|
|
| November is unsigned month with the CMU-Tube and MUZU |
|
 |
START HERE: Last November CMU teamed up with our good friends at MUZU TV to discover and champion some of the best unsigned and self-releasing artists in the UK and Ireland, and in doing so unearthed some of the future buzz bands of 2009. Every band featured set up their own MUZU channel, which means you can check out their music for yourself, and stay in touch with their movements. Read on for details on all the bands featured, and links to their MUZU players.
|
--------------------------------------------------
The bands of CMU Unsigned Month 2008
27.11.08 INCREDIBOY AND THE FORGET ME NOTS
Incrediboy And The Forget Me Nots are six strong and six months old. The band was born from my bedroom demos, written under the influence of Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes and above all Elliott Smith. After a few gigs I noticed the incredible difference between the potential of the demos and the live experience, and set out to change that by recruiting the Forget Me Nots. Pianos, guitars, strings, glockenspiels, boy/girl vocals, mandolins and lapsteels all provide a back drop for stories Marjorie Weinman Sharmat would be proud of. Maybe. The primary aim is to make folk smile and inspire. I find it hard to describe the sound, it has as much in common with the folk of The Mountain Goats as contemporary giants Arcade Fire and the epic post rock elements of Explosions In The Sky. The video on our MUZU channel is a half live and half newly recorded rendition of our oldest song called 'The Bridge', and was shot on a bitterly cold Saturday on the banks of the Clyde. The song is mainly about a bridge in North Wiltshire where I didn't grow up, but at a deeper level it's about the past, home and friends. We're going to regroup over Christmas and will be back in 2009 with a bang and more importantly, a brand new live set!
Today's Unsigned Month Snap Of The Day was recommended by Christopher Panks from Glasgow Caledonian University.
Check www.muzu.tv/incrediboy or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
26.11.08 KURRAN
Until recently, Kurran was a member of comic electro rock out kings Trash Fashion, where he went by the name of KBomb. His new solo project is fairly sizeable leap from that former life, seeing him drop the world of synths, programming and general rocking for the alt-country life of a man and his acoustic guitar. Now living in London, after stints in Abu Dhabi and Zurich, his music is still firmly rooted in the States, where he was born. Echoes of old country stars such of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams exist in his songs, and there's some Fleetwood Mac in there, too. However, his biggest influence, as he happily admits, are Brand New, whose (albeit louder) influence courses through the songs and, in particular, Kurran's vocal style. The video on his MUZU page is a simple lo-fi performance, featuring him playing live to a single camera and the scariest appearance of a backing vocalist you're ever likely to see. Check out the streaming audio track, too, in order to hear what he can achieve when given a studio to play with.
Check www.muzu.tv/kurranssecondrun or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
25.11.08 AKIRA
I would like to point out right now that CMU is in no way open to bribes. That said, the lollipops that Akira brought round to our office were very nice. That said, anyone thinking of doing the same should be aware that such gifts cause me to judge bands more harshly. I will eat your sweets while I pick holes in your songs and discard them along with the soggy paper sticks if I don't like what I hear. So, it's lucky for Akira that the music they make is so fresh and exciting. The two videos on their MUZU page show off perfectly the range of influences they use to inject something new into indie rock - Arcade Fire-style multi-part vocals, punk ferocity, metal tension-building and techno basslines all find their way into the mix somewhere. The band released their debut EP, 'Japanese Frequencies', via small but eagle-eyed indie label Filthy Little Angels earlier this year. However, now they are living under the umbrella of the unsigned band. How or why this is, I can't work out. Sign this band now.
Check www.muzu.tv/akira or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
24.11.08 TESS AND WILL
They're just a guy, a girl, a guitar, and a Mac, but Tess and Will are still light years better than most student bands. It's partly due to the near-professional quality of their sound - Tess can really sing, Will can really play, and even their earliest home recordings sound better than the majority of demos - and partly due to the maturity of their song writing. Theirs is a complex, adult acoustica, akin to Jose Gonzalez or Zero 7.
Today’s Unsigned Month Snap Of The Day was recommended by Sarah Christie from the University of East Anglia.
Check www.muzu.tv/tessandwill or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
20.11.08 THIS DEVILS YOURS
Though the lack of an apostrophe in their name is grammatically concerning, Sheffield's This Devils Yours prove their musical credentials remain firmly intact with a number of lush, melancholic songs of late night reverie. Delicate orchestration and swirling, ghostly electronic backing mask the piano led balladry of 'Cities', which sees vocalist Paul Littlewood pummelling emotion into his folky chords, which are part John Martyn - a listed influence - and part Richard Thompson. Visit their MUZU page for a live video and a few more MP3s to tempt your favour.
Check www.muzu.tv/thisdevilsyours or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
19.11.08 3 FOOT NINJA
Listening to 3 Foot Ninja is like the moment in 'High Fidelity' where Rob Gordon hears the thieving skate punks' band, The Kinky Wizards, for the first time - being all about a breathless barrage of youthful noise, despite this Middlesbrough trio sounding less thrift store instrumentation (and the brilliant garage-synths of Royal Trux!) and more 'Smash'-era Offspring. Indeed, the presumably self-referencing 'Sixteen's Legal' rings similarly to 'Bad Habit' from 'Smash', starting off with solo guitar before the full pop-punk assault falls into place, followed by a barking, polemical chorus of "Sixteen's Legal!". Visit their MUZU page for this and more.
Check www.muzu.tv/3footninja or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
18.11.08 CONIL
Having already featured Conil in the SNAP column back in January it might seem a trifle too much to be including him again during CMU and MUZU's Unsigned Month. But given that he still runs his own label, Great Hare Records, but at the same time managed to score a four star review in Q for his recent album, while also getting featured in the Mirror when one of his songs, the CMU recommended 'Dog Meat Stew', was banned in China, I reckon he deserves a second mention. While we're here, let's mention another excellent Conil track, 'Strange Part of the Country', which makes good use of his smokey, whisky-fuelled voice over a folky, gutter blues backing. Furthermore, the radio session on the front of their page is also well worth a watch.
Check www.muzu.tv/conil or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
17.11.08 ROGUES
Having recently finished touring with Universal's Iglu And Hartly, Londoners Rogues seem to making swift moves towards record label-dom, one step being that they've already signed up with a major booking agent. However, by still being unsigned at the moment, they qualify for today's SNAP installment in CMU and MUZU's Unsigned Month - so all the better for them that they haven't got a deal yet, methinks. 'Not So Pretty' is their calling card for A&R types, a glossy post-punk number that's as playful as Foals' 'Antidote' LP with its propulsive rhythm and structured, twitching guitars. Unequivocally worthy of the dancefloor, also pay a visit to the layered, stuttering percussion of 'Angel Blonde' - all at the link below. And if you like what you hear, why not tune into Steve Lamacq's Radio 1 show tonight at 9pm, where I believe he'll be playing two live tracks from them.
Check www.muzu.tv/rogues or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
--------------------------------------------------
|
 |
| |
|
13.11.08 MANEKI
Sourcing members from all over the UK and one from Finland, Maneki are about as straight up pop-rock as it gets, with songs based around simple, memorable choruses, chugging guitars and repetitive, low basslines. They've already picked up some nice press, including an unfortunate and not entirely accurate in my opinion comparison to Nickelback. Then again, Chad Kroeger et al are leaders of that middle American rock domain that still tends to shift thousands of records, so I'm sure Maneki won't mind the comparison too much. Head to their MUZU profile and watch the video for 'Killa', which demonstrates all of the key components of a hit rock song and more besides. Watch out for the lead singer's checked trousers too - they're fantastic.
Check www.muzu.tv/maneki or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
12.11.08 DRY RISER
Hailing from Kent, three-piece Dry Riser's recently self-release EP, 'Two Many Chiefs' features four tracks that show off their great skills as songwriters. The acoustic guitar-driven songs have elements of Johnny Cash, Jeff Buckley and maybe some of Soundgarden's quieter moments. The video currently playing on their MUZU profile, however, shows the band in a very different mode, rocking it right up at last year's Guilfest, on a song called 'Old Mistakes'. Here they make full use of a driving bassline on which to rest moody guitar riffs and Paul Weller-esque vocals. A band that can soothe you or whip you into a frenzy with equal skill isn't always an easy thing to come by. Check these guys out now.
Check www.muzu.tv/dryriser or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
11.11.08 DISCONNECT 4
From Galway, Ireland, Disconnect 4 are your second unsigned SNAP this week and proprietors of the best hair cuts in this column for some time. Honestly, they're really great. Musically they rather good too, plying through hundreds of skittering cymbals, 80s pop progressions and plenty of synthesizer on 'One For The Team' - all at breakneck speed. Undoubtedly influenced by The Cure and the more recent explosion of The Killers, they've already racked up a number of excellent support slots back home, including one with Birmingham dullards The Twang, but don't hold that against them. Head to their MUZU page for live videos and photos of the aforementioned excellent hair.
Check www.muzu.tv/disconnect4 or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
10.11.08 GORBACHOV
Presumably named after, well, you know, that rather important Russian bloke, Ireland's Gorbachov furthered their USSR credentials recently by playing at a festival in Latvia. I note this here because it was there that their set apparently impressed Fat Boy Slim enough for him to declare himself a fan. Makers of brash, pumping dance rock, there are similarities between them and the laddish tones of Hard-Fi and Reverend And The Makers, but there's more intelligence behind the song on their MUZU page, 'Friends', which is accompanied by a bizarre video of the entire band in cartoon masks - Gorillaz on a budget-style. Pay them a visit at the link below.
Check www.muzu.tv/gorbachov or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
06.11.08 CRANE BROTHERS
Seemingly London based but originating way north of the capital – Manchester and Leeds I think – Crane Brothers are a five man strong band (none of whom are called Crane) that fill the space between the cockney rhymes of Jamie T and the unhinged happiness of Scouting For Girls. 'Don't Wait' is the video streaming on their Muzu profile, a brass tinged lite reggae-by-indie number that's brash enough in its chorus to be sent straight to the Radio1 playlist. For now, however, they remain unsigned, so make way to the link below for an early sample of, as 6music put it, "fresh, original, exciting music".
Check Crane Brothers out at muzu.tv/cranebrothers or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
05.11.08 PANAMA KINGS
Belfast's Panama Kings have just had one of their songs, 'Your Children Are Screaming', voted the third best song to come out of Northern Ireland in the last five years by Alternative Ulster magazine. Things are definitely looking good for this relatively new band and they are hoping that a couple of low-key single releases showcasing their funked up, angular indie sound will soon lead to something more long term. On their MUZU profile, you'll find a live performance of 'Your Children Are Screaming', the video for 'Young Blood', which is one of those singles, and a very brief interview, too.
Check Panama Kings out at www.muzu.tv/panamakings or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/tube
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
04.11.08 SUBSOURCE
Hailing from Aberdeen, Subsource mix up live breaks, electro and drum n bass with punk energy to create a live show that wowed crowds at festivals around the country this summer and has picked them up support slots with the likes of Iglu & Hartly, Dizzee Rascal and Hexstatic, and on record, they are no less incendiary. Their MUZU profile is brimming over with videos from live performances to in-van tour antics, as well as photos and four streaming tracks. Comparisons to Pendulum are inevitable for any band like this these days and, while it's not an unfair link to make, it would be wrong to overlook Subsource on these grounds, because they have plenty to offer beyond that. Look out for them as they travel the UK and Europe on a punishing tour schedule over the coming months.
Check Subsource out at http://www.muzu.tv/Subsource or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube.
-------------------------------------------------- |
 |
| |
|
03.11.08: ESCAPE ACT
Belfast trio Escape Act recently completed a MUZU TV session in Dublin, though that’s not the reason we are tipping them, though it does mean we’ll be able to plug them again later in the month when the results of that session go online. But these guys definitely deserve your attention right now. Single release 'God Says' is a good start, though the Springsteen-aping arena stomp of 'Cabin Fever' is their best offering, meeting the ethereal Brit-rock of Doves with the melancholy, shoe gazing vocals of Teenage Fanclub. If this sounds like your thing then you've no reason not to explore, particularly given that they're giving away their album, 'Loosely Based On Fiction', entirely free through various channels. Make the MUZU channel below you’re starting point.
Check Escape Act out at http://www.muzu.tv/escapeact or in the Unsigned Month playlist on the CMU-Tube. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
