At the tail end of 2013, Autralian dream pop band The Oyster Murders dropped an excellent EP, ‘Mourning Birds‘.
THE MESSENGERS – The Messengers
This self-titled record by Cincinatti punkers The Messengers was released on PunkCore Records in the spring of 2005. Since PunkCore often leant more towards the aggressive mohawked end of things, with The Casualties as one of their flagship bands and a tendency to sign acts in the spirit ofThe Varukers, their support of The Messengers seemed somewhat of a sidestep. The Messengers are a punk outfit, sure; they’ve got the speed and some serious chops, but their music leans far more towards the Californian punk-pop style. Still, it could never be said that Punk Core’s faith in The Messengers was in anyway misplaced, since this self-titled release is an absolutely fantastic record.
MOCK DEER – How We Used To Live EP
Mock Deer is a London based duo specialising in stripped down, DIY alt-folk sounds. Their second release, 2015’s ‘How We Used To Live’, recorded with members of Dead Flowers, is a sometimes low-key and often thoughtful affair. Its four songs almost place the listener in the middle of Mock Deer’s studio space, the recordings bring a natural live sound; it almost feels as if it’s allowing us access on private time as the musician spins timeless yarns with a smart, no frills musical backdrop.
ZERO SHE FLIES – The River EP
Zero She Flies is a folk-rock band from Bristol formed from the ashes of pop-rock outfit Mermaid Kiss and although all three members had been involved with the previous band at various stages, the first recordings from ZSF feel very much like a new beginning. The band made their debut in May 2015 with standalone track ‘Small Mercy’, giving listeners a fair idea of what to expect from upcoming material. Their first EP, ‘The River, released a couple of months later, features four tracks associated with water, thus making it a concept release of sorts. That’s concept in a “linking theme” sense as opposed to carrying a definite narrative stretched out to its thinnest point over a double elpee, so those looking for more Broadway lambs, walls built from arrogance and general pomposity can swiftly move along… Stoking up the folk elements, on these four numbers, Zero She Flies often carry sparkles of Caravan and Renaissance, but always with their own twist, and it would be fair to say that listeners who enjoy the occasional folky lilt and a strong female voice will find an affinity within at least three of these four tunes.
ZEIT – Trümmer EP
Formed in 2010, German metal duo Zeit set about expanding the boundaries of black metal with a distinctly DIY approach. Following the release of their first EP, they expanded to a trio with the addition of a bass player – something pretty much essential in adding weight to their ferocious noise. Their third EP, 2015’s ‘Trümmer’, brings five intense slabs of noise, not so much in the traditionalist black metal vein as much as an unholy hybrid of black metal, doom and grindcore. Naturally, that description has already piqued the interest of a few while simultaneously frightening the living scheiße out of the rest of you.