London's GILLBANKS have debuted their new single Childhood, a catchy, dreamy track with all the summery shine of an early 90s baggy tune. Judging by the strength of this offering and following their successful stint supporting The Magic Gang and INHEAVEN at last month's Roundhouse Rising, GILLBANKS are certainly one to watch for 2016 and we can expect even bigger and better things from them in the near future. Check out Childhood below
Their first release since last year's Wild Nights album, Manchester band PINS have dropped a video for their new song Trouble. I was unfamiliar with PINS until I was lucky enough to see them at last year's Dot To Dot festival.Their fantastic set completely won me over, and I couldn't get hold of their albums quickly enough. Trouble retains the recognisable spirit and style of previous PINS tracks but develops it, creating a darker, more experimental sound. Check out Trouble below. The band's albums Girls Like Us and Wild Nights are available via Bella Union.
As a huge fan of Jamie Hewlett and the Tank Girl comic he co-created with Alan Martin, I'd heard a lot of terrible things about the ill-fated 1995 film adaptation that fittingly tanked at the box office so thought it was about time I checked it out for myself on Netflix over the weekend. Unsurprisingly, the film reeks of Hollywood executives meddling with a source material they never understood in the first place and features little of the humour and wit that made the comic so appealing. Twenty one years on, the state of comic to film adaptations has (mostly) improved hugely, and I'd be curious to see how a film adaptation would turn out now in a post-Deadpool world.
Despite the film being a chore to sit through and at times excruciatingly annoying it has a fantastic soundtrack; a time capsule of early 90s alt-rock with songs chosen and assembled by Courtney Love. These include tracks from the likes of Portishead, L7 and of course Love's own band Hole, which make the soundtrack much more successful at capturing the fun and anarchic nature of Tank Girl herself than the irritating way the character is presented in the film. The highlights for me are Shove by L7 and the opening song in the film; Devo's re-recorded Girl U Want.It would have been even better if Tank Girl's British roots were acknowledged and more of the great female fronted British bands of the 90s were included too; Stutter by Elastica would have suited this album perfectly.
For fans of 90s rock, this soundtrack is a real treat. It's a shame that the film itself doesn't stand up half as well.
I first became aware of Misty Miller years ago when my little sister kept playing music on Myspace by a blonde teenage girl wearing a white dress, singing love songs and strumming a ukulele. Apart from the odd piercing, there was nothing punk about her so it was a big surprise for me when the same girl walked out on stage in a supporting slot at a Jake Bugg gig wearing a flannel shirt, torn jeans and DM boots and launched into an impressive, grungy set with an electric guitar taking the place of her old ukulele. Three years on, Misty has finally released her excellent long awaited new album The Whole Family Is Worried and its obvious why she changed direction from the folk music of her first album so dramatically; this is the music she always wanted, and was supposed, to make. The affection she has for this music comes across loud and clear throughout the record and the songs give a real insight into who she is, everything from toxic relationships to acid trips are covered and a sense of genuine, raw emotion hangs over every track hitting full force on closing song Best Friend. Its great to have definitive versions of older songs from her repertoire included here alongside new ones. Bouncy live favourites Girlfriend and Next To You have beenrevamped for the record but are joined by Devil and Fall Away, slower songs that showcase Misty's more vulnerable side. A rare second stab at a debut album, The Whole Family Is Worried proves that taking risks and following your true self can pay off big time.
Brighton band Black Honey are back with the excellent All My Pride, the first single from their imminent Headspin EP.
It feels strange to remember how little was known about Black Honey when their first songs hit the web back in 2014; each track was simply accompanied by an image of a 1950s TV set and no details or images of the band members themselves were revealed. The mystery surrounding the band only deepened when they posted a phone number for fans to text amongst cryptic messages on their Twitter profile, making the whole operation feel more like marketing for a JJ Abrams film than promotion for a indie rock band.
Since then, however, the band have gone from strength to strength with multiple tours and festival appearances under their belt as well as their acclaimed debut EP and singles making waves amongst indie aficionados. DIY and NME have both championed Black Honey as one to watch in 2016 and on the strength of their music so far, as well as their awesome live performances, the hype is well deserved.
All My Pride continues the band's cinematic influences and love of Americana, with the track at times sounding like it could have sat comfortably on a soundtrack for a classic Tarantino film.
Check out the track over on Black Honey's Soundcloud, and make sure to grab the EP when it's out on 29th April!
Ahead of the release of their debut album Vile Child, Stroud's Milk Teeth have dropped the video for their awesome new track Brain Food and revealed a revamped version of their older song Swear Jar.
With a thrashing grunge-infused sound, singer Becky Blomfield's fearless vocals and lyrics that perfectly capture feelings of isolation and aimlessness, Brain Food is an instant hit that I'm sure will resonate with austerity-facing young people.
Swear Jar (Again) is a reworked version of a popular track from Milk Teeth's excellent 2015 EP Smiling Politely. Both tracks feature onVile Child which will be available via Hopeless records on 29th January, and be sure to catch Milk Teeth on tour with Tonight Alive next month!
If you've read my blog previously you've probably realised by now that I'm a big fan of Brighton's The Magic Gang, and have been since I saw them supporting Wolf Alice on tour last year. Before that gig I hadn't even heard of the band, but was completely won over by the impressive roster of songs in their set.
I've already shared my thoughts on Jasmineand these are joined by the excellent She Doesn't See, Feeling Betterand All That I Want Is You which all show off the band's knack for penning catchy, feel good songs that tell surprisingly melancholy stories.
However, the stand out track for me is opening song Lady, Please which I've been waiting for the band to release since I heard it live last April and it didn't disappoint!
I've previously vented my irritation with the music press's tendency to lazily label and categorise new bands, but I'm sure The Magic Gang's new funk infused direction showcased on this EP will put the Weezer comparisons that the band have been saddled with to rest.
