Crack Cloud - The Medium

 

1. Who are Crack Cloud? 

Crack Cloud are an art-rock band (or collective) from Calgary, Canada. Formed by singer and drummer Zach Choy in 2015, The Medium (June, 2024) is the second single from their third album Red Mile (July, 2024).  

2. What kind of tune is The Medium? 

The Medium is a pretty pop song that meanders along punctuated by guitars reminiscent of Big Audio Dynamite and some snarky vocals about the essential contradiction of loving punk music while those who fucked nuns later become the church. 

3. Who do Crack Cloud sound like? 

Comparisons have been made to Talking Heads, Gang of Four, and Wire. I was reminded of Superorganism (Everybody Wants to Be Famous).

4. Which bands have influenced Crack Cloud?

They have mentioned some love for Talking Heads, Sum 41 (and pop punk of that ilk), and Gang of Four. 

5. What have the cut and paste bandits said about The Medium? 

"A giddy take on old-school Clash-style punk rock" - Stereogum. 

"Johnny Rotten-esque punk snarls" - Flood Magazine.

"Part punk and part squelchy new wave" - Culture Fiend.

"Anger on display,

And someone smells a profit"

Team Picture - I Want Your Life Hack

Team Picture are an indie pop/rock band from Leeds. They sound like Ed The Dog, The Blinders or Clean Cut Kid.Team Picture have been playing together since 2016. (I Want Your) Life Hack (March’18) is off the mini-album Recital (June’18). (I Want Your) Life Hack was inspired by the Talking Heads but the band have six members with wildly differing tastes in music. Life Hack features fuzzy guitars and a stomping beat.

Rubblebucket - If U C My Enemies

1. Who are Rubblebucket?

Rubblebucket are an indie dance band, with brass, from Brooklyn, New York. They have been lighting it up since 2007 and have four albums on their roll of honor. If U C My Enemies (Nov’16) is the lead single from the E.P. of the same name If U C My Enemies (Jan’17).

2.What is If U C My Enemies like? 

If U C My Enemies has a mellow brass intro but the tune doesn't take long to hit peak party. The chorus is an ass-shaker and the sentiment is make love not war. 

3. Who do Rubblebucket sound like? 

Ra Ra Riot, Bishop Allen, and MisterWives.

4. What have the press said about If U C My Enemies? 

“Fun, flamboyant sound” – The Wild Honey Pie.

“Boisterous, feel-good music” – The Revue.

“Fun, bubbly, funky, horn-filled” – Surviving The Golden Age.

5. Which bands inspired Rubblebucket?

Their main influences are Talking Heads, The Flaming Lips, Bjork, The Beatles and Michael Jackson. 

6. Why should I give If U C My Enemies a listen?

Because you love the rhythm. 

7. What are Rubblebucket's best songs? 

My Life and Carousel Ride. 

8. Any more words? 

Jog on.

“If you see my enemies, tell them I stand corrected”

Bishop Allen are an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York. They started playing in 2003 and have recorded four albums. Bishop Allen are influenced by Tom Waits and The Kinks. Start Again was the lead single from their fourth album Lights Out (2014). Start Again is a bubbling, sunshine with wind blowing through your hair as you run down the sand dunes toward the inviting sky-blue sea, song that encapsulates optimism and a longing for adventure.

“If you wanna burn it down, if you wanna start again,

If you wanna turn around, then go ahead”

The Bay Rays - New House

1.    Who are these champions of rock’n’roll?

These diamonds in the rough are The Bay Rays an indie rock'n'roll band from Tunbridge Wells, England. They have a couple of singles to their name. They rock harder than Dwayne Johnson's dick. New House (June'16) is their second stand-alone single.

2. What kind of delectable treat have they served?

New House is a rock and rolling, guitar-led, barn-burning, party-maker with a riotious piano assist that nods back to the fifties. An arse shaker belted out with feeling.

3. Who do The Bay Rays sound like?

The Fratellis, The Vaccines and PAWS. 

4. What have the mucky pups in the press said about New House?

“The Bay Rays don’t fuck about” – DIY.

“Insanely catchy punky rock and roll belter” – Louder Than War. 

“Genuinely thrilling, infectious, visceral” – Clash Music.

5. Which bands had an impact in forging The Bay Rays' "tight as a nun's nasty" sound?

Their main influences are The Clash, Talking Heads, Jack White, Skepta and Bruce Springsteen. 


6. Why should I give New House a lash?

New House is the gold standard of English rock'n'roll. It would make a dead man dance. End of story.


7. Do The Bay Rays have any more spanking tunes?

The only other single is the rockabilly romp Four Walls. 


8. Anything else? 

No.

“Life is an aquarium,

We’re all swimming just trying not to sink man”

Baby Strange are a rebel rock band with catchy punk pop choruses. From Glascow, Scotland and smashing out the tunes since 2012 they have one long player, Put Out (2015), on their roll of honor. Baby Strange are influenced by bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Clash, Sham 69 and Blasted Canyons while sounding at times like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Vaccines. Pleasure City (2015) was a stand-alone single and is a tune Wild called “anthemic” and “three minutes of fast-paced fuzzed-up punk rock.”

“Get strange in the dark,

We can rip, rip, rip it apart”

Teleman - Dusseldorf

1.    Who are these chaps?

Teleman are an indie pop band from London, England. Started in 2012 they have two long players. Dusseldorf (Feb’16) is the second single from Teleman’s second long player Brilliant Sanity (April’16).
 

2. What have they got?

Dusseldorf is mellow indie pop rocker and a mite melancholy. Keyboards trade with guitar noodles and straight up riffs and it all winds up to a satisfying all in finale.

 

3. Who do Teleman sound like?

The vocals are similar to Martin Phillips of The Chills. Paste Magazine compared Teleman generally to Django Django, Supergrass and Belle and Sebastian.

4. What’s the word from the fourth estate?

“Brutalist pop feel” – Clash Music.

“Krautrock-esque” – Under The Radar.

“A brash assault of synth and guitars” – No More Work Horse.

 

 

5. Which bands have shaped Teleman’s sound?

The main Teleman influences are Roxy Music, Talking Heads, New Order, Kraftwerk and Franco Battiato.

6. Why should I press play on Dusseldorf?

You'd have to be some kind of special lazy not to. Post-punk. Melodic. Some people like that sort of thing. Guitars hold their own but. Even a proper lead break. OK proper is a stretch. Dusseldorf is really nice.


7. Do Teleman have any more nice songs?

Probably.


8. Any more words?

Brilliant Sanity is produced by Dan Carey who has worked for Hot Chip, Franz Ferdiand, Lily Allen, Bloc Party, Django Django and many more.

Teleman are supporting Belle and Sebastian at the Royal Hall in London (June 22^nd).

Dusseldorf was judiciously selected by Jonathan Hunt for his Indie Rock Playlist, (March'16).

“All alone on the carousal spinning away”

The Chills are an iconic indie pop band from Dunedin, New Zealand. They started in 1980 on the Flying Nun label and are still going strong. The Chills have five long players on their roll of honor. The band were poised for success in 1990 when their second album Submarine Bells hit number one on the back of the accurately named single Heavenly Pop Hit and the national tour to support the album ended in a triumphant hometown Town Hall concert. I was there. Pitchfork said Heavenly Pop Hit is “music so wonderful it’s no wonder no radio station dared touch it, it would have made nearly everything else sound bad by comparison.” Yeah the title was ironic which made it so special.

 

“Once we were damned now I guess we are angels”

 

 

The Belligerents - Before, I Am



1.    Who are these happy heroes?

The Belligerents are a psych rock band from Brisbane, Australia. The band kicked off in 2010 and have three short players to their name. Before, I Am (March’16) is the lead single from their as yet unnamed debut long player.


2. What kind of tune are they rocking?

Ethereal vocals, minding of Manchester magic, float above nippy guitar jangle. Repeat listenings of Before, I Am are in order to get the best out of this one.


3. Who do The Belligerents sound like?

I Oh You compared Before, I Am to early Battles music.


4. Whats the word from the wannabes?

“Who-like vocal voyages and a swirl of riff roaring guitars” – Rolling Stone Australia.

“Unique experiemental psych-rock” – H H H Happy.

“A blistering rocker that is also dreamy and breathtaking” – The Revue.

5.  Which bands are the sunshine of The Belligerent’s life?

The Belligerents main influences are Talking Heads, Joy Division, Foals, Franz Ferdinand and Metronomy.

6. Why should I give Before, I Am a whip past the brain holes?

Before, I Am has hints of melancholy that grow on you.

7. Do The Belligerent’s have any more bolters?

Check out their cover of Fatboy Slim's Praise You for shits and giggles. It's money.

8. Any more words peasant?

Before, I Am was featured in Jonathan Hunt's Indie Rock Playlist (March'16).

The men have good taste in footwear.

“Before I am a man, I am a ghost”

Wild Child are an indie pop band from Austin, Texas. Whipping the crowd into a frenzy since 2010 they have three long players in the bank. Crazy Bird bubbles off Wild Child's second album The Runaround (2013) and has horns, banjo, whistles and 'heys'. Crazy Bird is upbeat fun.

“Whisper the things we’d scream”