Scathing and vivacious, Rapture is the latest single release from grit infused indie punk three-piece J.W. Paris. Immersed with a scatty glare of sharp lyrical wit and blaringly raucous guitar riffs, Rapture is a pounding, brilliantly deafening piece of music. The bass from Aaron keeps a sharp element of intricacy to the track, a contrasting mirage to the blurry haziness of the vocals. The use of old school distortions tie in perfectly with the dark bass, the sharpness of Dan on lead guitar cleanly slicing through the track

What I love about the band, and this is an element which has always struck me as intrinsically enticing, is the way that Dan and Aaron play together; to play the bass as if it’s a lead, and carefully balance Dan’s more delicate vocal with the grit and scathing rawness of Aaron’s shows an impeccable skill. Josh as always is immense on this track; his drumming is thunderous and passionate, a tinge of aggression seeping through the track. The way he plays adds a new dimension to the sound of J.W. Paris, which is a uniquely raw and eclectic one. The band take elements of indie rock and punk, molding together this eclectic mix of genres, a blues edge subtly rippled throughout

Rapture has been a firm fan favourite for years now, yet the track has developed and matured in its own way since the band first started playing it live, and the new recorded version has been produced and mixed with such immense precision that it’s a commendable craft in itself how well Blaggers Records have worked on it. The DIY production of the track helps the band retain their classic sound, one which I fell in love with when I first saw the band. It’s scathing and vehement, incredibly catchy, and just an all round beauty

Listen here: https://goo.gl/4HtgGZ

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Yellow is False Heads’ second single of 2018; with a six month break from releasing music, it was crucial for the Retina follow up single to be just as blinding and gritty as the band’s previous work has been, and of course it is. Yellow is an interesting track; its dynamic flits between pop and grunge, a gritty punk aura resting in the verse and pre verse, whilst the chorus is pure pop, fuelled by the backup vocal from drummer Barney

It’s the pounding riffs in the verse which keeps the track a vivacious, dark one. Luke’s scathing screams of ‘my head hurts’ and ‘I let my hair down for you to tear out’ build up an abrasive, tough anger, which keeps a garage bluntness to Yellow. I hope the band can keep this DIY blunt crassness to their music, as their abrasively unique attitude is what fuels their music to be so good

What the band have created with Yellow is something effortlessly enigmatic and intense, the tune bleeding out a combination of punk vigour and pop sensibility. This raucous, boldly in your face punk track is an excitingly promising indication of what is yet to come for the band; False Heads release the Less Is More EP next month on the 21st, featuring Yellow, Retina, Help Yourself and Wrap Up. Come party with the band at the official EP launch on October 5th at London’s Dingwalls, and catch them live on their upcoming tour; full details here

Hanging on to their nasty post punk bite, False Heads have released an unflinching, harrowingly cold new single, Retina. Brimming with an aptitude for DIY vitality, anger, and raw passion, Retina is a brutal, perfectly brewed combination of nasty lyrics and incredibly hooking riffs. The track is a moodily brooding cocktail of arrogance and wit, the triad recklessly disregarding the formula and standard ‘rules’ many bands on the verge of making it tend to embody in their music. False Heads have been gigging relentlessly for over a year now, dropping the Gutter Press EP along the way, as well as formulating and crafting to on-stage perfection tracks such as Fall Around, Wrap Up, and Yellow. What makes Retina so tight and dreamy to listen to is the insatiable passion the band possess. The track has an element of finesse about it, a very delicate refined feel of meticulousness to it, every sharp detail from Jake’s thudding bass line to Barney’s cocky back up vocals intertwining with each other in jaw dropping perfection. Vocalist and lead guitarist Luke wrote the bass line, and came up with the lyrics which set the dark tone of the track; “it was kinda like an acid trip to be fair that inspired the lyrics…it’s about manoeuvring your way through your own mind”

Lyricism is key to False Heads; Wrap Up and Slew in particular stand out, as examples of the band’s core, uniquely identifiable sound. These tracks are built on the foundations of heavy riffs though, and the riffs and bold thrashing aggression they channel on stage can often disguise the lyrical quality Luke comes up with; it’s important to take note of the evocative lyrics he scribes though, and especially to engage with the stunning lyricism in Retina.

Lines such as “Flicking through a dream, hoping for a theme” and “set my retina off, tastes like metal” have thought provoking broodiness to them, the grit and muck of the band forcefully projected with lines like “sew the other shut, mongrel or a mutt?” and “you could shoot away, we’ve all seen better days.” A pure genius in his lyrics, which have a trippy quality of mad, twisted insanity to them, Luke writes like a true poet. There’s no camaraderie or falseness behind them, simply pure in your face honesty, which he takes to a more personal level, giving the lyrics as a result a gritty dirty bite. The snarly rawness of Retina gives the track a viciously ear splitting demeanour, one which is hooking and gripping, and in nature stunningly enticing to its listeners.

Listen to Retina here

© photo by Luke Marcus Nugent, & single artwork by Chris Hanvey

‘I’ve got people telling me I need to get out and do more. But that’s what I left school for. I got the time in my hands and it’s running through like sand, will I ever be able to keep up with it?’

Indie punk four piece The Slumdogs are causing a riot in the underground music scene right now, with release of new single Nightmare. From Blackpool/ Leeds, The Slumdogs are fast becoming a genuine favourite new band of mine, purely through the new breath of life they are giving punk music. Shaking it up and giving punk a more energetic and intense sound, their new single is a perfect showcase of how promising young bands at the moment are.

Lead vocalist Bobby spits the opening line into the mic, before that thudding bass from Will and rolling drum loop from Gaspar kick in. A gritty punk infused mess of blurred riffs and scratchy vocals, Nightmare is The Slumdogs’ best single to date in my opinion. Produced by Bobby Bentham from Strange Bones, the track has a really raw abrasive feel of uncaring post punk rock. The energy and intimidating attitude is blinding, the toughness and gritty gravel of the lyrics layering perfectly over the raw darkness of Cameron’s guitar. ‘I’m sick of people always being a FUCKING NIGHTMARE’ Bobby screams, the line coated in punk savageness. There’s so much cockiness and confidence in the track too, both of which are integral to punk authenticity. There’s an emphasis on the vocals with a conscious push on over annunciation, giving the track a proper bite and riotous edge. The thrashing nature of the chorus too makes it rowdy and hectic, with enough chaos packed in it to cause mosh pits at gigs.

There’s something youthful and energetic about Nightmare too, amplified by the raucousness of the video which reflects the thudding punk edge to the track musically. The video was produced by the legendary Jack Bentham, who plays lead guitar in Strange Bones and makes films and music videos for bands too. The shakiness of the camera and blurred background which fades in and out of a distorted image reflects the chaotic nature of the track, with a pure punk edge built up by the visuals. This is similar to videos from Strange Bones like Big Sister Is Watching and Spitfire; the Blackpool lads’ influence is clearly felt here. There’s a lot of grit and anger to Nightmare, the build up of the guitar and those crashing riffs amplifying this. It’s fresh and new and exciting, and I’m now desperate to see these lads play live at some point. In terms of what they sound like, there’s something fresh and unique to their sound, but it does to me draw similarities to bands like Demob Happy, Yak and King Nun.

Go give ‘Nightmare’ on iTunes a purchase here

BREED are by far one of the sickest, most intense bands on the scene right now. Filthy raucous rock with a brooding gritty edge makes up their sound, and it’s enticing and intimidating. What I love about BREED is this arrogance and attitude to them; there’s something compelling about the way they play, and the carelessness to them gives them an unapproachable aura which is blinding. Building on a busy few months gigging mainly with This Feeling, including festivals like Y Not and Reading, BREED recently dropped new single Gimme More, and it’s really fucking good. There’s a raucous anthemic feel to that track, the pounding bass lines and drumming amping up Jake’s raw vocal of ‘gimme, gimme, gimme more.’ I caught the band live at 229 the other night, alongside favourites of mine False Heads and Calva Louise, and seeing Gimme More live was ridiculously good. Max on guitar is lethal, really filthy raw riffs with this meticulous skill and talent which ripped that stage to bits. The intro to the track is probably my favourite part, with that rich guitar riff setting a rowdy tone for the rest of the track. The thumping broodiness of Jake’s vocal has a fantastically gritty bite to it, and his vocal is just what I like in rock music. It’s moody and edgy and dark, packed with a gritty gravely tone which is exactly what I love about post punk rock’n’roll. Something big is happening with BREED, get on ’em now.

Single rating: ★★★★★

Listen to Gimme More here: https://open.spotify.com/track/3KnqvMN1nqlIbl4WbVjOH0

The Americas, man, what a band. A group I bang on about a lot on here, they’re an undeniably brilliant force of pure classy rock’n’roll. Despite the name, The Americas are quintessentially British, with their riffs and the way they play epitomising perfectly classic old school British rock’n’roll. They use a keyboard in their music, accompanied by this raw feel good guitar rock sound, which is a unique and refreshing set up for a band. The three piece are made up of lead vocalists and guitarists Aaron (who also picks up keyboard) and Alex, backed up by drummer Harry. So I’ve seen the band a couple of times now, playing for This Feeling back in March and again at Truck festival in July. Their live performance is always brilliant, with heaps of energy and a fun feel good aura to their sets. This bluesy old school sound they have is whisky ridden, sex infused, classic 60s style rock, with something more youthful and fresh to their music to give them a vibrant modern day edge.

The band have just released new single Something’s Gonna Happen, and it’s ridiculously good. This bold anthemic track has a brilliant beat to it, perfect for grooving and dancing. The funky beat of the tambourine with that bold old school blaring guitar sound gives the track a really upbeat, uplifting aura. I bloody love this band, and the new single is proof of how class they are. Despite the same riff being played on a loop with the lyric ‘something’s gonna happen’ being repeated continuously, that bluesy bass line gives the track something exciting and interesting, the chord progression just before the chorus keeping that unique feel to the track. I love the chorus vocally too, as Aaron and Alex sing together which adds another layer of immensity to the track. The blaring meticulousness to the guitar riff too makes the track a really catchy piece of music.

Listen to Something’s Gonna Happen here

The Americas will be releasing an EP early 2018, and it’s safe to say this will be one of the most anticipated releases of next year. The three piece will also embark on a This Feeling tour next month, following countless appearances with This Feeling this summer at festivals like Isle of Wight, Y Not and Reading. The band’s tour will include gigs at Nambucca (London), Jimmy’s (Manchester), and a special hometown gig at the Sunflower Lounge (Birmingham)

Tickets are available for purchase here (trust me you won’t regret it)

Full of grit and raw blues infused grunge elements, J.W. Paris are back with new single Berlin. The band’s finesse and grunge rawness is what makes them such a wonderful band, and I’ve been a huge fan of the three piece since catching them live last year with The Amazons. Made up of Daniel, Aaron and Josh, J.W. Paris have this thrashing blistering sound to their music, with very raw rough DIY rock elements to their sound. They’ve built up a unique image and musical edge as a band, and are an electrifying presence of rock’n’roll in the music industry right now. Featured on my Bands to Watch in 2017 feature, the band released debut single Rapture last year, and Berlin really is the perfect follow up to this. The track has this really rough gravel to it, with the chorus opening the track and crashing down throughout as the track progresses. Attitude wise, there’s this very abrasive confidence to the track which makes the band’s delivery of it even better; the delivery of the lyrics are gritty and messy, with both Daniel and Aaron singing together. Their vocals work together meticulously, paired by wonderful guitar and Josh’s thrashing drumming. Opening with a slightly quieter vocal from Aaron and acoustic guitar, the track immediately lifts in intensity as a more powerful guitar kicks in with the drums, backed up by that rich deep bass. ‘It’s taking me over, it’s dragging me down‘ Aaron broodingly sings, with him taking lead vocal on the track and Daniel singing and harmonising over certain parts of the track perfectly.

The rigour and energy of the track is blinding, and the chorus has an immensely catchy guitar sound to it. It’s pure authentic guitar rock, with a garage bluesy feel to it. Both Daniel and Aaron have these really gritty tough vocals which pair perfectly with the deep grunge infused sound the lead guitar and bass have together. The build up mid way through the track before crashing down into the line ‘I’m no fun’ makes for a sense of adrenaline and anticipation, keeping you as a listener on your toes and craving that heavy crashing down chorus which the band deliver. ‘Berlin’s my chosen place, I leave without a trace’ Aaron sings, with that bold amped up guitar from Daniel further adding to the roughness of the track. It’s tracks like Berlin from small rock bands like J.W. Paris which proves guitar music is more alive than it’s ever been before, and the clever riffs used and little musical techniques show just how exciting the current rock scene is. J.W. Paris match bluesy rock’n’roll with a rough indie bite, and the wonderfully distorted guitar paired with that rawness of the vocals makes Berlin one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time. Having seen Berlin performed live before, it’s safe to say J.W. Paris are just as brilliant live as they are on record; upcoming dates for the band include Nambucca (London, N7 6LB) on April 15th, and Hoxton Underbelly (London, N1 6NU) on April 21st. You can purchase tickets and keep up to date with the band via their Facebook page here.

Single rating: ★★★★★

‘Berlin’ will be available to purchase and listen to later this month (April 2017)