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SINGLE REVIEW: Askies – ‘Bond’

1 Mar 2019

This single had me somewhat slightly confused for around half of the track when I first listened to it. It almost sounds like two bands. The choruses are all riffy and loud and the verses are all groovy and funky, and there is just the most stunning guitar break. But suddenly it all just slotted into place.

The thing is that the band describe the track as indie, and the verses have that indie-pop thing, they’re all soaring with a groove, but that sudden outburst of guitar riffage and noise isn’t, at least to my ears, very indie at all. It’s kinda alternative rock. This is the problem with bands being forced to pick a genre on Soundcloud I guess.

So excuses over from me. Having got it, I really got it. It really is fantastic. Look, after some practical experiments, I found this to be way danceable, OK so you have to sort of freak out during the guitar noisey bit but that just adds to the fun. I like a band who just take stuff they like and make it work, make a sound of their own, and Askies do that. And the groovy sections are just so damn groovy it hurts. And that guitar is just so good.

This is a joy, it really is.

The info

Askies distinct sound couples riff-heavy choruses with tight, groovy verses, creating an explosive live show that has been catching the attention of many within the Leeds scene since the start of their gigging campaign in the summer of 2018.

Ben Spruce
Nathan Apps
Josh Steptoe
George Harris

https://www.facebook.com/weareaskies/

SINGLE REVIEW: Concrete Armbands – ‘… Like Russian Dolls’

Frank

1 Mar 2019

I was hugely impressed by the previous single from Concrete Armbands I reviewed – ‘The Brink’ – but this is on another level. It’s so different I had to spend quite some time checking it was actually the right track by the right band. But listen closer and yes it’s the same band, and I love a band who throw me a curve ball.

The opening, which had me completely confused, is all 80s’ electronic rock, it has that synth drum thing going on. And it has vocals to die for, the lead vocal is a thing of joy. The way those lyrics are sung. And oh that high pitched vocal, that took me back big time. And that’s before we even get to the lyrics. And it is the most earworm-y thing.

And while I’m making it sound all completely retro it isn’t because it has a distinctive alternative rock sound in there, it’s not obvious but it’s there, which brings it right up to date.

And then, at nearly 3 minutes in, it just goes completely crazy. It gets loud, way loud, it thunders, it roars. But the vocals, they are just pure. It is the most glorious contrast, it’s pure theatre. Right up to that point you could play it in a club and people would dance to it as a dance-y track, what they’d do when it goes crazy I have no idea, perhaps somebody should try that. The thing is that, if you play it way too many times more than you perhaps should, you start to live for that moment when it just goes crazy, you anticipate the moments before that happens when it slightly builds, because you know it’s going to happen.

‘… Like Russian Dolls’ leaves me almost without words to describe quite how good this is. It’s a thing that fills you full of joy, and leaves you breathless with excitement.

The info

Despite having been active for less than a year, this Sheffield-based alternative rock quartet are already making waves in the Sheffield gigging scene due to their unique blend of sounds and tight live performances. Taking inspiration from artists as diverse as Muse, Biffy Clyro, Royal Blood and Frightened Rabbit, their music is as engaging as it is unpredictable.

Ben Austin – Drums
Ali Hart – Bass
Josh Teggert – Vocals/Keyboards
James Thomas – Guitar

Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CArmbands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConcreteArmbands/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/concrete_armbands
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/concretearmbands/?hl=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN9cXw6-nzRCsrkCWVeMWGg

TOUR & ALBUM NEWS: Daddy Long Legs announce UK + Ireland tour dates through April / May, new album ‘Lowdown Ways’ released May 10 on Yep Roc Records

LSF Staff Writers

26 Feb 2019

Brooklyn, NY-based trio DADDY LONG LEGS – Brian Hurd (vocals, harmonica, guitar), Murat Akturk (slide guitar), Josh Styles (drums, maraca) – will make their Yep Roc Records debut May 10 with Lowdown Ways, their third studio album. Now they are announcing a string of UK tour dates through April and May. See the full tour below.

Thu 18 April – Prince Albert, Brighton
Fri 19 April – Le Beat Bepsoke Festival @ 229, London
Thu 9 May – Audio, Glasgow
Fri 10 May – Black Box, Belfast
Sat 11 May – The Sugar Club, Dublin
Sun 12 May – Night & Day, Manchester
Tue 14 May – The Cluny, Newcastle
Wed 15 May – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Fri 17 May – NAC, Norwich
Sat 18 May – Esquires, Bedford
Sun 19 May – The Railway Hotel, Southend

Produced by Jimmy Sutton and engineered by Alex Hall (JD McPherson, Pokey LaFarge, Jake La Botz) at Hi-Style Studios in Chicago, the album features 12 original compositions with songwriting contributions from JD McPherson and Sutton. A new direction from their first two studio albums (released by Norton Records), Lowdown Ways sees the boys widen their sonic horizons with field hollers, gospel, Cajun, and Mississippi Hill Music, coupled with their renowned supercharged, harp-driven R&B bangers.

When asked by Village Voice “What is DADDY LONG LEGS?,” Hurd answered, “Rock and roll salvation through the spirit of roots and blues.” While influenced by the likes of Son House, Captain Beefheart, Howlin’ Wolf, MC5, and Dr. Feelgood, their sound personifies garage rock and punk with a contemporary raw twist performed in their own brand of supercharged R&B.

Since forming in 2010, the band has released two studio albums, a live album and two 45s on Norton Records. Their last album was 2015’s DADDY LONG LEGS Rides Tonight. The band has toured with Jon Spencer, Hurray For The Riff Raff, The Sonics, Nikki Lane, Nick Waterhouse, amongst others.

Lowdown Ways is now available for pre-order. The vinyl LP arrives on limited edition opaque white vinyl.

Tracklisting:

1. Theme from DADDY LONG LEGS
2. Pink Lemonade
3. Ding Dong Dang
4. Mornin’ Noon & Nite
5. Glad Rag Ball
6. Bad Neighborhood
7. Célaphine
8. Winners Circle
9. Back Door Fool
10. Snagglepuss
11. Be Gone
12. Wrong Side of the River

ALBUM & TOUR NEWS: Palace’s ‘Life After out 12th July, dates November 2019

LSF Staff Writers

26 Feb 2019

Palace have announced their sublime sophomore album ‘Life After’ alongside a UK tour including their biggest live show to date at Camden Roundhouse and a brand new track ‘Martyr’. ‘Life After’ follows Palace’s acclaimed 2016 debut album ‘So Long Forever’ and will be released on July 12th.

‘Martyr’ is the third track to be taken from ‘Life After’, following seven-minute track ‘Heaven Up There’ (Lauren Laverne’s ‘headphones moment’ on BBC 6 Music) and the deeply optimistic ‘No Other’. It’s another profoundly candid track from a band who have built a loyal global fanbase for their uniquely bittersweet arrangements. After demoing the tracks at their Tottenham studio The Arch, Palace turned to Catherine Marks (2018’s UK Producer of the Year; St Vincent, Wolf Alice and PJ Harvey) at Willesden’s Assault & Battery studios and Luke Smith (Foals, Slow Club) at Jump Studios in Tottenham to record the album in summer 2018.

Leo Wyndham, Matt Hodges and Rupert Turner have been friends since they were thirteen and released their acclaimed debut EP ‘Lost In The Night’ in 2014, followed by the ‘Chase The Light’ EP the following year and their debut album ‘So Long Forever’ in 2016. The strength of those releases saw their fanbase steadily grow, leading to extensive touring, ever-larger festival slots and culminating in a sold-out UK headline tour including London’s Shepherds Bush Empire.

Having built a dedicated live following through mesmerising shows at some of the country’s finest venues, Palace finish their comeback UK tour tonight with a sold-out show at Village Underground, and will play some of the world’s biggest festivals this summer before a November UK tour including their biggest show ever at the Camden Roundhouse, with tickets on sale now from https://zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/vvreg/13636-579390.html

Palace Live Dates:

November
Fri 1st NOTTINGHAM, Rescue Rooms
Sat 2nd BRISTOL, Anson Rooms
Sun 3rd NEWCASTLE, Riverside
Mon 4th GLASGOW, St Lukes
Weds 6th DUBLIN, Button Factory
Thurs 7th MANCHESTER, Academy 2
Fri 8th LEEDS, University Stylus
Sat 9th LONDON, Camden Roundhouse

‘Life After’ Tracklisting:

Life After
Berlin
Younger
Face In The Crowd
Caught My Breath
Martyr
All In My Stride
No Other
Running Wild
Bones
Heaven Up There

FESTIVAL NEWS: Cotton Clouds Festival 2019, Saddleworth Cricket Club, Lancashire – 16-17th August 2019

LSF Staff Writers

26 Feb 2019

Taking place across two days – 16th-17th August 2019 – at the height of the British Summer, the festival is raising its game again to bring you a lofty line-up bursting with premiere pop picks, tantalising foodie treats, a magnificent new makers market, carnival curios, raving robots, and much, much more…

Cotton Clouds 2019 will bring you performances from:

THE WAILERS // PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT // REVEREND & THE MAKERS // ASH // ALABAMA 3 // SHE DREW THE GUN // TIM BURGESS // THE HOUSE & GARAGE ORCHESTRA // OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH // THE MOUSE OUTFIT // SAYTR PLAY // THE FERNWEH // HEY BULLDOG // MARK RADCLIFFE’S UNE //
+ SPECIAL GUESTS

And many more… Read on!

THE LINE UP

For its third instalment, Cotton Clouds will be curating an eclectic mix of sounds just ripe for 2019 summer fun, and for the very first time the festival will be running back-to-back music across all three of its stages during both days of the event.

From established artists brimming with pop pedigree to the freshest sounds hovering on the horizon.

FRIDAY 16th AUGUST

Venturing into brave pastures new with the addition of a second day last year, the overwhelming response from revellers has only inspired Cotton Clouds to bring you even more for its 2019 edition.

This year’s Friday night will be given a stratospheric launch by Northern rock royalty: PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT. As a founding member of not just one, but two, of the most influential bands of all time, Hooky has the hit-strewn back-catalogues of both New Order and Joy Division in his artillery. Marvel as he and his trusty band The Light dazzle in the dusk with a set list brimful of all-time classics, from “Love Will Tear Us Apart” to “Blue Monday”, “The Perfect Kiss” to “True Faith” and beyond…

Getting you suitably warmed-up for the headline hits-fest, ASH will be giving Hooky & Co a run for their money as they unearth treasures from nearly thirty years of solid gold singles. Much like their ebullient and eternally youthful frontman Tim Wheeler, the Northern Irish power-pop band’s music has remained ageless, fizzy and fun throughout their career. From flying-v guitars to “Girl From Mars”, reacquaint yourself with the timeless tunes of your misspent youth, delivered with a “Kung Fu”-kicking live show to boot.

Dusting the Friday with some gangster-approved grooves, the endless legions of ALABAMA 3 will be mobbing the main stage in the afternoon. Perhaps best known for soundtracking the criminally-cool opening credits to The Sopranos with their sublime “Woke Up This Morning”, the cult-collective have been making what they self-describe as “Sweet Pretty Muthaf***in Country Acid House Music” since 1995, and who are we to disagree? Recently hailed by The Guardian as “the best live band in the country”, prepare to be caught red-handed losing-it to the beats of these Brixton bad boys.

THE MOUSE OUTFIT will be keeping the hip-hop heads happy with their infectious blend of jazz influenced boom-bap; part hip hop production team / part live band / part ever growing collective of musicians and vocalists released their acclaimed third album ‘Jagged Tooth Crook’ last year.

Louisa Roach will be serving up some literate, lush and darkly ornate psych-pop from Liverpool as she brings her SHE DREW THE GUN outfit to the party. Political and impassioned, SDTG released the critically acclaimed ‘Revolution Of Mind’ LP last year, an album that staked its place as one of BBC6 Music’s Albums Of The Year in the process.

Elsewhere on the bill, a raft of proudly Mancunian talent will guide you through a what promises to be an opening day to remember. With sets from inventive indie-rockers SAYTR PLAY, exuberant Afro-Rock-Funk-Psych 11-piece AGBEKO, gritty garage rock gents THE MAITLANDS, plus the wily sounds of CALLOW YOUTH, there’s plenty on hand to suit all tastes and tendencies.

SATURDAY 17th AUGUST

Cotton Clouds’ almighty Saturday headliners: THE WAILERS. Recognisable as the unequivocal daddies of the reggae genre, for over 50 years the Jamaican outfit have been inspiring audiences and promoting harmony the world over with their uplifting, conscientious and powerful anthems. “No Woman No Cry”, “Buffalo Soldier”, “Is This Love”, “Jamming”, “No Woman No Cry”, “Exodus”, “Could You Be Loved” – the list of classics in their canon is endless.

Getting the audience more than suitably warmed up, longstanding “Heavyweight Champions” of the Sheffield scene REVEREND AND THE MAKERS will be sparring the audience with a set of their high-energy indie-electronica. Fronted as ever by the irrepressible Jon “The Reverend” McClure, Jon & Co will be airing hits from a back catalogue boasting five Top 20 hit albums including chart-slaying recent album ‘The Death Of A King’.

Everyone knows there’s three key ingredients to getting the perfect party started: House, Garage, and… an Orchestra? If the third seems something of a curveball, just leave it to this choice Cotton Clouds booking: THE HOUSE & GARAGE ORCHESTRA to put your mind firmly at ease. Since 2015, this talented collective have been re-imagining the iconic sounds of UK club music’s golden eras. Performing with a full live band, guest vocalists and expanded Brass & String sections, prepare to hear totemic dance anthems like you’ve never heard them before…

A man who’s spiritual presence has been felt at Cotton Clouds right since the very beginning thanks to his delectable Tim Peaks Diner pop up; in 2019, the festival is delighted to welcome the head-honcho himself to the bill. Yes, he of The Charlatans fame: TIM BURGESS, will be taking a break from the day-job to perform a set of his magnificent solo material, including picks from his star-studded recent release ‘As I Was Now’, out now on Tim’s own O Genesis label. Watch out for other O Genesis label highlights across the Cotton Clouds line up too.

For anyone praying for something utterly divine at the festival this year, OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH could be the miracle you’ve been waiting for. A live act that, perhaps unlike the Holy Father, truly need to be seen to be believed, this gang put on a Church service where party is officially the new praising. An eye-popping, high-octane spectacle led by the revved-up Reverend Michael Alabama Jackson, this is one sermon that is sure to convert even the most curmudgeonly doubting Thomas on site…

Elsewhere on the bill Derbyshire trio PATAWA will be getting fresh and funky with a set of their disco-tinged, Saturday-primed bangers; whilst fresh from supporting Jorja Smith on tour, rising Mancunian hip-hop star JORDAN MAX will be dropping some prime cuts from his future-facing new EP: ’Tales of Us’.

Signees of James Skelley’s Skeleton Key Records, THE FERNWEH will be unlocking some of the psychedelic-folk secrets of their beautiful 2018 s/t debut; BIG SOCIETY are back bigger, badder and sleazier with a clutch of tasty new sounds to air; plus after a spate of dates with Sleaford Mods throughout 2019 Manchester scene favourites LIINES will be heading to Cotton Clouds to deliver a set of their thrilling post-punk.

BBC 6 Music & Radio 2 DJ legend, author, musician and all-round gentleman: Mark Radcliffe will hit the festival for the first time accompanied by electronica tech-head compadre Paul Langley (Robs Records/Yeti-MusicMan/BMG). The pair will debut their experimental new electronic project: MARK RADCLIFFE’S UNE.

And it would be remiss not to mention the specially curated bill of emerging talent at Cotton Clouds 2019, who are poised and ready to take tomorrow by storm….

Expect dream-pop lushness from SECLUDED SEA; ambient, reverb washed vibes from THE SILVER FIELD; taut indie pop from THE FLATLINE; roof-raising riffage from rising stars of the Manchester rock circuit with THE C33S, HEY BULLDOG, DIRTY LACES, THE PEOPLE, STEREOHAZE and LA MODE battling it out to be crowned your favourite; and stunning sets from solo talents including Oldham’s own COBY FLETCHER and West Yorkshire’s SAM McGURK.

And if that wasn’t enough to whet your appetites, there will also be a set from some very SPECIAL GUESTS to be announced in due course… but Mum’s the word for now. Expect special secret sets in the VIP bandstand too – see VIP packages for your chance to get in on the action.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT TOO…

With a friendly, family vibe part-and-parcel of our festival experience, Cotton Clouds 2019 will of course be making sure there’s plenty to keep the nippers occupied.

Expect awesome ARTS & CRAFTS, an exhilarating EVENING CARNIVAL, and a takeover by our very techno-Terminators, the MUSICAL ROBOTS. Plus showing the grown-ups how it’s done, 2019 will see the debut of the Cotton Clouds’ KIDDIES RAVE, expect only the very best kind of pandemonium to break out on this dancefloor.

LOCATION

Situated in the old, industrial textile powerhouse of Saddleworth and set against the breathtaking vista of the stunning Peak District National Park, Cotton Clouds Festival is just a short 30 minute trip by car or train east of Manchester.

Cotton Clouds Festival takes place at:

Saddleworth Cricket Club
Well-I-Hole Rd
Greenfield
Oldham
OL3 7HY

By Car / Foot: – Address: Saddleworth Cricket Club, Well-I-Hole Rd, Greenfield, Oldham OL3 7HY

By Rail: – Nearest train station: Greenfield Station, OL3 7JZ

OPENING TIMES

Cotton Clouds Festival 2019 will run from:

5pm – 10pm – on Friday 16th August 2019.
12noon – 10pm – on Saturday 17th August 2019.

TICKET DETAILS

Adult Weekend Passes:

Allowing entry for both days of Cotton Clouds 2019 – Friday 16th – Saturday 17th August – are available at 9AM on 1st MARCH 2019 and are priced at: £75.00 + BF.

Individual Adult Day Tickets:

FRIDAY TICKETS – are priced at £33.00 + BF.
SATURDAY TICKETS – are priced at £52.25 + BF.
VIP Packages + Children 6-13 Year old Passes are also available.
Infants Under the Age of 5 are Free.

Get yours at The Cotton Clouds Official Website:
http://www.cottoncloudsfestival.com/buy-tickets/

AGE RESTRICTIONS

All ages welcome across both Friday and Saturday.

Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult over 21. Maximum of four under 18s per adult. ID required.

Line-up

FRIDAY
Peter Hook & The Light
Ash
Alabama 3
The Mouse Outfit
She Drew The Gun
Saytr Play
Agbeko
The Maitlands
Callow Youth

SATURDAY
The Wailers
Reverend & The Makers
The House & Garage Orchestra
Tim Burgess (The Charlatans)
Oh My God It’s The Church
Special Guests
Patawawa
Jordan Max
The Fernweh
Big Society
Liines
Secluded Sea
The Silver Field
Mark Radcliffe’s UNE
The C33s
Hey Bulldog
Coby Fletcher
La Mode
Dirty Laces
The People
Sam McGurk
Stereohaze
The Flatline

FOR MORE INFORMATION

w/ http://www.cottoncloudsfestival.com/
f/ https://www.facebook.com/cottoncloudsfestival/
t/ https://twitter.com/cottoncfest
i/ https://www.instagram.com/cottoncloudsfestival/

ALBUM & TOUR NEWS: These New Puritans ‘Inside The Rose’ out 22nd March, tour April 2019

LSF Staff Writers

25 Feb 2019

THESE NEW PURITANS have revealed details of their fourth studio album, INSIDE THE ROSE, set for release on 22 March 2019. The video above contains nudity and may be NSFW.

Recorded in Berlin, London and Southend-on-Sea, and mixed in Los Angeles, INSIDE THE ROSE is a record unlike anything else you’ll hear this year; 40 minutes of powerful melodies, lush strings and progressive electronics, packed with jaw-dropping sonic left turns. The title track of the record is currently available to stream and download, and follows the release of the album track INTO THE FIRE, which debuted late last year to immense acclaim.

INSIDE THE ROSE TRACK LISTING

• Infinity Vibraphones
• Anti-Gravity
• Beyond Black Suns
• Inside the Rose
• Where the Trees Are on Fire
• Into the Fire
• Lost Angel
• A-R-P
• Six

THESE NEW PURITANS began playing music together as children, writing songs on a massively oversized guitar and a pair of bongos from a charity shop.

“We’d learn Captain Beefheart songs together,” says Jack. “And I would slow down Aphex Twins songs to analyse them, then create copies, to learn how to make those kinds of sounds”.

Together they began to create their own musical world and in the years since have successfully blurred the distinctions between pop, classical, electro, rock and experimental music, earning rave reviews and praise from artists as diverse as Bjork, Massive Attack and Elton John along the way.

The 2008 debut, BEAT PYRAMID, released when the brothers were still in their teens, was a circular work of fast rhythms, repetitive lyrics and fractured field recordings, and stood out like a sore thumb among the conservative, guitar-based music of the period. The follow up, HIDDEN in 2010, defied expectations and garnered numerous Album of The Year accolades. After appearing on Bjork’s remix album, Bastards, the band released the cinematic FIELD OF REEDS in 2013. Since then, Jack and George’s desire for new sonic challenges saw them produce the musical score for the first authorised theatrical production of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

Now, reverting to the original duo of brothers, THESE NEW PURITANS open a new chapter with INSIDE THE ROSE. Writing sessions began in Essex in 2015 and were completed in Berlin after they relocated there; the majority of recording was done in a former Soviet Union broadcasting studio in the city’s industrial suburbs.

The sharp romanticism of INSIDE THE ROSE grips like a vice, drawing you into a nocturnal alternate reality where nothing is as it seems. “The songs are about beauty, transcendence, desire, oblivion, ecstasy and eyes,” says Jack.

The album’s adventurous spirit is summed up by a band phrase George would use as a touchstone throughout recording: “Why dream backwards when you can dream forwards?”

INSIDE THE ROSE isn’t just THESE NEW PURITANS’ most affecting music yet, it’s further proof that they operate in a different realm to mist bands, making music with true fearlessness. “I want to go beyond myself and my time,” says Jack. “That’s the art I like, whether it’s Francis Bacon or William Blake. You fail, inevitably, but that’s the challenge”.

To accompany the release of INSIDE THE ROSE, THESE NEW PURITANS have announced a run of 12 live dates across the UK and Europe.

UK tour dates

APRIL

Wed 10 MANCHESTER Yes | Support from VESSEL
Thu 11 GLASGOW SW3 Warehouse | Support from VESSEL
Fri 12 LEEDS Belgrave Music Hall | Support from VESSEL
Sat 13 HEBDEN BRIDGE Trades Club | Support from VESSEL
Wed 17 LONDON Tufnell Park Dome | Support from VESSEL
Thu 18 BRIGHTON Patterns | Support from VESSEL
Fri 19 BRISTOL Thekla | Support from VESSEL

TOUR NEWS: Copper Vine dates March/April 2019

LSF Staff Writers

25 Feb 2019

Copper Viper is an acoustic folk group from London, comprised of prolific songwriter and guitarist Robin Joel Sangster and fiddle/mandolin player Duncan Menzies. The pair were introduced through a mutual musician friend in late 2016, and decided to meet for a jam based on a shared love of harmony singing duos such as Simon & Garfunkel and The Milk Carton Kids. After arranging and learning a couple of songs Sangster had recently composed, they soon found that they made a productive songwriting partnership and swiftly set to work building up an ever-growing catalogue of original material.

Prior to forming Copper Viper, both members had been active in a variety of musical projects for a number of years. Sangster has performed widely as a soloist and with “Americana Noir” group Affa David, and has written songs for performers across a wide range of genres. Menzies grew up playing traditional Scots fiddle music; since moving to London he has worked with a multitude of artists as a session musician, and toured extensively in the UK and Europe as a member of country/rock & roll band Ask Sally and gypsy swing/jazz quartet Harp Bazaar. The diversity of these previous musical experiences is strongly reflected in Copper Viper’s music.

The duo performed their first public show at the Filey Folk Festival in April 2017, and since then have been honing their live set at folk clubs and venues around the UK. September 2018 saw the group’s first overseas performances, with a European tour taking in Germany, Switzerland and the CarnieFest music festival in Mallorca. 2019 promises to be Copper Viper’s busiest year to date, with confirmed shows so far including several UK festivals, an April UK tour opening for renowned Celtic folk group PerKelt, followed by several dates in Germany & Belgium.

In 2018, the group contacted platinum-selling producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile) who agreed to record their debut album at the legendary Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, WA and was mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Gavin Lurssen (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss). Comprised of 11 original songs and titled Cut It Down, Count The Rings, the album explores a range of lyrical themes, mixing hope, regret, joy and melancholy while maintaining a sufficient degree of enigma and ambiguity to allow the listener space for their own unique interpretations. Musically, the record draws inspiration from across the broad spectrum of British folk, American country and bluegrass, combining haunting melodies and intricate vocal harmonies with searing instrumental passages to create a stylistic blend that is at once familiar and unique.

As of January 2019, Copper Viper has released two singles (‘Hung Up Alone’ and ‘Fly’) from the forthcoming album. These have been variously described as “a foot-stompin’ racket that’s a joy to listen to” (Americana-UK), “truly uplifting” (Fortitude Magazine) and “totally addictive” (York Calling), and are available on all major online streaming services.

‘Cut It Down, Count The Rings’ will be released on April 5th 2019, with the album launch show taking place at London’s prestigious folk venue, the Green Note, on Saturday April 6th.

Tour dates

MARCH

Sat 9 London C2C Country To Country 2019, The 02, Icon Stage (11:00)
Sun 10 London C2C Country To Country 2019, The 02
Big Entrance Stage (11:10) & Icon Stage (14:20)

Tue 12 Birmingham The Wagon & Horse with PerKelt
Wed 13 Salford The Eagle Inn with PerKelt
Thu 14 York The Fulford Arms with PerKelt
Sat 16 Hull The New Adelphi Club with PerKelt
Mon 18 Newcastle upon Tyne The Cumberland Arms with PerKelt
Wed 20 Nottingham The Old Salutation Inn with PerKelt
Thu 21 Cambridge The Boathouse with PerKelt
Sun 24 London The Hope & Anchor with PerKelt
Fri 29 Oxford Oxford Folk Club, The White House

APRIL

Wed 3 Kingston upon Thames Woody’s Bar and Kitchen
Sat 6 London Green Note Album Launch Show

LIVE REVIEW: Fudge supported by The Varletts, We’ll Be Detectives, Nervous Pills – Lending Room, Leeds – 22nd February 2019

Frank

25 Feb 2019

It’s the first I have seen Fudge, and it is a special night for the band are launching their new single – ‘Not A Threat. Just A Warning’ – a quote from my review of that single, a couple of sentences that I wrote in a frenzy listening to the track appears in the short promo video, that came as something as a shock to be honest – check it out on their Facebook Page.

But before Fudge play we have to get warmed up, and the Lending Room was already busier and sweatier than I’ve seen and felt it before even for the first band on.

Opening the night Nervous Pills impressed me hugely. My notes – yep I’m still writing way more notes than I need to – say ‘it’s a punky post-punky sonic assault’, I go on to say ‘it’s raw, it’s exciting, basically more punky than post-punky’. On reflection I’m not sure I stand by that. The impression that sits there in my head is of something more dark and frankly quite scary post-punky alternative rock.

The focus of the band is their singer/guitarist, who at times had me worried that he was about to do himself some sort of injury, but his vocals had me in mind of all sorts of singers I love and adore. And although right at the start of their I noted that ‘their songs are short on guitar gymnastics but long on a relentless pounding rhythm’ this turned out not to be the case for he threw down some stunning guitar as their set went on.

It was their third song that had me hooked, this was something that weirdly reminded me of Screaming Lord Sutch playing rather strange mutant surf (I know, my head works in a mystifying way sometimes) with a shouted vocal.

They end their all too short set (I wanted more) with a song ‘that’s all screamed vocals, and wonderfully random guitar noise and sounds, it’s all very yummy’. Nervous Pills are a band I want to see again.

We’ll Be Detectives – my notes say – ‘give us something vaguely grunge-y, kinda alternative rock, it is riffy. It is, at times, almost punk-pop’. And if you really want me to say who it reminded me of of, I will, it does that Nirvana thing, it’s not a copy but the influence is there.

Early in their set I wasn’t that grabbed. Another time, another place I’d have been raving right from the start but that night they didn’t click for me.

I say this but at one point in their set they played something with a relentless pulsing beat with something of a post-punk thing going on in the guitar, and suddenly I was grabbed. This happens, you stand there, going ‘well OK, impress me’ and you’re not, and then there’s one song that works for you, that happened for me.

From that point on I got it, I got the moments of quiet and the suddenly bursting into loudness. That oh so wonderful fuzz of the guitars. I got that fabulous soaring thing going on. I was left, as sometimes happens, wishing that I could go back in time and listen to them again, having got it.

Up next were The Varletts. Although my notes say ‘it is a raucous joyous sound. It’s kinda punky, kinda punk-pop. It has tunes, big tunes. The songs have a snappy attention grabbing thing going on’. I was left feeling that The Varletts were just not for me that night.

The thing is, that looking at the crowd, I was very much in a minority. The crowd loved them. This is not to say that there was nothing I didn’t like about them, there were songs that I liked, the playing was excellent, their guitarist is fantastic. It’s just that on the night, just not for me.

As the time draws closer to Fudge coming on, The Lending Room gets more packed, it gets ‘sold out, doors locked downstairs’ packed. There is a group of Fudge t-shirt wearing fans massing at the front of the stage. I am completely stuck at the side of the stage, there is no way I’m going to get anywhere nearer the centre to take photos, let alone the other side, there’s just no way through.

And then they start, they start with Cam standing on the bar at the back, and then all hell breaks loose. And even at that moment I was thinking how in the hell do I review this, taking notes was impossible. And the thing is, I was warned it would get messy, friends who I told I was going to see Fudge said ‘Frank it’ll be messy, you’re going to be bashed to hell if you try and take photos at the front of the stage’.

To describe this as merely a gig would be an understatement, it’s an experience, a shared exhilarating experience. There was moshing, there was stage diving, there was crowd surfing. There was crowd participation. You could feel the connection between the band and the crowd, that feeling had a physical presence. It was incredibly exciting. It was a gig I wanted to be truly part of, not standing at the side making mental notes because I couldn’t write notes down and trying to take photos.

But beyond that madness Fudge make fantastic music. Even as the band throw themselves all around the stage, the music they make is incredibly well played. Otto’s guitar playing is compulsive listening, the bass and drums lock and provide the foundation their music needs. And Cam is one hell of a great singer as well as being visually this presence you just can’t take your eyes off. And what you notice is that there is way more than just rock going on in their songs – there are hints of rap, there are hints of that Manchester thing (and boy does Cam swagger), and there is that punk thing.

The set stand-out for me was ‘Not A Threat, Just A Warning’ – rather predictably I hear you say -which just has an extra venom in the delivery live.

But there is more that just songs, Cam does these, I’m going to call them, monologues before certain songs. They bring on a special guest vocalist for one of their songs. They even have this guy who steps up to the mic to rev the crowd up before their encore.

I was left overwhelmed, buzzing with excitement (and slightly disappointed that I hadn’t said to myself ‘fuck it, I’m not reviewing this, I want to be part of it’ and plunged into the moshing crowd) and promising myself that I would see Fudge again as soon as possible.

I miss gigs like these, I miss that madness, that group madness, that a band who truly connect with their audience can generate. My recollection is that gigs back in the day – and I may be looking backwards through rose-coloured glasses here – were more likely to be like this. Granted some of the rather more, let’s say, esoteric bands I used to go and see were more likely to have the audience sitting cross-legged listening to the band rather than moshing but even so. I go to way too many gigs where people just stand and listen, not even vaguely moving to the music.

You need to go and see Fudge play, you must go and see Fudge play, if you want to see a band who generate that energy, that excitement, go and see them as soon as you can.

SINGLE REVIEW: Radio Partizan – ‘Breaking News’

Frank

24 Feb 2019

It’s a rousing punky post-punky track this release from Leeds’ band Radio Partizan. It’s kinda raw and raucous in a glorious way.

But, and it’s a big but, this isn’t just about the music, it’s about something, it’s a political (or even Political with a big P) song that is about the rise of the far-right and the results of that. It references Brexit, the suppression of liberal protest movements. How you feel about the song might be swayed by your political views I’ve got to admit. The thing that makes it worth listening to, and listening closely, is that the words are well-written and make you think. So even if the subject of the song might not be something that chimes with you, listen, think and make up your own mind as to whether you agree with everything the song says, or even some of it.

You could just let the music take you, the playing is really fantastic, there is some really lovely guitar in there, but I think you’d be missing out on something. I have to be honest, the song fits with my views, and so both the music and the words really hit home. Personally I miss songs with a message, even messages I don’t agree with. I like things that make me think about what I think and believe.

So I urge you. Listen. And think about what you’re hearing.

The info

Radio Partizan have playing around Leeds for 8 years, the band say ‘things like small kids arriving have made us less active in recent years but we have now got new stuff coming our and gigs planned for this year’.

Reggie Side – Vocals, Guitar
Helena Handcart – Vocals, Bass
Cyril Disobedience – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/Radio-Partizan-341398845676/
https://soundcloud.com/radio-partizan/stats

SINGLE REVIEW: Vuromantics – ‘Don’t Come Crying To Me’

Frank

22 Feb 2019

I have, in the past been less than complimentary about Vuromantics, seeing them live a short while ago changed my opinion of what they do big time. Seeing them live made what they do click.

In short people this is huge, it’s big big. You might be misled by the start which sounds rather bizarrely like a noise generator from a Hawkwind track, and then it goes all kind of ambient and smoochy smooth. But the thing is that this suddenly becomes this huge funky floor filler. It has hints of electronic 80s’ band – specifically Heaven 17 but there are others in the mix, huge dollops of soul-y R’n’B and it even rocks out.

But it makes sense, it makes huge sense, and it works. I defy anybody not to feel moved to get up and shake their thang to this.

And the playing on this is fantastic, the standouts for me are the drumming – that is some way cool drumming – and the guitar – when that takes off, it’s a joyous thing, a thing that any rock band would be proud to include in a track. But it’s the groove, the combined groove that this band produce that makes it work. It’s the sort of track you need to hear loud, you need this to fill the room with that glorious sound.

But, I hear you ask, this doesn’t sound like the sort of thing you usually get all worked up about. This is quite true, it doesn’t, this sort of music usually brings some rather bad memories of a club in Portsmouth called The Some Place Else Club (or SPECS as it was usually known) which I used to get dragged to by some rather more club-going friends at, what we might call, a fake ID toting age. SPECS used to play this sort of big funk type music to the assembled ‘on shore leave’ sailors, who when having consumed rather more alcohol than was advised would seek out anyone who didn’t fit their idea of somebody who should be in said club – namely people like me – and, if you had long hair or even long-ish hair threaten to set fire to it. It was that sort of place. You may be relieved to hear that I never had my hair set on fire, I managed to escape that. And once the sailors got to that stage the club called in the military police who had a casual attitude to the use of baseball bats and clubs to subdue drunken sailors. Portsmouth was a tough place.

But the thing is that Vuromantics overcome that by including those elements of 80s’ electronic pop and rock, and the shear musical ability they have. ‘Don’t Come Crying To Me’ is huge, glorious and full of joy.

The info

Vuromantics launched in early 2017 and wasted little time hitting the road and flexing their touring muscles. Known affectionately as ‘The Vu’ this UK five piece blend pop sensibilities with a passion for keys and groove to create a modern take on some retro ideas. The band have been consistently bringing their unique brand of pop to most the major cities in the UK by headlining their own small venue DIY tours but also have supported the likes of Shalamar, Alabama 3, The South, Smokey Brights and KOLARS to name a few. Vuromantics; tipped by the music press with Classic Pop Magazine stating “We’ve been hooked” , Louderthanwar observing “a charming sophisticated slice of popular fusion” and tastemakers Exposed Magazine proclaiming “shimmering synth textures and giant choruses”.

‘Don’t Come Crying To Me’ was recorded by Alan Smyth (Artic Monkeys, Milburn, Reverend And The Makers) at 2Fly Studios Sheffield & Old Pig Farm Sheffield. Of the process Sam Christie of the band said “This is one of a number of tracks we created ahead of our UK tour back in November 2018, born during a really exciting flourish of creativity and concerts.”…”Ultimately it’s a playful song with lush synthesisers, tuneful guitar sounds and some tight rhythmic backbone, it’s a favourite of ours during our live performances”

www.vuromantics.com
www.facebook.com/vuromantics
www.twitter.com/vuromantics
www.instagram.com/vuromantics