nessymon.com

Category: Music Review

  • Calling All Astronauts: Two Track Review

    Calling all AstronautsThe first thing that hits you about ‘Calling All Astronauts‘ is how different they are to a lot of today’s music scene. Gothic electro punk with politically charged lyrics.

    ‘Living In the Shadow of The Red Flag’ is a sonic explosion of samples and cleverly programmed beats and synths fused together with distorted guitar lines. Vocally the track veers from all out punk on the verse to a gothic refrain reminiscent in production, to this writer, of Sisters of Mercy’s ‘This Corrosion’. Delightful to hear.

    ‘Someone Like You’ has a cleaner sound. A time change in the track see the band keeping to the punk ethos while still maintaining the Goth style vocals. CAA have an interesting sound, combining elements from different genres to create their own unique brand.

    What interests me is that these tracks are unmastered as yet and merely a hint of what is to come. The band features JJ Browning (previously of pop punkers Caffeine) and David B of rap-metallers US:UK, so they have the experience and the know how. A little time and planning and things could get loud.. I’m looking forward to hearing more material.

  • Cheap Freaks: Teenage Brains Review

    Cheap Freaks Teenage Brains EPIf Liam Gallagher’s band Beady Eye ask you to open for them you must be doing something right. Cheap Freaks are a garage punk band based in Dublin and in their short existence have opened for Buzzcocks and Black Angels.

    Like all good garage punk, it’s dirty, brash and best played loud. The EP opens with ‘Can’t Fool Me’, upbeat, distorted guitar and vocals dropped against a background of perfect drums and subtle bass. There’s a fantastic rawness to the EP with late 60’s throw backs.

    The urgency in the music is breathtaking and continues with ‘It’s a Crying Shame’. ‘Sleep With You’ is a catchy, dare I say, melodic track, with a killer guitar line and keys I wasn’t expecting. The EP ends with ‘I’m Coming Home’, a driving rock song with a hat tip to Them.

    Cheap Freaks are like a bringing a bad boy home to meet your Mum. Loud, brash, in your face, she won’t like them, you’ll fall head over heels.

    Cheap Freaks – Can’t Fool Me by cheapfreaks

  • Miracle Bell: Light Shape Sound Review

    LightShapeSoundsinglecover For the fourth single from their album, Miracle Bell opened up to their fans and let them decide what it was going to be. Title track from the album ‘Light Shape Sound’ came out on top.

    This doesn’t seem like a fourth single from an album, it’s melodic, has a memorable hook, has all the characteristics of a first or second single. ‘Light Shape Sound’ is probably more indie than the preceding singles but Miracle Bell still remain true to their electro branding with subtle synth sounds throughout the mix.

    Lyrically the track concept is very clever. ‘In the light, we won’t feel shapes but we’ll feel the sound’. Musically, there’s tight production but the instruments never seem overcrowded. Melikes!

    This track has done two things for me. 1.Thanks to its refrain, I would now like to go to Barcelona. 2. Proves what a great Irish band Miracle Bell are. I can’t wait for new material.

    miraclebell.com

  • Futures Apart: Perfection Review

    Futures Apart hit the Irish music scene in 2010 with the track ‘Andrew’s Pride’, a perfect electro pop song. How do you get better than that? Up the tempo and the intensity. That’s exactly what they’ve done with ‘Perfection’.

    No messing around here, straight away vocals are wrapped around two siren like arrangements before hitting the chorus for a full on dance groove. It work’s really well and leaves room for lots of remix versions.

    The arrangements and production are again spot on and given the current growing electro scene in the UK, these guys are on the cusp of greater things. It’s not too often that I say it. I love Futures Apart.

    breakingtunes.com/futuresapart