Live Review: Toy Dolls + Aviv Mark ve HaNetzach @ Reading 3, Tel Aviv [9th December 2016]

Once in a while, a legendary act will come to Tel Aviv. Normally it's a 60s/70s rock band or a singer/song writer but on the odd occasion like today, we get to witness one of the oldest British punk bands. The Toy Dolls might not be all that relevant in the scheme of punk rock nowadays but a lot of the bands that are would tell you that they were a big influence. Therefore, there are a lot of punk fans, both old school and new school, attending tonight's show at Reading 3, a pretty swanky looking venue in the north of Tel Aviv by the sea.

Aviv Mark ve HaNetzach

   Opening up tonight's event is local band Aviv Mark ve HaNetzach (which I think stands for "Aviv Mark and The Eternity"). Previously known as Aviv mark ve HaMavet ("Aviv Mark and The Death"?), it's a pretty typically mature-aged Israeli "alternative" group. With two drummers, they come off a bit like Melvins but just not as heavy or as interesting. There's the odd good riff and sometimes the two drum kits are put to good use by playing different patterns at the same times but it does also get a little messy. With my attention to Hebrew lyrics never really at its best in a live setting, I can't really say much about lyrical content but the vibe is mostly dark. It's more 80s new-wave meets 90s grunge and just similar to quite a few bands I've seen/heard out here before. It is still fun to watch, especially the energy of both drummers and the bassist, but out of all the acts in Israel who could support tonight's main act, this choice doesn't really make sense.

2.5/5

The Toy Dolls

   To some, The Toy Dolls are a joke punk band only famous for their version of Nelly The Elephant. Tonight, there is many a fan who knows that they are more than that and the band prove it.

   Arriving on stage in their grey and red suit-like attire with tiny red ties and iconic sunglasses, Olga (guitar and lead vocals), Tommy (bass) and Duncan (drums) are met with raucous applause and cheering. I personally clapped the loudest for Duncan (Redmonds), for I am a Snuff fan and admire him for being a great singing drummer.

   Being a band with a repertoire spanning 30+ years, it's hard to get every song and every hit into a set. Although the band doesn't supply the likes of  I Got Asthma, James Bond Lives Down Our Street or The Devil Went Down To Scunthorpe, they still do the fun Spiders In The Dressing Room, the rocking Idle Gossip and their superb and almost metallic rendition of Bach's Toccata in D Minor.

  Seeing and hearing The Toy Dolls in person is actually quite an interesting experience. Alongside silly songs like the catchy The Death Of Barry The Roofer With Vertigo and the infamous crowd-pleaser Nellie The Elephant, the latter of which unsurprisingly getting the greatest reception, they also play comparatively more sentimental songs such as Alec's Gone and She'll Be Back With Keith Someday. Using more melody and having deeper lyrical meaning than some of the others, these are personal highlights for me as I found myself singing along.

   As the band play through their set, that is practically all they do. There doesn't seem any need for too much banter, jokes or self indulgence, they basically play one song, say "thank you" and then crack on to the next one. Normally I would criticise a band for not being engaging enough but I can't accuse The Toy Dolls of that. Olga and Tommy are always looking at the crowd and encouraging them to sing along. The two also have good chemistry on stage, often jumping about and swapping places, doing Status Quo style synchronised guitar swaying and just seeming to be full of life. This rubs off on the crowd as even people standing at the back and the sides start to dance. Although the crowd aren't as rowdy as what I've seen before, the few that do find themselves on stage get quite heavily escorted off by security. Sometimes this makes sense if a crowd member is getting in the way of a performance or interfering with the musicians. That didn't seem the case this time and came off as unnecessarily aggressive.  

We hear more covers nearer the end of the set, including the instrumentals Wipe Out (The Surfaris) and the timeless classic When The Saints Go Marching In, but it's the final encore where we get the bouncy "la-la la" sing-along of She Goes To Finos to round off a fun night.

  Everyone has a different interpretation of what punk is. The Toy Dolls might not be as tough and serious as Sham 69 nor as fast and aggressive as Discharge but they do what they do well, with charisma and from the heart.

4/5

All photos courtesy of Miguel St Labao

Live Review: DUST/Knees Please/Methods @ Tachles Bar, Tel Aviv [25th February 2016]

Tonight sees me back at Tachles Bar to see 2 of my favourite Tel Aviv bands, Dust and Knees Please, and new band Methods.

Methods

 Methods are a pretty new Tel Aviv trio. Playing songs which flick in between styles, all three members are incredibly competent musicians. Although their first song, entitled "2", has quite a melodic punk feel with vocal harmony and a clean riff, their material in general tends to have a bit of Quicksand meets Prong vibe, which, I guess, essentially could be considered a "Helmet vibe".
 The songs in general tend to be very coherent and easy on the ear. Even the shouting is something your parents won't be too bothered by. Bassist Greg and guitarist Max gel together, both in terms of playing and their vocals. It might not necessarily be super pitch perfect harmonies all the time but they are in sync and give the same amount of energy. Drummer Vladi is one of those more professional drummers I tend to see often at shows like this. Not only is he listening through headphones but his actual technique and use of varying time signatures and drum patterns is impressive and possibly what makes them such an interesting new band. Some of the more dance/drum n bass beats he does gives everything a bit of a Therapy? feel. They seem to have that same sense of experimentation with mixing rock with electronica and are giving each in the right dosage.
 They seem to be in their very early stages, as the fact all their songs are currently numbers proves. This could be their thing a la Karma To Burn and other such bands but either way, it doesn't really matter. 1.1, the only track of theirs currently online, is a good example of what they do, although they definitely show their skills more in other songs. The crowd, both those familiar and unfamiliar with the song, were dancing a bit and nodding their heads. Actually, there was a fair bit of dancing throughout and they got quite a good crowd for an opening act.
  Methods seem to manage to mix the easy listening metal of bands like Helmet and Prong with the more technical musicianship of bands like Deftones and Tool and create something that actually sounds quite fresh.

4.5/5 

Knees Please

 I've written about Knees Please before, and I even got them to play my birthday show. Despite both band names that they have had over the past years, I still stand by the fact that they bring back a familiar sound of the more heavier, sludgy side to early grunge that makes me feel happy. Certainly seems to have the same effect on the crowd here tonight. They could just be drunk and/or stoned, but, hey, that's their people.

 The band play only three songs from their Where's Ma Money? debut and four currently unreleased tracks. I don't think it matters all that much to the crowd as many of them are either here to just jump around like crazy to anything or to just sit and stare at the band's two models. I haven't heard I Came Blood live for a while so it's nice to hear it tonight. It's a weird song lyrically, but has an awesome groove which many here appreciate. New song Barry The Lizard is a personal favourite of mine, being more funky and crazy than the others.
  Guitarist and vocalist Alex and drummer David are on great form as always, with David always managing to cover small mistakes with ease, such as losing a stick, continuing with one hand and quickly grabbing another stick. However, it is new bassist, Ben, not to be confused with the previous bassist also called Ben, who currently steals the show for me every time I see them. Not only is his playing on point, but he is ridiculously enthusiastic, charismatic and also joins in on vocals which shows has really stepped Knees Please up a notch. 

4/5

DUST

  DUST seem to have become my Tel Aviv version of Knuckledust. There used to be a time when Knuckledust were playing in London almost every week and I would go and see them. DUST seem to be constantly doing shows and I'm managing to catch them almost every time. To be honest, seeing and hearing pretty much the same set over and over again can be a tad tedious but it's lucky that they have some tunes that simply really get me pumped.
 From their intros alone, songs like their opening song Slipping Away and Numb get me moving and smiling. It's a little bit complicated to get fully into it tonight as the "floor" is filled, but I manage to get a bit of a boogie on. Everyone else starts push pitting and running about as each song gets going, and frontman Evya does his part to get involved. Newer songs like Plastic and typical set closer Sick and Tired are starting to become more recognisable at shows and I can't wait for them to come out in recorded form.
  The band are still super tight. It's obvious why Ofek was also taken on as the new Kids Insane guitarist; not just because they're friends but the boy has something. Not only can he play but he plays with a certain style and passion. I think he got even better since growing his hair...
  It's hard for me to get totally bored of DUST but this fan is desperate to hear new songs. NEWER songs. I wouldn't even mind a cover here and there. Just switch it up a bit!

5/5



All pics by David "Doh Doh" Rosen

Live Review: Punk Afternoon - Tune In TLV Showcase Party @ Ozenbar, Tel Aviv [14th November 2015]

Not On Tour

Let Us Be Spoken

SatuRated

The Driers

Zoo Harmonics

Document

Saturday, the Sabbath. Meant to be a day of rest, where you pray in the morning, eat, sleep in the afternoon and then go out and party at night. However, this afternoon sees the last show of the four day Tune In TLV Festival; the punk rock battle of the bands. 

   The afternoon actually starts out with a showing of the music documentary No Room For Rockstars (which I didn't see), followed by the fight to get a song onto the next Vans Warped Tour compilation. Kevin Kyman, founder of 4Fini Inc, who produce the Warped Tour, is here both for a Q&A after the documentary (I missed that too) and to be the one to choose the winner. Despite being a "punk afternoon", today's line-up is pretty mixed. 

Document

  I've reviewed post punk/new wave band Document before and I have to be honest, it probably wasn't the most positive of reviews. Despite that, the band respected my views. I was expecting the band to have maybe taken some of my pointers into consideration but today's performance doesn't really seem to differ too much from the previous one, besides being one member down and a whole lot shorter set.
  Being titled a "punk showcase", the band have comprised their setlist of their more upbeat numbers, including Where U Are and Weeks from the Reset Your Mind Ep. Newer songs, such as the appropriately named New Song and Made A Mess, are darker and slightly more electro in style. All in all, they seem to have picked the right setlist today.

  Their performance on stage is still a bit static, bar drummer Amir, who is still the most enthusiastic. With frontman Nir now on second guitar duties, this may also be hindering their opportunities for some movement and better crowd interaction. Speaking of which, it is still early and not many people have turned up. Those who have bothered to come in and watch them seem to be satisfied. I think that kind of sums Document up; their songs are pleasant enough but there is still nothing in their live performance to really grab you. They are much better on record and I am still looking forward to hearing a new album.
3/5 
    

Zoo Harmonics

  Zoo Harmonics have been around for quite some time already and, in my eyes, should have already broken the UK and American pop punk market with the debut album Business In The Front...Party In The Back. With a new bassist, Gal, in tow, the band have been working on new songs and set to release a new album.
   With Dror (lead singer/guitarist) having now cut his hair, a slightly new sound seems to have come along with it, as the band play a short set of mostly brand new songs. The band already previewed Signs From Above through a live video they did for another showcase and a lot of the crowd, including myself, already like it and are digging it tonight. As the band themselves state, it has a more "stoner" flavour compared to their previous material. Personally, I've always considered them a mixed bag and not just pop punk, so I would have been more concerned if they weren't experimenting more. 
  The other new tracks are also really promising, including the comeback of Obsessions, which will hopefully be on the new album. Throughout the set, the band rock out as usual, although it is weird seeing Dror unable to wave his hair around. There is still the masterful Ron (guitar/backing vocals), who manages to always make his present known with some high octane antics to energise the crowd.

  As interesting as hearing brand new material is, it is the closer of oldie Henry And Claire which really gets me and other Zoo Harmonics fans going. It would have been nice to have heard more from the first album, but having been given a short time slot, the band understandably wanted to showcase their new material. I think they've done a good job and I am so looking forward to the new album.
4/5

The Driers

   I'm going to keep this short because what can I say about The Driers that I haven't said before? They are a fun trio who play a mixture of alternative 90s rock and a little bit of electro brit pop to boot. Basically, they play the kind of music that brings out the inner child in me and use male/female vocal harmonies that simply make me happy. 
  Despite having released their first proper EP recently (see review), their short set mostly consists of non-EP tracks besides the brilliant Who Doesn't and Lipstick Buds. Some are already classic tracks from their repertoire, including the punky Fifty and the bounce inducing Delayed. Others I didn't really recognise but were interesting to hear and I'm hoping they'll turn up on a new record in the near future.
  As much as I love them, I still stand by my opinion that Ronnie (guitar/vocals) and Tomer (bass/vocals) could act a little more excited on stage and interact more. The speaking duties in between songs are mostly taken on by drummer Ben. It could be good to hear what they have to say for once....plus, Ben talks faaaar too much for a drummer. (סתם)
4.5/5

SatuRateD

   I'll hold my hands up! I had no idea who SatuRateD were until tonight. I was actually outside before they started and walked in a little of the way through their set. I was happily surprised to see Dror of Zoo Harmonics back on stage, this time on drums. He was joined on stage by Shirel (guitar/vocals) and they make a pretty damn good team. I believe the band was originally a trio but it seems to work perfectly well as a duo.
   In complete opposition to what I had originally thought they might be (metalcore), this duo play a mixture of garage rock and grunge. Some of it is pretty standard (but still enjoyable) Nirvana/Mudhoney-esque material, but a song like Someday Blues really stands out due to it's more unconventional beats and generally just sounds more original. The band also do a cover of These Boots Are Made For Walkin', which is normally a staple of ska or Oi! shows. It was nothing spectacular as far as covers go. Their originals, despite at times sounding a little too formulaic, still hit the spot if you're no stranger to pure "grunge".
4/5

Let Us Be Spoken

  

  Another band I didn't know much about, Let Us Be Spoken take the stage next and totally change the tone of the evening. This punk show is getting its first dose of metalcore. Whaa??

  I technically have no problem with metal or metalcore. I proudly wear my nu-metal beginnings on my sleeve and still like some metalcore and groove metal. What bugs me though is how metalcore bands act. Although I say that I like a lot of interaction and movement on stage, sometimes acting like you're some massive touring band who's been around for decades just seems really unnatural and over-the-top when you're a fairly unknown band. Metalcore bands tend to do this and Israeli bands, in particular, know how to put on that sort of spectacle really well.
   Let Us Be Spoken give us all the usual metalcore catchphrases (mostly in Hebrew): "I want you all to sing along on this one", "I want to see you all go crazy" etc.. The look, the jargen and the melodic metalcore is all there. The clean vocals sound like Killswitch Engage and are not all that terrible. However, I'm still not entirely sure how many times I can hear this type of thing. 
  As unoriginal as this may sound, they are certainly an entertaining band and they do get me punching the air a bit. Maybe I'm just in an openminded mood tonight, but the breakdowns, the thrash parts and even some of the choruses have me a little bit sucked in. There are also a few metalcore fans in tonight who are getting swept up in all the excitement. Let Us Be Spoken may have been a bit out of place tonight, but I like variety.
3/5

Not On Tour

  Last band of the night is the amazing Not On Tour, whom I have spoken of many a time on this blog, I'm sure. Like all the other bands tonight, they have a much shorter set than usual but still manage to get the crowd going with their mixture of high speed hardcore punk and catchy melodies. 

  They do not have their usual crowd here tonight. This could be a mixture of the show not being hyped up all that much and the fact that many Not On Tour fans may not have bothered going due to the rest of the line-up. That aside, there is still a few of us who have come to give our support in this battle of the bands. 
  The band are on point. Sima's amazing voice, Val's melodic riffs, Nir's heavy bass and Gutzy's crazy fast drumming are ever present, as always. I can't really say much else, to be honest. I got a little bit too wrapped up in the show, including blindly head butting someone by accident (turned out to be a friend and they were fine about it), so I didn't really pay attention to the setlist. Knowing Not On Tour, they more than likely played songs off the new album, along with a few from All This Time and the N.O.T On Tour EP and maybe only one from the self titled debut, like one of my favourites, Silly Thoughts. Personally, I love hearing their older material, but they do know how to chose the catchiest and more crowd pleasing ones at every show.  
4.5/5

   Straight after Not On Tour's set, I went for hummus nearby and, upon leaving, ran into Val of Not On Tour. I asked him if a winner was announced and he said that they had won. It was rightfully awarded and hopefully being on this compilation will give them much further international success than they have already been getting. 

  It was great to see Zoo Harmonics with new material and SatuRateD were an interesting and pleasant discovery. The show as a whole could have done with a whole lot more attendees but those who were there still had fun and hopefully, like myself, discovered a few new bands.


For more photos, you can also check out Yahel Galili's photo album, Tune In TLV - PUNK Showcase. 

Live Review: Azor, Deaf Chonky, Saint God @ Etzabotz, Tel Aviv [12th November 2015]

What's this? A new place? Where on earth is Etzabotz, you ask? Well, it's a sort of art studio that doubles up as a venue and is conveniently in front of the now defunct Koro. I've popped my head in there a few times before to check out what's going on, but tonight I'm here to see the new line-up for rockers Azor as well as some bands I've never checked out before.

Saint God

   As I walk into Etzabot and say hi to the guys from Azor, really the only people there I recognise, there's some heavy rock being played. As I turn towards the very small stage with darbukas buried underneath it, I see a male duo on stage. The band turns out to be Saint God, made up of two guys from Etzabot itself. With only guitar and drums, they still manage to get a cool sound via the use of effects.
   Shura (vocals/drums) and Tim (guitar) play with the right mixture of tightness and looseness; they are musically competent yet still have the feel of a laid back jam session. Vocals are sometimes a tad inaudible due to the venue's low quality sound, but it's all still very coherent. The music style seems to flip between grunge, shoegaze and even black metal, incorporating blast beats and evil snarls. It's definitely the first of its kind that I've heard before, therefore I'm impressed by Saint God and glad I arrived just in time to see them.
4/5

Deaf Chonky

  I like new blood. I love giving new acts a chance and watching the music scene grow. Like with the opening act, I had no idea who Deaf Chonky were before tonight. Another duo, this time two girls, take stage and play a set full of Bikini Kill style rock, experimental musicianship and general weirdness.
   Both girls, Tamar (drums) and Adi (guitar) lend their hands to vocals, which is mostly the sort of shouting associated with riot grrl. Although the girls tackle different styles, it's still pretty minimalistic, which isn't a bad thing.
  Most memorable of the set is Bad Things Could Happen. It goes off at tangents, even touching upon experimental poetry, but always circles back to its simple yet catchy chorus. Another highlight was when drummer Tamar played a bit of harmonica. I'm a sucker for harmonicas, so that made me smile.
   They might not be the next best thing nor the most amazing musicians, but Deaf Chonky do bring something a little different to the table.
3/5

Azor

  Finally, Azor take the stage. Now remember, folks..I'm an honest guy. I don't do bias and will always say what I really think of a friend's band. As my promo of the band shows (see article), I was genuinely impressed from the start by the stoner/punk rock trio, and with new bassist, Shahar (ex-fourfunzies/Woolly Boy), they are on just as good form, if not better.
   Although Azor played the Koro closing show recently in their original lineup, it was a very short set. It therefore feels as if I haven't seen them for a long time. Tonight, drummer Alon is in his trademark leopard skin (print) leggings, Shahar actually sings back up, which I've never seen him do before, and guitarist/main singer, Yuval, is placed in front of the stage (due to lack of space) and waves around his curly mane as he rocks out.
   It's still not totally straight forward what to label the band. Songs like Port City Girl and Paris (bearing close similarities to the Oasis classic, Cigarettes & Alcohol) are more in the vein of classic rock, whereas Shine In The Dark and Magic World are Black Sabbath influenced stoner. Natasha, written and sung by Alon, is their punkiest track. It is not only my highlight of their set but possibly my favourite song of theirs. It has me singing along and throwing my hands in the air.
  The setup tonight is weird, as they are all quite far apart and god knows how they are able to not see each other and still play so tightly. Yuval does go on stage when possible and Shahar also joins Yuval on the floor in front, so I think that helps and definitely proves them to be a well-oiled unit. 
  Due to his accent, which is natural and unavoidable, Yuval's vocals sometimes sound a bit weird to my ears, nor does he have the most impressive of voices, but what he lacks in that department he makes up for with his high energy and showmanship. Both Alon and Shahar also give it a little something on stage, and the overall remarkable musicianship is great to witness. All masters in their field.
  They definitely get the crowd (of about 7 people) dancing like crazy and cheering for them. It's a shame that this was a poorly turned out show, but they've proven in the past to be able to get a big crowd going and will soon be playing to bigger.
4.5/5

Live Review and Album Review: Knees Please (Where's Ma Money Release Party) + The Great Machine @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [5th August 2015]

  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

All photos courtesy of Eddie Botstein. 

Review: Jeronimo - Jeronimo EP [2015]

   

    Back in December, I went to a show at the Koro to see three bands I had never heard of before. One of them was the young band Jeronimo. I was impressed by these guys' rock riffs and energy that I even put them on the first Punkalovich show, which unfortunately they had to pull out of because of personal issues. The band are back on track again and released their long awaited self titled EP.

   Opening track, Aircraft Boneyard, starts off heavy and quite epic. Drummer Itamar's spacious fills over guitar feedback followed by a tribal rhythm tell us that we're expecting something big. We're then hit with a cool riff that leads us into full throttle mode similar to the likes of Kyuss et al. I definitely remember this as one of the ones I liked when I saw them. The chorus is catchy and will have you singing "THEY'LL BRING YOU DOWN" along with them. However, the song feels like it is a little bit longer than it needs to be. The mid-section and solo in particular feel like they could have been cut short. It is all well-played, though. Next track, Scratch, has that similar hard hitting feel. The opening riff is reminiscent of something you might hear in a Disturbed song. Don't get me wrong...the song itself sounds nothing like Disturbed. That's just the best comparison I can come up with for that riff. The song itself is pretty rocking but the vocals bug me a tiny bit. I'm not expecting Israeli bands to sound exactly like American or British bands but when an accent is a little bit too strong, it can throw me off a little bit. Guitarists and vocalists Auriya and Yonatan share singing duties throughout the record and it's at the beginning of this track that the Israeli accent really shines through. 
    Torch Torture takes the tempo down a bit. Compared to the first two tracks, it has more of a Alt. Rock vibe. It slowly dawned on me that it sounds a little bit like Kool Thing (Sonic Youth) only a fair bit slower. What really sticks out on this track, possibly due to the weird mixing of the EP in general, is the bass playing. Throughout the song, and especially in the chorus, bassist Eilon does some pretty crazy runs which sound great. The track really picks up near the end when the band turn up the volume a bit more for a heavy instrumental section before rocking out on the final chorus. Next track Jeronimo is, I guess, almost meant to be the band's theme song. This is definitely one of the main songs that got people moving at their shows (when there were people). It runs on a bit of a repetitive riff throughout a good part of it but we do get a break in the song which builds to a continuous proclamation of "JERONIMO".
   Stabbing Sound comes across as something heavily influenced by the British Invasion of the 60s. It has a simple yet rocking main riff and a catchy chorus. Final track Zero Kills' riff has Queens Of The Stone Age written all over it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. With Auriya's raw vocals, the song takes on a more grunge feel. There is some wonderful musicianship all round from the middle part right up to the end. 
    As I already knew from their live shows, Jeronimo are very competent musicians but some of the songs sometimes feel like their lacking something. It could be because of the accents, the tempo being too slow on some tracks, or how certain instruments and vocals sound too high or even too low in the mix...but whatever it is, the EP is still enjoyable. In a way, the flaws do give it a raw quality. The overall subject matter of the EP is still a little bit lost on me, however that doesn't necessarily spoil the enjoyment. Musically, Aircraft Boneyard is my favourite, with the emotional chorus of "You feel OK" and instrumental finish on Zero Kills making it the stand out track.

3.5/5

Promo and Interview: Yawning Dog

   For my first promo and interview article, I have the honour to bring to you YAWNING DOG!! The band have had the privilege of being named 2014 Breakthrough Artist of the Year by Musically Fresh, a well-known music site that this dummy has only just found out about!! 

  Yawning Dog hail from Hemsworth in West Yorkshire, UK and like loading peoples' ears with crazy, distorted grunge. I sent a few questions to guitarist and vocalist Sam and lead guitarist Ryan and they were willing to cooperate.

...Sort of....

1. How and when did the band form?
   
   Ryan: We all met in a room 1 day before our 1st gig and played some music, and we saw that it was good.
2. What kind of material were you playing around with at the beginning?
   
   
   Sam: Cloth.
3. Where was your first show?
   
   
   R: First Show..
   S: Snooty Fox in Wakefield, with Penguin
   R: We were rubbish.
   S: Penguin we(re) awesome.
4. What and when was your first release or upload?
   
   
   R: We have nothing to say on this matter.
   
   :/
5. Who is the main writer of the band?
   
   
   R: We complete each other..
   S:  We're like 4 nuts in a ball sack
   R: Any idea that anybody has is channeled through the inner spirit of the dog and comes out mangled and with more fuzz and shouting.
6. What is the Hemsworth/West Yorkshire scene like?
   
   
   S: We're half of the bands in Hemsworth, and the other is better.
   R: Yeah, Jam Abraham are an awesome band
   S: Hemsworth is a very small town though
   R: The West Yorkshire scene in general is great though.
   S: Check out Allusondrugs, Forever Cult, Treason Kings, NARCS, Valours.
7. What are your dreams for the band?
   
   
   S: I want to win X Factor
   R: I once dreamt we'd play and people would turn up, and then the next week they did… Spooky
8. What's the weirdest thing to happen to you or that you witnessed at one of your shows or on tour?
   
   
   R: Playing in a prison
   S: Thats how we met
   R: I was in for insider trading
   S: I was a Cheese thief
9. What is everyone's aftershow snack of choice?
   
   
   R: We're all too full from the big fat grungeyness
10. What's your poison?
    
    
    S: Arsenic
    
    (They probably would have said that even if I just asked "Favourite drink?")
11. Best venue you played at?
    
    
    R: Probably Parish in Huddersfield, for our single launch
    S: 360 in Leeds is great as well, we want to play there again at some point.
12. Worst venue you played at?
    
    
    R: 'Castonbury'; it was a fundraiser for a rugby club in Castleford and we were really out of place.
13. What was your favourite kids' show growing up?
    
    
    S: Teen Titans
    R: Thomas the Tank Engine
14. What's your favourite show now?
    
    
    R: Collectively we all enjoy Trailer Park Boys
    S: Breaking Bad and Simpsons
15. Pearl Jam or Soundgarden?
    
    
    S: Smashing Pumpkins
    R: Sonic Youth
16. Rancid or NOFX?
    
    
    S: The Clash
    R: Minor Threat
    
    ("Neither" would have sufficed, too, you know?)
17. What's your favourite recent chart/pop song?
    
    
    S: They're all too good
    R: We're all massive fans of Nicki Minaj and you can hear that in the music.
18. What was your favourite release of 2014?

           S: Allusondrugs EP

           R: Led Zeppelin Re-issues

For any of you dotted around the UK, these are Yawning Dog's upcoming dates, including a tour with Bi:Lingual.

17th Jan - Santiagos Bar, Leeds
29th Jan - Mulberry's Tavern, Sheffield*
30th Jan - Players Bar, Wakefield*
31st Jan - Carpe Diem, Leeds*
1st Feb - Parish, Huddersfield*
19th Feb - South Sea, Sheffield
26th Feb - Spread Eagle, York
*Bi:Lingual Tour support

Here are all the links where you can check out the bands work and follow them on their merry journey through life..:

Don't Be Shy, Vlad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGKXSMq71Rc

I've Only Got One Ghost

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgCrMpGJO1c

https://www.facebook.com/yawningdogtheband

https://soundcloud.com/yawningdog

https://twitter.com/Yawning_Dog

Live Review: Jeronimo/Sug Bet/Behemut HaAhava @ Koro, Tel Aviv [29th November 2014]

Jeronimo

Sug Bet

Behemut HaAhava

Today, I come to Koro for one of the earliest shows I've been to in a while that was not some sort of "all-dayer". All 3 acts on the bill, all Israeli, I have not heard of before or seen live. If making this blog has encouraged me to do anything it is to get myself to shows I wouldn't normally go to. To discover acts aside from those playing alongside bands I already know. This can already be seen in some of the reviews I've done already and after today, I hope to keep seeing new acts or acts that I had no previous idea of.

Behemut HaAhava (The Beast of Love)

A band called Krokodil Popular were meant to be playing today. For whatever reasons I wasn't properly explained, the band itself could not make the show. However, one of the members also performs solo as Behemut HaAhava and he stands in as replacement. At first, I didn't even realise it was one of the actual acts of the night. I didn't know that the band had pulled out and thought this was just maybe a random guy or a friend of the band who was maybe allowed to play a few tunes. As he plays, I soon realise this isn't just your typical "open mic" type performer. This guy has the "gift of the gab". Maybe it is because he knows a good amount of the (very small) crowd, but even so, he is talking to us, making people giggle, mostly purely by his charm. His first song sets the tone of the evening with a grunge rock feel. The song is in Hebrew and seems to be generally about "rocking out". I'm still not great at making full translations of Hebrew songs that I'm hearing live, but that's the general gist I got. He also name-dropped some legends like Jimi (Hendrix) and Kurt Cobain as examples of influences.  The song is mostly the same chord over again but then changes riff at the end. This guy exhibits his charm once again through his expressive vocal delivery. Moving from soft range to roof-raisingly loud, he knows how to use dynamics to great effect. Most of the set stays along a 90s rock theme with a hint of blues here and there. You tend to get a lot of people doing this sort of stuff but his songs just seemed to have a better structure and more interesting vocal melodies than what I've heard before. He is also a more fun performer than other acoustic artists. He makes a few jokes and makes pretend that he's going to play the drums but just turns the snare off that was vibrating throughout his set. He encourages crowd participation with clapping etc... but also asked us all to talk before the 4th song. That actually worked as a great intro. By the end of his set, I am sure he had gained some more fans such as myself.
4/5

Sug Bet (Type B/Second Class)

Next up are Haifa based rock outfit Sug Bet. Not being funny, but the name is quite fitting for the band. Throughout their set, the band pretty much come across as a bit of a college band. They play fairly grungey/90s alt rock but nothing really hits the spot. The songs are likable and get a bit of dancing from....I'm guessing, friends. The guitarist and singer Uriah plays some simple yet effective solos which help give the songs a little more umph! As a whole, the performance just seems very static. The bassist (Gil) is barely moving at all. I guess he's putting all his strength into moving his fingers that it's forgetting to go to his hips and legs. The drummer's (Tomer) fills also seem pretty sloppy which is off putting at times. In addition to their own material, the band do 2 covers; Nirvana's Aneurysm and The Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog. The Nirvana cover lacks the slow tempo swing that the original has. It just does not have any real backbone behind it. The Stooges' cover was a little better but probably because a) it's a classic and b) they were joined by a sax player. I looooooove the saxophone. I believe that the saxophone can make anything amazing. Seeing someone actually join in on sax for this was pretty cool. The sax player was jumping around and musically running up and down the scale which gave the performance a little bit more life. No other songs really stood out for me in this set and they didn't really leave a lasting impression on my mind. Hopefully with time, they might expand upon their work and learn to play more expressively. This could have just been an off day, too. You never know. Both Sug Bet and Krokodil Popular (as long as they don't cancel again) will play at Syrup in Haifa on Saturday 20th December.
2/5

Jeronimo

Finishing off the night is Tel Aviv based rockers Jeronimo. These 4 guys were definitely the right band for this position. They start off with heavy rocking number Geronimo (spelt the right way) and I see/hear straight away that these guys know how to play. As a refreshing change from...well, the last band, the drummer is doing some great fills. Both guitarists partake in singing duties which makes the band more interesting. They have quite different singing styles; one having more of moody talking style and the other quite a more traditional rock voice. As different as their voices may sound separately, they manage to make some cool sounding, albeit creepy harmonies on their second song. Their third song of the set, said to be a 'new one' (it's all new to me, basically), is possibly my favourite of the set. It starts off with the drummer doing a typical a swing rhythm and then slowly builds to a heavy riff with a cool groove. Everyone who knows me knows that I love me some groove. This tune had me headbanging and almost busting a move, if it wasn't for trying to write as many notes as possible.

The rest of the show continues along the same lines with great riffs and energetic playing. The guys come off stage and started rocking out on the venue floor. It is such a shame that ALMOST NO-ONE IS HERE! I don't know where they all went but they aren't here anymore. Not that it started out with a lot of people, anyway. Jeronimo were definitely the best of the night and I'm hoping to hear some good recordings soon. Their recordings on YouTube are not all that impressive. They might even have a different drummer as the drumming on the recordings are nowhere near as good as what I witnessed live. Jeronimo have the songs and the charisma which will helpfully get them more recognition in the scene. Like Sug Bet, they still come off a little college band-ish...but only a little. Keep an eye out for them. They have a show at Syrup in Haifa on Friday 19th December and also a show at Radio EPGB in Tel Aviv on Sunday 21st.

4/5