The New Rochelles/DeeCRACKS – The Smile Of The Tiger [EP]

The idea of a split record is a formula which has stood the test of time in music today, due to its simple principle of exposing new music by each artist to the other’s fan base, thus (in theory, at least) increasing the following of both in one fell swoop. Although through time we have seen examples of larger, more established artists releasing such records – the example of Linkin Park’s “Collision Course” collaboration with Jay-Z springs to mind, albeit as an album of remixes, not split tracks – this trend is most common amongst smaller bands like those two artists featured on this release, The New Rochelles and DeeCRACKS.

Both artists make themselves known as pop-punk bands, although joyously, both seem to lean more towards classic punk traditions than the haircuts and skinny jeans of today’s scene (and yes, fellow folk-troubadour lovers, that was a Frank Turner reference). New Yorkers The New Rochelles band members are listed on their Facebook as Ronnie, Ricky and Rookie Rochelle, in a beautiful throwback to the Ramones, while DeeCRACKS, hailing from Klagenfurt in Austria – which just may be my new favourite place name – simply keep their last initials (coincidentally all C.) in place of surnames, while listing their style of music as “rock’n’roll played fast, like The Ramones”. The influence of the legendary Blitzkrieg Bop-pers is clear amongst the music of both bands, and with the entire 4-track split clocking in at exactly 8 minutes, the term “fast and furious” is not an understatement when discussing the songs contained within.

First up comes the shortest track on the whole record, the New Rochelles’ 1:17 wonder “Cuidado”. However, in proof of the old adage of good things coming in small packages, this is an absolute gem of a track. While there isn’t much variation in the lyrics, even for a short song like this, it is instantly catchy, and the music behind is pure pop-punk wonder, created specifically to get a crowd bouncing or a listener air-drumming in less than a second. A simple refrain of the line “Not your amigo” provides a catchy singalong ending before the track crunches to a halt as quickly as it begun, making way for the second of the two New Rochelles tracks, Nightcrawler. An even more pleasing offering than the opener, this track (yet another pacey track, coming in at 1:25) forcibly reminds one of a Dookie-era Green Day song, which is frankly fabulous news for any pop-punk outfit. The simple repeated lyrics and bouncy backbeat are a joy to behold and frontman Ronnie’s vocals are a perfect fit for this style of music. Although their entire offering on this release comes to a grand total time of 2 minutes and 42 seconds, they leave enough of a lasting impression in that short time that I implore any readers to keep an eye out for this name in the future and snap up anything they have to offer – trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

The record is then turned over to DeeCRACKS to finish off in style. The change in personnel is instantly recognisable. DeeCRACKS play with a harder, heavier edge, complimented by singer Matt C’s rough, throaty vocals. Their own personal opener, 2-minuter Let’s Get Outta Here, is a cracking tune, with just enough time afforded to it to create a couple of verses shaped around a simple but purely irresistible chorus, and despite the throatier growl of Matt’s vocals compared to those found on the earlier side of the EP, it is listener-friendly, crowd-pleasing stuff, pulled off with some style. Somewhat disappointingly, considering the fact that the bands only had two song slots each to fill, DeeCRACKS choose to finish with a cover of the band that seems to keep popping up in this review, playing a version of The Ramones’ “She Belongs To Me”. While the cover is a nice little idea considering the band are the biggest inspiration for the Austrian three-piece, I can’t help but feel the slot would have been better filled by an original composition to better advertise the band’s skills – while this is by no means a bad cover, this is a truly legendary artist we are talking about in the Ramones, and cover versions of big artists like this are perhaps better left for longer, single-band EPs, or even maybe a full-length album, rather than shoe-horned into this release. However, DeeCRACKS still provide a good impression of their talents in pulling the cover off and their one original song on the record is enough to leave the listener wanting more.

Overall, this release does exactly what it is meant to do – shows off the talents and capabilities of both artists and leaves the listener eager to hear more. While maybe The New Rochelles could have benefited from a slightly longer song being included, and DeeCRACKS could definitely have done with going for two original songs, this is still a great release and one I would heartily recommend to any fan of the pop-punk genre. Watch out for these names in the future, and if they come to a town near you, go see them; if this EP is anything to go by, you will not regret it.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Singles roundup – 31/3/13

Blind Wall – False Signs (3/5)
Indian rock band Blind Wall have managed to straddle the boundary between prog madness and soft alt-rock surprisingly well. The vocals are soulful, there’s a good dollop of synth and some funky bass, but the instrumentals and the track as a whole just go on for way too long so that in the end, you’re left feeling a little deflated. Nevertheless, the creeping ambient vibes show a lot of promise.

Echo Park – When I’m Gone (2/5)
For a band that’s taken their name from the most exciting Feeder album, their track feels more like they delved into the post-2000 Feeder back catalogue with regards to enthusiasm. A slow, pop-rock ballad with no drive whatsoever. There’s certainly potential – the vocals are great and there’s opportunity for catchy hooks all over the place but they’re just never taken. Hopefully, future efforts will prove more inviting.

Beretta Suicide – Somewhere (4/5)
Somewhere is a riot of a single. Ridiculously fun, Beretta Suicide combine classic punk rock staples and newer innovations (like some sweet megaphone effects on the vocals) in order to create something that’s ballsy, audacious and catchy as hell. Not to be missed.

Hey You Guys!/Das Sexy Clap split single (4/5)
A split from some of Worcestershire’s finest is our single of the month. On Our Knees, the Das Sexy Clap portion of the split, On Our Knees is fucking rock and roll at its finest. Heavy on the distortion without being totally indulgent, it’s completely unafraid. And loud. And mental. The best description for Hey You Guys!’s Keston Villers’ Investment Club is “party rock”. Completely urgent and unapologetic, it’s full of fast and furious riffs and loaded with clever stuff. Both bands are definitely ones to watch.

J-Pop Sunday – capsule

Hello! Kaito here! So, regular readers of this column – if there are any of you – will know that I recently went on a little holiday research trip to Tokyo. I didn’t come back empty handed. As well as the charming Rei Ayanami coffee mug currently sat to my left I also brought home with me a number of J-Pop CDs, including the latest release from the subject of this week’s entry: capsule.

Yasutaka Nakata & Toshiko Koshijima: The duo behind capsule

Quick Guide
Act Name: capsule
Years Active: 1997 – Present
Genre: Shibuya-kei/Electronica/House.
Notable Tracks: Sakura (2001), jelly (2006), Jumper (2008), World of Fantasy (2011), Step on the Floor (2012)
Not to be confused with: Capsule, a screamo band from Miami, Florida.

A quick side note before we start, you probably noticed the term “Shibuya-kei” in the genre list. Originating from the Shibuya district of Tokyo in the early 90’s, it’s best described as a mix between Jazz, Pop and synthpop. capsule’s 2007 track Sugarless GiRL is a nice example of the genre:

So, onto the duo themselves. Yasutaka Nakata and Toshiko Koshijima met and formed capsule in 1997 after meeting a music festival in Kanazawa. Capsule operates with Nakata acting as composer and co-producer while Koshijima provides the vocals. Although their pair formed capsule in 1997 it wasn’t until 2001 when the pair were signed by Yamaha Music Communications that they released their first single, “Sakura” (さくら/Cherry Blossom). capsule’s first album “High Collar Girl” – also released in 2001 – featured a sound almost unrecognisable in comparison with their later, more successful works. “High Collar Girl” had much less of a focus on the electronic sounds or synthesizers that the duo would later become known for. “High Collar Girl” failed to chart.


“Sakura” features a vastly different sound compared to the duo’s later work.

n 2003 the pair followed “High Collar Girl” with their next album “Cutie Cinema Replay”. Another odd release, “Cutie Cinema Replay” featured guest vocalists and an odd French theme prevalent throughout the album – complete with the use of accordions on several tracks. However, for all it’s strangeness “Cutie Cinema Replay” did manage to chart! At rank 232…

Undeterred at the lack of success so far, Nakata set up his own record label under Yamaha, “Contemode”. From there capsule began to grow from strength to strength, eventually finding their current sound – found in tracks such as 2006’s “jelly”, 2008’s “Jumper” and 2012’s “Step on the Floor” – and became a success.

Aside from his work with capsule, Nakata has managed to find the time to work with and produce the albums of a number of other big name Japanese artists. These artists include Perfume, MEG and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. (Yes, Nakata is the man that inflicted KPP onto the world…) Meanwhile Koshijima has focused her efforts solely on capsule.


The video for Jumper, from the album “More! More! More!”

To date, the duo has released 17 albums – including a self-remix album and three compilation albums. 2008’s “More! More! More!” was their biggest seller, managing to shift over 60,000 copies; a number that could be considered staggering when compared to “Cutie Cinema Replay” which struggled to make it past sales of 2,000. Their 2011 album had originally been scheduled to drop at the end of March that year under the working title of “Killer Wave”. Unfortunately, the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami caused the pair to album to delay and re-edit the album until a later May release under a new name and with a replacement title track “World of Fantasy”.


Neon road trip! (The video for “World of Fantasy”)

“World of Fantasy” became capsule’s highest charting album, reaching #3 in the Oricon Weekly Charts. Since then the pair have continued working together and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. Which is a good thing. Because they’re totally rad. And because Miss Koshijima has nice legs…

Anyway! Until next time!

GET SOCIAL WITH US!

If you aren’t following us on our various social networks, WHY NOT?!

http://www.twitter.com/twobeatsoff
http://www.facebook.com/twobeatsoffzine
http://twobeatsoff.tumblr.com
http://www.youtube.com/twobeatsoffzine

The more people we got following us on those, the more awesome stuff we’ll add to them. Simple as!

Modern Baseball – Sports

Sports is the debut full-length effort from Modern Baseball following a split release with Marietta. With a blend of indie, emo and pop, Modern Baseball bring song writing back to basics, but they prove that sometimes (although definitely not all of the time) the simpler the better. The melodies throughout are relatively straightforward and don’t ever achieve much in the way of complexity, but they do not try to. What they bring to the table is an album bursting with catchy rhythms and quite ordinary but far-reaching lyrics. As a band in their youth, Modern Baseball have definitely grasped the basics of a good song composition and stuck to it. They haven’t been overambitious, but they have been clinical thorough, moulding an album that will stay long in your memory.

“Re-Do” kicks of the album with a strong riff which builds up into regimented bursts of energy. The toing and froing between choruses and verses bring smooth changes of tempo with it and this is a common feature throughout the album, allowing for some miniature dramatic crescendos throughout in each song. The foot-tapping pace, which quickly develops into a belting chorus follows the singer’s “unrequited love for life”, before “Tears Over Beers”, one of the catchiest songs of the year never mind the album, shows the vocalist’s resentment of the typical teen story of the pretty girl who doesn’t know her own worth pining over some ‘jock’ while the ‘nerd’ looks on. Modern Baseball’s approach is a refreshing take on pop punk which emphasises the ‘pop’, but is perhaps lacking in the confused angst displayed by its noisier sister which places a little more emphasis on the ‘punk’ half of the equation.

Modern Baseball craft songs which are charmingly awkward as the narrative works through the emotional growth associated with the age group populated by those guys who are no longer boys but not yet men. Several songs on the record include explicit references to the digitalisation of modern culture, especially noticeable in “@chl03k” which describes conversations and relationships conveyed through Twitter and Facebook. This can make the songs sound a little too descriptive of a bland ordinary day in the life of a teenager, but it is part of what makes the listener become enveloped in each track. However the literality of the songs makes no room for artistic metaphor and they are left lacking much in the way of complexity, but this may enter in as the band matures.

One of the best things about Sports is its ‘relatability’. The lyrically simplistic songs detail events that will occur in the average life of every teenager. These themes jump from feeling socially inept when compared to the popular kids, the emotional struggles associated with leaving home, and as you would expect, teen love in all of its awkward and cringey glory. This is clearly nothing new and it could be argued that such themes form the basis of most young bands’ writing, but it’s their ability to get people singing along and empathising while keeping the issues and music itself simple that makes this debut a clear success. As a band in their youth Modern Baseball don’t only show a few green shoots and potential for growth, every bar of music resonates the promise locked inside Sports which could explode out into a very special second album. While I have picked out its simplicity as one of the keys to the success of this release, it would be nice to hear a bit more complexity and experimentation next time around, but what we are left with for now is a solid debut from a band you have to look out for in the future.

Four out of five high fives!