Robyn Writes

Review: State Lines – For The Boats

Yep. This’ll be a Tiny Engines release then. All of their acts that I’ve heard so far (Dikembe, Desolate Peaks, Jowls etc) have the distinctive quality of being able to squeeze a lot of sonic action into deceptively short songs.
This, the second or “sophomore” full-length release by Long Island NYC’s State Lines – is no exception. Within the general confines of a sparsely-produced, 8-trackish sounding guitar / drums / bass formula – entirely reminiscent of fellow NYC outfits For Serious this time and Sneeze – this covers a lot of stylistic ground, while avoiding any filler. Now. Is it emo? Is it pop punk? Is it lo-fi? Is it post hardcore? Is it garage punk? It’s all of ’em. You’d be fairly fucked if you tried to file it under a single itunes genre tag. You get forays into all of these territories, and a few more. There’s a lot of good stuff going on here, and it takes a few listens to get it all, such as the nods to white boy hip hop (Shady Existence), grunge (Water Song – spot the Nirvana homage), straight acoustic (Where it’s Warm) and even Nick Drake-style folk (For the Ears).

I hear their debut release was a touch limp – bit too much moping and no trousers. Whilst there’s a ruck of emotional vulnerability on display here, there’s also backbone: deliberately sharp lyrical edges and snarly vocals that deliver some acid turns of phrase with absolute sincerity and, well, charm. And that lift matters comfortably clear of wet blouse indie guitar territory. Lyrically, this is a collection of simple little vignettes of post-childhood, pre-adult life in maritime US suburbia: tales of driving in your minivan (The Same Mistake); beaches covered in snow (Tuesday Morning); and of quietly missing the simplicity and expectancy of being a kid (Kids, Indian Burn). Snapshots of ordinary loss, failure to live up to expectations. That sort of thing. And very winsome it is too.

In all, these boys have crafted a long player with a maturity of sound that belies the angst and confessional subject matter – and the goofy outtakes slipped in amongst the actual tracks themselves. There’s a unifying theme woven in here, references to ships and that slipped in across all the tracks – it’s called “for the boats” for a reason. I’ve not worked out what that reason is, but this is no way detracts from what is an accomplished and stylish work of ultra-modern East Coast guitar music.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Shout out – Surprise Attacks in Worcester tomorrow!

Surprise Attacks – Fine purveyors of Punk and Noise to the Big Bad Wu since May 2013 – are pleased to bring you the third of sonic excellence this Thursday, 1st August at the Firefly, Lowesmoor, Worcester… All the details on Facebook.

An epic trio of new bands spanning the length of the Midlands.
LAYERS bring their brand of soulful, emo-influenced rockin’ hardcore down the M5 from Brum, ahead of their debut EP release and on the back of much positive press attention for their energetic live shows. Ay it!
PLANECRASHER bring their Black Flag/Hives meets Albini-influenced riffage over the border from Herefordshire. Wear ear plugs.
EMPIRE (UK) head the other direction up the M5 from Chelters with a wild live show like Faith No More gone hardcore. Tidy!

The usual recession busting £3 entry – and parking’s universally free after 8 too.

Looking further ahead, acts already confirmed include:
Sept 5th – Baby Godzilla (Nottingham) / The Callout (Redditch) / TBC
Sept 25th – Crucial Section (Japan) / Geriatric Unit (Ex Heresy) / King Of Pigs
The Crucial Section gig alone is enough to make any discerning hardcore fan wet themselves with anticipation. Come join us.

Review: Bankrupt – Goodbye Blue Monday

Now. We all love the punk formula, right. Songs no longer than 3 and a half minutes. Guitar. Bass. Drums. Keep it simple. Do what you want. Never, ever take it too seriously.

This neat little EP from Budapest’s Bankrupt – available free to download from their website if you like them on that facetube, or the price of a pint of Magners straight off bandcamp – sticks to the formula. And makes absolutely no pretensions of doing otherwise.

Opening on a Ramones-y kick, and rattling brightly along with heavy heavy nods to the Dwarves, the Buzzcocks and generally an original ’78/79 pop-punk type vibe… there’s little or nothing to dislike here.

The toothy vocals and simple as fuck three piece instrumental set up is easy to digest, the old school as you like influences are clear to see from three hundred miles away – but this is good natured, bounce along fare. Even when they wish you would just fuckin’ die (“Timewaster”) it’s not something you’d take to heart and find anything other than charming.

Don’t expect a hard core in this. But if you want the punk equivalent of a sherbert dip (anyone under the age of thirty – google is your friend here), then go on – like these hard working central European dudes on faceybook, or hit bandcamp and run a couple of quid through paypal. Nothing to lose. And a warm afterglow to gain.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Band Mango – Lifelong Contract

Scandinavia has been a productive spawning ground for new and interesting music for a long time now – their Black and Doom metal is well known, and propositions like Meshuggah and Kvelertak are making waves across the heavy and extreme music scenes right across Europe. They do a lucrative line in pop and post-punk too. As we also know. Not heard much from the states across the Baltic Sea though – so this brand new maxi-EP’s worth of Latvian Ska-Punk is an intro (for me anyway) to what their neighbours have to say for themselves.

And so. Band name is goofy as. But this is not material meant to be taken too seriously. In the packet you get all the usual ingredients: brass (i.e. sax and horns), guitars, infectious percussion – and energy. Lots of energy. Energy is perhaps the defining quality of Ska-P. Which is why Operation Ivy’s timeless and genre-defining classic “Energy” was called just that. So already, we’re away.

The sound is thick and well-produced – it’s not as hard-edged or as abrasive as say, Random Hand, and definitely more at the Fishbone / Reel Big Fish end of the spectrum. The vocals are all in all rather clean, there’s minimal distortion to the guitars and overall this is a bit like the Blues Brothers do Emo. The vocalist puts me right in mind of the big-faced lad out of Fallout Boy. And nothing wrong with that. All in all I categorise this as: Bouncy Baltic Emo-Ska.

Categories and taxonomy can get tedious – and let’s face it, it’s all about the music, maaan. And it is. Lyrically this is boy-meets-girl, love your ‘hood type of fare (no different to Mighty Mighty Bosstones then) – and all good-natured and pace-y. Standout tracks are five (I stole the best years of your life): an almost metallic quality to the ska here; and six (The Game): spritely and tight with particularly sweet horn work.
In sum – bouncy, bright, feel good and upbeat, and hope this release opens doors so they can start cutting it more widely across the euro festival circuit.

Oh, and play Worcester. Go on. Dare ya.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Live: The Computers – The Rainbow Birmingham, 23/5/13

They say that every generation thinks it’s invented Rock and Roll. Me, I think it just keeps coming round again, a little bit better each time. The Computers are something fairly special. Their 2011’s “This is the Computers” kinda set the standard for skinny-legged 100-mile an hour rocky punk. “Music is Dead” was one of the ace-est tracks I heard that year by a long stretch. Some have suggested that their new one – Love Triangles, Hate Squares – is a departure. More mainstream sound, easy listening and Amazon-friendly than their previous output. This is not a review of that album. This is a review of their performance at the venue at the far end of the artsy drag in Birmingham’s Digbeth (The Rainbow). But this does all kind of come into it.

Afraid to say I totally missed the support act – the Dead Formats. Hands up. However, saw them a few years back in Leamington and they’re a really good neo-proto-punk/pub rock outfit – Kinks riffs, but look utterly shitnails hard (I think they’re from Canvey Island or Southend or somewhere similar) and have a certain bearing. So I’m sure (and have been told) they did a decent turn. Not going to argue with that. The new stuff sounds great, too. Sorry chaps. Complicated story to do with the M40.

And so. The Computers. 5 skinny boys from Devon in matching shiny suits. Think Rocket From the Crypt, but fresher faced and somehow undeniably English-looking. And very dapper they all looked, too. I think the Rainbow’s gig space was made for them. The way the lighting gantry and the communion rail thing they have by the stage are set up is ideal for the lounging and writhing their pocket rocket front man goes in for. He spent half the set literally hanging off the gantry, writhing, and a decent part of the rest in amongst the audience. (He’s a mean little mosher too. All elbows and a hard, sweaty head).

Musically tight, they hammered out all of the strongest tracks on their new album and some of the older, punkier stuff (including Music is Deeeeadddddd!!!). I don’t know whether it was just the quality of the mixing but the sound was (genuinely) crisp and note-perfect. And all led along nicely by the saucily grinding little monkey man in the suit with the guitar – and one of the best screams in music right now.

And this is where the rock and roll comes in. Yes, they are still a band properly steeped in punk – raucous and individualistic – but there was a hell of a lot of Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard in their performance. The ever-jiggling right legs, the unashamed balladeering of say, Mr Saturday Night switching to full throttle piano-key driven rock’n’rollers like “Disco Sucks”… every generation rediscovers something great that the ones before left behind and puts a new spin on it. Looks like these guys found theirs in Sun Records – live at least. There’s a load of other retro hooks in the album – from Motown to 70’s garage. Check it out.

I was also entertained by the capering antics of the Kerrang DJ Matt Stocks and his crew (he’s a cute little fellow, too. And looks about 14). Good to see a man involved in these things professionally so obviously going off to his music.

So – in sum – their new album is a bit soft in parts, and possibly too soft for some, but they’ve lost none of their poke live.