71 items...Showing 11-20...<< <Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next> >>

Three-track demo  Atticus

Atticus's name certainly doesn't deceive - rock's what you expect and is exactly what you get, and despite the American accents, hail from nowhere more exotic than Leicester. Influences? The likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden et al at a rough guess.    Lead track "Song about a girl" is tight but under-produced (rock has never been a genre that suits the low-fi treatment) and as a consequence plods along - a fate also suffered by second cut "Your protection". Fortunately third track "Reasons" has a bit more edge and pace to it.     Unfortunately that all-too-familiar generic US rock band sound and a lack of dynamics prevent Atticus from standing out from the field. A shame given there's a real song-writing talent at work here and that the band can play a bit too. On this showing a band likely to be a far more exciting prospect live. Contact: Wed, 5th May 2004... Review by Denzil Watson

Yamaguchi / Ape Drape Escape  Casbah

It's the last night of live music at the Casbah and what better way to send the old place off than BBC North's local music programme Raw Talent coming to town. First up out of the three acts hand picked by the show are Khaos Theory. Best described as an acoustic-rap collective, there's plenty of talent on show here but imagine Eminem rapping over Coldplay? Some musical fusions just weren't meant to be.    Next on stage are Yamaguchi, a quirky three-piece ensemble that emerged out of the ashes of Dummy Head Stereo. Resplendent in their Clockwork Orange styled garb complete with bowler hats, they look set along with Pink Grease to continue in Sheffield's long line of innovative electronic artists. There's equal attention to detail in their tensile and carefully crafted tunes, best described as a blend of 80's electro-pop with a bit of techno and Duran Duran thrown in for good measure. A cover of Eel's "Novocain for the soul" gives another good indicator to Yamaguchi's sonic road map. Their multi-instrumentalist frontman is the group's visual focus, massaging his bass, prodding at keyboards and generally gyrating and contorting like a wired-up Jarvis Cocker. If this band aren't treading the boards of considerably larger venues by the end of the year then I'll eat my bowler.    Nothing can prepare you for the final band of the evening, Sheffield punk-popsters The Ape Drape Escape who mash up influences including The Sex Pistols, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Fall and The Stooges. This is what punk rock is supposed to be about - all energy and fun with a bit of rocky horror and cabaret thrown in for good measure. There's a drummer in facemask who finishes the night in a small black pair of briefs. Stage right on Korg synthesiser King's Have Long Arms main man Adrian adds another twist to the Ape's sound. Next to him guitarist James Ape looks like Angus Young's bearded brother while the two less manic female Apers on the left hold it all together.    Last and certainly by no means least we have singer Martin Clark - the Ape's weapon of mass destruction. If there's a better front man in Sheffield I've not seen him. His sleazy camped-up performance of raw energy a hybrid of Iggy Pop and The Cramp's Lux Interior - the stage representing no boundary as he rolls around the dance floor and scales the bar. It all gets a little too much for one punter who (rather unwisely) has a bit of a go. If you haven't seen this band live then you really need to. Wed, 5th May 2004... Review by Denzil Watson

Silence Speaks Volumes  Nevertheless

For a band that claims that “Silence Speaks Volumes” there is precious little of the golden stuff to be found on this four-track demo. Thank goodness, no sounds would make for a dull CD. That’s not to say that dullness has been entirely side-stepped, however…    NeverTheLess, a student band formed in September 2003, specialise in the type of middle of the road balladry that artists like Coldplay, Travis and David Gray have made a living out of. While their songs are pleasant they are never achingly beautiful or surprising enough to hold your attention for more than a few minutes. If NeverTheLess are ever going to be successful they need to put more personality into the music; it sounds much too earnest and calculated at the moment. It’s very early days, however, and this demo shows that not only do they know how to write a catchy melody, but they have a talented singer in Dan Critchlow. With such tools they have the potential to go far. Wed, 5th May 2004... Review by Helen Knott

Bleed For Me  Ultraviolet

Info: DMP Records Ultraviolet claim to be a “macabre blend of ambient rhythms and doom laden vocals”. I wouldn’t argue with this, listening to Ultraviolet did bring macabre, ambience and doom to my life. I’d venture to say, however, that a better description would be that the singer seems to be trying to emulate the vocal style of Vic Reeves’s club singer impersonations on “Shooting Stars”. And he’s doing a bad job of it.    The demo features three remixes of the same song, “Bleed For Me”, but to be honest, there are few differences between the tracks. All are very synthy, very ‘80s and very boring. But, in a year of funky mullets and Care Bear comebacks all things ‘80s are suddenly the epitome of cool. Perhaps this stretches to nonsense dance tracks too. I bloody hope not. Wed, 5th May 2004... Review by Helen Knott

Raised By Animals  Raised By Animals

Barnsley’s Raised by Animals have been gigging regularly for two years now and the hard work is starting to pay off. Apparently Kenwyn from Reef likes them.    They describe themselves as "like nothing else around at the moment," which is not really true as they sound like most bands you’d find playing in a smoky, middle-aged pub or wine bar on a Friday night. But their polished sound and ear for a tune lifts RBA above many.    ‘Talkin Circles’ has a nice infectious chorus and a bouncy guitar-line that could quite happily be used as the backing music for ‘Goal of the Month’ on Match of the Day. ‘You Said..’ is like a jazzed up Athlete and ‘Firefly’ is a sweet acoustic ditty, juxtaposing bitter lyrics with tender harmonies.    If they had, in fact, been raised by an animal, it would have been a very inoffensive one. Like a stoat.  Fri, 26th March 2004... Review by Ste Mills

Disarm  Disarm

Disarm's three track demo nods heavily to recent American metal like Slipknot and Linkin Park. The songs allow anguished, soulful vocals to be repeatedly taken over by incomprehensible shrieking. A bit like when Bruce Banner turns into the Incredible Hulk. But scarier.    The riffs are big and the song structures go off in unpredictable directions to keep the whole thing interesting. A desire to escape the mundane dominates the lyrics (I think, although a lot of them just sound like someone vomiting violently).    At times its a bit cliched and you get the feeling they would probably be more in their element live rather than on record. But the skate-kids will love it and your mum would hate it. Job done then.  Fri, 26th March 2004... Review by Ste Mills

Stranglers / Goldblade  Leadmill

Info: (photos by John Harris [link])   It's a brave band that takes Goldblade as tour support. Support bands supposed to go down to muted applause, right? Manchester's Goldblade certainly hadn't read the script, their brand of hi-energy punk and glam going down a treat with the amassed hardcore Stranglers fans. Fronted by the chisel-featured ex-Sounds journo and Membranes frontman John Robb, they battered their way through nine or so numbers clearly relishing playing to a packed-out Leadmill. Refreshing to see a band that so visibly enjoying the chance to kick some rock'n'roll ass, the aforementioned Robb even discarding his shirt and doing a few pull-ups on a ceiling girder for good measure. Standout tracks? The anthemic "Strictly Hardcore" and the not-so-subtly-titled "Kiss my ass".    The Stranglers, meanwhile, appear to be a band rejuvenated, riding on the critical acclaim their new LP "Norfolk Coast" has garnered. Ironically the sound takes a dip, probably due in no small part to the incomprehensibly high level of Jean-Jacques Burnell's bass in the mix. They plough through a set consisting of a hefty slice of the new LP and their greatest hits pre-Hugh Cornwall's departure. Current single "Big thing coming" recently dented the charts, while lifting keyboard riffs almost note-for-note from "No more heroes" (the later predictably saved up for one of four encores). Of the original three Stranglers, Jet Black, now the wrong side of 65, shows no signs of waning as he powers through the set, Dave Greenfield is as nimble on the keyboard as he ever was and JJ still pulls some mean shapes on the bass. High points - a blistering "Tank" and a menacing "Something better change", (rather strangely sung by frontman Paul Roberts rather than Burnell). Overall, its an impressive walk down memory lane for the many thirty-somethings in the crowd, while The Stranglers join a host of old punk bands who've lost seemingly irreplaceable front-men only to successfully re-invent themselves. Fri, 26th March 2004... Review by Denzil Watson

Appliance Of Science  Yamaguchi

Appliance of Science is Yamaguchi’s second demo and following the excitement of their previous recording may be hard to recapture. However, Robin Firth’s skill at writing a genius pop song including a mass of synths, drums and guitar surpasses expectations. Opening computer count of Loser Like Whom? increases the heart rate before the aggressively wonderful  guitar of Lady Swayles (according to the inlay) and sometimes acoustic, sometimes electronic drumming even enter. Robin’s vocal hovers above the instruments as he sings wistfully of unobtainable love. Livewire is equally electrifying. The vocals are terribly Phil Oakey-esque, placing Yamaguchi within that great Sheffield tradition of electronica. Final track Under  the Eiderdown is a slower, spoken word experiment that sounds very similar to early Pulp song Fairground. Similar, but better.     If you think Yamaguchi sound like another tediously knowing electro-pop group with an element of rock, you are wrong. From the metallic chimes of Under the Eiderdown’s eerie waltz to those bowler hats, Yamaguchi are a sugar-coated, electronic pleasure. Thu, 25th March 2004... Review by Jacky Hall

12 Sep 2004  Faded Starlets

Ambitious doesn’t often equate with ability. Faded Starlets seem desperate to create a glam, expansive sound but are trapped within conventions and, on record, are Doves derivatives. Lyrics are subservient to some embarrassing rhymes, but the rippling guitar solos in these three uncomplicated indie songs are rather pleasurable. The slightly weak male vocals are unfortunately further weakened the two guitars, bass, synths, drums… The excessive introduction of the final track (an entire minute of wibbling and ooh, what’s going to happen?) tries to create tension but only manages boredom. When the melody arrives it’s a disappointment. Like the entire demo. Thu, 25th March 2004... Review by Jacky Hall

Reel Big Fish / Goldfinger / Zebrahead / The Matches  Octagon

With the Fish at the Octagon on a Saturday night, it was time to get out the Converse All Stars and get skanking to the pop/punk/ska extravaganza. First up were The Matches, playing bland repetitive pop-punk with far too many “Whoa’s” for my liking that you’ve heard from every band from the US since Blink 182 became so popular. The one plus side was the guitarist’s blonde Afro!    Next on stage were crowd-pleasers Zebrahead. More pop/punk with some sketchy rapping that was more akin to Linkin Park than a boring pop/punk band.     Up next came a man with an England Rugby top and a pink thong! No, not a freak, but the drummer for Goldfinger who came to show the first two bands how it is done! A great set, much improved from the last time I saw them. Starting with ‘Spokesman’ and including the favourites ‘Open Your Eyes’, ‘Superman’ and ’99 Red Balloons’. The set also included the drummer on lead vocals doing a rendition of The Darkness’ ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’.    Reel Big Fish stole the show with their skatanic antics! Opening with ‘Dateless Losers’ from the new album ‘Cheer Up’, they rip through many of their best songs including the anthem ‘Beer’, ‘I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend Too’, ‘Scott’s A Dork’, ‘She Has A Girlfriend Now’ and many form the new album including single ‘Where Have You Been?’ and a cover of Sublime’s cult classic ‘Boss DJ’. Reel Big Fish are doing more covers with every album, and finished with A-Ha’s 80’s hit, ‘Take On Me’. A great night had by all, just a pity I saw the first two bands! Thu, 25th March 2004... Review by Robin Baker