Discerning denizens drift through this cultural desert like tumbleweed, desperately seeking something to cling to. In this land that elocution forgot there ain’t nothing to do on a wet Wednesday night. But fink again! Tonight the double-negative natives will be entertained by an outstanding double positive – The Joy Formidable.
Chelmsford’s monthly indie shindig warms up with DJ Bobby Mushroom. Playing tunes from The Long Blondes, Those Dancing Days and Saint Etienne, he’s the Essex answer to those Twee As Fuck folk who grace the capital’s gigs. Meanwhile local band members prove that this subterranean hole is a place to play and work, as they dish out flyers and dispense CDR gifts to the bar.
Across the dance-floor three figures armed with a marker pen are scrawling on the legendary Bitterscene sheet. It’s The Joy Formidable! The names of Ritzy, Rhydian and Justin join the ranks of all the other indie darlings that have blessed The Bitterscene nights over the past six years.
The stage is set with fairy lights. Some local band has more than outstayed their welcome and punters want to see what Lamacq and countless others have been raving about. The cutely packaged and peroxide Ritzy bounces on wearing a short skirt and Winnie The Pooh t-shirt, though she’s all Tigger tonight.
The bass pounds, guitars soar and Ritzy’s angular delivery on Cradle indulges the basement acoustics. It’s not so much a sonic cathedral - more a blazing arcade. 'Butterfly' begins with jaunty echoes of Thomas Tantrum, before crashing into Breeders territory with Rhydian and Ritzy chanting, “it’s a long way home”. Three tracks in and it seems the journey home is already on their mind.
A couple of rip-roaring efforts later and Ritzy announces 'Austere' as their last song. A finale of “oh oh ohs “ and it’s all over. Six songs! Talk about treat them mean. The Bitterscene is keen but The Joy Formidable are packing up. The pint-sized singer with the blonde bob and her mates exit into the rain soaked suburbs. There ain’t nothing left to see.
Best new band in Glasgow, by a mile!
...Any more snooker cliches?
...Second track sounds like a more snarly mid-60s Who. Excellent.
...First one sounds like Sean Ryder having a flashback but second track is a killer.
...once you've drunk a bottle of Maker's Mark in Copehagen?
...The more I watch it, the more I like it.
...Sex on Fire is good once you've drunk a bottle of Maker's Mark in Copenhagen
...
SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
NOISETTES
SCRATCH YOUR NAME
(UNIVERSAL)
One of the very few reasons to still believe in indie music, Noisettes provide yet another thrilling single on the back of their debut album, ‘What’s...
The Be Be See give us 'Artmocker' as promised in the current edition of the mag. " Our agenda is to make people dance, think, fight, fuck, laugh and cry"...
Now then, Devendra Banhart. I've always liked his beard, but not his music. However, his new collaboration with Greg Rogrove - called Megapuss - is rather good.
...
Excellent track from their excellent new (to the UK) album Forts (released this week, expect review here soon).
...
Sources close to the band have leaked this fantastic, exclusive new demo track from The Thermals.
...
I love this tune. Like Jason Lowenstein fronting The Thermals covering Sweet Jane, with Steve Albini at the controls. In their blurb, they state "we play with passion, and that's...
Post new comment