Gazelle – Violet Hour Blues

Leicester’s Gazelle returned recently with their new single ‘Violet Hour Blues’. It follows the success of the ‘Clementine’ back in July.

In 2020, Chesterfield’s The Crooks were on a roll with windswept Oasis-esque ballads. By the end of that year, they sadly imploded. It left a song-writing void that Gazelle have not only filled with ‘Violet Hour Blues’, but they’ve also surpassed them by adding lyrical depth and orchestration to kill for.

This aching character-driven tale lights up the ordinary and mundane like no other. They have The Verve’s ‘History’ at their fingertips with the lyrics and strings but, they go much further. The torment of Richard Hawley and the heart of Frank and Walters lift this to instant classic status.

The guitars pertain to the anguish of Andrew Cushin’s ‘Where’s My Family Gone’ & ‘Waiting For The Rain’ and Noel Gallagher’s regret-filled classics ‘Dying Of Light’ and ‘The Right Stuff’. Subtly and deftly adding licks only when needed. Less is so much more here.

Credence they carry into the guitar solo too. The obvious choice would have been to lift the mood-blistering escapist solo, a talent they are more than capable of. However, what emanates is a divine autumnal jingle-jangle to further enhance their credentials.

Gazelle’s new EP is on the horizon and is becoming the most sort after of the year on this basis.

THIS IS WAR – Pyramids

Liverpool five-piece This Is War continued their run of a single a month in September with ‘Pyramids’. It follows their fine ode to Bob Dylan, 'Exile Poet’.

Even in the band’s quieter moments this year, there has been an immediacy to their music. However, this is the most direct yet and it results in their finest guitar work to date! Frontman Paul Carden snarls “here we are. Here go” like a statement of intent. Less so as courteous information, but more as a condemnation of everything you know. They were coming and they will destroy!

Mike Mullard and Johnny Roberts guitars tap into early BRMC, 00s cult heroes Dogs and Carden’s former outfit Black Velvets on this dirge-laden classic. Leather-clad filthy licks from the gutter bellow out before the garage solo melts cynicism with its fury.

It’s been one hell of a year for the band, and this has been its peak to date. Check back next week to see if their new single ‘I Don’t Get It’.

*Artwork courtesy of Donnie Grant

The Shakes – Sorry Officer

On 7th October, London-Liverpool hybrid The Shakes release their debut single ‘Sorry Officer’ via iii Records. To date, they have been wowing audiences at Shiiine On and This Feeling. Can their studio time match the live prowess?

You can buy ‘Sorry Officer’ on the 7th October via their Bandcamp page.

In 1994 Liam Gallagher bedded in between And Lydon and Lennon to become an icon. In the past 18 months, frontman Zac Nimmo has been finding space between Gallagher and Miles Kane as rock ‘n’ rolls heir to the throne. His looks, attitude, snarl, and dancing are too good to be denied. On ‘Sorry Officer’, he switches up from anthemic punk to beat poet spitting venom as the guitars hiss and swirl all around.

However, this is not a band all about the frontman. The riffs, the keys, and the solos are phenomenal. The Strokes are dragged by the throat to a brawl with the Small Faces and Oasis on this guttural single.

Not since The Libertines released ‘What A Waster’ has rock ‘n’ roll tapped into such a rich vein of disquiet. The immediacy of ‘Pretty Vacant’ and raw power of ‘Holidays In The Sun’ is rewired by Sam Gibbs’ scintillating gunshot guitars. They set ablaze to everything as ‘Sorry officer makes the aforementioned seem like nursery rhymes.

It’s the sound of Steve Craddock and Peter Green off their tits duelling with Will Seargent and Steve Jones in a late-night bar. Ian McLagan and Rob Collins pop in for a sesh whilst Entwhistle holds it all together!

*banner image courtesy of the band

**artwork courtesy of iiiI Records

They are not to be missed on their upcoming dates:

Shackites - Vintage Crewneck

After a recent sell-out show at their hometown venue The Snug, Atherton five-piece are back with their new single ‘Vintage Crewneck’.

The irresponsible guitar intro searches for an escape with a fizzing authority that could only come from close friends taking on the world. Far-reaching but always humble, they conjure a fighting spirit that seeks to unify rather than destroy.

Vocally Matthew Jarvis taps into the criminally underrated work of Dylan Giles of Polytechnic and Driver Drive Faster. Fragile but righteous, Jarvis serves up a fine display of 00s indie that Cajun Dance Party fans will love.

It won’t be long before the sold-out shows extend way beyond their hometown on this showing.

The Skinner Brothers - Lonedon

The Skinner Brothers are wasting no time after the success of their latest album ‘Soul Boy II’. Their new single ‘Lonedom’ will be released on August 19th ahead of their new EP of the same name on September 23rd.

Images courtesy of Fear PR

Frontman Zac Skinner’s vocals should be iconic by now. On this latest offing, he has the gruffness of beans on Toast, the insolence of Jamie T but, crucially it’s his soul-boy persona that shines brightest. Theirs an air of the 80s wide boy donning the finest Fila jacket sipping G&T’s surveying the chancers who know better to cross him.

Despite the coolness of the record, their anxiety permeates throughout as our protagonist struggles to belong in London. The big smoke is a vibrant joyous place full of choice if you can afford it. For anyone slipping financially, mentally or emotionally, it can be a pressure cooker waiting to blow. The Skinner brothers take those infectious laid-back licks of The Astors and the chilled bombast of Eddie Floyd for a walk along desolation row. The solo that blasts out twice takes the band to another level altogether. The Coral’s ‘Magic and Medicine’ unites with Miles Kane’s dreams of rock star status to conjure a perfect blend of isolation and toxicity.

“I wanted the EP to have a mixtape kind of feel” says Skinner, on this showing, it’s shaping up to be of a very high calibre.

Tour Dates

OCTOBER 

1st - Manchester, Neighbourhood Festival 

2nd - Blackpool, Bootleg Social 

4th - Southampton, Joiners 

5th - Southend, Chinnery’s 

6th - London, O2 Academy Islington 

8th - Cambridge, Mash 

9th - Guildford, The Boiler Room 

10th - Oxford, Bullingdon Arms 

12th - Edinburgh. The Caves 

14th - Stockton, KU 

15th - Live At Leeds 

The Utopiates - Best and Worst Days

It’s a special release day for The Utopiates. ‘Best and Worst Days’ is their first signed to V2 Records and marks the official run to their debut album.

Single is available from their Bandcamp page.

The shimmering acoustic guitars of ‘Kinky Afro’ and the chilled sunset beats of ‘Dennis and Lois’ chime gloriously in the intro of this tale of looking back. Frontman Dan Popplewell’s ability to bring influences into his indie-soul vocal continues to grow. This time out, he softens his snarl to allow nodes of Bernard Sumner and Danny Wilson in. It adds to the sense of self-reflection permeating throughout but, in the closing moments, he turns on his raw power to say goodbye to his younger self.  

They’ve taken the classic rock ‘n’ roll adage of “you have to go there to comeback” and juxtaposed it with their archetypal trippy sound. It’s an astonishingly open ode to their early twenties. Nights of excess, relationship failure, and letting people down are examined from a wiser perspective. It’s that latter point that gives the track’s lyrics brevity the sonic deserves. Without the protagonists understanding that it’s made them who they are, a Cobain nihilistic nightmare would be looming.

No matter the torment of the discourse, through Ed Godhsaw’s keys, the single finds a way to cruise effortlessly to the sun. He’s lifted The Horror’s distressed seaside sonic of ‘Primary Colours’ out it’s their despair and slipped them a pill whilst dancing with New Order.

The Utopiates formed during lockdown. Quite how the bleakest of times produced something so entrenched in love is beyond us. This is not the sound of a band on the rise to their debut album. This is The Mondays approaching ‘Pills Thrills and Bellyaches’ or Depeche Mode gearing up for ‘Violator’. Fully formed and brilliant!

Catch them tonight at Colours in Hoxton.

This Is War – Exile Poet

Liverpool’s This Is War are releasing a single a month in 2022. Their seventh of the year is ‘Exile Poet’, their tribute to Bob Dylan.

Former Black Velvets frontman Paul Carden has been showcasing an array of influences through the singles run. From Rod Stewart to Jim Morrison to Tom Meighan. This time out, he takes his punk-soul spirit to the precipice of Dylan’s iconic drawl. The shorter breathier cadence illicit joyous images of the 00s indie-punk scene jamming Dylan songs.

The guitars in the closing minutes light up this ode to Dylan. Johnny Roberts and Mike Mullard’s escapist Rifles-esque licks collide with killer basslines worthy of Maximo Park and The Enemy at their peak.

‘Exile Poet’ is at its best when their own archetypal sound roars. The destructive drumming of Martyn Leah and the desperation Carden’s vocals could set fire to an ocean. They bleed passion, cut them and you’ll see Iggy tattooed on their spleen!  

Roll on next month’s instalment.

The Shed Project – If You Know You Know

The Shed Project returned last Friday with their new single ‘If You Know You Know’ via One Love Records. It comes hot on the heels of their debut album ‘The Curious Mind Of A Common Man’ which only came out in April. Album number two is underway, how does the new sound fair?

They may have formed in the garden, but with guitar power like this, they’ll end on big stages. The expansive sonic of Squire’s ‘It’s Begging You’ is given the snarl and hiss of ‘Be Here Now’. Crucially, unlike the latter, The Shed Project have honed its power by keeping it under four minutes.

Despite the ‘Second Coming’-esque power, their baggy spirit hasn’t dissipated. As the hedonistic riffs strive for the heavens Roy Fletcher’s vocals float alongside to anchor their roots. Fletcher could be forgiven for delivering a more ethereal vocal alongside the heavy psychedelia, more interestingly though, he takes his early Tim Burgess-esque style towards the early raw punk spirit of Liam Gallagher with hints of Daltrey circa ‘I Can See For Miles’.

The hate, the anger, and the lack of agency we all feel toward these incompetent and corrupt energy companies posting record profits pour out of the Cream-esque crescendo guitars in the closing stages. It’s the perfect tonic for the masses to release their angst at a world going to shit!

Be sure to catch them at K Festival in Rhyl on August 6th

Click image for tickets.

Matilda Shakes – Fast Lane

Sheffield-based Matilda Shakes returned at the end of June with their new single ‘Fast Lane’. It follows their glam stomping anthem ‘Up All Night’ and the dirge joy of ‘Shakedown’. Can they continue their run of form?

‘Fast Lane’ does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a genius display of blistering leather-clad rock ‘n’ roll. The Doors mysticism and the Bunnymen’s snarl has picked a barroom fight with BRMC and no one is giving up!

The frenzied attack, like BRMC and the Bunnymen, remains melodic no matter how often its gang mentality violence threatens to spill over. The pace briefly drops for a sumptuous Will Seagrent-esque guitar breakdown. No matter the violence embedded in their sound, this brief moment showcases that, Matilda Shakes are a band in control of their destiny.

Click image for tickets.

Thousand Yard Stare – Isadora

The Slough missive embarked on a series of single releases in 2022. ‘Isadora’ is the third in that run and was recorded at Raffer Studios in Kent where their stunning psyche comeback album ‘Panglossian Momentum’ was made.

Guitarist Giles Duffy originally created this surreal frenzy as an instrumental. In many ways, it pays homage to his more drawn-out work of the initial run in the late 80s and early 90s. However, once the singer and lyricist Stephen Barnes got to work, it became a condensed, almost demonic nursery rhyme befitting the post-pandemic world we find ourselves in.

During lockdown, with nowhere but to look in the past or inwards, Duffy and Barnes have conjured the dark and weirdness we all strayed to. Hope is often coursing through their melodies. Here, they’ve attacked the studio like a Dadaist nightmare where the concept never existed.

If only uncertainty always sounded this good.

The band will return to the stage again later in the year:

Click image for tickets.

Gazelle – Clementine

Leicester-based Gazelle, fresh from the success of the ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ are back with their new single ‘Clementine’. It was recorded at Hope Mill Studio in Manchester.

Like ‘Magic Carpet Ride’, their love of soul music again comes into play. The combo of Motown’s stomp and the acoustic jingle-jangle of the DMA’s sparkles like Stevie Wonder fronting The Byrds’s with Steve Cradock on lead guitar.

Their step-back time is blessed with a warmth that demands playlist recognition immediately. The psyche-jangle effortlessness of The Left Banke’s ‘She May Call You Up Tonight’ and ‘I’ve Got Something On My Mind’ combines with the emotive pop hooks of Bee Gee’s ‘I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You’. All the while, Richard Sorbi, and Danny Wright’s rhythm taps into the vitality of Spencer Davis Group and Them.

Despite the R'n'B influences, it’s their punk spirit that drives their success. Gazelle, like The Jam and The Rifles before them, delves into the past and produce new subcultures for the next generation.

The best bands always look and sound like a gang, Gazelle are no different. There are times though for the frontman to step up and shine and this is Ryan Dunn’s. The cadence he deposits is divine. From the quick-fire Stevie Wonder chorus moments to the euphoric Steve Winwood in the closing stages, Dunn showcases immortal talent.

Click the image below for tickets to their headline show in August.

*Banner image courtesy of https://www.trustafoxphotography.com/

Spangled - Good Life Better

Manchester’s Spangled, charged up from ‘Tramlines’ and primed for ‘Y Not? Festival’, are back with their new single ‘Good Life Better’. Produced by Gareth Nuttal (The K’s, Lottery Winners), the track is released by This Feeling Records.

There’s rock ‘n’ roll like ‘Live Forever’, which is the purist of escapist dreams. Spangled are in the same cosmic sphere but here, they occupy a more intense personal realm.

The shimmer of Shed Seven’s ‘Long Time Dead’ combines with the heartfelt poetry of MOSES which takes them to the precipice of a Knebworth or Reading headline slot. For all those who gazed on at Liam this summer, step aside now, it’s their fucking turn!

As Johnson sings "All of the scars in my soul are gone" and the Soundtrack Of Our Lives guitars chime, their big stage destiny is so tangible you can smell it. It screams hope to all teenagers unable to wrench out their pain, but has the ambition to take dreamers with them too.

In an alternate reality, Nicky Wire would have written the great sloganeering here for Richard McNarama and Youth to produce. The eloquence of DMA’s is given an injection of British aggression via Ben Johnson’s vocal roar whilst Jamie Haliday’s guitars stray from the harrowing goth of The Cure to the grandiose of The Who.

‘Good Life Better’ is more than just a rock ‘n’ roll epic though. It’s a tribute to frontman Johnson’s father who tragically passed away after their triumphant Isle of Wight Festival set in 2021. If Johnson ever tops this vocal, the world is in for something special. The pain he wrenches from his soul is astonishing, but it is the ecstasy and hope he emits which is truly astounding. At his lowest point, Johnson manages to lift others up around him. There can be no consolation for the loss of a parent. We only hope that, knowing one of his last acts alive was to see his son with his best friends doing (and succeeding) what they love to do. No father could wish for more.

 *Image courtesy of This Feeling Records

Theatre Royal – 1994

Medway’s Theatre Royal recently supported the Human League at Rochester Castle. To celebrate this triumph, they released the lead single ‘1994’ from their EP ‘Beneath The Floor’.

The single & EP are available from their Bancamp page.

Johnny Marr is the undoubted king of riffs. However, loitering behind him are the guitars of Oliver and Robert. Single after single they find a new way to bring mod revival and c86 glory into the modern world. ‘1994’ is no different. The warming guitar parts alongside the dazzling brass conjure images of Graham Coxon joining Orange Juice. Meanwhile, the solo fires out from Steve Cradock’s majestic OCS cannon circa 1996.

The use of brass (Chris Kingman) is not new for the band. To be in full carnival mode is though. It’s the perfect accompaniment to this tale of an erratic friend. It places the wayward soul in the middle of a party they most likely should never have arrived at. The edge of darkness lurking beneath the celebratory atmosphere is a joy to behold.

‘1994’ confirms we’ve known for a decade and what Louder Than War professed perfectly:

 “why the fuck are they not really famous?”

Marseille – The Jungle

Derby’s Marseille have been on a hell of a run in 2022. Debuting at the Isle of Wight festival and playing Pride Park to name a few landmarks. Last week they returned with their new single ‘The Jungle’, out now on all platforms via Away Day Records.

Artwork courtesy of Karl Shaw - https://www.silverbirchcreative.com/

The day of release was one of celebration for the band but, for music lovers, the tragic loss of Paul Ryder was tough to take. A week on and, the loss still stings but, ‘The Jungle’ has served as a timely eulogy for the Mondays’ funk master. The new single locks in a Ryder and Mani-esque killer bassline and builds a baggy classic around it. Once it combines with the funk and flair of Mark Day’s guitars, the tribute is complete!

Coincidence aside, this is a single of unswerving talent and ambition. ‘Fools Gold’ it is not but, the spirit of the Roses looms large. A steep trajectory awaits and evidently they have the skill to get there.

Today marks the anniversary of the Hammond genius of Rob Collins. Marseille have celebrated the present with a nods to Manchester’s baggy past. Meanwhile, there’s a cloud with Ryder, Collins, and Liam Maher having it to ‘The Jungle’.

*Image courtesy of Jason Bridges.

Lucigenic - Joy

Manchester supergroup Lucigenic returned recently with their latest single ‘Joy’. It was recorded at Far Heath Studio with Mike Bennett (Fat White Family, The Fall, Ian Brown) producing and Angus Wallace engineering.

Artwork Photo credit : Olivia McCaffrey/Rachael Flaszczak / Dylan (Fried Banana)

In 2021, they released the ’Hope’ and ‘Still Breathing’, reacquainting themselves with many of rock music’s classic moments from the 70s and 80s. A method that takes some courage with so many ready to sneer in the modern world. On ‘Joy’, they double down on this methodology. Does it pay off?

Lucy Davies taps into her Stevie Knicks and Patti Smith power at times but, it’s the little punky Siouxee or Ari flourishes and the Louise Wener whispering refrain that truly captivate. Mark Refoy’s guitars range from the shimmer Marr to the ecstatic Mick Ronson to the pop splendour of Bolan. Meanwhile, drummer Dave Barbarossa has that Mick Fleetwood or Terry "Bandsman" Howarth appeal which, no matter the vocals or solos in play, just make you want to air drum like a child.

It should come as no surprise this trio has this ability. However, it’s the childlike spirit that makes it great. This is the sound of friends laying their teenage record collections bare. From the Banshees to Fleetwood Mac all the way up to the Rob Collins inspired keys, Lucigenic have reimagined their past to produce a melodic rumble that few can match today.

*Banner image courtesy of Sonic PR and Trust A Fox

The Native - Changes

Plymouth’s The Native are back with their new single ‘Changes’. It was produced by John Cornfield (Oasis / Stone Roses) and mixed by Grammy Award-winning Adrian Bushby (Everything Everything).

Sam Fender’s positive influence on the UK guitar scene is laid bare in this new single. The infectious jingle-jangle is met with a breathy melancholic vocal in the intro. The injection of Tom Lumley-esque fury not only alters the song’s trajectory, but it also propels the band beyond any feeling of Fender parody.

The dramatic shift in urgency is the perfect sonic to this tale of standing tall. Whilst frontman Charlie Noordewier vocals strike a superstar accord, this record shines because of its gang mentality. Its chest-beating power comes with open arms, join them or be a naysayer, the choice is yours.

The us versus the world aura they conjure is truly intriguing. Most do via escapist riffs or some visceral polemic. The Natives walk the more dangerous tightrope of painting with broad brushstrokes. One way lies The K’s, The Jam, and Oasis, the other direction be the beige of Keane, Foals, and latter-day Coldplay. The Natives, interestingly, sonically have more in common with the latter but, the spirit of the former keeps the edges harder and their lyrics razor sharp. As Noordewier decrees “I can only do so much / I know the world is tired but at least just try”, images of those two tribes coming together formulate poetic images in the mind.

This Is War – E.T.A

June has struck which means, another new single from Liverpool’s This Is War. As the band embarks on a single every month, they serve up ‘E.T.A’ this month.

This time out, they embrace their funky mod souls and fire out Steve Craddock licks alongside their natural raw power. Craddock’s work with Weller on the underrated classic ‘Heavy Soul’ and the more recent ‘Wake Up The Nation’ come out to play with the effortless cool of Jonathan Richman.

Their previous singles have tended to see one member or certain sections of the band step up for their moment in the sun. Here, a togetherness builds on record to match their live spirit. The layers of guitar parts feed in and around the great bass hooks. Paul Carden’s vocals turn full power on but, only fleetingly to allow the mod beats to reset and begin their infectious shuffle once again.

This Is War is firm proof it’s about the journey, not the destination. 2022 is a year of release experimentation. It’s a roll of the dice that is proving more than fruitful for them. ‘E.T.A’ serves up new textures and a depth not yet seen from them. There’s so much here to admire it is a certainty you will return for more.

Rainn Byrns – Never Ending Story

Peckham-based Rainn Byrns returns on June 10th with his new single ‘Never Ending Story’ (via Futureproof Records). It Follows last year’s EP ‘Country Living’ and precedes his new album due later this year.

Writing the drudgery of working day repeat has a become a fine UK tradition in UK counter culture. The Jam’s ‘Smither-Jones’ offered us an insight into the pretense working-class folk can break the glass ceilings, The Coral turned up the darkness on ‘Bill McKai’s train journeys whereas, Sleeper’s cannon filled in the gaps with the relationship and sex of these characters types (‘Inbetweener’ being the finest exponent).

Byrns has thrown his hat into the mix with ‘Never Ending Story’. With nodes of country and bluegrass, Byrns takes from ‘Sgt Peppers’ and The Kinks to paint pictures of a hopeless slacker. Spiritually, it beds in alongside ‘Importance of Being Idle’ with the protagonists growing sense of lethargy and alienation to success:

“Every waking day I’m painfully conscious that I’m fading away”

Whilst splicing in the laugh out morbid haplessness of Morrissey:

“Can’t find my soul in the lost and found”

It’s firm proof that Byrns, with the pen at least, belongs in esteemed company lyrically. Musically, Byrns hasn’t nailed the standout single of this writing lineage. It’s a more beloved album track than career-defining 3min alt-pop.

However, anything with a country-tinged Graham Coxon solo and ragged Jay Jay Pistolet vocals deserves everyone’s attention!

*Images courtesy of Futureproof Promotions

The Office for Personal Development – Do It All Over Again

Despite the incompetence and lies of no.10, one government office continues to its positive output. The Office for Personal Development have returned with its new mission statement ‘Do It All Over Again’. It was recorded and produced by Jesus at ODP HQ in Bexhill-on-Sea

Seemingly inspired by the blonde narcissist, the protagonist has adopted a messiah complex as they traverse the supermarket's cold meats and detergent aisles. Alas, this character is beset with doubts (“Or am I gonna fuss and fret away yet another fine day”) a trait our bedraggled goon could barely conceive.

‘Do It All Over Again’ is available from their Bandcamp page.

Musically, they move away from their modern take on Pet Shops Boys to the quainter and quirky areas of indie and dance. Lemon Jelly’s innate sense of fun infiltrates the effortlessly cool Computer Love era of Kraftwerk. Although more subdued than previous efforts, buoyant pop bombast akin to Junior Senior still lurks.

We only write about music we like. We see no point in highlighting things we hate. However, with OPD, it feels irrelevant. Objectively they are the best put-together pop outfit since Lady Gaga. Fully formed characters, intriguing narrative, fine costume, and above all, great singles!

Marseille – Might As Well Be Mine

Derby’s Marseille returned last Friday with their debut EP. It centers around their new single ‘Might As Well Be Mine’ written by their frontman Will Brown and produced by James Singleton. It also features the previously released ‘Forget It All’ and ‘She Knows Her Place’ from our New Band Spotlight section.

Artwork courtesy of Karl Shaw

As with ‘She Knows Her Place’, ‘Might As Well Be Mine’ taps into the heady party spirit of Oasis’ ‘What’s The Story…’ era with its ‘Step Out’ vibrancy and ‘Round Are Way’ debauched party vibes. The raucous rock ‘n’ roll celebration culminates in the scintillating guitar part. It fizzes with the early excess of Steve Craddock and others and drags the beauty of Lee Mavers towards the punky psychedelia of Noel’s early live work.

Despite the hedonist sonic, they eloquently conjure images of the fallen rock star who wants to recapture their humble beginnings. In these stark financial times, it’s a protagonist few would tolerate in public life. However, it’s hard not to fall in love with the character’s spirit. To go on the journey again from nothing, from youth to working-class triumph is a choice few mortals would ever turn down.

Marseille not only have the escapist rock ‘n’ roll to take them on their journey, but they also have the intellect to do it with a uniquely creative perspective. They are taking Weller and Davies’ fully formed characters’ narratives to the full-throttled nature of Oasis and it’s a joy to behold.

*Image courtesy of Jason Bridges.