New Scientists
Ah cripes, I feel like a geriatric that has wondered into a school disco. I must be one of the oldest people here and, a few familiar faces aside, this is the youngest audience I have been in for a donkey's age. As old as that makes me feel, it also gives me hope that live rock music is still relevant and has a future.
It has been a while since I last saw Happy Coloured Marbles. In that time, they have lost a drummer and gained both a drum machine and a groove. The duo deliver a strong set of funked-up post-punk that brings to mind The Pop Group, Television or even Talking Heads with a twist of The Rapture style indie-dance, although a friend suggests the sound hints at Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Whatever, there are some inventive beats, a gloriously filthy bass, cracking guitar work and two-way vocal harmonies. HCM get better every time I see them and now have a truly original sound of their own. See them at the Odd Box night at NAC on 10th February.
Hailing from Stoke-on-Trent, Fears Chella play the kinda stadium-filling, epic faux-indie-rock that can so often leave me cold. Think Walking On Cars or a less overwrought Arcade Fire and you're probably on the right lines. Yeah, this isn't really my normal thing but they win me over with a mix of decent songs, good humour, charm and showmanship. See 'em when they are back at Epic on 10th March.
How to describe HANK? Gawd, where do I begin? There's Battles math-rock, Godspeed You! Black Emperor/Crippled Black Phoenix post-rock, the classic prog of Pink Floyd, the modern prog of The Mars Volta, King Crimson art-rock, John McLaughlin jazz-fusion and, on one song, even hints of the Nile Rodgers chu-chucking guitar sound and Parliament/Funkadelic. What could - scratch that, SHOULD - be a bloody awful mess is in fact an enthralling, exhilarating and strangely beautiful thing to behold.
I have been told a lot - and I mean a LOT - of good things about New Scientists so, being a natural cynic, I wasn’t actually expecting that much from them. Well, I am very pleased to report that my cynicism was entirely misplaced. Their’s is a grungey take on Britpop, with a distinct hit of alt.rock to it. Early Arctic Monkeys are probably the closest comparison, but there’s also suggestions of Pixies, Blur and Nirvana. For older readers, I will also throw in Senseless Things and, in the interplay between bassist Jas and the rest of band, Eight Legged Groove Machine-era Wonder Stuff. New Scientists have the songs, the confidence and the stagecraft to go a long, long way and, for those that care about such things, the collective boyish good looks aren’t exactly a hinderance.
Four very different bands, three local, all of whom are great in their own way. What a great night.
