It's been awhile since a group of young upstarts made a seven-song E.P. as good as this one as this one:
...and their other E.P. arrived in the mail today: I took the recommendation of a friend and ordered both of these E.P.'s... they have a very appealing sound to my 63-year old ears (probably not their target demographic, but...).
Excellent stuff Guy. Very strong Go-Betweens vibe sailing through both, although these guys rock a bit harder. This should appeal to anyone who likes Aussie pop with an emphasis on the jangle. That the second e.p. is better than the first bodes well for the debut album. Thanks for the tip!
Played both of these a couple of times on Spotify and I am charmed. Not breaking new ground here, it's your basic guitar pop with an occasional hard edge, but what they do they do very well, the songs revealed more nuance on the 2nd play, and they are indeed excellent. They have been ordered and are on the way. Again, if you are a Go-Betweens fan this is right up your alley.
They have a timeless charm to my ears as well. I can imagine seeing them on a bill at Maxwell's 35-years ago.
Here's the new single, pure guitar pop wonderfulness. This is the band everyone will be talking about in a few months. Paging @Guy E.
Yes, love these dudes! They're touring the US this spring/summer, I'm hoping to catch them in May and am hyped for their debut full-length.
Based on the videos I've checked out on You Tube, they're an excellent live band. They even have the good taste to cover "Blue Boy" by Orange Juice. Hoping to check them out at Rough Trade Brooklyn in May.
In a huge RBCF phase these days! Bought tickets immediately as soon as I saw they announced a Toronto show. They've got that poppy sound on the surface, but I'm loving how a lot of their songs have a sweetly psychedelic, layered guitar freakout coda!
That new track is great. There are also another five songs available on Bandcamp dating back to 2014 and 2013. I've got a 19-song CDR now that I've played on random, and it really hangs-together. Their sound was in place from the beginning. I do hope that they release an ALBUM this year, but if they've decided that EP's and DL tracks get more traction, who am I to judge? It's not my world anymore and they're headlining Rough Trade... they must be doing something right. I don't know if these guys will be BIG, but I agree that their BUZZ is going to be [big].
There are some solos here and there, but they're more like "composed" segments of the songs. The guitars are tightly-knit, they never just strum along... it's pretty intricate stuff. They obviously enjoy playing their instruments, but they don't show off about it. I sure do wish I could see them live in a joint like Rough Trade.
There is a full concert up on you tube from last year. Not the best sound but it proves they can bring it live. The show at rough trade is 15 bucks so I'm definitely going to try and make it.
This song is a few years old, from a split 4-song EP. This is one of my favorites by Rolling Blackouts C.F.
Planted myself five feet in front of the band at a show in a supremely tiny club the other night. Had my face blown off accordingly. These guys SMOKE!! They have definitely raved up some of these arrangements compared to the record -- almost every song had one (or sometimes three or four) absolutely rippin' guitar solos. The guys switched lead vocal duties all night, each guy more impressive than the last. I cannot think of a better recipe for a band than an air-tight rhythm section combined with intricate, inventive playing and fiery axe-work. These guys have quickly cemented themselves upon my "must-see whenever possible" concert pantheon. A+!
Going to see them this Saturday at Rough Trade Brooklyn. Been looking forward to it for quite a while. Did they do "Blue Boy" by Orange Juice? Album comes out next month supposedly.
New album "Hope Downs" out today, got my vinyl on order...really digging this cool band! (Nice Thread, Guy E!)
Got the album a few days early and I posted this in the Best New Albums 2018 thread so I just copied it for here. Yes, I'm that lazy. They nailed it with this. One of those bands that already sounded fully formed from the first e.p., with this album they sound like a classic guitar band. Every song has a different feel, different approach, and all are deceptively simple, there's really a lot going on and the songwriting is airtight. But it's the guitars that make this band, and they chime, soar, intertwine and jangle, without ever coming off as trying too hard. Laid back without sacrificing tension. Classic rhythm section, tight and smooth, laying the bedrock those guitars need. A ridiculously solid band, this reminds me of debuts by The Smiths, The Strokes and REM in that you wonder " how the hell did they get this good this fast"? Been playing this non-stop since I got it, a truly fantastic debut album, one of the best ever.
Album closer "The Hammer" really hits my Go-Betweens sweet spot, it wouldn't have been put of place on Spring Hill Fair.
Can't wait for this, won't get my vinyl for about a week as I do not want to drive 2 hours total to get it (my local shop close by did not get it)...got the Loser edition but would have been just as happy with the standard black. Between this band and "The Record Company" some pretty cool new sounds are starting to emerge!
One of Philly legend Kenn Kweder's backup bands several years ago (I'd guess early 90s) was called the Rolling Blackouts!
Rolling Blackouts C.F - Hope Downs is $9.86 - vinyl (1-4 week delay) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CBLS7HM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
