I’ve had these tunes in my possession for a few weeks now with every intention of writing a review but as life is good I’ve spent very little time sat in front of this damn screen – today however, after my umpteenth listen I’m compelled to put pixels to screen for this review, because – it’s good! Really good!

Roseanne’s Town opens the show with understated guitar twang but soon builds to a Sprinsteen-esque  heights of layered guitar and horns. Quite trad americana in places it still has English quirks to latch onto. I’m bucking the trend here and avoiding mentioning Mumford & Sons… shit! never again…

“…raising a middle digit to bands without their staying power.”

Saluting Magpies shuffles into earshot next and  skips, jumps, shouts, rattles and bawls around for close to five minutes but you’d never know. With so many time changes, production subtleties and changes in direction it’s a really nice piece of songwriting raising a middle digit to bands without their staying power.

Maybe it’s the change to electric from acoustic but the band have certainly turned everything up to match the new sound. Arv is a hell of a drummer but he now gets to hit harder which really adds to the amplified sound with Jake stretching his vocal chords into a growl that their previous gentle meanderings would not have coped with.

The next track up is Beast in name only, a gentle vocal led acoustic track owing more than a nod to of Dylan, Buckley and Drake.

Mountebank takes a step back into the land acoustic but is no less immediate, building very quickly and wasting no time with a drawn out intro. All the band’s voices blend in fine style for the obligatory ‘shoop shoops’ and this EP is brought to a fitting close.

It might be a bit early in the game for matching iFoo scarf and t-shirt but I’m on board. The folk that have this EP have it on heavy rotation, so do yourself a flavour and get on the wagon.

Official site: http://ifoo.get-ctrl.com
Label: Wire Sound / http://www.wire-sound.com
Recorded by: Keith Angel @ http://www.wavelengthstudios.co.uk

Padriag Whelan makes delicate, brittle music on a beautiful Gretsch guitar.

It’s raw, naked modern folk music – touching briefly in early 20th Century American roots music passing through the late 60′s before landing sure-footed in 2012. The sound is traditional but never muddy and the quality of the recording makes for an unintrusive, almost apologetic soundscape.

Padraig’s first EP was released to great response. Rough Trade Shops featured the package as “strong lyrics, softly sung on four gorgeous, slow-burning songs. For fans of Elliott Smith, Cass McCombs and Richard James’ (from Gorky’s) solo work”

Off and On could have been penned by a 1960s Fleetwood Mac and the space around the track is refreshing with no attempt to fill every void with noise. Romantic but never dreary it’s the Sunday morning come-down you see only in movies.

The single Off and On will be released on Easter Sunday, April 9th 2012.

Catch up with Pat on his Facebook Page here

More tracks and free downloads on the Padraig Whelan Bandcamp Page

‘Never Never’ is the first release from Bear Driver’s forthcoming as-yet-untitled debut album.

Taking influence from bands such as Sparklehorse, The Flaming Lips and Yo La Tengo, Bear Driver write loved-up, fuzzed-up pop.

After making their debut at this year’s SXSW and a chance encounter with Yo La tengo the band returned to the UK to record their debut album.

Self-produced by the band, the album was recorded live in three days in an old swimming pool in east London, favoured by Nick Cave and Graham Coxon, then mixed in a flat in Ealing on a home-made computer.

“We wanted to record live so we went up to the Lake District to work on all the new songs before we recorded them. When we got to the studio in London we just played through them all really fast and then listened back to see what we’d got. Most of them ended up being just one take. We found some cool old keyboards there too, a dusty old Wurlitzer piano that we used on ‘Never Never’, and a bright red Farfisa organ. We took the tracks home and spent a week mixing them, trying to keep as much of the live sound as possible, all the hiss and noise that you get from old mics and amps, and before we knew it we had our album”

www.beardriver.com

Never never is available now to download from the band’s Soundcloud page.

Bear Driver – Never Never by Bear Driver

93MillionMilesFromtheSun (93MMFTS) are two hugely likeable men from Doncaster and they have recorded an album of songs that sound very much like one Kevin Shields spent £250,000 and had 18 different engineers craft.

You want orchestral guitars? You want feedback drenched lyrics of loss and loneliness, all buried in a beautiful mess of feedback? Well good, because that’s what you’re going to get. And plenty of it. If you have ever felt the need to enter a Sonic Cathedral; come and pray with the 93MMFTS.

This, their second CD, has some real highlights of the genre and it is most definitely a genre. It’s the musical equivalent of a well thumbed Agatha Christie novel, but what better way to revel in the death of the music industry, than to gaze at your shoes and coo sweet nothings into each other’s ears. This is my own personal plan for 2012.

“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool.”
Lester Bangs, some point in the 1970’s

The Psychogeography of “Northern Sky”

What could be more uncool than coming from Doncaster?

A rather strange but rather fine thing about 93MMFTS is the lack of place in their music. This record could have been created anywhere in the world. In fact if they were from Brooklyn via Gothenburg, then this would no doubt sell far more copies than it will.

This lack of geography is probably what stops the people of Doncaster from acknowledging them as their own. Do many Doncaster bands of their stature even get to release a second album, never mind have obsessive fans all over Europe, have offers of West Coast tours, or have a Brazilian fan with the band logo tattooed on his arm? 93MMFTS are the perfect example of the “long tail” phenomenon. I imagine two or three people could adore them in every town in the world. 93MMFTS have the unenviable task of linking up those people.

Anyway where was I, the record sounds magnificent. The personnel involved, Nick (Voice, Guitar, Drones, Noise) and Rob (Bass, Drones and Noise), both well past their prime physically, have managed to record a beautiful, peaceful, yet, alarmingly noisy album.

The standout track is “Time Lasts Forever”, which sounds like it could have been on an early Ride EP and if that sounds like faint praise, I can assure you it’s not meant to be. The crooning, “I want you back, and I want you so bad”, sounds like the saddest and tenderest of love songs. Who knew that they had it in them? And all from the mean streets of South Yorkshire.

Other notable tracks are “Before You Leave”, a particularly lovely tune with a bass line like a rambunctious sexy plaything. “All you’ve left behind” is an attempt to channel the death rattle of the Jesus and Mary Chain as they are slowly licked to death by kittens.

The last track, “Sonic Assault” is factually correct. It is a “Shoegazing” cliché but this is most definitely the wall of noise that My Bloody Valentine did so well during “You Made me Realise”. It’s a terrific way to end a special hour in the company of 93MMFTS.

“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.”
Ayn Rand

Enlightened Self Interest and Postscript

So, what next for 93MMFTS? Ten years ago, they could have had a mediocre career of two four track EPs, a Peel session, a fairly well received debut album, a well attended support tour and a sparsely attended headline tour before imploding in acrimony and record label debt without even breaking sweat.

As far as I can tell, two options artistically stand ahead:

1: Embrace dance floor culture – see the electrifyingly awesome Factory Floor. If this album needs anything it’s a bit of a kick up the arse with the drums.

2: Revel in the new gold dream of the 1980’s – see The Horrors. “Time Lasts Forever” could be “Still Life”. Yes it’s that good.

And two business options: Gamble or Stick.

1. Scrape together some cash – Hire a PR. Let the world know about 93MMFTS.

2. Plod along as they are and treat this as a hobby. Release the music and play the odd gig, now and again.

They could always find a sugar daddy to fund the PR for their next release – And on that note, a special message to 93MMFTS:

“Hello boys from 93MMFTS, my name is Bryan Crane and I’m about to be made redundant. Come and sit on Papa’s knee…. “

In the mean time, go and buy this rather wonderful album.

The album Northern Sky is out now on In At the Eye Records.
www.93millionmilesfromthesun.co.uk

Words and pictures by Bryan Crane (bryancrane@yahoo.co.uk)

“What surprises me after seeing them live is that Nick has a lovely voice, but why does every song sound like there is a vacuum cleaner on in the background?”
Eleanor Skillington, the voice of youth. October 2011

Massive apologies for the late run on this… I have loads of excuses but you don’t care!

Here’s a smashing pile of photos from Rob Burns. Rob is a Doncaster native and can be found by clicking just about here.

Rob will be heading out to Doncaster Live again this year to catch some of the sights and sounds that Doncaster’s free music festival has to offer so we shall keep you posted…

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Photos by Jamie Bubb. Check out Jamie Bubb’s portfolio at JamieBubb.com

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Sometimes, something lands in your inbox (it’s never the doorstep these days…) that makes your day…

Today I received an email from from New Yawker Scott Delbango – attached was a short note saying he and his buddy had recorded four tracks of stripped-down, bare-bones indie rock and simply wanted to spread the word. The title alone made me laugh out loud and immediately separated it from the usual “I manage a band and would love for your fine website to mention them in a complementary way please, thanks” bleurgh.

Taking their cues from some prety big hitters (Fugazi, …trail of dead, Polvo, Braid) they appear fearless and a force to be reckoned with – even as a two-piece. Why a two-piece? Well, same story over there as over here, band members fall to drink, drugs or are generally unreliable forcing the two (Scott and Chris) to make every noise count.

Scott promised no marketing bullshit, just a self released, label-free offering from two New Yorkers making a self-recorded, self-satisfying racket.

This made my day – thanks Scott!

Click here to check out NAHH on Bandcamp

Track list:
1.Awesome Welles
2.Follow The Crowd
3.Meat ‘N Cherry Pie
4.Gunk
5.She’s a Fortress
6.Sucker Punch

The winner of ‘Most Aptly Named EP’ has come in early this year. Much like its namesake, this is thick, sludgy and vaguely unsavoury. Steel Trees have vomited out six tracks of barnstorming, guitar shredding nastiness: the likes of which have not been seen around Doncaster since Groop Dogdrill returned to the steaming hellpit that spawned them. Coming on like the mutant sons of the Melvins and Therapy? playing to a destruction derby, they make the most unlikely label-mates possible for In Fear Of Olive, sacrificing restraint for finger flaying guitar and full on rock and roll mayhem. Expect to see the words ‘Dinosaur Jr’, ‘epic’ and ‘noisemongers’ in a lot of reviews, including this one.

Beneath the thunder of guitars and drums there is a real tunefulness that may surprise too. The chorus of ‘Awesome Welles’ is custom-designed for chanting by sweaty fiends in a moshpit, and ‘Gunk’ deserves to become a stoner anthem as it drops down to a confused muttering of “I’m totally tripping out” before ripping into another solo. On the subject of solos, there are a lot on this record. A lot. There’s a refreshing lack of irony or muso pretension about them though, with no reliance on perfect flashy technique or foot on monitor heroics we instead get the howling feedback on the verge of collapse thing that Dinosaur Jr (see, we told you) do so well.

The EP isn’t breaking any new ground it has to be said; many other bands have taken this path before them and many have done it better, but the songs are still furious and played with an intensity which means they deserve no less praise for being firmly within familiar territory. Steel Trees are clearly playing for a certain audience and this will satisfy the slavering rock masses with no trouble.

Richard Cook

Links:
BUY EP ON iTUNES, BANDCAMP or…
Contact the band directly through their website : Steel Trees Website

Photos by Rob Burns

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So… the plan was to review the band on tonight’s performance, putting aside any preconceptions… however, when a band launch onto the stage and tear into “You Love Us” the history of this outspoken band all comes rushing back. It takes some serious attitude to carry off an opener like that and MSP manage this with total disregard for any opinion you may have had of them.

It’s difficult not to get caught up in the wave of love for this band being generated by the devotees filling the O2 Academy tonight – they believe, and you start to question if you should too?

From You Love Us, MSP went head long into Your Love Alone Is Not Enough and then ripped through their comprehensive catalogue in two-song bursts.

Motorcycle Emptiness sees the crowd again unite in religious chorus – Slash-esque riffs cutting through what must be one of the finest rock vocals of a generation. James Dean Bradfield is in fine voice and fine form. New single It’s not war… shows off the maturity of song-writing in contrast to the Generation Terrorist riffing but you soon start to notice the void presence that backing track string sections leave. In some cases it seemed an age between the swathes of strings starting and the band participating. The sound is pretty good although the drums sounded a little flat and didn’t cut through JDB’s heavy riffage.

A flurry of songs follow, highlights including This is Yesterday, Tsunami and the rabble-rousing Motown Junk dedicated to “the legend of Richy Edwards”. The early songs are played with such urgency they are in clear contrast with the mellower newer material. Nicky Wire recalls Sheffield having some amazing memories for the band, Richy disappearing for hours on end and returning with amazing tattoos before the show…

Little Baby Nothing and You Stole The Sun From My Heart see JDB solo and acoustic – more of Bradfield’s solo efforts should take this acoustic style, his voice is better than being lost amongst strings and keyboards. The quiet is very quickly shattered with the opening riff of Faster, an absolute screaming return for the whole band. There’s a marked sobering moment as the band play Suicide is Painless - a song that sounds every bit as if it was written for them, fitting perfectly in their set tonight.

“James Dean Bradfield is an amazing guitarist but sometimes he also writes great lyrics too” shouts Nicky before JDB lead them into Ocean Spray before closer Design For Life lifts the crowd for a final time.

No encore, no apologies. The point is, they don’t give a f*ck what you think – they don’t care if you ‘prefer the earlier stuff’ or hate their politics – they aren’t paying attention and it makes a perfect antidote for the bed wetting indie-kids of recent years.

Photos by Rob Burns

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Setlist – 6 October 2010

You Love Us
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Motorcycle Emptiness
It’s Not War (Just The End Of Love)
Peeled Apples
Roses In The Hospital
Postcards From A Young Man
This Is Yesterday
Everything Must Go
Autumnsong
Some Kind Of Nothingness
Tsunami
Motown Junk
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Little Baby Nothing (acoustic)
You Stole The Sun From My Heart (acoustic)
Faster
Empty Souls
Golden Platitudes
Suicide is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H)
Sleepflower
Ocean Spray
A Design For Life

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We’re still collecting images so if you have some that we’ve missed – Click here to email us!

Click here to head to the forum and have your say on the weekends festivities…… or leave a comment below…

[View with PicLens]

We’re still collecting images so if you have some that we’ve missed – Click here to email us!

Click here to head to the forum and have your say on the weekends festivities…… or leave a comment below…

[View with PicLens]

We’re still collecting images so if you have some that we’ve missed – Click here to email us!

Click here to head to the forum and have your say on the weekends festivities…… or leave a comment below…