(Healing Powers at Fire As A Metaphor fest at JT SOAR, Nottingham by Kyle Jenner)

I wrote a thing out on tumblr a while back to help share some friends and my own bands stuff, its kinda weird trying to promote music which exists almost exclusively in the heads of insular weirdos, but as this information-super-highway fills up with lists, why not add one more?

So here is some info, words, links about some bands I consider somehow related, if not only by the fact me and my friends keep putting on the poor bastards at the same gigs.

Sorry it’s not completely exhaustive, I only listen to bluegrass and speed garage.

Here are some bands to check out…..



CARSON WELLS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SqL2Rcr_8

One of the handful of power trios in the scene right now, and one of the few bands who seem to really “get” the three piece thing for what it can be (answer: a lot). They made this album this year after the 12″ combining two sessions from the past few years “Wonderkid” came out the year previous, and it kinda sucks to think that whilst most people who have heard it had their asses kicked by it, so many asses are left un-kicked. The trio thing works, three personalities, three voices, three completely nailed sounds and playing styles bouncing into each other and dragging you along. Even being “isolated” in the land of oil barons (Aberdeen (how many DIY bands from major cities moan about gig coverage even locally?)) they still managed to tour the mainland with those Yanks we love so much (Football Etc) and play tonnes of shows in the rest of the UK.

Musically they are a kinda desperate, churning, yet incredibly tight freight train that slows down to sob along at all the right moments.

You can hear their lp in full up there, probably illegally, I dunno…

https://carsonwells.bandcamp.com/

Here is a recent live video from Strugglefest.

HUMAN HANDS

Somehow unrelenting in the fact they play possibly the most unfashionable music possible, are from the West Midlands and manage to play further afield than most bands I know to good sized crowds, Human Hands are very much still around and turning the mostly hardened crusties into Buckfasted wasted head bobbers and chest tappers. At the time of writing this I know for a fact (and have heard) two more records I can’t share, so have this one off the first lp and follow links below to their very deep back catalogue of small run international splits across many formats.

I managed to work out what they sound like while drunkenly shouting at their bassist and all round nice-man-of-the-scene Chaz: “It’s basically all those really uncomfortable bits on those more fucked up 90s records that never really got popular due to tightness, but looped into actual music”. Their newer stuff has this kinda Neil Young Crazy Horse meets Red House Painters meets I Hate Myself thing going on. If you liked the first lp and recent splits you’re gonna really like this next stuff.

https://humanhands.bandcamp.com/

Here’s a video of them on their tour of Japan a while back with their standard japery and no fi sound quality

and another in a basement

SOUL STRUCTURE

Sticking this one the middle quickly and moving swiftly on coz its my band. I got andy malcolm to write what he thought it should say here:

“Soul Structure – already moving on after an accomplished debut EP that wasn’t a million miles from the band singer Joe previously emoted in (Plaids, obvs), Soul Structure look set to lose 90% of their “fanbase” with an upcoming record that builds on their sound whilst introducing more introspective elements from all your fave ponderers including Polaris, Slint and Van Pelt.”

https://soulstructure.bandcamp.com/ here is our stuff, the new lp will be up very soon.

http://zineandnotheard.co.uk/tag/soul-structure/ decent video here.

THE BLUE PERIOD

Related to the above via Chris (Soul Structure drummer, Blue Period guitar and vocalist), Nottingham’s the Blue Period kinda provide the night to the aforementioned band’s day. Now with added ex Plaids and JT SOAR bossman/goofball Phil on drums, their buddy Stephen on violin, Wolf Town DIY alien Sadler and Chris out from behind the kit they are now a proper full ensemble of nostalgic insomnia. They have a split with Human Hands out when the Adele vinyl is finished in every pressing planet ever. They are also reissuing their demo (when they were just a kinda bedroom wig out) on a 10″, which is nice.

https://theblueperiod.bandcamp.com/

Awkward as hell live vid above.

WALL

https://wall-music.bandcamp.com

Not a lot online from this lot yet, do they even belong here? I reckon so… young Welsh kids making a proper racket in the late 80s Dischord vibe.. less Cap’n Jazz.. more Soul Side.. nice! Insane live. Do vinyl please!

ARKLESS

Relatively new band from London with folks from Bird Calls and What Price Wonderland doing some kind of introspective and hypnotic stabby vibe with constantly propositioning spoken vocals, if that’s your thing (it is mine if you cared, you didn’t).

https://arkless.bandcamp.com/releases

EP coming soon, but here is a nice live recording from a gig they did at JT which I’ll come onto later.

PLEASE, BELIEVE

This is the post Bonehouse band. That Dundeemo lot. Not a lot down yet, but worth keeping an eye on because Bonehouse didn’t really mess about when it came to being a band. They do a kinda breathless groovemo thing, not unlinke their Scotch buddies Carson Wells, but a little more direct.

Here is a live video:

AKALLABETH

The Wolf Town DIY in house band. Some kind of lost Ebullition Records compilation band via Birmingham and Mordor (is that the right one, they like some wizard and dragons thing or something)

https://akallabethwolves.bandcamp.com/releases

HEALING POWERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbj6nkkZCIU

Less a straight up emo band, but more their own super jangly, screamy take on things, but deserve a mention here for sure. Not sure how active they still are, but having provided us with the very cool photo at the top (by Kyle Jenner) it would be wrong to miss them out either way.

https://healingpowers.bandcamp.com/

ok so that’s probably too short and scrappy but hopefully that opens up some stuff to any interested parties… put any links you wanna add in the comments

some labels to keep an eye on would be:

http://barelyregalrecords.com/

http://sncl.collective-zine.co.uk/

http://wolftowndiy.limitedrun.com/

probably some more? maybe put them in the comments too

once a year I am trying to put these bands on together at this thing called Fire As A Metaphor at our venue here in Nottingham called JT SOAR, keep an eye out for that… and this…

“have you got any more beers?” quite

CAUTION HOT (Human Hands at Fire As A Metaphor by Kyle Jenner)

by Joe C