On their debut EP, the self-released ‘Gently Down The Stream’, Philadelphia’s The Soft Spots blend various indie/alt-pop oriented sounds creating what sounds and feels like a very accomplished release in terms of production, especially for a band so inexperienced at the time of its release. They waste no time in making sure this surprisingly professional sound greets the ears of the prospective listener.
Tag Archives: stream
THE SNOOKYS – Junk Food
The Snookys released their first EP in 2009. Since that time, the Bergamo-based band’s music has gone through a few changes: their 2010 full length ‘Set The World On Fire!’ is a sharp and well-produced foray into punk ‘n’ roll, like Rocket From The Crypt tackled at a Ramones speed, by 2012 they’d retooled their energy into a far more trebly garage rock sound. Their evolution continued, and with that a descent into even rawer sounds. By the time of 2014’s ‘Junk Food’, their sound had become even more lo-fi, but this only served to give their garage rock chops an even more live feel.
STRANGE MAJIK – Lights On
Strange Majik mainman David Pattillo is a well known studio hand from New York, whom between 2011-2013 was most often seen as half of garage blues duo The Dead Exs. After two excellent albums in that stripped back and distorted style, his Strange Majik project finds the multi-instrumentalist spreading his wings. Pattillo’s Strange Magik guise is primarily a vehicle to experiment with a world of music that largely would never have fit The Exs straight ahead mood and also allows him to work with a revolving cast of musicians and vocalists. The end results straddle funk and r ‘n’ b, with a swathe of old fashioned psychedelic guitars beefing up the sound – the message here is to close your eyes, open your mind and feel the majik.
SUPER LUXURY – Ten Solid Years Of Applause
In 2012 Leeds based noisemakers Super Luxury released a cassette EP that acted as a short and sharp assault on the senses, the musical equivalent of a kick in the nuts. Not too long after, a couple of their members moonlighted as part of Cattle, an awesome noise-rock trio whose debut EP featured one of the best bass sounds ever committed to record. Two and a half years on from their original EP, Super Luxury dropped this full-length release, ‘Ten Solid Years of Applause’. A couple of line-up changes – most notably the drafting in of bassist Tom Goodall from Cattle – has had a huge effect on the tunes as well as effectively blurring the lines between the two bands a little farther. Perhaps due to the increased relation with Cattle, this second time around, SL sound far more assured.
TOUGH – Obey The Ramones EP
Italian punks Tough [not to be confused with Poison wannabes, glam rockers Tuff] first appeared in the mid-noughties from which point they kept themselves busy knocking out material on various DIY labels. In addition to various split 7”s, by 2013 they had four albums under their collective belt and had increased their following with each passing year. Their 2014 EP ‘Obey The Ramones’ might just be their best to date, its four high energy numbers presenting the best in melodic punk.