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By Jon Milton It’s been an interesting experience, attending all these rescheduled gigs. Normally you buy your tickets because a band has had fresh material out, are promoting it and you want to go and see them play it. Rescheduled gigs, however, take you back in time to see bands playing songs that you may have moved on from and potentially outgrown. For the bands themselves, it must be equally odd and frustrating, like having to play out contractual responsibilities and music that they may have outgrown too. Avalanche Party were originally due to play this gig at the Horn in St Albans in February of this year, a year or so on from the release of their debut album. With the album now 18 months old and no fresh music out in-between I must admit they’d pretty much flown off my radar, so I decided to revisit ‘24 Carat Diamond Trephine’ to motivate myself to get down to the night. A single play convinced me to go, as I was reminded how much of a fantastic body of work the album is.  My second time going to the Horn reminded me of the first. Outside of the headliner, three local bands were scheduled in to play, and it looked like each of them had brought their own entourage. Its great that the venue promotes local music, but also intensely irritating that their entourages seem to disperse after seeing each band, so that by the time that the headliner appears the venue is half full. Personally, I’d prefer to see a single support act on and the headliner on earlier, but hey, what do I know?  Those the stuck around were rewarded by a magnificent performance. I’d heard people say that Avalanche Party were good live, but this really blew my socks off. Within seconds of their opener ‘I’m So Wet’ you could tell you were watching a band that is a notch above. And Jordan Bell…what a frontman. For me, the way that a frontperson engages the audience can really make the difference between good and amazing, and Bell certainly steers Avalanche Party into the latter. Direct eye contact from the off. Hanging off the stage, virtually in the audience throughout. At times part of the audience, moving among us or writhing around on the floor. Brilliant. As visually compelling a performer as Bell is, naturally he needs a solid band behind him, and he certainly has that with bells on. Avalanche Party played their way through a fierce set, including 7, Bugzy, HaHa, Porcelain and Solid Gold with Bell’s exertions wholly complemented by his band-mates energetic performance.
A phenomenal tour de force. This gig marked the start of their tour, and if you’re toying with the idea of going to see them at any of their other dates, just get yourself down, you will not be disappointed. Remaining Tour Dates: October 16: Liverpool Heebie Jeebies & EBGBS October 17: York The Crescent Community Venue October 20: Edinburgh Sneaky Pete's October 21: Huddersfield, The Parish November 1: Newcastle upon Tyne, The Cluny & The Cluny 2 November 2: Glasgow, Broadcast November 3: Manchester, YES November 4: Cambridge, The Portland Arms November 6: Nottingham, The Angel Microbrewery November 7: Bristol, The Louisiana November 8: London, Our Black Heart November 9: Stoke-on-Trent, Sugarmill November 10: Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
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By Jon Milton Slowly but surely, life seems to be getting back to normal. Gigs are happening, albeit with a few extra checks, and people are bouncing up and down and knocking into each other at the front, just as it should be. Top of any discerning gig goers list should be to see Warmduscher on their 2022 tour in April, surely one of the best acts on the circuit by some distance. To whet your appetite, the band have a new single ‘Wild Flowers’ out now and a fourth album on the way early next year. Wild Flowers is certainly a trip, it’s got a funky beat and you can bug out to it, as Double L once said on Paul’s Boutique. Wild Flowers should also bring a smile to your face, as Clams Baker unloads his expletive driven anxiety over a chipper seventies disco stomp. Glorious. Also a bit of a handful live on stage are the Lounge Society, who released their new single ‘Last Breath’ earlier this week. I caught them at my local venue Bedford Esquires a month or so ago, and despite the relatively low turnout that night, they put on a blinding show, full of energy. I can’t help but make comments about their youth when referring to them, as they are ridiculously young but they’re also ridiculously talented, as this perky new single attests. And they seem to be evolving their sound already! Elsewhere this week Mush have finally given ‘Clarion Call’ (the other side of their Peak Bleak 7 inch) a digital release, continuing what seems to be a trend with them of releasing superb tunes that don’t appear on their albums, like what the Smiths used to do back in the day. A fine tradition and one that should be lauded. Silverbacks have released an excellent second single from their forthcoming second album ‘Archive Material’ which brings together the Velvet Underground and the good Captain Beefheart to impressive effect, and after a long hiatus, garage rockers Hey Bulldog have bought out the riff-tastic ‘The People That You Know’. It’s been a few weeks since the last article so I thought it would be worth adding a few honorary new release mentions too to cover that period. If you’ve not heard of Porchlight you should really give their new single ‘Country Manor’ a listen and try and catch them when they gig. Outside of their support slots to Egyptian Blue (which seem to be mostly sold out) they are playing here and there (Old Blue Last in London in November for example) and judging by some of the social media footage they look well worth checking out. We expect big things from them in 2022. If you’ve not heard of Wet Leg, where have you been? At the time of writing the band have acquired over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify, with debut single Chaise Longue (which only came out in June) been played nearly 3 million times. Extraordinary for a debut single. Their new single Wet Dream is pretty tasty too, and they’re already slated in to play a UK tour at some sizeable venues next year. Another exciting newcomer for 2021 are Geese, whose debut album ‘Projector’ comes out at the end of this month on Partisan Records. So far there’s been three singles released, with the title track from the album out a couple of weeks ago. As is the case with Wet Leg, the band buck the ongoing trend of shouty/spoken vocals (not that there’s anything wrong with that by the way) by actually singing, and based on these album tasters you feel like ‘Projector’ should be an interesting and exciting listen. Head to newmusicsocial.com/playlists to check out the best new tracks from last month (on the monthly playlist) or if you want a more up to date weekly version in bitesize, follow the fiver on the same page. By Jon Milton The last 18 months has left the UK's grassroots music scene battered and bruised, but thankfully unbowed. A couple of days ago we wrote about Mai 68 Records plans to bring back the flexidisc and now four independent non-profit organisations (Blender, Blaggers Records, Transmission and Vandalism Begins At Home) have come together to produce a 4 band split vinyl 12 inch EP featuring four of the finest bands from a melting pot of talent over four counties, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. The EP will be accompanied by UK tour featuring the bands involved - JW Paris, Luna Rosa, Tragic and Seven Sentinels, with the project to be funded overall by a kickstarter campaign in which the vinyl EP can be pre-ordered, along with merch and gig tickets. There are various bundles and pledges available for pre-order, which you can check out at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/blenderselects/project-leave-the-capital  The bands were handpicked by a judging panel, consisting of Hana Staddon (BBC 6Music), Gareth Barber (Bedford Esquires), Danny Watson (Radio Promo) and Suzanne Fletcher (Musicians Against Homelessness).
JW Paris have been praised by Chris Hawkins as sounding like “where gritty meets swaggery”, and the band have earned radio play from Steve Lamacq, Radio X and Absolute Radio for their infectious indie rock ‘n’ roll. A run of superb singles and a debut EP has propelled Tragic into all the right conversations and onto ‘Ones to Watch’ lists. It has been said, “there is no stopping Tragic’s blistering, post-punk attack”. There are big things to come from this Northampton band. Think METZ meets IDLES and you’re somewhere close! Forged from the beauty and ugliness which permeate every facet of the concrete mass, The Seven Sentinels rise out of the dirt with a rallying call for the downtrodden heroes who have fallen foul of pitfalls and temptations. Helmed by the inimitable Bombshell – a battle-scarred MC, The Seven Sentinels are a grime-tinged force to be reckoned with. Raw & frenzied tones with a post-punk DNA create the enigmatic backdrop for an unrivalled intensity that is delivered from the soul. Gripping psychedelic guitars, pounding basslines and primal beats forge a wall of sound that is Luna Rosa. By Jon Milton Independent purveyors of pop music for the wild North and beyond and home to wonderful bands such as Sunstack Jones, Mai 68 Records have had a novel idea. Looking to circumnavigate a series of problems that are facing small indie labels and artists, and inspired by Sarah Records and Eighties DIY scenes, Mai 68 records have decided to bring back the flexi disc with their latest endeavour, the Mai 68 Flexi Club. Speaking about the venture, the label said: 'BEING A TINY INDEPENDENT LABEL IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING. THE EVENTS OF THE LAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS HAVE ONLY SUCEEDED IN INCREASING ALL THE USUAL CHALLENGES OF GETTING A NEW RELEASE FROM MASTERING, TO STORES, IN ANYTHING RESEMBLING A TIMELY FASHION. INITALLY PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT THE VINYL REVIVAL WAS A FAD. IT’S PRETTY OBVIOUS WE ARE WELL BEYOND THAT NOW. PRESSING PLANTS ARE WAY BEYOND CAPACITY. LEAD TIMES FOR PRODUCTION ARE TERRIFYING. NEW ARTISTS ARE STUCK IN A NEVER-ENDING QUEUE, WHILST ‘RUMOURS’ IS ONCE AGAIN RELEASED TO SAINSBURYS SHELVES ON DECREE NISI COLOURED VINYL. STREAMING IS JUST AS BAD. PROMOTION, PLAYLIST PUSHES AND SAVVY MARKETING CAN GARNER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PLAYS BUT THE RENUMERATION EQUATES TO THE PRICE OF CAN OF SAN PELLEGRINO. SPOTIFY THINK THIS IS FINE. IT ISN’T FINE. THIS WHY WE ARE ANNOUNCING MAI 68 FLEXI CLUB. BRAND NEW EXCLUSIVE MUSIC EACH MONTH OVER TEN RELEASES. NO STREAMING. NO DOWNLOADS. JUST PURE EPHEMERAL POP MUSIC THAT EXISTS SOLELY ON 7” FLEXI DISC, JUST FOR YOU AND JUST AS LONG AS YOU POSSESS IT. WHY FLEXI? THE ULTIMATE DIY INDEPENDENT MEDIUM. IT’S FAST TO PRODUCE, IT’S COST EFFECTIVE AND ITS ULTIMATELY DISPOSABLE. BY PLAYING IT, YOU DESTROY IT IN THE PROCESS. INEVITABLY THE QUALITY IS NOT AS GOOD AS VINYL. THERE IS A HIGHER SURFACE NOISE. BUT LIKE JOHN PEEL SAID...LIFE HAS SURFACE NOISE. There will be ten new tracks released each month on 7 inch flexi disk, with 300 copies of each in total. Each release features bespoke numbered sleeves and an art print. There will be ten new tracks released each month on 7 inch flexi disk, with 300 copies of each in total. Each release features bespoke numbered sleeves and an art print.
Here's the release schedule: September 26th: SUNSTACK JONES – CAN’T GO BACK HOME October: THE SHIPBUILDERS November: BY THE SEA December: COW December: MONDEGREEN January: ANNA-JANE HOUGHTON February: ENNIO THE LITTLE BROTHER March: CAMPFIRE SOCIAL April: FRIENDS OF OUR YOUTH May: SPECIAL GUEST TBA Get your copy at: Merch | Mai 68 Records (bandcamp.com) By Jon Milton This weekend sees yet another exciting new band from Bristol release their debut single, the band in question being KickBoy and the song 'Portland from Streetview'. 'Portland from Streetview' fuses the rock/funk sensibilities of Red Hot Chilli Peppers with Parquet Courts indie rock with a vocal line that's in places, oddly reminiscent of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I caught up with lead singer Jamie earlier this week, to find out more about the band and the single... Tell us about KickBoy… In the band is me (Jamie) playing bass and I sing, Chris plays guitar. We met when we were 18, both really sucked at guitar and we tried a few jams and basically all of them sucked, but then we formed a band and decided that we were actually less shit than we were a couple of years ago! So, we decided to find a drummer, and that was Owen who we found in a smoking area in Thekla (Bristol). Owen’s insanely talented and one of the best drummers I’ve ever met (not that I’m biased). We got the name Kickboy because we were jamming a lot, but we didn’t have a name and were entering this battle of the bands and kept going back and forth over names and just decided to name the band after a Pokemon that I’ve got on my Gameboy! We’ve been going for two years now. How would you describe the band to a stranger? Well, we’ve coined this expression ‘cross-punk’ which is what we call a lot of our tracks, as they all fall under the umbrella of punk somewhere, all quite shouty and lo-fi. They also dip into other genres, so a cross between punk and generally something else. We’ve got a strange, Reggaeton inspired punk track, a lot more indie rock sounding ones, a lot of post punk, garage rock vibes. So cross-punk is what we’re calling our music.  So key influences would be who? Big question…for me Idles, Parquet Courts – Idles as a Bristol band, everyone from there loves them, and Parquet Courts I love the sound of his voice and I love the way he says words! I also grew up listening to a lot of garage rock and pop punk. Owen’s got quite broad taste – he grew up playing jazz drums and got into his punk when he was a bit older. I never quite understand Chris’s music taste – he’s into his classic rock, chill-wave, blues, its all over the place. We’ve got a lot of different influences and we bring a lot to the table at every jam session. Tell us about ‘Portland from Streetview’ – on the press release you talk about mental health, recovery from addiction, isolation from society, can you tell us more? The isolation from society and recovering from addiction comes from when I was starting my first job after leaving school and struggling with some addiction problems, and not being able to talk about it. It’s not the sort of thing you chat about in the workplace and try to deal with that in my free time and hold up a job. The idea was to make the lyrics completely off the wall and have a fun song instead of depressing and droning, we just like fun tracks. It came while I was watching the Damon Albarn ‘Reject False Icons’ documentary. I think he paints such a beautiful world with his lyrics whereas most of the songs have deep and upsetting meanings, and so we took that and ran with it to give some contrast where the lyrics are all over the place, fun sounding and cheeky but with hard topics to talk about.  Where does the title come from?
Its one of the lyrics in the song. A lot of my job at the time involved spending time on Google Streetview, looking online at roads and how they lay out, and the idea for this song came while I was looking at Portland. How did the link up with Conor from Home Counties come about? I met Conor after a gig. Home Counties were supporting Sports Team at Rough Trade in Bristol, and we were chatting at the end of the gig, and we met up in the studio. Tell us about the video? We just wanted to have something fun to go along with the track. It was 100% DIY, shot by our mate, and Chris, Owen and I came up with the idea for the shoot. There are a lot of references to food in the track, so we had the idea of Chris and Owen trying to enjoy a picnic with me coming along and being a lout, trying to mess up their day. There’s not a whole lot of meaning behind it to be honest, we just wanted to have some fun! What’s next for the band? We have two other releases planned for this year, both singles and we wanted to pick the songs that were at the most distant points of our genre spectrum. Portland from Streetview is very post punk, the other track is the reggaeton inspired one and then one which is quite skate punk, quite fast. We wanted to establish ourselves as a band that doesn’t stick to a single sound. We want to get as much variation as we can in our first couple of releases. We’re looking for one to come out in November and one in December. We’re also getting some nice gigs lined up. We’ve landed a night with New Waves in Portsmouth, we’re playing with our mates Captain Gas and there’s some other stuff planned. Once we’ve got this song out, we’ll be getting a lot more hopefully. Finally, tell us a little known fact about the band? We’ve all got hidden tattoos of ‘KickBoy’… |
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