The Wind-Up Birds are Leeds based bunch of rebel-rousers who blend post-punk bite with infectious pop hooks to create instant shout along anthems full of sharp riffs and biting observations on every day life.

The band first began to create waves with their first 7″ single, Tyre Fire released a couple of years back, the track along (with follow up singles Courage and Tomorrow Will Be Worse EP) received tons of support and plaudits from far and awide, from the humble blogger to the bastion of taste that is Steve Lamacq, who promptly playlisted their tracks for weeks on 6 Music. As the band’s stock began to rise they were picked out to support the likes of Art Brut, The Wedding Present and Jeffrey Lewis among others.

Now The Wind-Up Birds are set to cement their place as one of the year’s must hear bands with the release of their debut album, The Land, a stunning eleven track affair full of spiky guitars, contagious melodies and razor sharp lyrics.

The album opens with the Good Shop Shuts, a glorious slab of hard hitting commentary, concerning itself with the plight of the humble shopkeeper in the wake of the ever expanding supermarket giants and how we allow all the good shops to simply disappear (a poignant tale that anyone who loves music can relate to, with the continuous closure of record shops country wide). Frontman Paul Ackroyd delivers a wonderful half-spoken, half spat vocal, whilst the band offer up mob like backing vocals and a call to arms with their frenzied take on clattering pop punk.

From such addictive and urgent beginnings, the band continue to deliver with their scathing vocals and gigantic hooks, creating observational post-punk that has your brain working as well as your feet, one minute you get the frantic and feral Cross Country, the next a slow, brooding, witty take on national identity and patriotism on the inventive There Won’t Always Be An England.

Highlights come thick and fast throughout the albums duration, with the likes of the angsty Nostalgic For… a track that begins talking about how everything used to be peachy, before breaking down into a unflinching attack of reality, trashing those so-called good old days with a soundtrack of no-nonsense vocals and sparse, stabbing riffs. In direct contrast to the desolate instrumentation is Escape From New Yorkshire a showcase of those aforementioned big pop sensibilities with it’s use of melodic harmonies and catchy sing-a-long hook, whilst Pop Man wouldn’t sound out of place on an Art Brut opus, it’s a fun filled frothy two and half minute slice of pure pop punk, that’s the perfect cure for those summertime blues.

If you want hooks, if you want wit, if you want real life social commentary, if you want a modern day take on post punk, if you want an album that sums up that beautifully ugly mess we call life, if you want an album that’s both catchy and thought provoking then I highly suggest you seek out The Land by The Wind-Up Birds, it might just provide the soundtrack to your every day manifesto.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.thewindupbirds.co.uk

Gary Stewart is a singer-songwriter (and bass player in Ellen And The Escapades!!!) originally from Perth, but now hailing from Leeds who blends a combination of stripped down folk, dramatic pop and Americana to create a sound that’s both instant and intoxicating, bringing to mind the likes of Neil Young and Paul Simon along with more contemporary names such as the likes of (fellow Scotsman) James Yorkston and the string assisted sounds of Admiral Fallow, whilst managing to form a sound that’s very much his own.

Debut album, Boy Cries Wolf immediately received a great deal of support from the likes of R2 and Maverick Magazine, whilst Steve Lamacq also embraced the album on his Radio Two program. From there Gary went onto to perform at a number of high profile festivals, taking in the likes of Glastonbury, Kendal and Greenbelt to name but a few, he also managed to tread the boards in support of the likes of Noah And The Whale, Laura Marling, Fionn Reagan and Emma Pollock.

Year And A Day is a brand new four-track affair featuring all those favourite folky topics such as love, lust, paranoia and prostitution performed and delivered with flair and a fiery passion that bewitches the listener and urges them to delve further into the depths of each number.

The EP opens with Thorns, a stunning and dramatic country tinged number, complete with delicate plucked and pedal steel guitars and Gary’s glorious world weary vocals, complimented with soaring vocal harmonies and waves of crashing percussion that puncture the delicate serene nature of the song and lift it to another level, building to a sensational harmony enriched finale that leaves you breathless.

Eve follows and proves that Gary is no one trick pony, it’s a beautiful number with tender guitars and strings providing the musical backing, whilst the man himself delivers a gorgeous Celtic tinged croon that overflows with raw and honest emotion tugging at the heartstrings along the way. Green changes tact once more, showcasing a more upbeat boisterous side to Gary’s songbook, whereby he summons up visions of prime-time Waterboys or Mumford & Sons as driving fiddles and strummed guitar collide to form a wonderful, foot-stomping, fiery folk rocker giving the listener the perfect opportunity to holler along.

Gary completes the EP with Blue, a song that begins with a stark almost desolate guitar before building into a harmony enriched, hook-laden chorus breaking through the darkness leaving the listener with a warm fuzzy feeling as the choral vocal refrain brings the CD to a wondrous conclusion.

Year And A Day is an incredible showcase of a singer-songwriter very much on the top of his game, it has everything you could possibly want, hooks, light and shade, sing-a-longs, clever instrumentation and a rich, varied vocal delivery that’ll have you scrambling back for repeat spins. If you’ve not yet witnessed the majestic sounds of Gary Stewart I highly recommend you grab a hold of this now.

Rhythm & Booze Review 10

www.twitter.com/garystewartband

www.garystewart.tumblr.com

www.garystewart.bandcamp.com

http://soundcloud.com/garystewartband/sets

Right I’m going to make this introduction to the Damn Damn Patriots, short, sharp and spikey just like the band themselves. The group are a four-piece hailing from Reading, they mix up a combination 0f punk, garage rock, pop and good old fashioned rock n’ roll to create a glorious addictive racket that has already found favour with the likes of Frank Skinner and This Is A Popscene to name just two early champions of the band.

Damn Damn Patriots can usually be found out on the road delivering their infectious holler along anthems, converting the masses along the way, in the next few months they’ll be stamping the boards with Pil as guest support act on one of Lydon’s army forthcoming dates.

Somewhere between the constant gigging the band have taken time to record their debut album, Duke It Out With…. and if you like noisy, raw, punchy rock you’re going to love the band’s ten track, twenty two minute affair.

Right from the off, the band lay down their intent with the blistering Keep Swimming, a high octane, adrenaline flooded garage punk  classic, chock full of serrated guitars, battered beats and howling vocals, it’s jagged, it’s raw, it’s just what the doctor ordered to blow those cobwebs away. From their the band crank it up further with the likes of former single Family Unit, the shout-a-long This Is The Song You’d Expect Me To Write and the down-right out of control fast, faster, slow punk frenzy of Blood On Satan’s Claw.

The band don’t just write hundred mile an hour punk rock, they also manage to find sapce to weave a few big pop hooks into frantic sound adding heartfelt harmonies on the likes of Do The Sellout and State Of NY, whilst the clattering pop of In The End has lo-fi hit of the summer written all over it.

Damn Damn Patriots debut album is out in June and if you like noisy, shouty, buzzsaw friendly, supercharged hook-laden, punk driven clatter-pop it’s worth raising your dukes and fighting for a copy of this one.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 8

www.woodenhouse.me.uk

ATTIKA 7 to Release Debut Full-Length Album ‘Blood Of My Enemies’ on July 30, 2012 with Ninetone / Membran

In 2011, a shattering force comprised of diversified heavy metal veterans arose amongst the hills of California, rapidly emerging as new, refreshed musical project ATTIKA 7. Poised to bludgeon up the charts past today’s stark contemporaries, the fan-dubbed “super group” is set to release their debut full-length album, Blood of My Enemies on July 30, 2012 with Ninetone / Membran in Europe.

ATTIKA 7 features ex-Biohazard vocalist Evan Seinfeld, lead guitarist, notable songwriter and famed (Sons of Anarchy) motorcycle builder Rusty Coones, and bassist Tony Campos, founding member of Static X, who also currently performs in Soulfly, Prong, Possessed, Asesino and Ministry. ATTIKA 7 combines evil sounding riffs, melodic vocal lines, with old school guitar solos and undeniable grooves into a sonic frenzy of outlaw biker counter culture.

“As I embarked on my journey of musical and personal reinvention, the first step was to put together a band of incredible players, with diverse styles and a unified vision to write, record and perform timeless heavy metal, backed by an authentic outlaw lifestyle,” states vocalist Evan Seinfeld

The band recorded Blood of My Enemies with legendary producer MUDROCK (Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack). Blood of My Enemies is a brutal slab of unrelenting hard rock, with the initial groundwork laid by guitarist Rusty Coones in the confines of a federal penitentiary. It was in this unforgiving environment that he penned the songs that would eventually become the band’s uncompromising debut.

Vocalist Evan Seinfeld recently retired from Brooklyn’s Biohazard, a band he formed in his teenage years. “After 10 albums and probably around 4000 concerts with Biohazard across 90 countries spanning 25 years, all I can say is that the only thing constant in life is change, and without it, things can become stagnant and repetitious. The creative situation for me playing with Rusty and Tony in ATTIKA 7 fosters my genuine creativity to flow, and allowed us to build something heavy, authentic, new and exciting from the ground up. ATTIKA 7 is something I am beyond passionate about and so excited – Blood of My Enemies is THE album in my opinion.”

ATTIKA 7 will take to the road this summer with an ‘in your face’ live show combining all that is good in life: Bikes, Girls and Rock n Roll. Stay tuned for tour dates coming soon.

For more information on ATTIKA 7, please visit these websites:

https://www.facebook.com/attika7

https://twitter.com/Attika7

http://attika7.tumblr.com/

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Ninetone Records:

Ninetone Records is Sweden’s most successful Rock/Metal label hosting bands like Entombed, Blindside and CORRODED. Launched in 2004 by Patrik Frisk, Ninetone supports new rock and metal artists offering them an all-round package: With its affiliated studios Ninetone not only is able to see their Swedish-based bands through production with renowned producer Patrik Frisk, but also offering them a label home. With their Booking branch Ninetone Nation and own touring buses they also cover the live-side and are responsible for chart entries and several Platinum selling albums in Sweden. Recently joining forces with Membran Entertainment Group, they are now looking at intensifying their international exposure. Ninetone’s competence in the rock and metal genre come together with Membran’s expertise in the fields of marketing and distribution, taking advantage of their worldwide infrastructure and launching new artists with combined strength.

www.ninetone.com

Membran Entertainment Group:

The Membran Entertainment Group is today one of the music industry’s leading European independents. With its head office in the media city of Hamburg, Germany and established since 1968, Membran produces, sells and distributes its comprehensive media products both independently and through our experienced partners – not only nationally but worldwide! Through their label-management services, Membran offers third party labels, artists or producers a complete service ranging from A to Z to enable the successful marketing, promotion and distribution of music designed for today’s digital age worldwide. National and international acts and signings find their way to Membran, celebrating chart entries and enjoying the attention of both media and public as a result. Newcomers and established stars have been successfully launched and marketed, including Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, Howie D., Glen Campbell, Gregory Porter, Brian Setzer and many more.

For more information visit: www.membran.net

LONE WOLF

LONE WOLF RETURNS, ANNOUNCES THE LOVERS, SWAN OF MEANDER AND PLEDGE CAMPAIGN

Paul Marshall aka Lone Wolf has been locked away for over a year in a converted barn on the East Coast with James Kenosha and Jon Fougler, putting the finishing touches to his new album The Lovers. Today he announces a Pledge music campaign to help release and tour the record he has spent creating over the last year. Paul set out to create music that couldn’t be categorised, pulling his powerful vocal narratives front and centre with the rest of the canvas painted at his free will.

“Having the means to have a fan-funded direct to market approach is something I believe will do The Lovers justice and having fans engage in the project is something that will be mutually beneficial. The pledge campaign will include some unique incentives including Piano lessons, hand written lyric books, Skype gigs and house performances”.

Along with the pledge Paul has announced the first single. The Swan of Meander is the first fruits of The Lovers and a natural choice of single. It’s a powerful percussive song that features his good friend Blue Roses on backing vocals. It’s a perfect song to bridge the first album, The Devil and I with the new.

Lone Wolf began life in 2009 in various dusty rooms and tape studios around Sweden where Paul Marshall (aka Lone Wolf) pulled his songs and ideas slowly together with the assistance of Kristofer Jonson from Jeniferever. After a month of various field recordings, sneaking into concert halls late at night to use the piano, setting up their gear in small village churches, and other places they could find, the basic album tracks were done. The resulting album, The Devil And I, Lone Wolf’s debut, was released on Bella Union in mid-2010 to welcome arms. A new singer-songwriter to behold was born that day.

Pledge Campaign Began Yesterday (14th May)

Swan of Meander will be out 25th June.

  www.pledgemusic.com/projects/lonewolf