The first time I ever saw either of these two bands was, funnily enough, also at a show they played together. It was some special event at a skate park in Tel Aviv. I had never seen or really even heard of these two bands before but I went along and even filmed part of both their sets. From thereon in, I've been quite a dedicated follower of both bands. Tonight, the two band's reunite to celebrate the Knee Please's debut album, Where's Ma Money.
The Great Machine
These stoners don't get enough recognition. The Great Machine are a band formed by two brothers, Aviran (bass/vocals) and Omer (guitar/vocals), who, at different points over the last few years, have also owned a venue and a rehearsal space. Many tend to class their music as "stoner", whereas others may say "psychedelic". In a way, their repertoire has consisted of a bit of both. Instead of the stage, the band are placed in a sort of triangle pattern on the dance floor. Although this makes dancing a little bit more difficult for onlookers, this is the way this kind of band should be playing. It makes it easier to focus on what everyone in the band is doing. Previously, they have been known to perform with female vocalist, Noga Shalev, whose enticing vocals made their sound go a little trippy at times. She seems to no longer be part of the band, resulting in the brothers and drummer Michael playing a heavier, more stoner and sludge influenced set. There's the odd song that I recognise from other shows, but the rest are either album tracks that I don't know or brand new songs. Either way, there is a fair bit of head banging as the trio rock out. Most of the time, Aviran's mic seems far too quiet and he is really only audible in parts of the song where he sings/talks over silence. Personally, it doesn't make that much of a difference as they could easily work just as well as a totally instrumental band. Vocals aside, the sound is fairly good and their playing over all is highly energetic and on point. I was entertained tonight. However, there was a point where I was so sure they were on a new song but they ended up doing the same bit from a good 3 minutes earlier. So this is either quite a progressive song or they added it in to confuse us. 3.5/5
Knees Please
The first time I saw this band play the skate park, they were a duo called Tape&Rape, a name which actually stuck until some months back, even after becoming a three-piece. Knees Please are essentially still the same band as back then, Alex (guitar/vocals) and David (drums), with a good amount of the same songs only with slight changes here and there. Bassist, Ben (Zaga Zaga), actually plays his last show with the band tonight and will be replaced by another Ben. The band prepare themselves in the same three pointed set-up as The Great Machine as more people start flooding in. After a few welcomes and stoned banter from Alex, the band kick off their set with album opener, Shit Back. This is a good example of the band's early grunge influences a la Melvins and Bleach era Nirvana; being all quiet one moment and then simply exploding into some very low and heavy riffs. Despite it's title, it lyrically comes off as one of the most serious and relatable songs they have. The band pretty much continues playing the whole of recently released debut, Where's Ma Money, in full, including other weirdly titled songs like I Came Blood and Sweaty Chicken in Ma Pants. Both songs are from the band's early days and also use that heavy grunge sound. I Came Blood has always been one of those songs that has lyrically made me go, "What on earth is this about?", as Alex seems to be describing a visit to the doctors because of bleeding genitalia. However, the lyrical content is so memorable that it get's people mouthing along. Sweaty Chicken.. still has Alex's mouth trumpet solo, which now works even better over their thicker and fuller sound. I would have loved to have seen someone actually turn up tonight with an actual trumpet... Other tracks from the album and the set that come from the Tape&Rape days include Ceiling, Mine and album closer Vacation. Ceiling is probably one of the band's most famous and popular songs, as drummer David pleases people everywhere by giving us "more cowbell" in both the intro. The song is pretty much how it used to be only with some lyrics changed. The song's groove has everyone in the place moving, whether it is just nodding their heads or fully dancing their socks off. Mine, originally "King Of The Garbage", has also had a bit of facelift, with some edited lyrics and added parts. The chorus still has that epic "I'm king of the wooorrld.." line, which gives the song the potential of being quite a hit if they ever get the right publicity.
Songs like Motherboard, Sleepy Time and I Lie are what I consider the highlights of the album and their set. New bassist, Ben (Belial), joins the band for Motherboard, a song I had never heard before listening to the album, despite apparently being an old one. Like with Ceiling, it has the most ridiculously cool groove that I had to bust some sort of move. After grooving in the intro, the band then plays a lot of heavy synchronised "stabs", which on first listen sounded sort of lazy and unimaginative but when played live, it makes you want to break stuff. Sleepy Time is a tune I recognise from previous shows, because I always mistook the intro for that of Teenage Kicks, only played in a slightly different rhythm. The song throughout has a bit of a swing to it, which is refreshing compared to the rest. I Lie is almost the band's quintessential grunge track, based on a steady rock beat but freaking out with an explosive chorus. It has an QOTSA feel to it; you can imagine yourself driving 100mph down a motorway in an open top car to this. In their set, the band also plays some brand new songs not on the record, such as Muddy, Barry The Lizard,The Sun and Go In Piss. Barry The Lizard especially stands out, with Alex's crazy vocals jumping along with the bouncy rhythm. There seems to be more of a sludge feel in the newer ones which makes the wait for the next album more exciting. After about an hour of rocking out, the band finish, all sweaty and tuckered, as the crowd beg for more. Ben bows out gracefully but the original 2 members take us back to their Tape&Rape days with We Said and its infectious "La la la-la" chorus. This was a nice way to end a set, showing how far they've come and that what they were is still a big part of who they are. I've got a lot of love for Knees Please, especially as a live band. Although the album still has some great heavy stuff to rock out to, there are songs that sound a little bit too similar. For example, Sleepy Time and Mine have the same starting chords, making the latter sound like an extension of the former, especially on record. This could have been done to create some sort of underlining theme, but on first listen sounds sort of lazy. The quiet-loud-quiet method also seems a little bit overdone here, despite it's proven effectiveness for decades. If you like bands like Melvins, The Jesus Lizard and even Helmet, check out these guys some time. Live: 4/5 Where's Ma Money?: 3/5
When it comes to bands having to live in the shadow of it's predecessor, there are a few that people can say have done it right. The demise of Operation Ivy gave us punk rock legends Rancid, Jimmy Page essentially turned The Yardbirds into Led Zepplin and Dave Grohl has had a good thing going on with Foo Fighters since the death of Cobain. Another name to add to that list is New Order. Factory Records didn't even think the former Joy Division members had a chance of making it without Ian Curtis until the success of the now legendary Blue Monday. The band have been greatly influential to many bands throughout the decades, including The Killers, who lifted their name from the fictitious band featured in the video for New Order's 2001 hit, Crystal.
Their new single, Restless, which was released for download on 28th July, comes from the upcoming album, Music Complete, due for release 25th September.
The song has that sound that electro/new wave sound everyone is familiar with but whether it's a future classic, I'm not too sure. The video, on the other hand, is quite memorable as it is arty and, quite frankly, a bit confusing. There seems to be a hint of historical storytelling but with a modern twist thrown in. I have a feeling this was directed by the same guy who was trying to get me to incorporate tank and machine gun sounds into a production of King Lear.
The song will definitely please long time fans and hopefully the album will do very well. Check out Restless below.
Now and again, I find some interesting stuff just by being online and taking a chance on something. Via a UK Pop Punk group on Facebook, a member of German band Planet Zero promoted their latest video for the song Zero Brew from their EP, Origin. Whereas most people consider pop punk to be about fast drumming and chugging breaks amongst whiney vocals, Zero Brew, although still incorporating some of those elements, is a bouncy summer anthem, similar to something like Third Eye Blind's Semi-Charmed Life or even Sugar Ray's Fly. Thing is, I didn't realise they were German at first. The mild sunshine and grassy river bank made me think of home, so I assumed they were at least from the Midlands. And then there's the vocals. Although I have used the word "whiney" to describe pop punk vocals, it's more that it's quite squeaky and high pitched. This is one of those cases where it actually works but is also a little bit deceptive of where they're from. I guess some bands do that, though. It makes you more international. It worked for The Beatsteaks. I'm hoping to get around to checking out their EP in full and tell you what I think of it.
You know the drill. Zaga Zaga play super short, super fast noisy hardcore. How To Be Cool describes those who think they don't need to work hard and sponge off of friends. I'm sure we all know at least one person like that. One person who has crashed at your place and eaten all your rice a bit too often. One person who thinks living in a squat full time makes them cool. It is if you don't need to go to someone else's place to shower, use the internet and eat a proper meal. The frantic energy behind Zaga Zaga's music goes perfectly well with the frustration of having to deal with such people.
I admit, I was a bit late on We Are The Ocean, as it is. I always saw the name about on gig posters and things like that but never really bothered to listen to them. Some time about 2 years ago, I heard some of the newer stuff and liked it. It was a little softer than their emo/screamo/whatever beginnings but showed real writing talent. New song, Good For You, from the latest album, ARK, is also a good song and proves that they can write good choruses. However, it generally sounds too close to Arctic Monkeys. What do you think?
I love H2O. I've always liked the positivity and the "bounce" in their music. They're quite a big influence on my writing style for Woolly Boy. Saying that, one needs to wonder whether a band that has lasted 20 years is running out of ideas when they bring out a song about skating entitled ... er... Skate! Skate! comes from the Bridge Nine release Use Your Voice, coming out 9th October. As excited as I am to hear this album, this track doesn't currently blow me away. Then again, I don't skate, so maybe I just don't connect to it like I do some of their other work.
The mere fact that they can still play straight up, super fast hardcore is definitely great to see. I'm hoping the rest of the album has a bit more groove on it and some proper good anthems.
UK genre bending noise-makers, Enter Shikari, drop another video for another mental track from The Mindsweep. There's A Price On Your Head is Enter Shikari at their most frantic. It has an almost classical feel in the way it's put together, and not just in regards to the use of strings and orchestral percussion. The vocals in the verses come off like a hardcore opera. The video ties in with that of Slipshod. After blowing up a snobby restaurant, the band get chased and through an array of events....end up back in a pub. How British can you get?
Here's another new song and video from the amazing Front Bottoms. HELP comes from their upcoming album Back On Top - Available September 18th on Fueled By Ramen. The lyrics are more direct than some of their other stuff, which is refreshing. The video is a little weird, but personally, I like the concept of getting other people to stand in as the band. Why they need to be in forensic suits, I'm not entirely sure. But hey..not everything needs to make sense.
I never really post that much hip hop on this blog, and I definitely didn't think I'd ever post an Eminem track, but this new one featuring Gwen Stefani is quite cool. Coming from the soundtrack to boxing movie, Southpaw, Kings Never Die mixes heavy guitars with Eminem's rapid delivery and Stefani's unique sensual vocals.
Almost 40 years on, rock legends Motorhead are about to release their brand new album, Bad Magic, on 28th August. From it comes Electricity, along with a pretty cool lyric video. The song is typical full speed Motorhead, and quite frankly...why would you want anything else? It's a pretty good preview into what's to come.
Modern hardcore legends, Terror, release their new album, The 25th Hour, next week, 7th August. In the lead up to it, they have previewed some tracks and released videos in the last month. Latest video, Mind At War, is Terror at their most thrash and previous video, Bad Signs (below), is just straight up NY-style hardcore (albeit from LA) that we all know and love.
Terror have always been a bit hit-or-miss for me and I haven't always followed their progress unlike bands such as Sick Of It All or Pro-Pain, but from what I've heard so far, I'm looking forward to checking The 25th Hour out in full.
Previously, they have been known to perform with female vocalist, Noga Shalev, whose enticing vocals made their sound go a little trippy at times. She seems to no longer be part of the band, resulting in the brothers and drummer Michael playing a heavier, more stoner and sludge influenced set. There's the odd song that I recognise from other shows, but the rest are either album tracks that I don't know or brand new songs. Either way, there is a fair bit of head banging as the trio rock out. 
The band pretty much continues playing the whole of recently released debut, Where's Ma Money, in full, including other weirdly titled songs like I Came Blood and Sweaty Chicken in Ma Pants. Both songs are from the band's early days and also use that heavy grunge sound. I Came Blood has always been one of those songs that has lyrically made me go, "What on earth is this about?", as Alex seems to be describing a visit to the doctors because of bleeding genitalia. However, the lyrical content is so memorable that it get's people mouthing along. Sweaty Chicken.. still has Alex's mouth trumpet solo, which now works even better over their thicker and fuller sound. I would have loved to have seen someone actually turn up tonight with an actual trumpet...
