The Bramham Underground

Picture: WESTM

It's nearing the end of July, and Festival season is well underway. The big one round here has always been Leeds Fest (of course). A strange parallel universe filled with anyone you have ever known, brushed past and went to school with, yet devoid of normal social convention; Leeds has always been a stomping ground of the musical Yorkshire Folk.

If, like us, you're probably not going to be first in the queue for Guns N Roses or Blink 182 then allow us to suggest some alternative local produce for your consumption:

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FUTURESOUND COMPETITION WINNERS: ????, Friday 27th

As we write, it remains undecided. But Futuresound's yearly comp for a place on the bill will no doubt be a sure bet. It's always a close run race but this year is especially hard to predict: The competition is just so bloody good! Holy State, Blacklisters, Castrovalva, Sketches, Club Smith, Blood Oranges and Loose Talk Costs Lives are all fine examples of the extended musical renaissance Leeds is enjoying. The only tricky thing will be deciding on who deserves it most.

Picture: Hannah-Rachel Sunderland

PULLED APART BY HORSES Sunday 29th, Festival Republic stage.

Now officially the worst kept secret in underground music, PABH's awesome, muscular punk rock has netted them an army of 14 year old fanboys. Odds are that you've either seen them live hundreds of times (like us) or you've at least heard about their shows. If you're the latter: all the rumours are true, if you're the former, we'll see you at the front. RADICAL!

Picture: Bangers and Mash

THE CROOKES Friday 27th, Festival Republic Stage

Richard Hawley smiled upon these lads by collaborating with them on Steve Lamacq's Evening Session. Let's face it: Richard Hawley doesn't like anything shit. The Sheffield dwellers have beautiful, succinct little pop songs, reminding you that occaisionally 'kitchen sink' music, when done well, can be heartbreaking, memorable and funny all at once.

Picture: The Art Of Agency

ROLO TOMASSI Friday 27th, NME Stage

They might also be from the Steel City, but when compared to most of their successful contemporaries, Rolo Tomassi may as well be from Planet Zog. They may also be young with shiny hair and clean teeth, but their corrosive hardcore is terrifying, and all the more impressive considering their tender ages. Bring some earplugs if you're a wimp and prepare to thrash around like a rag doll.

Picture: Lost at E Minor

WILD BEASTS Saturday 28th, NME Stage

As this is going to press it has been announced that Two Dancers, Wild Beasts's second album, is nominated for this year's Mercury music prize. As the Mercury rarely goes to the most deserving act, it's doubtful that the Beasts will actually win. Never mind though, the album is one of those that comes along once in a while where the planets seems to be in alignment. A rare, blossoming triumph of beautiful songwriting, fresh experimentation and craft. On top of this, they are some of Leeds' most cherished adopted sons: all the ingredients of which make for a very special show.

...and also, for fairness, a taste from t'other side of the Pennines:

Picture: Alt Sounds

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING Friday 27th, NME Stage

Coincidentally, The Low Culture discovered Everything Everything for the first time at Leeds Fest 2009. Stumbling past in search of a kebab (don't do it, just don't), our ears were pricked by the spiky, angular pop this quartet produce. Like the Futureheads before them, their harmonies are so pleasing to the ears that it is impossible not to watch with wide eyed, stupid look on your face because they are so very, very clever - much cleverer than you.

Picture: The Pigeon Post

EGYPTIAN HIP HOP Sunday 29th, Festival Republic Stage

Now it's always advisable to approach 'buzz-bands' with caution. They're unreliable creatures. However Egyptian Hip-Hop seem to have something more going on than just haircuts. Their single 'Rad Pitt' was pretty decent, and they cite Late of the Pier as influences. If they can match their source of inspiration for inventiveness and catchy hooks, then you might just be able to believe the hype. And they're only 17, bless.

Here endeth our guide to Leeds Festival 2010. Go to www.leedsfestival.com for day tickets and coach packages, starting at 75 quid. You also might like to try Scarlet Mist or viagogo for weekend resales at reasonable prices.

Interview: Cancer Bats

People might bewail how music has become so shallow and greedy, how no one gives a shit about the fans they play to anymore. But then there are bands like The Cancer Bats, who are so obviously in love what they do that they have toured almost continually for the last 4 years. They're not hugely rich or famous, they don't have massive drug habits to support - two of them don't even drink! They just like being in a extremely noisy, post-hardcore band.

We met Lead singer Liam Cormier at Download. He was only too happy to expound his never ending enthusiasm for the band, their fans and their new album.

How have things been today?

Great! The show was awesome. It was deinfitely f***ing way better than we thought! So many kids were giving us love.

So you tour pretty furiously. What do you have planned in the next couple of months?

After this we go and play a few more European shows. We’ve already been here a couple of weeks. We’re coming back in the fall again. But yeah it’s been good. We try to spend as much time in Europe and the UK as we can.

You do intense ones. So many dates. I look at bands like you and I think ‘how do you do it?’

It definitely is one of those things where you try and bring the same level of energy everywhere you play. You wanna be well-rested! I sleep as much as I can. It helps that we’ve been doing it as long as we have, we’ve been touring hard for 4 years.

Do you prefer it that way?

We’d always rather be playing shows than taking days off. We wanna make the most of it. Once you’re actually there you’re not tired.

You’ve toured with Gallows and The Plight, amongst others. Do you feel closer to bands in the UK?

I definitely feel lucky that we’ve been accepted so much over here. I think because we came up around the same time with Gallows we kinda got lumped into it which was wicked for us. We saw so many good bands and we’ve made so many good friends. The fact that we do UK tours and we never tour with an American band. We always get a British band with us, it’s cool. I feel like we’re really part of the team here.

Are you happy with the new album’s reception?

I’m stoked. I think it’s better than we’ve ever done with any record. So the fact that kids are still interested in what we’re doing, like the record, are coming out to shows more than ever is just unbelievable. All the more reason to try and pack in more dates.

The new album seems like you feel freer to incorporate different musical styles into it.

I think for us the big thing was realising how much kids were up for. We messed around with a few ideas, stoner rock stuff and whatnot. They were still jumping around all over the place so when it came to writing this record we were just like ‘fuck it, let’s just try everything, play all the stuff that we want to.’ I think the fact that we don’t have to worry losing our fans unless we right a straight up punk record from start to finish just says how much kids are into different styles and are more receptive now.

It seems like when people band around things like ‘hardcore’ it can actually become very restrictive. Are you happy for people to call you a hardcore band?

I think we’ve never really confined ourselves to that. We’ve never toured exclusively with metal bands or hardcore bands; we just do whatever the fuck we want. How we write songs, the bands we tour with, just how we operate is different. We’ll tour with big metal bands but we’ll still be punk in the way that we do it. Talk and interact with kids just like we would at a punk show. We just don’t care! We’re older, we’re over it. When you’re younger you might think ‘oh I should maybe do this’ or ‘we should only be a hardcore band.’ But we’re all 30 years old now. If that kid in the Youth of Today shirt thinks we’re sell-outs then he can go fuck himself! I’m fine.

It’s quite impressive how your songs deal with the darker sides of humanity. Do you start with that? Or does the music predicate that?

It pretty much determines where the song structure is going to go. In a lot of ways though, I try to show the more positive side of darker things, a solution. A lot of songs will point out how to rise above that, and we try to live our lives as positively as we can. We deal with the same shit that everyone else does but you’ve gotta try and persevere and go beyond that.

Bears, Mayors Scraps and Bones is out now.

Pulled Apart By Horses: Brudenell Launch Party

That's no soft focus effect on the lens: It was that sweaty! Their album is finally on us, and we get the feeling that Horses are too famous for Leeds to contain them now. Deservedly so. Here they are beating the shit out of a packed Brud.

 New single 'Back To The Fuck Yeah' and album are both out now.

Chickenhawk/Dysrhythmia Gig

Good gig this one. We were chewing the riffs in the air they were so beefy.

Nice facial expression from Ryan Clark.

And again.

The Pitchfork review of the last Dysrhythmia album suggested that if life was fair, Kevin Hufnagel would be bigger than Slash. I'm inclined to agree with them, the man is a wizard.

If you'd like to know what we thought, here's the full review with Hannah-Rachel's pictures for This is Fake DIY. Enjoy, rockers!

DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS!!!

I would provide photographic images to go with this update, but they would be disturbing. So here's a short summary of what I saw:

1. Man naked in mud, being whipped in time by angry mob to Billy Idol's 'White Wedding.'

2. Fat Cyber Goth in pink foil hotpants and a bra, bending right over infront of my tent at 8.30am. Sinead, it was lovely to meet you! Please start wearing underwear.

3. Wandering into the Metal Hammer party by accident. Accquainting myself with Napalm Death's manager, who then offered to introduce me to someone from Lamb of God. I have no idea who Lamb of God are.

4. Dads bringing inflatable guitars to AC/DC, placing more emphasis on fretwork than the average "air guitar."

5. A Dad, upon seeing this, improvising and playing his leg to 'Whole Lotta Rosie.'

6. Captain Dildo: Forty plus hefty bloke in underpants and a cycle helmet, with a dildo sellotaped to the top.

7. Countless Trivium T-Shirts

I could go on, but I feel you get the picutre.

Speaking of pictures, we got 'papped' for NME.com whilst we were there, have a look here. I'm also in the next issue of Vice 'talking about my download outfit.' Strange times!

My lengthy review of the whole thing can be found here on Contact Music. And yes, I had a very deep bath when I got home.

The World's Crappest Music Videos: Parte the Firste

THANKS to all the people that contributed, now bask in the glory:



Stefan Dennis - Don't It Make You Feel Good?

No Stefan, it doesn't. Slightly creeped out, perhaps? I've got to say, the net curtain draped over the pillars is an inspired touch. Is your set designer Deb from Napoleon Dynamite? God bless Neighbours, though. Where else would we get our sub-standard Antipodean pop stars from? Imagine a world without it - perms might not have even become popular.



Brian Harvey - Going Backwardz

East 17's Brian is trying to convince us all he has moved on. Look: he has a girlfriend, and he's taken her on a nice day out to a motorway flyover, and a forest clearing! 100% certain she consented to this? Look at 2mins 30secs. But frequenting the areas of rapists aside, to me he will always be the lovable rogue who 'binged' on 47 jacket potatoes and then ran himself over. Long may he go forwardz.



Armi ja Danny - I Want To Love You Tender

At first I thought the slogan on their jumpers said 'D10', so I wondered if this bad-ass posse of dancers were affliated with the equally bad-ass rap crew. But then I doubt even D10 could afford such ground breaking vision. Their dancing makes flying Chitty Chitty Bang Bang into space with your paedo Uncle seem like a wonderful holiday.



The Blackout Crew - BBBBBOUNCE

AKA: 'If You Liked It Then You Should Have Put A Donk On It.'
That's right, the noise that spews out of cherub's mobiles on the back of the no. 56? It has a name, and it is DONK. I'm assured that Blackout Crew are the best in the land at donking. 'Bbbbbounce' is a reminder that they 'don't mess about.' And these lads certainly haven't on costing! Why pay for professional dancers when you can get your GCSE Geography class to do it for free? And screw getting a proper guest spot from a rapper, Neville's Dad will sit in his Toyota and no one will know the difference

So. We've covered RnB, Dance and 80s Pop. There's a gaping hole in this picture. Yes, of course, it's Death Metal!



Satyricon - Mother North

Taken from the album 'Nemesis Divina.' As God (or even better! Lucifer) as my witness: If anyone can tell me exactly what's going on here, I'll write you a cheque for 20 quid.
But who needs a plot when you've got Greta Big Tits running around in a see through nightie? Exactly.

If you have any more suggestions to add to this already fine selection, I'd love to hear about them. N x

California Dreamin'

There are some gigs I would give a testicle to attend (as soon as I grow one)... but I don't have unlimited air miles, time off work, a money tree or a rich husband.

Until any of these things happen, I am limited to drawing (pointless) attention to things I like. So, here it is: I like Woodsist, and they are having their festival on 12th June in Big Sur, CA.

http://woodsist.blogspot.com/ have just released more tickets

When I say 'like', I mean I really love Woodsist. They've put out some of my favourite music of the past few years, including:

REAL ESTATE (Real Estate)

I don't know what they've been putting in the water in New Jersey, but long may it continue. Real Estate was released in late 2009, and it's a beautifully simple, nostalgic record. Drifting and hazy, like a long summer, they have burrowed their way into my subconscious and refused to budge. Basically, I've bored everyone I know to death by bleating about how good it is.

WAVVES (Wavves)

To put it mildly: Nathan Williams did not take very well to success. He had a public brawl with Black Lips, a nervous breakdown onstage at Primavera, cancelled his EU tour and sodded off back to San Francisco.

Despite all this, I hope the tiny brat weathers out the storm, because Wavves was a brilliant 30 minute headrush. Try it yourself: Pick the word 'Beach', 'Punk' or 'Goth,' add a couple of chords and some feedback and there it is. Perfecto.

CONSTANT HITMAKER (Kurt Vile)

Though Kurt Vile has now absconded to Matador with his new album Childish Prodigy, it was Woodsist who gave him a leg up by releasing his debut, Constant Hitmaker. As an album it
drives a perfect balance between freaky psychedelia and alt.rock, and channels Neil Young at his most dirge-ridden. And in the true tradition of the grunge forefathers, the man is 60% shiny mane. Bonus!

Mr. Vile will be at the aforementioned festival, along with Real Estate, Moon Duo, Woods and The Fresh and Onlys. Check them out, they're all worthy of investigation.

In need of a plane ticket. If anyone wants to buy my kidneys, O.I.R.O. a grand.