The first signings to the London imprint of the legendary Third Man label, Island of Love serve up some unashamedly retro sounds on their ‘Songs of Love’ EP. Within its four numbers, the fuzz rock duo wield distortion pedals with abandon, carve out feedback drenched solos and revisit the musical landscapes of Dinosaur Jr and Superchunk with the greatest admiration since the short-lived Yuck wowed Guardian readers back in 2011. The heart of their sound draws from some obvious key influences, but that certainly doesn’t mean they lack a musical imagination of their own. There are a few instances where the 90s fuzz collides with a stray surf twang, or even some Tommy James derived power pop from the 60s, creating something a little more varied than first impressions suggest. Any flourishes and twists are, naturally, hidden under a massive layer of noise, but it’s all there waiting for the more discerning ear to discover.
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KEELEY – Echo Everywhere EP
Keeley’s debut EP ‘Brave Warrior’ proved that it was possible for a band to have a retro sound without sounding like a complete throwback to the past. Its four songs had a 90s electronica/dreampop heart, but there was enough about its feel and song writing that felt very contemporary. In terms of alternative pop, it was broad in its appeal, and the praise gained from high profile industry faces like Stuart Maconie and Steve Lamacq was more than deserved.
DAS KAPITANS – Big Muff / MTV
After hitting upon the stupidly ambitious idea to release an album every month, UK noise rock/indie punk band Das Kapitans found themselves insanely busy throughout 2021. Not only did they achieve their goal, but they also left the world with a body of work that was of a much higher quality than such bulk, rush released product would ever suggest. Just using the ‘Fall’ and ‘Happy’ albums to gauge the band’s sound, the quickly amassed catalogue is a treasure trove for lovers of noisy, guitar based rock/punk, with tunes like ‘Boney’ and ‘Cranberry Sauce’ whipping up a very 90s punk sound indebted to Wipers, and the more melodic ‘Blue’ coming across like a supercharged blend of classic Sonic Youth and the more contemporary sounds of the early Arctic Monkeys. Twelve albums is a lot to take in by anyone’s standards, but it’s fair to say you can drop into the dozen pretty much at any point and discover some great, hook driven noise.
DEATHCOLLECTOR – Times Up EP
Despite changing fashions within the rock and metal community, there’s always been plenty of room for bands who like to keep things traditional. DeathCollector – a band bringing together English/Irish musicians and featuring an ex-member of Bolt Thrower – brazenly fly the flag for no nonsense trad death metal on their debut EP. There are moments where the death is peppered by other equally angry subgenres, but in the main, its three tracks bring together some massive riffs and a sense of force that calls back to many of death’s forefathers. The bulk of the material may be hugely retro, but between some impeccably played riffs and tautly wound, relentless rhythms, the band’s desire to draw heavily from the past sounds anything but stale.
PYRE FYRE – Rinky Dink Town / Slow Cookin’
Formed over a love of lo-fi noise and trash aesthetics, New Jersey’s Pyre Fyre began making their own brand of stoner/sludge music in 2019. A pair of digital singles emerged in 2021, with each cementing the band’s commitment to a DIY brand of riffs and distortion. Despite not having the most original sound, there was plenty about the unavoidable influence from ‘Houdini’ era Melvins cutting through the heart of ‘Lobotomy’, especially, that suggested this project came with a great potential.