Artist Spotlight: Allusondrugs

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Allusondrugs are a 5-piece alternative rock band from West Yorkshire who are of late really making a name for themselves in the local and national music scenes for their distinctive blend of psychedelia and heavy rock. Fresh off the back of glowing reviews from high-profile magazines such as Q Magazine, NME and Artrocker, they are starting to take small venues of the UK by storm; one town at a time.

Their ascent can marked by their release of ever more confident tracks and increasingly professional looking photo-shoots - having both the appeal of their music and media seems to be something this band are gifted with, and something which will undeniably not do them any harm whatsoever.

Their music will please both the camps of metalheads and more indie/alternative fans with their mix of heavy chords and drums which can switch to more shoe-gaze styled tune with more subdued vocals.

A great example of this more subdued style is my favourite song of theirs 'Plasters' which is a light and hazy alternative rock classic which is a dreamy combination of fuzz-laden guitars and floating vocals. This is the kind of song where Cobain-twinned Jason Moules' vocals really come to the fore and impress greatly.



The themes of their songs about rock, relationships and drugs reaffirms how this band are very much the archetypal rock band, interested in things rock bands should be interested in. This youthful energy and even naivety is one of the most enduring aspects about the band, since they do not take themselves with the stony-faced seriousness that so many young bands insist on doing it. Every time this leaves me thinking that they enjoy making and performing music just as much as those who are listening to it.

Jason's lyrics and vocals embody the variety that the rest of the band produces in its music. Stretching from lyrical being fun and almost carefree in mood, delivery and subject, to being more sublime, heartfelt and tender.

Now being signed to Clue Records, a major release is overdue but we should be hearing a lot more from them soon as their ascent is beginning to pick up some real momentum. Hopefully they will go the same way as bands such Marmozets whose their live energy and features in magazines such as 'Kerrang!' were some of the major factors in their astronomical rise.

For fans of: Dinosaur Pile-up / Marmozets / Nirvana / Biffy Clyro




From listening to their tracks, it's clear that they've got the tunes, they've got the live energy, they've got the following; all they need now is one lucky break to propel them to right up to where they certainly deserve to be - one of the frontrunners and posterboys of exciting young bands in the UK this year.

Their live shows are renowned for their energy, and when so many bands fall flat live after showing the goods in the studio, this is a welcome change.

They have a lot of gigs lined up on their tour, so make sure you catch them live and hear what all the hype is about. - get a hold of your tickets and future dates here

• The Wardrobe, Leeds, FRI 11 JUL

• Exchange Arts Centre Keighley SAT 12 JUL

• The Works Skatepark, Leeds THU 17 JUL

• Proud Camden, Camden,  SUN 20 JUL 

• The Rocking Chair, Sheffield,  FRI 25 JUL (Allusondrugs, Public Enemy, Katy B, Simian Mobile Disco)

• Tramlines 2014, Sheffield, SAT 26 JUL

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.

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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.

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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

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:
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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