WAVVES
“So, we’ve got an idea for our promo photos...”
V
Ghost Ramp / Caroline
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A tightly-honed frenzy.
PROTOMARTYR MENACE BEACH THE FRONT SUPER BOTTOMS
THE AGENT INTELLECT
TRANSPORTERREUM BACK ON TOP
Hardly Art
Memphis Industries
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Homegrown trippy guitar Post-punk bruisers fuzz rules OK. explore new avenues on an inquisitive effort. For those with a penchant As they continue to move away from their fierier first incarnation, Protomartyr’s drabberthan-thou aesthetic finds the forefront on ‘The Agent Intellect’. Largely propelled by the snotty, sarcastic vocals of frontman Joe Casey, the band nevertheless weave a myriad of variations on their postpunk formula around them. ‘Dope Cloud’ sees them shudder with an almost Oughtesque twang, where ‘Clandestine Time’ takes on an almost theatrical, wilting horror, looped vocals and driving things further into hypnotism than ever before. It’s an intoxicating concoction, and one that sees Protomartyr defend their crown as one of postpunk’s most versatile and unique prospects. Tom Connick 5 4 upsetmagazine.com
for the fuzzier side, there’s no band currently doing a better job of ‘it’ than Leeds’ Menace Beach. Their debut album, practically flawless, was only released at the start of the year. Now, only a few months later, they’re dropping a new EP - and the standards haven’t slipped. Title track ‘Super Transporterreum’ is a trippy ride via Grade A guitar pop. ‘Hey Toupe’ isn’t just a blinding but of rhyming, but a tumbling, psych-thrash to celebrate. ‘Ghoul Power’ is detuned, off-kilter brilliance while closer ‘Radiate Me’ pulls killer hooks out of nowhere at will. If Menace Beach hailed from more romanticised climes, they’d be quickly proclaimed as the next great saviours of slacker rock. But slackers don’t turn out releases this good, this regularly. And anyway, who wants to be a saviour anyway? Menace Beach have better things to do. Stephen Ackroyd
Fueled By Ramen
It might have been two years since Wavves released ‘Afraid Of Heights’, but with Nathan Williams’ neverending list of side-projects, the band has remained at the top of their game. Their most collaborative record to date, ‘V’ is a swirling mix of attitude, infectious hooks, and scream-your-heart-out choruses. Album opener ‘Heavy Metal Detox‘ is as refreshingly intoxicating as a hair of the dog remedy. The lyrical defeatism of ‘Way Too Much’ is combatted by the track’s explosive energy. ‘Pony’ is a life-affirming rush of anthemic choruses and spiralling guitars. Down and out of luck, the songs own up to issues of youthful angst with a casual honesty, letting loose like it’s the only thing that matters. When disorder takes hold, ‘V’ offers the solution: ride the wavves until you land exhilarated on the other side. Jessica Goodman
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New label, big ambitions.
Despite a strong, steadily growing fanbase, it’s The Front Bottoms’ recent signing to Fueled By Ramen that sees them becoming labelmates with the likes of Paramore means that there’s a real weight of expectation on the New Jersey indie-punks for the first time. But hey, they’ve bravely titled their first album on the label ‘Back On Top’, so it looks like they’re not too fazed by it all. In fact, with the way they kick off ‘Motorcycle’, the record’s opener, with an almost obnoxious choral swell that gives way to five big, bold distorted chord strums, it sounds like they’re having fun with that very idea. This is The Front Bottoms at their best, with enough massive moments to see them propel their popularity even further. Ryan De Freitas
CHVRCHES
EVERY OPEN EYE
Virgin EMI
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Not a rock band. Definitely a good band.
With their banks of synths and shiny production, it’s pretty obvious that Chvrches aren’t really a rock band, but since when did genre boundaries matter? From a mutual apreciation socieity with Paramore through to their smarter-than-your-averagepop edge, the Scottish three piece can fit in whatever hole you choose to place them. That’s what happens when you’re able to write songs this good. From the direct (‘Empty Threat’) to the creepingly brilliant (‘Down Side Of Me’), Chvrches are a band confident in what they are. They know their own rule book, and though never sticking slavishly to the script, whatever direction they take is definitely them. Cheesiness aside, they say it best themselves: with ‘Every Open Eye’ Chvrches really have taken the best parts of themselves and made them gold. Stephen Ackroyd