Reviews

Hedroom – Hedroom

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

I finally have it in my grubby little mitts – the self titled debut album from the Thame based Rock band that is Hedroom. You probably will have seen the band on Scuzz or MTV2 at some stage or another with their video for first single ‘Morning Wood.’ If you are a regular visitor to Alt-UK then you will have probably read my ‘Skunkmonks’ review a while back – an EP from the band featuring the track ‘Morning Wood.’ I was not at all pleased with that track, but loved the rest of the EP, and luckily – this album is mainly like the EP taking a more Rock approach rather than a Ska-Pop one.

This album is 12 tracks strong, the only glitch in it for me being the quite dreadful ‘Morning Wood.’ The band have really come a long way since the days of their ‘Skunkmonks’ EP and the quality of their music has really improved in the way that they create exciting Rock music that will get your juices flowing and get you singing along. The album actually features a re-recorded version of the fantastic EP title track ‘Skunkmonks’ and even this song sounds a lot more mature now that it has been redone and this is a fine example of how far they have come since the early days. Their sound has grown up a lot since those days and they are really taking a far more mature approach to their music and I think that the result is a lot better than it ever was or could have been back in the days of ‘Skunkmonks.’ They are no longer just another teen band, they are far more than that with their intelligent lyrics, neat musical solos, and superior song writing ability. They just seem like a completely different band than they use to be and I far prefer this new Hedroom to be honest.

‘Cap’n Pimp’ is one of my favourite songs on this CD with its awesome kick off of instrumental heaven, which leads you into their great vocal styling. There are some sturdy bass lines in this track, great guitar riffs, some absolutely amazing drum beats, and vocals that will have you gasping for breath. I really loved this track and felt that it was extremely well written with everything on it really fitting together perfectly to make a song of absolute bliss. Hedroom really are a band of amazing musicians who have a fine ear for great Rock music with all 5 of them putting in a great deal of this 12 track album effort. Another good effort on this CD is the crazy tune of ‘Is that all.’ It really is a blinder and features some great sax notes as well as the usual steaming guitar lines, rumbling bass lines, crazy drum beats, and slick vocal styling. It has quite a relaxed feel to it as it is a lot slower than their tunes usually are, but still this tune easily keeps the momentum going and leaves you feeling well and truly satisfied at the end of it all.

So, this debut album from the Thame based Rock band that is Hedroom certainly does not disappoint, and if you have any sense whatsoever it should leave you with a smile on your face from ear to ear. This is music to be proud of from the band and will have all those Scuzz fans out there realising that ‘Morning Wood’ is not the only thing that they can do and hopefully people will give the band a bit of credit for their efforts here as it shows that they are not just going to be another one hit wonder band – by the sounds of things Hedroom are here to stay for a long while yet.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Crack’n Up’s – Amy Blame

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

In case you are wondering – Crack’n Up’s are NOT a UK band, in fact they are a German Rock band from Germany who are currently unsigned, looking for a label, and need as much publicity as they can possibly get. They are very good at what they do – showing off their talent here with 5 tracks (4 tracks a bonus acoustic version of track 1, ‘Someone I Love.’) All 5 of these tracks are extremely well produced showing that this fine band – Crack’n Up’s have bundles of talent and if all goes well then I am sure that they can make a name for themselves in Germany as the talent is certainly there so there is really no reason why they shouldn’t go far.

Although all 5 tracks on this CD are very good, my favourite out of the lot has got to be the marvellous ‘Amy Blame.’ This song has tremendous fire power with some firing guitar riffs, storming bass lines, demon drum beats, and some sublime vocals which will definitely give you a taste for more with its extreme raw talent. It is definitely the track that stands out as the rest of the CD is so calm, but this track really puts the foot on full throttle and cranks up the volume. It is full to the brim with power chords, and in my humble opinion you can’t go wrong if you throw in a few power chords.

My favourite of the four mellower tracks is definitely ‘Insane Dreams’ however as it has a lot of things in it which you can admire. For a start, the guitar playing on this track is absolutely fantastic – in fact it is nearing on perfect. Whoever the guitarist is in this band, they have definitely been practising hard as the guitar solos are absolutely faultless and really put you on the edge of your seat with excitement. So whoever this person is, I truly admire them as they are obviously extremely talented. The vocals on this track are extremely melodic, with no need to break into a more hardcore edge as although it is as far away from being hardcore as you can possibly get, it is still extremely exciting – showing off the talent of this fine German band.

If I was to try and categorise this band I would be lost but all I can say is that they are an extremely fine Rock act that are extremely good at what they do – this CD caused me to form many a smile with its fabulous sound of Rock n Roll greatness. Make sure you check this band out as they are well worth your time, and if you do not check them out then you will definitely be missing out on something special as they sure as hell are talented and seem to play their instruments to perfection with relative ease.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

coMA Kai – between one and six zeros

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Oh yes, that’s right people the Alt-UK legends that are coma Kai are back for more with a brand spanking new EP featuring 6 pure, unadulterated tracks of Metal bliss. If ‘firekillschildren’ impressed you then wait until you hear this – it will leave you gob smacked and gasping for breath with amazing superiority over anything anyone else in the genre is producing right now.

This brutal Oxford based band are at the top of their league with this amazing take on melodic metal. It is highly unique and is far from the tag of ‘Nu.’ This four piece just seem to have so much talent with their lavish vocals, blinding bass lines, grinding guitar riffs, and demon drum beats. They are obviously all tremendous musicians and as a result of their supreme talent they have come up trumps with this fiery EP effort. You just have to love their metal greatness as they are so damn good at it and seem to know the metal genre like the back of their hand. There is many a fine tune on this baby and it really gets you fired up and wishing that you were in the centre of it all at one of their gigs – I am sure that they would be blinding live, putting on one hell of a show, reflecting the astounding recorded experience.

This is a great little CD, with effective usage of samples that will get your juices flowing and before you know it you’ll be out of the house, buying gig tickets! Oxford have a lot of amazing bands to show off, and coMA Kai are no exception with their amazing display of Metal that is sure to please even the hard to impress music critics. It will not get them signed to a major label as it is not really chart friendly stuff but true fans of metal, those who have looked past the commercialised chart friendly giants of Kerrang can surely see the talent which this band has in their grasp. This EP will definitely gain the band some new fans and hopefully get them a string of further gigs as they are a band who really do deserve it and I wish them well in their future conquests.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Colorpool – Drift Away

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Colorpool are a Sheffield/Scunthorpe based band who are always looking for more exposure so if you are out there and are in a position to help the band out then just drop them an e-mail at info@colorpool.co.uk and tell them exactly what it is that you can do to help out a band that are currently unsigned yet definitely deserve more. They are influenced by guitar bands from The Beatles right through to Nirvana and the Foo’s – this really comes across in their music as it is extremely diverse and you can tell that there are many influences which contribute to the sound which is created by this fine band.

All material is currently recorded in the bands garage, however you would never have guessed as this CD is really professional sounding and this just proves the quality of the band – if they can turn a garage recording into a masterpiece then just think of the possibilities with a major label signing – this band could create the best album in history. They are just a 3 piece so the sound which is created by the band is that of a very raw one and sounds spot on. I have listened to this CD many times already as it has been in my CD changer for quite a while now and I must say that in a matter of no time you will be singing along to this CD and humming it regardless of what you might be doing at the time. It really gets to you and makes you think about it long after you have turned it off, which I guess is what music about really – working the mind and making you think. This band are so good at what they do – the vocals are spot on, the drumming is amazing, the bass is unbelievable and the guitar riffs are just incredible with their driving sound. I could not possibly pick a favourite with this CD as I like all of the tracks way too much to choose and it would be an extremely hard decision to make – perhaps even impossible. I absolutely love this band and really think that they have something special going on, there is obviously a lot of chemistry here and if they stick at it then they are definitely on to a winner. In the profile it says in capitals that they are ‘DEADLY SERIOUS’ so taking this in to account there is really no reason why they shouldn’t score some sort of a record deal before long.

Check this band out at www.colorpool.co.uk – download a song while you are there, in fact why not support your scene and go the whole way and buy a CD while you are visiting – I assure you it is worth it, and even if you don’t like the music (god forbid) in a year or so time when this band are on the front of every magazine from here to America then you will be able to sell it for a pretty hefty sum of cash! Invest in this band today, buy a CD – you know it’ll be worth it in the long run.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Colonel Mustard – You’ve Only Gone and Pissed on my Chips!

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Here is my first review of the Alt-UK forum newcomers, Colonel Mustard with the 8 track effort of ‘You’ve only gone and pissed on my chips!’ This is a mix of Ska and Punk that is stupidly good – this band are like no other in the genre at the moment – they are mixing Ska and Punk but not poofy pop punk with even poofier Ska-Pop – nice hardcore style punk with Sublime ska beats. You could call it Skacore I guess but then you would get the wrong idea as it is nothing like Capdown or Howards Alias – it is something truly unique and peculiar to Colonel Mustard.

Here are 8 fine tracks that show Colonel Mustard as a band who are doing what they want to do – they are not following any trends set down by other bands but are as a band, combining their influences and coming up with a 110% new and unique sound of Ska’y Punk-ness. None of these 8 songs are boring, that’s right – not a single one! This is a CD completely full of tracks that you could easily listen to for months without getting bored. ‘Mrs Frankenstein’ is a great song with some awesome keyboard skills being shown off, blinding bass lines, some funky guitar lines, and those Punk vocals that just seem to come naturally to front man Dr. Rock. This is one of my favourite tracks on the CD which also contains the superb little ditties on trombone done by John Bone. Once you have heard this track then I promise you will be instantly hooked to the music of Colonel Mustard as it is just such a perfect track! This band obviously has a lot of talent with not a single one of the musicians making this band a dull experience at all. There is just so much to get out of the music of this band – with all of the influences that are obviously present in this band you will never get bored! In 8 tracks this band have managed to convert me in to a Colonel Mustard-oholic – they really are that amazingly blinding!

If you are looking for a band that are doing something slightly different then this is not the band for you – if you are looking for a band who are totally and utterly original however then they are! In the week or so that I have had this CD in my grasp I have fallen in love with the band as the music is just so damn amazing – it is truly unbelievable how much I have come to love this band since I received this CD as generally it takes a while for me to get in to a band – but I was in to Colonel Mustard almost straight away.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

The Martini Henry Rifles – And then we hit a truck/Run Jimmy Run Run You Wanker

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Before now I had never heard of this band, but The Martini Henry Rifles are a great band playing 100% anti pop music. It is dirty, gritty stuff – and I love it! I wouldn’t want to put a genre on this band in fear of offending them but all I can say is I like what I hear and think they are a band doing a marvellous job!

These two tracks are extremely exciting with grinding guitar riffs, strong bass lines, a fast drum beat, and truly awesome vocals. It is the sort of music I like to call Marmite – you either love it or you hate it, there is no middle man with this kind of music, and just like Marmite…I love it! This is amazing stuff with two fantastic tracks of exciting beats, and fine, fine vocals! There is an amazing drum beat on track 2, ‘Run Jimmy Run Run You *****er,’ with incredibly fast drumming that would not look out of place on a Drum ‘N’ Bass CD, in fact it would do Roni Size proud!

If you are a fan of pop music then firstly – what the hell are you doing on this website?! And secondly – you will not enjoy this music. It is not for the faint hearted – it is for those that enjoy the rough and ready music, music that is raw, with a live edge to it that will have you at the edge of the seat wishing you were at a gig. I absolutely love this CD – it surely won’t be leaving my player for a few weeks yet, not for a second!

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Boomshanker – Local Friendly Drug Dealer

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

This is the latest track from the Birmingham based Indie Rockers that are Boomshanker. It is a long track clocking in at nearly six minutes but although it is an extremely long song – the band have enough talent to keep it going and it remains excitement throughout the duration of this six minute period. At around three and a half minutes you think that it is about to end but no – it shocks you and comes back in to life with a fresh, vibrant sound that will really put a smile on your face and leave you glad that it hadn’t ended when thought it was going to. This tune really shows off their new Hip Hop influence and I personally think that this new influence has added to the excitement of their music as not only do you have melodic Indie lines but you also have the almost rap style of the Hip Hop coming through – it has given their music extra flavour and made it ten times better!

I loved the last track I heard – ‘The Plan’ but this track is just so much better and I think that is thanks to the new influence as it has really added a bit of spice to their music, creating a much fuller and more interesting sound. The vocals here are really spot on – the band have got them 100% right and they are really sounding in top form! The atmosphere is really chilled back and relaxed for this track which is really cool to hear and you can really tell that the band are enjoying themselves playing this music and are in it out of a complete passion for music. They make good use of the keyboards – making one hell of a sound with them that is sure to please any of you whether you are in to Psychedelic Rock music, Indie, or any other genre known to man really – it is just absolutely amazing and shows off just how much talent the band have to offer. I am proud to consider myself a fan of this band and am glad that I have been there since the start trying to help them spread the word as I really feel that they deserve to be, and probably should be massive. They may not be massive now but I am sure that before long they definitely will be as they just have so much talent to offer, with some amazing tunes on display that are absolutely faultless, full of energy, and definitely packed full of style!

Head on down to their website if you wish to download the track as it is an absolute blinder and will definitely please you whether you are usually a fan of Indie Rock or not. I absolutely love this tune as it is a blinder and really managed to cheer me up, putting a massive grin on my face while listening to it – you can’t possibly listen to this kind of music without raising a smile!

Well done lads – and congratulations on creating another classic tune!

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Blink 182 – I Miss You (DVD version)

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, I know I usually only review music but I decided that for once I would like to branch into a bit of DVD and considering it’s a music DVD of a recent single I thought that it would be quite fitting. On this CD there are 4 things that you can do – view the ‘I Miss You’ video, the ‘First Date’ video, see behind the scenes footage of ‘I Miss You’ or browse through the photo gallery.

The ‘I Miss You’ video is really quite cool and sees the band taking on their new Emo role which to be honest, I think suits them far more than the old pop punk thing did. This is a really cool video for a great song! The song has some great drum beats, awesome guitar riffs, some slick bass lines, and some amazing vocals being thrown in from both parties. Both Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus have always had a joint role as singers in the band and the contrast in their voices has always worked well together, this track is no exception. This new single really has my full approval as I think that it is a really catchy track and shows how much the band have matured in the last 12 months having nearly split up. The band definitely has a darker edge now and I love this new dark side as it makes their music all the more interesting and therefore exciting.

The other video, ‘First Date’ takes us back to their TOYPAJ smash hit with the obvious clowning around, not taking themselves too seriously video. Although I like the new style of Blink182 I also have always loved this song. Although the video is of course very comical and shows the band messing around as usual, the song is no joke – it is absolutely blinding. Again there are some amazing drum beats, fantastic bass lines, subliminal guitar riffs, and some awesome vocals. This is definitely one of my favourites from the TOYPAJ album and the video is just as cool as the song. It is just one of those videos that is made to make you laugh and succeeds 100% – I really think that this is one of the greatest videos ever created as a lot of videos can be way too serious for their own good and at the end of the day you have to remember that these are musical videos and are there for peoples entertainment, not to make them suicidal!

The behind the scenes footage shows that the band have not completely gotten rid of all of the fooling around and we see Tom DeLonge joking around in this short, but interesting snippet. It is good to see this side of the band still as it is no longer represented in their music but is obviously still there inside them and I am sure that they are never going to lose it at their live shows. The photo gallery however is somewhat of a disappointment as it lasts for about 10 seconds and all it is, is 5 pictures that show on screen for about 2 seconds then disappear – there is no way of looking through and finding the ones that you want, they just go at their own speed so this is somewhat of a let down.

This DVD as a whole is really quite pleasing as it features 2 song videos, and some amazing behind the scenes footage of the making of ‘I Miss You’ which was really good to see. Make sure you check this DVD out as it is really quite a stunning little thing and is probably much better value for money than the single is if you have a DVD player as there is something visual as well as audio to keep you entertained.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Gnarly Dude Compilation

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

‘Gnarly Dude’ is a music and skate event which shows how closely connected music and skateboarding are – all 13 of the bands on display here are involved in skateboarding in some way or another and this event has been set up to show the fact off. There are 13 different bands/artists contributing with 13 different songs – with styles ranging from Drum n Bass right through to the Hardcore Punk n Oi Metal of Lowlife UK. It is a good little compilation that is packed with excitement and tracks which will leave you drawling.

There are some great bands on this CD and what I always love about compilations is the variety of music on display. I will start off by talking about the Hardcore Drum n Bass exploits of Spinfire – this is some wicked stuff showing that the UK not only has some great hidden away Rock bands, but also has some Drum n Bass whizzes hiding away in the underground as well! This Spinfire tune is fast paced with a cool beat, good rhythm and some banging drumming that you can really get dancing to and enjoying yourself. Drum n Bass can be good and this is a fine example of when it truly does kick arse! Drum n Bass at its best I would say. Slamaster J offers up a pretty amusing little ditty with him speaking out some hilarious words to a short tune that is sure to put a smile on your face with its catchy rhythm and amazingly funny structure. Worm are a totally different band again and provide a completely different sound with their mix up of electronic techno and extreme metal. Ok, so it doesn’t exactly sound like a match made in heaven, but trust me – once you hear this then you will fully appreciate this unique blend. With blinding bass lines, storming guitar solos and some outstanding vocals you are sure to be impressed. A band that I spoke of earlier on, Lowlife UK sounded like an extremely interesting band to me when I was reading about them – and here is what I personally have to say about them – they offer up some strong music with their trash punk style, with Punk as ***** vocals, fast pace and amazing drum beats! If you are a fan of Oi Punk then you will absolutely love this band as this track is a strong and fine one and I am sure there are plenty more where this one came from!

This is an interesting Skate album with a good variety of genres on it making sure you don’t get bored – by using skate fuelled lyrics, and fast, adrenaline pumping extreme songs to get you ready to endure some hardcore skating. It has a much more entertaining track list than ‘Skater Rock’ surprisingly, containing tracks that skaters would actually listen to rather than puny pop anthems of no power or depth whatsoever. When you see some of the Skate Compilations you think that skateboarding must have become somewhat commercial with bands on the cover such as New Found Glory and Blink182 but when you see compilations like Gnarly Dude you start to remember why you got into skateboarding in the first place – thanks to fast paced, power packed tunes.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Bitch Alert – Loveson

June 6, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, I saw the video for this track on Scuzz TV today and realised that it was about time that I got around to reviewing this track as I have had it for a while now and being my lazy self have done nothing about it. This single is going to be released on the 3rd of May through Propaganda/EMI so make sure you rush out and get it when it comes out because it’s a really cool little single.

This is a one track Promo of the single and although this band is a girl band, it is probably not what you would expect to hear from one. Bitch Alert play angry, aggressive music with grunge like tendencies of guitar distortion coupled with pop sensibilities which make this track amazingly aggressive while at the same time being as adorable as a newly born puppy. You just can’t get enough of this track and overtime it stops playing, you just have to give it another spin as it’s so good – also, the more you listen to it the more it grows on you and the more you love it! Like I have already mentioned, this band have fuzzy, distorted guitars, yet they also have melodic bass lines, some strong guitar riffs, and some power hungry vocals that will shock you that they actually came out of a woman’s mouth as they are so angry and unladylike – this is of course no bad thing and is a treat to listen to. If you like your music loud then Bitch Alert are definitely the band for you as they play their music loud, gritty, and full of energy. This band are the real deal and they have everything going for them.

In terms of aggression, you probably won’t find a more aggressive all girl group single than this – in terms of quality you DEFINITELY won’t find it done better by anyone else, that my friends is a fact. I had never actually heard of the band before I received the single and the album through my door a few weeks ago (expect an album review up on the site in the not too distant future) but I have definitely not been disappointed with the quality of this band – in fact I am hungry for more and can’t wait for the next release from this awesome Finnish three piece.

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.