Gracing the airwaves again is Catalan, the new-ish project by Axis Of bassist Ewen Friers. We spoke to Ewen last July, where he gave us the low-down on his new venture, and featured them here with the jaunty pop-rock of Alive.
PABST – Chlorine
You’ll be unfamiliar with Berlin-based power trio PABST – but never fear, you’ll want to cram the nuggets of spicy gold of their debut album, Chlorine, into your ears.
Hot Snakes – Jericho Sirens
Why Jericho Sirens is a bludgeoning, dangerous and deadly beast of a record and the 14 years have been well worth the wait.
The Lumes – Envy
Whether the guitar on third track (Discharge) on this new EP from Rotterdam’s The Lumes is being played remains to be seen. The long stretching, stream of feedback that emanates seems to indicate that it’s been hurled into a speaker and left to pump out a noxious, squealing wail until the switch is finally flipped. Nice.
Ewen Friers talks CATALAN! Axis Of, Travelling and avoiding Love Island!
Those of you may remember from last year a feature on Axis Of, celebrating the release of their most recent live album, Companions. Whilst the band have been quiet of late, things have been bubbling below the surface for one of their members, bassist Ewen Friers, who is currently working on a new project, titled CATALAN!
Idles – Brutalism
Subtlety doesn’t really exist to a band like Idles. Brutalism, their debut album, opens the door before you’ve had time to answer, staggers into your house, a blood-smeared hand caressing your walls, a half-drunk crate of beer under one arm and a look that’s a cross between madness and euphoria.
Christian Fitness – Love Letters In The Age Of Steam
“Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performances and broadcasting of this recording is predictable and disappointing” reads the message scrawled on the back of the second Christian Fitness album, Love Letters In The Age Of Steam. God bless you, Falco. If you don’t know (and why not, you complete flannel) this is the second ‘one-man band’ outing for Andy Falkous, peddling more of his acidic wit and coarse riffs into your ears.
Alright The Captain – Contact Fix
There are sudden pattern shifts, time changes and deviations from the norm that make Contact Fix by Derby’s Alright The Captain an exciting and fascinating listening experience. Opening track, Toaster Mouse, is built around a steady, squelching synth-bass line that rises and falls with giddy abandon, whilst the tappy-math rock guitar weaves trickery and pitch-shifting bite throughout..
USA Nails – Sonic Moist / What’s Wrong With Your Boy?
Only when you properly start to listen to the lyrics to Sonic Moist, the title track from USA Nails’ debut album does the fear start to set in. Vocalist Steven Hodson sounds like he could climb out of the speakers any moment, invading your space with his perverse lyrical outpouring.