Tarah Who? – 64 Women

Nov19

Released last month but a release which should escape the attention of no one is the imagination soaked five track punk furores that is 64 Women. The new EP from Tarah Who?, the compelling encounter is an incendiary rock ‘n’ roll device which explodes on ears and senses with ravening appetite.

Consisting of Paris born guitarist/vocalist Tarah Carpenter and drummer/backing vocalist Coralie Hervé, LA based Tarah Who? has regularly tantalised and incited the senses through their releases but there is something about 64 Women which hungrily eclipses all before it. Each song is an individual adventure and trespass of imagination and enterprise united in a punk breeding and grunge/alt/noise rock nurturing. They have a bite and snarl which forces a step back and virulent contagiousness which had us jumping headlong into their devouring no bounds feared exploits.

Fair to say given our enjoyment with previous encounters including acclaimed last EP, Half Middle Child Syndrome, anticipation was certainly alive with maybe unfair expectations of something certain to spark our appetites but it took little time for opener Linger to set the first breach of a whole new ardour for the band’s voracious assault and bold adventure. Within a breath, the guitar is winding its acidic lure around ears whilst invading them with clamorous thrusts, Hervé’s lurking beats just as invasive before the song explodes in a body jerking, attitude fuelled roar of noise and temptation. Vocals are equally as confrontational and magnetic, swinging from the threads of the continuing infectious clamour with matching voracity. Unpredictable twists and ear gripping enterprise simply add to the ingenuity and rabid flirtation of the track as a whole new level of Tarah Who? incitement unfurls.

Copycat follows, hitting its creative stride instantly with rhythms a swiftly catchy lead to the skirmish of guitar and emotion. Like a rapacious mix of Spinnerette and in some ways 4 Non Blondes, the song reveals rock ‘n’ roll instincts and punk rock belligerence. Again the duo slips into calmer but no less striking moments within the sonic urgency before Hurt shares its own mellow breath as it rises up in a radiant melodic dew with Carpenter’s tones again providing an equally enticing persuasion soaked in emotion and reflective observation. It is a gorgeous moment in the release, a haunting seduction of craft, sound, and heart with inherent dissonance in all.

In contrast but with matching captivation Umbilicus strides from its first breath with punk antagonism and devilment, but another song unafraid to tease with unexpected momentary detours within ravenous goading which only add to its might and irreverence while Numb Killer brings the EP to a close with its own wonderfully nagging virulence and enterprise. Riffs tease and arouse as hooks ignite song and pleasure alike, all the while rhythms prowling and invading with equal contagion. Add the vocal tenacity and catchy intrusiveness of its creators and you have another song within 64 Women which leaves only a desperate hunger for more.

And as a whole the EP has us greedy for the next moment with Tarah Who?, something which has a real task on its hands to outdo the band’s latest riot but easy to suspect will relish and provide a thrilling adventure in trying.

64 Women is out now via Kurukulla Records.

http://www.tarahwho.com/ http://www.facebook.com/Tarahwho https://twitter.com/Tarahwho

Pete RingMaster 19/11/2019

Taco Mouth – A Deafening Silence

Nov14

If you ever get the feeling that the spirit and feisty devilment of the old CBGB hey days was a distant memory than rush over to the debut album from Nashville bred rockers Taco Mouth. Uncaging ten tracks which has the body bouncing and spirit roaring, A Deafening Silence is a punch of nostalgia and fresh enterprise which pretty much had us enslaved from the first listen of its first song.

The heart of the band is vocalist/guitarist Erica Sellers and drummer Angela Lese, a friendship and musical partnership which goes back to 2011 and the former’s new band at the time, CatFight. Lese’s relocation from Kentucky to Nashville brought that outfit to an end but a regular pleading for her former band mate to join her led to Sellers moving and with three other girls, the formation of The Dead Deads. After several national tours and two full-length albums, Sellers and Lese left the quintet in the October of 2017, quickly forming Taco Mouth with lead guitarist Shawn Hammer (engineer of Chevelle, Conor Oberst, Cursive) and bassist Flip Cooper (Damon Johnson, Brother Cane) completing its line-up.

Earlier this year, the band released the W.G.A.F. EP, a very well-received taster of the band’s punk fuelled, pop infested, ebullient rock ‘n’ roll now making one virulent holler from within A Deafening Silence. With defiance and attitude wrapped in hook ridden contagion, the Michael Wagener produced album immediately sets about getting under the skin with opener You Say. Flames of guitar instantly consume ears, a catchy rhythmic trespass in close pursuit before Sellers’ vocals join the swift coaxing. Within seconds an underlying hook teases but captivation is truly set with the song’s irresistibly rousing chorus. Like a hybrid of The Donnas, Spinnerette, and Sleater-Kinney but urgently enforcing its own individual character, the song as the band’s sound and enterprise sets the tone, manipulation, and adventure of things to come.

Romero follows, almost unwinding its lures as guitar and rhythms stir with predacious intent. The dual invitation of Selles and Lese’s vocals accentuate its temptation until breaking into a calm but determined stroll, bass and drums continuing to challenge as they entice. A sixties pop adds to the raw seduction, a radiant reflection on the track’s rawer observational edge before Burn This City Down springs its own flirtatiously imposing canter led by flesh whipping beats alongside a great bass grumble. Again defiance and catchy exploits collude in a slice of pop ‘n’ punk which had the body and vocal chords worked like a puppet.

Taking its predecessor’s strong mix of pop and punk, Let’s Get a Little Bit brings it to an even richer and keener boil, the song a tenaciously devious proposal orchestrating body and spirit with primal yet imaginative incitement soaked in infectious enticement while Queen of the Stags has a rapacious lining to its individually conniving contagiousness. Both outstanding tracks resound with the band’s skilful mix of flavours and creative cunning, and the pleasure an already greedy appetite was keenly devouring.

If both tracks are scheming, Simmers is pure unscrupulous seduction, the track a slowly evolving temptress with feline moves and inescapable devilment where every moment builds on the one before with darker intent and greater magnetism before the galvanic punk ‘n’ roll of Fighting for Today explodes in ears. An arousing call to arms and battle cry against a certain political leadership but applicable to all, the track just commanded lust and participation for its melodic howl.

The melodic serenade of You Can’t Stop Me is just as compelling, its intimate echo and smouldering uprising irresistible with next up Katie casting a pop hued incitement for ears and instinctive involvement through a rowdy yet inescapably catchy nature awash with crafty hooks and creative antics.

The album concludes with Waiting for the Sun, a song swinging with hip grabbing grooves while invitingly taunting with imagination firing hooks. It is a track epitomising the strengths and personality of the album and the band’s sound, the ever enticing shadows of the rhythms and the seriously magnetic vocals equally adding to its strength and overall to a release impressing more and more by the listen.

This year has seen quite a few striking punk nurtured treats unleashed; A Deafening Silence just might be the juiciest one of them all.

A Deafening Silence is out now and available @ https://tacomouth.bandcamp.com/album/a-deafening-silence

https://tacomouth.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tacomouthband https://twitter.com/tacomouthband

Pete RingMaster 14/11/2018

Healthy Junkies – Delirious Dream

Oct18

Two years on from the album Box Of Chaos outshining its impressive predecessor The Lost Refuge, which had started the trend by eclipsing the band’s debut Sick Note, UK punksters Healthy Junkies have again repeated the feat with their fourth album. Delirious Dream is a collection of tracks embracing the band’s broadest kaleidoscope of flavours yet over a punk ‘n’ roll landscape; a 15 song strong release which is for sure their finest moment to date keeping expectations clueless and the imagination enthralled.

Recorded with Brian O’Shaughnessy and mastered by Pete Maher, Delirious Dream is the songwriting and sound of the band at its boldest yet most intricately woven. With the founding duo of vocalist Nina Courson and guitarist/vocalist Phil Honey-Jones tapping into their most imaginative depths yet alongside the rhythmic prowess of bassist Dave Whitmore and drummers Pumpy and Adam Lewis, Healthy Junkies have created a new magnet of sound which needs mere seconds to demand attention through album opener When All Is Said And Done.

Instantly the track is strolling eagerly through ears with a rich melodic hook amidst eager rhythmic bait, all the while keys adding their intimation. Courson’s ever alluring vocals quickly join the mix, adding elegance and harmonic radiance to the earthier breath of the song. With drama soaking every note and syllable, theatre intensifying across the host of twists and turns making up the simply outstanding punk ‘n’ roll incitement, the track immediately sets the high creative bar and striking character of the release.

This Is Not A Suicide brings its own exceptional roar of sound and enterprise straight after. Dirtier and grumpier than its predecessor and driven by attitude fuelled riffs and senses biting rhythms, the track sets its own particular pinnacle within Delirious Dream. Nagging grooves and garage punk spicing also add their incitement to the bracing trespass before the even tempered rock ‘n’ roll of Juliet’s Call saunters in. Like a gothic rock nurtured punk inspired collusion between Siouxsie and The Banshees and In Evil Hour, the track is pure virulence.

The band embraces more hard rock like hues for next up Johnny Demented, its raw sonic haze magnetically tempered by Coulson’s angelic tones. The song did not quite raise the roof as its predecessors in appetite and the passions here yet from start to finish it is a full captivation raising the ante as its holler and breath erupt across its eventful body.

Through the infectiously tenacious croon of Some Kind Of Girl and Ghost Without A Soul with its shadow draped atmosphere, riveting sound and adventure abounds with unpredictability and rapacious enterprise while All Talk brews an emotive entanglement of old school punk and classic rock in its own individual recipe of temptation. All three tracks easily grip ears and appetite though the delicious punk instincts and pop flirtations of The Sound Of My Guitar outshine all. The track is Class-A addiction spurning late seventies kissed new wave/punk rock slavery as ripe with hooks and celebration as a festive holly bush.

The following Boy Or Girl is something akin to a meeting of early Blondie and The Photos and quite irresistible with its successor, Meet & Greet preyed on an already aroused hunger for what is on offer with its predacious escapade resembling a kind of X-Ray Spex/Spinnerette collusion as the band take a swipe at musical greed. It is simply another major highlight of the album echoed in success by the frisky indie/pop punk animation of This Condition with Honey-Jones leading and dueting on vocals.

The album’s worst track is next and These Boots Are Made For Walking is nothing less than full pleasure as Healthy Junkies make the classic their own by giving it a predatory breath as classic rock guitars blaze before James Dean rumbles with old school punk ‘n’ roll lust and uncontainable ebullience.

The album concludes with the pair of Theft and Part 2. The first is a rebel rousing protagonist vivaciously prowling the senses before breaking into a similarly ravening rock ‘n’ roll canter with erupting psych rock bred flames while the second is its dark but incandescent underworld where physical and emotion elements of the tracks shimmer, smoulder, and burn.

Together they make for a fascinating conclusion to Delirious Dream, echoing its title despite their brooding volatility and showing there is so much more to the creative palette of Healthy Junkies, one they have still yet to fully explore.

We always feel a sense of excitement when a new encounter with Healthy Junkies comes along as they have always manage to outdo themselves so far; Delirious Dream is no exception; in fact it pretty much outshines most other punk/rock nurtured offerings around this year too.

Delirious Dream is out now via Banana Castle Records/Cargo Records UK across most online stores.

http://www.healthyjunkies.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/healthyjunkiesband https://twitter.com/HealthyJunkies

Pete RingMaster 17/10/2018

Lucy And The Rats – Self Titled

May24

There are some things which are simply bred for temptation, propositions instinctively natured to lure like sirens. Among their numbers is the debut album from Lucy And The Rats. Deceptively unassuming but one virulent contagion, the release is an irresistible slice of pop punk with a snarl in its heart and the most disarming melodies and harmonies on its breath like a winning blend of The Shirelles, Honey Bane, and Spinnerette.

Lucy And The Rats is the new band from now UK based singer/guitarist Lucy Spazzy, formerly one third of Australian punksters The Spazzys. Once settled in London in 2015, she set about assembling a new band being “bored of playing at home by herself”, subsequently linking up with guitarist Joe To Lose (Los Perros, Johnny Throttle), bassist Mike Cannibal (Animal Cannibal), and drummer Manu (Thee Tumbitas). A pair of ear grabbing singles followed as the band made a stir on the live scene in the Capitol, in turn nationally and all over the world sharing stages with the likes of Buzzcocks and Paul Collins along the way. Produced by Johnny Casino and Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Dirtbombs), their first album is an inescapable tap on the shoulder of the broadest attention and recognition, a sweet sounding proposition so so easy to run off with.

Opening up with Pills, the album instantly had ears attentive and the body rocking. Soon the song strolls along with a summery glaze over eager catchiness as hooks collude with flirtatious riffs and rhythms. There is a whiff of The Shirts to the track as its heart embraces the instincts of pop and rock ‘n’ roll around the magnetic presence and tone of Spazzy.

The following Make You Mine wears a similar hue of sound but quickly reveals its own personality and The Waitresses meets The Crystals like temptation. Again feet were keenly shuffling and hips swinging as melodies seduced hand in hand with golden harmonies but all the while a punk edge stirs accentuated by the wiry enterprise of the guitars, they repeating that taunting prowess in next up Lose My Mind. Imposingly infectious, the song suggested involvement within seconds, manipulating it a few breaths later much to the lusty pleasure returned.

The likes of the surf kissed seduction that is So Simple, a mellow kiss on ears with the melodic smooch of The Dollyrots and rapacious touch of Valentiine, and the pop bouncing Melody just devour attention while the viral shadows of the bass grumbling Night simply danced with the imagination as the song took hold of the waist. It is truly hard to pick a favourite song within the album, all three among the options but the third makes an especially compelling statement.

Through Fall our passions pretty much echo their ardour as it swings with flirtatious grace and mischief, next up Hold On Me emphasising similar manipulation with rolling rhythms and deceptively controlled yet rousing energy with Spazzy tempting like a pop punk conjuring Pauline Murray. All three just leave a greed for much more, the latter laying on the temptation with some great hooks out of the Only Ones songbook, before Girl saunters along without a care in the world sharing the kind of creative snare addiction was invented for.

The album closes with Can’t Surf; a fifties inspired pop ’n’ roll romp which may have lost the heart for hitting the waves but had us riding its enterprising currents with zeal. The track is a thrilling end to one glorious encounter. Lately we have found pop punk to be a touch vacant on real uniqueness and though Lucy And The Rats have a sound which is much more flavoursome than that tagging, their album is the fresh and inspiring breath within both pop and punk, indeed rock ’n’ roll we have been yearning for.

The Lucy And The Rats debut album is out May 25^th digitally with Dirty Water Records and on vinyl through Surfin’ Ki Records, Monster Zero Records, and Stardumb Records.

https://lucyandtherats.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Lucy-and-the-Rats-817424101645809/

Pete RingMaster 23/05/2018

The Kut – Valley of Thorns

Apr5

The Kut by Canz Rickman

There is no doubt that the recent release of new single Mind Games stirred up a fresh hunger in an already in place appetite for the eagerly anticipated debut album from The Kut, in us and a great many others. Truth is we had already been hooked on the band’s contagious punk grumble ’n’ roll through their previous EPs but the new track’s fresh adventure and imagination brought fresh intrigue and pleasure to devour. It ensured that Valley of Thorns was leapt upon with rude eagerness and the fuse to further pleasure lit.

The album brings live favourites, some of which already known from those previous encounters, and brand new creative provocations; a union providing one rousing and increasingly impressive, dare we say essential slab of rock ‘n’ roll. Within its striking body it roars and seduces, attacks and coaxes, all the time infesting and manipulating ears, body, and imagination in a way which reminds of punk rock in its seventies prime but is all modern fire and attitude.

The Kut is the alter-ego of multi-instrumentalist Princess Maha and live a sonically ferocious trio completed by the moodily infectious basslines of Stella Vie and the swinging beats of Diana Bartmann. With their reputation growing by the year since emerging in 2010, The Kut has exploded upon venues across the UK and Europe and earned rich praise playing festivals such as Download, Camden Rocks, Nice N Sleazy, Rebellion, Hard Rock Hell, Glastonbudget, and Strummercamp. Support and acclaim has been rife across the media, radio and written press alike, and last year saw the band become a finalist in the Rock category of the UK Songwriting Contest 2017 as well as being a current Semi-Finalist of the International Songwriting Competition. It has been a busy and successful time which the release of Valley of Thorns can not only escalate but nurture The Kut as a household name.

Produced by James LeRock Loughrey (Skindred, White Zombie, My Vitriol, Bjork, Def Leppard), Valley of Thorns kicks off with its lead single, Mind Games teasing the senses with its sonic mist before boldly strolling through ears with a Deftones meets Spinnerette like captivation. There is a haunting air and emotive depth to the song yet it has a virulent swing to its gait and rhythmic persuasion which has the body swaying and appetite greedy in no time. A track epitomising the seductive persuasion and nagging irritability in The Kut’s sound, it is pure mesmerism which has become stronger and more striking across multiple plays.

The album’s stirring start continues with the rebellious rock ‘n’ roll of Hollywood Rock N Roll, a virulent slice of anthemic temptation which had us bouncing and roaring in no time with its Babes In Toyland/ Spinnerette-esque stomp. The latter of the two is a band which often frequents thoughts across the album, its snarls and instinctive catchiness reminding of the band even in a sound which is pretty much distinct to The Kut.

The following No Trace swings in like a predatory temptress, grooves writhing around ears with an almost salacious touch as dark hues of bass growl and beats firmly strike. It is a scuzzy affair, the songs body a muggy grunge trespass contrasted by Princess Maha’s harmonic vocal caresses which offer their one lining of danger. It too has a haunted sigh to its croon which just enslaved attention before I Want You Maniac grips ears with initially a gorgeous low slung hook and subsequently its infection loaded swing. A tinge of L7 lines its tenacious enterprise, a whiff of Hole its encroaching shadows; the song a volatile sonically visceral encroachment just impossible to have too much of.

The blossoming diversity within The Kut’s sound is superbly shown in next up Love In The Rush Hour, the song a collusion of harmonic kisses and predacious intent. It strolls with the inherent swing which effortlessly springs from the band’s invention but aligned to a caustic glaze of guitar amid fuzz twisted riffs; an entangling of contrasts which is as compelling as Princess Maha’s vocal temptation who at times can be described as being like the UK Brody Dalle.

I Am Vain is dirty rock ‘n’ roll with attitude flowing from every pore but as naturally infectious as anything within the album; its punchy nature spawning its own unique hooks and skilled enterprise while the mellower climate of Alekhine’s Gun breeds a prowling volatility which erupts in sonic flames and vocal abrasions; its irritations and discontent erupting and spewing rancor before simmering down back into the song’s relative calm. Though neither track quite match the heights of those before them each leaves ears and appetite greedy for more whilst revealing new shades in The Kut’s adventure.

A calmer air is brought by X-Ray Eyes too though unsurprisingly it has an inbred growl which fuels bold rhythms and its suggestive character plus an increasingly addictive catchiness which has song and the body bouncing as the first contemplates and the second submits to its moody enslavement. Its success though is soon eclipsed by that of Bad Man. A multi-flavoured rock ‘n’ roll virulence, the track is like a boiling cauldron spiced by the punk juices of Bikini Kill, the dark rock ‘n’ roll of Jess and the Ancients Ones, and the infectious agility of Sleater-Kinney; it all brewing up into another individual Kut intoxication.

The album is completed by Mario, a raw pop ‘n’ rock encounter as beguiling as it is aggressive. Throughout the album another band which at times comes to mind is seventies outfit The Photos through the pop hues open within The Kut’s sound. Here alone there are coincidental echoes in its infectious traits which only add to the fun.

Being already hooked by their earlier releases, we were always likely to head into Valley of Thorns with a favourable disposition but swiftly it outshone anticipation heights, the new songs alone suggesting The Kut is ready to grab attention from the biggest names in attitude soaked rock ‘n roll.

Valley of Thorns is released via Cargo Records / Criminal Records on 13th April in the UK and Europe and May 18th in the US.

Forthcoming Tour Dates

TBA April Album Launch Party, London

26.05 Strummercamp Festival, Oldham

27.05 Nice n Sleazy Festival, Morcambe

02.06 Camden Rocks Festival, London – 2pm The Monarch

30.06 Rat InFESTation 2, Facebar, Reading

06.07 Amplified Festival, Gloucestershire

07.07 The Cotswold Inn, Cheltenham

14.07 Wemstock Festival, Wem

22.07 Tramlines Fringe, The Royal Standard, Sheffield

2/3/4/5 August: Rebellion Festival, Blackpool

http://thekut.co.uk http://facebook.com/thekut http://twitter.com/thekutgirlsrock http://instagram.com/thekutofficial

Pete RingMaster 04/04/2018

Hands Off Gretel – Burn the Beauty Queen

Sep25

HOG_RingMasterReview

Checking out the ear exciting single One Eyed Girl a few short weeks back, our closing line was “Roll on Burn The Beauty Queen”. That is the title of the debut album from UK grrl punksters Hands Off Gretel, and just a handful of days ago it was unveiled to quench hopes and anticipation for its potential riding on the back of its lead single. Burn the Beauty Queen is glorious, a feast of grunge fuelled punk ‘n’ roll snarling and barracking like a fusion of Die So Fluid, Spinnerette, and The Raincoats. It is an infestation of ears and psyche skilfully weaving recognisable flavours into its own distinctively imaginative exploits and more than fulfilling the promise offered by its first single.

Emerging from an early musical partnership between vocalist/guitarist Lauren Tate and guitarist Sean McAvinue and following the demise of the former’s Lauren Tate Band, Hands Off Gretel quickly started to draw attention with Tate’s ‘frustration songs’ as creative fuel. Late 2015 saw Sam Hobbins invited to play bass and drums on the South Yorkshire band’s album, subsequently become the permanent Hands Off Gretel drummer to join Tate and McAvinue, newest member bassist Joe Scotcher completing the current line-up.

In a year already seeing Hands Off Gretel release the single My Size as well as One Eyed Girl and play Whitby Goth Weekend, Camden Rocks Festival, Rebellion, Kaya Festival, and Isle of Wight Festival, Burn the Beauty Queen is the pinnacle and needs barely two minutes of opener Queen Universe to confirm the fact. Teasing, almost taunting with a lone riff initially, bait swiftly accompanied by the potent tones of Tate, the song is soon a cauldron of imposing rhythms, cantankerous riffs, and spiky hooks with bitchy harmonies adding their great snarl. It is a stunning start quickly reminding of those earlier references yet just as powerfully showing its own character of sound and invention as it stomps over senses and into the passions.

There is no chance of such a powerful bordering on psychotic beginning being followed by an antic-climax either as One Eyed Girl follows to confirm its position of one of the best songs heard this year. Grumbling in ears from its opening bassline, the track is soon aggressively challenging and seducing as Tate’s catchy yet confrontational tones align to the nagging and addictive exploits of McAvinue’s hooks and riffs as rhythms swing with venom. Again there is no escaping a Brody Dalle essence to vocals and indeed the sound but the song bounces around on its own unique terms to feed an already keen appetite for what is on offer.

Bad Egg is next, coaxing ears with a singular hook wearing an early Adam and The Ants scent before things open up with wiry melodies and predacious beats as McAvinue’s guitar spins a web of tangy melodic intrigue. Less ferocious and imposing than its predecessors, the track is dangerously bewitching, leaving a lingering imprint before Teethin’ strolls in like a gunslinger, one hiding its bite behind catchy endeavours but perpetually gnawing away with post and old school punk invention. Its exceptional persuasion is followed by that of Little Man, a haunting ballad-esque canter seemingly as much inspired by the darker explorations of Siouxsie and The Banshees as bands like Hole and 4 Non Blondes, and quite irresistible.

From its dark shadows, Hands Off Gretel go for the jugular with the punk infested and simply brilliant Always Right. It is a rousingly irritable assault, like Bikini Kill meets Au Pairs and also fiercely addictive as its virulent enterprise and piecing hooks take hold before Under The Bed bares its cranky attitude and nature with creative zeal.

Through the barbarous Oh Shit with its predatory bassline and scything riffs and the raging fire of World Against She, Hands Off Gretel prove that even their least unique offerings simply ring true with ears and emotions and set the band well apart from the field whilst tracks like Eating Simon with its Three Imaginary Boys like Cure hooks and enslaving rhythmic rumbling offer evidence that the quartet just might be one of the bands helping steer British rock to new glories ahead.

Then we have Plasters, a superb and slightly deranged piece of imagination which drawls discord, musically and emotionally, whilst casting another highly addictive web of beats and sonic hooks. The song brings seventies punk, eighties new wave, and nineties grunge into the raw and twenty first century invention of Hands Off Gretel for something quite striking.

The dark amble and warning of Push The Girl and the climactic theatre of Awfully Miserable bring Burn the Beauty Queen to a powerful close; the first sublime creative drama in the ear and its successor, from an engrossing low key unleashing, a tempest of scything beats and grumpy basslines littered with electric grooves and spiky hooks as crescendos rise and fall.

It is a great end to one of the year’s most impressive and seriously pleasurable releases of 2016. Hands Off Gretel bring a fresh excitement to music, Burn the Beauty Queen the biggest thrill.

Burn the Beauty Queen is out now and available @ http://www.handsoffgretel.co.uk/_p/prd15/4533789831/product/burn-the-beauty-queen-album

http://www.handsoffgretel.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/handsoffgretel/

Pete RingMaster 21/09/2016

The Franklys – Comedown/Long Way

Apr26

The Franklys_RingMasterReview

The Franklys create a sound as enjoyably nostalgic as it is fresh and individual to modern garage rock ‘n’ roll. They also uncage releases, like new single Comedown, which demand attention whilst sharing the suggestion that its creators has the potential to be one of the provocateurs that the future direction of modern rock ‘n’ roll might just hinge upon.

The band consists of Swedish born vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jen Ahlkvist and lead guitarist Fanny Broberg, America hailing Nicole Pinto, and British bassist Zoe Biggs. London is where the quartet met and the band is based though fair to say since emerging, The Franklys has been a blur on the live scene, persistently playing shows in and touring the UK, Europe, America, and Scandinavia as well as making prise luring appearances at festivals such as the Isle of Wight Festival, Strawberry Fields, and Camden Rocks. Their rousing and raw garage rock sound brings a mix of psych and punk rock from across the decades with plenty more to spice things up whilst inspirations range from The Hives, The Strokes, and Queens Of The Stone Age to Led Zeppelin, Mando Diao, Blondie, and The Who. Their self-titled debut EP whipped up intrigue and strong interest back in 2013 which the Bad News EP stirred up to greater success last year. Now it is Comedown making the potent nudge on broader spotlights and attention, and making an easy job of it so far since being recently unveiled.

Comedown instantly has ears under welcome siege with a blaze of fiery riffs soon joined by thumping beats and a raw wind of hungry energy to its invitation. The bassline of Biggs almost groans with relish as its stalks the web of bracing sonic and melodic flames escaping the guitars with Ahlkvist’s ear catching vocals adding further bite to the snarling temptation. It is a great blend which helps the song weaves something akin to The Raincoats and The Priscillas around a character which equally refuses to be majorly compared to another. Never taking a breath within its contagious confrontation, the track has body and spirit aroused and swiftly joining its rousing tempest of incitement.

Accompanying the outstanding track is Long Way; a far more subdued encounter with just as potent and seductive lures. Its climate is surf rock bred, its sultry shimmer sixties garage rock/pop coloured, and its scuzzy touch punk seeded. It simply enthrals from the off; beguiling ears and appetite whilst revealing another flavour and twist to the songwriting and sound of The Franklys. If The Shangri-Las were Spinnerette, or The Luv’d Ones were The Breeders, the results just might sound like Long Way.

Acclaim and The Franklys have already been more friends than strangers but it feels like things are going to get hotter and more flirtatious from hereon in as first Comedown and then the band take 2016 by the scruff of the neck.

Comedown is out now via Electric Wood Records and available @ http://www.thefranklys.com/product/pre-order-single-comedown-limited-edition-7-vinyl/ and through iTunes.