El Pino and The Volunteers - Hullabaloo

1.    Who owns the grin?

El Pino and The Volunteers are an indie pop rock band from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Hot to trot since 2001 they have three long players to talk of. Hullabaloo bounds off their third, the self-titled El Pino and The Volunteers (Feb’16).

2. What’s playing?

Hullabaloo is led by a low key grunting riff then pianos have a flutter; they build up in the coda. The phrasing of the bridge is exquisite and the chorus is solid. Sound as a pound.

3. Who are El Pino and The Volunteers like?

Kurt Vile, The National and Wilco. Maybe.

4. What have the press said about the new album?

“Dreamy guitar pop” – File Under.

“One of the best Dutch indie bands!” – Vera.

“Energetic indie unadorned” – Radar Agency.
 

5. Which bands are El Pino and The Volunteers under the influence of?

David Pino has said songs that inspire him are from Spoon, Kurt Vile, Mikal Cronin, Mac Demarco and Liam Finn.


6. Why should I give Hullabaloo a lash?

Hullabaloo has a sexy groove, a piano assist and David Pino's phrasing is, pound-for-pound, the best in indie.


7. Do El Pino and The Volunteers have any more crackers?

Waiting, Honey has got more of the same going on.


8. Any more words?

Nah.

“I am exposing you in black and white”

Spoon are an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Rent I Pay came banging off their eighth album They Want My Soul (2014) and is a tune Rolling Stone called “a thumping garage rock cut.” Rent I Pay has a ripping riff a'la The Stones or The Kinks. Top dollar.

“Out among the stars and the stones”

 

 

 

 

 

Jimi Charles Moody - House Of Moody

1.   Who is this smooth looking operator?

Jimi Charles Moody is Harley Sylevester one half of English hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks. Jimi Charles Moody has one short player Islington (Dec'15) to the good. He has been making modern rhythm and blues music since 2015 and the The House Of Moody (Jan’16) is a standalone single.

2. Whats the good oil on The House Of Moody?

Well it ain't hip hop. House Of Moody is a piano driven bluesy rocker that goes full tit like a big production musical show opener. Plenty of bits and bobs like horns and lady back up singers. No shortage of strut in the lyrics delivered in full throttle soul voice.

3. Who does Jimi Charles Moody sound like?

The House Of Moody sounds like a soul version of Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You. Done and dusted. Ray Charles if you must.

The Sound Of Confusion were feeling the John Jones Revue and Jerry Lee Lewis.


4. What have the press go to say about Jimi Charles Moody?

“A dirt under the fingernails bluesy romp,” with, “chopping guitar chords and honky-tonk pianos” - Alphabet Bands.

“Raw, smoky and quite thunderous” - Sound Of Confusion.

“A brooding and uptempo bluesy, rock tune” - Site Of Sound.

5. Who are Jimi Charles Moody's influences?

It's been said Harley Sylevester idolized Pete Doherty of The Libertines, Baby Shambles and junky fame. His band Rizzle Kicks have big upped Lily Allen, Gorillaz and Arctic Monkeys and say they are influenced by De La Soul, The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest.

6. What makes you think I will be feeling the love of The House Of Moody?

It reeks of confidence and big money production while being so goddamn lovable. A something for everyone number but with a little grit in the vocals and some edgy guitar.

7. Does the big man Jimi Charles Moody have any more treats?

Indeed. Death Row is a slow swinging ballad broken up with brief blasts of punky guitar. Blue Honey is a slow swinger too; sticky but.

8. Any more gossip?

Harley spoke about inspiration, “House of Moody came in a moment of madness. I’ve never taken musical influence from such bizarre places to make a song. It’s an invitation into my mind and my character. I would love for you to join me.”

“Step inside would ya, comes alive when ya,

Take a dive through the holes of my mind”

Felix Hagan & The Family are a theatre rock’n’roll  band from London and have a sense of humour. Kiss The Misfits (Oct’15) is a feel good rock romp with a Rocky Horror Picture Show vibe.

“Kiss the misfits, dance with the punks
Hug the junkies, dropouts and drunks”



The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Boxed In

Piano driven. Big bubbly bass. Funky as a leper’s love muscle and a smidgeon quirky. I mean outside the box. No guitars. A mite transcendental in part. Those are just a few of the reasons to love Boxed In's Mystery(Jan’15).

 

 

Mystery is an indie pop song about exploring the depths of a romantic relationship, it’s jiggy as a porn stars tits when she's on top and as much fun as a ferret down your pants, and dollars to dimes one of the best indie songs of 2015.

“Complicated sighs but in all the right directions
I look this way, and there you are”

 

 

Boxed In are a four piece band with Oli Bayston, a singer slash songwriter and producer, at its creative centre. Boxed In popped out of London in 2013. Mystery is one of a few singles from their debut album Boxed In (Jan’15).

Shit you need to know:

Lonely is the motherfucking blogger who didn’t punch plastic after hearing this ditty.

Click music described Mystery as “electric funk”. Sounds like what robot girls swallow. Stereogum said Mystery has, “atmospheric sweeps which swell and recede".

Clash music called it, “psychedelic,” fucking adjective of the year for the English, “idiosyncratic” and “whimsical.” Others mentioned "classical undertones" and a "craftsmanship and complexity worthy of a Thom Yorke or Aphex Twin".

Finally Barry Gruff opined Mystery has “an undeniably infectious groove and more than a hint of electronica.” Which does sound better than ‘stickier than a Gypsy’s gash on dole day’.

Oli Bayston played in a Manchester band Keith for years and has done grind for many bands or singers including Lily Allen.

The big man says hepitches a tent for 70’s motoric Kraut rock and House and likes The Bohicas, Little Cub and Zola Blood.

Oli has written tunes for 2 Bears, produced The Voyeurs and The Bohicas.

Boxed In's music has been described as similar to 2 Bears and poppy Hot Chip tunes.

The band have performed fluffer duties for La Roux and Django Django this year.

 

 

 

 

 

The double dip is Kiwi indie folk band Avalanche City and their New Zealand number one song, Love Love Love (2011).

Which is as happy as the title sounds. Superb video too.