Tag: uk bands

U.K. rockers The Shadracks drop new track ‘Barefoot on the Pavement’

Posted on by LouderThanWar


by Ged Babey

The world of Garage Rock/Medway Punk/ underground rock’n’roll that refuses-a-label, has always been unofficially ruled, benevolently, by King Billy Childish. And lo, he gave unto the world his first begotten son, Huddie – and The Shadracks are his band.

The Shadracks, a three-piece rock n’ roll group hailing from Medway, Kent, return today with a new cut from their forthcoming second album ‘From Human Like Forms’, due August 13th via Damaged Goods Records. Titled ‘Barefoot On The Pavement’, the song is, according to guitarist and vocalist Huddie Shadrack (and son of punk and art icon Billy Childish, who also produced the album) “about alien abduction, Ignorance and bliss.”

‘How am I to cast off the shadow of my father, which looms large over everything I do?’

Huddie Shadrack may well have once thought to himself.

‘I know!  I will buy a synthesiser! Just to see the look on his face and see if he will crumble to dust like a vampire in sunlight when he sets eyes upon it’.

But then again, he may have just picked up a guitar one day and thought ‘this is cool’.

Billy, having suffered at the hands of and from the neglect of his own father, as documented in his art, was I’m sure an ever-present source of parental encouragement in whatever his offspring chose to do.

‘I want to form a Morris Dancing Hip-hop troupe father, to perform the works of Kylie Minogue in Latin.’

Huddie might have said to his father one day.

‘You will form a garage rock trio and make new and interesting sounds with them and write simple but strangely surrealistic lyrics my boy or you can get out of this house!’

I am confident that Wild Billy never said.

It certainly sounds other worldly with its moody, gentle guitar and slow brooding rhythm, evoking images of grainy sci-fi movies swamped in eerie mystery and intrigue.

Journalist Scum as I, will always invent a new pigeonhole category to confine a new bands sound to. Hence, this is Garage Noir. (I thank you.)

Seriously, it’s a great vibe. Uncluttered and airy, yet sinister with a touch of cinema. (Made me think of East End eyeliner post-punks Wasted Youth also!)  I don’t imagine the whole album will be exactly like this – but will be Garage Rock – a new and exciting variant.

The Shadracks are joined by bassist Rhys Webb (from The Horrors) and drummer Elisa Abednego and ‘From Human Like Forms’ features fourteen tracks of taut, stripped-down garage punk that has the capacity to be as whimsical as it is stomping, the album sees The Shadracks achieving giddy new heights in their song writing and performing abilities.

The anticipated release will be complimented by videos for the album’s single releases shot by innovative film maker, and former The Jesus And Mary Chain bassist Douglas Hart. 

The Shadracks will be playing at the infamous Cave Club, at Moth in East London on August 13th to celebrate the release of the album. Tickets available HERE

The post The Shadracks: Barefoot on the Pavement – Exclusive preview appeared first on Louder Than War.

UK indie band San Pedro Collective drop new EP and video

Posted on by LouderThanWar

MANCHESTER, England – San Pedro Collective return with an EP full of flavour and funky tempo. You can’t ignore this group of old school Mancunian music heads who have hunkered down through lockdown to produce a piece of funky musical art from the mind of Rikki Turner. Wayne AF Carey introduces you to some more gems from the masters…

San Pedro Collective was brought together by the enigmatic front man  Rikki Turner whose previous musical offerings include ‘Paris Angels’ and ‘The Hurt’ where he was joined by Keith Higgins on guitar / bass.

Josh Hall has picked up lead guitar duties for ‘In Your Way’ & ‘Time’ tempering early rock n’ roll instincts with passion for blues and funky playing. Justin Leonard keeps the songs moving with the melodic rhythm with the drums being in the capable hands of Simon Wolstencroft (AKA Funky Si), best known for The Fall and joining his old school classmate Ian Brown on the Stone Roses frontman’s second solo album ‘Golden Greats’.

The final cherry on the already perfectly iced cake is singer Jasmine Needham whose haunting vocals are featured on this track that effortlessly weave in and about of the rhythm and beats.

Frontman Turner had this to say about ‘In Your Way’.
“For me the remix of In your Way was written and rewritten until there was no more blood to bleed out no tears …..just hope of reconciliation”

The lead single for radio is the remix by Antnee Egerton from electrofunk soul-sonic collective The Winachi Tribe who had this to say about the phenomenal remix.
“I wanted to capture the emotion of the lyrics by giving it a injection of rock n roll with a dance groove to give it a hands in the air anthemic feel when the chorus hits.”

For fucks sake, can you get better than this group of mavericks producing an EP of sublime soulful grooves? ‘You’ is a mighty mellow affair full of joyous trumpet and the direction of Justin Leonard giving Jasmine Needham that platform to air her amazing smooth as silk vocals that give you vibes of The Sneaker Pimps, Moloko and the select few vocalists that were around during the trip hop era. Rikki does his Manc spoken word to great effect as usual. I’ve just reviewed the Rico re-issues (he played trombone by the way you purists) and that trumpet sound is reminiscent of the old ska movement that Jerry Dammers pumped into the system. Keyboards abound kick off the brilliant In My Way that ups the tempo with that Funky Si drumbeat kicking in with a beautiful mix of trance house vocals again from Jasmine. Absolutely loving that Josh Hall guitar sound flowing throughout with the familiar Keith Higgins bassline banging it on the nail.

‘Time’ is just fuckin’ messing with you. A proper laid back drum and bass led beauty of a track. The vocals are perfection with Jasmine and Rikki enjoying the moment with a funky as fuck soulful track that tugs at the heartstrings. You can hear the input from the legend of Inder Goldfinger stamping his trademark percussion all over it. As for Funky Si and Keith Higgins? A match made in heaven. Winachi Tribe visionary Antnee Egerton crawls over the remix of In Your Way with a proper techno house Hacienda vibe flowing right through. On one listen it’s a club classic sprawling with a top bassline and a rock guitar riff to boost the overall sound.

This is happy music for happy people who want to get out and party. I’ve got a massive respect for Rikki Turner who has always wanted to push boundaries in sound and has grouped together some of the cream of solid musicians to create the wonder of San Pedro Collective. Let old dogs lie? Fuck off. This is premium music from passionate musicians who aren’t arsed about the mainstream yet might just find that hole through the loop of hoops you have to jump through to get attention from the majors. A stunning summer flecked EP that will take you through the shit of Government mind control even for a good 20 minutes!

The post San Pedro Collective: Phase Two EP Review and video premiere appeared first on Louder Than War.

Wayne Carey

Video from Bad Fractals ‘Disco Devils’

Posted on by LouderThanWar

 

Bad Fractals live on stage

 

We are delighted to premiere the new single from London based Bad Fractals, released digitally today and available via Bandcamp the music is a hedonistic mix of acid punk, the swagger of malevolent music hall, and trailer Trash distorted blues. The track weaves its way from juddering burnt strum und drang that reminded me of perhaps Inca Babies into an atmospheric breakdown ahead of a collapsing onslaught of gleefully angular darkly twisted pop. The accompanying video is a suitably eye-popping kaleidoscopic delight that deconstructs masculinity in a mescaline-soaked barn dance!

Disco Devils’ was initially composed by band members Bang Crosby and Astral Oz in the toilet of a squatted mental hospital. The initial idea was to channel the seam of sleaze that runs through the music industry and mock it into non-existence, but soon it spread to all facets of male manipulation of women. Specifically, it focuses on men who promise the world until they have their way.

The video focuses on the weaknesses of such men, mocking their inadequacies as Bang has a full-blown mental breakdown, before resuming his role and an increasingly desperate womanizer. It doesn’t end well!

The band has confirmed that they have completed recording their as yet untitled debut album, and it is currently being mixed by legendary Killing Joke member Youth whose production credits include Kate Bush, Paul McCartney, The Orb, Pink Floyd amongst many others.

 

The post Video Premiere: Bad Fractals – Disco Devils appeared first on Louder Than War.

Phil Newall

Indie Summer Hits: SCALPING’s hard-hitting, genre-defying E.P., ‘Flood’

Posted on by BPM

scalping-flood

Within the opening moments of Flood, the debut EP from Bristol foursome (fivesome if you include their visuals guy) SCALPING, there seem to be a melange of different styles happening at once, and it’s not clear which one they might follow – be it the techno synth pulse, the acidic drums or the harshly wining guitar. Truthfully, they never really opt for one or the other across the EP – in fact, they throw more spices into the mix as they thumb their nose to the genre and powerfully display the foolishness of anyone who tries to compartmentalize music (or the world in general) in such rigid boxes.

If you’ve heard any of SCALPING’s early singles or seen them live, then Flood will come as no great surprise; it doesn’t offer any reinventions of their sound, but this early in their career they don’t need to – their breathless combination has not yet worn out its welcome by any means. The title Flood is appropriate, as it feels like they’re throwing open the gates and letting all their molten synth tones, curdling guitars and boiling beats come rushing out heedlessly in one epic deluge. There are no pauses for breath here.

Really, there are no words to describe the sounds, other than trying to pluck the amorphous images that they provoke in your imagination – which are wild and gone in an instant, swept along with SCALPING’s ceaselessly moving songs. The lack of a lead vocalist helps ignite the imagination, and also means that SCALPING can alternate between which instrument takes the ‘lead’ at any given moment. The opening “Monolithium” does exactly what the title suggests; takes something monolithic and then adds to it, until it sounds like a stampede of elephants getting swept away in a wave of lava. “The Perimeter” focuses on the guitar, which drifts across the sky like cobwebs of lightning, the drums, bass and synth plodding below like a mechanical army trudging through the muddy terrain – then, they pivot, putting the synth bass to the fore and shifting into a techno-forward track. 

“Cloudburst” picks up this baton and surges dead ahead on billowing black synths as tactile sounds rattle around the outskirts. From their time spent workshopping these songs live, they are already masters of tension-and-release, able to toy with their listeners in the same way as a master DJ ruling a dancefloor – but with a much deadlier clang when they do drop the hammer. Flood finishes with “Empty Cascade”, a relatively stately track as they drop the BPMs a smidge, but still keep the song burning like acid rain as they continue to drop excoriating guitar on top of tinkling adornment on top of rapid-fire drums in a never-ending torrent, adding momentum until they conclude the EP as a scorched husk of spent energy.

These songs were born out of improvisation, which seems obvious as they push right up against the boundaries set down by the rigid beats, throwing in as much as each song can carry until they are practically overflowing with ideas – and it’s thrilling to witness. That they manage to keep it all contained and on track is mightily impressive – but could be one area where SCALPING look to evolve; what would happen if they let the beat go haywire just devolved into utter chaos? They’re certainly going to have to figure out more ways to ensure their sound remains gripping without overwhelming by the time they attempt a full-length, but for Flood’s four tracks and 20 minutes, full-steam-ahead carnage works perfectly.

78%

The post Album Review: SCALPING – Flood EP first appeared on Beats Per Minute.

Ora Violet Premiere ‘Have You Met Me’

Posted on by LoveOfBands


by Colin Dempsey

The London-based rock duo Ora Violet are joined by vocalist Jeet Mulkerj and bassist Adam Liston on their new single out now via Black Tiles Music.

‘Have You Met Me’ slinks along the dancefloor. Ora Violet’s punchiness recalls 70s punk with a delectable groove. The track seduces with a driving bassline and flirty guitar.

“Influenced by Grinderman, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Marmaduke Duke & Earnest Hemingway, the song was inspired by the realization that the same way we go down, we come back up; gradually and then suddenly,” Ora Violet says. “The antihero protagonist has lived a life of unapologetic excessive in all ways and despite nearing the end, the statement is clear… I won’t go down.”

‘Have You Met Me’ is available on all streaming platforms.

U.K. Indie Band to Watch: MOSES

Posted on by IRC Staff

mosesthebandLast spring, the exciting London indie rock band MOSES released their debut album, Almost Everything is Bullshit. Unfortunately, the pandemic lockdown hit at just the wrong time in as far as doing shows to support the drop. But the band members didn’t let that stop them from getting it out and spreading it around.

In fact, the album was preceded by a series of singles that made the rounds on the blogs and that the band did get to perform live. So they were fortunate in that respect. Fast forward to 2021, the band is hoping to hit the road this August and September.

Now they’ve returned with a new booming new single, “Move On” (At the moment, the track is only available via Spotify ). The song overflows with powerful chords and percussions backed by soaring vocals.

MOSES says about the new single: “When you are being dumped, just move on. When someone is quitting on you, move on. When someone is telling you that it’s over and they say sorry just tell them “why are you sorry? I got no worries. I still believe, I still believe in me-and move on.”

The track, and the approach to the recording, make us think a bit of Phil Spector’s ‘wall of sound’ approach to producing – just put all the instruments and effects in that you possibly can so that the listener is saturated with sound reaching a point of auditory orgasm. The band knows how to evoke feelings through songs; that is a gift as much as it is a talent.

MOSES’ Break-Through Single, “Cause You Got Me”

We thought we should include the music video that really got things rolling for MOSES – the impossibly good “Cause You Got Me.” Some of you may recognize the track from the Tomb Raider soundtrack. Also, check out the track “Findings” below.