Ed The Dog - Yes Men

1.    Who is Ed The Dog?  

Ed The Dog are an indie pop/rock band from High Wycombe, England. They are fronted by Ed Wetenhall and have been at it since 2018. Yes Men (May’18) is the second single from their debut album Shame (July’18). 


2. What kind of tune is Yes Men? 

Yes Men is catchy indie pop with a quintessentially English bent. Bass heavy, self-deprecating and quirky fun. Reminiscent of Blur's better moments and Rat Boy's more recent ones while bursting from the packet with freshness.


3. Who do Ed The Dog sound like?  

Blur, Marsicans, and Team Picture.  

4. What have the press said about Yes Men?

“Ed The Dog’s signature alt-pop sound has us all tied up in knots” – Sound Sphere.

“A fervent, bass heavy track that is cram full of soul” – One Stop Record Shop.

“Analog fuzz and warm melodies” – The Line Of Best Fit.  

5. Which bands have influenced Ed The Dog?

The Strokes, Dirty Projectors, Darwin Deez, Randy Newman, The Beatles, and LCD Soundsystem. 

6. Why should I give Yes Men a spin? 

For the bass fat fucking bass and the rock outs.

7. Do Ed The Dog have any more bangers? 

Television Era is on the mark. 

8. Any more guff? 

Ed Wetenhall was the front man for Fish Tank from 2011 – 2016. 

Bear Hands - Boss

1.    Who are these jovial lads? 

Bear Hands are a post-punk band from Brooklyn, New York. They started playing in 2006. Boss (Oct'16) is the third single from their third album You'll Pay For This (April'16).  

2. What is Boss like? 

Boss is a quirky indie rock song that works it's soft/loud dynamic to the maximum. Soft cooing vocals and acoustic contrast with some stout riffs that build to to an all in. It's an innocuous song that grows on you.

3. Who do Bear Hands sound like? 

Foals, Modest Mouse and Weezer. 

4. What have the boo boys in the press said about Boss?

“An awkward yet undeniably catchy rock song” – Substream Magazine.

“It further demonstrates their impressive eclecticism” – Pod Cart.

“Starts put whimsically before launching into a torrent of angular riffs” – Voodoo Festival.

5. Who are Bear Hands influences?

Some of their influences are The Talking Heads, The Clash, Nirvana, Wu-Tang Clan and Paul Simon.

6. Why should I give Boss a listen? 

If the idea of Paul Simon playing with Nirvana takes your fancy, have at it.

7. What are Bear Hands best songs?

Agora is a diamond, the best Bear Hands tune hands down and don't let any cunt tell you otherwise. That shits tight. Marathon Man is very good and so is 2.A.M. 

8. Any more words mate? 

You'll Pay For This was co-produced by James Brown who has mixed and engineered for U2, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. 

“You’re good with cops,

I think I could learn a lot”

Augustines were an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York. They played from 2010 - 2016. The Augustines have been compared to Frightened Rabbit, U2, Kings Of Leon and The National. Their main influences were Modest Mouse and Elliot Smith. Cruel City was the lead single from the Augustines' second album Augustines (2014). It was the last song the band ever played live and a song Spin said is “scrappy vitality meets gruff yet sophisticated rafter-raising.”

“I still reach for you in the dark”

San Cisco - SloMo

1.    Who are they? 

San Cisco are an indie pop band from Perth, Australia. SloMo (Oct’16) is the second single from their as yet unnamed third album due in early 2017.

2. What have they got?

SloMo is a bouncy little effort of white boy funk with indie vocals. A party tune. 

3. Who do San Cisco sound like? 

Passion Pit, Grouplove and Capital Cities. 

4. What have the illustrious members of the press said about SloMo?

“Infectiously groovy” – East Of The 8th.

“A slick, funky effort” – Music Feeds.

“It darts and swaggers” – Triple J.

5. Which bands have influenced San Cisco?

Their main influences are The Turtles, The Beatles, MGMT, Vampire Weekend and The Flaming Lips. 

6. Why should I give SloMo a lash?

Because it's funky, fun and forgettable. 

7. Do San Cisco have any other good songs?

Run is the really good one and sounds like something Gorillaz would be proud of. Bitter Winter and Too Much Time Together and the quirky indie pop side of things. Lovely. 

8.Any more words?

The bass player in the band shot himself in the foot while rabbit shooting.

“We get tied up in the moment”

Carl Barat and The Jackals released their debut album Let It Reign (2015) before Carl Barat went back to the circle jerk that is The Libertines. Carl has a fondness for bands like The Clash, The Velvet Underground and Nirvana. One of three singles off Let It Reign was Glory Days, a song The Guardian called “a guttural, Clash-like, homage” from an album NME felt “crackles with delinquent fervor.” Glory Days is an apocalyptic rocker with a ska undertone and a fucking belter to boot.

“You can say goodbye to the last gang in town”

Rafter - We're Golden

1.    Who is this man of music?

Rafter Roberts plays art pop music (experimental and rebellious and from an established form, not necessarily popular) and is from San Diego, California. We're Golden (March'16) bubbles off the album Terrestrial Extras (March'16). Rafter Roberts has eight albums to date and a plan to release one a month this year.


2. What’s spinning?

We're Golden is a preppy, swinging, jazzy bouncer with quirk. Fun from start to finish.


3. Who does Rafter Roberts sound similar to?

If Rafter Roberts sounded similar to anyone he would be disappointed. All Music suggest YACHT, Crytacize and Dan Deacon but Rafter Roberts feels genre-hopper R. Stevie Moore is the answer or at least is a formative inspiration.

 
4. What have the press said about Rafter Roberts?

“Cheerfully quirky, super catchy, oddball pop” – All Music.

“One of the most intense and powerful musical nerds you may ever meet” – Bandcamp.

“Fun indeed!!! Lovin’ it!” – Cloudy Sc, IRP.

5. Which bands have had an influence on Rafter Roberts?

Rafter Roberts classic influences are Devo, Talking Heads, The Beatles, XTC, Gary Numan, Skinny Puppy, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Gang Of Four, The Residents and The Cars. Mr Roberts has some love for industrial music, punk, reggae, metal, afrobeat and electronica of all types.



6. Why should I give We’re Golden a spin?

It swings!

 

7. Does Rafter Roberts have any more ripsnorters?

Like Wow is the one you want.

8. Any more words?

Rafter Roberts has a pure reggae album.

Rafter Robert's April album is out, a synth heavy one but under wraps awaiting label release.

Rafter Roberts is married to Lizeth Santos of Smile Now Cry Later.
 

 

“Gold is an element, and gold is a standard, but this is not standard”

 

 

 

Bloc Party are one of the most iconic indie rock bands of the twenty-first century in the UK. From London, England, and playing together since 1999, Bloc Party have five long players on their roll of immortal rock'n'roll honor and sold over three million albums worldwide. The Love Within (Oct'15) is the lead single from Hymns (Jan'16) an album The Guardian called “a brave and successful reinvention” and a song that NME said is “narcotic dancefloor euphoria.”

“Let the love consume us”