The Amplifires - Life's A Gamble

It doesn't seem that long ago that I reviewed a Danish band called Fuzz Manta. The lead singer of that band had a voice that was comparable to both Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. Sharon Clancy, lead singer of UK band Amplifires voice immediately reminded me of that album. The band are certainly no slackers but their sound is definitely based around their singer's vocals.

"Watching the Walls" is a nice and solid little head bobber of a rock tune. "Don't Turn Around" has a haunting start and walks a similarly hard rock stroll to Concrete Blonde. Both the opening title track and the closer bring The Bellrays to mind due to the hard rocking band playing fast and the accompanying female vocals being strongly belted out. If I had to choose standout tracks it'd be these two plus "Watching The Walls". The fact that there is more than one standout puts The Amplifires head and shoulders above many others.

Some of the songs on "Life's A Gamble" finish a little too quickly for my liking but I'd imagine fans of Janis Joplin, The Bellrays, Jefferson Airplane, Concrete Blonde, Fuzz Manta and Concrete Blonde will find a lot of enjoyment from The Ampifires if they take the gamble.

3.5/5





The Amplifires on facebook

The Amplifires reverb nation link

Silver Screams - Creep Joint Scratch (2014)

 I usually don't quote one sheets or band bios but this one is worth it as it actually sums up the band due to being written by the band rather than a publicist.  "Silver Screams is a punk rock and roll band from Boston, MA.  Like it nihilistic?  How about three aging punkers playing the best music they know how to nobody, with no career aspirations, zero street cred and no greater point whatsoever.  It's a power trio screaming into a void before they die, because they're not dead yet.  They have jobs and families and the whole thing is very nearly a waste of time.

Whatever.  Every single one of us is going to die and Silver Screams is going to play some killer sets before it all goes down in flames."

I love that attitude.  There's a big love of early English punk here as the band's name is taken from a song by The Damned.  There's a mixture of punk and post-punk that is highly reminiscent of UK Subs "Endangered Species" album."The Evidence" will put a huge smile on fans of the UK Subs more anthemic material.   There's a nice and sleazy Stranglers bassline that opens "Climbing Mt Rumpke" which has a 999 meeting Dischord bounce-along feel to it.  If I was forced to pick the best song on this five song release "Climbing Mt Rumpke" would be my choice.

That they got The Descendents artist, Chris Shary to do their artwork is more points in Silver Screams' favour.  You can buy their CD and MP3's from their bandcamp site(linked below) but be quick if you want a CD as they're limited to 50 copies.

3.5/5



http://silverscreams.bandcamp.com/album/creep-joint-scratch


Silver Screams on facebook




Small Takeover on facebook

Couch Potato Sounds

It's no secret that the small takeover has a soft spot for two piece garage bands who aren't the white stripes. Here's a UK duo who go by the name of King Kool. They've solved Jon Spencer's marriage problems by marrying the sound of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with the psychobilly rock of The Cramps. Check out their video to their single, "Rocket Roll" below.








Dot Dash are no strangers to this blog as the Washington DC band have released two great power pop albums in two years and both albums contain a faster track.  On their latest album, they punked it up with a Buzzcocks style track entitled, "A Light in the Distance".



It's always been difficult not to mention the Dissociates whenever Dot Dash are discussed on this blog due to both bands sharing a post-punk style.  Here's the London post-punk or post hardcore in the song "Three Years" which features footage from their tour of the Ukraine.







This post started with a duo so I'll end it with number two.  New Zealand industrial duo, Dying of The Light made a video to the title track of their "Monolithium" EP.  The video is bleak and captures the isolation of the bottom of the world in post-apocalyptic style.  There are nods to Godflesh, as well as NZ bands such as The Skeptics and "Churn" period Shihad.  The band's EP contains a Shihad cover.  Check out the EP here  and watch the video below.

Dot Dash "Half-Remembered Dream"

((the beautiful music)

All music fans have some genre which they consider to be a dirty word.  For some, it's metal or pop music and others often get more specific with sub-genre dislikes.  If you're silly enough to consider power pop a genre that should be passed by then you might want to skip this band and review.


A year's not quite passed by and Dot Dash's follow-up to "Winter Garden Light" is here.  Most people would expect a band to have an identifiable sound by their third album and Dot Dash definitely have stamped their own sound identity.    There's no denying that they're still a US band who sound like a UK band due to their influences and Dot Dash's core sound remains power pop.


On the band's previous outing one song sounded like  Echo and The Bunnymen vocally but it is much more difficult to pick vocal comparisons this time around.  Terry Banks' singing will be recognizable as his own to people who have heard Dot Dash's previous release.   Comparisons to The Smiths will doubtlessly be made by many who hear this album due to the guitar playing and even that band's often overlooked rythm section.


"The Hands of Time" is a laid back catchy number that combines Johnny Marr guitar with a tune with an opening melody, which a young Paul McCartney would be proud of .      "The Sound in Shells" recalls The Dream Academy's best known moment although the guitars resonate much louder through Dot Dash's tune.    The previous album had a fast punk style song in "The Past is Another Country" and this album's equivalent is the Buzzcocks fashioned quick burner.   It's not all UK as  "Do Re Mi"  nods to Australia as it's one of those perfect pop songs that The Go-Betweens were writing during the 80's.

The theme of time slipping away runs throughout the lyrics and that brings the main complaint of the album.  "Half-Remembered Dream" just passes by too quickly.

4.5/5

The entire album can be heard on Dot Dash's bandcamp site.

Dot Dash on Facebook



The Small Takeover on Facebook

Carton - "Sunburst" EP

This EP from Vemont band Carton's comes as a nice change of pace and style from all the metal that's been gracing the pages on this blog of late.  Carton play beautifully messed up noisy pop with a garage rock approach.  There's no polish or pretense here.  The band would have fitted perfectly on 80's student radio in New Zealand between the Violent Femmes (in fairness, just the fact that they mention a "permanent record" brings the comparison) and the jangly guitar Flying Nun stuff.

There are three different guys handling vocal duties throughout "Sunburst" but it really doesn't alter the overall sound the band at all. "Better Drugs" is both harsh and melodic while carrying a bucketload of psychedelia although for some reason that is difficult to put a finger on, it brings The Senseless Things to mind.

On most of the songs, the instruments are louder than the vocals and due to Carton's raw approach, this definitely works in their favour.    There are three different guys handling vocal duties but it really doesn't alter band's overall sound very much.   If Carton were an animal, they would be a kitten getting tangled up in a ball of wool again and again because they quietly yelp, aren't clean, the hooks are definitely there and despite being messy and a picturesque quality can be found despite the mess.

3.5/5

Check the ep out on their bandcamp site.




Carton on facebook



The Small Takeover on facebook

Dot Dash - Winter Garden Light

Regular readers of this podunk blog might recall that a while back I posted "Learn to Fly" by Wahington DC band, Dot Dash and compared the song to The Cure. That was the only song from the band's debut that found its way into my ear canals however the band were recently in touch and let me know about their sophomore effort, "Winter Garden Light".

The band have the sound of a London post-punk band to the point that it's not difficult to imagine them sharing a stage with The Dissociates, because both bands share that early eighties English sound yet manage to sound fresh along with hooks so catchy they could land a whale. While listening to "Winter Garden Light" band comparisons don't easily come which is no bad thing, although album closer,"Devil's Road" is reminiscent of Ian McCulloch's solo debut, but my guess is that if you own albums by The Jam, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Smiths, The Cure and even Straitjacket Fits then this is an album well worth investigating. Winter Garden Light is a shining beacon in a ravaging storm and a likely candidate for album of the year.

4.5/5



Investigate their bandcamp.


Small takeover on facebook

D youtube pop and punk bands

First up DC band Dot Dash who I keep seeing compared to The Jam but in this particular tune I hear a lot of The Cure.



And at Safety Second hailing from the other side of the Atlantic, The Dissociates from London.

The Second Academy - The Grave From Out of Which We Briefly

The Second Academy - The Grave From Out of Which We Briefly Wander, 2009

THE SECOND ACADEMY are three ex-members of The Beautiful Mothers who, if their myspace site is to believed, wrote their songs almost as they were recording them.   The band’s casual attitude in the studio doesn’t show through as the songs here are tight as you’d expect from guys who’ve played music with each other for a number of years.  “The King and Queen of Filth” blasts dirtily through the speakers emulating a washing machine whirr coupled with some tuneful whistling.   The band tilter upon the brink of an explosion with bass tocking over the mix and the vocals buried in the background.  Sometimes hanging back just makes so much more sense than diving in headfirst as it stops splinters and shards going into the body every which way.   All things being relative, “Litte Sister” sound is more than a little reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Mother” with its acoustic guitar, slow build-up and even lyrics.

The Second Academy dip their toes in alt-country on “The Right Woman” and “Posthumous Lullabye”.  Many a jangly indie band would learn how to channel the Velvet Underground if listening to “Adventure Tuesday” was compulsory listening before even conceiving the thought of a forming a band.   The mucky filth of “Monkey Shines” contains all the lo-fi requisite heavy distortion and quietly barked vocals.    At times, listening to the album right through, the mixture of styles doesn’t always gel although The Second Academy definitely deliver the goods when it comes to listenable songs.  With its Lou Reed approach, “Downhill” is oddly placed at the end of the album.  That’s a minor drawback that fortunately can be altered through the wonders of CD programming.

3.5/5

The Second Academy band site


The Second Academy on myspace

The Second Academy on facebook