Robyn Writes

Artist Spotlight: Milk Teeth

Milk Teeth hail from Bristol. Possibly. At least, according to the tags on their Bandcamp releases. The truth is, Milk Teeth are pretty hard to nail down. I stumbled upon them at a standard hardcore gig at the 2 Pigs in Cheltenham. You know the type – couple of okay bands, couple of absolutely dire bands but they’re all local so you play nice and pretend you like everyone. But these guys were not your standard hardcore band. Instead, four kids who looked like they’d just stepped out of the 90s slung their instruments on and started to play post-hardcore inflected grunge that ripped the whole room a new one.

Undeterred by the terrible breakdowns and dirge-like vocals of their peers, Milk Teeth came out swinging with something completely different. Keen to make sure that I wasn’t just overawed simply because of that difference, I went onto the internet, found a handful of songs and ended up spending my afternoon with them on repeat.

So, as it turns out, Milk Teeth are Olly (drums), Becky (bass/vocals), Chris (guitar) and Josh (guitar/vocals). They started out in the summer as just Josh and Olly before they recruited the others and found the perfect mix. “Milk Teeth comes from a Japanese Voyeurs song… maybe,” they say, and it’s hard not to hear a hint of influence from the neo-grunge revival that Japanese Voyeurs brought about, something the band admit themselves – “As you would expect, you’ve got Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Japanese Voyeurs, Daylight, Title Fight… but at a band, we listen to a wide range of music so the sound we get is an amalgamation of all the bands we listen to.” When asked if they’d side with punk or grunge, they said “It’s pretty hard to say for us as we do encompass both styles heavily in our sound, but as we have to choose, I’d say grunge because none of us have a mohawk!” Basically, Milk Teeth are the band I wanted to be in when I was 14. Hell, they’re the band I want to be in now.

Take ‘Vanilla’, for example. Three minutes of hyper-distorted grunge, with vocals that sound more like Touché Amore than Nirvana, which has an atmospheric approach to melody that’s unrivalled by any other band in their field at the moment. It’s visceral, haunting and engaging, an effect that’s achieved through a fairly tight-knit approach – “Songwriting-wise, one of us will usually come to practice with a riff or a full song and we’ll jam it out between us. Changing parts, adding sections and so on until we have a full song. It’s a very shared affair.”

On the EP Smiling Politely, you can see this organic approach really come into fruition. It’s a fully accomplished record, full of serious riffs, punk attitude and extremely 90s guitar effects. It’s a far more balanced record than their earlier material and Becky’s vocals are featured more on ‘Forty Six’ and ‘Swear Jar’, her sweet verses countering Josh’s angst-ridden screams perfectly. It’s refreshing to see a band as raw as Milk Teeth, but with the musical know-how to back it up. Smiling Politely is simple, but accomplished, and the crowning example of that is ‘Wizard Battle’. These guys know how to throw down, but also how to craft a tune.

The 90s aesthetic that’s present in the songs spreads into their stripped-down live appearances too, although the band haven’t modelled themselves on anything in particular – “We’re all kids of the 90s and that decade spawned some of our favourite TV shows, movies and music, stuff we still love today. Consciously, we haven’t set out to recreate anything, but there are definite influences and similarities to bands of that era. It’s music we grew up with, and there’s definitely a resurgence of 90s influence currently; we just lucked out with it coinciding.”

That resurgence might well be to their advantage, as big things are on the way for Milk Teeth. Recently starting to work with Ian Dickinson of Sink Or Swim Management has been a particular highlight – “Yeah, we are fucking stoked on that! Ian is a hell of a dude and completely understands how we want to grow as a band! We already have things we are working on with him – I ain’t gonna tell you what – but it’s good, so keep an eye on us!”

However, they can reveal that they’re working on new material and playing shows in-between – “We are currently writing new material and are already playing a new song in our live set. Hoping to get in the studio around Christmas time if it all pans out and yes, lots of gigging! Come check us out; we promise a good time!”

Milk Teeth are Olly (drums), Becky (bass/vocals), Chris (guitar) and Josh (guitar/vocals). Their EP, Smiling Through, is currently available on cassette and MP3 from their Bandcamp page.

Review: We Are Fiction – One For Sorrow

Where to start? We Are Fiction have an album out, and you need it.

I must begin by saying that, although I try to be objective when reviewing new music, this may be the most horrifically biased review you read all year. I love We Are Fiction. Their 2009 EP was fun and filled with a kind of youthful rage and snarkiness that can’t be mimicked with age. Then came the obligatory big clean vocalist change; lineup changes are inevitable in young bands, and it’s no wonder so many musicians derail their creation before tapping into its real potential. But thankfully this was not the case for WAF. Cue a more streamlined sound, considered lyrics and a far more complimentary vocal blend. The We Are Fiction on ‘One For Sorrow’ is older, more polished and with a clear direction. That isn’t to say that the album is over-polished and dull (like some of their peers’ recent efforts), rather the energy, boundless optimism and infectious hooks have increased tenfold. This is powerful, home-grown music as it should be. Not a string of watery riffs and lyrics based on their tattoo potential. You need this album.

While some tracks such as the anthemic ‘Sail On’, soundtrack to a thousand break-ups ‘My Dreams Are Haunted’ and too-perky-for-words ‘The Worst Of It’ have been released prior to the album launch, this doesn’t alter the fresh enjoyment of the album. ‘A Thousand Places to Sleep’ kicks off proceedings with a deliciously old school (if you’re my age, at least) riff that compels you to move from the first lick. But a catchy hook isn’t enough; we get our first masterclass in blending harmonies in melodic post-hardcore. This is Alexisonfire with a library card; rage swaddled in poetic sincerity. ‘Bright Lights’ is fun; designed for crowd interaction and ridiculous dancing. Come tour season, venues will fold to this song. ‘Mansion House’ (presumably named after the cheap-yet-delicious alcoholic drink, rather than the tube station) is very much in the same vain- a fun, party-ready song filled with opportunities to headbutt your mate and throw some terrifying shapes. ‘Forget About Me’ is a delightfully unexpected musical interlude that proves We Are Fiction don’t only write songs to hurl yourself across the room to.  A gentle piano-led introduction builds to a frankly beautiful denouement; a sound so full and rich that you’d fight the compulsion to bathe in it. ‘Old Wounds’ is a blend of We Are Fiction’s trademarks; familiar guitar tones blend with mellow harmonies, all layered over impressively controlled rougher vocals (calling them ‘shouts’ or ‘screams’ hardly does it justice) to ensure a firm fan favourite.

‘Tilt’ shows off vocalist Phil Barker’s rougher range amazingly; his natural tone would be envied by many large hardcore bands, and when layered over Marc Kucharski’s ethereal vocal melodies, the whole sound becomes far greater than the sum of its parts. Slap bang in the middle of ‘Tilt’ is a guest vocalist, and the start of your new favourite collaboration.  Xidus Pain, a Peterborough-based hip hop artist, stomps in with a rap that you’ll rewind the track to learn. They don’t slip into TRC territory, but the blending of three vocal stylings is so pleasing that you’ll be hard pushed to do anything but grin from ear to ear. But one of the true highlights on One For Sorrow is the bafflingly titled ‘Wladyslaw’. For the most part; it’s a stripped down track; Kucharski croons over gentle instrumentals. That is until the heart-shattering chorus of ‘I never got the chance to tell you how much I love you’ blasts through the comfortable simplicity of the track and even the most casual listener hangs on every last word they sing.

One For Sorrow shows a phenomenal range of songwriting talents and musicianship. We Are Fiction have created a beautiful monster, ready to be adored by fans and envied by peers. Regardless of age, gender or musical taste, this album will provide the soundtrack to part of your life, and you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: The Way They Run – Safe Haven [EP]

You don’t normally associate big hooks and harmonies with Swedish punk rock. Fast? Yep. Lots of woahs? Possibly. Generally crushing and anti-capitalist? You got it. The Way They Run certainly combine a few elements of these, along with a much more melodic vibe that’s more akin to American heavyweights Hot Water Music and Samiam than their contemporaries. The question is, does it pay off for new EP Safe Haven?

I’m pleased to say that it totally does. From the opening chords of ‘Eyewitness’, that classic Midwest feel starts to come through, but as soon as Claes starts singing, it takes on a life of its own and becomes something much more. The EP as a whole is totally solid – there’s a great rhythm section, lots of punchy riffs and a production level that’s not overpolished but still lets everyone shine through. Looking past all the sweet harmonies and backing vocals, Safe Haven definitely has a bit of weight behind it too. ‘Between Wages’ takes inspiration from a heavier scene, and there’s a fantastic bit where the guitar gallops and Claes sings “I bite my lips, I clench my fist, and I fade away” before launching into a tune-heavy chorus that evokes images of abandonment and loss. It’s powerful stuff, and it’s threaded a little more subtly throughout the rest of the EP, but The Way They Run are best when they’re frank and open. And before it all gets too deep for you, the EP’s closer, ‘Cross Bearer’, finishes on a sweet little breakdown that’s enough to melt the heart of any hardened punk.

There’s a couple of moments on first listen where songs start to lose their potency and feel over extended – ‘Between Wages’ is the longest track on the EP and definitely seems guilty of this at first. But this record is certainly a grower. Give it a chance and soon enough, you’ll find it playing on repeat for days.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Top 10 Punk Rock Beards – The Band Edition

It’s time. Our punk rock beard list finally returns. Some of you may or may not remember a piece that I wrote in 2008, compiling some of my favourite dudes and their super rad beards. I didn’t expect it to be a big thing, but somehow now, when you search ‘punk beard’, we’re the first thing on Google. It’s been a big year for facial hair, so it’s time to get serious. Get ready for the band edition.

DISCLAIMER: this might just be a list of sweet bands who have a couple of members with beards, either currently or just ‘tour beards’. But who gives a shit, there’s beards involved!

10) Summerslam 88
Summerslam 88 very rarely have facial hair but when they do, they look like skeezy 80s dudes. They also do sweet skatepunk that sounds like the Offspring when they were good.

9) North Lincoln
Beard punk. What a genre. Were North Lincoln ever really ‘beard punk’? Probably not, but they were kind of brilliant. And look at that full beardage going on there.

8) Fights and Fires
Worcester ‘geekcore’ lads like sitting on cannons, apparently. They also like beards a lot because their current logo is a guy with a massive beard. And most of them have one in some way or another!

7) Every Time I Die
Do you remember that time when all of Every Time I Die thought ‘fuck it, we’re all gonna grow beards and look kinda dirty?’ I sure as hell do. It was awesome. And if nothing else, Andy Williams has enough beard for everyone.

6) The Menzingers
Quintessentially rugged and responsible for some of the finest punk records of the 21st Century. You know it.

5) The Lawrence Arms
I don’t care if they’re not real moustaches. Nobody cares if they’re not real moustaches. And now these dudes have signed to Epitaph, which is not the home of the beard, but, along with another band further down on our list, they’re making it a classier place.

4) Darko
Darko’s beards were unexpected and highly surprising. But excellent. Skatepunk probably shouldn’t involve beards but I’m very glad it does.

3) Bike Tuff
We did a feature on these guys a few months ago, and while Into Shore is probably my favourite emo-revival-esque record right now (and possibly forever), these dudes all have pretty sweet beards.

2) letlive.
Jason Aalon Butler’s beard is a thing of beauty. Furious, furious beauty. Nothing else needs to be said.

1) Arliss Nancy
LOOK AT THE MAJESTY OF THOSE BEARDS. Arliss Nancy probably couldn’t function without said beards. Americana blended with punk aesthetic to create something kind of beautiful, Wild American Runners is deep and heartfelt with a touch of jaded gruffness that can only come from beards that excellent.

Honorable mention: Enter Shikari
Can one class Shikari as punk? I suppose that imposing trance on post-hardcore and trying to make people more aware of the broken society we live in through their lyrics is pretty punk. Not usually known for the beard, this new video reveals a different side to them…

Shout out: new Last Night’s Victory EP out now!

Hey music fans, do you like stuff with synths and guitars all blended together in a glorious mess with gang vocals and massive drops?

Of course you do.

So Last Night’s Victory have a new EP out RIGHT NOW. You can check it out on their Bandcamp and download it for free, or order a T-shirt and CD bundle (which you obvz should) for a humble tenner. I’ve been listening to it pretty solidly for the past couple of weeks in between all my AFI fangirling so you know that’s a recommendation.

Happy Friday!

xoxo – Robyn