9 years on and 3 albums later (’00s The Art of Drowning, 03’s Sing The Sorrow and 06’s Decemberunderground) not to mention a considerable amount of mainstream success AFI release new single “Medicate” taken from their forthcoming 8th album “Crash Love”.

The first thing that strikes me about the song is how familiar it sounds, I wont go as far as to say its half arsed but a band like AFI should by now be able to knock a song like this out in their sleep, and maybe they did? It ticks all the right boxes in its genericness, Rocking intro?:Check, Shout along chorus?:Check, quiet middle eight that builds into yet another shout along chorus?:check big solo at the end for kids to impress their friends when the song inevitably ends up on the next Guitar Hero?:Check and don’t get me started on the clunky lyrics, sample line ”Can you describe what it’s like? I feel nothing.Can you feel this? Does its thing”

I guess the good news is that this is only a taster of whats to come from the new album so it remains to be seen if AFI are still a creative force or just another in a long line of bands that put an album out every few years because “its about that time to do so”. I still have my fingers crossed.
Crash Love is released September 29th.

Geoff Rogers

Above Them – Those Who Paved The Way

Inhaler Records

Recently named by The Guardian as the frontrunners of the ‘Northern Grunge’ scene, Above Them are bound to come with a few demons. Labelled as the Biffy Clyro/ Hundred Reasons band from Pontefract, the group have been fighting upstream in a time where synth led indie dominates the live circuit.

Therefore it comes as a surprise to find ‘Those Who Paved The Way’ the most polished, perfected track the band have created so far. Laminated in a glossy production ‘Those Who Paved The Way’ is a slice of anti-rock which screams to its contemporaries. With a perfected vocal growl and a guitar hook to convert any conflicting fan, ‘Those Who Paved….’ is a track which swells with ease, and is about to present Above Them with their biggest fanbase yet.

Ruth Offord

Links
Inhaler Records Above Them page
Above Them Myspace

Split Single / Inhaler Records

I love vinyl records – I love the feeling of having a tangible, proper ‘record’ in your hand. It’s a romantic ideology that vinyl is the best format to release music to the masses, but the truth is that vinyl can be expensive and to be honest, even the vinyl freaks I know are buying CDs as their laziness of unwrapping a record sets in. People just sling CDs on a player – if you did this with vinyl, certainly in my house, you’d be doing three laps of the shrubbery in your pants.

Anyway… the Cocean track on this split starts with the familiar crackle and fuzz of a diamond tipped stylus hitting wax and it is a beautiful noise. Why is this noise on a CD? I don’t know, but it works and sets the scene for Inhaler’s latest DIY release perfectly.

This Cocean song starts with a fragile guitar that is so restrained that it stops you dead, worried that you might break the tension that is clearly building (if I say it reminds me of Foo Fighters ‘The Pretender’ really quickly, nobody will notice, will they?) and this tension lasts throughout the song. The depth and space in the production reminds me of Explosions In The Sky or maybe Codiene; the song could be twice it’s 3 minutes30 seconds and still be as demanding of my attention. I’m almost a little disappointed when the fuzz pedals are kicked, as I was enjoying romanticising over the tinkle-tinkle guitar SO much…

A great start to the split and, having heard track two, not the obvious opening track and all the better for it.

Lines in Sand’s offering on this CD lashes out from the first chord and follows Thick as Thieves perfectly… Listening to this, I can almost feel the pipe condensation dripping on my head at Leeds’ The Royal park Cellars such is the reminicent sound. It was around 1999 I first saw This Aint Vegas (masters of this genre of english emotional punk) and the sound of this song takes me right back to those days so this could be a little rose tinted maybe, but this is another song that could just go on-and-on for me. The production by Steve Ellis (Orion Studios) on this track is damn near perfect, blending the harsh abrasive guitar stabs with the harmonics of the post-emo (yuk!) balladesque chorus giving this call-to-arms a real edge when put next to many DIY offerings. I’m tempted by so many close band-a-like references but I’m going to resist – this song stands alone as a great song in its own right.

The DIY scene regularly comes under scrutiny for being dismissive of the mainstream but I don’t feel that is the case here, these songs aren’t introvert and could be Radio One playlisted and be enjoyed by millions of spotty yoofs in no time – all Inhaler needs is a disposable income of thousands, a plugger (or 5), major label backing… oh wait – this isn’t right.

Please buy the single and support the true indie labels.

Inhaler Records
Lines in Sand
Cocean

For your viewing pleasure…

Three Torches

!_Archive Post_

Originally published in Doncaster Live Magazine 2007

Analogue Recordings is a studio known for its back to basics approach. For refusing to resort to computer technology for recording, its unique traditions attract a variety of bands. Tonight promises to display some of the best talent to have walked through the studio’s doors with six bands taking the stage in The leopard.

Trio Walker are the first to step up, with an epic, progressive set. Their powerful sound has surprising depth, and the band are striking, with bassist and vocalist Jack radiating a Warhol-esque air of mystery. next up is Skullbone’s much anticipated set, featuring members of legendary Doncaster band J*R. There are only two members – the (stand in) drummer plus Rob on guitar yet they deliver an energetic and hard rocking number. It is just the one unfortunately, making the afair short and sweet, but if this outfit can build a bigger repertoire then they have a very promising future indeed.

UV Pop and the Listeners are a much mellower affair however. The first, despite some obvious nerves provide provides the decent crowd with some poignant and beautiful ballads while The Listeners perform some impressively dark yet warming folk songs, with lead singer Emma providing an effortless performance.

The Listeners

The highlight of the night, however, is undeniably the power pop trio The Fontanelles. How this band have not been signed is a mystery, such is the strength of their catchy melodies, delivered with passion by lead singer John Fell, clearly enjoyinh the occasion. As if that wasn’t enough, the night is further kindled by Three Torches , whose set is a mixture of ambient moments and hard, angry riffs.

Credit: Ben Hales.

Three Torches
Fontanelles
The Listeners
Walker

“It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records. Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels.

Unfortunately, as much as we love all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go’s operations.

Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label. We’ll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure.”

This news, just three years after celebrating 25 years of indie-pendence, is sad news even in the current climate.

Touch & Go founder Corey Rusk:
“The current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford” to provide manufacturing and distribution services for the labels, including stalwarts such as Chicago-based Drag City, All Natural, Overcoat. Flameshovel and Atavistic Records; Delaware’s Jade Tree; and Kill Rock Stars in the Pacific Northwest.”

Mac McCaughan (Superchunk main man and co-founder of Merge Records) said. “If a company that did everything the right way can’t survive in this environment … then who can?”

The good news is T&G will continue to operate as a label, with releases planned for the foreseeable future. Here’s some highlights from the lost labels:

Superchunk – Hyper Enough (Merge)

Stereolab - Les Yper Sound (Drag City)

Alkaline Trio – Calling all Skeletons (Jade Tree)

The labels we’re talking about here are important to the worldwide music scene but remember – Supporting independent music starts at home!

Available on the _DbR_ Jukebox

For what feels like the umpteenth time, Doncaster mainstays Geoff Rogers and Mark West, both formerly of feedback merchants Bright Paper Werewolves and the blink-and-you-missed-it Self Destruct Sequence, have reunited.

This time Bri Waller (ex Uninvited and Former Child Star, another of West’s projects) is along for the festivities, bringing his trademark off-kilter drumming and subtle bleepy laptop effects to compliment the discordant racket that permanently eminates from Rogers and West’s amps. The noticeable – but thankfully subtle – electronic additions give Copycat Vigilante an accessible pop edge and breathe life into the traditional three-piece hardcore setup that could have otherwise sounded a tad dated. If Rogers can give his vocals the same aggressive edge as his razor-sharp guitar work, Copycat Vigilante will grow into a formidable outfit that any discerning rock fan would be a blithering idiot to miss.

Rob Malton