The Magic Gang - How Can I Compete

1.    Who are The Magic Gang? 

The Magic Gang are an indie pop rock band from Brighton, England. They have been playing together since 2013 and have recorded two E.P's. How Can I Compete (Feb'17) is a stand alone single for now but a third E.P. is promised for April. 

2. What kind of song is How Can I Compete? 

How Can I Compete is bouncy, bubbly and juvenile pop rock. Sticky as a plumbers crack in summer though. Breezy, feel good, nonsense. 

3. Who do The Magic Gang sound like? 

Weezer-lite, Wolf Alice and The Big Moon. 

4. What have the puppets in the press said about How Can I Compete?

“A big ol’ arms-round-yer-mate moment” – DIY.

“Bouncy, infectious” – The Edge. 

“Jagged college-rock guitars and pounding drums” – Redbrick. 

5. Which bands put the bang in The Magic Gang? 

Some of their main influences are The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Oasis, Queen and Joy Division. 

6. Why should I listen to How Can I Compete? 

Because you like old time rock'n'roll. 


7. What are the best The Magic Gang songs?

All This Way is sweet whimsy with a killer chorus. Jasmine is all shuffling melody and handclaps. Check out the singalong of the chorus in the breakdown. No Fun is a grungy rocker. Pixies meets Weezer by way of Nirvana. 

8. Any more words muppet?

Hugo White of The Maccabees produced How Can I Compete. 

“Exit out the same way you came”

The Smith Street Band are an iconic punk band from Melbourne, Australia. They have been playing together since 2010 and have recorded four albums. They sound similar to PUP, The Drones, Against Me! and The Hard Aches. The Smith Street Band are influenced by Bruce Springsteen, Paul Kelly and Billy Bragg. They recorded a song in 2015 called Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face protesting the Australian Prime Minister and his policies to asylum seekers. Proceeds went to asylum seekers. The Smith Street Band's fourth album More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me (April'17) has spawned two great singles already, Death To The Lads (Nov'16) and Birthdays (Feb'17). Both songs feature the exceptionally honest story-telling qualities of the songwriting, and attention to detail, that set The Smith Street Band's music apart from the others. 2017 will bring better songs than Birthdays but none that are better written, that's for fucking sure.

“Spent the morning cleaning my room”

Mother Mother - Love Stuck

1.    Who are they? 

Mother Mother are a popular indie rock band from Vancouver, Canada. They have been serving up the red hot tunes since 2005. Love Stuck (Nov'16) is the second single from their sixth album No Culture (Feb'17). 

2. What's the song like?

A marching beat, a chant-along catchy chorus and upbeat bounce. Standard issue, radio friendly, indie rock.

3. Who do Mother Mother sound like?

Grouplove, WATERS and Tokyo Police Club.

4. What have the mutts in the press said about Love Stuck?

“Bright and charged” – U Music. 

“Music underpinned by the belief that love wins” – Skope Mag.

“This is so optimistic” – YouTube Comments.

 

5. Which bands have influenced Mother Mother? 

Their main influences are The Beatles and The Pixies. They have mentioned some love for The Dirty Projectors and Little Dragon. 

6. Why should I listen to Love Stuck? 

Love Stuck is innocuous indie pop. 

7. Do Mother Mother have any other good songs? 

Get Out Of The Way rocks harder and is all the better for it and so does Bit By Bit. Monkey Tree has a more expansive melancholy synth-pop groove.

8. Any more words? 

Nah. 

“I’ve got my love stuck in my thoughts, in my thoughts”

Saint Motel are a popular dreamy indie pop band from Los Angeles, California. They have been playing together since 2009 and Move (Aug'16) is the lead single from their second album saintmotelevision (Oct'16). Saint Motel sound similar to Walk The Moon, Young The Giant and Local Natives. They are influenced by bands like M83, Cage The Elephant, Animal Collective and The Kinks. Move marries 70's soul and disco elements to an indie pop song and is the kind of inspirational song you put on your jogging playlist.

“Gotta get up, I gotta get up,

Move”

The Lulu Raes - Change My Tune

1.    Who are these heroes? 

Gaze on the majesty of The Lulu Raes, an indie pop rock band from Sydney, Australia. Change My Tune is a release from their debut E.P. All Our Parents Are Divorced (Aug'16). 

2. What kind of gas are they burning? 

Change My Tune is a busy little tune that bustles along bursting with energy. With a surf lick and a sunny vibe, and chaneling some Strokes garage slash 60's pop vibe, the tune will get you hot stepping. 

3. Who do The Lulu Raes sound like? 

The Strokes, Animal House and Foster The People.

4. What have the pillocks in the press said about Change My Tune?

“Shifts the band’s bubbly pop-nerd energy to the garage” – Rolling Stone Australia.

“Fucking unique and incomparable” – Wickedd Childd.

“Indie head banger” – AAA Backstage.

5. Whcih bands have influenced The Lulu Raes? 

Some of the main influences are The Strokes, The Pixies, Oasis, The Beatles and Macy Gray.

6. Why should I give Change My Tune a lash?

Change My Tune throws you off your guard, zigging when you think it will zag. That and the 60's surf pop sensibility married to new century garage makes for a trippy little tune with a bit of fire up it's arse.

7. Do The Lulu Raes have any more bangers?

Burnout is another interesting effort.

8. Any more words dude?

Not a dilly. 

“Damned if I do and damned if I don’t”

Two Gallants are an punk and blues-infused folk rock duo from San Francisco, California. They started on their musical odyssey in 2002 and have five long players on their battle honors. Two Gallants are influenced by the blues and bands like Nirvana, Pavement and Operation Ivy. The second album What The Toll Tells (2006) has the bands best two singles on it, Steady Rollin' and Las Cruces Jail. Las Cruces Jail is a romping tune Pitchfork called “a yowling cow-punk stomper.”

“I shot one man on the county line,

Took his dime and I blew his mind”

The Magic Gang - All This Way

1.    On the velvet? Really?

Yeah sorry. That's The Magic Gang an indie pop rock band from Brighton, England. They have been making sweet melodies since 2013 and have one short player to their name. All This Way (Aug'16) is from an up-coming second E.P.

2. What have they got to listen to?

All This Way is a light, bubbly, love sick pop number with a chorus that sticks to you like flies to an ax wound. 

3. Who do The Magic Gang sound like?

The Beatles. Weezer. Buddy Holly. Rabbit!

4. What have those arbiters of taste in the press said about All This Way?

“Simply a quality indie rock song” – Euphoriazine. 

“Yet another slice of gold” – DIY.  

“A definite summer anthem” – Pond Music. 

5. Which bands have helped craft The Magic Gang's magic?  

A few of the bands influences are The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, T-Rex, Queen, Oasis and Joy Division.


6. Why should I press play on All This Way?

The tune is a long slow sip of sunshine with a sticky ass chorus and you've-been-there lyrics. 


7. Do The Magic Gang have any other decent tunes?

Why yes sir. Head straight for Jasmine. Not done? No Fun is a more Pixies/Weezer-esque track. Top shelf squire. 


8. Any more words son? 

The Magic Gang are supporting Spring King in concert this October and Swim Deep are big fans of the band.

“All I really want to know,

Is how I got all this way on my own?”

She Wants Revenge are an alternative rock band from San Fernando Valley, California. They started playing together in 2005 and have recorded three albums, toured with Placebo and Depeche Mode, and sold over 300 000 albums. She Wants Revenge are influenced by bands like Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth, David Bowie, The Cure and Prince.  Must Be The One is the lead single from the band's third album Valleyheart (2011) and a song that has an epic U2 or Kodaline type feel and is sound as a pound.

“I’d break all my promises if you’d just say we’re not done,

‘Cause you must be the one”