The Pony’s Jered Gummere must have a form of musical ADHD, he’s been in so many bands he makes Jack White look lazy. The Muggles, Defilers, Real Cool Killers, Guilty Pleasures and The Ponys. He collects bands like other less diligent souls collect records. Inside My Head by Gummere’s latest venture Bare Mutants is cooler than fuck fuzzy punk that sounds like the Jesus & Mary Chain at their best.
Howler
From: Minneapolis, United States
In 1961 Decca Records told the Beatles that guitar groups were on their way out. With only one genuine honest to goodness guitar band making it to the BBC’s influential Sound of 2012 final 15 long list it would appear that they were a mere 50 years out. If the BBC are to be believed all that’s left to do is order the coffin, draft the obituary for the Times and dust down the black suit and tie. But hold on a moment since when has the BBC ever been the arbiter of taste? Aren’t they the establishment we’re all supposed to be challenging and isn’t the guitar the ultimate anti establishment weapon of choice for young rebels through the musical ages? It’s time for the fight back to begin.
Foxes!
From: Brighton, United Kingdom
Who would have thought that a cassette tape (yes it was that long ago) given away free with a weekly music inkie (the NME since you ask) would still hang like the proverbial albatross around the necks of any band daring enough to jangle rather than rock? Any vaguely twee band with cute, usually but not predominantly, female vocals are casually dismissed with the accusation that they’re little more than C86 revivalists. If they can body swerve that they open themselves up to the charge that they’re Sarah Records fellow travellers.
The more sanitised, synthetic and computerised mainstream music becomes the more the discerning music lover yearns for something a little more authentic, a little more organic. In 2012 too much music sounds like it’s been factory produced and packed full of more additivies than a family sized pack of Monster Munch. Thank god for labels like Art Is Hard Records who have an enviable record of unearthing genuine little hand made organic gems like the prolific lo-fi maverik Thomas Crang aka Gorgeous Bully.
This week’s round up of the tracks I haven’t had the space to post…
Listing Ships
From: Oxford, United Kingdom
After rocking the local Oxford scene with their nautically themed post rock instrumentals Listing Ships, have set sail for more distant shores with their new EP The 100 Gun Ship. They’ve hoist the mainbrace and lowered the spinnaker (no I don’t know what it means either but it sounds like the sort of things sailors might say) seeking fame and fortune far from their Oxford home.
Q. What do you get if you cross the theme from Twin Peaks with the more melodic tracks in the Jesus & Mary Chain canon?
A. You Wish You Were Red by the American sounding but London based quartet Trailer Trash Tracys
ARTROCKER: You are the missing link between The Go! Team and Arcade Fire – discuss!
OWEN: Disagree. I don’t wanna sound petulant, we like both those groups, but I don’t think it’s true. We have one...
Photos from a recent FOE gig - a friend of our friends Hold Your Horse Is - she’s gonna be big!!! Read the gig review after the jump.
Shots of North Carolina’s folk-rocking Avett Brothers’ stop in Glasgow - 22.08.11
Read the review of the gig here.
Take a look at the acts and art on offer at this year’s Latitude Festival in Suffolk. Included are the likes of Fight Like Apes, Lykke Li, Sea of Bees and Seasick Steve. Photos from our own...
Good time with Bad Guys. Photos from the May 29th gig at the Old Blue Last. Read the review by the Bad Guy himself, Stuart London after the jump.
Artrocker.com exclusive: for fans of White Lies and Crocodiles we’ve got some fresh pictures from their UK show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire earlier this month, courtesy of Alessandro...
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