As some of you might be aware I have a thing about loud grungy music and post-punk. LIINES give you both which is frankly wonderful thing. If that’s kinda puzzling imagine a grungy Savages, or, bearing in mind the vocals, a grungy Siouxsie and The Banshees.

‘Keep on Going’ is both compelling and insistent. It drills it’s way deep, deeper, into your head until it sits there making you feel wonderfully jerky. It’s the sort of track that makes you, no insists you, get up and throw yourself at high velocity around the nearest available space.

Raw guitars cut into your soul, the drums and bass set a rhythm that speeds your heart into hypervelocity and the vocal, oh what a vocal, sears into your head. It’s addictive, so addictive. This track is so raucous and primitive; it’s a celebration of noise, a celebration of life.

If you’re already aware of LIINES then this is yet another fabulous release from the band. If not then this is a great way into the band.

This is one to play loud, louder, loudest and go wild.

The info

LIINES are Zoe McVeigh (vocals/guitar), Anna Donovan (bass) and Leila O’Sullivan (drums).

‘Keep on Going’ was recorded by Zoe McVeigh (vocals, guitar, bass) and Leila O’Sullivan (drums)at Unit 13 studios. The track was produced, mixed and mastered by Paul Tipler.

The three-piece have been building a burgeoning reputation as one of the exciting acts to emerge from Manchester in recent years.

Prior to returning to the studio ahead of releasing their second album – to come later in 2022 – LIINES have toured with Sleaford Mods, supported the likes of Ash and The Slow Readers Club and played alongside The Charlatans on a live stream in March. Plus, they were Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition finalists, having also performed at the festival twice.

York based band Veneers are completely new to me. But I’m happy to be ‘meeting their music’ (so to speak), it rocks. It rocks like I like my indie-rock, on the heavy side.

While their blurb may describe their sound as ‘sun drenched’; this is more of the twilight. You’d expect a track called ‘Bad Blood’ to have… let’s call it, something of a hint of darkness, to be moody and atmospheric, and this has that. The sound is dense and comes with what I can only describe as weight.

What I mean by this is that it’s all somewhere down in the low-range tonally. There are somewhat sinister guitars that give it that atmospheric feel. And the breakdown and build section does throbbing bass, scary guitar and layers upon layers of vocals.

Yet in all the moodiness it has what I can only describe as a call to get up and shake your thang, to be dangerous.

‘Bad Blood’ is one hell of a release. I’m looking forward to the next one.

The info

Four piece band Veneers’ brand of catchy, sun drenched Indie was born as a result of an opportunity to reinvent and explore after past musical experiences. Having spent much of the past decade involved within various projects, cutting their teeth recording, touring and song writing a foundation was already laid when they formed in 2019.

Drawing on influences such as the Strokes and Joy Division as well as the anthemic songwriting of bands such as Arcade Fire and Blur, their latest EP ‘Points of Conversation’ was released in July 2021.

Instagram – https://www.Instagram.com/veneersband
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/theveneersofficial

Although I didn’t review the lead single release from this EP – ‘Waiting Room – I was very impressed. Indeed so impressed that in hindsight I’m regretting not reviewing it (hindsight is a wonderful thing).

Enfers do a kind of indie-pop/rock. What you need to know is that I’m using that term somewhat reluctantly. A better way of describing it would be wonderfully rich pop with huge tunes, with perhaps something of an indie-pop thing going on. But, and it’s a big but, this is not all that Enfers do, as you will discover.

The opening track ‘Awake’ sets out their stall; huge tune, instantly danceable, smile inducing to the max. And yes, you’ll get something of an indie-pop feel but you need to listen more closely. For this is pop, huge classic pop; with something of a back in the day feel. And I apologise in advance here, but to me it brings to mind Top of the Pops back in the 80s. What I’m saying is that it mixes the old with the new. The result, bloody fabulous.

You remember I said that Enfers are no one trick pony (or words to that effect); ‘The Circuit’ is an example. Yes, there are hints of indie-pop/rock (if we must) but the band throw in all sorts of things; gloriously retro pop sounds – check out that guitar break for a start, something that sounds of all things a bit like later period Yes. Not only this but a great lyric about a band touring – with smiles and laughs. All that and a great tune, and instantly danceable.

And now to ‘Waiting Rooms’. I could be lazy and just describe this as epic. For this they take their sound and slow it down a little, add layers of wonderful sounds, throw in a soft-rock feel here and there. Sorry but this is just something you just have to hear.

Closing track ‘Heaven In A Wildflower’ is something else again. They take that old and new mix, strangely decide that at times a Queen vibe is a good thing (spoiler, it is), mix in an unexpected guitar/synth freakout, a huge indie-pop section. You get what I’m saying here – it’s a mix of lots of sounds, tempos and feels that, on the face of it, shouldn’t work. But the thing is, it does, boy does it work. In a way it’s the ultimate taking of what they’ve done on the other three songs and pushing it to max. It is, and I use this term carefully, experimental and progressive. Alternatively you could just describe it as a joyously huge song.

Before I go on I have to pause and mention that the playing on this EP is outstanding. The arrangements are clever – allowing the unexpected to shine while retaining that sense of melody. The vocals are something I’m going to pick out – I do this because it was the vocals that hooked me in initially – that’s a voice I could listen to all day.

They say ‘In many ways, the tracks which we chose for the EP are the ones that most represent the journey from when we first formed the band to where we are now. Each one is quite different to the next but all of them live somewhere along the spectrum between commercial pop and indie rock’.

I agree with this to a degree. The thing is that a spectrum is linear; whereas Enfers are pushing that envelope in all sorts of different directions. Or perhaps to take a different mathematical way of describing it; their sound lies somewhere in a Venn diagram of all sorts of music old and new. And crucially where in that diagram depends on each song.

This is an incredibly impressive EP; the songs are all strong, every song has a tune to die for, the playing is a joy. As an introduction to this new-ish band it’s stunning. I love this. Can’t wait for the next release. May they never stop pushing that envelope.

Saintes describe what they do as ‘gritty glam rock’, something I found hard to imagine to be honest; especially as I wasn’t sure what era of glam rock they might be referring to. However if this song is anything to go by it’s a fucking glorious mix of heavy heavy guitars with hints of swampy sludge and a huge dose of bluesy soulfulness. Yep, you got it, all the good good stuff.

It rocks people; slow riffing growling guitars, blues tinged guitar breaks, drums like thunder, soulful backing vocals and a lead vocal that has hints of mystery and darkness.

I’m grasping for a ‘sounds-like’ here – mainly unsuccessfully to be honest – but they have a feel of a heavy soulful rock band I had a thing for called Saint Jude, and something of swampy blues thing going on.

The other thing I love about this track is that it has a tune as well as being heavy to the max. There’s light and shade in there as well – it just makes the heavy bits better, so much better. And it’s dirty and, frankly speaking, sleazy. This thing crawls into your ears and head like an addiction.

Saintes, and this song, are my new addiction. This is an injection of dark, swampy, soulful heavy heavy rock. Do it, just take that first dose now.

The info

Gritty glam rockers with something to prove. Saintes are a trio of musicians harking from Yorkshire:

Frontman Will, a bombastic mix of all the best bits of the rock n roll greats with his own modern style. A fashion sense to rival Bowie, energy to out pop Iggy and dance moves that would put Jagger to shame.

Remi, a true man of mystery but if there’s one thing we know BOY can he play guitar! He forged his own style from desert sounds and blues legends.

Benji, a multi instrumentalist filling in the gaps and bringing the groove wearing his unique set of influences on his sleeve.

The sound is born from a wide range of influences with each member bringing their own flavour to the mix including: The Black Keys, Ty Segall, Queens of the Stone Age, Gary Clark Jr., Tyler the Creator, The Rolling Stones, Brian Eno and Bowie to name a few.

I know very little about Rachel Min but what I do know is that ‘Compromises’ is one hell of a song. And when it comes down to it that’s all that I need to know.

If ‘Compromises’ is anything to go by – and it’s her first release – what she does is singer/songwriter style with more than the odd hint of bedroom pop. Of now but with hints of retro – I get something of a Suzanne Vega thing going on or even Tanita Tikaram. Plus that sense of melody is very Kirsty MacColl. Enough of my old head being musically triggered – Rachel has some more ‘of now’ influences which you can read about below – but those retro sounds are one of the reasons why I really love this track. The reason I say bedroom-pop is that it’s quite dreamy sounding – jangly guitars are a part of that. The vocal is quiet and wonderfully understated which contrasts with the, at times, surprisingly upfront guitar. But it’s put together so well that nothing jars; the feel and sound is great pop, but then again it has something that isn’t at all pop.

It is quite hard to put her musically into only one niche – it’s pop yes but it has a depth and craft that kinda slots it into singer/songwriter. This is one of those times when I’m going to stop trying to do that.

I started off thinking that I wasn’t going to like it at all but it gradually won me over during my first listen, then lodged itself into my head. This is just a wonderfully lovely song – a tune to die for, a wonderful vocal and really well put together. Somehow it manages to sound polished and ‘bedroom’ produced at the same time which is charming.

This song charmed me completely, it charmed my socks off. Rachel Min is firmly on my ‘ones to watch’ list.

The info

As heard on BBC Introducing Yorkshire, Jorvik Breakfast, University of York Radio and Miss Yorkshire Gold, ‘Compromises’ tied second-place at University of York’s Battle of the Bands. Drawing from upcoming artists like Holly Humberstone, Phoebe Bridgers and Matilda Mann, Rachel recorded this song from her bedroom while in Singapore; collaborating with a producer based in York. In light of the difficult year it’s been, she hopes ‘Compromises’ will resonate with listeners for its optimistic sound and lyricism – “Sometimes I escape from my mind, practice my lines, make up all the fights.”