We’ve picked a few up and coming acts who are bubbling under and have impressed us live, and over the next few months we’ll be laying them down for your judgment!
First to stand up we have the London based trio The Goodbyes whose lives shows at Borderline and The Cobden have left us reeling ( in a good way). Frontman Hen took some time out for a quick chat about why they could be your new favourite band…
Introduction time! How did you get together, how long have you been doing this music malarkey?
Forever but as this lineup about two years give or take.
How did the name ‘The Goodbye’s come about?
We were in the studio recording for the first time and we’d been debating names for ages, originally we wanted to be called ‘Morning Theft’ but it was taken. Anyway we’re in the studio when I was talking about a lyric in a Cat Stevens song called “Oh Very Young”…”The Goodbye makes the journey harder still” and in our weird way we developed it from there. The more I think about the name the more I feel it represents us. Goodbyes are so filled with various emotions and it is that spectrum of emotions that we try to convey musically.
Describe your sound to someone who’s never heard it.
I hate this one… Someone told me we were “The most American sounding British band he’d ever heard.”…I dispute it but I see his point. We sound very much like a product of our influences, an Americana band on a diet of depressing melodic indie.
Most people say playing live makes it all worthwhile, but for you what is the great thing about being in a band?
Rehearsing… I, personally love rehearsing. Everytime I have a shit day I think about the next rehearsal. I love being in the room with the guys just playing and playing and playing. We change little things at every rehearsal, I love the idea that music evolves, it really does!
What bands/artists are you most influenced by?
Hmmm….we’re all different.
Jamie, our guitarist, and I share many influences: Ryan Adams, Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The Chilis (Particularly John Frusciante) etc…
But I take influence from stuff Jamie hates too… The Doors, R.E.M, Cat Stevens and actually a lot of old punk…Sid loves his hard rock and punk.
You’re about to hit the shelves in a compilation, tell us a little about that..
It’s a compilation of new London based talent called ‘Baby I’m Yours… Volume 1’. It’s being released by a start up label called ‘D.C. Baby Records’. It’s a very cool project because it really is about sharing good music and bands coming together to help each other out.
Do you agree with the Artic Monkeys winning the Mercury Prize?
Hell No! Not in the slightest. I wanted Muse to win, they deserve it the most. The Arctic Monkeys, while ok songwriters owe an awful lot of their success to the fact that they’re attached to a scene that is more about image than music. If their jeans were looser that record wouldn’t have sold so much.
When are you next playing, and how can people have a listen?
Well Sid’s going into hospital today to have his leg fixed up so the next show won’t be until December when he’s fully recovered and can hit his bass pedal again. But then on the 6th we’re playing Tommy Flynns on Camden High St. The details of that gig and the latest recordings are on our myspace which is www.myspace.com/thegoodbyesmusic
Finally – any words of wisdom for the Crossfire readers?
True story…. A polish porn baron, who was a friend of my fathers once sat me down and said in his thick eastern european accent “Henry my boy, if I teach you one thing it is this… DON’T SNAP YOUR CARROT!” That is wisdom I will one day pass onto my own children.
For more info check out www.myspace.com/dcbabyrecords
Pavement’s release Wowee Zowee is currently getting a load of airplay at Crossfire HQ and what better way to share this with you than with some links? You can click below to check out Father To A Sister Of Thought and Rattled By The Rush.
Element Europe are kicking ass at the moment. Gnarly cutie, Evelien Bouillart placed second at the annual Etnies Goofy Vs. regular comp pocketing a clean $2500.
Ever since the infamous Shortys ads featuring Rosa, no other company has had skaters drooling like the new Hubba wheels models.
Oh shit…! That’s what you’ll be saying when you see the new Antiz video.
The Workshop in Bristol is putting on the Green Canvas Show from November 3rd onwards with all the work up for sale for 1 month only. You will be able to check out art from the likes of:
Storming the set with ‘Downtown‘ Peaches unconventionally starts her set above the crowd on the stairwell in the same mask as on her flyer. Sliding down the banister, onto the stage, in a provocative manner for ‘Fuck or Kill’ she breaks her robot moves to spunk it up a bit for the million photographers adoring her every move.
Tattooed sex gods grace the stage to peel off the remaining leg warmers whilst Peaches straddles a roadster bicycle to the track ‘Lovertits‘. ‘Shake yer Dix’ gets the crowd…*ahem* in some instances gyrating…true story! Just when you think things will settle down a huge blow up dick is kicked into the crowd, as Peaches strips off yet another layer of clothing whilst ‘AA XXX’ plays in the background. ‘Slippery Dick’ is played in tribute to the missing blow up consumed by the crowd. The sequence runs so smoothly you would think she expected it to go missing. Perhaps trial and error from previous shows?
You’ve got to respect Enter Shikari – despite the bun fight of labels after them they’re sticking to their roots and releasing their debut single ‘Sorry You’re Not a Winner’ on their own Ambush Reality label. Having had to recently upgrade their Mean Fiddler show to the Astoria, enjoyed a nomination at the Kerrang awards and killer shows at the Reading and Leeds festivals it’s not bad going for group of guys who were relatively unknown this time last year.
Coventry debutants The Enemy are releasing their first single, 40 Days And 40 Nights on November 6th on limited 7″. If you want to check out the video, then click on the links below.
“What’s up London?!”, screams a impossibly tiny redhead from centre stage in the humid Mean Fiddler.
The set flows through highlights of the album including ‘Conspiracy’, ‘Pressure’, ‘Franklin’ and title track ‘All We Know (Is Falling)’. Also featured is an acoustic cover of the Foo Fighters’ ‘My Hero’ – a risky but impressive rendition.