The Cold One Hundred - On To The Next One EP

EP review by KevW

Doing their bit for traditional, northern indie-rock are The Cold One Hundred on this, their debut EP. They're doing so by taking a step back, shifting away from the bands that have blighted their scene for many years. So they deliver this debut EP minus any arrogance and bravado, although this doesn't mean they have no self belief; 'On To The Next One' sounds confident, it just doesn't need to do so by posing in massive coats and using hair-straighteners. They're not your stereotypical lad band and this works in their favour. It's all very well bragging about how good you are and how cool you look, but if you're shit it's only the lager boys who will buy into it nowadays. You need the songs to be the main focus, not some witty attack on another band.

The four tracks here aren't self-important or overblown, but neither are they in any way original. This shouldn't matter if the quality is high, and it is high, but their chances of success will be limited by the undesirable actions of others. These are very good, and very natural, guitar tunes with their feet on the ground but their eyes on the sky. There's an ambition but it doesn't bury the songs; the title-track is a decent indie track that would have had the press excited a few years ago; 'Smoking Saved My Life' almost evokes The Smiths and 'Special Friends' hints at an anthemic future. A little honesty goes a long way, and with a handful of tunes to match let's hope The Cold One Hundred can wave the flag for British guitar bands once again.





The Cold One Hundred's website

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Beneath The Beach - Second Circle

Single review by KevW

These Londoners are an amalgamation of much alternative music of the past couple of decades, they even choose to describe themselves as "post-dance-math-step". Confused? You should be because that's really just a load of random words that have been used to describe heaps of different sounding music. Plus there's nothing like adding a "post" in there to make sure people know that you're ahead of any trends. It all seems a bit pretentious doesn't it? So does this make Beneath The Beach some hipster types trying to be so hyper-cool that they'd probably make liquid nitrogen wrap itself up in a nice warm scarf? Well, as it happens, no, it doesn't. Pretentious it may sound, but this new single from their 'Ubiquitous Meter' EP (name-your-price on Bandcamp) actually, somehow, fits that description nicely.

Let's get rid of the "post" bit because that's just bollocks muso talk, this is a song that you could certainly dance to, it's full of energy that, despite its reasonably high tempo, is quite slow burning. This is indeed a math-rock track, in fact if you wanted to explain the genre to someone then take the guitars here as a prime example. Step? Well we're not sure about that but they must have their reasons for it. To cut a long story short, this sample heavy mash of genres, ideas and labels is ace. And that word matters more than any fancy classification, so we've decided we'll describe them as "pre-bro-trouser-skiffle-busker-hop" and hope the genre catches on.



Beneath The Beach's website

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L.A Salami - Generation L(ost)

Single review by KevW

We were suitably impressed with 'The Scene', the most recent single released by L.A Salami, it was a bouncy and highly catchy semi-acoustic number that was practically impossible not to like on one level or another. Either that song was a curveball, or new single 'Generation L(ost) is; or maybe it's just a case that he doesn't stick to making records that sound similar, or even like they're by the same artist. 'Generation L(ost) is a whole different kettle of fish, the voice is recognisable, but little else. Gone are the foot-tapping acoustics for something altogether grittier. It could be that Mr Salami is a man with many ideas.

It's quite a task deciding which of the tracks is the most "normal", as both have familiar sounds along with a sprinkling of L,A Salami's own personal touch. I think you'd just about say that 'Generation L(ost)' comes out as being more in tune with the current state of affairs. An indie/garage number that utilises a more traditional band format. The production is pleasantly lo-fi but not to the point where it's covered in fake fuzz, the musical equivalent of designer stubble. This is a simple and memorable piece of guitar-pop that with be favoured by those who found the last single a little on the quirky side.



L.A Salami's website





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Band To Check Out: BCBG

Article by KevW

I'm not sure what kind of drugs you'd need to take to come up with artwork like that, but if I was offered them I think I'd probably pass for fear of my brain falling into the abyss and never returning. Musically BCBG are slightly psychedelic and off the wall too, but in a less freakish way. The project began in Brazil and the collaboration between Paris based musicians Sam (Feu Machin/kikiilimikilii) and Mariette (Water Sark, Eyes Behind) when they started working with South American artists who have just released the video for their track 'Sailor's Wife' which you can see below.

The project is still in its early stages so there's not a vast amount of listening material available, but the general sound would happily fit in with the witch house scene, although it's less gloomy, and also draws comparisons to UK trip-hop acts such as Portishead. They tend not to follow the traditional songwriter route, put it that way. As well as the hypnotic and dark 'Sailor's Wife', you can also stream the possibly superior track 'White Trees' which continues down this dark path with added intensity and is maybe more consistent with much of the experimental electro-pop-noir that's gradually worming its way into the mainstream. Maybe BCBG will follow suit.


BCBG - Sailor's Wife from Dacio Pinheiro on Vimeo.



BCBG's website





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Danny Malone - Spider Legs

Single review by KevW

I've always wondered exactly what it is about Austin, Texas that makes it such a fertile ground for good music. The whole world descends on the place for SXSW, one of global music's biggest events and the list of talented alternative artists born out of it's streets and surrounding areas seems to be greater than any other non-coastal region of the US. Maybe you have to go there to find out, maybe there's just something in the water. Singer-songwriter Danny Malone is another product of that scene and has established quite a name for himself, and maybe new album 'Balloons' will see his star rise further.

Current single 'Spider Legs' isn't staggeringly innovative or overwhelmingly brilliant, it's a spooky, well-written indie/pop/folk track that, vocal-wise at least, isn't far removed from The Postal Service. It works thanks to a steady build, starting as a fairly nondescript but pleasant song, then adding handclaps and more instrumentation as the sound swells and more of a desperate feeling is achieved, ending as something really quite passionate and soul-baring, those vocals intensifying and beginning to crack. Reasonably conventional it may be, but it's carried out incredibly well.



Danny Malone's website





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Stereo Telescope - Fires

Single review by KevW

The east coast of American may have taken a battering recently but it's still producing the goods musically (although this was recorded before the disaster). Boston duo Stereo Telescope make a thunderous racket that runs around flirting with genres like a hot girl in bar full of desperate middle-aged men. Their album 'On And Running' is due for release after Christmas and as far as introductions go, new single 'Fires' does everything right and leaves the mild aftertaste of excitement that they may have several more tracks of this standard to come. I know it's a bit of a cliche, but they don't half make a big sound for just two of them, although technology certainly helps.

And technology is something they embrace on 'Fires'. It begins with crunching beats that suggest we're in for an eardrum-ripping explosion of noise-pop, but then those soft and warm vocals even things out, accompanied by some swooshing synths and guitar; it's almost as though a dreampop track has accidentally got lost and ended up in a room with Squarepusher. We're not left wanting on the tune front, and something like this is capable of picking up plenty of press despite being an underground track. Impressive stuff.



Stereo Telescope's website

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Five For Free #136

Killing Fields Of Ontario - Nothing To Be Frightened Of

The new EP from Feldspar is released on Monday (you can check out our review here) and they will be joined for a double launch show on the 4th Dec at The Bull & Gate with ace UK alt-rock group Killing Fields Of Ontario. In honour of this occasion both bands are giving away new tunes, and 'Nothing To Be Frightened Of' is set to be on The Killing Fields Of Ontario's next album in the new year.



Killing Fields Of Ontario's website





The Everymen - Coney Island High

There's a certain amount of deception going on with the names here. Recent release 'New Jersey Hardcore' isn't particularly hardcore, but you'd definitely say it was punk/post punk. They're called The Everymen, unusual for a female fronted band. Anyway, free track 'Coney Island High' is a blitzkrieg of buzzing guitars and sax that will draw inevitable X-Ray Spex comparisons, and that's no bad thing.


The Everymen's website

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Kodacrome - Modern Man

'Perla' is the debut EP by slightly enigmatic group Kodacrome who we think are American. Beginning with a soulful, isolated vocal, it almost feels like the song could go in any direction. They choose to head down a spangly electronica route and it proves to be the perfect option. The whole EP is a name-your-price download on Bandcamp, or you can grab 'Modern Man' below.


Kodacrome's website

Stream or buy the EP





Life In Film - Needles & Pins

It was ages ago (probably at least two years) since we marked out Londoners Life In Film as potential ones to watch, but to be honest this is the first we've heard from them since then, so maybe we've been looking n the wrong places. 'Needles & Pins' is another excellent indie track that at a time when guitars were more in vogue would be picking up some serious airplay at the moment.



Life In Film's website

Stream or buy the EP





Paul Westerberg - My Road Now

The former Replacements man has released a steady stream of solo material since his old band disintegrated, but 'My Road Now' is his first track since 2009. Sounding as though it was recorded in one take (complete with aborted start and muttering at the end) this is one of those songs that gets better with each play. And who knows, maybe it's the first sign on a new Paul Westerberg album on the way.



Paul Westerberg's website





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