Into The Biz

A new year and four new artists play this free gig at the lovingly intimate venue, The Social, on Little Portland Street, by invitation from BBC Radio One’s Oracle of new music Huw Stephens of course. Four new artists there may be, however it was one act in particular that caught this writers attention on the night, namely: The Great Shakes.

The Great Shakes are Dan Foden (Vox/Guitar/Keys), Adam Darricott (Guitar/Vox), Max Lutkin (Bass/Vox), and Joe Mace (Drums), they hail from Norwich and are the sound of the summer, despite the sub-zero temperatures outside. Their tighly packed rhytm section sits under summery layered harmonies, intelligent sixties-esque guitar riffs and chord changes, held together with Dans witty and charming lyrics, with the odd smattering of a retro organ too (’Chinatown’). It seems that a life along the Norfolk coast has done them well, as tonight they’ve certainly brought the beach along with them, The Grest Shakes or The Norfolk Beach Boys? This is catchy, high energy pop at its unsigned best.

Taking to the stage just after 9:30pm, TGS kick off in pure pop style with the intensley catchy ‘Lost You to the Radio’ - A punchy enough chunk of pop that makes the crowd stand up and notice, the three piece harmonies in the breakdown are superb, it’s great on record, but even better live. The opening guitar riff makes me think of early baggy Blur, which, of course, is a very good thing.

The bass line rumbles and carries ‘Tough Boys’, yet to be recorded and my pick of the night. ‘Chinatown’ gives us those aforementioned Norfolk Beach Boys connotations, complete with that retro organ sound. When I usually think of Chinatown I think of a slightly grubby, ever-busy, wet and faded area of Soho, however TGS’s versions of events are enough to lift me out of this association, it must be all those ‘Doo, Doo, Do’s’ - Yes this is pure pop, but it’s great!

I’m trying my hardest to get away from the metaphors and comparisons to summer, not so easy when the next song is called ‘Head for the Sun’, a sing-a-long romp; ‘If you want we can run, we’ll head for the sun, we’ll carry on for-for-ever!’ - Complete with a Bohermian Rhapsody-esque choral breakdown. This will be a teenage hit.

‘Heading Nowhere’ shows little sign of slowing down, it’s the chorus that get’s you here, as with all so far, but there’s something in this one, I can’t quite pick it out, is it the pre-chorus? It’s one of those songs that on hearing through once you feel you know the words, or if you don’t know them, you want to know them. This has the feel-good factor.

‘Tomorrow Will be Ours’ takes you back to 1994 as it combines the melody of Blur’s ‘To the End’ (Parklife) and the vocal hook of Pulp’s ‘Sorted for E’s and Whizz’ (Different Class) - A slower, yet just as effective number. This track calms the crowd momentarily, and segues fantastically into ‘It Won’t Stop’, The pop-iest of their tracks, a true dance like nobody’s watching moment, complete with all the ‘woo hoo’s’ you could shake a stick at. Personally, I think this should be switched with set closer ‘Lazy Soul’, but then what do I know, I was too busy dancing.

The Great Shakes have released two singles to date ‘Chinatown’ (B-Side: ‘This is the Sound’/'Head for The Sun’) through Lap Records and the Russ Keffert produced (Look See Proof/The Rakes/Pull Tiger Tail): ‘It Won’t Stop’. What with the support of the Huw Stephens, and a beautifully crafted cacophony of handclaps and harmonies as witnessed on this night, they’ll be plenty more to come. I hope.

Links

• The Great Shakes Myspace

The first of many Up & Under nights held at The Watershed, Wimbledon went off in absolute style, having been hugely bolstered by the last minute addition of Sacramento’s finest two-piece loud outfit: Middle Class Rut and of course not forgetting hip youngsters: Lo-Fi Culture Scene.

Citing their Myspace site, ‘Their ages should be, and ultimately are, irrelevant’. Lo-fi Culture Scene are an incredibly young band, thrust upon the music industry at a combined age of probably no more than 70, that’s 5 multiplied by their average age of 14. Albeit young, L-FCS have major backing from the likes of The Coalition Group (Management), 13 Artists (Booking Agents) and 14th Floor PR (National Press) - It seems they’ve learnt how to craft beautiful twitchy indie pop before having a childhood, and God bless them for it.

Musically, think Bombay Bicycle Club amalgamated with The Kooks, with a large smattering of hooky melodies. Stand out track for the evening has to be ‘Footsteps’, with it’s [more than] catchy rhythm and a pre-chorus that you just can’t forget, which excitingly leads into ‘Let’s follow footsteps, we’ll follow footsteps, and hope we’ll come across a new place‘. Indie pop greatness.

Looking more than comfortable on stage, the mock shy and yet affronting Jacob Wheldon (Vocals) skips the boards, microphone cable draped over his developing shoulders, like the very best delicate-indie-boy-type, almost akin to a young Luke Pritchard. Tom Herzberg (Guitar), Callum Akass (Guitar), Tom MacColl (Drums) and Angus Mayer (Bass) sit back and allow the melodies to do the talking, although grow in confidence and the set progresses.

L-FCS, having supported the likes of: Bloc Party, White Lies, Metronomy, Look See Proof, and The Rumble Strips to name but a few, have a musical maturity way beyond their [irrelevant] ages, however currently focusing on school before they can put their full attention into Lo-Fi, and when they do, watch this space.

Drafted in at the last minute due to cancellations (thank you cancellors),  epic noise alchemists Middle Class Rut failed to dissapoint… And deafen. Zak Lopez (Guitar & Vox) and Sean Stockham (Drums & Vox) make-up Sacremento’s loudest two piece, one needs to double take at the stage and remind oneslf that, yes, this level of volume is being created by just two twenty somethings.

The sheer depth and complexity of stunning riffs, angtsy lyrics and non-stop pounding drumming is astounding. MC Rut, unlike Lo-Fi Culture Scene don’t lightly dally into their songs, they run at them full pelt, kicking and screaming along the way.

Lopez juxtaposes a vocal that roars and manages to be melodic all at the same time, it explodes over a canvas of poignant guitar riffs leaving the listener with a sound that is huge, raw and edgy. Stockham fires out machine gun-esque drum beats, all the while screaming into his head mounted microphone, oh and did I mention the ‘For Sale’ tattoo emblazoned against his bare chest?

Influence wise we are hearing Fugazi, Refused, and At the Drive-In, coupled with Lopezs’ vocalulary nods to early 90s Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, flawlessly executed whilst harking a sound that is all their own.

Latest single ‘Busy Bein’ Born’ kicks like a mule, it is heart poudning, full of angst and one hell of a tune. Wonderfully described by It’s Getting Boring by the Sea (Nov 2008) as ‘a looming apocolyptic stomp that lurches and sprints into action in equal measure’ - How true this is.

MC Rut are back to our shores in 2009, supporting Innerpartysytem, and so get yourself along to check them out, oh, but don’t forget your earplugs.

Links

• Lo-Fi Culture Scene: Myspace
• Middle Class Rut: Myspace
• Middle Class Rut: Offical
• The Watershed Live