Kit Ashton "Blindsided"
"It's not every artist who has the blessing of Paul McCartney. “Brilliant. Great stuff – really beautiful songs,” McCartney said of Kit Ashton after jamming with him at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, where Ashton was a student. He's just released his debut EP, Blindsided, and Macca may be on to something here.
Ashton definitely has the British pop sound down on Blindsided. While opener "You You You" is a quality tune, things really take a step forward with "Take The Strain", which sounds like The 88 by way of Parallax Project, with a bit of Jellyfish thrown in. "Fantastic" is just that, with some Robbie Williams/Supergrass influences to go along with the Jellyfish sound. All in all, a promising debut."
ABSOLUTE POWER POP
My Device: "Nervous System" (Shifty Disco
records)
If youre not left dangerously jiving within 10 seconds of
I was Brave Today by My Device something most surely is
wrong. The infectiously, danceable music from My Device
is captivating and most defiantly catchy. Listen to Holy
Cow! Im Happy Now! once and you will be blurting it out,
walking down the high street that afternoon. This whole
album is absolutely stunning when played at a suitably high
volume with the unashamed drive to dance at the expense
of any self respect. But go with it, go crazy, go with the
chopping and changing of riffs and grooves, both in and
out of time. Let My Device take you on a musical wonder
tour. A band who have been around the corner of your musical
conscience all this time, just waitingand waiting for you
to discover them before bursting onto your speakers in a
fit of sporadic excitement.
4/5 pieces of fudge
www.myspace.com/funkyasfudgefanzine
 Karn8 - "Everything That You Despise"
What strikes me about Karn8 is everything fits, everything fuses together, and each musician seems to make his and her instrument act in unison. This band, are straight to the point, what you see is what you get. That is, a great mix of glam synthesizers, metal guitar and a voice that exposes an internal struggle within the singer between a beauty and beast.
We see this first, in opener Rotton more raw and heavy than the next more Industrial focused track. The drums serve to drive this track forward. This song could be placed, as an anthem for every girl or boy who feels like they are wasting away in a relationship.
The bands influences are clear; Marilyn Manson’s venomous hooks an often light and haunting register combined with deafening shrieks and doom-laden, sometimes satirical and introspective lyrics. “Take your poison apple and shove it where the suns just a haze, still I want you to stay.” These combined with Nine Inch Nails heavy, focused and fluid beats, and a noise-rock style shredding guitar sounds inspire one to groove sporting a twisted smile.
Both the aforementioned elements bring what could be described as a disorder or chaos to the music. These are reminiscent of cult 90’s grrl band Jack Off Jill, or even at times a heavier My Bloody Valentine. Influences indeed, which show through to make for a contemporary Goth kid’s dream band.
From the opening of the second track, rock beat drums, and the crunching guitars of Mirror Mirror one can denote that this band have mastered the art of the catchy tune. This track first and foremost screams dance floor.
As Kirst begins her tirade about what could be a reflection upon her twisted alter ego. “Please don’t look in the mirror” she demands, words bleeding from her as she screams, calling out to the deranged physique of every girl who ever wakes up in the morning to hating her body. “Get away, get away,” this could be both a reflection upon, and a call for rebellion against all forms of self-loathing.
As lead vocalist Kirst, complete with Queen Adreena- esque seductive whisper (and a sexy demeanor that would make any self respecting metal-head bounce) begins and ends her vocal assault on the first track, moving from, “better tread with caution” to “fuck with me and I’ll fuck you over” words of a determined, if a little dangerous band, it would seem.
It is also clear that Karn8 want to break the mould, become something different, Goth with a darker and heavier edge than what has come before. This is music that will rip at your ear-hole, leaving you screaming. You’ll feel the distain in Kirst’s words, and you’ll relish the band itself.
From Bone’s dark obnoxious belting guitar and Leigh’s slamming drums to Kinghorn’s clever synth workings (with a slight nod to Depeche Mode perhaps on Rotton) and the Garbage style angst from Kirst, yes you’ll scream, and you’ll scream for more. I Promise."
Dom @ ScarDom
hAND - "Chapters"
‘What’s
wrong with Genesis or jazz?’ vocalist Kat Ward asks
in an e-mail, following my flippant remark about their influences.
Nothing, of course, apart from the Genesis part, and that
influence is not noticeable here. They’re so young,
this duo, they’re probably into everything, as their
music bubbles with diversity, and I didn’t notice
any of the Gothic undertones mentioned in the press release
either. Clearly absorbed in their music they have astonishing
potential.
Let’s concentrate on the songs first. ‘Paint’
is a perfect opener in showcasing their juicy jumble, as
there’s deliberate drag on rhythm, thick and raw bass,
the odd jangle from guitar and pleasantly naïve singing.
The guitar frequently cavorts happily in background as the
twinkling and trundling combine over an exciting rhythm
track, although it’s a bit too busy burying itself,
and cooing vocals floating ghost-like over the top aren’t
well produced enough. That’s just their equipment,
and the unnecessarily stodgy feel can’t drag down
any of their weirdly interesting ideas. Vocals are fairly
timid initially, but quietly charming. (‘Would you
die in a bass note’) It’s Kat Ward on vocals,
piano and bass, with Kieren Johnstone beavering away on
guitar and programming, and in ‘Do You Know’,
a lovely bass and piano thing, words are gradually enticed
out into the open with gently guiding guitar, and they do
it again. It’s a lovely feel and flow, where the boldness
of their compositions is clear, and it really works too.
The guitar pours on, the rhythm is intriguing, because the
piano becomes the bass, with Kieren wrestling his guitar
impressively as the two main instruments weave together.
‘Latin Translation’ hints at fiddly Metal muso
bombast, but only slightly, and the way the song assumes
a fiery form is ludicrously impressive with guitar ringing
out above a real grumbly bass beneath. Rich, bleeding tones
encapsulate their drive and verve and when it eventually
blunders briefly into a rutting rock trough that’s
okay. Then ‘Pockets For Sockets’ starts slowly
swirling around languid piano, bass buoys it, the guitar
does a drunken damselfly dash, as atonal vocals drop and
roll. They keep the spiky feel going and the pace constant
before they let the intensity fly for several minutes before
ending in a light jazz caper.
So yes, there’s not much to dither over, other than
occasional flat-sounding singing or constipated levels.
It is a fine debut, and this pair are going to be coming
out with some astonishing music, make no mistake about that.
The duo aspect will make it hard for them, and I presume
they know this, but if they find like-minded individuals
round their area and fill out into a band they could do
brilliantly.
If I was working on a local paper I’d probably end
by saying you have to hand it to them. Luckily I am not,
wrist assured.
www.handtheband.com
Kat hAND - Defining no-one There is no passion without pain!
Emphatic - "Soak This Up"
Sussex 4 piece,
Emphatic's first offering comes in the form of a two track
EP titled 'Soak This Up'. The CD plays host to their first
two tracks, Soak This Up and Underlying Theme. As the title
track explodes into one of the catchiest riffs you may hear
from an unsigned band all year, you cant help but reminisce
back to the days of Rage Against the Machine and Skunk Anansie.
Soak This Up is not meant to be a clever, thought provoking
song - it is a bomb waiting to hit you in the chest, forcing
you to, erm, soak it up!
In the same vein, Underlying Theme (a popular choice for
the band to open their set with) is a powerful song with
a similar feel and purpose to the title track. Following
a massive opening surge of a riff, the thundering bass line
provides an almost unsettling calm before the inevitable
and all consuming storm!
This is the first CD that Emphatic have put out in the 6
months they have been together. They are due in the studio
in the next month to record a new 4 track EP. Watch this
space and definitely watch this band!"
writen by James
Black Light UK - "Why You Left Me"
This
week on the track-by-track review I shall be listening to
the new EP ‘Why You Left Me’ by Black Light
UK.
The band formed in late 2004 and has already created an
EP, and a loyal, ever-growing fan base. They play a busy
gig schedule that has taken them all over London and the
Southeast and have combined influences ranging from the
Redhot Chilli Peppers, Guns 'N' Roses, Placebo and The Foo
Fighters.
In a current musical climate that is littered with bland,
uninspiring tripe like Cold Play and James Blunt we really
need some bands like Black Light (UK) to break through.
They provide high-quality, solid hard rock with a modern
edge. This band is capable of creating a heavy sound while
retaining the all-important melody that is lacking in many
of the aspiring bands in the rock/metal genre. I shall be
on hand to see the band live at a forth coming Rock Brighton
gig (see gig list page) and I’m really looking forward
to hearing how they sound on the live stage, if it’s
anywhere near as good as they sound on the ‘Why You
Left Me’ EP then all who attend will be in for a great
night.
www.blacklightuk.com
writen by Sue
Threemileisland - "Fractured"
With one
mean crunch of a guitar, TMI are a very heavy rock monster
playing their own take on metalcore (though what metalcore
is these days is anybody's guess), crisp clear catchy rhythms
big on tunes play at a reasonable speed. "DIYA"
is the classic idea of a big opening riff, the bass and
drums whack hard while the vocals lament and scream frustratingly.
"Insight Into Stupidity" is more midpace and more
sustained, even catchier while no less visceral from the
singer's point of view. "Gold Plated Jesus" keeps
this up - although the vocals may get a little repetitive
through the disc, the riffs more than make up for that -
and the variation on the drums is very cool without merely
backing up the frontline. "Rain", like the previous
songs, likes to use an intro from the guitarist without
kicking straight into the main part, this is the slowest
song here, yet still isn't any softer, while "Mirrors"
is a full speed ahead rocker with headbanging verses and
is the standout track alongside "...Jesus", sung
through gritted teeth and played as if they're in the moshpit
with you with a moody retrospective mid section before kicking
you in again. "Ballot Box" brings back the crunch
with a stop-start riff and a bit of far reaching chorus
that works a treat. These songs should kick ass live. Rocky
metalcore. Rockcore? Oh pleeeeeeasssse. www.dukester.uk2k.com
This EP, 'Fractured' will surely fracture your puny skeleton,
ThreeMileIsland play the sort of rock that vibrates your
spine with sheer explosive volume, Six tracks of attitude
and anger that will force your head to pump with agreement,
ThreeMileIsland have done that rare thing and captured adrenalin
in a studio performance. Hear it. Feel it. Anger is an energ
- Rock3 Radio www.threemileisland.net
This is the sound of " Anything But" Blues/Punk, who could ask for more? The kind of music which
really gets your heads pumping and you feet moving! Others
would describe Anything But as a mix between Arctic Monkeys
and Offspring but with Drum & Bass drops in the middle.
Joe Langston (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Mitchell (Bass) and Max
Stevenson (Drums). Even though this band is a three piece
it really couldn't work any better as that. Ben Mitchells
funk bass playing has managed to go beyond the boundaries
and slapped its way in to Joe Langstons disco ball power cords
creating a relationship that is mind blowing. And you could
say that with Max Stevensons drums on top its like adrenaline
on acid!
'Got to pass the time away' looks at the harsh reality of
being 16 and how many troubles it faces, (especially for men).
With a hitting guitar riff and solo this song can give you
shivvers down your spine.
'Never Before' is the easy out... It goes through times of
anger,easy-going and bliss. With so many stops and starts
you don't know when this song is going to end! Ingenious!
'When I Say'..............you say away, away, away! Nobody
after hearing this song could ever forget these lyrics written
by Joe Langston. Whenever I have seen Anything But live they
have always got the crowd to sing along with them to this
song and believe you me it works! Sets the whole night up
and you won't want it to end!
Anything But are certain to get good reactions whenever they
play live. I would give them a mix between The Who and Blink
182. 1: for the energy. 2: For the laughs.
www.myspace.com/anythingbut1234
Written by Vanessa |
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