‘GENETIC CABARET’ BY ASYLUMS

Asylums release their third album on Cool Thing Records, 17th July 2020…

http://www.asylumsband.com/ 
Physical; https://asylums.tmstor.es/ 
Digital: https://asylums.tmstor.es/ 

‘Genetic Cabaret’, the coming of rage lucky-number album release from Asylums, swaggers open with intent. ‘Catalogue Kids’ is the sound of a blockbuster movie’s rock’n’roll band arriving on a stage – with pyrotechnics.

As a body of (smart and hard) work, it jump starts an adventure that doesn’t run out of sparks.

Asylums display the confidence to tug heart strings with the striking melodies and harmonised licks of ‘Platitudes’ weaving like bumblebee flight in and out of car-chase rhythmic bang bang bursts. While noting, relevantly; “Is this the loneliest place in the world? / There’s a plague going around.” 

Get ready for these songs to live in both your head and in your stomach’s butterflies. Complexity executed to the simplicity of catchy songs that reveal woven layers with each listen.

Asylums - Platitudes (Official Video) Directed and Edited by Andrew Delaney Concept by Andrew Delaney and Luke Branch Additional footage by Asylums, Rob Humm...

Asylums are musicians herding-kittens of sound into a bonded rock band experiment. Lyrically reflecting serious times in a seriously enjoyable way. Immersed in audiovisual concepts and exhibitive collaboration, this is punk as creative purity.

‘Genetic Cabaret’ elevates their spacepunk distort to a wider vision of appealing, classic proportions.

By ‘A Perfect Life In A Perfect World’ it’s obvious this might be the band’s most sprawlingly ambitious album to date. It wouldn’t be out of place in either a sweaty grassroots music bar or an arena.

Asylums - A Perfect Life In A Perfect World (Official Video) Directed and Edited by Andrew Delaney Concept by Andrew Delaney and Luke Branch 'A Perfect Life ...

Each (relateably titled) track is a ponderous facet of a musical diamond that balances the rough with the polished, as per the epic ‘A Town Full Of Boarded Up Windows’. It conjures up bleak urban visions; but also a sea of raised arms, euphorically swaying in time – and works just as well in isolation.

At the end of 2019 Asylums were in Chicago making this album with Steve Albini at the iconic Electrical Audio Studios. It is even more a reflection of 2020 than anybody could have imagined.

‘Clean Money’ sounds divinely dirty as menacing heavy riffs bolster a heartfelt, gorgeous melody hinged with subliminal tones of disillusioned drama. My only criticism is that these supersized songs make me scream inside to get outside and shout along.

“If you’re hanging on like a cockroach in a storm / Watching dirty people clean money’ then Asylums are the band for you. For now, if I want to go out, I’ll go out of my mind slightly, jumping around joyously to grand music.

We’re talking heroic street preaching by the next song; ‘Who Writes Tomorrow’s Headlines?’ a hardpop poem with sustained guitar waves and building dynamics, clawing their way to another heart hooking TUNE (that empathetically appears to know what’s going on in our alternately raging, weeping and cackling heads)

Directed and Edited by Andrew Delaney Concept by Andrew Delaney and Luke Branch 'Who Writes Tomorrows Headlines?'' is taken from the forthcoming third album ...

Head banging psychedelic disco? ‘The Distance Between’ is guitar-pistolled, bass-bullets drum rage emitting deeply menaced vibrations from whatever “the new normality” is meant to be.

…leading perfectly, like a Broadway musical, into ‘The Miracle Age’, delicate articulation that (I kid you not) would work in a theatre as a lights down, spotlit big number. It’s a tempo intermission of moonlit lullaby pulling back velvet curtains to crescendo.

With this entire LP, multiple song variations are happening simultaneously without sounding disconnected from the central harmony. It’s not a cacophony of ideas for the kitchen sink’s sake. Rather a series of select schemes used with discretion.

Every tune is a degree of emotion, a tangent of what comes from being a tight knit collective who are coming into their own, organically, on their own unique terms. 

‘Adrenaline Culture’ is a major interplanetary Asylums-seeking blast. It is a strong thread to their first two albums in style, with flickering light bulb rhythms, songbird-on-acid guitar howls and soaring, scoring roaring anthem singing out, knowingly; “Liberty is something you’re not supposed to see”.

The car chase jump and shout along of ‘Yuppie Germs’ rockabilly-rap rushes cutting shape moves like a mad scientists rebellion, frantically running hip gentrification zombies out of town.

‘Genetic Cabaret’ is a speakeasy’s theme that arrives regally with gravity. It marches and tangoes in turn. The song pleads urgency in tone, over driving, chimed psychedelics. Fittingly, it is the title track of a multi mood bombardment of seat-belt worthy moments that dip into dark dystopian corners but rise like we all have to, above above it all. To shine.

Haunting and empathetic. ‘Dull Days’ eases us back into lockdown life with gentle beauty. Maybe this is global life for the next few years for all we know? This song and this album will come to mean more, whatever happens next.

Our current age of overwhelming upheaval demands higher calibre escapist stimulation. With no gigs to communicate them live, songs have to stand up on their own merit. 2020 is already gifting the best 21st century musical decade for for up coming brilliance and future heritage hope.

Asylums are in that vanguard with this exemplary release. A heavyweight collection of audio flexing, it’s a compassionate addition to the personal tales of any music lover whose skin ‘Genetic Cabaret’ gets under. 

Composition, performance, production and stratospheric layers of sound take the “AsylumsRock” genre next level with an opulence of psychophonic ideas. No wide ranging vocals were harmed during the making of this multi storey song park. 

The kids don’t seem alright, but Asylums do. Enjoy. Then enjoy again… A cathartic dozen tune ride.

Asylums - Catalogue Kids (Official Video) Directed and Edited by Andrew Delaney Concept by Andrew Delaney and Luke Branch 'Catalogue Kids' is taken from the ...

Words: Caffy St Luce

When This Is Over...

“HOPE IS BUT TWO METERS AWAY, ONE DAY SOON THE BANDS WILL PLAY” A spartacus tinted summery anthem from The Velvet Hands for Music Venue Trust.

Fact. This is gonna be so many of us after lockdown: “Walk down the street with a big fat grin, new shoes on my feet and I’ve had a trim…” 

Fuct. We have a long way to go to grinning.

We’ll get there. Britain is a nation with community boozing at heart (see TV). Although we’ve been divided then locked down. One day again, we will be reunited and rocked out. Until then, stay safe because we are not being looked after by those in charge of the nation, any more than the positive, socially inclusive gig spaces are.

“ALL OUR MUSIC VENUES ARE DYING COS OUR GOVERNMENT ARE TOTAL LEGENDS AND DON’T GIVE A FOOK ABOUT THEM. no worries tho because we’ve made a charity single over at VH HQ that’s going to save the world/all our indie venues. all we need you to do is share it with all your mates, all your enemies, your mother’s lover’s brother, your nan, her dog, your cousin…” (The Velvet Hands)

#artbeat by purple knif

‘When This Is Over’, is an uplifting earworm that already sounds like one of the most hopeful and bright-as-it’s-art things about the darker ages, or “2020” as it’s more commonly known.

The Velvet Hands know how to mainline a musical pulse. The tongue in cheek ‘down the pub’ chant of ‘When This Is Over’ doesn’t distract from a summery guitar-pop earworm (produced by John Logan and Jam X) to soundtrack your pub safari. A tune, that also works perfectly for our DIY home and shed boozer super Saturday safaris!

Listen to When This Is Over on Spotify. The Velvet Hands · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

The band themselves are a golden thread in TheZineUK tales tapestry – like grandchildren of The Rolling Stones if they had shagged the Cavern-era Beatles. 21st Century originals, Velvet Hands emit energetic, alternative rock music that really rolls. 

They cause absolute scenes playing the rising star tour circuit that #SaveOurVenues and #LetTheMusicPlay is about. When This Is Over, you can get this feeling for yourself.

Single taken from The Velvet Hands sophomore album scheduled for early 2020 release.

Please help fund those Grassroots Music Venues. The band have the last word:

“we’ve spent more years in sweaty venues than we’d care to admit, together we can save them. you can donate here“

Fullest VH updates and info :  https://facebook.com/thevelvethands/

Words": Caffy St Luce

CONOR MOLLOY – HIDING A STORM

Conor Molloy is a composer and performer of smart, chirpy tunes with dark lyrics.

His influences include Bob Dylan, The Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines. Conor’s already played some impressive gigs and has just released his new single, ‘Hiding A Storm’. Kelly Munro grabbed an interview.

How long have you been making music?

“I’ve been writing songs since the age of nine (so my mother tells me). I’ve been singing them with my guitar since about age twelve (sometimes raucously!). I’ve been performing in front of whomever will listen since about the age of eighteen and pursuing music in a more professional capacity since late 2016.” 

What’s been some of your highlights so far on your musical journey?

“Supporting Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott on tour around the UK in November 2018. I played my songs, accompanied by talented band members, to crowds of 2500+ at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool and Sheffield City Hall. The final gig was at a sold-out Royal Albert Hall (capacity 5000+). Other highlights have been making it onto the Spotify ‘Hot New Bands’ Playlist in 2019 and recording an EP with a very talented producer in South Africa.”

Your single is called ‘Hiding A Storm’. If you were caught in a storm which three things would you try to save?

Hmmm, good question… I’d probably try and save my guitar (cliché, I know), my family and partner (hmm… they should have come before the guitar…) and my sanity. 

Tell us more about the single. Is there a meaning behind the song or a story attached to it?

Listen to Hiding a Storm on Spotify. Conor Molloy · Song · 2020.

“The song is about a stranger recognising the signs in someone that they have been going through a difficult period (hiding a storm) and reassuring them that they will make it out the other side. The stranger recognises these signs, even though they are not noticeable to everyone, because they have been through something similar themselves.”

What albums do you never get tired of listening to?Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks, Blonde on Blonde, Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman, Kirsty Maccoll – Kite, Badly Drawn Boy- The Hour of Bewilderbeast 

What can we expect from you this year? More new music, some live gigs (when appropriate) and some self-production… watch this space. 

Words: Kelly Munro

THE NOVUS: ‘Man On The Bridge’. Band On The Cusp.

Midlands musical ringleaders, The Novus, not only shoot from the hip but were shooting a video for their latest single, when they were interrupted by gun shots! Probably not even the most surreal day in their story so far, to be fair.

More on that, to follow, but if you’re not on board with The Novus already, get involved. A star shaped ride that starts with ambitiously rhythm, riff and tune sparked rock songs and wow-the-crowd live performances – they have the “IT” factor. 

Summer 2020 single, ‘Man On The Bridge’ is out now to flail about to and roar along with. It continues their all-thriller-no-filler release CV. It was produced and mixed by this documentary’s ominpresent Wizard Of Wolverhampton, Gavin Monaghan, at the legendary Magic Garden Studios. 

“We wrote this song in the van on the way home after we came down from Stourbridge to play a gig in Camden and saw this old guy (in his underpants when we saw him) dancing his heart out by the bridge at Camden Lock and apparently he’s been doing it for years.”

I have a soft spot for Stourbridge (about 15 miles from Birmingham City Centre). Me best mate is from there. We met as kids, snarling at each other. Music united us as an odd pairing, we are still extended family, decades later. During that time, this century, The Novus were born and punk life will never be the same. They’ve DIY-reset the music game. Heck the 1970s would probably have given them a TV show! I have caught them at London gigs; grinned, “danced”, sang along and this is one of the tunes that sets off my off-key-warbling.

‘Man On The Bridge’ was originally a 2019 cassette mix track the band made of emerging West Midlands bands. It was discovered by BBC Introducing and played by Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1. Fair play, it’s an immense tune.

Now the song gets it’s first official release. Originally pressed on vinyl by Flying Vinyl and available, now, on the bands own #JOINTHENOISE imprint on 7” and across digital and steaming platforms (with a Lockdown Demo of ‘Castaway’).

Listen to Man on the Bridge on Spotify. The Novus · Single · 2020 · 2 songs.

Investigation of the band’s composition and arrangement skills, let alone their self-marketing (and one hundred per cent from scratch historic event creating), and a live charisma to hopefully experience as soon as possible layers on audiovisual rewards. Foundations of a solid wall of sound, professionals. Bandcamp supremos : https://thenovus.bandcamp.com/ and never short of ideas.

Like many artists, they are discovering novel ways to make distanced videos during lockdown and extra creativity was necessary when considering what to put together for ‘Man On The Bridge’. 

The song is based on a man who can be seen regularly dancing at Camden Lock , who the band spotted when in London for a gig.

They found footage of the actual man on YouTube and approached the Czech film maker who filmed it. He gave permission and put a shout out on the Idles AF Gang Facebook group to find an editor. All that was needed was some footage of the band to include.

Front man Connor Hill described what happened next:
“Itt was a complete shock to us. We were trying to stick to social distancing guidelines with Tyla filming me at a distance and exploring rural Stourbridge for something resembling a bridge that contrasted to the Camden setting. We stepped off what we thought was a public footpath into some fields and then heard an almighty ‘crack’. We thought it was a car backfiring back on the road or might have been an air rifle, then the second bang which was a lot louder and saw something rattle the leaves of a tree. We thought shit! and legged it as fast as we could as it looked like a ‘get off my land’ episode that might have escalated”

(In the video’s second verse where Connor is furthest away in the field, you can see his head turn after hearing the first shot!)

Needless to say the video is superbly crafted. TheZineUK team are fans of The Novus visual gallery (and, in fact, they designed our most recent picture book cover). A living art installation and exhibition, makes this band genuine Ones To Watch. Right? Right.

More lynx and look out for that video! https://facebook.com/thenovusband/

Words: Caffy St Luce

READY, STEADY, BANG. EXPLOSION IMMINENT.

Top Disco-Punk rock glamsters,  BUGEYE, venture beyond genres and generalisations to an alternative classic loaded with ready, steady bangers.

1) On and On, 2) Breakdown, 3) Shake and Bake, 4) Blue Fire,
5) When The Lights Go Out, 6) Sunday, Monday, 7) Electric,
8) Something’s About To Change, 9) Nightlife, 10) Don’t Stop

Art by 31% Wool

2019 Composed/Performed by Bugeye, Produced by Paul Tipler, Vinyl, CD, Digital via  Reckless Yes. Artwork by 31% Wool

From the get-go, this is a 21st century pop music spectacular. Grace Healey (keys), Kerrie Smith (drums), Paula Snow (bass) and Angela Martin (guitar/vocals) confidently invite us into the heart of a (blooming) arts movement they’re an essential part of.

Image by Julia Woolams

‘On and On’ builds from bleep-rave to crystal-voice to 1970s disco beats and 1980s 4AD riffs and fast as coming up on a 21c-pop rush, ‘Ready Steady Bang’ is in your system. 

Having deservedly received comparisons to some of the most inventive stars, influential music activists, Bugeye, will go on to inspire future comparisons in their sparkly, DIY wake. No pink coding required.

“‌In‌ ‌early‌ ‌2019,‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌political‌ ‌atmosphere,‌ ‌climate‌ ‌change‌ ‌issues‌ ‌exploding‌ ‌and‌ ‌personal‌ ‌demons‌ ‌demanding‌ ‌their‌ ‌pound‌ ‌of‌ ‌flesh,‌ ‌we‌ ‌felt‌ ‌angry.‌ ‌The‌ ‌need‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌creative‌ ‌output‌ ‌was‌ ‌stronger‌ ‌than‌ ‌ever‌ ‌so‌ ‌we‌ ‌decided‌ ‌to‌ ‌put‌ ‌pen‌ ‌to‌ ‌paper,‌ ‌and‌ ‌focus‌ ‌what‌ ‌time‌ ‌we‌ ‌had,‌ ‌on‌ ‌writing‌ ‌new‌ ‌material,‌ ‌which‌ ‌all‌ ‌came‌ ‌together‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌space‌ ‌of‌ ‌about‌ ‌six‌ ‌months.‌ ‌Material‌ ‌that‌ ‌has‌ ‌a‌ ‌darkness‌ ‌to‌ ‌it,‌ ‌but‌ ‌wrapped‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌upbeat‌ ‌disco‌ ‌beats‌ ‌and‌ ‌catchy‌ ‌fun‌ ‌tunes‌ ‌that‌ ‌demand‌ ‌you‌ ‌to‌ ‌dance.‌ ‌Our‌ ‌blend‌ ‌of‌ ‌disco‌ ‌punk.‌”

Since 2015, the revived Bugeye have ‌ ‌been‌ ‌pushing‌ ‌audio ‌boundaries‌ ‌(while the last few years have pushed humanity’s nerves). We need our entertainment to be high quality escapism. Key media have been impressed into amazing support, swelling a growing crowd of fans.

Musicality practicality that’s SO “Right now”. ‘Breakdown’ paces up and freaks out in all directions without missing a beat, that you could jump or march to, empathising anthemically.

Styles, tempos, layers, riffs, hooks and an uplifting and empowering attitude oozes in dynamic pulses from every song. This band need to be on your bucket list for when we can gig again. Get ready to shout, jump, chant, strut, shimmy (and THINK?).

Author Disclaimer. I may be missing the amount of grinning and daddy-dancing I follow this band for, but that doesn’t cloud the judgement of my ears. This is simultaneously credible and incredible.

‘Shake And Bake’ slides from early-Jam tones into Beatlesque Riot Girl energy with dramatic underlay. So many ideas here – big up the band and Paul Tipler. Having produced Elastica, Idlewild, LIINES and many more shaker makers, he’s part of NOW’s riffed renaissance during a surreal adversity with the most diversity. ‘Ready Steady Bang’ straddles myriad influences and inspirations to be fresh, original, essential and completely different. 

Bugeye sound like they’ve mainlined a lot of music in their life while retaining their own sound. A couple of months ago, I bumped into Mr Tipler, at one of their gigs. No wonder he could barely contain himself!

This is one of the albums lighting a touch paper, with singles like ‘Blue Fire’ which sounds like a sexy catwalk of Grace Jones arriving at a party. The lead singing and BVs on these songs are aligned like cosmic happenings – with a 31% Wool gallery of art concepts.

The official music video for Blue Fire by Bugeye. Blue Fire is from dicso punk band Bugeye's debut album, Ready Steady Bang, out on the 10 July 2020 via Reck...

“We‌ ‌knew‌ ‌what‌ ‌we‌ ‌wanted‌ ‌to‌ ‌write‌ ‌about‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌very‌ ‌beginning.‌ ‌We‌ ‌wanted‌ ‌to‌ ‌write‌ ‌about‌ ‌life‌ ‌as‌ ‌it‌ ‌happens.‌ ‌The‌ ‌drunken‌ ‌silliness‌ ‌of‌ ‌weekends,‌ ‌the‌ ‌boredom‌ ‌of‌ ‌work,‌ ‌the‌ ‌worry‌ ‌about‌ ‌what’s‌ ‌happening‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌world,‌ ‌our‌ ‌fuck-ups,‌ ‌our‌ ‌day‌ ‌dreams,‌ ‌addiction‌ ‌and‌ ‌our‌ ‌celebration‌ ‌of‌ ‌music‌ ‌styles‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌past.”‌ ‌ ‌
 ‌
Bugeye have‌ ‌created‌ ‌‌an‌ ‌album‌ ‌which‌ is defiantly‌ ‌hopeful‌. Unafraid‌ ‌of‌ ‌facing‌ ‌the‌ ‌darkness, it ‌rejects‌ ‌the‌ ‌pull‌ ‌of‌ ‌inertia‌ ‌in‌ ‌an‌ ‌uncertain‌ ‌world. ‌ ‌

‘When The Lights Go Out’ is gonna haunt me, post-lockdown, in the most positive way. It sounds like being unleashed. Several times, it’s been pointed out that such 21st century chart-worthy tunes and charisma would not have been out of place on 20th Century TV.

‘Sunday, Monday’ is deeply a beautiful earworm for all our lives, if there is such a thing as precision-pop then this hits the “I know a spot” spot. It’s funky – and relates to many people – in lilting melody.

Bugeye are the sound of punk’s rainbow. Shades of minor major guitar and keyboard jangles fused with biting/balming vocals contained by rythmic masterclasses in how to POP! 

There are whisps of Girl Bros, Wendy & Lisa circa Prince’s band The Revolution, alongside bombastic Garbage confidence and the strum brood of The Breeders. These are ferocious, “main stage” SONGS.

‘Electric’ keeps the arena worthiness coming. 2020’s debut albums have fought their way through a decade of “austerity” and whatever this year is, just to exist.

As we lock down, these major league tunes race our pulses. Audiovisual touches you love about Mansun and Duran Duran are fused with art sensibility and politically stanced observeration while remaining energertically uplifting. Music for families to sing along to with roll-ons as mics and Nana on backing vocals. Come on, you LOVE Bugeye.

The ‘Funky Town’ harmonies of ‘Something’s About To Change’ recall a whispy cloud of Lipps Inc in a multi-mirror tuned space pop aural firework display. ‘Nightlife’, crash crushes Pixies goodness explosions from an innocently new wave epic. The bass lines remain deadly deliciously sparkled Talking Heads tints.

‘Don’t Stop’ – how one-band-indie-disco, Bugeye, wash chords that rise and fall with your mood as they wash under your skin. Empathy with our realities empowers these songs to live in our heads and soundtrack our unreal lives. Songs that will sing themselves to you without headphones. 

Wait. How can that be over already? 

No seriously, Bugeye, don’t stop! ‘Ready Steady Bang’ is A definitive, bona-fide 21st Century LP Of The Year.

I’m not gushing. Merely observing. Fight me. Bite me.

Available 10th July. CD, Digital, Cream Vinyl. Reckless‌ ‌Yes‌ ‌member’s get an‌ ‌exclusive‌ ‌pressing‌ ‌on‌ Smoked‌ ‌Red‌ ‌vinyl.

https://bugeyeband.co.uk

Words: Caffy St Luce