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?]
Tag Archives: alternative
FRANK PALANGI – I Am Ready EP
At the beginning of this second EP by New Yorker Frank Palangi, the music ambles a little, while his voice – subject to some slight filtering – fills the space. If you’d never heard Palangi before, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled upon yet another US rock/pop singer-songwriter, especially with the choice of sleeve art…
New demo streaming from The West Wickhams
A new demo of a track by The West Wickhams has been posted on Soundcloud. The band – an alt-rock/shoegaze duo featuring Jon from Dead Wolf Club – are currently in their infancy and have plans to release an album later in the year.
AESTRID – Box
With a huge set of influences from 80s new wave, synth rock (more specifically the more commercial end of Krautrock) and more than a touch of 80s goth and 90s alternative for good measure, this second album from Dutch electronica/alt-rock band Aestrid represents the sound of a band reaching early maturity. Although its base sounds will probably sound familiar to listeners over a certain age, the albums eleven songs blend dense sounds with a sense of optimism in a way that is almost magical.
EVOLETAH – We Ache For The Moon
In the summer of 2012, Australian alt-rock quartet Evoletah released their third album ‘Sleepwalker’. While often showing the makings of a talented bunch of musicians, a lot of the material was indistinct; there were individual tunes to be cherry-picked for enjoyment, but overall, the release felt somewhat samey.