Category: Brit pop

New Audio by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of siblings Tim (guitar, vocals) and Lewis Lloyd-Kinnings (bass, keys, vocals) and their best friend and spiritual brother, Cameron Gipp (guitar, vocals), the Brighton, UK/London, UK/York, UK-based indie rock trio  Johnny Kills specialize in a furious, surf rock, garage rock and Brit Pop-inspired indie rock. And with the release of two demos — “Take It Easy” and “Maybe Next Year,” the trio quickly received attention across the blogosphere and elsewhere; in fact, as a result, the trio along with North London-based Fin S. Woolfson (drums), the band recored their latest single “Let’s Talk About Me,” a single which will further develop the young upstarts reputation for crafting songs about being in your early to mid 20s and being absolutely clueless and anxious — about anything and everything. And although it’s been almost two decades since I was in my early 20s, the band’s sound reminds me quite a bit of Blur and others, as it consists of explosive power chords paired with propulsive drumming, and an anthemic, shout worthy hook reminiscent of Blur‘s “Song 2.”

As the band’s Tim Lloyd-Kinnings explains “‘Let’s Talk About Me’ is about the frustrations of hanging out with people, who spend the whole evening talking about themselves, before realizing you kinda just want to talk about yourself too.” As a result, the song’s narrator recognizes that he’s had enough and wants to put his foot down; but he also seems to reveal a stunning lack of awareness of the fact that his friends are selfish, hateful pricks. But regardless of how far some of us are removed from our 20s, the song captures a sentiment that should be familiar, especially if at any point you may have been desperate for some kind of friendship/companionship.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Optimistically Sunlit and Tropical Visuals for The Charlatans’ “Plastic Machinery”

Although they’ve gone through a series of lineup changes since their formation back in 1989, The Charlatans (sometimes known Stateside as The Charlatans UK) have managed to be one of the UK’s most commercially and successful acts ever as they’ve had 12 albums land within the Top 40 of the UK Charts, including 17 Top 30 singles and four Top 10 singles. Ironically enough, the band has achieved such tremendous sBMuccess while being extraordinarily unlucky: Rob Collins, the band’s original keyboardist died in a car accident during the recording sessions of the band’s fifth album; Jon Brookes, the band’s original drummer died after being diagnosed with a brain tumor; Tim Burgess, the band’s frontman, founding member and primary songwriter has battled through drug and alcohol addiction throughout the band’s history; and at the band’s biggest commercial success, the members of the band discovered that their accountant hadn’t ensured that their taxes were paid, and worse yet, had been embezzling money from the band for years — and as a result, the money they earned from playing the UK’s largest festivals over a period of years, had to be forfeited to pay their tax debts. Certainly, while any one of those events could have curtailed many bands, the members of The Charlatans have stubbornly continued onward.

The band’s forthcoming, thirteenth full-length album Different Days is slated for a May 26, 2017 release through BMG and the album, which was co-produced by Jim Spencer, was recorded at the band’s studio in Cheshire, and features guest spots from a variety of friends and collaborators including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, The Verve’s Pete Salisbury, The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, crime writer Ian Rankin and writer/actress Sharon Horgan among others. Different Days‘ latest, mid- tempo single “Plastic Machinery,” will further cement the band’s reputation for crafting enormous and rousing hooks within a song that possesses a bittersweet feel that clearly draws from equally hard-fought and heartbreaking experience; but just underneath the surface is the hopeful and somewhat optimistic vibe of someone who’s managed to survive in the face of incredible odds.

The recently released music video features Tim Burgess and the band alternately brooding and hanging out while presumably on tour — and the video alternates between footage shot with a Super 8 and a digital recorder while capturing the band in a gorgeous, sun-lit environs.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Shane Hunter (vocals, guitar), Robin Deione (guitar), Tom Gregory (bass), Mark Rochman (drums) and Charlie Addison (keys), the Leeds, UK-based shoegazer quintet Colour of Spring quickly received praise from the likes of NME and The Line of Best Fit for a sound that has been compared favorably to Wild Nothing and Beach Fossils — although the band’s latest single, the slow-burning and moody “Echoes” off the Leeds-based quintet’s soon-to-be released,  self-titled EP nods at The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth and others, as well as 120 Minutes-era MTV alt rock, thanks in part to its quiet, loud, quiet song structure, and swirling guitar work punctuated with an rousingly anthemic hook. But just underneath the surface is a bittersweet nostalgia that frequently comes about as you get older — and further away from your seemingly simple youth. As the band’s Tom Gregory explains in press notes, “‘Echoes’ is about losing the innocence of youth. As you enter your teenage years, you’re told to grow up and take responsibility and some of the beauty of childhood is gone. We probably spend a lot of time as adults trying to regain that side  just act we lose. ‘Echoes’ is about how deal with this in our funny way.”

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Charlatans Return with an Anthemic Yet Bittersweet New Single

Although they’ve gone through a series of lineup changes since their formation back in 1989, The Charlatans (sometimes known Stateside as The Charlatans UK) have managed to be one of the UK’s most commercially and successful acts ever as they’ve had 12 albums land within the Top 40 of the UK Charts, including 17 Top 30 singles and four Top 10 singles. Ironically, the band has achieved such success while being extraordinarily unlucky: Rob Collins, the band’s original keyboardist died in a car accident during the recording sessions of the band’s fifth album; Jon Brookes, the band’s original drummer died after being diagnosed with a brain tumor; Tim Burgess, the band’s frontman, founding member and primary songwriting has suffered and battled through drug and alcohol addiction throughout the band’s history; and at the band’s biggest commercial success, the members of the band discovered that their accountant hadn’t ensured that their taxes were paid, and worse yet, had been embezzling money from the band for years — and as a result, the money they earned from playing the UK’s largest festivals had to be forfeited to pay their tax debts. Certainly, while any one of those events could have curtailed many bands, the members of The Charlatans have stubbornly continued onward.

The band’s forthcoming, thirteen album Different Days is slated for a May 26, 2017 release through BMG and the album, which was co-produced by Jim Spencer, was recorded at the band’s studio in Cheshire, and features guest spots from a variety of friends and collaborators including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, crime writer Ian Rankin and writer/actress Sharon Horgan among others. Different Days’ latest, mid- tempo single “Plastic Machinery,” will further cement the band’s reputation for crafting enormous and rousing hooks within a song that possesses a bittersweet feel that clearly draws from equally bittersweet, hard-fought experience.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Christie Simpson, Sam Perry, Charlie Ryder, Josh Burgess, Yumi Zouma have developed an international profile for crafting breezy and infectious, 80s-inspired synth pop. Recently, the folks at Turntable Kitchen invited the band to take part of their monthly vinyl subscription series Sounds Delicious, in which bands cover any full-length album they love, and reimagine it from front to back. Interestingly, the quartet decided on Oasis‘ 1995 full-length effort, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

As the band’s Charlie Ryder told Gorilla Vs. Bear in an interview “Even when we realized that an Oasis album could potentially be an option in terms of something we could actually do in a Yumi Zouma way, we weren’t 100% sure where it would just sound totally ridiculous or not. It wasn’t until we tried the first song we had an initial idea for — ‘Champagne Supernova’ — that we knew we had finally settled on something rad.  Yumi Zouma’s cover turns the anthemic, Brit Pop classic into a mid-tempo, buoyant and ethereal synth pop track with a subtle Tropicalia vibe that retains the original’s anthemic hook and trippy vibe.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Joy Room is a London, UK-based indie rock quartet, who all went to school together and bonded over their mutual love of Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Last Waltz. Their swaggering, debut single “Late at Night” manages to nod at the 90s Brit Pop/alt rock of Blur and others, as layers of power chords, thundering drumming paired with lyrics that describe the loneliness, bitterness and feelings of loss , self-flagellation and denial that come as the result of a bitter breakup.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The 80s Public TV-Inspired Visuals for Bad Sounds’ “Avalanche”

“Avalanche,” Bad Sound’s latest single was co-produced by Duncan Mills, and on the single the band pairs fuzzy guitar chords, angular bass chords, electronic bleeps and bloops, a motorik-like groove, and a rousingly infectious hook in a song that sounds as though it was indebted to Damon Albarn’s work with Blur and Gorillaz, complete with a particularly British sense of humor — wryly ironic and self-effacing; but while possessing a subtly contemporary take on a very familiar and beloved sound.

The recently released video is a glorious and ridiculous take on 80s educational TV — think of the counting and reading segments on Sesame Street, The Electric Company, 3-2-1- Contact and Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” complete with psychedelic interludes and cheesy 80s graphics.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the December 2015 release of their debut single “I Feel,” the Bath, UK-based indie pop quintet Bad Sounds quickly emerged into the British scene as the single received praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Vice Noisey, and received airplay from BBC Radio personalities Zane Lowe, Phil Taggert, Annie Mac and Huw Stephens. “Avalanche,” Bad Sounds’ latests ingle was co-produced by Duncan Mills, and the single has the band pairing fuzzy guitar chords, angular bass chords, electronic bleeps and bloops, a motorik-like groove, and a rousingly infectious hook in a song that sounds as though it was indebted to Damon Albarn‘s work with Blur and Gorillaz, complete with a similar peculiarly British wry, self-effacing irony — but with a subtly contemporary take on a familiar and beloved sound.

Adding to a growing national profile, the Bath-based quintet will be touring the UK festival circuit with appearances at The Great Escape and Dot to Dot, among others. Check out the tour schedule below, if you’re in or around the UK.

Tour Dates:

20 May – The Great Escape, Brighton
28 May – Dot To Dot, Bristol
12 June – Field Day, London
2 September – Festival No. 6, Portmeirion

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of founding member Hugh Matthews (guitar and vocals), Drew Schapper (drums and Johnny Moretti (guitar) Melbourne, Australia-based shoegaze trio Pretty City can trace their origins to when Matthew sent demos to Schapper and Moretti, who all knew each other from Melbourne’s music scene. And as the story goes, after two rehearsals the newly formed trio began playing shows around Australia and receiving attention for a sound that’s indebted to The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and The Smashing Pumpkins; in fact, their Heights EP was released in 2013 to critical praise from several national outlets including The Music.

Building upon the success of Heights, the band recently finished a tour of Australia’s East Coast to support the release of their critically applauded single “Mary Go Round” and to build buzz for the forthcoming release of their full-length debut effort, Colorize. The album’s latest single “Running Around” is an enormous, arena-friendly song with equally enormous and anthemic hooks paired with dense, fuzzy, feedback slathered power chords, thundering drumming and earnestly sung vocals in a song that channels classic Brit Pop and shoegaze — but with a modern sheen and earnestness that ensures that their sound and aesthetic isn’t derivative.

The Australian trio plans to make their Stateside debut during next month’s SXSW in Austin, and I suspect that we’ll be hearing quite a bit more about them over the next few months.