lead single, X-Communicate. I’ve already read the poorly researched reviews on it. It seems like it has come from “music journalists” who can’t get their heads around something different. Free your mind, chump!
X-Communicate makes me feel like I am in several places at once. I could be in a dodgy Berlin nightclub. I could be in some basement bar in New York. I could be in 2016. I could be in 1986 (the year I was born.) I could be anywhere. This is part futuristic, part something from years ago that wasn’t exposed as much as it could be. I feel like if Depeche Mode had a female vocalist circa Enjoy The Silence era- this is what they may have sounded like. As you listen to X-Communicate you become instantly familiar with Kristin’s delicate voice and something I’ve always adored about her voice is the way her pronunciation is so clear. The clarity is what makes you pay close attention to the lyrics. I’ve been vocal about my love for her way with words, and X-Communicate has a gorgeous depth to the lyrics. What I love about 90s dance music was how upbeat the music was yet the lyrics were heartbreaking. I’m getting that same kind of feel from this song, and it’s just so so good. If I was a DJ I’d be playing this at the start and end of the night. And about 50 times in between.
Going by this song, I think it is evident that the record will not sound like this song constantly. There are so many standout moments in this song- from the production to the end solo of the song. All these elements and more just make it into such a wonderful song. The lyrics are so so good. Some of them take me back a few times and certain people cross over in my mind. These fleeting moments are just fine, but the line “I am so tired of this life” gets me right in the gut. I don’t care who you are, you’ve been able to relate to that line more times than you wish. The sadness of that line mixed with the sound of the song goes back to my nod to 90s dance above.
I have no idea how the record is going to sound but what I do know is that it will be great. There’s no denying just how talented Kristin is. I wish I had the words to fully describe this song and how brilliant it is, but I’ve had it on repeat since I got home from work over and hour and a half ago. As someone with a shit attention span- I think that sums up how bloody great this song is. I remember the day I first heard Dum Dum Girls and that feeling has hit me again as I listen to X-Communicate. When you know, you truly know.
If like me, you’re a sentimental fool who finds it hard to let go of bands that end up splitting up then you’re probably dubious of what happens to the band members. Radio silence is deafening especially when you’re left knowing that the band members are great and a world without them making music is just utterly pointless. The Long Blondes were my ultimate band when I was at uni. I adapted to a new life easier than I would have if it wasn’t for them, I got over having my heart metaphorically broken, I played their 2 records religiously. I made trips to the North of England with Someone To Drive You Home on a loop. I’d meet my mum in Yorkshire playing the songs. In my ears, on my mind. The words firmly etched upon my heart. The band split, but I clung onto what the band meant to me. Heaven Help The New Girl to Guilt- the words just always seemed relevant. Time passes, and you grow up as best as you can.
I am so so happy to FINALLY write about Kate Jackson’s new song Metropolis. I listened to it at lunchtime at work today and all I’ve done since is, seemingly, wait to get home so I can rant about how marvelous this song is. The song features Bernard Butler. Jackson and Butler. My generation’s Morrissey and Marr. Bernard is probably one of the best guitarists this country has ever produced. Him and Brett had me lusting after Suede. Him and McAlmont made the greatest “F-You” of all time. I learnt the words to Yes immediately aged 9 years old- I should have been trying to get my head around mental arithmetic in school. I didn’t care for numbers then, and I don’t care for them now. Give me lyrics. Give me the lyrics that will make me feel less alone. Give me the lyrics that say what I’ve yet to have the guts to say. Give me words in all their power, pain and passion. Give me the lyrics of Kate Jackson and the astounding riffs of Bernard Butler.
Everything about Metropolis sums up what I missed about hearing Kate Jackson’s voice. She’s still got the captivating and delicate tone. Her clear pronunciation of words makes you feel as if you’re about to be taken some place higher than you’ve been before. For me this is a massive contender for song of the year. It’s the best song I’ve heard so far, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have it on repeat still come November as I turn 30 wondering what the hell I’ve done- in general. For me, there’s one line in the song that is just so heartbreakingly honest and a line I can relate to. A line I can associate with any place I have ever lived. “This city pulls me to pieces.” My God. A line so simple but so powerful. You don’t need to make something pretentious in order for it to be relatable and vital. I’ve made my own impressions of the song, I’ve made my own meaning up. It’ll be different to the next person, and that’s what I love about this song and music in general. The line starts to ring through in the last verse, then carries on. The more you hear it, coupled with Bernard’s guitar, makes it one of the most glorious and stunning moments in music of the year.
As my favourite lyric from the song echoes in my head, I start thinking about the things I wish to and wish not to associate the song with. The sheer beauty and honesty in this song can transport you to the places you thought you were afraid of, but when you get there it really isn’t so bad. I’ve said it many times, but there are just some bands/singers that make me just want to write about music constantly. This song is easily one of them.
I remember an old interview of The Long Blondes and Kate mentioning her fondness of service stations. I think I annoy anyone I’m in a car with because I ALWAYS want to stop at service stations. They are fascinating places, and I don’t get tired of watching people pass through. The Long Blondes, and now Kate remind me of just going somewhere. The title of Kate’s debut record is British Road Movies and I can sense just by the title and Metropolis that this is going to be a record that you drive to (in my case, sit in the passenger seat or get the train) and stop off at service stations making up stories in your head about the people you see. Watching the couples fight because they’ve got lost, eyeing up people trying to work out what they want from Greggs, people napping in their cars. I’m possibly reading too much into it but it’s alright.
It’s been announced that Kate Jackson (and The Wrong Moves) will be playing The Great Escape Festival (19th May)this year and a free show at Rough Trade on 20th May which is the release date of the debut record. Having Kate back and making music is like putting on your favourite piece of clothing and feeling like you can take on the world. Not many things in the world are perfect. Everybody has their own idea of perfection, for me perfection is when a singer you adore comes back after years and puts a single out on an otherwise dull Monday afternoon.
British Road Movies is released 20th May via Hoo Ha Records.
Today I was treated to a wonderful MRI scan on my spine/back. Like the letter stated, I took a CD with me to listen to, when I got there I was told due to the kind of scan I was having I wouldn’t be able to use the headphones. I thought, “Okay I’ll just take a nap.” That happened briefly. Of course leading up to today I was panicking internally-turns out it wasn’t that bad but I am rubbish with keeping still. As I lay there, all I could think was how much the scan sounded like a My Bloody Valentine/The Jesus And Mary Chain record. It was noisy and it sounded like someone letting loose with a load of reverb. I think I managed to drown it out and pretend it was a song. I don’t know. Whatever gets you through, right? Maybe Kevin Shields also went for a MRI scan and thought “This could work on a record.” I’m going with that. Anyway, from one noise to another-Death Index.
Created in the belly of Berlin via bands members from Italy (ciao bella!) and America, the Death Index record is brutal. It’s uncomfortable, it’s noisy and it is dark. Put it down as one of the loudest records of the year. Some regard the likes of Sinatra as easy listening. Bands like Death Index are my kind of easy listening. Or maybe, uneasy listening. I don’t want music to make me feel comfortable. As someone who never has, and will never settle, Death Index are the perfect band for me. Again, like most bands I go on about they are one to really invest in seeing live. I’m pretty sure you’d leave with some kind of injury. Anything less than a bloody nose is poor.
Not many people know this but Italy does have an incredible music scene. I used to think it was just Litfiba but it really goes beyond that. A lot of Garage Rock bands have come from the most beautiful country in the world (yes I’m being biased but it’s still true) and there’s some excellent Punk bands from there also. Marco’s old band La Piovra were one of Italy’s finest, and it’s pretty obvious that Death Index are going to be equally as great, right? Of course, especially when it also involves the frontman of the brilliant Merchandise; Carson Cox.
Please don’t assume that this a straight-up Punk record. It really isn’t. It oozes destruction and it confronts the end of time/the ruin of human beings in such an unconventional manner that you cannot help but want to stick two fingers up to the world. By world, I probably mean Government because they’re the problem and they can’t find a solution. Their debut record holds a wealth of angst. When you mention angst to most they immediately think stroppy 13 year olds. Not with this record. This is for adults who have had enough and can see through all the corruption and bullshit in the world.
There are brilliant moments on the record where you feel like you’re watching a Thriller, and you imagine someone lurking in a dingy alleyway in Berlin on a damp and cold night, tossing their cigarette end onto the ground as they head into the night finding someone or something to hunt down. Maybe I’ve got it wrong or maybe my mind has ran off with the music again. All I know is that the lyrics, the music and the general atmosphere on this record is nothing short of perfect. I have no idea what anyone else thinks, but I know for me that this record has everything I want from music. It has lyrics that make you think, the music makes you want to throw your body into walls and flail limbs about beating off the sweat of others and it’s a moody record.
There are many things that make me proud to be Italian, and musicians like Marco fully justify it. Carson’s’ vocals have this soothing but real brutal tone to it. You get the urgency of the words straight away and you aren’t floating off to the beach in your mind. Far from it. You see the world in all its darkness, you see through people but you get on. If you fixate on the things that fuck you up and piss you off, you’ll never get out of your mind. Music frees you. Music like Death Index frees you.
I’ve been listening to the record a few times this evening, and I wish I could give you my favourite track but that’s impossible. Each song is a body of something truly marvellous, and I’m really excited to go see these guys in May here in London. As an extra special treat for us, King of the Guitar- Charlie from Crocodiles is joining them. It’s definitely going to be worth travelling south of the river for. I’m really into Patto Con Dio, and I think it’s because it’s just over 7 minutes and I’m a sucker for long songs especially when they’re as important as this one.
Some could regard this as downer of a record because of the topics it touches on but I don’t always want something that makes me feel like I’m escaping the world. This is a record to face the world and to face daily life. It’s a brutally honest record, and you can tell it comes from a place that most want to shy away from. Many have possibly tried to make something as honest and as raw as this, but the way in which Carson and Marco have done it makes you disregard previous efforts. Death Index is where it is at. For me I don’t see this regard as a downer at all. I want music that sparks something in my brain. I want to see different sides and I want to see how others view the world. I adore the frustration and urgency in this record. It has that raw sentiment to it that captures the essence of Punk. Punk means different things to different people, and Death Index expose it all in a way that cannot be shunned.
Play this loud. Deafen yourself. Take note of the lyrics and go to one of their shows.
Their self-titled debut is out this Friday via Deathwish.
Beat In My Bones. 