NEWS
EVENTS
Battle of Britain - Part I: Brighton
Indie | Monday 3rd March 2014 | Michael
Every city and coastal town likes to boast they provide the talent and the musical soul of Britain. There is quality new music bursting from all directions, but where is the best? Let’s start in the South, where the Brighton waves are washing in some fresh new sound...
Royal Blood
The latest two-piece sensation are progressing impossibly quickly, with their combination of huge crashing drums and blisteringly catchy bass riffs that will blow the faces off their counterparts. Formed only in the summer of last year, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher must be wondering how on Earth they managed, in mere months, to get nominated for the BBC Sound of 2014, before effortlessly securing a support slot at Arctic Monkeys' massive upcoming Finsbury Park shows. Fans will see it as no question though; breakout single ‘Out Of The Black’ demonstrates the sheer power and dark grit of the duo, whilst recent follow-up ‘Little Monster’ is a fearsome, hard rock corker with instant flair. If Royal Blood continue to crack out tracks like these, with the support they have are currently receiving, their career is sure to be one of phenomenal success.
For fans of: Queens Of The Stone Age, Wolfmother, Rage Against The Machine
The Wytches
This dark surf-psych rock trio were recently signed by Heavenly Recordings, after their dirty guitar squeals and wailing vocals turned hundreds of listeners into immediate fans. Debut single ‘Beehive Queen’, released in June 2013, was an immediate sell-out hit, sounding like Jack White had just been dragged to the sea, injected with some sort of bull aphrodisiac and left to go wild on his instruments. Kristian Bell’s warbling vocals are the perfect anarchic spearhead to accompany his trembling guitar, alongside the deep buzz of Daniel Rumsey’s baselines and Gianni Honey’s biting drum spills. Their recent free E.P. Gravedweller provides a deliciously filthy combination of heavy psychedelia and fuzzy surf-rock to give listeners something that feels like a very enjoyable brain haemorrhage. What is most attractive in The Wytches is the absolute rawness of their tracks and the enjoyment with which they seem to be playing. This is high-quality music with an ugly face.
For fans of: The White Stripes, Ty Segall, The Horrors
Dog In The Snow
Something different here. Something great. Helen Ganya Brown taps into an exciting new style of experimental indie-dance music, with complex electronic beats reinforced by multi-instrumental tones and melodies, along with decorative, atmospheric sounds to create ethereal, yet powerful music. ‘Fire In The Sky’ demonstrates considerable talent in composition, production and performance, approaching Florence Welch’s thumping pop-rock vibes but with a lot more of an alternative bite. It is the sort of stand-out music which is impressive on its first play, but becomes increasingly stunning upon each listen, as detailed musical intricacies and fascinating ‘existential-driven’ lyrics take turn to surface. Ganya Brown, along with collaborator Marie-Eve de Gaultier, could take her early achievements in any direction, be it via dance clubs, indie festivals or bigger stages. Either way, Dog In The Snow tackles something incredibly interesting and achieves something very special.
For fans of: Florence & The Machine, Massive Attack, Daughter
Fear Of Men
You can really hear the coast resounding in this band, through melodic guitar plucking, repetitive strumming and soft, shoe-gazing vocals that coat this brooding, indie surf-guitar music with a nostalgic, dream-like quality. Delicate in their execution and modest in their song-writing, the atmospheric four-piece are now garnering some hard-earned attention in anticipation of their debut album Loom, which is already proving its worth on tracks such as ‘Luna’, on which Jess Weiss sings gently “I’ve tried my best to destroy you, but the waves keep on flowing me”, whilst ‘Alta/Waterfall’ combines enchanting dream-pop with Joy Division style drum beats. Fear Of Men are releasing gorgeous tracks that will undoubtedly be picked up by films, TV and adverts due to their sentimental qualities, but are far more than simple soundtracks. They bring their own unique and loveable charm to an understated musical genre with beautiful results.
For fans of: Beach House, Joy Division, Wild Beasts
The Semper Teens
Another trio who let their vibrations run wild on the music they make. It’s garage rock with real bite and edginess - well-honed but relatively untamed - resulting in scratchy, raucous and exhilarating sounds. Their self-titled 2013 E.P. threw forward four wild tracks that showed listeners they were a force to be reckoned with, channelling indie-rock vibes of the early 00s with a sense of excited re-discovery and garage messiness that allows them their own purpose in today’s musical climate. At times they sound like The Drums have been slapped across the face by The Strokes and told to grow up - a strange hybrid with a surprisingly pleasing outcome. In fact it feels as though they should have come from the sunny San Francisco shores rather than those of Brighton, but it is this exact combination of American musical influence and youthful British sentimentality that makes The Semper Teens stand out. There is infectious character to their music and if they maintain their edge they’ll be sure to cut through the mould.
For fans of: The Vines, The Hives, Girls
Mike Pickering - @mike_pickering
COMING SOON - Part II: London
