Live Review: Night Beats + special guests @ Nation Of Shopkeepers

Let's get this out of the way; I've not died, exams have been whoring my time so no post have been coming. However I'll be 're-launching' the website so to speak on the 6th of June with some exciting news; In short, stay tuned...

On Monday I was contacted by the guys at Jonny Quits ( see a review of their debut EP here ) about coming to do a review of them and several other bands at Nation Of Shopkeepers in Leeds. Since its a nice change from staring at a textbook; So I went a long and this is what I made of it.

The gig was headlined by an American psychedelic band called 'Night Beats' and the other bands on the bill had a very psychedelic feel from Jonny Quits and The Glass Moths as well as the incredibly entertaining Rent Boys, more on them later...


The Glass Moths

There was already a decent crowd to see the night's openers The Glass Moths and with good reason, the effect-washed and atmospheric sound was tight, accomplished and a real indication of the night to come. The quality stayed very decent throughout but for me the band hit their peak with their last song (I think it was the one below) which had a feel reminiscent of The Doors, especially songs like 'The End' ( click here for a similar kind of feel ). Overall a very good start to the night and a definite band to see around Leeds if you can.

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Jonny Quits

I've seen Jonny Quits before in Leeds ( review here ) where they really made a statement as one of the best new bands in Leeds. Their set tonight kept showing how they keep giving solid performances even when not headlining. Their set contains songs from their debut EP such as the belter 'Alice' and other material that kept the calibre high. Like the previous set, the last few songs were the best of the set and left a high benchmark for the next band.

Facebook // Soundcloud // Bandcamp

Rent Boys

This band really blew me away; not only was the music a compelling blend of psychedelic-punk-rock-something which sounded great, but the lead singer was a 6ft crossdresser with a red beret, smeared on lipstick and looked to be wearing some sort of swan, occasionally interrupting his howled and effect-warped vocals by downing god knows what from a two litre bottle. You don't see bands like this very often, so I implore you; go and see them live, you won't regret it.

Facebook // Bandcamp

Night Beats

This band seem to be causing a lot of talk about them, hailing the resurgence of a new wave of psychedelic rock bands like Temples (not that psychedelia ever went away) buoyed by the success of bands such as Tame Impala. Their set produced some great, tight, expressive music that shows why they deserve the buzz that they've been getting - worthy headliners and certainly a band to watch in the coming months.

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All in all it was a great night showcasing a lot of talent of a psychedelic scene that I didn't even know existed locally. Although all the bands put on solid performances, the highlight for me were Rent Boys, however if you ever are able to go and see any of the above bands, do so, all are worth the time, effort and money.

8/10

The venue must also deserve a mention; it had a great atmosphere, great bar and was busy all night, certainly a place to go on a night in Leeds or if you want to see some live music as they've played host some great bands; including the DJ set and after-party of the Foals gig I went to in Leeds earlier this year.

Visit their website

To round off; there will be no post for the next couple of weeks, however Villainous Folk will return bigger and better than ever,

Peace out

Live Review: Jonny Quits EP Launch

A few weeks ago I went to go and review Jonny Quits' EP launch gig with John. Sadly John's camera packed in and no photos were taken, all the ones on this post are from the bands' Facebook pages. I also did a short interview with the guys from Jonny Quits, the sound bite of which is available on Soundcloud now here (follow us on Soundcloud for new music from the bands we cover), the interview will also be typed up and sent to Leeds Music Scene and posted right here on Villainous Folk as well.

As always you can find Villainous Folk on Facebook and  Soundcloud

The night consisted of great music from AVACET, Test Transmission, Bad Names and of course Jonny Quits, as well as the DJ'ing and afterparty from Kaleidoscope:

AVACET:

Tight indie rock that felt genuinely professional. Seemed like the kind of band that could support a bigger band of its genre - akin again to Wild Nothing. Played songs that I hadn't heard which all sounded very good indeed. They also played a new track which soon after surfaced on their Facebook page called 'Play Your Cards' (listen below)

Facebook / Soundcloud / BandCamp

Test Transmission:

Very big sound, and in my opinion superior to the EP, by far saw the most energy on-stage of the night from the guitarists, the number of effects peddles were also dazzling. Played most of the EP as well as an sort of interlude which showed a new-found versatility possibly slightly hidden on the EP. A review of their EP by Villainous Folk can be found here and you can listen to the lead single 'With You' below:

Facebook / Soundcloud / BandCamp - Get their new EP here

Jonny Quits:

Next up were Jonny Quits, at the time I was confused why they weren't on last, not that it mattered, in my opinion the best band of the night. It was tight, expressive, professional and sounding close to an early Pink Floyd and if they keep up the way they're going then they will hopefully start to move towards that in terms of recognition. They definitely seemed like a band you would pay to see.

Facebook / Soundcloud / BandCamp - Buy their new EP here

Listen to the lead track from the EP 'Drive Around Him' here.

Bad Names:

Your classics rock band, of which there aren't enough getting recognition these days. A throwback to how rock music used to be, 4 guys having a good time on-stage  making loud, catchy music with as it seems a very devoted fan base, a perfect end to the night of bands.

Facebook / Soundcloud / Website

Kaleidoscope:

Unfortunately I didn't stay till the afterparty as getting back to skipton was a priority for the night, however enjoyed the choice of music between the bands including; Warpaint, St. Vincent, Jefferson Airplane and many other great tunes.

Kaleidoscope DJ monthly at the HiFi club in Leeds.

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All in all, it was a brilliant night and for me really highlighted how diverse the genre of 'Rock' can be, with four brilliant rock bands but all with distinctive and brilliant sounds in their own right.

9/10 This review can also be found at Leeds Music Scene - Here

EP Review: Test Transmission - Urgency

Test Transmission are a post-rock/grunge quartet from Leeds and Harrogate. They describe their sound as "Harsh, male vocals twin with melodic female vocals, soaring above a dark ambiance, brought about by effect-driven guitars, heavy undertones and powerful drum beats." and are influenced by bands such as 'Biffy Clyro' and 'Smashing Pumpkins', whist still having a very distinctive sound of their own. They have played venues all over Harrogate and Leeds and seem well on their way to larger venues and more high-profile gigs.

Their début EP ‘Urgency’ was released on 1st Feb, and is available for free download here

Before I start, there's one thing I need to make clear which is also present in other reviews of the EP, the mixing is very poor, the balance between the vocals, guitars and drums in particular makes the overall sound of the album lack a lot of dynamics and balls. In my opinion this should be overlooked when looking at the EP, poor mixing is always an issue for bands on a shoe-string budget and should not really be held against them, and I'll avoid bringing it up again too often. Now that's out of the way, on with the review…

Test Transmission - Urgency EP

The opening track ‘Collateral Damage’ gives the EP a very atmospheric opening, with a brilliant opening riff, being a good statement of intent for what is to come. It is also good to see that each track on the EP is individual, while still retaining a similar sound that keeps them together, something the band should be credited for. The single from the EP ‘With You’ provides a strong song with some nice hooks, good harmonies and intricate guitar parts, working together for a very competent song. ‘Coalesce’ gives a slightly heavier sound to the EP, with ‘chugging’ guitars at the opening, the Biffy Clyro influence prevalent here, however the track could certainly do with being a bit more ‘in your face’ dynamics-wise, something that I’m sure isn’t an issue live. 'Programme' starts with a droaning guitar, reminiscent of one of my favourite songs ‘There There’ by Radiohead. The vocals seem to be a bit out on a limb and isolated from the rest of the music, something that unfortunately does not work that well, unlike for bands such as ‘Joy Division’ where it is one of their most defining features.  ‘Our Promises’ is a more indie-rock ‘The Cure’-type song, a more toned down and tender end to the EP, the song itself is arguably the best on the EP, however the ‘drop’ or ‘break’ about half way through is disappointing, with slightly better mixing, it could sound massive, euphoric and really give the ending of the EP some charisma, rather than the lacklustre thing is it now.

There are a few other overall points I’d like to make; Firstly the vocals for some may be a bit of an acquired taste, while Louise’s vocals may not cause that much of an issue and personally I think suits their ambient sound slightly more, Connors are a lot more distinctive. This is in no way a bad thing, bands like WU LYF (who sadly are no more) had a lead vocalist whose vocals were sometimes painful to listen to and then bands such as Biffy and The Phantom Band which have distinctive regional accents for their vocals. EP’s are also all about potential; they are the tool bands use to get better gigs, radio appearances, festival slots and many more, as well as giving an indication of what the band is capable. The reason I’ve given the band a slightly better review than others is that I think that there is a lot of potential there, and I will be very interested to see where the band decide to go from here, whether ‘bigger rock’ like bands such as Biffy and ‘As I Watch You From Afar’ or more ambient post-rock like bands such as ‘Bon Iver’ or ‘Godspeed You! Black Emperor’, either way I’m sure there is only better come from them.

7/10

Here is the single from this EP, ‘With You’:

The band will be playing dates throughout February including this Friday at The Library In Leeds supporting Jonny Quits (which I will be reviewing – see the event preview here)

Mason

EP Review: Jonny Quits and EP Launch Preview

Jonny Quits are an Alternative-Rock band formed in North London but the twin brothers in the band Jon and Chris Beagley soon migrated up North where their energetic live shows have given them another large fan base, rivalling that of their native London. The band now play live shows in both cities to great reception see here for a clip on NME's website of a show at the 360 Club in Leeds - a venue in which they played to Alan Raw from BBC Introducing, and have headlined venues in London such as The Buffalo Bar in Highbury and Islington.

They cite their influences as ranging from The Kinks to Tame Impala and Jack White, influences which certainly show in their eponymous EP, without seeming unoriginal in any way, giving a new twist to the sounds of the 60s, and incorporating genres from Blues and Psychedelic to Garage Rock and Folk. The band call the EP 'for the 21st century kids who wish they were born 50 years ago' and they certainly achieve that and when nostalgia is as good for bands as it is these days, you will be hearing a lot more of them.

Jonny Quits EP (Released 18th February 2013)

The EP starts with a great opening track 'Drive Around Him' which moves from a pleasantly jittery opening and shifts time to an up-tempo rock song with some great riffs and is catchy in all the right ways. The EP then moves into more psychedelic territory with 'I Don't Know' which has more fuzz than you can shake a stick at and towards the middle of the track takes a trip into some really surreal melodics before coming back down to earth. This psychedelic feel continues for the rest of the EP with the song 'Alice', reminiscent of the classic 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane and containing some lovely guitar tones. The EP closes with the song 'Oh You' which is very stripped down, laid back and almost eerie at times, drenched in reverb but a perfect end to the EP, rounding it off nicely.

The sound that this EP gives out is very accomplished, very faithful to its influences but still maintains a lot of originality and creative flare. This also is a nice change from the deluge of Indie-Rock bands (not all of which are bad by any means) that seem to be appearing all over Leeds and the rest of the UK. Another note is that the EP comes with a make-yourself origami boat, which is a really surreal, quirky touch that I enjoyed a lot.

8/10

The band can be found at:
Facebook
Bandcamp - Digital download of album

Contact: Jon Beagley - jonnyquits@hotmail.co.uk


Gig Preview: Jonny Quits EP Launch Party, Live at 360 Club Leeds + support and DJ set @ Kaleidoscope

The band are pre-releasing copies of their EP at a launch party on Friday 15th February (see address below) and will be joined by support from; ACACET, Bad Names and Test Transmission. I will be doing a live review of the gig and also will be having an interview with the band beforehand. It sounds like it will be a great night, get your tickets while their hot.

360 club is at:
The Library (upstairs venue)
Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 3AP
Doors 8pm - 11:15pm

Get tickets here -Jumbo Records

AVACET: Very melodic and atmospheric Indie-Rock that I'm looking forward to seeing live. They also remind me of one of my current favourite bands 'Wild Nothing'. This track is definitely worth a download.


Bad Names: Great Alt-Rock which is reminiscent of REM with elements of psychedelic rock, can't wait to hear more.


Test Transmission: Post-rock inspired music with a very effective two vocalist combination with very nice harmonies. They also have an EP out which you can listen to and buy here - which I will also be reviewing.


Mason