Damp | Straw Men in Glass Houses | Single Review

Grunge Rock is often thought of as a fossilised eradication, once dominated by so many amazing bands, but now laid to rest in all its glory. Anyone new to the scene faces significant backlash from those who love the originals, and must embrace the genre to such incredible heights in order to gain a following. It’s kind of like a dinosaur; everybody can enjoy learning the history of the species that once ruled the planet, but if you saw one walking down your road, you’d probably shit yourself.  So, brace yourselves, I’m about to take you back in time to when grunge dominated the charts, the Sony Walkman, and the world, without leaving this century. Meet, Damp.

The fun loving four-piece produce phenomenally original music that successfully rejuvenates the grunge rock era. Clearly inspired by the sound of the likes of The Who, Black Sabbath and other renowned rockers, the Leeds lot are loving life as local legends. The members are as follows: Wolfgang, the mysteriously named lead singer takes the pleasure to also play the guitar. Rory takes pride in playing the bass and committing to other vocals. Sam, well, the only thing the bands bio states about him is that he’s been wearing the same trainers since ‘05. Personal hygiene Sam, personal hygiene... Finally, Rob on the drums tops off the group to complete the perfect band. Each with exceptionally long beards and Cobain-esque hairstyles, Damp have recently released a single named Straw Men in Glass Houses.

The tune begins with an anticipating opening, ominously setting the tone for an intense song to follow. Wolfgang splits the instrumental build-up by releasing a triumphantly sharp note. His voice is similar to that of the epic Brian Johnson, just deeper. After countless shredding guitar riffs, luxurious licks of the bass guitar, and fantastic drum fills, ‘SMiGH’ finds itself at an immersive solo that breaches the boundaries of classic grunge rock, and sits in limbo between said genre and metal. If it doesn’t have you headbanging to the point that your saliva no longer sits in your mouth and decorates the wall surrounding you, I kindly suggest you sort yourself out. Retaining its rocky tailoring, Damp conclude with an insane finale.

With more singles to come and many gigs to please with, the hairy troop have it all.

Review by Sam Hatherley

Juniper Nights | All At Once | Video Review

Oxford alt rock band Juniper Nights have just released their brand new music video today! We got asked to say a few words about it before release and I thought it was pretty cool, thanks for letting us check it out guys!

The video is for their single “All At Once” that was part of their debut EP that they released earlier this year. It’s a comical and strange visual to go with the music. I know one thing though, it’s definitely a fun watch! The video begins in a wood, with James (Frontman) running through the trees. Seemingly running away from something… or that’s my guess. That is until a giant white bunny pops out of nowhere!

The comical use of everyday things (toothpaste, to give an example) in the middle of a wood is quite different and certainly gets a bit of a reaction from the viewer. He then seems to stop whatever he is doing when he notices the bunny staring at him. After running away a little more (Kudos to the person who decided that he’d run when the music picks up, it really helps with the pacing of the music and visual!) the bunny soon becomes sinister. Delivering quite a message when you understand the intention behind it! The band had a little to say about why they did this.

“The song is about someone you trust promising you something and then turning on you. There’s a political aspect to it, but we’ve kept away from that in the video by representing the situation using a surreal bunny that turns against you.”

It could be a light hearted little video for most I guess, but there’s also another layer of understanding that is hidden under the surface. I’m not sure that I’d fully understand it if Zach (Guitar) hadn’t have briefly explained it.

There’s definitely been a lot of thought that has gone into the creation of it, hats off to the band!

The video really reflects what the band was trying to achieve and it is genuinely well filmed, produced and delivered. It’s not every day that you find a really good concept for a music video, as most are simply quite plain and generic. So if you’re interested, check it out on YouTube!

Review by Ben Kitching

Tramlines Fringe | This Feeling, AMP Live, Modern Age Music and More

One of my favourite Festivals of the year is fast approaching, what I love about Tramlines is both it's support of bands in the underground scene and it's affordability for music fans. Some of the best promoters in the UK have formed stages that show case the best bands in the underground. What makes this even more special is that these stages are free, you don't need a Tramlines wrist band to attend these stages. Just turn up and rock out. 

The big one is obviously the might This Feeling who have collaborated with Pirate Studios to bring an incredible collection of bands over the three days. There are a couple of bands on this line up I've already seen and would strongly recommend and will no doubt be going to see again (Bad Bug, Hello Operator, Himalayas and  Generation) but there are also SO many that I've not yet seen and have been dying to! I'll be making sure to catch The Wholls, The Surrenders, Sophie & The Giants, The Strawberries and Manuka Hive. These are just the bands that I've personally listened to and know I will enjoy. I'm looking forward to catching the names on here I recognise (and those I don't) that I haven't yet had a chance to listen to! Because for me one of the best parts of inner city festivals is catching a band you'd never listened to and completely falling in love with them. 

Another stage to make sure you get down to is AMP Live at Frog & Parrot on the Saturday. False Heads, The Americas, Manuka Hive, Sons, Breed and Bad Bug? You just can't miss it. These fall under bands I've already seen or have been dying to finally see for the first time. As for the rest I'm excited to catch a few names I don't yet know or haven't listened to before and find some new bands to keep on my radar.  

Forum are bringing an outstanding line up. Strange Bones are a band I've been waiting a long time to see, and as for Demob Happy, I caught 15 minutes of their set at the Doctor Marten Briggate stage at Live at Leeds and have been waiting to see them in full glory since. Plus Calva Louise have been on my bucket list, having heard nothing but good things from my southern friends I've been waiting to see their on stage madness. So many more names on this line up you've just gotta go and catch.

Modern Age Music are a promotion company that are just fucking killing the game! Their shows are not only always supporting great names but they're giving lesser known bands a chance to play at a show that's under a good and trust worthy name. And just look at their fringe line up! Absolutely radical. There's something to be said about every band on this list in all honesty, so to sum it up, if you spent your entire Sunday at this stage you'd be unlikely to find yourself bored. 

Preview by Holly Beson-Tams

Dazed & Out | Frankenstein | Single Review

There’s nothing that enhances music more than being enlightened by the exalted chronicle that its inspiration stems from. It gives the song a different flavour, bolsters its worth, and injects a new sentiment through the very fibers of the listening experience. This enhancement is something that has become very apparent to me recently, via my recent passion for a musical outfit named Dazed & Out.

Exceptionally talented singer-songwriter, Whitnie Escalante, created Dazed & Out, which carries a beautifully awe-inspiring story. Whilst travelling European land, the Californian decided that her life would be wasted if devoted to anything but making music- the decision is far from inadequate. As if featured in a dreamy film, from a bar in Rome came the dawn of Dazed & Out. Since then, she has acquired a touring guitarist named Peyton Hoff, who has appeared by her side in many shows scattered across the globe. However, Hoff is also a student, meaning her presence is not always guaranteed. Dedicated Escalante ensures that this is never an issue, and often adopts the instrumental responsibility on top of her own solo concerns. I know what you’re thinking- you could make a formidable documentary out of this stuff, right? All we need now is an Attenborough voice over…

And from one youthful transatlantic, life-altering expedition comes a debut single named ‘Frankenstein.’ The tune itself seeds back to the Californian’s hometown Bakersfield- the town that Tom Hanks exclaims the name of in Cast Away when he finds that part of the portaloo. Just me? Thought so. Escalante claims that it revolves around the vicious, damning sleep paralysis that she used to experience when at home. The song embraces the technicality and splendour of the acoustic guitar, whilst weaving in the American’s aesthetically gorgeous voice. Occasionally graced by a treble-dominant electric guitar, the Lana Del Rey-esque song incorporates the dying culture of country music, and resuscitates it, bringing in hints of pop, indie and outright class. As far as debut singles go, this is a beauty. Driving, relaxing or going about your everyday life, this song could be played almost anywhere.

To capture the elloquency surrounding her travels, Escalante had a glorious video shot by Francesca Blakeburn for the song whilst in Budapest. You can see it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQaaXShO5_c) Having performed the song in London, I am envious of any fellow Brits who were lucky enough to witness her wondrous ways. She is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Check out the video here

Review by Sam Hatherley

Gathering Of Strangers | Nice Hair | Single Review

It’s straight in with Gathering of Strangers new summer single Nice Hair. It has to be said, at first I thought it’s a bit of a weird idea. With the opening line being “Is this really forward, I really like your hair”, followed up with “Have I made it awkward?”. I think I’d be a bit awkward if a stranger said that… but it’s a pretty good opening! The songs quite a short but sweet summer vibe, with some tight playing and loads of little additional bits that are hard to spot on the first listen.

Once you press play, the song is rolling nicely from start to finish! There’s not really any breaks for the band throughout as it delivers a fun feel. The lead guitar really comes alive in this song, with a brilliant wah sound and loads of other effects almost through the entire thing! Creating some great beach side memories for anyone who’s listening. I also love how it flows in and out of the foreground of the song, one second it’s not to be seen, and then it pops out of nowhere with a nice little lick.

The grooving also really helps to create that warm sunny day feeling as you’re strolling down the street. A good band deserves a tight playing drummer, and this band has just that! The vocals sit really nicely in the mix of the whole thing too. If you’re a fan of loads of cool layers in a song, you’ll be a fan of this.

As much as it is a great little treasure for any indie fan, it feels like it needs a little more shape to the song. That’s not to say that it’s a bad song, but a little more colour and variation in the whole sound and a bit more of a dip in volume for some parts would really blow it up to an anthem!

After all has been said and done, Nice Hair is something I wouldn’t protest if it came on a playlist, especially at the beach! A little short, but sweet for what it is. You can catch it on Spotify and iTunes, as well as most other places online.

Review by Ben Kitching

Photography by Holly Beson-Tams (@shotbyhol)

Hello Operator | I Created A Monster | Prerelease Single Review

Hello Operator are back with a brand new release, I Created A Monster. That is to be released this Friday, 6th of July! Denim + Leather had a sneaky look at what's to come and here’s what we got from it.

“I Created A Monster” weaves a tale of a man engulfed in the fizzling of his own imagination”

The title is pretty self explanatory, foreshadowing a tale of horror as they describe a well told story. Starting of with a grooving beat, you get hooked pretty easily when the band comes in. A very different approach to songwriting when comparing it to some of their other releases like “Vex Money”. That opening verse really sets the scene, bubbling potions in a laboratory, trying to bring her back to life. Followed by a first hand account of what happened. “Woke up it was 6:00 in the morning, the televisions were howling” helps us to know how it starts before dropping down the rabbit hole.

Fast forward into the chorus, full of thick bass, fuzzy guitars and a killer drum beat that really pounds at your ears! This catchy hook is glued solid with the rough vocals shouting over the top, falling straight into the next part of the story. Sharing what the monster is doing, causing trouble all over the place!

Following up with another killer chorus, is drops very suddenly into a tense feeling middle 8. Building up more and more, almost bursting at the seams before delivering a well packed breakdown with guitars screaming a melodic drop, flowing seamlessly into the last part of this loud and boisterous tune!

Hello Operator have definitely outdone themselves with the creative songwriting in this one. It’s certainly a well deserved insight into their anticipated debut album! What’s better with this release is that they’ve got a full length music video to go in hand with it! Featuring the band telling the story, featuring grimy conditions, creepy videography and some good creative content! The opening to the video really sells what is going on, with a homage to the old horror classics. Black and white with an announcer warning the audience, just before slamming them with the contents. You can see the effort that has gone into the video, with great attention to detail of the space. Hats off to whoever was in charge of the cinematography!

The band are releasing this single ahead of their latest tour “I Created A MonsTOUR” that spans the whole of July up and down the country, including Liverpool, York, Manchester, London and Matlock. More cities are on the tour, so check it out over on Hello Operators website and social media!

Review by Ben Kitching

The Harlers | Secret Lover | Single Review

The Harlers, a three piece originated in Swindon, have an new single Secret Lover ready to be listened to and enjoyed on Soundcloud. The single is categorised into an alternative rock genre and I believe this is accurate, however it appears to be a heavier alternative style rather than a mellow alt-rock ballad. 

Personally I really enjoyed this song as its loud guitar riff, that became very catchy after only listening twice. The guitar is definitely the part that stands out the most in this song, which is great, yet it took my focus away from the actual lyrics. However on my second preview of the song I listened more thoroughly to what was being said and a clearer narrative to the song was unfolded.

The lyrics seem to be reflecting on the singer and/or protagonist and his ‘secret lover’ which could relate to someone who he fantasises about - but can’t get - or potentially someone who he is secretly seeing but doesn’t know if it’s love or just a ‘fling’. I’m sure this song can be relatable for some, yet I can’t personally relate to everything said, yet I’m almost certain everyone will be able to relate to the idea of having a person that, as the lyrics state, “running through” their mind. Personally I enjoy songs that have a story to them that the artist is singing about and I feel as though with more heavier, upbeat songs it’s harder to connect with what’s being said, nevertheless as a music lover I always try to grasp my own interpretation of the lyrics. 

In addition to this I found that the sound of music was very similar to Royal Blood. Whether The Harlers have taken inspiration from the well known rock band, they definitely have done a good job in using that inspiration and putting it into their own music. This could potentially ruffle a few feathers as they sound incredible similar and certain elements of the song have a huge similarity to Royal Blood. That being said, where would any band or any musician be without their aspirations and inspirations. 

Review by Emily Richardson