Come At The King

Top 10 EPs 2020

EPs, much like the start of Spring, offer more excitement than albums. It’s the little offshoots green that flood the senses with dreams and hope. No matter the circumstances of 2020, the creative spirit just keeps on keeping on.

Here are our 10 favourites of 2020:

10. Yellow Melodies – Sunshine Pop

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From Del Shannon to Scott Walker to the fledgling days of The Wolfhounds, The Yellow Melodies continue to light up the past with a new vibrancy.

It should come as no surprise that ‘C86 e Indiepop’ is the EP’s standout moment. Forever indebted to that era, they summon the punchy freedom of ‘Anti-Midas Touch’, the adorableness of ‘Part Time Punks’, and the engaging defiance of ‘E102’.

9. Fast Blood – Fast Blood

Newcastle’s Fast Blood blew the doors off with their debut EP this year.

You’ is a joyride of punk from the anthemic locker of Von Bondies and Descendants. The viscous garage rock guitars are a joyously savage assault on the senses.

Meanwhile, ‘Milo’ showcased an ability to bare their soul to the sound of Idlewild and The Pixies.

8. Come At The King Take To The Streets

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London trio Come At The King returned in November with their best work to date.

A fluidity and unifying spirit permeated their natural talent for aggressive garage rock. A huge step up!

7. Yard Arms – Sanctuary Arms

Take note of this band now, for soon, they will be icons on bedroom walls!

The effortless majesty of ‘Matra’ will blow away contempt for 2020. Meanwhile, ‘These Four Walls’ harks back to the criminally overlooked genius of iForward Russia via The Cure

6. In Earnest – In Earnest

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In Earnest have the songs, they have the talent but, crucially, they have the one thing stadium selling artists can spend a lifetime grappling with. Truth. Their tracks read like diary entries and serve as thought-provoking pieces of art.

5. Beat Hotel – Beat Hotel

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Beat Hotel may only be seen as often as a Snow Leopard but, they are no less beautiful. Anyone emotionally attached to the Children of Nuggets' era, should open their hearts to this EP.

4. Rooskin – Honey Spells

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Southend’s Rooskin hazily defines what is it to be young. Carefree and lost, it meanders its way to failed relationships with drugs and people alike.

The quest for identity is the sound of being a teenager. Running full throttle into regret in those defining years is romanticised with aplomb here.

3. Spector -  Extended Play

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Getting older has never sounded so good. Fred Machpherson’s band of rebels returned with alt-pop sent from the heavens.

You won’t find anything lyrically more amusing than this!

2. Peter Hall – There’s Something Wrong With Everyone

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Despite the debut status, Hall emerges with a class, usually associated with someone making their third album masterpiece.

There is something beautifully scouse about his music. ‘Hold Me’ and ‘Blood Flow’ enter an alternate reality where Sice (The Boo Radleys) is backed by Crosby Stills and Nash’s harmonies. Meanwhile, ‘Everything Is Fading Fast’ has Shack’s forlorn jangle combining with The Stands’ Howie Payne vocals.

1. Captain Handsome – I Am Not An Animal

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Fightmilk’s Lily Rae stepped away from the band at the start of 2020 to release a debut EP.

Aching melancholy, relationship trauma, and self-doubt form the discourse on this incredibly personal journey. Intertwining folk from all eras, this EP creates something timeless and, instantly loveable.

 

 

Our 8th Birthday!

Last Friday night, in South East London, a rare thing happened. A night of rock n roll was brought to the forgotten corner of London. A week after the Kick Out The Jams all dayer and, a few months after CroCroLand, it feels like a shift is well under way. With Soho becoming overrun by greed, venues like New Cross Inn, Amersham Arms and The White Hart must become pivotal touring stops and breed life into a hotbed creativity so often overlooked.

To break the 4th wall briefly, it was our 8th birthday and, we have to say thank you to the bands and everyone who came. Furthermore, thank you to This Feeling, Kick Out The Jams, Zine UK, and especially Art Beat Promo for their support and inspiration in keeping grass roots music alive.

Opening with the lush and intimate sounds of Mark Radcliffe favourite Daniel Land, the New Cross Inn was served up a piece of introspective shimmering guitar work. Land's voice, under appreciated in his band format with their soaring landscapes displayed an array romanticism and melancholy to lose your self in.

Image courtesy of Caffy St Luce

Image courtesy of Caffy St Luce

The temperature was raised considerably when the sexed up riffs of North London's Come At The King. Former single 'Shudder', filled the room with danger and intense anticipation. Everyone knew an explosion was coming, that didn't make anyone prepared for it. All those years watching Noel trying to write this song, blown to pieces in 4mins of dirty rock n roll blues.

A quick blast of 'Hotel Yorba' had everyone dancing but, it was their own 'Minesweep' that laid down the gauntlet. Humble in lyrics, chest out bravado in sound, they have their blueprint to glory.

Image courtesy of Caffy St Luce

Image courtesy of Caffy St Luce

Then came Brighton's Lacuna Bloome. A band no longer of potential, they are bursting at the seems of bass hooks and John Squire guitar parts. They demonstrated their ability to switch up from the pop majesty of 'I Am' and 'Alright' to the frenzied set closer. It's one thing to have Stone Roses as an influence, its another to deliver on it.

With an EP coming this Autumn, Lacuna Bloome are sure thing to be on main stages at next years festivals.

Average Sex

Headlining were Tim Burgess proteges Average Sex. From start to finish, a riot of 60s girl groups, punk and charisma. Their first national tour starts this Friday in Liverpool (Phase One) and, on this showing, radio stations are going to be foaming at the mouth to give them airplay.

Image courtesy if Caffy St Luce

Image courtesy if Caffy St Luce

Instant classics 'Ice Cream' and 'Melody' had New Cross this hooked and, by the time singer Laetitia has woven her magic, everyone was under their spell.

Not only do they move from destructive New York punk to Johnny Marr pop effortlessly, they do it with an unfettered spirit. 'We’re Done', the greatest chorus in recent times (bar none), is either sung along by fans or having people in stitches with its chorus:

“You act like im the crazy one since I slashed your tyres / Now you wont return my calls since I set your dog on fire”

They icons in the making, they have the singles, they have the album tracks, now its your job, the public to go and fall in love with them.