Category: Buzz Chart

Made in Scotland, from girders. Blended with umpteen litres of industrialised carnage and topped off with a glacier cherry. Biffy Clyro are the lovely sort of group that lets their music say every word. And in the case of Saturday Superhouse, the first CD single from highly anticipated 4th album, Puzzle, their music stands up tall and screams talent.

Similar to other Puzzle tracks such as recent download only single, SemiMental, the song intercepts the sound waves beginning with a few notes, before steaming into a jerky, head shaking riff. The trio combine each of their own individual flairs with glorious results. Simon’s twanging licks, James’ vicious bass lines and Ben’s sublime percussion prove that this isn’t a one man band by any means. Neil’s voice glistens throughout, particularly on the superbly powerful chorus that will have you chanting in your sleep.

The material from Puzzle already is confirming that the delay from the Biffy factory was worth it. I have little doubt that when Saturday Superhouse is released on the 5th March that Le Biff will finally be reaping in the credit they’ve deserved for so long. Look out kids, here it fucking comes.

Clap your hands say Farquhar! Regan Farquhar that is, better known as LA’s acclaimed emcee, Bus Driver. This month sees the welcome follow up to 2005’s nitro charged “Fear Of A Black Tangent“, in the form of what sounds like another surge of funk rap bliss, “RoadKillOvercoat“.

Kill Your Employer has been doing the rounds in his maliciously frantic live shows and been on the receiving end of the prop stick. Regan’s vocal skills shine on this. Syllables jumping at you faster than a cat with a dollop of mustard shoved up its arse, oxymoronically soothed by BD’s uniquely recognisable jeer.

Lather that amongst an electro fuelled, throbbing bass line, spiced with dance floor beats that loosen up the sockets and you get a clean ass beauty such as thus. This Bus Driver aint stopping for no sucker.

Bearing similarities to the French ensemble, TTC, the production, which was taken upon by Nobody and Boom Bip, swings the momentum from poppy club rap, to psychedelic trips and then jolting you back again without settling. It’s this unpredictability and innovative flair that makes Bus Driver have that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. Mais certainement tres bien merde (‘But definitely hella good shit’ you uncultured swine). RoadKillOvercoat is released on 30th January on Epitaph records. Get to it quick like Mayfair in Monopoly.

The UK’s very own Jehst is back with a 12″ ready to blow every other rapper out of the water once again, as he always does in his inimitable style.

Dynamite Sound [which is coupled with Psychedelic Phlegm] begins with the famous sample of the Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Christopher Walken proclaiming they [the band he’s with] have a dynamite sound. From that sampled loop, comes a widly thumping bassline and Jehst takes up the vocals.

When it comes to an all-round package, Jehst is it – brilliantly clever and funny lyrics, amazing delivery, flawless cadence, he has it all in spades and this track is just another example of his prowess. From calling himself the “rap lobster” to chatting about putting his Puma through the TV in disgust and digging out the breakbeats, its a non-stop headnod fest. This track does exactly what it says on the tin, and delivers one hell of an explosive dynamite sound.

You know what though? Could do with a little more cowbell…

In 2006, Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina toured their debut self titled album and graced us with a show in London that will never be forgotten.

In 2007, they have ‘Get Evens’ that carries on where the last tune on their debut finished. A baritone guitar, 2 voices and drums can go a long way and this superb duo have blended their skills once again in bringing us wonderfully mixed acoustic tracks with messages and observations that can only be described as politically influenced but without the obvious anarchic wrangling of your average 70’s punk band.

MacKaye’s Fugazi influence though is something you will never be able to take away from him and why would you as it’s so uniquely beautiful that most would want him to go back and crack out another album but I guess when you have records as good as this on offer there’s no point.

Stand out songs include ‘Everybody Knows’ (which I’m sure is about Bush), ‘Dinner with the President’, ‘All You Find You Keep’, ‘No Money’, ‘You Fell Down’ – in fact the whole album has a constant stream of good energy from start to finish showing off songwriting skills and shining vocals to serve up another fantastic album from The Evens that you should own. Roll on number 3!

Zac

Quite simply the most terrifying metal prospect ever to cross the channel.

Hailing from the unlikely source of France, tech-metal overlords Gojira deal in some of the most twisted, complex and utterly fucked up soundscapes since Meshuggah first picked up their 8-strings and tuned lower than Abi Titmuss’ sense of morality.

If you’ve picked up a metal rag over the past year then you’ll likely need no introduction, and ‘The Heaviest Matter of the Universe’ is a prime example of why the quartet are such shit hot property. Mixing the crazed and complex brutality of Strapping Young Lad with Fear Factory’s trademark haunting vocal refrains, this 4 minute burst of aggression more than lives up to its title. Once your ears start bleeding and your body spontaneously convulses in a state of shock, you’ll wonder how you ever coped with sanity.

The UK underground metal scene is in particularly good health these days, and Scottish quintet Mendeed are arguably amongst the cream of the crop.

‘The Dead Live By Love’ (the band’s second full-length album) is abundant with just about everything that’s great about heavy metal; thrash aggression, punishing blast-beats, epic solos and soaring vocals all thrown into the mix and blasted out in the form of bona fide anthems such as ‘Burning Fear’ and ‘Through Dead Eyes’.

The title track (and future single) is particularly potent; fooling the listener with a slow Sabbath-esque groove before going straight for the jugular with a melodic thrash attack
and a mammoth chorus. Get those fists in the air.

If there’s any justice in this industry, then ‘The Dead Live By Love’ will gain Mendeed similar levels of recognition and adoration as afforded to their former tour-buddies Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold and Slipknot. Check out ‘Burning Fear’ on the link above.

The band have also announced the following shows:

30th March – London Underworld
31st March – Stamford Corn Exchange

Not to be confused with the UK Subhumans, these Canadians rode in on the first wave of Punk Rock, releasing their debut EP in ’78, the seminal ‘Death to The Sickoids / Oh Canaduh’, and the phenomenal album ‘Incorrect Thoughts’ in 1980.

Following mucho touring in their homeland and the US West-Coast, their second album ‘ No Wishes No Prayers’ was released on Black Flag’s SST label, but by then the band was as good as finished, with singer Brian Goble having departed to pick up bass playing duties in DOA.

Gerry Hannah, the original bassist in the Subhumans had already quit the band after the debut album to become involved as a full time political activist in a group calling itself Direct Action, who really did walk it like they talked it – their targets included blowing up an environmentally unfriendly hydroelectric substation on Vancouver Island, and bombing a plant which manufactured parts for the American cruise missile. The group got caught by the authorities, and Gerry was sentenced to ten years in the can, eventually getting released after five.

In ’95 Gerry and Brian reunited as The Subhumans and have played sporadically during the ensuing years. In 2005 they solidified the line-up with the return of original guitarist Mike Graham, and veteran drummer Jon Card, who has previously seen active duty in Personality Crisis, SNFU and DOA. And the upshot is this album of 14 brand new songs, and having spun it a number of times, I have to say it’s pretty damn great. There’s nothing fancy as such is what these guys deliver, just solid straight up Punk with a melodic punch and some hard rocking tunes to boot. There are some really wry lyrical statements, with the War on Terror getting much attention, and American Foreign policy in general.

I’d go as far as to say the Gerry Hannah penned ‘Moving Forward’ is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time, a power packed number that totally nails American political hypocrisy – “heard your rhetoric again today , I don’t believe a single word you say. Telling us you’re gonna make the world free, But I know my history. You’ve never minded tyranny, As long as it was used against your enemy. You’ve always been willing to look the other way, As long as it was good for the USA”. The opening track ‘World at War’ is actually about the personal struggle of homeless and oppressed people to survive. Really thoughtful and compassionate sounds and an album I can thoroughly recommend as worth your attention.

Pete Craven

RJD2 has wowed hip hop fans for years, with his solo albums Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke, his album with Aceyalone and his work in Soul Position with Blueprint. Without doubt a talented beatmaker, RJ recently left his previous solo home, Def Jux, and signed to XL. And with a new label, comes a new album, The Third Hand which is due in March.

This track, Beyond The Beyond, is taken from the forthcoming album and once again show how versatile RJ is, whilst still keeping to his hip hop roots. The track is catchy, bouncy and has serious lasting power in your head – I defy you to not be singing this whilst making your next cuppa.

His ability for song composition is second to none and I can’t wait for this album to drop, it’s gonna be huge.

After having their album Pro Pain put back for a couple of years due to legal wrangles, Mars Ill wanted to be able to give their fans something immediate, despite it being the same year as Pro Pain was [finally] put out.

And so the album Old Ironsides was made available by the group to say thank you for the waiting and the continued support and with it coming in a rustic envelope with wax seal, you know it’s had a lot of effort put into it.

Mars Ill are, without a doubt, the most under-rated group in hip hop and have always done things consistently and to an incredible standard. Dust’s beats are always a joy to listen to, with his big booming drums and bluesy samples and as always Manchild’s lyrics are a spiritually intense and heartfelt as ever. This track, Learning Me, is a beautiful reminder of things that can’t always be perfect and is a great indication of the rest of the record. Brilliant.

Brother Ali is about to take the underground by storm once more when his new album, The Undisputed Truth, drops in March. With Atmosphere’s Ant on the beats once again, the standard will never drop and if this first single from it, Truth Is, is anything to go by, the level will be going through the roof.

The albino emcee brings back his typically demanding yet colourfully playful flow as he rides the piano led skanking rhymthm laid down by Ant and if you aren’t winding your hips dutty style after the first 30 seconds, get to the back of the queue.

“I want more than what you offering me”, he says and trust me, after hearing this song, you’ll want all he has to offer. And that, my friends, is the TRUTH.