What to do with a bunch of guys from Sydney who claim to make music for misfits, drawn together via a love of The Black Keys and Kanye West? Keep an open mind if you can…since this Australian quintet make some interesting music on their debut EP. The four tunes are driven by obvious funk grooves but their eclectic sound draws from a wider palate, incorporating a hefty dose of pop, and elements of soul and rap for good measure. The funk elements – seemingly high on their list of musical priorities – come courtesy of some rather large and warm sounding lead bass parts, which in turn are brought to life by a terrific production job by sometime John Butler producer Tony Buchen. It is instantly obvious that these tunes have not been recorded “on the cheap”.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
HAWK EYES – That’s What This Is EP
Hawk Eyes’ 2013 release ‘That’s What This Is’ was funded by fans via a kickstarter campaign – and for the fans, their money was well spent as the Leeds math/alt-metal outfit offers another selection of tunes which manage to combine difficult and angular aggressiveness with moments of surprising melody.
UGLY KID JOE – Stairway To Hell
At the beginning of the 90s, it seemed almost impossible to watch MTV’s ‘Headbanger’s Ball’ or listen to the BBC Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance (RIP) without encountering Ugly Kid Joe. Their best-known singles ‘Everything About You’, ‘Neighbour’ and ‘Cats In The Cradle’ were huge. Despite such success, the band’s time in the sun was relatively short-lived. By the time of their fourth studio release, 1996’s ‘Motel California’, the media were indifferent at best and even though some fans praised that disc, the band’s glory days seemed so distant. How fickle the finger of fame.
CROSS WIRES – Dark Water EP
Following two self-financed EPs and gigs at London’s much-loved 93 Feet East and Camden Barfly, this third DIY offering from Bethnal Green/Essex combo Cross Wires offers three more pieces of hard indie jangling crossed with a little post punk. While their overall sound is still pretty raw, the rhythm section of Pete Letch on bass and drummer Ian Clarke provide the band with solid foundations, which appears handy for those inevitable times where the lead parts still seem somewhat dissonant.
THE MINX – Hey! Mr. Warden EP
With a distinctly northern approach to their sound and boundless levels of energy within their arrangements, a few may hear traces of early Arctic Monkeys within this debut EP from The Minx. Far stronger than that, though, their love for Buzzcocks within the ranks of this Manchester based band shines through. The music may possess slightly less of a punk edge than anything Shelley/Diggle recorded back in the late 70s – largely down to huge waves of Dave Greenfield/Clint Boon influenced keys – but the Buzzcocks’ lasting influence in the sheer energy and snotty vocal is unavoidable. [Also, is the oddly placed exclaimation mark in the EP’s title a gentle homage to The Fall?]