Ambershift

Another middle of the rock band on the site, you may wonder why, but just taken a closer listen… Ambershift, are cranking the noise with an electronic keyboard. Taking a slightly different chart to the norm, they are able to produce something of real value. It may not be a whole new sound, but it is a genuine attempt to try something a little different and far more importantly it does work.

I could spend more space waffling to no real end, Ambershift are a band you can either give credit or roll up in the waste. I think they are worth a listen, as they take high tempo beats and control the sound superbly, while delivering a sound worthy of listening time.

band website

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Missing Andy

Missing Andy, provide straight-forward indie rock, with lyric based on personal perceptions of the UK. The five members of the band have created a sound which is far more than the stark press releases. While the lyric provides an un-compromising message, the strength of the band is in their ability to switch between back-drops with cleverly arranged music.

I have been aware of Missing Andy for some time now and become ever increasingly impressed with their visualisations and story-book approach.

They are, in my opinion, very easy to dismiss with their over hyped message, which held me back from getting round to writing about the band. Time has progressed, their self-belief remains as ever, but I would counsel if you are put off, as I was by the packaging, take a look behind the scene and open up your ears to a great sounding band, who manage to add humour and depth of musical ability to back-up their approach.

band myspace page

Spending much of their time out on the road, they have recently released their debut single, The Way We’re Made (M.I.E). *

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* purchases made through the The Way We’re Made (M.I.E) link will result in the indie bands blog earning a commission.

Oh No Its Pok

Having just released their 6 track EP Messicos, they are developing a presence both in Italy and the North London club circuit.

The Post Punk electro scene as readers of the site will know, made me smile hugely, and Oh NO ITs POk even have a band name based on a pastiche on Devo. If you can sit through this band without raising a shoulder at the very least, you are reading the wrong web-site.

This is fun, good feeling and ‘I want to be there’, rolled in to bursts of creative energy. Electro-synth bands far too often fail, as they attempt to out-compete Kraftwerk, Oh NO ITs POk, take a new strand and I can feel the essential un-bent string clarity of post punk, blended with speed, with the essential vocoder and sequencer.

Messicos EP – Preview by Oh NO ITs POk
Messicos is also available as a free download here.

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Storybooks for Small Dogs

I enjoy a three piece band who can make me feel engaged and Storybooks for Small Dogs, certainly do that. The free-ranging energy that emanates from the band can’t help but raise a heartbeat as they blaze through clear vocal and musical score, bringing a clean-shaven feel to the day.  Crystal clear clarity shines through the band as they take me on a high energy trip through Navan; facing the trials and tribulations of a satellite town to a Capital City.

This is the sounds of the suburbs as powerfully as The Members resonated. As I listen I can feel the resonance of a band who know they have something to say, yet are instantly dismissed as ‘parochial’. Storybooks for Small Dogs, face the uphill battle of being viewed as a provincial band by the local media and therefore irrelevant to swathes of the music industry. It is a sad indictment that bands like this get left in the slip stream, as they have so much to add.
Storybooks for Small Dogs | All These Animals

myspace

Keep in touch with the RSS feed as there is undoubtedly more to follow on Storybooks for Small Dogs.

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The Paraffins Photo by Liza Brett

Self described as ‘acoustic/casio powered psychedelic pop’, The Paraffins successfully make my life seem a more fulfilled place when listening to the fusion of sounds. It has the trippy electro pop beat, which is underlayed by a genuinely creative artist.

Billy takes us on a journey which seems blighted by misfortune, but at every twist of sand thrown in my eye, he diverts to a space I want to find myself. The Paraffins are superb exponents of lo-fi production. A plethora of beats and instruments keep the music fresh on each play. Dance-beats are replaced by sounds which should jar against every synapse, but it all works.

What makes this work? Simply, The Paraffins are an honest act, with the credibility and more importantly musical capability to bring off their challenging craft. I could fill a few more paragraphs on how they manage to encapsulate with such minimalism, what so may bands fail to evoke with multi-layered mixes, but it would do little to add value. The essence of The Paraffins is the evocation in your own heart, not in mine.

I am aiming to get an interview arranged with Billy soon and will let you know more.

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The Exhibition

The echoed reverbing guitars are off-set superbly by the clear low baritone vocals of Pete, which are resonant of Ian Curtis, the whole effect lifted in to a new place by the great inter-play between the guitars.

Dark lyric is merged to great effect with the tempo maintained by a crisp drum snap and bass, which is lightened further by the guitar which leaves me with the impression of a rococo style picture frame around an impressionist painting, lit by a rotating club light. I have read that previous sentence more than once and still leave it to stand.

The Exhibition would be a great band to see live, this is music to share as they take the listener to a space filled with strong emotional content. I am an instant fan of the sharp power drumming Chris brings to the band and as a band they have something really interesting and refreshing to add to the world of the rock. The Boy & The Tearaway – by The Exhibition by Of National Importance

The recent 4 track demo EP  by The Exhibition is available as a free download through their myspace page.

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A strong friendship was formed and they continue to share similar dreams and ambitions. Despite the loss of their full-time drummer back in 2007, they have continued to develop their music, which draws on their everyday experiences, to paint a soundtrack to their lives.

With three LPs and a recent EP, Sudden Sounds, Coin have established a strong presence in their home country and are now looking to tour further afield.

Coin

Coin bring a refreshing take on indie-rock, with their clear and crisp playing. The reflective nature of the out-put adds a sense of melancholy and point of interested to this heavily populated genre. The clever bass lines generate depth to the music, which along side a strong guitar lifts the music above the mundane.

This isn’t a style of music which naturally resonates with me and I missed much of the ‘brit-pop revolution’ due to the overt commercialism pouring out of much of it, but Coin create a sound which seems more driven by wanting to express some resonating truths and for that I must give them credit.

I particularly like the concept of these guys being far better at getting to the essence of the sound far more effectively that many of the manufactured Manchester bands were ever able to explore.

myspace page

In my interview with them, the guys have set themselves some pretty high targets and I wish them well in achieving their aims, I just hope they manage to retain their freshness and honesty.

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Let Her Dive by Serena P

Let Her Dive, lets Francesca explore a different genre of music entirely. The industrial beat laid by Matteo is a great foil to the vulnerabilities that Francesca explores with her vocal.

The duo have been able to easily bounce of each other, creating some interesting sounds which have a sense of sinister about them. It is the way that the vocal seems to exposed, being framed by a strong, disturbing instrumentation, which marks this out as a really interesting unit.

The incessant rumble of bass, draws my ears to the music as the output paints images of being lost in a vast industrial wasteland. The plea for space by the vocal in shrouded by the sheer drama of the music.

This is great music to listen to at any moment when life all seems to be too disjointed, while the mood would on the surface only seem to exacerbate that feeling of being overpowered, there is a sense that the lost voice, is perhaps not so alone, as it manages to emerge from the vastness of the space.

03 – LET HER DIVE – The Bravest (feat. G.Mod) by let her dive

With a new release coming out this month, The Closet, it will be interesting to hear this collaboration develop.

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The Heartbreaks

The Heartbreaks are at once melancholic yet enlivening, as the songs swagger forward with a fierce determination, which is cocooned in a swathe of guitar swhirl and echo. References to The Smiths and Elvis Costello, particularly through Matthews vocals are striking, but not repetitive, as they take these markers in to the early twenty first century.

With an ever extending tour list and the release of their new material, it will be of no surprise if their music continues to make a far wider impact. This is easily accessible, yet not synthetic and the four guys have created a sound which appears to resonate well, not just for its relevance, but for depth of musical integrity matched with contextual lyric.

‘Liar, My Dear’ – The Heartbreaks from Tambourine Management on Vimeo.

Myspace page

I’ll aim to get a review of the single ready in good time and personally hope to get to see the band later this month.

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Le Galaxie

The electronic rock that emanates from Le Galaxie has all the essential elements to create superbly crafted atmosphere. Many bands playing in this space end up destroying their essential out-put by trying to play with too many layers, leaving the listener desperately wanting less, Le Galaxie, however do not fall in to this trap.

The blending of some strong guitar and drum maintains a flow to the music with the electronics creating an added depth of soft fuzz, which rests comfortably on my ears. This is ideal to sit down with when you have time to appreciate cascading music which adds layers of intricacy to the central guitar chords. The listener is transported to a different plane, where the music envelops synapses with a coating of anti-gravity matter as the sounds waft and wash toouter-space.

While needing time, focus and space, the music is not of such a complex nature that after a few minutes my ears start to bleed and my brow generates even more lines of concentration.

I recommend a good bottle of wine, a few friends round and the door bell turned off to get the best of Le Galaxie.

Does it work live? Judge yourself by the video and I certainly look forward to catching up with them live.

band website

Be interesting to hear the results of their new EP.

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