Traams first came to our attention a few months back when supporting Brown Brogues at Shacklewell Arms and, given that they are now the subject of a post in their own right, shows what an impression they made.
Grungey garage with a lithe groove and art-punk, spite-filled vocals is Traams' thing, as evidenced on their Bratwell produced and released, self titled EP from January. Flowers and Demons have a hint of The Cribs' whiskey fueled, line skirting punk-pop immediacy, Grin has a Santana-esque blues swing, while closer Klaus is a menacing, cholstrophobic, creeping blast of post-punk.
Expect a lot more from the London trio in coming months, and if you want a real good time, catch them at the Old Queen's Head on 14th June.
Brown Brogues
Shacklewell Arms, London
Thursday March 1, 2012
I've always had a close affinity with drum / guitar duos. From The White Stripes to Death From Above 1979, from The Kills to Japandroids, there's something pleasingly primal about the simple beatmaker, melody maker combination that slaps you about while making you dance.
So it is with Brown Brogues at Hackney's Shacklewell Arms tonight. Gaffer taped to the nines, Ben Mather perches behind his stripped-down and worse for wear drum kit in a T-shirt that takes longer to read than the band's setlist (for more on that, see here), while Mark Vernon, dressed in black, battered guitar strung up under his chin and a devilish eye peering beneath his fringe, looks in the mood.
As the audience swells inside the blue-and-green-lit underwater cavern of the Shacklewell's back room, the punk groove of 'Wildman' kicks the crowd's hips into gear. Then, 'I Just Don't Know's tale of domestic dispute amid crushing drums sees Ben call for more tape.
Listening to the duo's two-minute blasts of psych garage is akin to feeling the angst striken buzz of early White Stripes tracks like 'Lafayette Blues' or 'Hand Springs', as thumping drums provide the platform for scuzzy lo-fi guitar. There's a charm and lightness in their mid-song discussions though, with Ben's giggle at a missed intro and Mark's howled shouts of "thank you" temporarily alleviating the set's brooding garage.
The dual yelps and lyrical playfulness of early single 'Don't Touch My Hair', followed by the pulsating blues of 'Treet U Beta' close out a fast and frenetic night's work in front of an appreciative crowd, and as the band head out to SXSW, more shows like this will see Alex Turner's favourite band™ their stock rise even further.
words: Andy Porter
Brown Brogues' new single 'Anyone But You' is out now on Italian Beach Babes. The band perform at SXSW later this month.
Soon to be released on Italian Beach Babes, blues-some two-some Brown Brogues' new video for Anyone But You from Manchester Scenewipe (who also filmed their social club outing video for Treat U Beta) has pretty much all you need to know about the band. A healthy disregard for convention, equipment, noise caps and their own safety are par for the course, while they excel in making being in a band look effortlessly fun.
According to FakeDIY, the single will come out on 27th February accompanied by B-side I Drove For Miles Just To Hear About The Book That You're Reading. The band will also be in London for a show at Shacklewell Arms on March 1st, before heading out to the US. Probably minus that guitar.
Brown Brogues' Mark Vernon has been pushing the pseudonym 'King DJ for a while, and now he's rubber stamped it with the demo release of the sludgy, growling U Gon And Dun It. Sounding much like his aforementioned duo project, minus the primative, thunderous drums but with added 6am regret, the King is promising a demo release per week all the way through to Christmas.
Download the first taste below, as well as Don't Touch My Hair 7" release from earlier this year.
There's plenty of bands, Egyptian Hip Hop, Everything Everything, Wu Lyf and Christian AIDS to name but a select few, bursting from Manchester's burgeoning new class set to steal the limelight and A&R attention from their London peers.
Add to that list Brown Brogues. Listening to the duo's two minute blasts of psych garage is akin to feeling the angst striken buzz of early White Stripes demos like Lafayette Blues or Hand Springs, as thumping drums provide the platform for scuzzy lo-fi guitar.
Before they head out to SXSW, the band's debut 7" is out next week on Suffering Jukebox. For your listening pleasure, samples of two tracks from the release are below, as well as a Manchester Scenewipe directed video for Treet U Beta.
Welcome to No Action.
Based in Bow, East London, writing about stuff that sounds good.
No Action has also written for High Voltage and The Fugitive Motel.
