Four school friends from East London with a shared love of traditional ska, reggae and punk, The Skints delivered a great (and, alas, underrated) debut in 2010’s ‘Live, Breathe, Build, Believe’. ‘Part And Parcel’, though, is a record that won’t be so easily brushed aside – mainly because it’s just too damn good.
They band have come a long way in the last two years, now placing more emphasis on reggae and less on ska-punk. However, the gritty edges haven’t been smoothed over, and the delivery is still razor-sharp; witness singer/guitarist Joshua Waters Rudge’ dazzlingly fast flow on ‘Live East, Die Young’, a catchy yet downbeat tale of local folks who took a few wrong turnings in life and paid the price.
That said, ‘Part And Parcel’ is not all tales of troubled times. Co-vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Marcia Richards deservedly takes centre stage more often, lending her soulful tones to ‘Ring Ring’, a love song laden with tinkling piano and trebly, sctatchy guitar straight out of the ‘60s. Elsewhere, the sweet harmonies and choruses of ‘Lay You Down’ and ‘Can’t Take No More’ will lodge themselves in your head – and you’ll be grateful.
Just like Capdown and The King Blues before them, The Skints are the latest in a long line of great British bands providing a strong message for the mind and a beat for the feet. In particular, if ‘Rub-A-Dub (DoneKnow)’ doesn’t get you dancing, youd be well advised to check your pulse.
‘Part And Parcel’ may owe a lot of its inspiration to the best of Jamaican music, but this is unmistakeably a London record, and easily a contender for one of the best of 2012. The band will be doing a full UK tour in October, and will play several gigs /festivals/other bits n’ bobs in the meantime – check www.theskints.co.uk for more info.
Stoner rock legends Torche will be visiting the UK in September after announcing a bunch of dates this week. Get ready for this well in advance as these dates are bound to sell out after the strength of new album latest album ‘Harmonicraft’.
SEPTEMBER
13 – MANCHESTER Moho Live
14 – NOTTINGHAM Rock City Basement
15 – GLASGOW Captain’s Rest
16 – LONDON XOYO
17 – BRIGHTON Haunt
18 – SOUTHAMPTON Cellar
Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music
(Williams Street Recordings)
There are a few ways of getting my attention and making me love what you’re doing – one is to be affiliated with Outkast and the other is to have El-P giving you beats – Killer Mike fits the bill with both of these and as such it was with excitement that I listened to his new album, R.A.P. Music [Rebellious African People].
The production is superb, that much goes without saying with El-P’s trademark layers surrounding the Atlanta rapper, whilst never engulfing him and stifling his lyrics and delivery. This isn’t your usual Dirty South fayre though, with opening track Big Beast laying down the gauntlet – never before have Bun B and T.I. rapped over so visceral a beat, their drawl sounding perfect alongside the Company Flow man’s beats. It’s not all dense though, there are plenty of catchy moments within the album, from the short-but-sweet Go [complete with DJ Abilities scratches], the bump-in-your-cars Southern Fried and the sing-a-long chorus of Anywhere But Here.
This album certainly isn’t just about the beats though, Mike kills it throughout regardless of the lyrical content. Bigging up himself up comes extremely easily, lyrics like “I go in, I go hard / I go stupid, oh my God / Shamalamadoomalama Shamalamadoomalama even when I ain’t saying shit”, “Ain’t I fresh, ain’t I clean / ain’t I ride through my city in the meanest machine” on some serious pimp shit, it makes sense that the rapper who seems larger than life says at much in his raps. He gets political too, breaking the light-heartedness immediately with a character assassination of a former President “I leave you with four words: I’m glad Reagan dead” and slams the police on Don’t Die, which sounds like NWA sent back from the future to smack kids listening to Drake: “I woke up this morning to a cop with a gun / who told me that he looking for a n**** on the run / I thought for a second, then I screwed my face / and asked them dirty pigs ‘why the fuck you in my place?’ / He said ‘Chill or we kill, this is a warning’ / then I told him ‘Fuck you, where is the warrant?'”
Whether he’s envoking the spirit of Ice Cube or reclining in the bask of his own Atlanta accent, Killer Mike has stepped up massively with this record. As he says himself on Jojo’s Chillin, “This album was made entirely by Jaime and Mike”, he’s always been a talent but going in so hard and with El on the boards behind him [and with a stellar verse on Butane], this is nothing short of a revelation.
Seattle’s explosive blues-rock duo My Goodness just left the UK after a full UK tour with friends We Are Augustines. Not the pairing you would expect if you compared them musically but both bands have a reputation for giving everything live and they did not disappoint at Dingwalls. So much so, we decided to interview them.
Their first UK release C’Mon Doll has a swaggers between rock and roll and a dose of filthy blues that RL Burnside would be proud of. On record, this track is underpinned with a heavy stomp but live, it’s gargantuan riffs bellow out through their speakers whilst the sweat pours from their brows. It’s a huge racket from a 2-piece and a highly recommended experience.
Produced by Chris Common of These Arms Are Snakes their debut single ‘CMon Doll’ and b-side track ‘Lost in the Soul’ paint 2 sides of this beast. One filled with a relentless drive and cry for help, the other sees the come-down, the lighter, more melodic and stripped back My Goodness that allows people to draw breath whilst they slay the stage.
My Goodness keep their blues-infused bluster simple by plugging in and letting rip. It’s about amplified, electrified music without the need for computer technology, samples or any bullshit and we dig it.
Download a FREE WAV of C’Mon Doll and the b-side below. The band have also released a film documentary featuring the making of the video here too. FREE from this soundcloud link below.
Seattle duo Joel Schneider & Ethan Jacobsen who make up the explosive blues-rock duo My Goodness have just left the UK after a 2 week stint touring sold out venues. The pair thumped out an incredible jam at London’s Dingwalls venue this month that resulted in most people queuing for tee shirts and considering they were for a support act, that’s extremely rare. Getting to the front of this queue for some words before most, Sophie Eggleton spoke to guitarist/singer Joel Schneider about their musical quest looking back on a tour that they will never forget.
You’ve just come off UK leg with We Are Augustines. How was that experience? Do you think your bands married well together sonically?
It was an incredible experience. We had toured once before with We Are Augustines in the States and were already good friends before this tour. It made things nice and comfortable once we got over to the UK, especially since we were sharing a bus. I think if you listened to both of our records you might not think it the ideal sonic pairing for a tour but if you saw one of the gigs you would think differently. Both our bands play with an incredible amount of heart and passion that comes through in our live shows. In that way I think it was a great pairing for a tour.
Do you write your songs from personal experience or did you make more broad statements?
I definitely write from experiences. I like to tell a story with my songs. It can be my own story or someone else’s as long as it means something to me. I’ve written a lot of our songs about the ins and outs of trying to be in a relationship in your early 20’s. I’ve pulled from my own experiences and also those of close friends of mine. I use music as a way to get things off my chest that I feel the need to put out in the open. It’s kind of my own little source of personal therapy. I find it quite effective. I grew up in a strict religious environment where “secular” music was looked down upon and disallowed in the house. When I started writing my own music it became my escape, a way for me to say how I felt without as much of the backlash. I think I’ve continued on into adulthood with that same outlook and writing style.
How do you think the Seattle area has influenced you? Is it still as vital and vibrant as it was in the 90’s do you think?
It has definitely influenced me. I’ve always liked my music nice and loud, even as a kid. Growing up in Seattle during the 90’s we were surrounded by Seattle music. You couldn’t really turn on a rock station without hearing Seattle bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden on constant rotation. I used to hide a little FM radio under my pillow and listen to the local rock station until the early hours of the morning. My teachers always wondered why I was so exhausted at school the next day. Those bands definitely initiated my love for music. In my high school years (early 00’s), There was a great hardcore scene in the city. Bands like Blood Brothers, Harkonen, Botch used to play all ages shows on a monthly basis. I would try and go to every one. I think our music is a blend of all this music we grew up on and the classic blues, soul, and country we have come to love. We still definitely have a louder is better attitude though.
Music in Seattle will always be a vital part of the city and everyday life. I would say the heavier scene in the city has lacked focus for a while but things are now changing. A couple record labels are coming up and really creating a community of heavier bands in the city that there has not been in a while. It might not be quite where it was in the early 90’s but its heading in the right direction again. Either way it is a fantastic town for music.
Many of the reviews and articles I have read about you reference Jack White. How do you feel about that comparison? Has his work informed your sound do you think?
I have always been a big fan of Jack White’s work. I think a lot of the comparisons come from the fact that we are a two piece band with blues influences in our music. I don’t think his work has specifically had any influence on our sound, although I have always loved that in his live shows he’s never been afraid to let loose and lose himself in the music. To me that’s what it’s all about. I would say if there were any similarities that would be the biggest.
What records were you listening to at the time of writing or tracking the album?
There was a lot of Stones, Dylan, and Junior Kimbrough in my playlist around that time. Also was listening to Seattle bands Helms Alee and Murder City Devils a bunch.
Everything on your album was recorded to tape, with no effects or digital enhancing. Is it essential to you that it sounds real and raw and matches your live performances?
Yes, that was definitely the idea we had in deciding to do our record that way. We wanted our live show to transfer over to our record in the most organic and warm way possible.
Because you have chosen not to use the likes of pro tools, did you put in a lot of practice before recording? Was in nerve-wracking every-time the record buttons was pressed? (Did it take many takes)
It actually wasn’t all that bad at all. We did the whole record in a week. The only part that really took a lot of concentration was watching our tempo; making sure we stayed in the pocket without speeding up or slowing down too much.
Before you formed My Goodness you were both in other bands. What sounds were you making with them, and why didn’t they fulfill you enough?
I’m actually still playing in a band called Absolute Monarchs when I’m back home. It’s a far heavier band and is still a blast to play in. The difference is it’s far more structured and rigid than My Goodness. With My Goodness I feel like I can go in whatever direction I want with a song. I can fully express myself musically which is a very liberating feeling.
What would you/do you do when you are not playing music. Are you working other jobs simultaneously like many other bands are?
Ethan stays at a friend’s house when he is home. I’m still trying to keep an apartment in the city so I bartend a few days a week at a venue in town called Neumos.
The story goes that you closed a bar one night in early 2010 and went for a jam in a nearby practice space. What the musical chemistry instant? Was the sound you made together that night indicative of what My Goodness would end up producing?
It was. I think we ended up structuring the majority of “C’mon Doll” and “In the Sun” in that first session. I had already had a few basic ideas for songs formulated on acoustic at home prior to that night. When I started working through them with Ethan it came together pretty seamlessly.
When was it clear that this was the formula that would allow you to tour other areas of the world?
Honestly not until recently. We made some unfortunate decisions on who we decided to work with when we first started out. For a while I felt like because of that we weren’t going to ever get out of Seattle. Just in the last few months we were able to free ourselves of that situation. It’s been a breath of fresh air. Things have been moving fast and in the right direction since.
Can you tell our readers a bit about your debut single C’mon Doll. Where was it written, what spurred the lyrics, what do you want it to give to the listeners?
I wrote the majority of C’mon Doll at home on an acoustic guitar. I was having a lot of repeating disagreements with the girl I was in a relationship with at the time and it was starting to feel really redundant. Like the same shit over and over. The song is basically me saying “Hey! Let’s stop acting like idiots and let bygones be bygones – forget it and work shit out” It’s really just me trying to put things in perspective. A lot of times people let small issues become way bigger problems. Most of the time it’s completely unnecessary and caused by pure emotion and not a lot of thinking. I’m as guilty as the next person of doing this.
Are you constantly writing or do you wait to do it intensively? Have you already begun thinking about the next album?
I am always writing, although sometimes the creative juices are flowing a little more than at other times. Recently it has been going great. We have the majority of a second record already written and are quite excited about it. We’ve been playing a few of the new songs out at shows and they seem to be going over well.
Dream collaboration?
I heard that Dave Grohl did the last Foo Fighters record to tape. I’d be pretty intrigued by that collabo.
Recently played on your ipod?
Jim Ford, “Long Road Ahead”
Stage you’d most like to play?
A packed house in the back bar of the Bon Temp Roulette, New Orleans. You can only cram about 150 people back there if you’re lucky. It’s my happy place and I recently had a dream about it. I think we can make it happen at some point.
Guilty pleasure?
Staying in bed all day.
Aims for 2012?
-Keep on having fun playing music. Album is coming out in the UK by the end of the year so we will definitely be heading back over there to tour. We can’t wait!
Watch the making of the C’Mon Doll video here and download the single for FREE from this soundcloud link. You can find them on Facebook here.
‘Honey’
Released on Superdark/Handspun Records
July 9th
Rediscovering edgy music from the early 90s is no bad thing in 2012 especially if one is able to also smell the sweat that drips from the toil that goes into high energy live sets aligned with the crunch of distorted guitar chords. That is exactly what you can expect from seeing, hearing and being part of an Arrows of Love show. This London 5 piece made up of two girls and three guys can make a serious racket, yet seem to pull it off with a subtle ease that makes you want more once the guitars are launched into the amps and the drums have come crashing down at the end of the set.
On July 9th, this East London noise fest will release a new single called Honey, a track that starts like the story of the 3 pigs. It huffs, it puffs and then it blows your house down. Recorded in singer Nima Teranchi’s basement with assistance from Rory Attwell (Test Icicles, S.C.U.M, Male Bonding) and Richard Warren (Spiritualized), Honey takes you back to where punk and indie rock collide to form a DIY sound only found in a basement. It’s also justice that Bob Weston from Shellac mastered Nima’s mixes, again, once he had downloaded a ‘Teach yourself how to mix’ manual.
If this is the first offering from their forthcoming debut album this year then get get hyped and go see them live soon.
24th May – The Macbeth pt III – ‘Honey’ Cassette Release, London 15th June – Buffalo Bar – with Antlered Man 9th July – The Kasbah – Coventry 17-19th Aug – Strummer of Love Festival 1st Sept – 1234 Festival, Shoreditch Park
Whilst many of the fans inside London’s Electric Ballroom may have been waiting for Alabama’s finest, Yelawolf, a good portion of them were there for the support, the Minnesotan crew Doomtree, who were making their UK debut. Being a support act isn’t easy at the best of times, but with a large crowd in front of them, it was going to take something special to get the atmosphere going and a frenzy whipped up, but within one song, the seven-strong crew had done just that.
With Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak in the back manning the decks and live drums, the five MCs bounced around on stage, each taking their turn to showcase their talent at the fore, getting hands raised, fists pumping and wings-and-teeth handsigns well and truly taking over the crowd. From old favourites like Slow Burn to brand new tracks from their latest crew album No Kings like Little Mercy, Bolt Cutter and No Way, the energy levels never dipped below 100% and many, many new fans were made.
When they dropped their aptly titled banger Bangarang, it was game over for any cynics. The beats bumped and the rappers were fully on point. POS and Mictlan in their ripped denim and leather, Cecil in his understated yet devastatingly smooth steez, Dessa with her singing and rapping that simply demanded attention for all and Sims who bounced around and told the crowd who they were watching and loving, all combined to prove just why they are such an exciting proposition and even POS’ new track Get Down, which no-one had heard before, had the entire crowd going nuts to a bonafide club smasher.
Yelawolf may have had his name on the ticket, but it was Doomtree that took over the show. Now we just need them back for a headline show.
Minnesotan hip hop collective Doomtree recently made their first trip to UK shores supporting Yelawolf and to celebrate they will also be releasing single Bangarang for free download on 28th May.
Check out the excellent Har Mar Superstar – featuring music video below and stay tuned to www.doomtree.net.
As we approach the 35th anniversary of the Sex Pistols incendiary and landscape changing ‘Nevermind The Bollocks’ album, expect to see lots of nostalgia and media coverage of what is still to many the most exciting musical and cultural youth explosion to ever detonate across the UK.
We’ve all heard the story before, seen a million documentaries, wheeling in the same talking heads, the same archive footage. Thankfully, the forthcoming three-part documentary ‘Punk Britannia’ digs far deeper than the usual punk programming affair. Part one deals with the pre-punk years of ’74-’76, focusing on the ‘pub rock’ explosion that saw the start of the musical landscape shifting away from the bloated prog years and moving back towards short-sharp three-minute power pop songs – out of the stadiums and back into sweaty red-hot back rooms of pubs, with bands like Joe Strummer’s first band The 101ers, Kilburn And The Highroads, Dr. Feelgood etc and looks set to be possibly the most interesting programme of the three as this is an era that hasn’t been detailed as much and is easily as exciting.
Last night Crossfire was lucky enough to attend a private screening of the second part of the series at Soho House in central London. Rubbing shoulders with such essential punk players as The Damned’s Captain Sensible and Brian James, Gaye Advert from The Adverts, John Cooper Clark and Mark Stewart from The Pop Group, among others, free BBC wine was necked and all the old punks piled into the cinema for youths and memories to be re-lived. And whilst in this second part the story does focus on the already very well-told story of The Pistols, The Clash and The Jam etc, what is refreshing about this show is it does spread its wings further and the equally important likes of Sham 69, UK Subs and Stiff Little Fingers also feature heavily.
The third part, however, charts much previously unexplored (by the BBC at least) territory and focuses on the post-punk years of The Fall, PIL, The Pop Group, Crass, Joy Division etc and looks set to wrap up a very worthy look at all the different aspects of the original punk explosion. Don’t miss it!
Following the awful news of Adam Yauch aka MCA from the Beastie Boys passing this month, MSK / Heavy Artillery Crew‘s Aroe from Brighton has recreated the 1986 “Licensed to Ill” album cover as a fitting Rest In Peace tribute. The piece is 12ft high, 64ft long and ‘kin amazing. Take it in.
Speaking to people who knew him well this week within the music industry, Yauch was known as the Beastie Boy who would always ask if you were OK, would always enquire if you needed anything and would always include you in his plans. We almost convinced the band to play a secret show at Bay 66 Skatepark around the launch of the “To The 5 Boroughs” album but they chose to play the ICA instead. With all the wishes in the world behind our proposals it didn’t happen but it was a pleasure to have just appreciated what this band have delivered us over the years and that’s enough for me.
MCA will be sorely missed by us all here at Crossfire. Our love goes out to all family and friends. RIP.
Photo: AVK/Datachump
Listen to this tribute mixtape by Eclectic Method.
Four school friends from East London with a shared love of traditional ska, reggae and punk, The Skints delivered a great (and, alas, underrated) debut in 2010’s ‘Live, Breathe, Build, Believe’. ‘Part And Parcel’, though, is a record that won’t be so easily brushed aside – mainly because it’s just too damn good.
Stoner rock legends Torche will be visiting the UK in September after announcing a bunch of dates this week. Get ready for this well in advance as these dates are bound to sell out after the strength of new album latest album ‘Harmonicraft’.
There are a few ways of getting my attention and making me love what you’re doing – one is to be affiliated with Outkast and the other is to have El-P giving you beats – Killer Mike fits the bill with both of these and as such it was with excitement that I listened to his new album, R.A.P. Music [Rebellious African People].
Seattle’s explosive blues-rock duo My Goodness just left the UK after a full UK tour with friends We Are Augustines. Not the pairing you would expect if you compared them musically but both bands have a reputation for giving everything live and they did not disappoint at Dingwalls. So much so, we decided to 
Rediscovering edgy music from the early 90s is no bad thing in 2012 especially if one is able to also smell the sweat that drips from the toil that goes into high energy live sets aligned with the crunch of distorted guitar chords. That is exactly what you can expect from seeing, hearing and being part of an Arrows of Love show. This London 5 piece made up of two girls and three guys can make a serious racket, yet seem to pull it off with a subtle ease that makes you want more once the guitars are launched into the amps and the drums have come crashing down at the end of the set.
14th May 2012
Minnesotan hip hop collective Doomtree recently made their first trip to UK shores supporting Yelawolf and to celebrate they will also be releasing single Bangarang for free download on 28th May. 
As we approach the 35th anniversary of the Sex Pistols incendiary and landscape changing ‘Nevermind The Bollocks’ album, expect to see lots of nostalgia and media coverage of what is still to many the most exciting musical and cultural youth explosion to ever detonate across the UK. 