NOIZEMAKESENEMIES.CO.UK

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // FLASHGUNS

2009-10-19T13:22:00.000+01:00

Four boys with an equal adoration for Kurt Cobain and bursting with the-world-doesn’t-understand-me teenage angst come together to form a band. Boys leave school and grow into young men, forcing their lyrics to be all the richer from their experiences of growing up and brother-like mentality. Same old? Perhaps on paper:
“We were childhood friends and the drummer and I played in bands before and then we came together in our last year of school and started making music a bit more seriously and it just went on from there. It’s just the three of us now, seeing as our keyboard player left not long ago, but it’s just sort of some mates making music which is how it came about and it’s just sort of got more serious every month or so since we left school.”

But Flashguns are far from the same old clichéd musical outfit. With their eclectic jangley sound, it is the well-thought, mature lyrics that function as the fraying string, binding the epic chaotic synth guitars in place as its unexpected vastness hits with full force on each and every Flashguns track. Something no doubt largely inspired by the band’s impressive back catalogue of influences;

“All the stuff I used to listen to a lot is still some of my favourite music. Like Deftones and Nirvana stuff, but more recently I got more into bands like Biffy Clyro and The Killers are absolutely one of my favourite bands ever. And then stuff like Moby and Sigur Ros, which is a bit more like more musically advanced. So a big mixture of sounds.”

With such an effortlessly unique and three-dimensional sound, even lead singer, Sam Johnston, struggles to pinpoint its description:

“It’s definitely rock. Like a grungey sort of sound I think. Quite reminiscent of the ‘Never Mind’ album, mixed in with more of a modern synth twinge which, I don’t know, is like a Killers’ sort of vibe. It’s kind of like grungey, epic, sort of soundscapey stuff. It’s cool. A lot of guitars, a lot of chorusy guitars and big vocals. It’s a sort of big imposing sort of thing. It’s hard to explain!”

As Sam stumbles over his words and amidst his neologisms exudes his youthful self-doubt, it is almost hard to believe that he is the same charismatic front man who appears on stage full of such lyrical wisdom and self-assuredness. But his vulnerability is undeniably endearing and reminiscent of the likes of the face-to-face shyness of Flashguns’ touring buddies, Bombay Bicycle Club. Talking to Noize the day of their final gig with the band following a sound check (“But I’m bunking off loading up the van so that’s not too bad”), Sam explains how it all came about:

“We’ve been on the Bombay Bicycle Club tour for about two weeks now and tonight’s the last show. It’s going to be a weird change having the go-back-to-normal life again but we’ve got tonight still which is going to be a wicked show.
We’ve played with them and toured with them a bit before and we’ve known the guys for a while now. We just happen to be on a similar sort of keel if you know what I mean.”

It’s easy to see how the two bands get on so well with the same intoxicating stage present and quiet likeability away from the bright lights. Yet, with the future looking so promising for Flashguns, it would seem that the band are likely to find their time away from the media frenzy less and less common as they plan for their debut album;

“We’ve got an EP out which is called ‘Matching Parts, Similar Hearts’ and that’s got 4 tracks on. I think we’re kind of starting to think more seriously about recording an album but for now the EP is our main thing and where people can get an idea of what we’re about. I think we’ve come a long way with our sounds since then, we’ve done a lot of growing since the release of the EP.”

Since playing Reading in 2008 and with a lot of support from new music connoisseur, Zane Lowe, earlier this year, Flashguns are now starting to see the rewards from all of their hard work pay off. But for the next few months at least, having been bitten hard by the touring buzz, the band’s plans are to stick to the open road:

“I think earlier this year was probably when I would like see the beginning of Flashguns really and it’s kind of like a slow growth kind of thing. We’ve had a lot of support from the BBC which has been amazing and has been a massive help. It’s not been like a massive hype but its been like a flow of growing and it’s been really good.”

“I think we’re going to try and book another support tour which would be really cool. Probably the wrong time of the year for it but it would be great to get in another consistent session. We’ve got a lot of writing to do, I think we’re going to be trying to write a whole new bunch of songs. Preparing for recording an album at the end of the year or something, I think that will be the plan. And gigging as much as possible, just playing shows all over the place and just trying to grow the fanbase.”

But for one of Britain’s most exciting and deserving new talents, it would seem developing more fans shouldn’t be too much of a problem as we eagerly await their first major release.

By Laura Routledge

NEW NOIZE MAKERS // CATCH ME I’M NAKED

2009-09-29T19:41:00.002+01:00

Guildford rockers Catch Me I’m Naked! met at an ice cream eating competition and now have, after extensive touring, a new EP titled Yellow and a music video which should cure the brain freeze. If not, their warm fuzzy fast disco punk will be enough to melt anyone’s brain and replace it with a permanent desire to dance and listen solely to their EP.
Yellow is an example of perfect balance on a CD: everything is right, there’s not too much or little of anything and when it’s over you’ll be sweating, if not from dancing like a Michael Sembello fan on red bull then from sheer excitement. Throughout there’s an electric pulse carried by the crunchy distorted bass, piercing guitar riffs and harmonious vocals. Let Go sounds like Blondie with an awful lot of balls and instrumental track Vintones Assemble! is an interesting tune with a very odd time signature. This is just the type of music that is needed these days – something light hearted.

“It took us three days (including practices) to record the EP. Our producer Alex Maxwell did a great job and the production is brilliant.” Says guitarist Francis Newall, “We've got into a bit of a song writing routine where one of us will have an idea for a riff or a verse, and we'll just play about and make a song out of it. Then each individual will start putting their own spin on it and add their small parts in as the song develops.”

Opener Dance Boy has also been released as a music video, Catch Me I'm Naked's first, featuring the band and all their beauty being splattered with paint. “It took us 7 days in total;” continues Francis, “two [days] to build the room, one to paint, one for test shots and two to film, with one to dismantle (hacking with axes). It was blinding hot so we were sweating like animals, and as the room was so white it was almost blinding. But we had a great time and our director/editor was brilliant to work with.”

The whole Catch Me I’m Naked! experience leaves you wanting more infectious beats and grooves from the quartet. The EP will leave a reverberation in the new music world which will demonstrate their potential to grow huge. “Since learning about majors and their hideous contracts, we definitely want to sign to an independent label. But we're not in a rush, and it'd have to be a great independent with a small roster of bands, and nice people to work with who would buy us stupid presents and play pranks on us.”

By Josh Charig

REVIEW // LOAN A SHARK @ PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS

2009-09-29T19:21:00.002+01:00

Only just starting out, I remember being witness to their first ever gig and the crowds that enjoyed every moment. A roaring success then, and even more so this time around, the screamer managed to do his job extremely well and the band followed successfully.

With songs such as F.U.N Spells Fun and I Kissed My Sweetie with My Fist, these Family Guy / American Dad quote loving guys, bring with them a joyous enthusiasm that is usually disregarded within post-hardcore bands. They are screamo, but they don’t mind poking fun at it - Ghetto (vocals) enthusiastically rips into himself as well as other members of the band before getting the audience to join in.

Their sound is a cross between Chiodos’ musical ability and Bring Me the Horizon’s deep growls and the audience happily join in with some shouted chorus lyrics. With each song growing in pace, diverse sounds and musical talent, it’s easy to see what gets the pit building up to the big finale.

The audience relished every second of them and with a few more gigs lined up (see below), catch them in the smaller venues down south to see the rise of something that could end up being quite big indeed.

By Fleur Terry

www.myspace.com/sharksharkshark

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // THE SILENT YEARS

2009-09-18T00:16:00.002+01:00

The Silent Years are a band you may or may not have heard of, a small band coming from Detroit with this, their first full length album, 'The Globe'. On their website they refer to their DIY capabilities which range from artwork to websites and even to a debut video clip for their single, "Someone To Keep Us Warm". I think it's this element that has the world transfixed - let's face it, these days bands are born via merchandisers and told what to do and how to do it, so it's nice to see there are still a few bands doing it purely for the love.
The Silent Years cite their influences to be Elliot Smith, Jeff Buckley, Flaming Lips and Sunny Day Real Estate. Personally I would liken them to Arcade Fire with a hint of electro thrown in. They have the same fun summer festival sound and are clearly surrounded by friends and musicians alike when playing. I caught up with frontman Josh Epstein to find out more about the debut album and their ongoing plan to take over the world....

NOIZE: Your latest album, 'The Globe' is out in the UK in September/October time, can you tell us a little more about it- I read the inspiration came from a science film at school?....

JOSH: I was recalling the film "Powers Of Ten", which is shown in most junior high schools here, and thought it so wonderful that dust particles end up looking like outer space. I got to thinking about scale and the way that it applies to the notion that everything that exists probably exists everywhere and thought it was a subject that deserved being written on.

NOIZE: This is your second album now- how do you feel your music style has progressed from the first album to this one?....

JOSH: I think lyrically, there's a lot more depth in these songs. The music is also a bit more adventurous as the song structures themselves are more developed.

NOIZE: At the beginning of your career you were very hands on with creating artwork, websites and films for the band- are you still as involved in these areas?...

JOSH: Oh yes, definitely. I think that the only way that changes is as the ideas get bigger, you need to start calling in people with more expertise. But working very closely with people is something we look forward to. I can't imagine just turning over the car keys though.

NOIZE: I've noticed your website is updated often, almost like an online journal for the band- do you see writing albums as another way of keeping a record of your lives?...

JOSH: I think so. Listening to a completed album after giving it time can be a bit like looking at old photos! Sometimes it's enough to draw a cringe or a smile. I think that if you're making music, you are influencing that music with your current self so it ends up being like a time capsule.

NOIZE: Josh, You studied poetry and literature, is it you that takes control of the writing side? And also, do you have any separate writing projects on the side?...

JOSH: I do most of the writing and the band does a lot of arranging. I have been writing some stuff for a few friends' bands and projects lately, but nothing literary as of yet. I do plan on getting there eventually though when the time is right.

NOIZE: Speaking of side projects, I heard about a project with Daniel Zotte called 'Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr', how is this collaboration going?

JOSH: It's been a lot of fun. We have recorded 7 songs thus far, and are going to release an EP and then record 4 more and make a full length album. It is amazing how much working in different genres and with different, talented people can assist your growth as an artist.

NOIZE: What are your plans for the rest of the year, any plans to record soon?

JOSH: We are going to Los Angeles to record a new record with Sam Farrar of Phantom Planet and Mark Ronson fame in September. Hopefully we'll be touring the UK shortly after that and then the US until the
new record comes out and we do it all over.

NOIZE: What is your favourite part of the whole making-an-album process? The writing, recording or touring?

JOSH: They are entirely different outlets and once you get comfortable with that it can be a welcome variance. The performing is much more of a personal interaction with people and more of an exuberant experience.

I love recording and writing as well, but those tend to be more cathartic. I think it's best to get the best of both worlds and hopefully do well in each.

NOIZE: And finally- any plans to come to the UK anytime soon?

JOSH: Maybe we'll have to relocate for a spell and tour so much that everyone gets sick of us. We could do the Camden Barfly every Monday and Wednesday, maybe a weekly gig at the Apple store. Even if we have to busk in the tube we will get there!

Check out the website: www.thesilentyears.biz and myspace page: www.myspace.com/thesilentyears to hear happyness in musical form!

By Kat Nichols

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // LEMONADE

2009-09-17T20:59:00.005+01:00

“Extreme bass, new age synthesizers, carnival, dolphin noises, swimming.” As far as musical influences come, you don’t get much more obtuse than this. But for a band whose very fibres embody diversity and a hybrid sense of self, anything but randomness would seem somewhat out of character.
Step into this vibrant world of Lemonade. An exciting new band from Brooklyn, a state which seems to churn out off-mainstream gems at a pace that matches the rate that China spews out air pollution. Yet, unlike their predecessors, the likes of MGMT, TV on the Radio and Grizzly Bear, Lemonade keep it funk but pile in their dubstep and house influences.

So how did this new breed of dark beats meets infectious upbeat overtones begin between Callan Clendenin, Alex Pasternak and Ben Steidel?:

“It was very spontaneous. Alex and Callan had the concept for a while and when the opportunity to play a show on 2 weeks notice came up, they got together with Ben and made it happen. It's been going pretty well since then.”

Rather an understatement for a band that have already received such great feedback, with ‘Big Weekend’ hailed as Nick Grimshaw’s single of the week and with the three-piece’s self-titled album out this week, it seems things are really about to take off for the band. Something the band seems quietly confident of, promising that their debut will be a good mood provoker amongst the listeners:

“They can expect joy and dancing.”

It would seem the listeners can also expect an album jammed with innovation and a whole host of genre-dodging musical delights, particularly with percussionist Alex’s training in Arab and Latin music to bring that extra slice of originality to the band’s carefully crafted music. And following a busy Summer, things look set to continue at a fast face for our new favourite electro mavericks:

“We’ll be writing new songs and playing more shows. We’ll also be getting a Swatch sponsorship (hopefully)”

Typically jovial, it’s often hard to know when Lemonade are being witty, as their welcomed especially dry sense of humour colours so much of their speech, or being serious; having also told us “We all met at a casting call for the popular American children's show Kids Incorporated.” But it is completely clear that they are a band that give their everything to the music; a completely admirable quality in an industry where it seems so easy to get lost in the trivial falsities.

Whilst Lemonade may well be a band of few words, short of musical talent, they ain’t. Enter their vivacious world at your own peril, it’s pretty bloody infectious.
By Laura Routledge

NEW NOIZE MAKERS: SEPTEMBER 2009

2009-09-10T00:26:00.004+01:00

Our regular roundup of some of the hot new bands we've been hearing. This time we discover...ELLIE GOULDING, ADELAIDE'S CAPE, BLACK HAY, DIANA VICKERS, ALEX SHEPPARD, KEEGAN DEWITT and APOLLO 101.

ELLIE GOULDING

It's rare to find a needle in a haystack or a diamond in the rough, but when you do, you celebrate that fact by telling anyone who will listen. Recently, on fortunate occasion, I came across one gem of a pop act by the name of Ellie Goulding. Very unique in every respect, her voice sizzles like a fizzing paracetamol in water, exploding in the magical 'Starry eyed'. The funky, acoustic dance beat is breathtaking and box fresh, making Ellie stand out as an artist in this industry today. The singer-songwriter has been stirring up quite a storm across the country and in Myspaceland, stretching her musical talents and collaborating with powerpop 'frankmusik' in the solemn but soothing 'Wish I Stayed'. However it doesn't stop there for the 21 year old songstress. Covering the beautiful Bon Iver track 'The Wolves', Ellie captures the authenticity in perfect fashion, yet twists the tune with her own distinctive vocals. Refreshing in every aspect, Goulding's talent goes further than her myspace page. Collaborating with X Factor finalist Diana Vickers, the singer/songwriter has helped pen songs for the reality TV stars debut album. Exquisite in detail, diverse in vocal, Ellie Goulding is definitely one talent to watch this year and next. Her tunes, catchy and very cool are songs you should listen to this very instant.

www.myspace.com/elliegoulding
Listen To: Starry Eyed/Sleepyhead (Passion Pit Remix)

ADELAIDE'S CAPE

Adelaide's Cape are an indie folk duo originally from Norwich but as of this month will be based in Bath. Their music gathers the best parts of Mumford & Sons and Bellowhead to form a totally eclectic and contemporary musical sound. They've been called "mystical post-folk" by the esteemed East Anglian music magazine Outline and have received copious amounts of praise from independent blogs. After a sell-out gig at Norwich Arts Centre earlier this year, I have no doubt they'll be taking the South West by storm in 2010.

www.myspace.com/adelaidescape
Listen to: Stay

By Lauren Razavi

BLACK HAY

Very few genres manage to last long enough to see the rise and demise of all others but rock n roll has outlived them all. The latest band to further evolve this genre is the dark, melodic and heavy Black Hay from the very depths of London. If Queens of the Stone Age collided with Tom Waits and Nick Cave then slipped over the splattered musical liquid, the amalgamated remains would be this pleasurable trio. They have everything from driving tunes to jazzy rock classics.

www.myspace.com/blackhayband
Listen to: We Crash Cars

By Josh Charig

DIANA VICKERS

As the X Factor returns to our screens, we begin to wonder what ever did happen to last year’s contestants? Did they end up playing Butlins or in the end, did they bag themselves a nice shiny record deal? One finalist who invested in the latter had everyone talking last year. From her 'claw' (a moving hand which had a mind of its own) to her illustrious vocals, Diana Vickers 'the little hippy' had everyone intrigued. Nowadays you can find the once-favorite-to-win songster concentrating on her debut album. Signed with the label group, RCA, Vickers has collaborated with many big names in the music industry to produce and write the LP. Famed singer/songwriter Nerina Pallot, indie pop sensation Patrick Wolf and the NME praised Lightspeed Champion are some but to name a few. Exciting as it sounds, the album won't be out until early 2010, but if you can't wait until then check out leaked 'Jumping into Rivers' a light, breezy summer tune, very reminiscent of Vickers unique vocals! Two thousand and nine has been a very busy year for Miss Vickers, and with her album very much underway, heres hoping it's a cracker!

www.dianavickersmusic.com
Listen To: Jumping Into Rivers/Hallelujah (Incredible version found on Youtube)

By Scott Gallagher

ALEX SHEPPARD

Alex Sheppard is an indie, folk, anti-folk, singing, songwriting musical poet. And in case you didn't gather it from the number of words in that last sentence, she's rather difficult to define. Based between London and Norwich, Alex has been featured in NME, opened for Dirty Pretty Things and played Latitude Festival, as well as establishing radio play and the praise of notable BBC Radio DJs including Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq. Her fantastic and flawlessly creative musical offerings are always talent-filled and real, with a beautiful raw quality that no listener can get enough of.

www.myspace.com/alexsheppard
Listen to: Run

By Lauren Razavi

KEEGAN DEWITT

When I first heard Keegan DeWitt I didn't know I was hearing him. It was while watching the film Quiet City. His delicate soundtrack is the best part of the film - spare piano arrangements open up into wide skies of thoughts and hopes and take the listener to places that the film would never have gone on it's own. Now he has a new album out this September called Islands - which "pulls from literary and cinematic references to create layers steeped in moments, images, and scattered memories throughout."

www.myspace.com/keegandewittmusic
Listen to: Telephone

APOLLO 101

Apollo 101 are an indie rock trio from East Anglia, and to be blunt and honest, they are absolutely brilliant. With extensive experience playing music in other bands, including a stint in the porn music industry for band member brothers Chris and Andy Walker (yes, you read that right), the three members have come together to create an effortlessly appealing and totally unique breed of music. Their epic and totally accessible sound is cross-genre and inspired, and they are a band who are effortlessly in touch with their music, their fan base and their industry. Ones to seriously watch out for, both in 2010 and for the rest of 2009.

www.myspace.com/theapollo101
Listen to: Push

NEW NOIZE MAKERS // FAKE PROBLEMS ON FESTIVALS: DON’T START A RIOT AND BRING AN UMBRELLA

2009-08-20T23:17:00.001+01:00

That’s the key festival advice from Florida rockers, Fake Problems; a band who claim to have never been to a “real” festival, yet will be headlining to a crowd of hundreds on the Lock-Up stage at this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals.
“What could be bad about a bunch of sweet bands playing at the same place?” Fake Problems are clearly looking forward to their first ever major festival date this summer; with their exact words being “super stokafied!”

Having toured extensively around the United States over the past 3 years; in fact doing 150 dates in the year of 2006 (that’s a gig almost every other day!), they have certainly gained a huge, “solid as a rock”, fan base across the pond.

Fake Problems are a band who cannot be stereotyped or classified in a musical genre, with influences from the Rolling Stones and Hank Williams to Blink 182. They are now bringing their original sound and huge rock shows to the UK with festival appearances, followed by an October tour support slot with Frank Turner.

British fans are hoped to rise in their numbers as Fake Problems introduce their “Super Fun Rock” to the British music scene. So let’s hope that the English weather holds out for them and they take two of the UK’s biggest festivals by storm. But why should you go check them out at Reading and Leeds? Well not only are they renowned for their live shows, but in their words, they will be “freaking out to be playing in front of so many people and will 100% rock your balls/girlballs off.” So there you have it. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will!

By Amber Brooker

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // THE CANDLE THIEVES

2009-08-17T00:22:00.001+01:00

There’s a bit of a buzz around at the moment, and it’s all because of the ever so wonderful Candle Thieves. The Peterborough 2 piece are everything their music is; lovely, playful and simply charming. Combining Casio keyboards, glockenspiels, harmonicas and all sorts of other instruments, the band are setting out… well, actually in a garden near you!
So I’d like to introduce you to the band creating music that will become the soundtrack to your summer; The Candle Thieves.

NOIZE: So firstly, how did The Candle Thieves come to form?

Scott: Well I started a solo project and Glock called me up after a long time and asked if I needed any help doing the live shows, and it developed from there. We had previously gone to college together but had lost touch shortly after that, so it was awesome to be hanging out and writing songs. Our diets have never been the same again.

NOIZE: For those people who haven’t caught on to the delights of your music yet, how would describe your sound? Was this a conscious decision or a natural development?

Glock: Hi! I like to think of our music as the sound a child stuck in an adults body wishing he was a child pretending to be an adult. But I suppose it's just pop music. We were both in other bands while we were making the record so The Candle Thieves was the side project where we just got to make the music we wanted to make & we weren't even quite sure was that was at the time. It was a pretty natural process.

N: There seems to be quite a buzz surrounding you guys already! Is that something your conscious of and if so, how are you finding it?

G: Well it's awesome that some lovely people are asking us questions. Up until now it's mostly just been our parents asking what we've been up to... When are you coming home?... Isn't it time you moved out?... Who's shirt is that?... Where did that stain come from?...That sort of stuff. It's all pretty new to us but it's amazing and thank you for asking!

N: Your EP is released this September, what can people expect from this?

G: Yeah it's out September 14th. We've probably been a little defensive about this EP. We're very proud of it but we want people to know that it's just an introduction to The Candle Thieves. It's kind of hard to put across your point in just 4 songs so it 's just the first paragraph of the album to come.

N: What was it like working with Midget bass player Andy Hawkins?

G: He's actually not that small in real life.
S: Ha! Yeah Andy's the man. A wonderfully talented man who we feel very lucky that he was so up for doing our album. I was a big Midget fan back in the day, still am. And plus he's been a really good friend of mine for about 10 years now, so it's good in the sense that we've built up that comfort where he can tell us if an idea is totally rubbish or anything.

N: Your up and coming August tour looks very exciting! Playing in back gardens is very unusual but such a great idea! How did this come about and are you looking forward to it?

S: Thank you! Well last year we did a Live In Your Living Room tour which was awesome, really intimate and just really personal. You tend to make friends for life on things like that because after your set you'll all sit round and have dinner together. It's so nice. Plus we are always insistent on throwing in random cover's that we want to try that we might not get away with in a venue. I really want to try out the Spiritualized song, "Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating in space" on this tour.

N: What are you hoping for The Candle Thieves' horizons?

G: We're just hoping for the best. We have a lot of new stuff we're quite excited about. I hope it will see the light of day. You never know what's around the corner though. I'd always thought about modelling. Anything clay related really...

The Sunshine EP comes out on Alcopop Records on September 14th, and to catch the bands busy tour schedule check out their Myspace page on www.myspace.com/thecandlethieves.

By Ellie Hannam

NEW NOIZE MAKERS: AUGUST 2009

2009-08-16T23:50:00.005+01:00

Our regular roundup of some of the hot new bands we've been hearing. This time we discover King’s Horses, Music Go Music, Swallowing Shotguns, Eeonbeeon, Rainbow Arabia, Marcus Bonfanti and Beat the Radar.

BEAT THE RADAR

Beat the Radar have managed to overcome the fading Indie scene by going back to basics. This is Indie at its roots with the clanging guitars, scruffy singer and catchy chorus-lines. This could be explained by the plethora of bands they consider to have influenced them the most, such as The Smiths, Joy Division and Sonic Youth. In this day and age, you have to give these guys credit; as they said themselves in an interview with Clash Music: “We actually spend time focusing on writing some proper tunes rather than our haircuts.” Perhaps this is the new direction for Indie: a fresh start from the beginning.

Listen to: Phone Conversation
www.myspace.com/beattheradar
By Caroline Pomforet

MUSIC GO MUSIC

As you would expect from of a band who “met at a party in the home of a man who was, at that time, called The Condor," Music Go Music are a band to be interested in. Hailing from the sun-kissed hills of some Utopian corner of California, they are equal parts Abba and Donna Summer, viewed through the psychedelic haze of a morning-after-the-night-before sunrise and powered by the still beating heart of the criminally under-rated Bodies of Water. If you don’t find yourself dancing to Light of Love at weddings in years to come, then you know the wrong people. Their nine minute opus Warm In The Shadows is nothing short of a reason to exist. In short they are an irresistible force. With an album due out sometime soon on Secretly Canadian and a show at the ICA in September, their sultry disco-pop should be seducing ears all over the place very soon.

Listen to: Warm In The Shadows/Light of Love
www.myspace.com/musicgomusic
By Patrick McFadden

SWALLOWING SHOTGUNS

Any four people can buy guitars from Argos etc, but few can make those instruments sing. Swallowing Shotguns churn out the tunes cranked to eleven. With songs that bounce, growl, and have more attitude than a Power-Thirst ad, they are likely to tear the rock and metal world a new limb and name it Shotguns. They’re a classic act with a classic tone.

Listen to: Need to Breathe
www.myspace.com/swallowingshotguns
By Josh Charig

EEONBEEON

Recently picked up by the aptly named internet-based label www.newmusiclabel.com, tambourines, a guitar and a gritty voice have never sounded so new. Simple riffs continue throughout most of the songs however the use of interesting techniques such as distorted vocals and funky bass solos lead to a really eclectic Acoustic-reggae get-up. A bit like a fusion of Damien Rice and Jack Johnson, Eeonbeeon may never have a mainstream hit, but he is sure to find his own fan-base and following that is bound to grow. Great music to kickback and relax to.

Listen to: Memory of a Dream
www.myspace.com/eeonbeeonmusic
By Caroline Pomforet

RAINBOW ARABIA

With shades of Gang Gang Dance, The Rapture (circa Echoes, not the shitty second album) and Crystal Castles, L.A.’s Rainbow Arabia sound like the in-house band at a Moroccan asylum, fronted by a lusty witch. Like so many bands coming out of the States at the moment, they manage to weld experimentation to pop sensibilities in a way that no band in Britain can come near to at the moment. Let them Dance from The Basta e.p. could be the theme tune to a North African remake of Knight Rider in which Kit is replaced by a whooping camel that races purposefully around a congested Casablanca; the object of each episode always being to get several Moroccan nu-ravers to a party where they are playing a peak-time Zouk set, the highlight of which is the electrifying Omar K. It is intoxicating stuff. Having just released new mini-album Kabukimono on Manimal Vinyl, rumour has it that the husband and wife duo are shacked up in a Harem recording their debut album.

Listen to: Omar K/Holiday In Congo
www.myspace.com/rainbowarabia
By Patrick McFadden

MARCUS BONFANTI

I recently reviewed his debut album Hard Times, but I thought Marcus Bonfanti is good enough to mention twice as no one has played the blues this well since Captain Beefheart’s Safe as Milk. He howls and growls, slides his guitar like it’s covered in butter and blows his harmonica to make Sonny Boy Williamson tap his foot in his grave. Some seriously soulful playing and a wide range of styles.

Listen to: Diamonds in the Rust/Gave it all to the Taxman
www.marcusbonfanti.com
By Josh Charig

KING’S HORSES

Hailing from the same High School as The Doves, these four have started making an impact early. With a first (self-titled), album under their belts, they have shown that with just one electric guitar you can still make a huge sound. King’s Horses have created their own identity by the use of heavy solos, melodic interludes and the odd synth-effect from a Korg Kaossilator. This, alongside top-notch vocals, makes for what truly is a 00’s Alternative band. Though recorded live, the album is of exceptional quality, reflecting the calibre of the group and proving you don’t need high-end recording suites and 64 track tapes to create an epic sound.

Listen to: Land of Possibilities / Old Frontier
www.myspace.com/kingshorsesofficial
By Caroline Pomfret

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // BACKSTAGE WITH... EXLOVERS

2009-08-16T23:32:00.005+01:00

Sweet is the escape from the city’s turbulent Friday night traffic jam, as Exlovers gingerly take on the stage at The Lexington. It is immediate harmony between vocals, guitars, drums and bass, which meet to create a dreamy soundscape. “Some people have said our songs sound a bit like a Tim Burton movie soundtrack” explains front man Pete as I talk to him before the gig.
This a very exciting time for the band, who got together only over a year ago. Exlovers are now preparing to perform in several venues around the UK as well as playing at the V Festival in Chelmsford and at InRock in France: “We are very much looking forward to the experience of playing abroad. It will be the first time for us and we hope that the French crowd will like our sound”. Indeed, if they are to be received as they have been by the benevolent and lovely people at The Lexington, who not only showed up in a good number, but also seemed very involved throughout the gig, then they will definitely enjoy the festival experience.

And there is more excitement to look forward to; as the five men group are to release their first EP, You forget so easily, in September “we are putting this out ourselves. We haven’t been signed yet, but we have been in touch with some labels”. Pete is careful and doesn’t reveal the name of the labels as nothing is concrete yet, though I would not be surprised if we see these guys get a record deal in the very near future.

You forget so easily comes across as a sonic melange of mellifluous and ethereal melodies; which, hopefully to the EP’s own advantage, distinguishes and almost alienates it from the more fashionable 80’s glittery pop dictated by the current sonic vogue. “We are more influenced by the 90’s music scene, we listen to bands like Nirvana a lot” says Pete “we do not really have a preconceived plan, as to what our songs should sound like. When I write a song I take it to the band, we rehearse it and try different things with it, until we find a sound that we like”.

As I ask him to associate their sound to a particular dish, he laughs and after a pensive moment he replies: “funny you ask that question, I have a friend who also tells me that music is like food and that different songs can inspire different types of food and vice versa. Well to give you an answer... at this particular time, I would say apple crumble. Maybe because I like desserts”. It is a good answer, because apple crumble is sweet, though not too elaborated, is usually served warm and its warmth adds to the flavour. This is exactly how I would describe Exlover’s music: sweet, not too polished and warmly involving.

By Liza Adebisi
Live photo by Gaelle Beri

www.myspace.com/weareexlovers

NEW NOIZE MAKERS // RAYGUN

2009-08-16T23:19:00.001+01:00

“We don't have our version of Eddie from Iron Maiden if that's what you mean?! We have a tiger's head that usually comes out of the cupboard on long drunken nights; I guess that's the closest thing we have to a mascot.”
Hotly tipped as one of the bands to watch out for in the coming year, Raygun aren’t ones to beat around the bush so to speak, with new single “Just Because” now available to download and a second single “Waiting in Line” already in the pipeline for October, things are hotting up for this London-based foursome.

Forming only a couple of years ago, their creation was every bit as slapdash and endearingly unorganised as the band’s music style would connote:

“We found Sam and Ben through a mutual friend. We had a jam together, went out for a beer and woke up in bed together. I guess they must really have wanted to be in a band to be able to put up with Ray and I”.

But it’s been a fast two years for these guys, with a hardcore touring schedule and an ever rapidly growing fanbase. They describe their sound as “pleasure and excitement” and with a sound drawing on strong catchy beats, undeniably captivating guitar riffs and unavoidably beguiling songs (which I find myself singing a little too often), it is evident there is a lot on offer from Raygun.

Latest single “Just Because” introduces the notion of doing something just because you can, a notion that everyone undeniably has some undercurrent of thought upon, and for guitarist, Adj, his answer is to “Shoplift. I love Wynona Ryder.”

Becoming known for their views and tongue-in-cheek attitude, Raygun are certainly making a name for themselves, whilst shoving a firm two fingers up to the mainstream. And despite claiming they were merely “the only people that could put up with each other long enough to write a song together”, things are working out pretty well for these guys:

“Our lyrical inspiration comes from our lives but we have to then work it into a way that other people will relate to it. Once you've got that, you've got a song.”

“Live shows are the most important thing for us. Every single time our band has moved forward it has been because of our live show. Our record is great but our live show is miles ahead. If someone actually gives us a budget for shows, we'd be dangerous.”

With a performance set on the Absolute/Union stage at this year’s V festival, the band, especially Adj, is excited for their first major festival date;

“V is a great festival and it's an honour to be asked to play considering we're nobodies! I love festivals, I try to do the full on camping thing for the whole weekend whenever I can. My tips would be stay dry and stay safe kids, take as much rubber as you can!”

So there you go, follow his advice and be sure to go check out Raygun at this year’s V festival. But for those of you who can’t make it, we are promised UK tour dates will be pencilled in around October time so keep your eyes peeled, Raygun look set to be out in full force.

By Amber Brooker

www.myspace.com/raygunofficial

NEW NOIZE MAKERS // ON TOUR WITH... LET'S TEA PARTY

2009-08-16T21:28:00.005+01:00

After touring for the first third of 2009, Let's Tea Party took the best bits of the UK and put it into a short film so we can see the joy if being in a touring band: sleeping in cars, being outsmarted by technology, coveting other people's better quality food and dealing CDs to underage kids after concerts. Hopefully they'll be out on the road again for another tour very soon.

TOUR DIARY PART 1: WALTER BENJAMIN TOUR, JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2009

TOUR DIARY PART 2 HOT CHIP TOUR, APRIL - MAY 2009

By Josh Charig

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

2009-06-29T21:57:00.001+01:00

After meeting at high school in Edinburgh with a collective interest in contemporary indie music, four young bairns by the name of Adam Thompson (guitar/vocals), Sean Smith (bass), Michael Palmer (guitar) and Darren Lackie (drums) started We Were Promised Jetpacks – Fat Cat Records’ latest acquisition from the ever-burgeoning Scottish music scene.
On one of the finest days Glasgow has witnessed in 2009, I was joined by three-quarters of WWPJ in Adam, Sean and Michael. Rather than sitting in the sun kissed Botanic Gardens only five minutes walk away, we descended on the bands local, which also happened to be the West End’s finest old person’s pub, fully equipped with horse racing on the big screen.

After three-quarters of the band relocated to Glasgow for university, WWPJ began to tear the roofs from many of Glasgow’s finest little venues, slowly developing a hype that has landed the band where they stand now – on the cusp of a debut album release and a UK headlining tour to boot. WWPJ can now sit gleefully on Fat Cat’s increasingly impressive repertoire of Scottish talent (alongside friends Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad), albeit only following some friendly tip-offs and record label patience in abundance.

We Were Promised Jetpacks have a sound oh-so recognisable and is heavily influenced by a range of music dating back to bands youth. Debut album These Four Walls underpins the bands influence of late nineties Britpop, combined with the style of granduesque musicianship familiar with Mogwai and modern indie markers such as The Futureheads and Bloc Party. For an album recorded in just eight days, These Four Walls is undoubtedly something to be proud of, and looks sure to propel the band to greater heights. Recorded with Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros, David Bowie), the band conceded that the initial response to Thomas’s mixes was rather sceptical, which led to Peter Katis (Interpol, Frightened Rabbit), a close associate of Fat Cat, taking the reigns.

The concept of the debut album and the necessity to ‘nail it or else’, was something that was trailing through the inexperienced minds of the band, although they insist that the end product has been wholly worth it. “The recording of the album was both relaxing and stressful,” explains Adam. “The whole time we were there I was convinced that this was our one chance to get our first album right, and sometimes I felt we hadn’t prepared enough. Now we just can’t wait to go record the second album”

Not many bands are fortunate enough to find themselves in the position that We Were Promised Jetpacks ended up in, mainly due to the patience and commitment of Fat Cat Records. “When the deal with Fat Cat came up in April 2008, our drummer was in Germany studying for five months,” explains Adam. “The label wanted to see us live before we could go ahead with anything, which of course was impossible for a few months. We asked if it would be possible to hold it off and finish university, which the label was totally fine with.” The hype that began to develop about the band following the discussions with Fat Cat, as Sean explains, was possibly the bands best period in terms of generating a fan base. “When everybody heard about the Fat Cat thing, they couldn’t actually see us live for months,” he said. “We built up this snow-ball effect type following without really having to do any work whatsoever. It was odd, yet possibly our most successful period!”

Additionally, there are not many bands that, having yet to release any material at all, would get the chance to perform at SXSW (South by South-West Festival) in Austin, Texas with fellow Scots Primal Scream and Glasvegas, as well as a gig at New York’s infamous Bowery Ballroom. Having received praising reviews from publications such as The Fly and Vanity Fair, the band admitted that they often had to question whether everything was genuinely happening. “When I was standing tuning my guitar in New York, the thought of ‘what the hell are we doing here?’ hit me pretty hard,” explains Adam. “We had never released anything and we were playing this lovely big venue in New York. It was crazy.”

Prior to the discussions with Fat Cat and the recording of These Four Walls, the band developed a admiration and friendship with Scottish label counterparts Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad. Being two highly successful bands, WWPJ may find themselves often being compared to their labelmates, although this is something that they insist does not worry them. “People who say that we are a rip-off of these two bands don’t actually realise that we were listening to their music long before Fat Cat ever became involved,” says Adam. “Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad were major influences long before any of this happened. I honestly would not compare our sound to either of them.” Sean added: “Because we have so much personal respect for the two bands, had we to put an album out on any other label at any other time, we would have been aspiring to make it as good as them.”

These Four Walls is available to buy now on Fat Cat Records.

By Andrew Burns

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // FRAZER KING: DRUNK AND (NOT SO) INCAPABLE

2009-06-11T23:02:00.002+01:00

I’ve often thought that inebriation is as much a state of mind as it is a physical affliction. Of course there is undeniable evidence that excess consumption of alcohol directly affects movement, speech, memory and common sense, but how often do you find yourself sobering up when another one of your drunken companions falls into trouble?
Or what about those among us who can pretend to be sober even though we’re 8 pints gone? (Thus tricking your parents, who are giving you a lift home, that all you drank was coke all evening). It’s all about channeling the excess into something else, mind over matter and all that. Like David Blaine freezing himself in a block of ice for three days, he channeled all that excess cold into, um, not feeling cold.

But anyway, I hope you understand my point - and none more so is all of this evident than in the music industry. There are some really, really drunk bands out there, but who also make really great music and perform unforgettable (for all the right reasons) live shows. They channel all that overindulgence into making something really amazing. Iggy Pop, off the top of my head, was probably really drunk when he performed with The Stooges that first time he decided to roll around in broken glass and stage dive. Amy Winehouse, although having as many bad drunk performances as she has good ones, is also someone who has channeled excess into genius. The Gallagher brothers have probably performed gigs they don’t even remember doing and have had them heralded a triumph.

And so it was on the weekend of 29-31 May that I witnessed this phenomenon in all its beery, sweaty, foul-mouthed glory. Unsigned Manchester band Frazer King were playing a set on the Doghouse Promotions stage at Wychwood Festival, and it was like nothing I’d ever seen or heard before. The band consists of six members, all of whom sing and contribute a vocal part in some form or another. Singer/guitarist Nathan McIlroy has the most distinctive Mancurian vocal - a sort of fine gravelly wail that is contrasted dramatically with other front-man Jack Mahoney’s dirty blues growl - the dirtiest in fact this side of what would be created if Northern England relocated to New Orleans. Co-front man Tony Boardman and backing vocalist/drummer Jack Hardiker complete the main harmonic lineup, accompanied by a frenzied array of noise that is manipulated into a skippy mix of folk, country, skiffle, blues and rock n’ roll indie. Followed by a large vodka chaser.

Today’s performance was no exception - mercilessly driven by what seemed like four nights worth of consumption, they shuffled around the stage producing the most amazing musical spectacle. Singer Nathan, between songs, was warbling incoherently at the audience in a broad Manchester dialect, while during, threw himself at the front row, attempted some sort of pole-dance with part of the tent rigging, and at the end fell off the back of the stage in a most spectacular arrangement of limbs. He returned a few minutes later, apparently unhurt, to rapturous applause from the crowd – only to thank us by mooning.
But this was no one off – in an interview with the Manchester Evening News, journalist David Sue describes them as having “a natural mindset of 3am inebriation, about to sink their twelfth Guinness… and an appetite for self-destructive alcoholism”.

But today, instead of sounding like an absolute shambles, vomiting and passing out on stage, it was actually a very well put together, cogent sounding set – despite the big mish-mash of influences, it all came together remarkably well.

At the end of their gig I managed to grab a few words with who I thought looked one of the most sober out of the band, but according to this, apparently not. Jack Mahoney (the one with the dirty bluesy vocal) was standing at the side of stage having what looked like a very sensible conversation with two others. However, as I got closer, his words began to be more audibly slurred and his standing position not so stable. This was going to be interesting…

Noize: So tell me a bit about your band, where are you from and how did you get together?

Jack: Unfortunately we’re from Manchester, the desolate musical landscape that that is. It’s full of people who either want to be Tom Waits or… err… Oasis. Thing is, the Tom Waits people really believe that they are!

Noize: And what do you want to be?

Jack: What do I wanna be? (There’s a long pause as he looks up to wonder, his eyes noticeable rolling to the back of his head.) Happy mostly… I don’t care much.

Noize: Are you playing any more festivals or gigs over the summer?

Jack: I don’t know anything (long pause)… I don’t know why I’m here! They lured me into the band with a can of Stella. Apparently that’s the way I was born. The doctor lured me out of my mother’s vagina with some chocolates.

Noize: … So not beer?

Jack: (Ignores what I’ve just said) Apparently I just popped right out!

Noize: Wow (stunned silence).

Jack: … I burnt my thumb with a cigarette (shows me his thumb and looks forlorn). It wasn’t my fault though, it was that knobhead who fell off the back of the stage!

Noize: He spilt his beer over you as well.

Jack: I know… I spilt my beer all over the DI box, but ssshhh…!

At this point I thought it was time to say our goodbyes and leave it at that. He shook my hand and looked at me as though I’d just walked up to him. “We’re usually better and less pissed!” he finally slurred out as his departing comment.

In short, I cannot recommend this band enough - if you ever get the chance to see them live please do. Their myspace is www.myspace.com/frazerking where you can listen to their tracks. There’s not much talk of a demo or EP at the moment because their agent left them for another artist (or so I could decipher from part of the above interview), so they really need a strong fan base to lift them into the exposure they deserve. And if beer be the fuel of greatness, then drink on.*

*NB not applicable in all cases.

By Josie Allchin

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // TAWNY OWL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY

2009-05-21T22:09:00.003+01:00

Tawny Owl And The Birds Of Prey are a delightfully eerie alt-pop outfit from Norwich. Mixing genres and drawing influences from genres and musical movements spanning decades, the band offer a diverse and eclectic range of harmonies and technical chord structures that are commercially appealing enough to project the bands talent across a wide field without jeopardizing the bands dark underground credibility.
Jack began as a solo artist performing under the stage name Tawny Owl, but the recent decision to take on a band (The Birds Of Prey) has resulted in the outfit you hear today. Speaking to Jack you really get a feel of his intelligence and the marvel behind the obvious technical ability that went into producing the music becomes apparent.

NOIZE: Describe your sound.

TAWNY OWL: Thurston forms a band backed by The Funk Brothers but with Norwich teenagers instead of music Gods. We like pop music and really loud guitars. Lots of close three / four part harmony and strange harmonies, creepy sounds, feedback, and Phil Spector produced songs.

NOIZE: What inspires you as an artist when it comes to song writing?

TAWNY OWL: I take a lot of influence from books. I read a lot and I think that filters through into our song writing. Some of my lyrics are paraphrased ideas from what other people have said, and lyrically I like my song structures to be a kind of slide show of ideas and images that come together to represent something. Wow pretentious. My background as a musician also has something to do with it, I tend towards cluster chords and complicated lines, but I really love 60s pop and that is a definite influence. I think the 60s pop thing is probably my biggest inspiration for writing music, a lot of it is so sad lyrically but so upbeat. Like that first song by Phil Spector - To Know Him Is To Love Him, it’s this beautiful ballad but the title takes its name from Spector’s Dad’s grave inscription. And lines like “Everyone says there’ll come a day / When I’ll walk alongside of him” are just amazingly sad when thought of in context. It’s easy to just go aww cute pop song but it’s so dark.

I also feel drawn to scary things. I love horror movies and creepy Victorian waltzes. Halloween is definitely my favourite holiday, spooky Xmas right? I definitely elicit a response from the listener on some level and shock, suspense and surprise are my preferred techniques. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be up on stage doing an Iggy Pop but I definitely like to keep the listener guessing.

Finally the Tawny Owl thing is a real aid to my song writing. I’m a pretty normal person really. I’m quite boring so writing as a different person is my liberation. I can say, paradoxically, what I really feel and what I mean in a way I might find interesting and hope that others will be interested too.

NOIZE: How did the band come together? How did you meet?

TAWNY OWL: I was doing solo stuff around Norwich and I decided to form a band. I’d just gotten noticed by team Milkbar and kind of wanted to broaden my palette a bit. Drums were a big thing. I basically got Alex Carson very early on; he runs Barefeet Records and does his own thing. He went about snapping up Lucy Burns from Francis and Louis, Lydia Walker who he knew to be a talented singer, guitarist, violinist and songwriter in her own right. After that we worked through some drummers including Fab from the Kabeedies until we found Hector who also plays for Magpied. His tightness from Magpied was allowed to run free a little bit in our more fluid and improvisational songs. Finally, and just recently, we recruited Sam Hill who does an incredible solo ambient project. We were looking for someone who could do bass and laptop / synth but not indie synth and the way he uses his mandolin is kind of exactly what we had in mind. The addition of bass is pretty handy too.

Basically we were all just musicians and everybody still had their solo or other group stuff still going on but we were liked playing together and worked well as a band, we’re all very much looking forward to a few weeks’ intense rehearsals.

NOIZE: You originally started as a solo artist what made you want to take on a band?

TAWNY OWL: Well like I said I wanted to extend the sound a bit more, I started doing this with a laptop but I wanted lots of live drums. I really like some very drum heavy albums like Liars Drums Not Dead and the stuff by Boredoms. Also I was trying to do harmonies with pitch shifters and stuff and it sounded absolutely crazy when all I really wanted was a couple of female vocalists. More musicians just meant that songs were given a bit more breathing room. Also being in a band is so much more fun than being a solo artist.

NOIZE: Congratulations on signing to Milkbar. How did this come about? Are you happy about the way things are going so far?

TAWNY OWL: It’s been great! I get on with Lewis and Jake and all the other bands. More people have heard of us, we play more gigs and we got some stellar recordings down with Jeremy Warmsley. It’s also a bit of a community feel. I DJ for the Milkbar club night and run House of Dolls with Lewis, Jake and my friend Joe. The entire bands club together, we come to each others shows and like one another’s music. Well I hope they like my music, I like theirs at any rate. I’m gutted that Cold Hands are on hiatus at the moment but Lunaire are a definite must see. Incredible live band. This year, since January, has been one of the best times of my life, it’s kind of weird cause of all my friends are in bands or involved in music in some way so my social life and band life are really one and the same. Pretty sweet.

NOIZE: Double A side Ghost Writer / Cinema is out in June. Could you tell us a bit about this? Talk us through the production of the single.

TAWNY OWL: We spent four days in London with Jeremy Warmsley who had seen us at the Arts Centre in Norwich when he opened the Milkbar label. I guess he was impressed with our show because he offered to work with us on our single. We kind of leapt at Jeremy’s offer and in March of this year cut the tracks. It was recorded at House of Strange and in Jeremy’s house. House of Strange has been the studio at which a lot of our favourites have been recorded, people like Emmy the Great and Noah and the Whale. We sound very different to those bands but we were really psyched to be there. On a personal level it was so fulfilling to watch these songs get recorded because they’ve been with me so long, been through so many permutations and so on. I’ve nearly killed off Tawny Owl a couple of times but getting a decent recording done felt like the perfect justification for sticking with it in spite of the number of shitty gigs I played solo or the self doubt I feel when writing music.

The actual recording process was really fun, really hectic and quite a bonding experience. I found out Alex spends like twenty minutes a day on his hair, him and Hector were like the pimps of Covent Garden, never have I seen women flock to the two in Norwich. Apart from Hector. I think he has the lynx effect. Lydia was like the one take wonder, she nailed it every time. And Lucy as ever, was there to calm me down when I got stressed or pissed off. She’s pretty good at helping me not smoke to keep the old voice box in working order. It was fun and we’re really happy with the results.

NOIZE: Are there any artists / bands / producers you would really love to work with?

TAWNY OWL: Christ so many. Hmm. Phil Spector definitely. I’d love to work with people like Diplo or Bangladesh as I love their music but don’t write that kind of thing at all. It would be interesting to see how it came out. I would love to work with Clipse or JME or Bun B but I can’t really see it happening some how. Also hip hop indie cross over is generally shit but we could make something good. Maybe. In Norwich there are people I’d love to work with, Check Out Girls and Mat Riviere spring to mind. I think I’m playing trumpet for Francis and Louis and Alex Carson’s next recordings and I’m psyched about that. I definitely would like to work with someone who does a lot of electronic stuff. Burial, Four Tet, The Knife… These are all dream people it’s hardly like I have them on speed dial. Also other dream people to work with are Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Thurston Moore and Animal Collective.

I’d like to collaborate with writers too. I’d like to nab Phillip Roth; Ghost Writer is very much inspired by his book of the same name. And Cormac McCarthy, we could do like this badass dessert surf shit but really creepy and he could read like the opening to All The Pretty Horses, it would be incredible. Again this almost certainly won’t happen. Or a poet like John Cooper Clarke or someone like Simon Armitage.

NOIZE: Going by your gig listing you don’t seem to be touring much is there a reason for this and are there any plans to get out there in the future?

TAWNY OWL: We were all at school / uni right now. As soon as exam time is out of the way we’re going to be playing lots more gigs luckily it coincides with single release time. So all is good.

NOIZE: What has been the best show you’ve played so far and why?

TAWNY OWL: There’s been a few crackers. I really enjoyed a gig for Something Good which was in a scout hut in Norwich. Lots of my favourite bands were there like the aforementioned Check Out Girls, plus the Balky Mule from Fat Cat records played. It was organized by my friend Grace of the Middle Ones and it was a really nice chilled out spring day. Lots of ice cold beer and good vibes and I thought we played well, also all morning before we played the whole band were round my house with some friends. Everyone was hung over as a wolverine and we just sat with a few hair of the dog beers watching trashy b movies squished on the sofa, I think we watched this awesome Troma movie called Class of Nuke Em High. Its soooooo good. We ran through some songs and stuff. Lewis from the label was sick in my bathroom. It was such a good day.

Some of the Milkbar gigs stand out too. The first one with Warmsley at the Arts Centre in Norwich was fun, that was the first one we played as a band and we were all pretty nervous but the audience were really receptive. There was one we played at the Marquee we played in Norwich too. Alex was ill and couldn’t make it and I was like smashing my guitar against the amp and stuff. It was one of those really scrappy, aggressive gigs where nothing goes too wrong.

I really like playing in Norwich, you tend to know like half of the audience and everyone else is in a band too, it’s a cool environment.

NOIZE: And the worst?

TAWNY OWL: Hmm some of my acoustic were pretty shocking. There was one in a really horrible bar in Norwich which I won’t name because I think its run by Russian mafiosos or something. It was fucking crazy. I was in one of those open acoustic showcase things and everyone rambling through Dylan and Oasis covers. I get on and my music is a bit strange sometimes, so I’m sat convulsing and screaming and thrashing the shit out of my guitar and some guy starts heckling me and I can’t hear him cause I’m all in a jazz trance and have my eyes closed and everything. Anyway so he’s like “Oi gay boy get off the fucking stage you poncy cunt” and all this, and my friend Fuchsia, who is a bona fide badass rolls up to this guy and goes “fuck off” and smashes the pint out of his hand covering him in beer. Now he’s about to smack her in the face but realises she’s a hot girl, he faces a moral conundrum, should he hit her and be damned or should he do something not entirely wrong in every sense of the word? I stop playing cause I can hear there’s this massive commotion by the bar and everybody’s screaming and pushing and some of the people are right in some of the other people’s faces and it’s all about to kick off. Fuchsia just walks out of the pub unscathed, however some of our friends are there and this one lad Josh, who is pissed as arseholes, sidles up to the bloke and is like “yeah?” This guy is some kind of sixth foot four mother fucker with like skins tattooed on his forehead and HATE and shit all on his knuckles, he has a tattoo of two tears coming from his eye. He is clearly not someone to fuck with. Anyway, my boy Joe rolls in and is all like “alright everybody chill the fuck out” they nip outside and Joe starts handing out cigarettes. I quietly walk off stage into a now entirely empty pub. Some other weird shit happened that night too but it’s a really really long story, involving pro plus, the police and a man unable to urinate.

NOIZE: Any regrets so far?

TAWNY OWL: I smashed a really nice on stage once. Wish I hadn’t.

NOIZE: What are your plans for the future? Album, touring etc…

TAWNY OWL: Well it depends really. I’m going to keep that under my hat for now. Suffice to say I’ll be playing plenty of gigs this summer.

NOIZE: What are you doing right now?

TAWNY OWL: Right this second? I’m in the library. Tonight I’m going to see a secret gig in Norwich, makes me feel really cool! I have some work and some revision to do and then I’m going to grab some food. Probably a pie.

By David Kendall

www.myspace.com/tawnyowlband

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // THE AVALON

2009-05-21T21:07:00.002+01:00

The Avalon are a five piece South West technical alt-rock band with underlying hints of post hardcore. Coming across as something like a cross between Thursday and Yourcodenameis:milo, the band throw out a progressive sound with plenty of twisting guitar sections, spiky drums and more vocal harmonies than you can shake a stick at.
For a band that claims not to be “another scene band” I don’t really see anything truly ground breaking here, however, there are plenty of positive points that carry The Avalon through with heaps of credibility and musical talent. With plans to Tour coming up very soon I believe this will truly test the bands Staying power and their ability to appeal to people outside of their home town.

NOIZE: Describe your sound.

THE AVALON: Our sound is hard to describe, a few people have compared us to bands such as Thursday and minus the bear. We usually just describe ourselves as an alternative rock band.

NOIZE: What would you say to people who just see you as another ‘scene’ band?

THE AVALON: I’m hoping that after people hear our tracks or see us live they will see that we aren’t another band trying to fit a certain scene or trend. But at the same time we are trying very hard to make our music appealing to everyone.

NOIZE: Do you think that you are doing anything different as artists when it comes to the scene that the band is a part of?

THE AVALON: We all have such different music tastes that the songs are usually a blend of everything, from bands like bloc party and editors to bands such as flood of red and misery signals, we don’t want to try and write music just to be cool, we would much prefer to write songs we enjoy writing and playing to a smaller audience of people who actually care, rather than a large audience of people who are only there because its cool to be.

NOIZE: How did you all meet? How did the band come together?

THE AVALON: The current line up consists of members of past local bands; anyone from Plymouth may be familiar with Box Socials, Elenor/Fall For Freedom and Aim For Grace. So a few of us met just from gigging with each other, but the original members of The Avalon (me, Carl and Ant) have all been friends for years, and myself and Ant have been writing music together since we were 13.

NOIZE: How did you come up with the band name? Does it mean anything?

THE AVALON: It took us months to think of a name, and for a while we left it hoping that out of the blue it would just come to us, but it didn’t. For a while we were going to settle on The Everlong, but we quickly grew to hate it. The Avalon comes from the name of Anthony Green’s debut album called ‘Avalon’ which he named after a place her recorded. We are all huge fans of the work Anthony Green does with his band Circa Survive and his solo/other projects; it seemed like a good way to go for a name.

NOIZE: Although you are a relatively new band you seem to be sticking to local shows at the minute. Are there any plans to take The Avalon further afield?

THE AVALON: YES! Of course. We have a U.K tour booked for June and are currently working on setting up 2 or 3 more U.K tours with various local bands, slowly but surely we want to try and gain as many fans as possible over the next few years. We are extremely keen on trying to turn the South West into the music scene that Wales has for itself, where all the bands help each other out. If one band makes it, then try and help the rest of the southwest out.

NOIZE: You aren’t signed at the minute. Is signing to a label something that’s on your mind, or are you taking things as they go?

THE AVALON: There are a lot of labels out there now, and it’s a lot easier for bands to get signed with these small Indie labels floating about, the trick is finding one that will work with you and actually project you further. We are much keener on trying to get a booking agent and even a manager before we think about going for a label. We are a very DIY band and unless we find the right label it will be very difficult to work with someone who doesn’t share the same views as us.

NOIZE: What’s the best show you’ve played so far and why?

THE AVALON: we have supported some awesome bands so far such as The Blackout and Exit Ten, and those shows usually have an awesome turn out, but there was a show we played with Brotherhood of the lake at the white rabbit on the 20th of march, which was such a fun show, we opened with a Limp Bizkit cover and our drummer also turned 21 that night so it meant a lot of partying. We also filmed a bunch of crazy antics with Brotherhood of the lake, which was a lot of fun.

NOIZE: What’s the worst?

THE AVALON: A show we were meant to play at The Hippo in March. We were asked to play an extremely last minute show at the local venue, so we decided to help out by popping down and playing as they were a few bands short, we lagged all our equipment down, dragged it all in to the venue for them t turn around and say they didn’t want us to play anymore. Luckily they covered petrol costs, but the staff were rude, and because of it we won’t play there again.

NOIZE: Any regrets so far?

THE AVALON: There aren’t any regrets as such, but it took us a long time to find the right line up, we tried 2 drummers previous to this line up and it just didn’t work out, so our bassist decided to step up and change rolls, he adapted to the drums really quickly and finding a bass player and 2nd guitarist was fairly easy.

NOIZE: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see things going?

THE AVALON: For the moment we are just going to see where things take us, we don’t want to run before we can walk. But we have been talking about doing a debut album in 2010, and maybe attempting to get over to Europe in the summer of that year as well, but for this year its just writing and demoing as much as possible with a few U.K tours to start getting our name around.

NOIZE: What are you doing right now?

THE AVALON: Drinking some of Sainsbury’s finest cranberry and raspberry juice but also writing a whole bunch of new songs which we will be demoing through out the year.

NOIZE: Plug any EP / album / tour you may be working on?

THE AVALON: We will be touring the U.K in June this year, you can check out all our dates on our MySpace page www.myspace.com/TheAvalonUK. We are also going to be compiling an EP with all the Demo’s we have done so far, we are making 100 hand numbered copies and it will feature 4 tracks, that will be available from us for £1 on the tour and anytime afterwards.

By David Kendall

www.myspace.com/theavalonuk

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // CRAZY ARM

2009-05-10T21:19:00.003+01:00

Formed in 2005 as an amalgamation of The Once Over Twice and Plymouth ska-core legends No Comply, folk fused punk rockers Crazy Arm have finally embarked on their journey to reach the masses after signing to Xtra Mile (Rueben, The Xerts).
Politically charged and passionately driven by their beliefs and world views, the band have really stepped up their game recently with an album due out on June the 8th and a string of live dates to promote it across the country. Talking to Darren Johns (singer/guitarist), you really get a sense of the genuine love he has for what he believes in and the way his frontline insight into a world that most would choose to ignore shapes him as a person as well as an artist. With single Broken By The Wheel out on the 25th May on 7” as well as being digitally released, you are bound to come across the band sooner or later and they are definitely worth checking out.

NOIZE: Your sound is quite unique, how would you describe it?

I hate pigeonholing ourselves but when I’m forced to I usually say that we’re a punk band with bits of outlaw country and late-‘60s rock thrown in for good measure. It all falls a bit short though as there are plenty of other styles floating about when we play. Although we play in folk-style open tunings, we never set out to sound like anything. It’s all rock’n’roll to me.

NOIZE: Could you tell us a little about how the band came together?

I was still singer/guitarist in The Once Over Twice, and Simon [Marsh, drums] and Jon [Dailey, bass] were still in NoComply when we started the band, back in May 2005. We were hanging out together all the time so it made sense to play music together. At first, it was just a casual, but no less enjoyable, thing. When our ‘first’ bands split up a year later, Crazy Arm took on a life of its own, especially with the inclusion of Dan Couling on second guitar and backing vocals. The rest is whisky-fuelled history.

NOIZE: Congratulations on signing with Xtra Mile Recordings. Is there any advice you would give to bands when pursuing a contract?

Thanks. My advice would be to not pursue a contract. Pursue music! Pursue writing the best songs that you can with the right people, regardless of what anyone else thinks! Pursue giving meaning to what you do! And make sure you OWN your own songs. Bands that form with the sole intention of getting signed and being famous are useless. All they’ll ever amount to is a cash cow for someone else’s ambitions. Once you’ve put the work in, labels will appreciate it and eventually come to you. If they don’t, fuck ‘em. Put it out yourself. All you need is a distributor, loads of contacts and serious dedication.

NOIZE: You have your debut single out at the end of the month. Could you tell us a bit about this?

‘Broken By The Wheel’ comes out on 25th May on 7” vinyl through Seven Inch Records, which is a small indie label based in Chepstow. It’s a limited edition run, 500 copies, on coloured vinyl. Xtra Mile are doing the digital side of the release. The song title is a method of medieval torture and is also a term used to describe people who violently oppose change in society; for example, the BNP. The b-side is ‘British Steel’, an old song of ours which sounds a lot different, although it has been a crowd favourite over the years.

NOIZE: As individuals you all have strong political and personal views. Does this contribute to who you are as a band and does it drive you in any way?

It certainly drives me, and it drives the ethos of the band on a day-to-day level. As well as communicating ideas through the songs, we strive to work with people that reflect our ideas, and we channel our beliefs through the band. We do benefit shows whenever we can, especially for groups/individuals who are less likely to achieve popular support; from Palestine Solidarity to anarchist-orientated activists, to organisations that work with asylum seekers and help to dispel the myths surrounding immigration. I’d love to be in a position where we could afford to do a whole benefit tour. On the album sleeve, we’ve published a list of 50 websites of groups/campaigns that we identify with: including anarchist, animal liberation, feminist, anti-war, ecological, refugee and pro-independence struggles.

NOIZE: How do you maintain this without sounding like one of those ‘Rock Against Bush’ clichés?

Well, I certainly prefer those leftist clichés to the reactionary conservative clichés of the Jeremy Clarkson-loving brigade! I’ve been actively involved in radical politics, to a greater or lesser extent, for a quarter of a century so the notion of appearing clichéd, or of following the crowd, just doesn’t wash. There’s a colourful history of revolutionary, grass-roots resistance to corrupt governments, bosses and institutions that stretches back for hundreds and hundreds of years. I’m simply not interested in entering a discourse with critics who really don’t give a shit about anything and just want to justify their own apathy.

NOIZE: Let us know a little about your June tour?

It’s coming on nicely. We’re trying to self-book about 15 dates – currently we have about 10 confirmed. The tour coincides with the album release and we’ll have copies of the single too. So, at last, we’ll have some music that people can actually walk away with. Hopefully we’ll be finishing the tour with a few dates alongside our friends, the awesome Failsafe. We’re still waiting to see what happens.

NOIZE: The album is also released in June. Are you happy with the way it came out?

Very much so. It’s been a long time coming! Unfortunately, we had to scrap recordings we’d done previously at a local studio as we kept outgrowing the songs and writing new ones. So when we had the opportunity to do a session with a friend, Peter Miles, at his new studio in Ashburton, on the edge of Dartmoor, we jumped at it. Pete brought out the best in us in every sense. The sound was amazing, the environment, the energy, the dynamics between us all… and Pete’s vegan cuisine was awesome.

NOIZE: Are there any bands/artists/producers that you would really like to work with?

Obviously there are other producers who’ve made fucking great records but we’d have to like them as people, first and foremost, before committing to anything. I’m much happier when I’m recording in my comfort zone with someone who knows us well and who lives nearby. As for bands, it wouldn’t be very realistic of me to say that we want to do a split album with, say, The Constantines or Fleet Foxes! There are plenty of bands we’d like to tour with which could be achievable, and plenty that we already have. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and Baroness would be top of the wish-list. Having said that, we went out with Bangers in March and, to be honest, I can’t imagine a nicer band to tour with.

NOIZE: What are your plans for the future as a band? Where do you see things going in the next two years?

All we’ve been talking about really. We want to see how far we can go with this. It’s my last-chance-saloon as far as playing in a rock’n’roll band goes. The other three are in their prime. Well, nearly all of them! In the immediate future: see how well the album and single do. Hopefully it’ll help us to book bigger tours and shows, and get some good support slots. We should be playing some European dates in August too. Longer-term plans are to keep the ball rolling, release more singles and EPs, record another album in a year’s time – we’ve got more than enough songs for it, play on every continent, talk to lots of people and share ideas, raise funds for grass-roots organisations, carpet the walls of the van with fake fur, make mistakes and learn from them. Keep busy, in a nutshell.

NOIZE: Plug your single, album and tour!

Single ‘Broken By The Wheel’ out on Seven Inch Records, 25th May! It rocks!
Album ‘Born To Ruin’ out on Xtra Mile Recordings, 8th June! It rocks some more!

By Dave Kendall

June / album launch tour dates so far:
2nd – Cavern, Exeter with NEW BRUISES
6th – Hobos, Bridgend with A NEW DAY (tbc)
7th – Fawcett Inn, Portsmouth with ASTPAI
9th – Farmhouse, Canterbury with RENTOKILL
11th – King Alfs, Southampton with NEW BRUISES
12th – White Rabbit, Plymouth with FAILSAFE
14th – Prince Albert, Brighton with LEMURIA
16th – Portland Arms, Cambridge
17th – Purple Turtle, London with MISCHIEF BREW
19th – The Xoo Club, Peterborough with LAUGHING IN THE FACE OF
20th – Cricketers, Keighley with SOUNDS OF SWAMI
21st – Packhorse, Leeds with SOUNDS OF SWAMI (tbc)
23rd – Preston with FAILSAFE (tbc)

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW // BROTHERHOOD OF THE LAKE

2009-05-10T21:14:00.002+01:00

Whilst some would question the South West metal scene at the moment, I for one still remain confident in the fact that we have a lot to offer. Despite so many bands popping up like weeds and consisting of floppy black haired fashion core ‘scenesters’, Plymouth’s Brotherhood of the Lake are a true-to-self, no nonsense outfit that have a genuine passion for what they do.
Casting aside the shackles of the current grind/death scene, Brotherhood manage to pull off an intelligent, innovative sound that doesn’t sacrifice talent for gore. Rusty and Grant’s sporadic guitars, Adam’s floor shaking bass lines and Lee’s highly technical drums, are all complimented fully by the raw, passionate and gut wrenching vocals of their lead singer Rob.

Having been thrown in at the deep end very early on supporting Arizona legends The Bled on their tour with Johnny Truant, and since gracing the stage with top metal and hardcore bands such as Misery Signals, Terror, Devil Sold His Soul, Protest the Hero and many more, Brotherhood have certainly taken their experiences on board and learnt every step of the way.

After chopping and changing the line-up recently, BOTL have finally found the perfect mix to bring out the bands full potential. Drawing talent from other heavyweight Plymouth Bands such as Castor:Troy, Youth Gone Wrong and Death of Lola Rose, Brotherhood have laid the foundations on which to build a solid outfit that, in my opinion, is unmovable.

You need only to attend any one of the bands numerous shows across the country to see what I mean here. Whether it is hanging off the ceiling rails or jumping around the stage drenched in sweat, Brotherhood's stage presence is an art that has been mastered, and their skills honed through constant touring and live performance.

Headlining large shows and touring themselves, this is definitely a band that is to be experienced live. Stage presence, technical ability and a genuine appreciation and passion for the music make this band what it is! Fresh back from a headlining tour with Brace For A Fall, BOTL are determined to get their name out there and will stop at nothing to ensure that they are noticed - quite rightly so.

NOIZE: When and how did you all get together?

Russell: I was living in Wiltshire at the time and I was about to move back to Plymouth so I put the feelers out on a Plymouth Music Forum looking for a vocalist and Rob replied. So we basically wrote an entire set over MSN. I wrote and recorded the music in my spare room, sent it down to Rob and he put the vocals on and sent it back for me to mix. When I finally moved down to Plymouth we filled in the gaps in the line up with a couple of guys Rob knew (Robin and James).

NOIZE: Describe your sound.

Russell: Well the idea is to sound like a band in a room not so much a digital sound but more organic. I like to think we are kind of a massively heavy rock band but it’s blatantly metal.

NOIZE: Let’s get to know you all, Give the best and worst points of each band member.

Russell: Rob - We are pretty close being the founder members of the band he's pretty easy going with a really annoying sense of humor. Adam-Mellow chap, completely in love with the old school Black Flag, Vans shoes and Calculator watches! Lee- Loves playing, loves music, Panics a lot, Hairiest arms ever - Awesome dude though. Grant- He's a catch! We've been looking for the right second guitarist since we started we needed someone who could play really well, but not a widdler who over plays everything, a massive knowledge of music in general and we found him! Awesome!

NOIZE: Who is Mr. sensible and the first to bed?

Russell: Lee blatantly he's got his drums in the car and the merch off the wall before we've packed up!

NOIZE: Who is the party animal?

Russell: It’s a Grant/Adam split they take it to a new level!

NOIZE: Best gig so far and why?

Russell: We did one at Maker festival in Cornwall that was Awesome but I think it was Bournemouth Opera House with The Bled and Johnny Truant. We had an awesome night with the Bled drinking and ended up at a Foam Party dancing to techno with them, I've never seen someone laugh as much as James Munoz (vocalist with the bled) Making foam afros on everyone! It ruled

NOIZE: Worst gig or event that your band have been involved in and why?

Russell: We played a festival in Bristol where the promoter put in a lot of work to make it happen and get people in, but it was just one of those things! I think we played to 9 people and a fuse went in my amp? Brilliant!

NOIZE: Why should people check you out?

Russell: Because we mean it! Plain and simple! We want to make the best music we can, not the best music in a genre we can, It happens to be metal be that’s what comes out of us! I know it’s a cliché to say but it’s not about fads and haircuts it’s about the hairs standing up on the back of your neck when you're playing. It's already changing and developing from this EP the new material different and more musical, it’s still monstrously heavy - just in a different way. We want to be around for a while and to do that it needs to have substance not just the guitar stunts and million MPH kick drums!

NOIZE: Who do you most commonly get compared to? Do you agree with the comparisons?

Russell: Olly Mitchell (Johnny Truant) once said Norma Jean\Slayer I'm happy with that. But we don't really get much in the way of comparisons.

NOIZE: Which one of your songs would you want someone to hear first and why?

Russell: "50 Owls in one house" it’s why we put it on the EP first, I think it's got Hooks, melody and a massive outro, Awesome!

NOIZE: You were on tour with The Bled and Johnny Truant as your first tour. Was it intimidating playing with well established bands so early on?

Russell: Yes on that first date in Portsmouth when we loaded the gear in and The Bled were sound checking we we're like "HOLY SHIT! We are out of our depth here!" It was cool with the truants because we we're fiends with them way before the tour, But it turned out that The Bled are the nicest and most down to earth dudes ever so we had a load of beers with them on the first night and we got on like a house on fire so it was all cool from then on, and they made a point of bigging us up every night on stage so that was more than we could ever ask for.

NOIZE: What did you learn and would you like to take these experiences back and do it again as the band you are now?

Russell: We learned that if you are nice and respectful to people you'll get the same back. There’s always bitchiness in any scene and it sucks! I still can't believe people have a problem with other people because they play/like a style of music that they don’t? It's bizarre to me. Everyone has little niggles with music but don't fall out about it! It's not worth it. We wouldn't do anything different though, it ruled!!

NOIZE: Dream venue or festival you’d love to play?

Russell: Vans Warped tour USA, Download, Reading!

NOIZE: How do you keep tour life fresh and fun?

Russell: Really annoying in jokes that only we find funny? But I think that would be the same answer for every band. Oh Gaffa Tape Spa (Basically removing hair with gaffa tape). And 2 Dabs (Bite the top off of a flying saucer and remove the sherbert contents with only 2 dabs of your tongue! (Scooping is frowned upon.)

NOIZE: Dream gig Line-up?

Russell: Mastodon, The Chariot, The Bled, Brotherhood of the lake.

NOIZE: What is your band’s motto or ethos?

Russell: KISF (Keep It Super Friendly) it's the way forward!

NOIZE: What would you like people to say about your band?

Russell: Awesome band, sound a bit different from the norm. Really nice dudes!

NOIZE: What are the best and worst things you’ve heard said about your band?

Russell: One of the reviews recently said "Let Brotherhood of the lake into your life and let them reshape it!" Holy shit that’s mental! But another review said we sounded like "A slowed down Cradle of Filth with a 15 year old singing" Which when I think about it would sound awesome hahaha!

NOIZE: Any message to your fans?

Russell: Come and say hello

NOIZE: What are your next goals as a band?

Russell: Tour and Festivals through the summer, fingers crossed. We are writing at the mo for a full length Album and the plan is to record in November and hopefully get it put out as soon as we can.

NOIZE: Plug your album, EP, tour!

Russell: We are touring in April and May come out and see us and come and say hello!
The EP is in stores now and on iTunes. Go buy it so we can afford to carry on making and recording music for you!

You can buy Brotherhood of the Lake’s debut EP which is released on Glasstone Records in HMV stores across the country, and download tracks on iTunes. Keep a lookout for the excellent split EP with Castor:Troy available alongside official merchandise from all shows.

By Dave Kendall

www.myspace.com/brotherhoodofthelake

NEW NOIZE MAKERS: JESSE QUIN & THE METS – DEMO REVIEW

2009-03-30T16:47:00.001+01:00

Hiding on the peripheries of the recent renaissance that folk music in this county has been enjoying of late is a little known group of London based musicians known as Jesse Quin & The Mets. On paper Mr Quin’s credentials look superb, having previously been a member of both Noah and the Whale and Laura Marling’s band.
Despite this live performances have been few and far between, as well as recorded output it would seem. This CD I have to review features 3 tracks available to download from Rawrip.com (follow the link off their MySpace page) but having had a look there it would seem there is no official release forthcoming just yet.

Jesse Quin & The Mets offer up some delightful soothing folk pop songs. The opening track is a mid tempo ballad complete with gentle string and piano accompaniment. His vocal delivery puts me in mind of a more folky Kings of Leon. Lyrically it may not be the most impressive thing you’ve ever heard, the opening line being a somewhat predictable rhyming couplet along the lines of “Switch on the morning news / Seems like the whole world’s got the blues”, but it’s nonetheless the enjoyable. The second track, The Race starts off slowly, again with more of the same achingly predictable lyrical compositions. However half way through the song really comes alive with female backing chorus and a subtle disco-esque drum beat with a few catchy hand claps thrown in for good measure. To round things off is a nice bit of catchy finger picking guitar along the lines of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly on the final track Sirens in the City.

Overall an enjoyable effort for first batch of recorded material, look out for more to come from this band in the future.

By Adam Tolladay

Rating: 6/10
Format: Demo
Label: Unsigned
www.myspace.com/jessequinandthemets

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW: THE HOT TODDIES

2009-03-17T23:13:00.002Z

Host to a Mediterranean climate, it’s easy to see how Oakland, West-Coast USA influences all-girl troupe The Hot Toddies to be so goddamn happy. In the bleak climates of England, their h-a-p-p-y approach to EVERYTHING seems almost alien, but that doesn’t mean The Toddies won’t manage to win us all round.
You can almost hear the Pacific Ocean lap upon the Californian coast in ‘The Surf Song’; they’re the little sisters The Beach Boys never had, the 60s hipsters forty years later. Better late than never though, and showcasing themselves in support slots with those such as Art Brut, when they finally reach the UK in April you know that all you indie fans with a penchant for “chorus’ so sweet you can lose your teeth to them” will fall head over heels in love. We caught up with The Toddies before they travel over the pond; to chat album, tour and climate…

NOIZE: First off, who's in the group and what do they do within The Toddies?

THT: The Hot Toddies is made up of: Heidi Bodeson (bass, guitar, and vocals), Erin Skidmore (guitar, bass, and vocals), Sylvia Hurtado (drums and some vocals) and Jessica Wright (keyboard, guitar, and some vocals). We are an all-girl indie rock band and we live in Oakland, California.

N: You recently completed your debut album 'Smell The Mitten', how did you find the recording process and the outcome?

THT: Smell the Mitten was great. It was a lot of hard work but of course very satisfying to finish it all. We recorded the drums in a regular studio but finished the rest in our engineer's apartment - which was actually really fun! We got to drink a lot of whiskey and wine and play with his cats in between takes. The vocals were even recorded in a closet that was converted to a recording booth. So yeah, we had a blast! That was over a year ago now and [we] are already working on the next one which should be finished sometime this spring/summer depending on how fast we are.

N: What influences your music? The dee-wop, surf pop of the 60s shines through for me...

THT: Most people definitely notice the "oldies" style of our music, probably because of all the harmonies. Overall though, our influences range from older stuff like the Beatles and the Ramones to newer bands like The Decemberists and Mates of State. In between, each of us have been into pretty much every style of music - punk, metal, classic rock, classical piano, even some country. If it's got harmonies, we've probably sung along at some point!

N: You'll be supporting Art Brut for your Exeter date in Britain, are you fans?

THT: We're REALLY excited to be playing with them! It was totally unexpected and fantastic!

N: What American acts would you suggest for us British readers, and simultaneously, which British artists are you feeling right now?

THT: Some of the bands we really like from the US are good friends of ours: Audrye Sessions from Oakland play beautiful indie rock melodies, Judgement Day is an amazing classical metal trio of drums, cello and violin, and Tea Cozies from Seattle are 3 ladies and one gent who play awesome garage girl rock. Dr. Dog is another recent favourite from the East Coast that has killer harmonies. We're super excited to meet a lot more British bands along this tour like Foxes! from Brighton who we're touring with, and also Town Bike who looked like so much fun that we had to email them to play with us in Liverpool. Oh we've got a thing for The Magic Numbers too.

N: How do you think the optimistic out-look in your music is for the new America, post-Obama election?

THT: We love Obama and we're very optimistic about the future of America right now. Musically, we haven't written any political songs (so far, maybe we'll write a song for the Obama’s) so there's not really a direct connection to The Hot Toddies music. One thing we do have in common with him is that we like to keep it real. Some people seemed shocked that we sing about things like sex and drinking, but really most girls feel the same way we do. Why shouldn't we talk about it?

N: This is you're first time coming to England as a band, how do you feel about the trip? Expecting anything from an English crowd?

THT: Well, as you may guess, we're really excited about the beer and the whiskey... and hoping it will be mostly free, with the economy the way that it is. We love travelling, and drinking, and music so whenever we can combine all three it's definitely going to be a great time. We've heard some rumours that the English can really hold their booze? So we've been training for the tour just to make sure we can keep up with you guys. Really can't wait to get on that plane and come visit!

N: Coming from the 'Orange County', you must be dreading the classic British weather...

THT: Well actually, we come from a bit further north - the San Francisco Bay Area, which gets its fair share of fog and rain in the winter. We do love the sunshine though and hopefully it won't be TOO dreary the whole time we're there.

There you have it, the band so up-beat you’ll think you’re on a pogo stick while you listen to them. Forget our low-swung grey skyline and catch The Toddies on their ‘Binary Tour’ with Foxes at the following dates for some auditory sun, surfing USA style.

2 Apr - Latest Bar (formerly Joogleberry) Brighton
3 Apr - The Lexington - White Light London
4 Apr - Edge of the Wedge - Wedgewood Rooms Portsmouth
5 Apr - The Phoenix Exeter
6 Apr - Mother’s Ruin Bristol
7 Apr - Bar Fresa Liverpool
8 Apr - Mad Ferret - HED Preston
9 Apr - The Cellar Oxford
10 Apr - Met Lounge Peterborough

By Nicholas Burman

www.myspace.com/thehottoddies

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW: SERGEANT

2009-03-14T21:19:00.002Z

With their Gallagher-like, parka-wrapped Britpop swagger well boosted off the back of a recent tour support slot with “heroes” Oasis, these Scotch lads are well setup for the big things which surely await. Let's find out some all important background info.
NOIZE: Hey guys, how's the Sergeant crew today, what are you up to?

SERGEANT: We are currently on tour. Having been round the country we are back in Scotland now for a mass of dates.

N: Well, firstly, for those who don't yet know, can you give us the back story? How did you guys all meet up and what made you form Sergeant?

S: We’ve been together for 4 years. We met at school and started the band and here we are.

N: So the 3rd single release, 'Swiftly Does It' is imminent. Can you tell us a bit more about the song and what inspired it?

S: The song was written in my head while i was on holiday a few years back. It was one of the first we did as a band. It’s just about a time of excitement.

N: You decided to use live footage for the video as opposed to filming a specific video for the single, what made you decide to do that?

S: We wanted people to see what its like to come to one of our gigs. A little snapshot.

N: So 3 singles down, are plans for the album coming along now and if so, how near do you think it's release is?

S: It will be out by the end of the summer definitely. They have just been little limited edition singles so we will do a full release then album. We can’t wait till it’s out.

N: You supported Oasis back in October, that must have been quite and experience! How did it go and what was it like?

S: They say meeting your heroes is always a disappointment, but we couldn't have asked for anything more. They welcomed us with open arms and let us have a chance to turn 10,000 people to our music every night.

N: Speaking of Oasis, there seems to be a distinct Britpop / 90s influence to you guys both in sound and style. Would you say that was a fair observation? Was that an intentional thing because you're all Britpop fans or just the way the band evolved?

S: Its just the way we evolved. Britpop was heavily influenced by the 60s and the 60s is what we loved first. And because we grew up in the 90s as well, it’s just what's got inside us. The two best decades for music I’d say. Style-wise we look like any other lads in a city centre that go watch the football and then got to the pub on a Saturday. It’s just what we are and what we’ve always been.

N: You’re out on the road as we speak, has it been an exciting touring stint so far? Any highlights or dates you're particularly looking forward to?

S: Manchester was quality as was Glasgow and Edinburgh. Looking forward to going up to the Highlands. It’s always mad up there.

N: Do you prefer touring round your native Scotland, if given a choice, to the rest of the UK?

S: We prefer the rest of the UK because you get to play to more people.

N: So what is life on tour like for Sergeant If you were to write a tour bus survival guide, what key things would have to go in it?

S: Laughter, sleep and tolerance.

N: Speaking of the tour bus stereo, what's been on it lately, what have you been listening to and enjoying most recently?

S: See this causes too many arguments, so I tend to just stick my iPod on. The streets and film soundtracks like Lost In Translation and Pulp Fiction have been on it most.

N: So what are the plans now for the rest of 2009, any festivals lined up or any more big tours?

S: Hopefully some festivals and hopefully other countries.

By Martin Kendrick

www.myspace.com/sergeantmusic

NEW NOIZE MAKERS: PEPOLOGY

2009-03-07T21:30:00.001Z

Pepology is a project run by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peppi Knott. Don’t be fooled by “singer/songwriter”, she writes and sings songs, but is in a genre far superior to acoustic guitars and open mic nights.
They are a blend of chill out and electronica with clear jazz influences and a resonance of Massive Attack and Flobots. The finished product is the kind of music you can listen to any time of the day no matter what mood you are in; it’s really that good. It’s also full of soul, a factor all music should have, and you can really hear the love and attention that went into writing and recording their songs. This is just from listening to their demo.

Pepology like to dig into the realms of many genres and aren’t afraid to experiment or push their own boundaries. “A Modern Plague of Tiredness” is quite melancholic and simplistic but very together, tight and really displays Knott’s vocal talent. “Distortion of Senses” is a mix of electronica and reggae and displays Pepology’s use of technology and production. “Menacing Times” goes the other way and is more basic, acoustic guitar based song – the closest Pepology get to being “singer/songwriter” but it’s still miles in front of the dull open mic night Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan wannabes.

Pepology is very refreshing, original and inspiring. Peppi Knott has some very good ideas which she executes brilliantly. They really are worth checking out, but to really appreciate them they might require a few listens first, just to let the music sink in.

By Josh Charig

www.myspace.com/peppiknott

NEW NOIZE MAKERS INTERVIEW: POST WAR YEARS

2009-02-25T20:59:00.003Z

Fresh off the still-warm-from-an-early-White-Lies-release conveyor belt of the impeccable Chess Club Records, come four off-kilter Londoners eager to follow in their footsteps. We talk to the lads to see what happens during the post war years.
NOIZE: Hello, Post War Years, what’s been happening in your world since the New Year?

POST WAR YEARS: Hello. It's been a busy time since new year, mixing and shooting the video for 'Whole World On Its Head' and then finishing up the mixes for our debut album. It's been non-stop, but we'd rather that than let our minds rot with inactivity. It's all done now so we're really excited about getting on with the live show.

N: Some reviews have described you as part of the electro / indie bunch. Do you think this is a fair category to put you in?

PWY: Yeah, I think that's fair, but I'd like to think that we do our own thing within that genre. There's no specific formula to our music, we just like to use as many different sounds as possible and that has inevitably led to the use of electronics and sampling.

N: How did the recording of your debut album go? How do you think the songs have turned out?

PWY: It's been quite a long process in which we've picked, what we consider to be the best, from a list of about 30 songs. We're really happy with the way it's all come out though. We recorded all of it ourselves and have experimented as we've gone along, which I think has culminated in a good mixture of pop songs and experimentalism. A lot of the songs on the album were actually written in the last couple of weeks of recording, probably because we started to feel a bit more comfortable with the direction we wanted to take the music by that point.

N: You’ve just been doing post-production work with Graeme Stewart, how did you find working with him?

PWY: Graeme's a genuine legend. With three songwriters in the band, there are a lot of different opinions and I think he mediated that perfectly. He's definitely stamped his style on the album, while creating exactly what we asked of him.

N: How would describe your debut record?

PWY: It's a very varied record. There are moments of madness and also slower more melancholic songs to rest your ears to. We've had complete creative control, so we've pretty much run riot with it. It's heavy with synths, vocal harmonies and big beats. Hopefully, people will find it an exciting listen.

N: When will it [debut] be released? What is it called? And any other details…

PWY: It's due for release in late May and we think that it's to be called "Mezz".

N: ‘Whole World On It’s Head’ is your next single from the LP. Explain your reasons behind choosing this as the lead release…

PWY: We chose "Whole World On Its Head" because we felt it was a good indicator for the rest of the album. There are a lot of ideas on this tune, while our debut single "Black Morning" was probably a slightly more straightforward affair, so it was exciting for us to show people how we've progressed since that single. Chess Club also expressed an interest in the song, which helped us to make the decision.

N: You’ve got a packed calendar heading up to summer, which shows are you excited about playing?

PWY: We're very excited to be flying out to SXSW. It's our first time playing in America and a number of other bands that we're friends with our going to be out there, so it should be a lot of fun. It will also be amazing to tour with James Yuill and Wave Machines in the UK as we are both fans and good friends.

N: If you believe the rumours, indie is dead, how would argue for/against this statement?

PWY: I'd like to think that 'indie' in the true sense of the word is stronger than ever. Some of the indie labels at the moment are putting out some amazing music, such as Chess Club, Moshi Moshi and Salvia. Indie music has definitely moved on from the bland Brit Pop period that we grew up with. Good times!

N: One last thing, anything else we should know about Post War Years?

PWY: In the event of a full moon on a Friday, we become compelled to perform outdoors in a woodland area to become one with nature.

By Nick Burman

www.myspace.com/thempostwaryears

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SONGS FROM THE TREE OF LIFE: VOLUNTARY BUTLER SCHEME INTERVIEW

2009-02-17T00:49:00.004Z

“I was at a social gathering the other day and a guy I don't know was there - he'd come straight from work and he had dust all over his clothes and kept talking about sanding wood – I felt jealous for the first time in ages!! So I'm starting to think I'd like to do something with wood if the music looks grim...”
Swittching from tunes to timber? No, perhaps not your normal choice of career path, but Rob Jones is not exactly your generic music artist. Describing his music as “a zesty, slightly under-bombastic, ooh-that-sounds-a-bit-like-the-old-days-but-newer kind of pop”, his natural laid back approach to what he does and eccentric tendencies are a refreshing change to the standardized musical packages that the industry churns out with the aim to just make money. Something that is reiterated by Rob releasing his last EP, The Vol-Au-Vent EP, as a free download:

“I remember on this day thinking - right, I’m gonna write four mini tunes today on my lunch break and record them after work tomorrow night and just give it away. So it was intentional and quite liberating to be so flippant about finishing them. I think you can't take writing too seriously - and sometimes it gets dead serious in your head and you have to slap that out of you by doing something that's not precious. But then that stuff ends up being the precious stuff.”

And precious it seems to be, with The Voluntary Butler Scheme’s new single being hailed as Q website’s Track of the Day. ‘Multiplayer’ is out early March and incorporates typically quirky lyrics like ‘I’m gonna get my hair cut, even if I have to cut it myself.” Rob explains his inspiration:

“I wanted to write a tune that sounded a bit like a 70's Nick Lowe thing, mixed with Saturday night fever and modern Kylie - but with my shitty voice singing evasive love lyrics - and I think I got there.“

Rob’s humble take on his musical capability may because his one-man-band is only a year old. After being unintentionally spotted last year on his MySpace page, and then asked to do a gig in West Midlands, the wheels of the Voluntary Butler Scheme were set into motion;

“I had some tunes on MySpace under the VBS name - with no intention of doing much, but I got asked to do a gig in Birmingham through the MySpace. I sherked it for ages, but decided to do it cause it was local. I'd never sang in public before and I didn't invite anyone. There were about 12 people there, I only had 6 songs and I was 'headlining'. I came away from the gig thinking 'I enjoyed singing, but I think all my songs might be shit?' So for weeks I wrote intensively trying to write some tunes I'd be proud of singing...the rest is history...but I doubt it'll ever be in a history book? Or taught in history lessons at schools…?”

And once it all kicked off, 2008 had plenty of exciting points for Rob: “It was amazing! It was my first year of doing this and I got to do some amazing things. Highlights were defo touring with Duke Special, doing a session on the Dermot O’Leary show, BBC Maida Vale session, Marc Riley session, getting asked to support James on their Isle Of Wight warm-up show as personal request from the bass player, making a video, getting a bit of airplay out my first single, playing the Lattitude festival...loads!”

Whilst inspired by the likes of Granddaddy, Flaming Lips and Slade, the ever-relaxed Rob has no plans to follow in their footsteps and form a band:

“I really struggle with taking it too seriously. The thing I most enjoy about doing it on my own is - if I don't feel like doing it, I just don't. If I haven't got any ideas I like I just don't record. But when you're in bands it all gets a bit 'Right, we'll record some new stuff on Sunday' and I don't think I can write like that.”

Yet, Rob does have some plans for a change in direction for the future:

“I defo wanna do something more collaborative at some point. I've been getting some remixes in of 'Tabasco Sole' which is the next single. One has some amazing semi-rapping on - and that made think how much I'd love to do something colourful and beatsy with some rap on. But I don't wanna rap so it'll have to be a more collaborative thing. I'm jealous of all the hip hop sounds! I wanna work with whoever's hogging the hip hop sounds - I'm starting to sound like Elton John over here without you!”

Whilst his hip hop leanings may be a while off (…not to mention Rob’s potential carpentry career?!) with an upcoming tour with Brakes in April and the new single out in March – the immediate future is looking quite exciting for the Voluntary Butler Scheme, even if Rob is characteristically humble about it:

“I was a really really ambitious 20 year old! I'm a slightly less ambitious and slightly more beaten down 23 year old now - but i have still have a positive streak keeping me going. In ten years I’d still like to be in contact with music - even if it's just hip hop at weekends you know.”

By Laura Routledge

www.myspace.com/thevoluntarybutlerscheme

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NEW NOIZE MAKERS: THE BALKY MULE

2009-02-03T21:26:00.002Z

Currently residing in Melbourne, Australia, The Balky Mule is the alias of UK ex-pat Sam Jones, a highly talented, self-taught multi-instrumentalist, who over the past decade or more has been a key figure in Bristol’s vibrant post-rock scene, playing alongside his brother Matt in both Crescent (guitar / drums) and Movietone (guitar), as well as in Flying Saucer Attack (guitar), Minotaur Shock (bass / marimba), and Third Eye Foundation (echoes / samples).
Whilst also active as The Balky Mule throughout this time, Sam’s home-recorded material (almost entirely instrumental) had been confined to just one self-released album (an eponymous debut in a small edition on Sam and Matt's Archipelago label in 2000), small runs of CDRs pressed on request and tapes swapped amongst friends, plus a handful of remixes (for Pram and Vase) and tracks for compilations.

Sam has never stopped making his own music, but has either remained shy about it, or not felt a need to share it and thus 'finish' things into a releasable form. Self-recorded either side of a 2006 move from the UK to Australia, latest offering and first physical release in 8 years, ‘The Length of the Rail’ is a beautifully balanced, intelligent and captivating album that sounds like little else right now. A fully coherent, organic mix of acoustic and electric instruments and neat electronic detail, it marks the start of a more focused, significant period of activity for The Balky Mule.

Created over a period of 5 years, most of the songs here grew out of a library of existing short sound-snippets Sam built up from experimenting with old boot sale-find keyboards, analogue synths and scavenged electronic kit (Arp Axxe, Casio SK1, Rhythmatix analogue drum machine) - guided by their inherent personalities and discovering what sounds could be coaxed from these manual-less and sometimes malfunctioning objects. Attracted to the notion of lost / redundant technology, some of the album’s sounds came from a Bentley Carousel - a huge home organ bought from a charity shop and left in a shared house he moved into. A minidisc of odd noises and collaborations with these idiosyncratic machines slowly accumulated, before Sam’s impending relocation to Australia acted as a deadline, prompting a push to finish things off and finally utilize these sound fragments. Listening through them, certain little melodies or rhythms suggested themselves, and to complement these Sam had a final play on the instruments he'd gathered (acoustic and electric guitars, drums and percussion, zither, harmonica, sampler and keyboards, Copycat echo box). The recorded results soon began to sound more like songs in need of words. Intentionally separating this next phase, Sam decided to add words on the other side of his journey, occasionally transplanting lyrics from previous songs that he felt fitted the mood or rhythm of one of these newer tracks.

The Balky Mule can be placed within a rich vein of very British outsiders like Hood, Pram, Disco Inferno, Bark Psychosis, Talk Talk, The Pastels, Robert Wyatt and Syd Barrett. Sam’s vocal is unmistakably English, its grain / tone recalling The Kinks’ Ray Davies, whilst lyrically it’s close to Syd Barrett’s everyday references. Like Crescent and Movietone, there’s a very tactile, weathered, home-baked feel to the music and a similarly grounded lyrical impressionism. Yet it’s both musically more electronic and quite a bit more upbeat / lighter and more humorous.

www.myspace.com/thebalkymule