Affiliated with the independent Socks On Records, Rudimentary Paste are label mates with brilliant noise makers Das Kapitans, Get The Fuck Outta Dodge, Al Pacinos Sister, and Soviet Films. That fact alone will give some listeners a reasonable idea of what to expect from the band’s ‘Six Examples of The Wilhelm Scream’ EP before even going in. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but even though this band actually features a couple of faces associated with other Socks On acts, the Paste sound isn’t just a carbon copy of their peers.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
EMILY SAUNDERS – Moon Shifts Oceans
On her 2011 release ‘Cotton Skies’, jazz vocalist Emily Saunders applied her talents to something fairly traditional. On that album’s selection of (mostly) extended arrangements, she sang beautifully over smooth piano, evoking a smoky late night bar, or allowed her strong vocals to soar over some very melodic, more rhythmic fare, coming across like the missing link between Stacey Kent and Gretchen Parlato. 2016’s ‘Outsiders Insiders’ very much followed suit, cementing Emily’s talent and suggesting she’d be worth keeping an eye on, despite only releasing new material on a sporadic basis.
TOOTH GORE – For Losers, By Losers
When Tooth Gore released their ‘No Fighting In Doo-Wop’ single in November 2024, the track immediately stood out among an ocean of digital wares. Unlike a lot of young artists that looked to the past for inspiration, Tooth Gore mainman Kobi Joe had no interest in recycling grungy riffs. Nor did this single draw from punk. Kobi’s interests stemmed from much further back. The song’s verses mixed classic elements of garage rock with a perfect surf rock melody, allowing a vocal to bring something accessible, despite being fuzzed up to hell. The strident tune sounded like early Weezer channelling old Spector works, hitting the listener with a welcome immediacy. In many ways, that would’ve made a great track in itself, but a delayed hook brought an extra element of musical magic. Bursting forth with a classic doo-wop influence straight from a world of pre-Beatle coolness, Tooth Gore hit their potential new fans with a killer melody. Then, by using the title for a final slam-dunk, something that’s massively catchy was left to create that all important last impression. Everything may well have stemmed from three very different ideas thrown into a musical blender, but with more than enough chutzpah applied, Kobi gave everyone a four minute treat that promised a lot more greatness in the future.
TEENAGE FRAMES – Fighting Words / Factory Man
At the time of this release, Teenage Frames have been part of the garage rock underground for the better part of three decades. Their 2024 long player ‘Everything Has Led To This’ shows the work of a band who’ve really not lost their punch over time. If anything, the now veteran band have grown as songwriters, with tunes like ‘Brain Fever’ and ‘Please Don’t Be Stupid Tonight’ being on a par with peak Real Kids material from ‘77, ‘Back To The Beat’ sharing a pleasing, 60s tinged brand of power pop and, an album standout, ‘I Wish I Didn’t Know About You’ balancing the usual wall of guitars with a cheeky keyboard riff that tips the hat to skinny tie new wave bands from ’81. With fourteen catchy numbers packed into a little over thirty five minutes, the album is an old school, vinyl friendly affair that should appeal to garage rock fans everywhere.
THE FIRES BELOW – Crouch End Sessions EP
An act who’ve made steady progress since their arrival on the rock scene in 2022, The Fires Below aren’t shy of a huge riff. On their second EP (2024’s ‘Thorns’), the dual guitar attack from Sam and Smithy attacked with a real edge, and on ‘No Man’s Land’ in particular, a massive buzzsaw-like sound, underscored by Si’s throbbing bass work, made this still relatively new band sound like a force to be reckoned with. It’s no surprise, then, that the band are able to summon an even bigger sound on stage.