MENACE BEACH – and so she thinks

Menace Beach – Black Rainbow Sound

admin — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 16:53:18 +0000

With sonic alacrity and musical ferocity the Leeds trio Menace Beach are back. They return with news of their third album Black Rainbow Sound, which is due out August 31st via Memphis Industries, and are sharing the album-titled first single from the record online now.

The pop perfect track is visceral and vibrant, with slices of analogue flicker, electronic euphoria and bristling guitars. It rushes with lusting urgency whilst keeping taut and potent, before descending into a spiralling outro with spoken overdubbing from Brix Smith.

The band will be heading around the UK in October.

Menace Beach – Tennis Court

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 14:20:30 +0000

Slacker punk from Leeds’ finest trio, (possibly, I haven’t done a full analysis of how number of members correlates with musical quality) this is the brilliant Tennis Court by Menace Beach. Starting of more ambient and gentle than past performances, it soon breaks into vibrant and frantic pummeling of the best variety.

Sky Larkin: wave after wave of brilliance

admin — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:55:09 +0000

Given that they are about to kick of their UK tour to support new album Motto, the one subject to rave reviews, 8/10 ratings and general buzz, Katie Harkin, founder, writer, singer and guitarist of Sky Larkin would be forgiven for feeling nervous or frantic, buzzing about the attention she is receiving and anxious as to how to perform to the level of the bar that has been set. As it is we are sat downstairs in The Lexington, munching chips, chatting away. Only after twenty minutes or so, when soundcheck is upon them, do we realise that there has been no question and answer situation, but a genuinely nice conversation. The gregarious and lovely Katie is chatty, happy, and quietly welcoming, saying thank you at any mere hint of praise, suggesting that not only are they one of the most exciting bands on the scene, but one of the nicest.
Today they have been playing an acoustic session for This is Fake DIY, something she describes as ‘odd for band like us, but nice.’ Loud and proud, their sound is not one that would immediately translate to acoustic, but she ‘enjoyed it. There is so much muscle memory to music, and you get used to physically playing live, so it is nice to strip it back to the song. I don’t want to be bound up in the athleticism of it all, and that isn’t why I play the way I play. Just because we can play really fast and loud now, but that doesn’t always mean that we should!’
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EycdIduOb70&w=560&h=315]
The way she plays is vibrant and vital, and the new songs have a rush of urgency that is immediate as well as intimate. It has always been this way, for both debut album The Golden Spike in 2009 and 2011 sophomore Kaleide, but the writing process for Motto accelerated the level of intensity and sound. Written whilst Katie was touring for twenty months with fellow Yorkshire band Wild Beasts, there was a need for immediacy and as she testifies, ‘there is nothing like a final boarding call or a limited few days back at home’ to force you to write.’
Whilst writing was done on the road, recording happened back in the band’s hometown of Leeds. The Leeds music scene is one that she rightly has a lot of pride in, the home leg of this tour at the legendary Brudenell Social Club being ‘the only place to be’ although confesses that she finds the hostessing element sometimes stressful. Just a day before they donated t shirts from their first album The Golden Spike to local record shops Jumbo and Crash. ‘We’re so lucky to have two independent music shops. There are cities that have massive universities that don’t have record shops. Can you believe that? Only HMVs.’
Sky Larkin’s place in the hierarchy of music is an odd one. They have been around for nearly five years, and are signed to mighty label Wichita, home of The Cribs, Los Campesinos, and Frankie & The Heartstrings, yet are still moderately small. Part of the reason for this is that although the band is ‘old’ they are ‘young.’ Right from the get go with debut single Fossil I they picked up attention from such a young age, being suddenly cast into the indie public eye right from the start, when Nestor was still at school and Kate had just started university. People shouldn’t put too much weight upon their age though. As Kate says, ‘we were just that age. We were lucky in many ways that we got attention so close to the start, it was right from the beginning. In the age of the internet everyone grows up in public, so people have always been aware of us.’

What it does mean though is that there is a clear evolving progression to their sound, and general consensus is that on Motto they have stepped up a gear with The Fly, NME and The Guardian all raving about them. Again, Kate believes this to be something that is pretty obvious. ‘Between the ages of like 17 and 24 you change a lot, and so our sound has also altered. We’ve become more mature so I guess that the sound has to. It’s not a conscious decision, but a natural evolution. Of course we have changed, so of course our sound has.’
As a label Wichita is a good place for them to be, and a great umbrella for the band, the support that comes from a mass indie label never dulling the vibrancy of the independent band. The label are sat at a table next to us drinking pints and eating burgers, all hanging out together. ‘There’s a huge deal of push and pull, we are always trying to create opportunities for each other, and we come to them with ideas and vice versa. There are no restrictions..’ In fact later on, when on stage, Katie thanks the label for responding to her text to ‘bring whisky to the stage please.’
Everywhere people have been commenting on the band’s time off, but whilst Nestor was finishing his degree and playing in Menace Beach, members changing (it was bassist Michael Matthews first gig tonight, and Nile Marr and Sam Pryor perform on the album) Katie had ‘never physically worked so hard in my life.’ Touring, learning new songs, writing the album, as well as ‘trying to be a good person to everyone at home’ takes its toll. This is the first hint that things have not been so rosy on a personal level. Losses and loves have clearly influenced the songs and the lyrics, and it wasn’t something that Katie spoke to people about until the release of Loom, her ‘fake out.’ Is the album an exorcism in some way then? ‘I can’t detach myself from what happened, and when I write I guess it all comes out, but the way they are written though means that people can read the lyrics and understand or they can take it as a pop song, the way it is.’
With a level of complexity and depth the new album reflects a game change and step up for the band, be that conscious or not. At tonight’s gig I am with three people who have never heard the band before. Each goes home and buys the album that evening. Like me they are enamored by Katie’s reticent beauty and banter, but also those immediate and captivating great pop songs, slow building gritty lyrics, and the band’s masterful stage vibrations. Sky Larkin, and Katie Harkin, have no reason to feel nervous or frantic – they have talent and tunes.

Live At Leeds 2013

admin — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:06:12 +0000

Leeds is a city brimming with musical talent and enthusiasm, every northern street oozing some kind of inspiration and output, and the annual Live At Leeds festival sees a whole host of bands join the homegrown musicians to celebrate and showcase the best in new music. This year, the city slicking festival’s seventh year, saw over 120 artists performing across the city, from native and highly successful Yorkshire lads The Pigeon Detectives to new and emerging Witch Hunt, local legends Sky Larkin to New York newbies MS MR, and straight up swilling rock’n’roll band The Struts to soulful synths courtesy of Lulu James. Determined to see as many bands as possible, without running around the city like a relentless parking attendant on speed, we spent Saturday 4th May discovering some new favourites.
Kicking off at uber cool Nation Of Shopkeepers was young Georgia Thursting. Soulful and skittish, Georgia and her band played a funk and bluesy melange, all short songs about love and heartbreak. For those keen to find out more, the helpful lass has made it easier to hunt her down amongst the devilishly densely populated world wide web, stressing to the titters of captivated gentlemen the doe eyed songstress stressed that her name is not Thrusting but Thursting. Told.
Menace Beach have been something of a buzz band of late, and their short (15 mins max) set revealed why. Pivoting around the boy girl dynamic duo of Ryan and Liza and supplemented with members of Sky Larkin and Hookworms, their scuzzy grunge riffs and furiously grooving melodies have been turning heads.
Live music in a church is always a winner, especially when accompanied by a pint, and today was no different. Leeds’ Holy Trinity Church is one of the county’s most eminent art spaces, and we arrived in time to catch the end of George Ezra‘s set. The shifting strains of this young songsmith resonated through the rafters of the church, his vocals and notes blossoming into inspired and invigorating tunes. After his final notes died away and we were left with chills, we ran to Mill’s, the least practical venue ever imagined, to cTxh the bluesy swing of Liverpool born David Broad, all toe tapping eccentricity.
DH Lawrence’s Sons And Lovers is one of my favourite books of all time, its detailed and delicate dissection of the complexities of relationships and resolutions so striking and powerful, subtle in their sophistication. The band of the same name are more immediately brash and accessible, like a version of White Lies meets Vampire Weekend, or something similar. Soaring choruses and simple melodies, they make good, yet somewhat entry level indie.
Next up was a sprint up to the Uni to see what Post War Glamour Girls had to offer. Straddling pendulum style between glorious soaring strings and harmonies and angst driven roars and rumbles, this home grown band sent shivering and colossal shifts through the crowd as they captivated via their intimidating and heavy ambience. Australian indie rockers Deep Sea Aracde were up me their raucous and furious rock crackling with punishing thrills on the stage.
I can’t remember a time in my life when my aural excitement hasn’t been fuelled by guitar wielding bands, but apparently guitar music has been dead for a while, and Savages are the band to bring it back. The following statement may have me vilified and marginalised by small music press, but, really? Not nearly as tantalising and the reviews and hyperbole would have you believe, the set was frustrating and limited, failing to set me alight. I seemed to be alone however, as the crowd rocked and swayed with adulation. Wolf Alice have been making waves on the airwaves with their stupefyingly youthful melodies and crackling hooks, and today’s gig reassured early fans that their faith was not misplaced. Poppy 90s influenced grunge flecked with thrillingly steadfast riffs, they could well be one of the new waves of bands to last longer than a few months.
By this point the Cockpit was already operating a one in one out system as the queue snaked multiple streets from the venue. The crowd lined up in anticipation of something of a buzz line up, with Peace and their fellow B town buzz band Swim Deep on the bill, punctuated by the gritty and soaring Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The latter are seductively sincere, their grubby tumbling songs instinctive and invigorating. Particularly potent and thrilling onstage, their vivid and resonant melodies were delivered in a somewhat seismic fashion. With both Swim Deep and Peace you know what you are getting, and they rarely disappoint. Sunny grunge, soaring choruses, languid and defiant lyrics and entrancing guitars, both bands banged out tune after tune. Even in the dark and wintry tunnel of the Cockpit Swim Deep’s summer tune King City warmed and welcomed with spirit. Despite Peace lead singer Harry’s best attempt to distract from the musical output of his band, by rocking a sartorial ensemble put together by cutting up his grandmother’s curtains, tablecloth, and carpet, all in one outfit, he was unable to detract from what are some absolute belters of songs, Lovesick and Float Forever being particularly riotous.
As the final notes of played and the crowd descended into indie disco, the overwhelming feeling was one of success. Sore feet, followed by an even sorer head the next morning, hut a whole host of newly discovered bands to further investigate, and even more that I could not fit into the day but have added to the list to find. Another year and yet further proof that this northern city has a lot to offer.

Live At Leeds 2013

admin — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:19:26 +0000

It’s important to know (and I say this as someone who lives in London and grew up dreaming of doing so) that the capital is not always where it is at. Cities across the UK are bubbling with creativity and musical delight, and in fact the more succinct style of many cities means that as a genuine hub and collective for musical creativity they function better than the expansive and competitive London. Leeds is one such example, and Live At Leeds, an annual festival since 2007, celebrates the local whilst not being so narrow minded as to presume that the rest of the UK is devoid of talent, uniting the best upcoming local bands alongside more established national acts.
Taking place over May Bank Holiday, this year the weekend kicks off with The Unconference , a schedule of seminars and talks on the music business. Curated by whiskas (¡Forward, Russia!, Dance To The Radio, IMGNTN) and supported by Leeds Metropolitan University, the focus this year will be around networking and the landscape of music consumption in the digital landscape, a pertinent issue for creators, consumers, and everyone in between.
It’s this that I like about Live At Leeds ; it’s not just about stumbling from bar to bar lagered up (although I love that too), but about a genuine love for music and how to make it sustainable and exciting for everyone involved. Oh yeah, and the fact that it is only £22.50 for over a hundred bands, including Little Comets, Tribes, Maybe She Will, Sons & Lovers, Theme Park, Wolf Alice, Darwin Deez, The 1975 and Yorkshire favourites Pigeon Detectives.