Pegs, cups and rock n' roll...oh yes it's time for my weekly review of the good ship Kamikaze! Launching us off tonight (yes I'm going to stick with the nautical theme this week, any reference to sea men is purely innocent) were visitors from the fair city of Leeds, All Your Peers. The lead Peer has a cracking live voice, clear as a bell and as powerful as hell. Musically there's a distinct late 70's early 80's indie rock vibe with catchy choruses and brain snagging riffs (All Fours in particular has a really cool guitar bit that's all diwl diwl diwl diiiwl diiwl...hell, you try spelling it). They gave out free CD's at the end too. Result.Well, as the distant shore that was the start of the evening faded away (sse I told you I was going to keep the nautical theme going..I did warn you) up bobbed Coventry's Honeytrap. Any band with a track called Mussolini's Son has to be worthy of our attention and lo it was proved. Honeytrap are brave musical explorers, melding gypsy music, a bit of German cabaret, a little folk, a handful of Sarah Records style indiepop and a few dashes of insanity. They have a very tall lead singer who bravely tackled (verbally at least) some chatterboxes at the front during a quiet bit of a song. Good work fella. Listening again to the 'trap on My Space I'm warming to them even more than I did last night. They're one of those bands that deserves closer inspection and proof positive that Coventry, like much of the Midlands, is home to a far richer musical stew than most people imagine. There we have it then, Honeytrap are the thyme in the rich musical stew that is Midlands music.
If Honeytrap are the thyme (oh hang on, I've gone on to a herb theme now, balls, what happened to the nautical theme...crap...), then The Allies are the sage, for they are wise beyond their years (sage...wisdom..see?). I've seen The Allies before and tipped them for big things. As they've just finished a tour with Reverend and The Makers they seem to be making it too. As jaunty as The Coral, as cool as The Arctic Monkeys and as potential laden as The Libertines they really score for me when they add stuff like the harmonica and fiddle (like on Ain't No Love Lost) which lifts them into a different league. They've already got a strong, loyal fanbase, a stash of catchy tracks and some decent road experience behind them. If there's any justice in this world 2008 will be theirs for the taking. They gave away pegs too...real wooden pegs...with their My Space address on (written in felt tip). I have three (yes...three).
Finally, to see us safely back to shore(yep, back to the nautical theme there) ahoy shipmates, we have Oneyesblue (pictured above in classy black and white). I've always had a bit of trouble with the name, but it seems to be pronounced 'one eyes blue'...not 'one yes blue'. Just thought I'd clear that up. What doesn't need clearing up is how crackingly good they are. Rock n'roll with a soul and blues edge, lead 'eye Scott dances about like Elvis, the rest of the band provide tight, solid backing and the whole thing's like a glorious instant party.
So, there we have it. Safely home once more after a ride on the musical ocean wave. No Kamikaze! next week 'cos it's Gigbeth, but the 9th sees hotly tipped The Foxes (I've heard them and they're ace) who join us before jetting off to New York...got a feeling that one could be another sell out so if you don't want to have to go and see them in the NEC in 2009 pull yer finger out and get a ticket.
No comments:
Post a Comment