SIRS&MADAMS – Sirs&Madams

sirs&madamsBrooklyn’s Sirs&Madams is very much a band of two distinct moods. On this debut release, when not laying down thoughtful pastel sounds with an alt-folk leanings, they’re tearing it up via some chunky and melodic indie rock workouts. While this perhaps might sound a little too broad stylistically speaking, they have one absolute constant. Whether rocky or rootsy, the bulk of the material is held together by some truly outstanding performances from frontwoman Laura Gwynn. Her voice, a confident, belting array of sounds with a sheer melodic edge cutting through at all times, is one of the finest voices to appear on the DIY music scene for a very long time. It’s one of those voices that has such power, she could sing almost anything and make it sound utterly spellbinding.

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FORCED ENTRY – CS

Forced Entry CSThe state of Georgia, USA: while home to REM, Indigo Girls, Baroness, The Allman Brothers, Sevendust and countless other bands, it’s not always the first place that comes to mind when you think of hardcore punk. However, by the mid ’10s, Atlanta had forged itself a fairly sizable underground scene. In Savannah, one of a few circles of hardcore bands can be found as part of a very close-knit community. Anxiety Junkies released their first full length to high praise from DIY punk blogs and the like, as well as playing regular live shows. As part of the Savannah crowd, Forced Entry could also be discovered making noise on a minuscule budget. Bringing together ex-members of Sauna Heat and Gym Shorts, their debut cassette – appropriately titled ‘CS’ – captures approximately fifteen minutes of pure fury.

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MY CRUEL GORO – My Cruel Goro EP

MCGA multi-national trio of joyous noisemaking intents, the oddly named My Cruel Goro bring loud guitars and a boundless energy that’s potentially appealing to those who found themselves glued to the pages of Britain’s NME music rag back in the mid 90s. Perhaps not the guys who fervently followed the Blur vs Oasis spats, or those who patiently awaited news of the next Echobelly tour or were just casually looking to see if editorial policy meant that Morrissey was out of favour that week; more those readers and listeners who looked forward to new releases from Superchunk and were keenly following the progress of Ash’s recording career. Indeed, for those who still get a kick out of Ash’s noisier material – ‘Darkside Lightside’ etc – the three songs which make up this release should bring both a nostalgic charm and a sense of relief that a musical influence that’s some twenty years gone at the time of this release could still sound so vibrant.

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KURT BAKER – Play It Cool

KB play it coolKurt Baker’s first full length release ‘Brand New Beat’ was an instant power pop classic.  Despite all of the tunes being appropriated from the catalogues of Joe Jackson, Nick Lowe and The Cars,  Baker’s abilities for penning a great chorus along with his insistence on bringing a party spirit ensured his enthusiasm and talents shone through almost every moment of every track.  A companion disc comprising ten session leftovers – ‘Brand New B-Sides’ – was worth the price of admission for his take on Nick Lowe’s ‘So It Goes’ and an ode to actress Emma Stone (the appropriately titled ‘Emma Stone’) alone.

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