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Buzzbombs – 13 banging new tunes

buzzbombs_larry

Useless Eaters – ‘The Moves’ (Slovenly Records)

Useless Eaters is basically Seth Sutton, and much like the reverb-troubadour Jay Reatard (RIP), he’s been defecating droplets of punk distortion like loose stool, while making music hard like a bar-room stool to pick up in a saloon brawl. The album Singles: 2011 – 2014 contains rich pickings ranging from Devo-esque futuristic Cle-punk like ‘Bloody Ripper’ through to anthemic ‘I Hate The Kids’ featuring garage rock doyen Ty Segall, but my fav is ‘The Moves’, coming on like electrodes to the abdomen. – Nick Hutchings

Pinkwash – ‘Cancer Money’ (Sister Polygon Records)

Set to destroy London’s Power Lunches with their raucous two-man din on June 9th, Pinkwash are steaming with rage on their latest cut. And with good reason. “Long after acceptance comes extreme bitterness”, guitarist Joey Doubek recently told Pitchfork of the track’s deeply personal inspiration. It does’t take a genius to figure this one out, do not miss the chance to see them next month. – Dave Palmer

The Black Tambourines – ‘No Action’ (Self Released)

This Cornwall band stole the show back in 2013 with ‘Ghost At A Party’. A tune that was on repeat in here for what seems like forever. Well, they came back for a Record Store Day release with a new track that sounds like they’ve been up for weeks on end on speed and moonshine. Gone are the laid back sneers and melodic surf jangles, now replaced with ferociously snarling garage punk. We cannot wait for the new album in August as this band have so much to give – watch this space. – Zac

Ex-Cult – ‘Cigarette Machine’ (Castle Face Records)

Get in on this title track from Ex-Cult’s 2015 EP. Super dark, hypnotic and raging Death Punk from Memphis, Tennessee. Anyone got a light? – Pete Craven

Dirty Fences – ‘Judy (Don’t Go)’ (Slovenly Records)

Judy is a punk, and that’s why the Ramones enthralled scuzz bucket glam racketeers Dirty Fences don’t want her to go. Using ‘The Dirt’ as their how-to-guide, they will probably wind up making both friends and enemies, throwing windmills and nunchucks, punching bouncers and kissing groupies. It’s a helluva ride back into the 80s on the four DeLoreans of the apocalypse. – Nick Hutchings

Ceremony – ‘The Separation’ (Matador)

Ceremony are unable to make the same record twice. Every album they’ve released has been a step in a new direction and this one may be the boldest yet. Famously named after a New Order song, Ceremony’s new album, The L Shaped Man is the band fully embracing an influence from the classic Manc band. Vocalist Ross Farrar now croons, not roars. It’s bound to upset more than a few fans of the band’s visceral earlier material but it’s a step that feels natural for the band. Check out the first single, ‘The Separation’, now and embrace the synths. – Tim Lewis

The Magic Gang – ‘No Fun’ (S/R)

Only 2 weeks ago I found myself packed like a sardine in someone’s bedroom in Brighton where The Magic Gang had the entire place swinging from the light sockets – until the electricity blew. Their laid-back catchy pop tunes have become somewhat infectious since, and every time I hear this track in public I start bundling people. – Zac

Riddles – ‘Wizards Of War’ (Energy Snake Records)

Hailing from Hastings, this band of delinquents first pricked our ears with the crushing ‘Psyhedelic Power Engine Iron Claw Thunder Mistress’ single, dropped exclusively for Record Store day just gone. Reassuringly, they’re still burning up the road ahead with this anarchic video to match the single’s insane B-Side ‘Wizards Of War’. Turn this one up as far as it’ll go. – Dave Palmer

Long Knife – ‘Teenage Death Ceremony’ (Self Released)

Totally ballistic Poison Idea infatuated Punk Rock from Portland, Oregon. Here’s a crusher from their new album Meditations on Self Destruction. They’ve just torn up the UK. You snoozed, you loozed… – Pete Craven

Blazing Eye – ‘No Outside’ (LVEUM)

At long last, La Vida Es En Mus have made Blazing Eye’s eponymous debut EP available for us Eurotrash. This LA band seem to be picking up fans from all over the world, uniting punks with their blown out Japanese-style hardcore. This is the opening song and probably the one they’re most known for. I recently saw them in New York and the second this song started, it went loony. One of the most exciting bands in hardcore and fingers crossed, a Euro tour is planned for 2016! – Tim Lewis

Sheer Mag – ‘Fan The Flames’ (Wilsuns RC/Katorga Works)

Having wowed us all late last year with their infectious 7″, Sheer Mag delivered the goods in the live arena too, leaving audiences stunned and industry tongues wagging aplenty at SXSW this year. Taken form their new release II, ‘Fan the Flames’ delivers more of the same irresistible garage rock, and sees singer Christina Halladay on fierce form. – Dave Palmer

White Reaper – ‘I Don’t Think She Cares’ (Polyvinyl)

White Reaper’s sophomore record …Does It Again mixes lovelorn punk rock angst with almost Phil Spector-esque keyboard melodies, and ‘I Don’t Think She Cares’ is a fine example of what this young Kentucky trio can do. Two minutes, buzzsaw guitars, killer chorus…job done, and done well. – Alex Gosman

Gruesome – ‘Demonized’ (Relapse Records)

If you are of the opinion that much of extreme metal these days is riddled with pro-tools and over technical, depleting so much of the power and energy, then check out Gruesome – these guys know how to do it! This is pure, raw, high energy death metal, just like they used to do it in the old days. Total Death, early Sepultura and Obituary worship, this is a massive guttural energy rush. Old school but not old age.

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Music News

Ceremony announce new album

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Ceremony have returned with their fifth album, The L Shaped Man for May 19th via Matador. The band are streaming their latest cut, ‘The Separation’ & ‘The Understanding’, now on YouTube, but it’s a far cry from their brutal hardcore roots.

We’ve always tried to be minimalists in writing, even if it’s loud or fast or abrasive,” says lead guitarist Anthony Anzaldo of their comparatively stripped back approach to making this record than their previous four. The L Shaped Man is said to use singer Ross Farrar’s recent breakup as a platform to explore loneliness and emotional weariness, but it is by no means a purely inward and melancholic album. “It’s really intense when I hear it. Not in a way where you turn everything up to ten. Things are so bare, you’re holding this one note for so long and you don’t now where it’s going, to me, that’s intensity,” Anzaldo adds.

Watch the new music video for ‘The Separation’ & ‘The Understanding’ here and check out the album track listing below.

Track Listing

1. Hibernation
2. Exit Fears
3. Bleeder
4. Your Life In France
5. Your Life In America
6. The Separation
7. The Pattern
8. Root Of The World
9. The Party
10. The Bridge
11. The Understanding

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Features Music

Reading and Leeds 2012: Top 10 Performances

Arguably 2012 was Reading & Leeds strongest line up of recent years. Not only were did the legendary The Cure take to the main stage, there was a whole variety of acts that put in stellar performances from all sorts of different genres. We’ve picked our top ten from the weekend, some punk bands, some new, some old and one very pop. Check it out below:

ENTER SHIKARI

Enter Shikari and Reading & Leeds go hand in hand. Their performance on the main stage saw punters running over from the dance stage -drawn in by dubstep mix ups- to mosh along with older ‘Take To The Skies’ fans. Tracks from ‘A Flash of Colour’ go down a treat as does ‘Juggernaughts’ which is now somewhat of a Reading classic, again seeing a stupid amounts of crowd surfing. One day soon these humble lads will headline this great stage. Perfection.

RANDOM HAND

Random Hand’s high tempo mix of metal, punk and ska is uplifting. The sheer energy pouring from the band on stage certainly kicked things off in the Lock Up tent after a slow start to the day. Funnily enough, the most impressive part of the whole performance has to be the sheer capacity of Robin Leitch’s lungs! His effortless alternations between trombone, screamed vocals and dancing like a lunatic was a joy to behold.

HAWK EYES

Headlining the BBC Introducing stage was Leeds’ most unassuming rock behemoths Hawk Eyes. Playing a fast and furious set, primarily of tracks from this year’s ‘Ideas’, Hawk Eyes managed to make the outdoor stage feel like a sweaty basement, with the standard troupe of lanky lads starting a (admittedly rather tame) mosh pit. Having previously played the stage under their previous incarnation, let’s pray this signals the last time the boys are on one of the smaller stages at Reading and Leeds.

CEREMONY

When there are an abundance of acts are taking themselves too seriously on stage and swanning around the guest area like they are gods, you need a bit of Ceremony to remind you what punk is all about. Having a fucking good time. And this is exactly what Ceremony do. Vocalist Ross Farrar just goes nuts, spinning around with his t-shirt over his head and microphone dangling around his neck, musically they aren’t that tight, but really no one cares. That’s not what this set is about, it’s just a great laugh.

AT THE DRIVE-IN

Having declared their break-up in 2001 after the release of their seminal album ‘Relationship of Command’, the announcement of reunion dates were a dream come true for many a fan. With mixed reviews emerging from performances at Coachella, it was difficult to know what to expect from their headline set on the BBC Radio 1/NME stage. Opening with the explosive ‘Arcarsenal’, it was hard for a smile not to appear on the face of anyone who holds a special place in their heart for the band.

Given that this was the first time that the majority of the audience got to see the band in the flesh, it was especially pleasing to hear tracks played across their whole back-catalogue of releases, with singer Cedric Bixlar-Zavalar trying his best to recreate those explosive sets from over a decade ago.

The same joy didn’t extend to all members – it was hard not feel disheartened at the sight of Omar motionlessly standing facing his amp for the majority of the set, looking as though he’d rather be elsewhere. This wasn’t the At The Drive-In that left us all those years ago, and perhaps it is too much to expect that.

GALLOWS

The band’s first Reading Festival sans-Frank went off without a hitch in true, unadulterated Gallows fashion. Vivacious circle pits, crowd surfing and an onslaught of punk rock from the stage that never let up, this is a band that is every bit as good, if not better, as version 2.0. The crowd was totally sold by the end of the set. Interestingly it was the band’s new tracks that came across best, leaving everyone wanting more fresh material ASAP.

THE BOUNCING SOULS

Who doesn’t love the Bouncing Souls? Their inspiring punk appeals across the board in the Lock Up tent. Old classics such as ‘Sing Along Forever’ get the dedicated fans jumping whilst newer , softer and more melodic material like ‘Coin Toss Girl’ is a hit with members of the crowd previously unaware of the band. Their set is a resounding success.

ALT-J

The compacted punters inside and swarms of fans outside the Festival Republic Tent show that although fairly new on the radar, Alt-J are already a firm festival favourite. Despite their annoying- hipster-type fan base, Alt-J’s unique and slightly obscure brand of indie is certainly something to take note of with hit single ‘Breezeblocks’ becoming one of the anthems of the weekend.

SANTIGOLD

You may be thinking this is a bit of a bizarre choice if you are familiar with Crossfire’s usual content, but the thing is we can still recognize a good pop artist when we see one! Mixing electronica, hip hop and a healthy dose of mainstream pop, Santigold has a collection of great songs including ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Creator’. Santigold gets the festival party vibe going.

ATTENTION THIEVES

As we caught these local guys in their own territory of Reading, they might have had a slight home advantage. But it appears that it is Attention Thieves’s energy thats key to drawing in a huge crowd around the tiny BBC introducing stage. Attention Thieves have been gaining a lot of attention from the press lately and it seems it’s well deserved as their radio-friendly Rise Against inspired punk rock goes down a treat.

Words: Emma Wallace except Gallows (Sarah Maynard), At The Drive-In, Hawk Eyes (Joe Parry)

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Music Music News

Ceremony To Play FREE Show This Thursday

So this morning there was a lot of fuss and bother over this Thursday’s intimate Green Day show selling out in seconds. Well who gives a damn when in all honesty the place to be this Thursday is actually London’s Old Blue Last where Californian hardcore band Ceremony will take to the stage.

Whats more, in true punk style Ceremony’s intimate gig is FREE entry, so rather than selling a kidney in order to purchase a Green Day ticket on ebay (reportedly priced at £295.00!) you can spend your pennies on beer and have an awesome time at this tiny show.

All the details you need are listed on the poster below.

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Features Music

Must See Shows: August 2012


Not only does August host some of this year’s best festival line ups, there are plenty of gigs going on too. Here is the lowdown from Crossfire HQ on what dates to put in your diary and who to see over the coming month:

Deez Nuts

7 SECONDS

Hardcore legends 7 SECONDS are in the UK for the Winter Gardens festival in Blackpool and a show in Leeds this Saturday at the Brudenell Social Club with Agnostic Front, but Monday’s show at the Underworld in Camden with Madball should be killer.

DEEZ NUTS
Combining Hip-Hop with hardcore, Deez Nuts are a one crazy band to see live. They are also the sort of band you will either love or hate but in their own words, they ‘Don’t give a Mother-Fuck!’.
2nd Club Revolution & District 7 –Peterborough, 3rd Hevy Festival – Kent, 5th The Venue (formerly Krash) – Newcastle, 6th The George Inn – Andover, 7th Hobos – Bridgend

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND
Now joined by ex-Rise To Remain drummer Pat Lundy, Funeral For A Friend are playing a couple dates over August to subtly remind everyone that they are one of the UK’s best live acts.
2nd Sub89 – Reading, 3rd The Pavillion – Weymouth

GRIZZLY BEAR
Grizzly Bear are one of the most experimental indie bands out there at the moment. Fusing a whole load of different instruments (including banjo, keyboards, omnichord and glockenspiel) with electronics this Brooklyn based band are sure to put on a mesmerizing performance.
28th The Junction – Cambridge, 29th The Albert Hall – Nottingham

HEAD AUTOMATICA
The pop/rock n roll side project of Glassjaw’s Daryl Palumbo should be on everyone’s guilty pleasures list. The band haven’t been over to our shores in goodness knows how long and with some pure pop genius they will definitely get the crowds dancing.
5th Cellar – Southampton, 6th Relentless Garage – London, 7th Sound Control – Manchester, 8th Garage – Glasgow, 10th Rescue Rooms – Nottingham

HEVY
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a bit excited about Hevy, the line up is unbelievable. Be sure to party hard with Andrew W.K. on the Saturday night and check out what other bands we recommend catching here.
3rd – 5th Port Lympe – Kent

Polar Bear Club

POLAR BEAR CLUB
As well as an appearance at Reading & Leeds, the brilliantly named Polar Bear Club squeeze in a London date in at the end of the month. For fans of Small Brown Bike, Third Eye Blind, Silent Majority, Hot Water Music and Lifetime. The tour continues into September with support coming from the exquisite Into It. Over It.
24th Leeds Festival, 26th Reading Festival, 31st Borderline – London

RADFEST
Presented by SEXBEAT and Nudie Jeans Co this years festival has expanded to a secret warehouse complex in Hackney after selling out in previous years. The prospect of Ceremony, a Poster Roast exhibition and a Kristina Records pop up store all in close proximity sounds mouth watering to us.
19th Hackney Down Studios – Hackney

READING & LEEDS
The Cure, Gallows, The Gaslight Anthem, Enter Shikari, A Wilhelm Scream, Alt-J, Cancer Bats, Mastodon, At The Drive-In, Every Time I Die, Pure Love, Anti-Flag, Trash Talk… Don’t need to say much else really. Oh other than there will be a whole load of awesome newcomers to watch on the BBC Introducing Stage.
24th – 26th Reading & Leeds

YOUR DEMISE
Having put out a record that divided fans earlier this year, Your Demise are back on the road to promote said album ‘The Golden Age’ on the ‘Golden Monster Tour’. The YD boys always put on a good show and with these being some of their most intimate dates of late its sure as hell going to get sweaty. Support comes from the ever promising Last Witness (Holy Roar Records).
13th Sub89 – Reading, 14th The Mill Arts Centre – Rayleigh, 15th Waterfront – Norwich, 16th Club Revolution, Peterborough

WORDS: EMMA WALLACE

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Live Reviews

Ceremony live at Rock City, Nottingham

22.03.12
By Mark Taylor

Walking through the crowd, vocalist Ross Farrar jumps on stage, only to grab the mic and jump back in as the band launches into ‘Hysteria’ from their latest offering ‘Zoo’. Disappointingly, the crowd don’t really respond and keep a safe distance back – this all changes when the band kick into ‘Sick’ though (from the excellent Rohnert Park LP) and everyone surges forward, no longer worried about being hit my the singers mic stand that he waves wildly around his head.

The rest of the set continues with material heavy from the bands last two offerings, which depart from the more straight forward Hardcore of the Violence LP and embrace the stranger side of Punk Rock, from ‘Brace’ to ‘The Doldrums’ and then into their cover of legendary Dischord band Red C’s ‘Pressure’s On’, it’s like watching a nervous breakdown, the desperation on the singers face says a lot, and though unsettling, you know it wouldn’t work any other way.

Ending the set with ‘End’, the last forty minutes have been an intense, bloody, beer soaked mess with the odd mini riot thrown in for good measure. Ceremony proved tonight they are a great band who have the ability to drop an explosive show and push the boundaries on the punk scene. Don’t miss it.

Watch James Sherry’s pit cam footage of Ceremony playing the Fighting Cocks in Kingston from this UK tour.

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Music News

New Ceremony video

Ceremony have unleashed a new video online.

The visuals are for new single Adult which is taken from their latest album Zoo. The video is the band’s first non-live effort and is directed by Adrien Colon, portraying an almost-perfect suburban family… with something not quite right about things.

Have a watch of the video below:

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Music News

Ceremony announce UK tour dates

Ceremony will play some UK dates this month to celebrate their new album, Zoo.

The band, who have recently been confirmed as support for Refused’s New York show, kick things off on the 19th in Kingston and will also play a Rough Trade East set at 6.30pm on Tuesday March 20th, before heading to XOYO for their headline show.

The full list of dates is:

March 19th – Kingston – Fighting Cocks
March 20th – London, Rough Trade East, 6.30pm
March 20th – London – XOYO
March 21st – Bristol – Fleece
March 22nd – Nottingham – Rock City Basement
March 23rd – Manchester – Moho
March 24th – Leeds – Santiagos (moved from The Well)

 

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Features Music

Top 5 MP3 Downloads

Photo by Jimmy Fontaine

This year has offered us some amazing tunes so far, so we thought we would stack up a bunch of freebies for you to get a taste of what’s out there at the moment with bands playing on the Crossfire Sound System. Just follow the red links to where the tracks are hosted and download them.

1. BLACK MOUNTAIN

Stoner rock Crossfire favourites Black Mountain are giving away a free track over at Stereogum this month. This epic track ‘Mary Lou’ is an 8 minute psychedelic jam that is part of the apocalyptic surfing movie Year Zero that is out in April. Grab it now.

2. DIAMOND RUGS

Diamond Rugs are a new indie supergroup with members of Dead Confederate, Black Lips, Deer Tick and others. This tune ‘Gimme A Beer’ is probably the best tune we have heard so far this year, in fact, nothing else comes close. If you like your rock and roll with a filthy country and garage edge then grab this now, it’s here for you to take away this month for free.

3. CEREMONY

Back with a new album out on Matador Records on March 5th titled ‘Zoo’, these US punks have changed their sound slightly and become more 80’s punk than the hardcore they were stomping about town on their last full length. Regardless, Zoo still has its moments and is worthy of a listen. Ceremony are giving away a track called ‘Adult’ this month, so get a taste of what’s coming from here and download it.

4. ALL THE SAINTS

Remember their epic debut album ‘Fire On Corridor X’? If not, then you are about to discover an essential album if you are into stoner/indie rock. Atlanta three piece All The Saints have a new album out this year called ‘Intro To Fractions’ that is mellower than their first offering but still one of this year’s finest. They are giving away a free download of ‘Half Way Red’, click here for the goods.

5. CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN
Fat riffs and tonnes of psychedelic rock is usually associated with Belgium’s Creature With The Atom Brain. They have a new album out in April called ‘The Birds Fly Low’ and this offering that you can take away for nothing is a good introduction to how they jam out those 70’s solo’s. Look out for them supporting Mark Lanegan on tour in the UK from March 4th.

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Music News

Ceremony announce UK dates

Ceremony will be hitting the UK in March.

The band will play six dates in between dates in the US showcasing tracks from their upcoming album Zoo, which will be released on March 6th. The dates are:

19th – Kingston, Fighting Cocks
20th – London, XOYO
21st – Bristol, Fleece
22nd – Nottingham, Rock City Basement
23rd – Manchester, Moho
24th – Leeds, The Well