Saturday, 12 January 2013

Crushed Beaks and Palma Violets - Retro style and Retro Sound by JACKSON BOLLOCK.

So since the music press have finished their end of year retrospectives it's now time to look ahead and deicide who could be 'the sound' of 2013?

Previous industry tips have sometimes succeeded, blowing people out of the water before going on to super-stardom. Some impress in glimpses, maybe having a wonderful first album before taking one musical direction change too far or not progressing far enough. I have many bands which I love(d) who have fallen into one of those categories the most recent being The Vaccines (poor 2nd album.. makes me sad..it really does).  But enough of my tearful reminiscent, the future is here!!! Or rather, the past has returned, repackaged in shiny new boxes in the shape of two bands tipped to make a big splash in 2013.

First up is Crushed Breaks, never heard of them? Why not read this, it's from a proper music journalist:
 
'The London duo appear to have nailed a way of creating an all-consuming mass of noise, rhythm and melody which somehow belies their stripped back set up. With a sizeable clutch of winning, gristly pop songs...Crushed Beaks are ones you should most definitely be watching.''
Jon Hillcock, Clash Magazine
 
High praise indeed, you can find the songs "Breakdown", "Grim", "Close Up's" and "Sun Dog's" on the ol' YouTube and it's a mixed bag in my opinion:
 
 

Where some of the songs have a haunted and soulful quality to them, it sounds too much like a Cold Water Kids style band who went to an English public school and first experienced heartbreak when the families prize gun dog was shot by the eccentric Uncle on mid-summer's evening. When they cut loose (like the final part of "Breakdown" and last year's single "Grim") it has that sound that all the shit indie bands you watched at your local boozer wish they had. Tuneful yet aggressive, with only the fairground organ in the background enabling the songs to stay this side of chirpy.

But is it really anything we haven't heard before? Is it pushing the boundaries far enough? Well for this self-important, avant-garde, Guardian reading ponce....no...not quite. They have been touring and getting notoriety since 2011, but expect a push this year and maybe a new EP.

Moving on to the second band, now you most certainly have heard of Palma Violets... You have? Good.. cos their album '180' is set for a February release and will be bummed the fuck out of by Radio 1 and the NME. Since I stopped reading that shower of shit (when they started featuring Will.i.am and just generally being Smash Hits for indie girls and boys.. When was that?? Oh about 5 years ago..NME rant over) I was surprised to read that Palma Violets song "Best of Friends" had been voted as NME's song of 2012. The BBC put them on their 'sound of 2013' list blah blah fucking blah.

So, ahem, onto the music... I am just going to concentrate on perhaps their two most prominent songs, the aforementioned 'Best of Friends' and new(er) song 'Last of the Summer Wine' and no, that song isn't sampling of old people chasing baths down hills or whatever the fuck used to happen on that show.

'Best Friends' is prob where they first gained the Libertines comparisons as it sounds JUST LIKE THEM. Which isn't holding up Mr Barrett and the well known drug hoover to be original musical genuineness 'cause they weren't. The Who or The Buzzcocks songs played through a drunk guitar does not a modern classic make.

I know lot's of people enjoyed 'Best of Friends' so I gave it a couple of listens, it was dull and had a shouty chorus which I am sure sounds good live but at home just hurt my ears. Hardly ground breaking, maybe a bit fun to shout when your drunk but that's about it.

 


Next 'Last of the Summer Wine'..... and it's title is very apt, it's slow, a bit painful and ultimately worthless... just how I imagine my elderly years will be. At least I'll be deaf then so I won't have to listen to bands like Palmo Violets... re-packaged, UK, paint by numbers rock music.
 
 
 
They'll be big in 2013...and hopefully the album will show they have more depth than the pissy (sorry, shallow) end of the local swimming pool. The End. 

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