The Tunnels, smallish crowd, mid-December.

Yep, it was freezing.

On the plus side, it made a fitting setting for first supporting act The Deportees (http://www.deportees.co.uk/). Not because they’re depressing or anything, but because they’re home grown Aberdeen talent and the north east has obviously rubbed off on them; from the booming Celtic-echo drums of their opener to a certain softness in the delivery in their vocals and various acoustics. It’s a shame that their new single ‘I Lost Her to the Sea’ is the only thing they have up for grabs anywhere http://thedeportees.bandcamp.com/ – it’s a pleasing little harmony in itself, but their live set showed off a surprising diversity in their style. Here’s hoping they throw us an EP sometime soon so they can show off their other stuff too.

The second supporting acts also displayed a variety of sounds, from bass-heavy synth lead pieces to moments when they sounded like the sort of indie-rock-with-a-dash-of-pop band that you’d expect from a band called The Little Kicks http://www.myspace.com/thelittlekicks. They sounded more at home (and more interesting, actually) when the electronic toys took a back seat, and it turned out that they didn’t need them to avoid being another The Kooks and co. soundalike anyway, with melodies strung together intelligently, some staying bob-along harmonic numbers with their own inward diversions and breaks, others suddenly imploding in frantic buildups and crescendos. All in all they were a pick-n’-mix of indie goodness, and if you’re planning on attending the AECC’s Hogmanay event (the one with White Lies, Twin Atlantic and The View) then you’re in luck; The Little Kicks are on opening act duty. Expect to get more than you bargained for.

But none of this was any preparation for Broken Records http://brokenrecordsband.com/. I’ve been putting off writing this review for nearly a week now, partly because I probably won’t be able to do it justice and partly because just thinking about it is… uncomfortable, I guess. Going through the descriptive P’s and Q’s won’t help (if you must know: standard-ish setup, violin, self-label of indie folk is accurate enough, sound sort of like sonic-less Twilight Sad but, somehow, less happy) so let’s get the cliché over with – I got chills, and not just because The Tunnels is a deep-freeze.  From the violin’s vibrato idle through the paces of slow-beat despair to peaks of frantic defiance, Broken Records are beautiful, alternately desolate and desperate, hopeless and hopeful. Frontman Jamie Sutherland’s capacity for emotion is phenomenal, less because it’s larger than life, more because it sounds normal – normal, when normal is being stretched, scraped and downright abused ‘til it just about snaps. Match that with the sheer mood that the band puts out, from bleak tonal depths to almost orchestral heights, and it’s quite the experience. To be part of the appreciative cloister of hardy souls huddled around their stage, to stand up and be haunted, might not sound like a good night; and no, it wasn’t, not in the normal sense. But just remembering it makes the room a bit colder. So it was better than that, much better. This is why we need to support small venues and bands – no amount of exuberance or intensity could have quite the same effect in anything approaching the description of an arena. Up close and personal is the only way to become acquainted with such amazing music.

With that, I’ll end. If you plan on having a merry Christmas, you might want to leave them until Boxing Day; but whatever you do, make sure that you have a Broken Record… umm, record, somewhere on your list for Santa.

Scott Reid

It’s a cold night in Aberdeen and I ventured to The Tunnels for the launch of Autumn In Disguise’s album release of What Makes Life Better. There was a really good vibe in the Tunnels and it becomes apparent that the majority of spectators at the gig were here for Autumn in Disguise; this becomes overwhelming clear after the swell of people surround the stage as soon as the main act take their positions. Despite the modest crowd, within minutes the crowd is clapping along, follwed by a moshpit taking over the floor; one of many that appear throughout their set.

A number of songs had the crowd singing along which did not go unnoticed by the band’s singer, Mike Hendo , who took time out between songs to thank fans for knowing their lyrics. All the songs were tight and the quality of their songs played live was fantastic; a rare compliment to give! The band interacted well on stage with each other and they really projected a brilliant and energetic presence regardless of The Tunnels’ small stage. What really stood out for me especially though, apart from the quality of the songs, was the crowd interaction they created by getting people involved in songs and showing they were making an effort. For me, this is the essence of a true band: Loving their music, and loving their fans. 

Not only did the band do that, it was clear to see that they were having fun on stage and weren’t  taking it too seriously which was represented perfectly by an incident in with the lead singer laughed when a crowd member told him to F*** Off. Even though it is very difficult to choose, my favourite song of the night would have to be ‘Let’s Call This A Home Run’ . They completely smashed it out of the park and it’s no surprise as they have toured with the likes of Deaf Havana, Four Year Strong, The Dangerous Summer, Francesqua, Yashin, Not Advised and A Loss for Words.

Autumn In Disguise are a five piece band hailing from Aberdeen. The band members are Mike Hendo (vocals), James Forbes (drums), Stephen Napier (guitar), David Gonnella (guitar) and Louis Craighead (bass). You can now download their album What Makes Life Better off itunes and Band Camp (www.autumnindisguise.bandcamp.com). If you want to check out any of their music, photos, follow them on twitter or find out tour dates you can visit their myspace page (www.myspace.com/autumnindisguise) or you can check them out on facebook (www.facebook.com/autumnindisguise).

Louise Shirley

Having arrived at Café Drummond to witness the sound check I was confronted with a venue which seemed to be lacking an audience aside from the regular cliental and what seemed to be only the band members and a small number of their friends, I couldn’t help but feel slightly apprehensive about the upcoming gig. The gig was advertised as State Road Ten with support from AudioKicks and Crooked Little Vein however the latter had been replaced by cover band ByHookorbyKrook.

Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when the gig eventually got underway some forty minutes later as more people slowly trickled through the door. First up was the four piece cover band, ByHookorbyKrook. Opening with a brilliant rendition of the Buzzcocks ‘Ever Fallen in Love?’ and following with other classics such as Sex Pistols ‘God Save the Queen’. The lead singer of ByHookorbyKrook is the immensely talented vocalist Charlie with a great range in his voice allows him to pull off such vocally contrasting songs such as Electric Six ‘Gay Bar’ and Radiohead ‘Creep’. The band do not limit their talents to covering only older Rock ‘n’ Roll songs but also fantastically pulling Biffy Clyro ‘Who’s got a Match?’ and The Subways ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Queen’. One of the best songs they performed was Metallica ‘Enter Sandman’ which made me feel slightly nostalgic for my old Metallica days.

ByHookorbyKrook are an incredible cover band whom regularly play Café Drummond and have a fully booked schedule for all but three weekends next year which is a statement in itself for the demand of this extremely talented band. I would highly suggest you get yourself down to Café Drummond one Friday evening to witness this band especially if you have the slightest taste for Classic Metal and Rock tunes. I assure you that you will not be let down by ByHookorbyKrook who flawlessly cover a great range of songs of that you will know and love. For me, the evening was made by this opening performance, setting the bar very high for the following acts. Unfortunately, the crowd seemed a little shy throughout the opening set and all but a couple of highly intoxicated lads found themselves on the perimeter of the dance floor. They then played their finale of Rage Against ‘Killing in the Name of’ to make way for AudioKicks.

AudioKicks are a relatively young trio who don’t appear to have much stage experience but clearly have a lot of potential. Their opening two songs weren’t anything too impressive however they did pick up as their set progressed. AudioKicks would probably be classed as Rock band with Indie influences which is especially noticeable in the drums. They are very easy listening and have the type of sound which could easily satisfy a mainstream audience with potential airplay on the radio. The singer has a good voice which adds well to the band’s sound which at times comes across similar to the likes of Foo Fighters and Glasvegas but also not dissimilar to King Creosote at certain times. The crowd, having been warmed up, enjoyed AudioKicks gaining a greater number of dancers.The overall performance lacked energy on the stage however the trio clearly work well together and seem to feed off of one another whilst performing. AudioKicks have a lot of potential and could do really well for themselves if they continue to get themselves out there.

Finally came the headline act, State Road Ten. State Road Ten is made up of Brian Massie on guitar, Tunk (also performing as part of ByHookorbyKrook) on drums, and brothers, Gary and Gavin Scott on vocals and guitar, and bass and vocals respectively.  Straight away the difference in confidence was clear between State Road Ten and AudioKicks as they comfortably looked to own the stage. There is an apparent age difference in the band between the brothers and their counterparts which is unusual to see. The audience was in high spirits as the main act underwent their performance. They opened with ‘Truth About Stories’ (the Title song of their EP which they were handing out to punters) which gave a clear statement of their intent with the high energy intro. The song isn’t the best with a constant rhythm broken only once by a guitar solo.  Their next song, ‘In the Mirror’ was less impressive than the first but clearly the band were beginning to draw in a bigger crowd. ‘What Goes Around (Comes Around)’ was a more promising song, one which you could imagine being played in bigger venues with fans singing along, however its lack in a powerful guitar solo which would polish it off well.  Their final song of the night (and on the EP) ‘Kings of California’ has a similar introduction sound to Black Stone Cherry ‘Rain Wizard’.  The song itself is a little underwhelming.

State Road Ten are clearly a talented group of musicians however I feel as a group, I feel they don’t show a lot of potential to go further if they carry on down the path they are currently travelling. They need to try to challenge themselves, broaden their sound and try and be more diverse with their music. Listening to their performance, it seems that they have a lot of influence musically from acts similar to Bruce Springsteen and that they are try to emulate the rock anthem sort of sounds in their songs, especially in the vocals of Gavin.

Overall I would have to say it was a good performance, however, totally eclipsed by that of ByHookorbyKrook. Seriously, go see them.

Nick Janse Van Rensburg

Jazz? Avant garde? Lounge music? Santana style riffs? Cheese? Huh?! Ok, so on first impression you can allow yourself to wonder just what The Film Noir is, and of course cheese is a modern wonder up there with electricity, fire and the Sega Mega Drive.

I know, it seems I’m not being entirely serious (although I was about the cheese and Mega Drive). There is a point to my ramblings though, and it’s not alcoholism. No, it’s that at first The Film Noir doesn’t actually seem to make all that much sense, seemingly constructed of mismatched styles with some rather baffling lyrics. Of course it would be lazy to just listen to this EP from Owen Franklin once, and upon giving it more than just a cursory play through, I ‘got it’.

The Film Noir is comprised of three tunes, incorporating the aforementioned styles with some brilliant and often amusing lyrics. Underneath everything there runs a seam of things being ever so slightly unhinged, threatening to come apart at any time, yet it never does. And nor should it. Opening track’ Danse Macabre’ brings to mind a smoky bar with just a hint of grimy and seedy goings on. It opens with a delightfully old sounding piano, the sort you’d expect to find in a wild west tavern, before the more modern influences of jazz and lounge styles kick in. Sprinkled liberally throughout are some great guitar riffs, and the lyrics are purposely ambiguous, with Owen Franklin basically asking the listener to decide for themselves what they mean.

The 2^nd track, ‘Teetotal’ is a tune all about someone considering becoming teetotal. Clearly. The lyrics are the real strength of this track, with some fantastic comical lines, such as;

“And now it’s the morning and my, my stomach is sick

I spent all my money and I feel like a prick!

I went on a bender and now Jesus, I’m feeling unwell

My stomach churns like a blender and my head is going through hell”

Something I’m sure we can all relate to! The lovely piano refrains that punctuate the tune really add to the sense of melancholy that permeate throughout, although it still maintains it’s wonderful sense of humour.

The EP is rounded out my final track ‘Going Home’. It’s fair to say that any humour left over from the previous track evaporates as soon as your hear the lyrics, and more specifically the delivery of them. Wreathed in pain and hurt, they are delivered desperately over single piano keys. It’s powerful stuff despite it’s minimalism; in fact even more so because of it. The track really takes off with an utterly immense guitar riff and a change up in gears, and suddenly mournful becomes downright joyous. However lurking in the back of all this is what the lyrics actually mean. Give it a listen and decide for yourself, but suffice to say they’re pretty dark.

So there you go. A charming and brilliant EP from a very talented young artists (he does everything on the album from the singing to all the instruments). It may not be an immediately accessible ‘hit’, but a good listen will yield constant rewards. This is dazzlingly unique and refreshingly different, and certainly deserves a lot of attention. It’s up to you to give it that.

www.owenfranklinmusic.com

Stuart Manson

To be likened to a successful and famous musician is most definitely a great accolade but must be done with caution. Tom Moriarty is billed as being like Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen. Now this is a massive statement to make because, you know, The Boss is the one and only Boss. Now the big question, does he live up to this very grand introduction? Quite simply the answer is no, BUT that should not be taken as a criticism. He is a great musician in his own right, as the two songs on his latest EP (which is released on the 2^nd January next year) clearly show.

The first (and title) track ‘smile if you wanna get high’ is nice little bluesy-rock tune with a catchy chorus although it didn’t set my house on fire it is a good song. He has a wonderfully husky voice which goes well with the blues-esque melodies in the song. However it is not the most exciting song I’ve heard this year and it hasn’t really left much of an impression on me, but if you’re into that sort of rocky blues you may appreciate it more!

The second track however, is far more exciting song. It is (bizarrely enough) a cover of Duran Duran’s 1982 hit ‘Save a Prayer’. Don’t let that put you off though; it is a really lovely re-working of an 80s classic and it is with this rather than the Memphis blues choir that I think Moriarty’s voice is best suited. His huskiness placed over gentle acoustic guitar and light percussion really is quite beautiful. I think it is for this track that the EP is worth buying in January because it really is a gorgeous piece of music and shows just how good I think this guy could be/become.

Holly Abbott

The salient fact that you need to know about Resolution15 is that they play heavy metal; with violins. Yes, violins, those stringed instruments that are definitely NOT guitars. Or even bass guitars.  So basically we’re talking thrash with violins here; ‘vash’, you could say. Perhaps.

Anyway, Resolution15 have released this EP, Mr Dark. It’s the first I’ve heard of this band, and upon being told that they used violins in lieu of guitars, I was looking forward to seeing how the dynamic worked. In actuality, there is very little difference in sound, with the violins proving every bit as effective in spewing forth a barrage of furious riffage throughout. The skill level of the musicians to be able to pull that off is off the charts.

But of course at the end of the day it’s the songs that matter. So how do they stack up? Eponymous opener ‘Mr Dark’ beings with a straight up thrash assault and some speedy kick drumming before the vocals crash into the picture, they being of standard thrash fare. However they suddenly pull the brakes a bit and slow down to a chugging ‘holding’ drum beat and riffs, allowing the vocals to be delivered cleanly. This section of the track brings to mind Dirt era Alice In Chains, and it’s the classic ‘fast-slow-fast’ pattern works well here, at times being reminiscent of Killswitch Engage.

Track 2 sees the band tackling the U2 song ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, adding their own brutal twist to an emotive song. It works well, especially during the chorus, and hearing the lyrics ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ screamed at you gives the song a new and fresh feel. A unique take that pays off.

The 3^rd track, ‘Yama’, begins like it’s the weakest track on the EP, with familiar stock beats and chugging riffs. What saves it though is the first time the violins are allowed to sound distinct, and the listener is treated to some great and unique takes on heavy metal.

The EP closes out with ‘Anjaneya’, a competent enough number, but nothing too exciting and certainly not on the level of all that precedes it. It’s by no means a bad song, but it’s dwarfed by the efforts that came before it.

This is a solid EP from a band that are forging a name for themselves in the ever increasingly populous heavy metal scene. They are a very good and competent heavy metal band, but it’s when they use the violins to play some more classic referential styled metal that they really stand out. Just don’t make the mistake of writing them off as a gimmick band. There’s much more here to see and hear.

http://www.resolution15.com/

http://www.myspace.com/resolution15

Stuart Manson

So here we have another dose of infectious, truly British indie-pop by the eclectic five-piece, Dog is Dead, who have well and truly made their entrance onto the British indie stage. But they are not the most typical indie group. Probably because they are not characterised by wearing clothes likely to be worn by your grandparents. Hailing from Nottingham, this group is well on its way to becoming a classic part of the oh-so-fashionable indie scene of the now. Having played at Glastonbury in 2010 and supported the Bombay Bicycle Club on their tour earlier this year, its unsurprising they are quickly becoming an integral part of fashionable youth culture. And their latest single, ‘Hands Down’ is certainly a representation of this.

For a start, I expected this indie band to be like any other, with music that often makes me want to fall asleep. The track begins with a very relaxing heartbeat of repetitive strumming and a light drum beat. But as it continues, the drum beat, guitar riffs and even the vocals become considerably stronger and more interesting. The vocals certainly remind me of folk singer Benjamin Frances Leftwich, who I have reviewed previously, but I do think that lead vocalist, Robert Milton, has a much greater range than poor Benjamin. Strangely, there’s even a slice of Matt Bellamy in there, which is just far too confusing! The chorus is sure to be a popular sing-along, with the whole band seeming to be chipping in with the vocals. The much stronger beat of the whole song does make you want to dance around much more than most indie songs do, which is just like I think they should be. And towards the end there is quite a lot of distortion of the guitar, which adds another dimension to the song and keeps you pretty interested. This track is certainly truer to their indie roots, with some evident rock elements and strong vocals (although I don’t really know what he’s saying half the time – but hey, just enjoy the moment). Its good to hear some newcomers that really understand the indie genre, and are certainly not over-produced.

With the band currently working on their much anticipated debut album, which is to released in 2012, I expect that even more frenzy will arise around Dog is Dead. And with their biggest headline show being played in their hometown on the 17^th of this month, it seems as though the best is yet to come…

Faith Thomson

The new single from Likely Lads entitled “Observations” is set to be released on the 12^th of this month. The band Likely Lads is a five piece group from the South East of England that categorizes themselves as indie pop rock.  Now the all important question is whether or not you should go and listen to their newest release?

This song is certainly upbeat and the lyrics throughout the chorus certainly emphasize this feeling. The main melody is pleasant and I can’t really find any faults with this song. All in all this song is good and I can see it doing well however it doesn’t really offer anything new and the vocals aren’t the strongest that I have heard. I feel that there are already quite a few bands out there playing this kind of music that perhaps they should expand and incorporate some new sounds, giving them more of an edge over others.

The sound of this song reminds me strongly of bands such as All American Rejects, the happy rock type. So if you enjoyed releases from All American Rejects then certainly this song and band are worth a listen.

Eleanor Finnie

The Zenon are a 5 piece rock/pop band from Sheffield, England. The band takes its name from the lead singer/guitarist/ songwriter Zenon Boczar, who whilst born in England has Polish parents. Zenon’s debut album “Falling” lead to a deal with Polish label Pomaton EMI and was released in Poland to great success, achieving no1 for their singles in the Polish charts.  One of their songs ‘State of my Heart’ was written as a duet between Zenon Boczar and Emilia Majcherczyk, the winner of the polish equivalent to x-factor. This song was later featured in a film called “A Broken Life”.

‘Can’t breathe’ has a very strong likeness to the euro pop/rock genre with its rhyming verses and cliché lines such as “I can’t breathe without you by my side”. However this is not surprising considering Zenon came second for the polish selection for Eurovision. It must be stated here that I have a deep seated passion for Eurovision, and ‘Can’t Breathe’ reflects most of the things I like about euro pop, the light hearted catchy lyrics and almost tangible lead up to a punchy energetic chorus. The melodic vocals are supported by the animated and happily predictable instrumentals.

Zenon plans to release singles from their new album for the first time in England before later releasing them in Poland. ‘Can’t Breathe’ is out now on itunes and worth a listen, especially if you have a soft spot for euro pop.

Bailey Johnson

If you listen to ‘Faith Unfolds’, please don’t look up the lyrics. Ignore them and you get something that, whilst very much in their ‘indie-leaning band that gets picked up for NME radar tour’ ballpark, substitutes bubble-wrapped synths for a more conventional leading sound without sounding totally bland; building nicely to what climax can be gotten out of a straightforward verse/chorus/verse piece and takes leave of itself having successfully committed no offence.

But should you scrutinize S.C.U.M.’s lyricism… oh dear. See that ‘Art Rock’ genre tag? That means they’re going to try being spacey and cosmic. Try, and embarrass everyone a bit in doing so. They got away with using fairly ridiculous and barely connected strings of words on earlier success ‘Amber Hands’ because it was borderline-shoegaze – when it starts being a distinct element that pretends to make some sort of sense (without taking the time to give it any sort of focus) then it’s plain bad songwriting.

Cohen’s voice made the transition from fuzz to digital well enough, but it seems he doesn’t realise that we can actually tell what he’s saying now? Factor in lyrics, and some will see this as a soulless affair – peel back the synthesized sonic film, and there’s not much there. Depending on how ‘NME’ you like your mainstream (it’s all too flimsy to be indie proper), you might not care all that much. Whatever the case, ‘Amber Hands’ was far better. That was good-arty; this is pretty-rubbish-arty.

‘Faith Unfolds’ is a stab at progression, but it sounds like S.C.U.M. have taken a few steps backward.

Scott Reid