Hearts & Souls were a mainstay on the Leeds alternative circuit for five years, playing their unique styling of grunge-tinged pop-punk for crowds in support of Twin Atlantic, Army of Freshmen and My Passion. However, it took a name change to Kamikaze Girls, and a stripping down to a two piece, for the pure fuzz fury to really unleash the pure potential of their sound. With their songs being released on Spotify and available for streaming on various websites recently, I took the opportunity to revisit their last single.
Released in late 2015 as a lead single from their upcoming debut album, Black Coffee is the sound of Kamikaze Girls embracing their new noise, suggesting a move away from the effects laden alternative rock of their previous cassette tape The Girl Gang Sessions, towards a heavy, fuzz driven, feedback laden slab of powerful alternative rock. With multiple guitar creating feedback in a way that would make Kurt Cobain jealous, and Conor Dawson's powerful drumming underpinning the entire track with a sense of urgency, the repetitive Kinks-lite riff of the chorus gives way to a monstrous chorus. Singer and guitarist Lucinda Livingstone's powerful and repeated plea of "without you, I'd sleep forever" about our favourite caffeine carrying beverage gives the chorus a powerful vocal hook to rally around. Each repetition becomes more howled, more desperate, more demanding, before erupting into a gut wrenchingly powerful scream. But there's still plenty in their sound that hearkens back to their previous melodic offerings, from quick clean guitar breaks to the initial chorus-laden effects verse riff. This is loud, and this is chaotic, but it's also controlled, making the moments where the band engage in noisy feedback or screamed vocals meaningful and more powerful. If Black Coffee is an indication of the shape the debut Kamikaze Girl LP is going to take, then it's a very, very, very good sign. Join the girl gang, and get ready for it to drop.
Released Oct 21, 2015
http://kamikazegirls.bandcamp.com/track/black-coffee
In the last few years, there’s been a shift in the Leeds metal scene. Whilst there are still plenty of groovy, thrash metal bands kicking about, it’s been technical metal that is becoming a more dominant force both locally and further afield. Leeds bands like On Hollow Ground, Pravitas and Hieroglyph have been intensely active, representing Leeds’ metal scene all over the country and at Tech Fest, the UK’s premier technical metal festival. And all these bands manage to take Leeds’ affinity for anything loud, noisy and hardcore and weave it skillfully into their music. Mercury Killed Newton are no different, and on their late 2015 release The Static/The Wanderer, attack technical metal cliches head on with their hardcore tendencies, albeit to various levels of success.
(This review is written more in the style of promotional material that may be sent to a promoter from a band, rather than an objective review that would be intended for publication. Having said that, ZoZo are awesome and I loved this release)
Almost 10 years after the brief, wild neon fling that was nu-rave, and the simultaneous mainstream punky-mathy stylings of early Foals and Vampire Weekend, Leeds’ based Zozo come roaring out with Silo/D.R.S.A.D, a 2-track release that takes, borrows and builds from this era. Part of Chunk!, the DIY collective that has helped grow Leeds’ music scene in the last few years, Zozo have made a name for themselves by tearing up stages with their mix of afrobeat funk, noise rock and witty, yelpy vocals.
Despite Silo running for over four minutes, it feels consistently fresh, with a chunky, funky palm muted guitar providing a great counter melody to the brass instruments, before travelling through more noise rock based choruses and riffs; its climactic build to a final rapped verse just serves to edge out the tension and create a massive payoff. But it’s on D.R.S.A.D - with its more aggressive, energetic, frantic drumming, intense brass melodies and its repeated chorus chant of “D! R! S! A! D! Doing righteous shit all day! - that Zozo really capture the intense chaos of their live shows. Abrasive yet melodic, effortlessly energetic but still caustically cool, and with a downright sinister noise rock bridge pinning the entire thing together, D.R.S.A.D shows just what makes Zozo stand out. Favouring energy over self-indulgence, Silo/D.R.S.A.D is a dynamic and engaging listen, successfully capturing the unique, ecstatic energy that Zozo bring to their live performance. Just try not to ruin your kitchen with intense moshing, eh?
Released 29/02/2016
http://zozozozoband.bandcamp.com/album/silo-d-r-s-a-d
