‘LUMBERING’ IS THE SOUND OF A CAUSE IN DISTRESS

On first hearing, ‘Lumbering’, a couple of weeks ago, my first reaction was “well, I wasn’t expecting that!” You can’t really hazard a guess at what a band will sound like, but here is a song for breaking out of the matrix.

The musicians, A Cause In Distress, have maybe just stepped out of a TARDIS – via 20th and 22nd century Planet Telex. This is their first release (via the ever creative Cool Thing Records) and I’m sticking with it sounding (pleasurably) unexpected.

Sci-fi pulses throb with hook line electro beats and “aliens-abducted-The-Associates” tinted drama-vox. Restless and charismatic, ‘Lumbering’, is a weird, wonderful computer data-tape feed into the medium of dance. Reconstructions of layered movements ride the rhythm. This may prompt an initial response of “what?!”– and then need to be played again.

As a new band introduction, it goes boldly. There’s a fine thread that runs between N.I.N., A Cause In Distress and fellow sound boundary (“soundary”?) pushers, Birthmarks.

Image: Owen Stephen Foran

Emitting atmospherics into 2020’s virtual world, A Cause In Distress looked to the horizon at New Year and arrived eight months later, beyond Earth’s mainframe into a parallel dimension which their aura befits. 

What a time to arrive (!) but they’ve crafted their development through lockdown via streams, visuals and session. Futuristic means now, and now contains moon-pop with intergalactic-choir-boy vocals and tricky disco beats. An acceleration of accomplishment for a debut.

Stream/Download ‘Lumbering’ by A Cause In Distress (out now: Cool Thing Records) 
https://smarturl.it/ACauseInDistress 

Words: Caffy St Luce

TIGER MIMIC: ‘WHERE THE FIRE USED TO BE’

Written/performed by Tiger Mimic, 
new single is out now, produced and mastered by Kevin Vanbergen – released via 31% Wool. 

All Band Shots by by Robert Alleyne.

A grand, surf-rocked entrance which then saunters across to a plaintive pop rhythm that The Shangri-Las would appreciate (before diving into dramatic storms). Tender to tearing tempos that never lose this ode’s heroic core. This is cinema as sonic vision and an alternative adventure in song. Play it loud.

It’s constantly uplifting to see appreciation bloom for the interdependent music world’s entwined scenes. Tiger Mimic, help fuel creative passion’s Uniqulture. The UK based quartet emit rays of intrigue which have gathered pace and reputation in less than two years.

Tiger Mimic formed when Jess R (vocals/keys) and Bram Johnson (guitar/vocals) arrived from New York and united with Ben Willis (bass/backing vocals) and George Latham (drums).

They immediately started recording the debut EP ‘Elephant Skeleton’ with Grammy Award winning producer, Matt Lawrence (Adele, Foals, Amy Winehouse, White Stripes). It makes sense for their wealth of music ideas.

Released in January 2019, it wowed audiences, reporters and promoters alike. 

Alongside picking up favourable fans and feedback, they graced the new festivals where “It’s All Happening!” – including Cro Cro Land, The Brighton Mix-Up and The Camden Crush (Camden Rocks Fringe) – plus key music social events.

I’d previously described their aural theatre as Moulin Rouge Punk. It’s only their start but already sounds influential. 

So what’s new with Tiger Mimic?

“We were very busy making the music video which we finished the day before single release and we’ve been writing so much music lately.”

More anticipations! New video, new songs!

The story behind ‘Where The Fire Used To Be’ maybe explains it’s plaintive movements.

“The song is about loss and hope, the bittersweet gratitude of having had something worth losing. The title refers to a dormant volcano that Jess and Bram once hiked, at the top there was a misty lake that had replaced all of the heat and energy one expects from a volcano. It felt like a fitting image to describe the loss of a parent, a place devoid of the life that once filled it, yet still so sad and beautiful, literally the place where the fire used to be.”  

It’s hard to mimic Tiger Mimic‘s tangents of melody with mood swing musicality bursting into rock noise joys. A clash of “the surf-tinged riffs of The Pixies and the soaring cinematic vocals of Anna Calvi,” in the mix, ensures they stand alone. Tiger Mimic are fiercely bold, pulling off dynamics that some bands might save while they develop. But if you’ve got it now, flaunt it now. They have. They do. So their giggingcalendar for this year was also looking lively. No spoilers, but; “2020”.

“For a while during lockdown things got quite hard, but it’s all getting a bit better lately, so we’ve been feeling inspired again. We are really looking forward to gigging again and going to gigs, nothing compares to that.

We miss all our music family and friends from the scene. Sending everyone love.”

Recently they signed to the incredible 31% Wool. An inclusive creative consultancy combining art, music, branding, design, marketing and management with events that become a consistent talking point. Many ArtBeat faves of TheZineUK in this collective. Jess R is also a poet hearted #StageStyle vision of the new rock’n’roll and she radiates grace and suss. More about that, soon, no doubt. 

In the mean time, Tiger Mimic have recorded new material, including this single, with the previously mentioned producer Kevin Vanbergen (who has also worked with The Slits, Nova Twins, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode and Kid Kapichi). The plan is for these to be released throughout 2020.

Their spring single (“springle?”) release, ‘It Was Still Dark’, was played by John Kennedy on Radio X airplay alongside radio shows on Amazing and Boogaloo in UK and Scallywag Beats, USA) and many more. It is the interdependent artwork sibling of this latest release. With so much more up their sleeves, and more radio for the new single already, Tiger Mimic are off to a strong start with ‘Where The Fire Used To Be’.

Hear here!

Listen to Where The Fire Used To Be on Spotify. Tiger Mimic · Song · 2020.

Words: Caffy St Luce.

BEATRIZ TAKES US FRONT RAW

Doc update Summer 2020. Continuing #MusicWomen forging entertainment’s next multi media, Beatriz De La Pava Hucke‘s DIY TV interviews blossoming #FuturePicks Calva Louise and Strange Bones.

I was drawn like a moth to a flame by recent interview docs uploaded by Front Raw.

As a collective, TheZineUK have a thing for the band. There’s a wealth of newer wave art rising. Raw Front‘s capture is captivating how the Fertile Environment’s story tells itself. Even despite a hostile environment. Gigs are escapist home from home. We get through this pandemic tragedy, grateful to see good souls thrive and develop. Virtually with empathetically.

Beatriz reflects the lives with energised personal insight while asking the highly relevant question ‘Are we approaching the death of genres?’

Excited to share with you the Manchester band Calva Louise. In another small venue backstage conversation, we talked about the rock and roll life, which with...

Talking genres/genders, “Futuristic”, is NOW. The dystopian futures of science fiction are a reality. Lockdown sucks but safety first rocks. Our collective tapestry is woven from friends of all genders at events with guitars of many genres in the mix. Alternative art audio’s imagination inspires an action fraction of whatever’s next.

At The Garage (North London), Beatriz interviewed Calva Louise, a hard working, tangent-pulsing trio of passion. The short film with glimpses of the ecstatic live show, covers worth ethics and metaphors for life itself. From Raw Front‘s viewpoint as fan, the viewer is engaged on a personal level.

(A few amateur snapshots for the DIY diary from the night (The Blinders, Calva Louise, MOSES) where I met the friendly and very much “On It” Beatriz. Typically uncool-clumse, I accidentally interrupted the interview a bit, but ever professional and inclusive, the punchy Front Raw filming continued, including the reality.  Beatriz is a seasoned multi media professional (and adventurer!). I am thrilled for Front Raw at the results. “The best interview we’ve done in I don’t know how long” (Calva Louise).

The choice of also interviewing Strange Bones is inspired. It feels like a front row seat as Beatriz reports “Their live show is ANIMAL”. I concur!

Strange Bones is a band from Blackpool, which is on the shores of the Irish Sea. Their live show is A NI MAL! One of the most powerful band I´ve seen in the ...

“It’s very exciting and even touching to witness the emergence of all these bands that are so… Banging” (Beatriz). 

Agreed. Uniqulture watching what’s not under mainstream spotlights means we can report, hand on heart, that interdependence has gifted a credible, artist-first ethic to the entertainment world. Developing without being “moulded” makes it all anything but mouldy.

ArtBeat’s audiovisual cottage industry of broken Britain’s best bands means many friends were also at The Lexington to go crazy, then crazier, for Strange Bones,

As the band mention in the Raw Front interview, more females are pulling their own reins, on and off stage these days. Watching, I see glimpses of beloved faces. Another super talent, Sandy K. Moz, documented the gig photographically.

Hopefully, our myriad new dawns will find their way, post pandemic through whatever is left of our previous structures, uncomfortably uncompromised. We are a catalogue of promise. TheZineUK has witnessed artists recommending and supporting each other, fans becoming tour managers, drivers, assistants etc. 

Organic necessity creating employment enjoyment possibilities. Our cast/contributors are a kaleidoscope. Check out Ragged Cult Magazine and Why Generation? for starters. More in Spring 2019’s #MusicWomen (r)Evolution.

Beatriz has definitely made a mar, recently also celebrating a year of BBC Minute in Spanish. Now on stations in Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela as well as on Spotify.

Time travel; Calva Louise‘s ‘I Wish’ (August 2020, video by Jess; guitarist/vocalist, produced/mixed by Bobby of Strange Bones). Beyond genres to tune-pulsed to hook – like engaging popular music tends to do.

Produced and mixed by Bobby Bentham Mastered by Mike Cave Video by Jess Allanic a.k.a Mescalitas http://calvalouise.com https://instagram.com/calvalouise htt...

2020’s apocalyptic panic erupts in hysteric volcanoes of negativity. Then… you play the new austerity’s arse kicking bangers, alongside the classics of any decade, and realise that we are fucked up and locked down but so lucky to be connected by three degrees of celebration. I see so much possibility. Beatriz is a thread of this tapestry, love your smile, lady. Xx

Front Raw, Beatriz De La Pava (YouTube)

Beatriz IG https://instagram.com/tu_patrona/

p.s. was just proof reading and saw this ace tweet, so adding it because what’s not to LOVE about the situationist rock opera reality of our stories.

Words: Caffy St Luce

2020 = Y!KES!

Vibrant art punx, Y!KES! released hotasfuq new single and video, ‘PIROUETTE‘ – teasing their ‘MASS!VE’ EP (released 28th August). 

Earthlings, get this on your 2020 Bingo Card. . .

Photography; Kris Askey

It’s not every band that will star trek to space for the sake of entertaining you. (Better Y!KES! than that sky-hating twat ElonMuskRat or whatever…). Great MUSIC remains one of the very best ways to be out of this world. Calling all Earthlings, fluorescent spiky, classic ballsy rocking that rolls into your ears with love.

The ‘PIROUETTE’ video was made with Zak Taylor for the single, which is the dirty glammed up sleazepunk that every rebel planet needs. There’s a curled lip to the vocals and filthy guitar heroics driven by urgently thrusting rhythms. Hooky… 

…hooked. Having enjoyed the song and video like a virtual teen, I was drawn into finding out more from  
Y!KES! , The Anti-Pop ring leaders, themselves;

“‘PIROUETTE’ is about those times in life where you feel like you’re constantly going around in circles, be it in relationships, career moves or creatively. 

It’s about spinning so much everything just explodes into an awe inspiring ball of fire that demands the whole galaxy to stop and pay attention to what you’re doing. 

With the video we had spent a long time in lockdown and had the feeling of just wanting to get out, away from everything. So we built a spaceship in my garage (out of tin foil and bits!) and thought, let’s make a music video.

Fortunately our studio is in my house, so we were able to spend part of lockdown recording and producing our new EP ‘Mass!ve’, on which Pirouette is featured.

We are planning a frenzy of live dates when the world returns to normality, our most recent announcement being a slot at Nottingham’s Mind Festival in April 2021.” (Liam, guitar)

If that sounds busy, the band have additionally been creating like crazy in lockdown on their YouTube channel. Alongside their superb tuned videos, how can ya not fall for make up and drumming tips (or dance work-outs with Bear Frills, come to think of it)? I hear that they’ve already made another video…!

The EP itself is a musical siren of rock that made me shut down the emails, social media and other distractions to check it was as capitivating as it sounded. ‘MASS!VE’ sounds like multiverses colliding. Phonic harmonic washes fuse composition, production, vocals and charismatic skills into a car chased exhibition of anthem-dynamited ambition (topped with attention to detail – DIY written, recorded and produced by the band).

I hate this year, it’s callous, cruel and hostile. But… I mainly love this year, as alongside the friendships which are proving true, are quality escapisms: Surely some of the best releases in British and Irish musical history, present and future. 

Having started this doc when ‘Guitars Are Dead’ was the mono-minded mantra of the sofa critic, seeing so many scenes and textures blossom from rock music’s raw compulsion, is viscerally sexual and creatively stimulating.

Y!KES! are TJ Weston (Drums), Oli Long (Vocal), Liam Howard (Guitar), Matt Ford (Bass). There are actual electric sparks crackling off this band. Regular readers of TheZineUK will know how the madlands of The Midlands is one of our favourite music movements. Incidentally, Velvet Goldmine is a beloved movie for quite a few of us. They meet nicely here.

Listen to Pirouette on Spotify. Y!KES · Song · 2020.

Get it on your playlists! (added to #TheZineUK’s own #Newer Wave Rocksalready!) p.s. Thanks for helping out lads, best wishes from Planet Water where you are deffo already twinkling hard. Xx

Words: Caffy St Luce

THE DAN THE D (THE MUSIC, THE PHOTOGRAPHY)

Multi-talent-tasking Dan Donovan has created artbeat escapism weaving a desert blues, garage rock album – ‘Mojo Del Rancho’ (available. digitally via iTunes and Spotify). Music for modern lovers.

It was recorded (with members of Eagles Of Death Metal and Snow Patrol) at Rancho de la Luna studio; home to Josh Homme’s Desert Sessions.

The LP conjures a wigged-out house party biography with songs as chapters from musicians letting go like a festival set, in the wide open space to do so. 

The CD is accompanied by a limited fifty-two-page photo journal available via Moose Shack Merch. It is an exhibition blessed with Wild West beauty and fine design. Me? I dig it. My time travelled recommendation is written in Summer 2020. Lockdown feels a little like life in a desert shack sometimes, especially in sweltering heat but it is nothing like this musical adventure. Tracks like ‘Dawg Eat’ evoke a dirty-sounds jukebox playing over an impending bar brawl from any of the rock n roll years. With a rich history in music’s heritage (and already widely acclaimed), in 2016, acclaimed musician, Dan Donovan wove into TheZineUK tapestry via his photography.

Star Wars; ‘The Force Awakens’ movie landed in December 2015. Dan’s image of feminist rockers, DEUX FURIEUSES illustrates their iconic debut album, ‘Tracks Of Wire’ (released May 2016). Our moonful story felt like threads of creative rebels were aligning.

They were. 

In 2017, ‘Mojo del Rancho’ was recorded at the infamous Rancho de la Luna, Mojave Desert, California (a location for Iggy Pop, Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age and it really feels like that).

As weaving stories go, it’s the perfect situation for a photo journalism tale. This love powered studio “in the middle of nowhere” is cited as weird, but functional with idiosyncratic recording gear (“Is it a mic? It looks like a grenade… You plug it in… find out if it goes off.” Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys). There’s an exceptional drum room and a raw, offwordly vibe to foil distraction.

Getting a swampy sound in a desert is no mean feat, but but Dan, the son of a Welsh preacher, has pulled it off. A variety of global sounds fused by Tom Waits tinted riff and rhythm rock outs, like ‘Baby Bomb’

From fronting the grungey Tribe of Dan to a string of press acclaimed albums and solo career, Dan’s prolific music-making keeps him in focus and on point. So ‘The Sit’ beat poem waltzes into the light and dark arena howl of ‘Sweet Gold’. 

There is blood and sweat on these tracks.

Art-rocked audiovision fusions of instruments, vocals, ideas, word layered, deconstructed but always reconstructed around the theme of SONG.

2017 THE DAN THE D aka Dan Donovan recorded at the infamous Rancho de la Luna, California (Iggy Pop, Foo Fighters, QOTSA, Arctic Monkeys, The Desert Sessions...

Being accompanied by Jonny Quinn of Snow Patrol on drums, Dave Catching (Eagles of Death Metal),  
Christina Reyes (Caxton) and Mark Ringer (Burning Codes) adds punky tangents that soundtrack the images of a virtual Hunter S. Thompson road trip.

Our Moon Tardis called into the DEUX FURIEUSES video shoot in Summer 2019. ‘Year Of Rage’ was directed by Dan Donovan and it was a beautiful day. As usual, with inspiring friends.

Madame So and Dan Donovan

Dan also directed the video for their second album’s title track; ‘My War Is Your War’ (released October 2019, yay, we attended the launch!) – for which his album artwork photography is, yet again, iconic.

One day, TheZineUK would like to see an ArtBeat exhibition/installation by any means necessary – our wealth of incredible documentarians, creating culture and counter culture alike, deserve it.

New images are conjured with each listen to ‘Mojo del Rancho‘s tribe of music world natives, to complement Dan’s photo journalism. Behold a formidable, cross breeding legacy being underlined.

Word: “Guitar axes chop under deep resonances and snake-rattling charms. This is vox-toxic bourbon on gilded splintered rocks. These are weighted Waitsian beat-poetic utterances with guttural Iggy swagger. The Dan The D glances through a glass darkly, iconic, ironic, embattled, brittle, squeeze- tight-till-the-bottle-breaks blues.

Social Links And Store/More 
via Dan Donovan‘s WEBSITE

Post script; Believe in the soul of this album. Time travelled to current positivity where Dan has set up a charitable page encouraging donations for The Red Cross (vital humanitarian, individual support for the most vulnerable through this crisis.

Words: Caffy St Luce