My Top 10 Albums Of 2016

10: Catfish And The Bottlemen The Ride

“To every ex I didn’t treat right / To every Monday I called in sick / To every argument I let slide”

At the start of the year I kept seeing the name Catfish And The Bottlemen. On Twitter. On Facebook. On ‘You might like’ suggestions on youtube but other than having a ridiculous name I knew nothing about them and never thought to venture into knowing more about them. Mainly because they had a ridiculous name. A friend then said they liked them and we soon saw them at Radio 1’s Big Weekend and they impressed greatly. Over the next few months I got to know the album very well on said friend’s car stereo. I became a bit of a unwitting convert to Botfish And The Cattleprods (or whatever they’re called).

There are all the elements of nineties Brit rock going: Sneering vocals, basic song structures and most importantly – catchy as fuck. There’s certainly a strong Oasis vibe too. These songs of being unemployed, getting drunk and having arguments with girlfriends are set to be soundtrack of a new generation the same way Oasis were mine. Yes, I’m old thanks for noticing.

 

9: The Duke Spirit KIN

“There you go into the light and break this heart of mine”

The very definition of a slow burner. It took me quite  a few listens to fully get how stunning a record this is. For KIN, the wonderful clattering, dirty sounding rock and roll of The Duke Spirit has been refined into an atmospheric wall of beautiful noise. Chiming guitars take over from full charged riffs. Leila Moss is still prowling your speakers, her husky voice as powerful as ever but the intent is less one of attack and more of contemplation.

Wounded Wing manages to sounds both world weary and optimistic. ‘100 Horses Run sparkles with pure beauty. These are tunes which will subtly enter your consciousness without you even realising. There is still plenty of bite in the stormers too. Side By Side is a brooding, unrelenting juggernaut of bashing drums with a killer chorus.

A different Duke Spirit maybe but this one as still as vital as ever. Get lost in KIN and you won’t want to come back in a hurry. Sometimes the things we have to work at understanding are the most rewarding.

 

8:: She Makes War Direction Of Travel

“We throw insults, the world throws stones”

She Makes war (AKA Laura Kid has lived up to the name of her third long player. It is Goth, grunge, poppy and electronic .Guitars, synths, strings and ukuleles combine to form a rich tapestry of masterful angst. It does indeed have many directions and an plethora of ideas but it is not a garbled mess. It’s focused, mature and incredibly beautiful.

Cold Shoulder is a dirty (in both senses) sounding rant at a lover: “What’s coming for me, ex-girlfriend or STD? / Don’t call me baby”. Then we have In Cold Blood which feels like it was recorded in a darkly lit room with Laura loitering around the corner holding a knife. The downbeat Alone still has a knack of making a chorus that says “We’re always all alone” sound kind of unifying.

Things take  a melodic turn with the lovely Paper Thin, a duet with Tanya Donelly which has an almost fairy tale quality to it. Stargazing is a light, floating string laden piece of epicness. The tune sounds positive despite the lyrics being less so. 5000 Miles is a club banger.. if that club is for introverts only. Mark Chadwick of The Levellers also pops up for a folky duet in ‘Time To Be Unkind’

On another note, Direction Of Travel would win the album cover of the year award. If I could be arsed to do one.

 

7: Muncie Girls From Caplan to Belsize

” For the next few years you can laugh and joke about your next victim / But when you’re all grown up and your daughter cries you’ll be sorry you did this”

Any band who references Sylvia Plath for their album title is more than OK by me. Fronted by the annoyingly multi talented Lande Hekt (singer, guitarist, drummer in a few bands) Muncie Girls have been part of the Exeter scene for a while now and it’s great to finally hear the songs on record.

From Caplan To Belsize is rammed full of what should be punk pop classics with more hooks than coat hanger fetishist cloakroom but there’s much more at play here. The brilliant lyricism which confront issues such as rape culture (Respect) and battling with anxiety (Social Side). The fact that a song called ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It‘ perversely manages to be a euphoric singalong sums it up. OI! OI! Balloon also needs a shout out for being a tune of stadium sized proportions. It’s loud, bouncy and pretty much over before you’ve even had time to google what a ‘Muncie’ is.

 

6: Emma Pollock In Search Of Harperfield

” To never repeat / Is ambition sweet / These days that last longer / These days feel like weeks”

Emma Pollock fronted one of my favourite ever bands, lo fi pop noise makers The Delgados. They disbanded too soon like most of my favourite bands do. Her voice has always been like honey to me, imagine Sophie Ellis-Bextor with a strong Scottish lilt. This is ABSOLUTELY fine with me.

In Search Of Harperfield, her third solo album has a deep strong sense of reminiscing about a youth gone, the title itself refers to her parents home but there’s no rose tinted glasses being worn here for it is plaintive without being self absorbed, the sadness lifted by beautiful, catchy arrangements. Cannot Keep A Secret is a brilliantly dizzy waltz of an opener and is followed up by the punchier Don’t Make me Wait, shot through with punchy strings. Alabaster is a subtle synth death march (“Bring me the head of happiness dead”). The softly vengeful Clemency purrs “I will clip your wings whilst sleeping / If you venture home again / And I will cut your legs from under you / If you so much as say her name”. With poetry slaying like this, words win over power any day.

A record that drips with raw emotion and life affirming melodies. It doesn’t come with a huge fanfare, or even a small one for that matter. The music does the talking and I for one, am all ears.

 

5: Savages Adore Life

“Is it human to adore life?..”

Savages have stretched their short sharp slabs of military punk and contorted them into something a bit different which makes album number two an evolution from the debut. The bass as ever is at the forefront but the guitar playing and sound is at an extra level. Poetic in its heaviness, graceful in the solos and still sounding nasty as fuck, most notably on Surrender and T.I.W.Y.G. Jehnny Beth’s vocals are fierce, giving the songs an even further dimension of intensity.

There’s more feedback, more reverb, more breakdowns, more build ups, more gaps to let the sense of unease in. Adore ebbs and flows, narcissistically holding off the kick in almost as a form of punishment.

It’s almost a concept album on relationships but don’t worry, they’ve not turned all Adele on us. This is all about the darker side of love (“I’m not gonna hurt you/ ‘Cause I’m flirting with you”) and sexuality (“When I take a man or a woman / They’re both the same / They’re both human”) It’s the same but different. It’s Savages still being Savage and thank badness for that.

 

4: Black Foxxes I’m Not Well

“Just another empty face in this hollow resort”

There was me thinking i was pretty up to date on the local Exeter music scene but.. no. Black Foxxes didn’t enter my world until late in the year when someone told me about them playing in town. I didn’t go. I’m sure they must have played Exeter a few times but I guess lots of bands have the words ‘black’ and ‘foxes’ (albeit spelt correctly) in their title so maybe nothing stood out initially. Who knows. Better late than never I suppose.

I’m Not Well feels like grunge updated. Sort of like Pearl Jam if they had ever been good or rocked. Actually not like Pearl Jam at all then. Forget that. For a debut, the talent on offer is very special and it is also rare for a first outing to be so wonderfully produced. It’s heavy and clear as day. The use of screeching feedback and noise mid songs are a highlight. Mark Holley’s vocal’s sound fragile one second and like Smaug the dragon in an angry showdown with hobbits the next.

So the tune then, oh the tunes. Not exactly what you could describe as easy listening, the songs are shot through with lots of pain and anxiety. Some are instantly catchy and some you may have to break through the shredded guitars and anguish to grasp. Hearts are very much on sleeves, their blood and guts very much on the floor and all for our listening displeasure. It may not a joyous noise but what a fucking brilliant noise..

 

3: Honeyblood Babes Never Die

“HEY, HEY, IT’S JUST A LITTLE HEARTBREAK”

This is Honeyblood’s lo-fi grunge gone a full screen, cineamatic technicolour. Clearly not a band to rest on their laurels, Stina and Cat have raised the bar even higher with a collection of what might constitute as heavy, twisted power ballads (Sea Hearts and Walking At Midnight in particular). Sister Wolf is a dancey slice of sinister fun as is Love Is A Disease with an added kick from “new bassist” Seb. Tour in-joke. Don’t ask.

The heavier moments growl with menace, especially the chugging riffs of Justine, Misery Queen which melodically switches between bitter and sweet.Gangs sounds like Howling Bells on a really bad day. It’s a compliment, honestly. As for Ready For The Magic, it simply kicks arse. The title track too is a raucous feminist anthem about sticking together.

It’s an album which shows a broader range and a vision that truly marks Honeyblood as ones to watch (if there was any doubt before). Babes Never Die conjures up images of dark spirits in a gloomy woodland and a very brightly lit future in the trees.

 

2: Slaves Take Control

“Abide by the rules that were set by the fools”

In a year when we’ve heard the literally meaningless slogan “take back control” spouted again and again by career politicians it’s nice that Slaves have taken back taking control from them. Sort of. Clearly a prolific band, this follows very quickly on from last year’s debut which must mean the quality suffers, right? No chance.

It starts in a fit of rage with the a Mikey flatmate offending Spit It Out, that is all spiky riffs and shouting and they keep hammering at your senses. Consumed Or Be Consumed is a tirade on .. well consumerism with snarling riffs and rapping. It’s like the Beastie Boys let loose on the streets of Laaandan. Money, class and the elite play strongly on their minds. Rich man berates a rich man. Or a man called Richard Man. Maybe. Lies is a heavy blues take on the theme: “Hollow eyes / suits and Ties / power comes at a price / one mans hell / another’s paradise”. It continues “Stopping signs of life in the factory of death / in the shadow of the city, we’ve got nothing left”. As ever with Slaves, the messages are well meaning and (mostly) serious but the soundtrack is so heavy and loud that you don’t have to have a social conscience to have fun. Though please do have one because that would make you weird otherwise. It sweeps you along on pure adrenaline and bravado. It’s all magnificent. Unless you’re a hi-hat. In which case you’re fucked. The People That You Meet is a unique tale of bumping into local characters around town: “I walked into a sex shop / the lady had a beard”.

Then they go and surprise us in the second half. Steer Clear is a low key eighties indie ode to road safety (“Please don’t kill yourself behind that steering wheel”). Cold Hard Floor is an atmospheric dirge driven by deep bass and pained yelping. STD’s/PHD’s is a gloriously moody, chiming club floor filler.. or club floor emptier depending on your opinion. Though “TV meals / self destruction / know how it feels don’t you?” hardly screams Pete Tong. Though society has all gone Pete Tong and Slaves are supplying the best possible soundtrack to our end of days. They might just save the best for last – Same Again is viscous and it’s drum / riff breakdown towards the end is the stuff of dreams. This is not more of the same from Slaves. The best second albums take the work of a debut and adds new twists. Slaves have so much energy, fury and imagination they are already at the top of their game. Wherever they go from here will be noisy, fun and life affirming. If they aren’t headlining Reading by their third album then the world is more wrong than even Slaves think it is.

 

1: The Tuts Update Your Brain

“I can’t cry off my eyeliner flicks for anyone”

A case of faith rewarded, belief justified. When your own personal hype for a band is exceeded it’s not just rare, it’s frankly miraculous. The energy of the band’s personalities and live show has been compressed into twelve soundbites that implode at every opportunity.

It is an album that is extremely fun, deeply serious and very loud. Through indie, punk, ska, pop and rap they take on the media, sexism, politics and to be honest, the whole wide world. It’s confidence is staggering, it walks the walk, talks the talk and has the courage to back up its conviction.

Back in September I gave Update Your Brain 9/10 for much the same reason the judges on Strictly don’t dish out tens in the first week. Put simply, this is only album number one and there are still even greater things to follow. Just wait until you see their next dance.

This is my original review of ‘Update Your Brain’. It has slightly more words.

 

 

Insane In The Upbrain. The Tuts: Update Your Brain (Album Review)

“Patience is a virtue” goes the saying and if that is true then fans of The Tuts are positively saintly. It’s been nearly four years since they went on their ever first tour supporting Kate Nash, with whom they were near permanent stage buddies in 2013. They’ve quietly been making a name for themselves by touring with the likes of The Selecter and Sonic Boom Six. I say quietly but that’s not really true is it? They’ve thrashed their instruments, shouted at us between songs and hair whipped any last doubts into submission. The Tuts make an impression which has manifested itself in a fan base that ranges from teenage girls seeing future versions of themselves to, rather paradoxically, middle aged men hearing glimmers of their lost youth in the racket emanating from the stage. It’s not been an easy journey to get here, there have been barriers in the way of their bid for world domination and I for one, was starting to have doubts if an album would ever surface at all. Ambition though is a beast that can’t be muted and Nadia Javed (vocals/guitar) Harriet Doveton (bass) and Beverly Ishmael (drums) have it in spades and a lifeline came through the medium of Pledge Music. They have entirely fan funded this debut which feels wholly apt considering how close the relationship between fans and band has always been. “Good things come to those who wait” goes another cliche but so too do fucking awesome things and The Tuts have delivered despite (or maybe because of) the weight of their own expectations.  Update Your Brain feels like their destiny fully realised.

It must have been difficult choosing which of the older material to leave out and songs of the calibre of Beverley and All Too Late have been omitted and will have to remain in their original EP form. So to the classic Tuts tracks that have been included then: Dump Your Boyfriend is a mad old combination of sixties girl group pop and grunge with indie guitar squeals. It’s that age old conundrum of wanting to leave a relationship (“He took my liberty away / he clipped my wings so I stay”) but made to sound shiny and new. Always Hear The Same Shit is damn near perfect with its stop start riffs making way for a verbal assault on the music industry “wha-wha-wha what’s the point in you?” could easily be a tirade against all the acoustic male singers with beards. It’s a beautiful and fun noise that would happily blitz Ed Sheeran if he was recording in the studio next door. But then he’d probably cry. And write a song about it. Album closer Back Up comes from the same place. It is The Tut’s philosophy in one short but glorious diatribe of feedback and chanting. “How do you know if you don’t have a go?” indeed. There’ll be teenagers listening to that thinking “I’ll have a go then”

The only oldie that suffers a bit for me is I Call You Up which lacks the deftness of touch that so suited the original. That is a minor quibble because it is still a power pop wonder and would be even if it was recorded in a swamp. Perhaps the highlight of the classics is Tut Tut Tut a song that has been transformed by an added growl. Bev’s drums sounding more powerful than ever with the funkier bassline and the subtle gear shift in the second verse where Nadia goes proper gangster with “who the fuck are they anyway / by the sixth guitar solo / oh no” I’m already hoping the next album has plenty of Nadia rapping over the rhythm section. I would have been more than happy if both Do I Have To Look For Love and a new version of Worry Warrior had made the track listing but it just goes to show how spoilt for choice they were.

How wonderful it is to report that the production is really loud and not too polished. For the first time on record there’s a feel that’s pretty close to the live experience. I was never expecting the album to feel quite so full on and relentless but it is a joyous surge of adrenaline from the opening seconds. There’s more than catchy as hell tunes at play though. Lyrically there are many themes. The music industry itself is at the sharp end of their knife, most notably on 1982. It’s ridiculous infectiousness doesn’t at all hide the subject matter: a manager in the music industry out of sorts with the times: “I’m respected, well connected, I knew everyone in 1982”. What’s On The Radio takes a swipe at the abundance of male bands, or rather the lack of girl bands given a chance in the industry. “I don’t like it / I wanna fight it / I wanna fight it” and they really are fighting it for all they are worth. A notable mention too for its brilliant middle eight which reminds me of The Bluetones for reasons I’m not quite sure of. But sssh, they were a boy band that used to get played on the radio.

In the political unrest of Give Us Something Worth Voting we hear “Your strategies keep us alienated / we’re demonised just because we’re frustrated” but the catchy ska beat belies the message and when we get to “people power / knock down Tory Towers” we want to smash the system with a smile on our face.  But then toppling the Tories would bring a smile to your face wouldn’t it? While this is a very socially conscious album there is no sense that we are being preached to and no desire to fester in negativity. They’re saying everything they have to say but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time in the process. Come along for the ride, a degree in sociology isn’t necessary. Sexism and the patriarchy is a strong running theme too but it is channelled into a positive anger. Proactive not reactive. There’s no introspection bringing things down. There’s only one song that sounds remotely reflective and that’s the acoustic ode to friendship. You’re So Boring is a floaty lullaby where Nadia  presumably disses her fella “(I’d rather be out with my friends touring”). Bantz over boys, being with the band beats arguing over who’s turn it is to do the washing up.

Update Your Brain draws from its influences and moulds them into something fresh and exciting. It is their declaration of intent, it is all their previous experience and ambition bottled up and spewed out into one near perfect slice of musical youth. It is the embodiment of what all the greatest debut albums are borne from – a need to escape, a will to challenge the norm. Noel Gallagher was once quoted as saying he’d written everything he wanted to say on Definitely Maybe and while it’s likely many artists feel the same about their first material, for The Tuts there’s still plenty of injustices to fight, barriers to surge over (literal and metaphorical), as well as all those glass ceilings to break with excessive hair whipping. 2016 needs The Tuts and the patriarchy will soon know it.  9/10

Lazy journalist style comparisons:

  

Echobelly – ON (1995) Pure power pop perfection

The Libertines – Up The Bracket (2002) Update Your Brain’s more jangly moments have a Libertines vibe.

Green Day – Uno! (2012)  No holds barred punk fun

TWO YEARS OF TUTTAGE

Almost two years ago, for a Kate Nash show just off Plymouth’s grubby and well.. a bit stabby.. bus station, a force of nature was about to enter my life. I go to quite a few gigs and that means quite a few support bands, a lot of whom can just pass you by. The Tuts are not here to pass anybody by. Ok, I admit it, I am quite partial to a woman in dungarees and here was THREE of them. Instant glamour radiating from this most shabby of surroundings. But it’s much more than that, it’s the things that I’ve grown to love more and more over the past two years.

– The energy and conviction of their show.
– Hair whipping. Seriously, don’t underestimate the power of hair whipping.
– The madness that usually follows them about like a shit crazy bat.
– The image. They not only look like rock stars – THEY ARE ROCK STARS. They’re glamorous AND kick ass. Neither afraid to be too glamorous or “normal” for want of a much better word. A lot of male bands I love have dabbled in femininity (Manics, Mansun, Placebo etc) and I used to myself when I was skinnier!. The Tuts project a “This is us, if you don’t like it sod off” vibe which is refreshing in this climate of mundane fake soul boy singers.
– Their willingness to stand up for what they believe in, be it sexism or hatred of the Tories. YES, FUCK THE TORIES.
– The eye wateringly hilarious interviews. Honestly. Comedy gold.
– The fact that, for all the fun they are deeply ambitious. They want people to hear them. They want to sell records and play to loads of people. Why did that ever become a shameful thing for bands to admit? It is music, it is MEANT for ears.

 The legend himself

The second time I saw them in Gloucester they had a fourth member, Fernando. a blow up doll. He didn’t really add to the dynamic but it was still sad news be told at a later date that he’d passed away before having the opportunity to be sacked. Rest In Peace Fernando, rarely a day goes by when I actually think about you. Sorry. And so, in 2013 I saw them another four or five times, my personal highlight was when they OWNED Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Or they did until a dull man band killed the vibe. What were they called, anyone remember? Now they DID pass me by.

A random drunk man in Exeter. He never became a full-time member

As a result of Tuttage (this is now a real word) I’ve found out more about ‘Dovetown’ and all it represents (the magnificent Colour Me Wednesday) and discovered an exciting DIY scene (Perkie, Block Fort, Ay Carmela!, Martha, Onsind to name some).

Last Saturday I made my way to Bristol in a last minute bid to see them supporting The Selecter. I had no ticket and no way of getting in. Half an hour before The Tuts were due on stage someone on Facebook contacted me with a spare. What with travel, I ended paying £30 to watch them play a 30 minute set. A pound per minute. And you know what, it was worth it. Yes, I may be a twat but I was a happy twat.

After a gig last year, Bev asked me why I liked The Tuts. Now, I’m not the quickest thinker on the block and that mixed with being filmed at the time resulted in a shy,  rubbish “I don’t know” response. I do know. Of course I know. I really should have said “Because they’ve got the tunes and the attitude. 2015 badly needs them – it just doesn’t know it yet”.

So there you go Bev, there’s your answer.

 

The Tuts – Hatchet Inn, Bristol

If you can’t be won over by a band who heckle Boris Johnson by singing “NEVER TRUST A TORY!” to him in a library then you may just have a heart of stone. Wherever The Tuts go things happen. Good things, funny things, crazy things – sometimes all at once. On this, the bands first (literal) invasion of Bristol they tried to break into the nearby O2 academy and blag their way onto the bill for the Jamie T gig. There lies an ambition and fire in them that bursts out much bigger than any library or, in tonight’s case, what feels like a living room above a pub. Which is fitting because if there’s any justice they should one day be playing Academy sized venues themselves as headliners.

The band take to the stage looking spectacular in Halloween themed costumes and as soon as singer Nadia fires up the guitar and crashes into a punky, catchy version of ‘Beverley’ we hear that full on, chaotic intent realised into one three minute pop song. What follows is a powerhouse of what sound like instant hits.’All Too Late’ flows with it’s Liberines-esque earworm melody, ‘Worry Warrior’ is both a call to arms for all the self doubters and a kick in the teeth with it’s “I though you were strong-aah” (officially the best pronunciation of the word stronger in any song ever, and no I haven’t researched it, there’s no need). At one stage a member of the audience is almost beheaded* by Nadia’s flailing guitar. Told you, things happen with these guys. ‘Loving It’ is a joyful but all too short two minutes of riffs and the only flaw tonight is that they didn’t play it twice(!).

Harriet and Bev are a rhythm section having fun, full of smiling glances and gleefully taking their chances to shout things like ‘TUT TUT TUT!” and “ALWAYS HEAR THE SAME SHIT!”, the latter song an assault of punk attitude which though it could be about a person could easily be a tirade against a stale, sexist music industry (“You’ve got no substance, its all just hype”). Closer ‘Back Up’ also has that arrogant streak, a joyful racket preaching “we’re gonna bud and blossom, spread our pollen to the people, make our sound truly ripple” over a frenetic noise and signing out with a truly Tuts-like philosophy “How do you know if you don’t have a go?”. These DIY warriors** are having more than a go and they are getting better and better all the time. Accept defeat, let The Tuts conquer your town too – it’s going to be one hell of a fun time.

 

*Perhaps beheaded was a bit of an exaggeration, more..

** Not these kind of DIY warriors