Noseholes – Ant And End

May17

Such the dark majesty and ravening twisted exploits of debut album Danger Dance last year, we found it hard to imagine that Noseholes could eclipse its striking character and triumph. Well with its successor the German outfit has done just that whilst taking their sound into new intrigue loaded, virally compelling devilment. Ant And End has not wiped the floor with its illustrious predecessor but built on all its dark and aberrant brilliance to forge a whole new and sensational Noseholes escapade so easy to greedily devour.

Within a sound bred from the voracious instincts of post punk, no wave, and anomalous disco, the Hamburg hailing quartet of Henk Haiti, Steve Somalia, ZooSea Cide, and TH have ventured into darker corners and brighter trespasses with Ant And End. Still the body was a puppet to the band’s fiercely manipulative antics as they sprung a creative harassment to drool for, but the imagination was taken into the crevices of a more dystopian exploration bringing new esurient peril to their compulsive dance.

The album opens with Snowsuit Ranger and instantly roams the body with devious grooves and atypical enterprise. Rhythms tease and taunt, directing song and listener with their infernal bounce as eagerly tantalising vocals and deviant electronics are embraced by a quirky web of guitar. Like a distant relative of a merger between Au Pairs and Blood Red Shoes, the track is glorious, setting the voracious tone of the album and submissive mood of its victim alike.

The following IQ Model is just as rich a tempting, its gait a calmer virulent but clothed in mysterious atmospheric smog of intimation. The similarly reserved stroll of the radiantly dour bass fuels the blossoming industrial espionage of the song, vocals the magnetic narration to its seduction before the album’s title track got under the skin and had feet, hips, and instincts abound again. Whether an inspiration or coincidence, again eighties bred post punk/new wave spices up a slice of inescapable insistence, the likes of Delta 5, ESG, and Pylon hinted at.

The pure captivation of Vacuum Flies followed, its initial teasing shadows and suggestive drama alone hooking unbridled attention, the Essential Logic-esque flame of sax ear manna across the equally compelling rhythmic saunter which riveting vocals intimately drape over. With a Bauhaus hue adding to the pleasure, the song just mesmerised before letting Glimmering Mamba infest body and spirit with its hungry contagion. Not for the first or last time, there is a Gang Of Four lining to the irresistible rhythmic pestering, a nagging matched by the often simple but skilfully woven hooks and swarm of electronic baiting, but as always for all the hints given song and sound are unapologetically uniquely Noseholes.

Casino E Vino provides its own infective canter next, breeding a pandemic of temptation which lingers far beyond its final greed soaked lure while Radio Universe links its wires to body and imagination, the body in turn dangling and dancing like a willingly submissive puppet.

The album closes out with the pair of Jackson 4 and Baked Beans. The first springs its indie pop involved post punk exploits with boisterous intent, once more hooks and chords as lively and hungry as the inimitable rhythmic shuffle infesting is persuasion. Its successor though heavier, darker, and far more sinister manages to be even more viral like in its strands of temptation and collective jeopardy. Increasingly catchier and irresistible by the second, the track is a glorious end to a simply stunning album from Noseholes.

Ant And End provides one of those moments when music proves why it is the most addictive and vital thing in a chaos searching world; indeed the second such revelation with Noseholes.

Ant And End is out through ChuChu Records on May 17^th; available @ https://noseholes.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/pg/NoseholesBand/

Pete RingMaster 17/05/2019

Come Out Fighting – Soundtrack To A Shipwreck

May17

With creative lungs bellowing out ear grabbing hardcore fired punk rock, US outfit Come Out Fighting has just unleashed a new single which simply insists on, no demands attention. Soundtrack To A Shipwreck is a two track offering which equally makes a compelling raucous excuse to check out the band’s forthcoming new album, a release which if this teaser is a potent sign could very well thrust the Detroit quintet towards far broader recognition.

Containing ex-members of Tommy Gunn and current members of The Purps, Aggro Or Die and Saint Ridley, Come Out Fighting are not exactly new to keen praise and support across a trio of rousing albums and a powerful live presence. With a sound inspired by the likes of The Purps, Aggro Or Die and Saint Ridley, they have become a vital proposition within their local scene and further afield adventures. As suggested by their latest release, their music is not commandingly unique yet the two tracks making up Soundtrack To A Shipwreck, both taken from the impending Any Port In A Storm, are drenched in a fresh and voracious character which leaves a vast many other similarly cast encounters pale in comparison.

Soundtrack To A Shipwreck is a song which immediately gripped ears with an urgent but controlled trespass, classic rock hues lining its insistence before the band’s punk instincts drive the track’s rapacious incitement. Raw throated and melodically spun vocals unite in its irritable declaration, the scowling exasperation of vocalist Nick Rudowyj nicely contrasted by clean tones as the guitar of Brian Stewart spins its own broadly emoted sonic web. Underpinned by the bold senses harassing exploits of bassist Dan Bruce and drummer Casey Husted, the track easily got under the skin as it inspired mutual discontent on the world.

As striking and enjoyable as it is, the song was quickly eclipsed by its companion, Blackout. Taunting more pop punk essences into its own individual tempest, the song surged from the speakers with physical and emotional voracity. Hooks and grooves are quickly embroiled in its ravenous attack, their virulent catchiness eagerly lining the antagonistic leanings of the excellent encounter; a blend just as potent and infectious within the vocal incursion of the song. With an appetite firing bassline and eager punk rock ferocity to its infection, it was a quick submission sought and found by the track as equally a need to check out the soon to descend album.

As suggested there is plenty familiar in flavouring to the two songs but for the main just recognisable invitations into the individual escapades of Come Out Fighting; exploits we can only recommend.

https://comeoutfightingdetroit.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ComeOutFightingDetroit/

Pete RingMaster 17/05/2019

Ummagma – Caravan

May17

This June sees the release of the first album in seven years from Ummagma and to herald its arrival whilst offering a rather delicious teaser the indie pop duo has just released the two track single Caravan. As ever the pair’s sound is as eclectic as it is evocative and as is the trend with atmospheric senses involving mastery the new single evokes and inspires the imagination to individual adventures alongside its own.

Emerging in 2003, Ummagma is the creative union of Canadian Shauna McLarnon and Ukraine hailing Alexander Kretov. Ontario based, the pair’s sound is an imaginative fusion of everything from dream pop and shoegaze to post-punk, indie, space rock and much more, it all immersed in a tapestry of ambient and electronic enterprise. The duo has regularly been compared to bands such as Cocteau Twins, Curve, and Daughter but as Caravan alone insists, references which only hint at rather than reveal the richness of the band’s music and imagination.

It is fair to say that our personal appetite to Ummagma’s music is constant but has flourished in varying strengths across their releases and ahead of that new album in Compass, has reached lustful greed courtesy of Caravan. The song instantly had ears gripped as drums set out their ridiculously hypnotic and rousing stroll. Atmospheric suggestion is just as swiftly at play with the imagination, its soundscape of warm wide plains blossoming with suggestive vegetation. McLarnon’s warm magnetic tones are also soon caressing ears as the song sweeps into a synth pop-esque canter, Kretov’s subsequent vocals just as tempting within the pair’s web of musical insistence.

The song is pure adventure, an intimate travelogue of intrigue, intimation, and craft which had the body bouncing and ears enthralled from start to finish.

Ty i Ya accompanies Caravan offering up its own individual temptation; one funk lined and eighties synth pop bred. There is something of Dalek I Love You to the song which only added to its quick appeal and it too brings an atmospheric cascade of enterprise and suggestion which mesmerised throughout even if with varying degrees of strength across its evocative landscape. Ummagma is a band which is unafraid to push their boundaries and the imagination of others in unexpected ways, Ty i Ya proof it so often works a treat.

It is probably fair to say that any album, indeed release, from Ummagma is eagerly anticipated in numerous corners, Caravan ensures Compass will definitely be truly keenly awaited.

Caravan is out now through Leonard Skully Records; available @ https://ummagma.bandcamp.com/album/caravan with Compass released on June 21th also via Leonard Skully Records digitally, on black vinyl and on CD with artwork by Alexander Kretov.

https://www.facebook.com/ummagma https://twitter.com/ummagma

Pete RingMaster 17/05/2019