Tuesday 16 December 2014

8 Wonders of the world. 8 of the best singles of 2014


Singles, songs, EPS, odds, sods, widows and orphans of the year. 
As well as some cracking long players (top ten here) , there have been some terrific tunes, songs, eps and one-offs sent out to infiltrate, violate and seduce our ear holes this year. Here are 8 (no reason) of my particular favourites:

8: The Chronicles of Gnarnia - Gnarwolves
A kind of gnarly, fucked up anthology of gnarly, fucked up brilliance rather than a true album or ep but fuller than a well stoked bong packed with mind-altering, nihilistic, raw, catchy, grimy noise. Real 'pop' punk. Fuck it, just real.


7: Here We Go - Lower Than Atlantis
Down-tuned rifftastic first public offering from their brilliant eponymous fourth long player. A statement of intent and a life-affirming anthemic slug of raucous pop rock. Surely a staple for the sports channel music editors to accompany stirring, rallying victory montages. 

6: Shaking In The Water - The Xcerts
Pop. With a huge throbbing cock. Catchy, radio-friendly and hummable but with heavy fish hook barbs stitched into its lapels. A stonking proper single from one of the most enduring, endearing and hardest working bands in the land. Culled from their amazing new album and set to become an absolute non-negotiable indelible inclusion in their sets to come as they rise to inevitable stadium and world domination.


5: Slipshod - Enter Shikari
This was going to be The Last Garrison from the forthcoming new long player, but then, those crazy cats from St Albans dropped this masterpiece. Armed with a Ren and Stimpy animator and a tale seeming inspired by frustrating sub optimal service, they go to places not even these most pioneering of mavens haven't dared to tread. Fresh, crazy, challenging, fucking hilarious (butchered chicken cunt). Lordy lordy.


4: Money Power Fame - Don Broco
A tantalising and majestic portent of more success to come? Oh yes. Having been squirrelled away writing, recording and perfecting a new long player set for release hopefully next spring, the lad core lovelies give us a taster of what's hopefully on its way with this riff-driven monster of a tune. Lyrically not their wittiest, cheekiest, driest or cleverest, but compensated by crushing guitar, slap bass and infectious melodic chicanery. Next year will be absolutely huge for these loveable rogues. Money. Power. Fame. Indeed.


3: Over & Over - Arcane Roots
Following up from  Blood & Chemistry, their 2013 album masterpiece, a brilliant, heart-stopping, stadium-rocking and multi-layered single which hopefully indicates that Arcane Roots are well on the road to becoming even better and cementing themselves as one of the UK's very best proper rock bands.


2: It’s Hard to Be a Gentleman/All those things you hate about me, I hate them too - Jamie Lenman   
I'm spent when it comes to superlatives and glowing, warm words when it comes to the UKs most brilliant and influential, challenging and charming genius. Suffice to say, this double headed Janus of a single is simply a masterpiece. (As an aside, anyone who hasn't checked out the amazing alchemy that happens when Muscle and Memory from last year's phenomenal album are played at the same time, find it online and listen to it immediately - as I say, Mr Lenman is just a bally genius.)



1: Drown - Bring Me The Horizon
I never truly know how I feel about BMTH. On paper, they're not my thing at all. But last year's Sempiternal was undeniably a work of considerable prowess. Bordering on genius. Well, this year, the shape has been cleverly shifted again and this single marries melodic pop sensibilities, electronica and shards of lingering metalcore to produce an undeniably catchy, memorable and bloody brilliant tune. And after all, that's what it's all about about. 
Well, isn't it?


Oh, and here are my top 10 albums again:

Long Players of a long year.


A purely personal take on the best recorded music of the last year. Not trying to be clever, trendy, outré or affected; just what I consider to be bloody good records from what's been a pretty bloody good year.




10: The Narrator - The People The Poet. 
Not totally sure this was officially released in 2014, but certainly one of my most listened to albums of the last 12 months. A truly co-created effort, taking stories from their fans and building a stunning, narrative, deeply touching and emotional anthology. 

Veering between Springsteenesque blue collar coal dust imbued grit to polished stadium-friendly bangers with beautiful and clever harmonies from the angelic Greta Isaac throughout lending the perfect counterpoint and complement to Leon Stanford's gruff, Joe Cocker like growls and deep brown soulful seductions.

Wearing a bright, unashamed cloak of multi-influences from Counting Crows, through to Coldplay and The Allman Brothers. Beautiful stories. Beautifully told.




9: Rooms Of The House - La Dispute

A wonderful, illuminating and fascinating mash up of spoken word, US post hardcore, melodic jazzy reveries infused with a punky 'couldn't give a fuck' seam. Delicious, thought-provoking, melodic, off beam and truly original. A modernist masterpiece.




8: Groovehammer - THE HELL

SARDONIC AND KNOWING FUCKED UP WRY  SHIT WITH A HUGE, HEAVY PAIR OF FURRY COMEDY BOLLOCKS. 

MUSIC BY CUNTS. FOR CUNTS.



7: Fair Youth - Maybeshewill 
As post rock goes (if it's actually a thing at all) it doesn't come any better than this. An emotionally charged tour de force of harmony, melody, texture and depth. Genuinely spine tingling at times and like a gorgeous warm hug at others. A record to get lost in. And to lose your shit to. A sublime, well-honed and hench semi-classical, moduar torso but with menacing rock gonads. A heady and intoxicating mix. Stunning.



6: Glory - Axes
A spectacular instrumental collection of futuristic, mathtacular, technically stunning, choppy, polyrhythmic ups and downs, swings and roundabouts, riffs and rants, light and shade, melody and dissonance, power and seduction. If you do nothing else next year, catch this space-aged, grinning, other-worldly quartet live. Seriously a breathtaking and life-changing experience. Glory is about as close as the mesmerising live side of the band gets on record. Amazing.


5: Old Bones - Yearbook
Ok, by today's crazy rules, not technically an album, but fuck that. It's a wonderful collection of off-kilter, off-beam and off its tits alt rock. Clever, heartfelt, beautifully and thoughtfully crafted and packed full of originality and quirkiness. Displaying a songwriting maturity that belies the bands' callow yoof. A truly superb debut effort that sets the bar ridiculously high for the subsequent bombs they're hopefully loading in their bomb bay as we speak. Delicious. 




4: Lower Than Atlantis - Lower Than Atlantis
A somewhat controversial album. But a bloody triumphant one. Selling out? Softening up? Wimping out? Nah. Just a superb collection of killer pop songs with a rock and punk skirt on. A clever shift and an opening of hearts and minds. The band claim that they just let the music they like come out, regardless of expectation or genre. Well, what did come out is a true work of poptastic genius. Hum them. Sing them. Shake your arse to them. Whatever. It's nigh impossible to get them out of your head. So good.



3: There Is Only You - The Xcerts
An absolutely astonishing 4th album from the edgy alt power pop trio. Every song has a hook like Mike Tyson. But delivered with power, passion, integrity and hearts the size of cabbages. Murray Macleod's voice has never sounded better. Or more honest. There are heart-melting moments of tenderness and frailty married with massive riffs, stadium-friendly choruses and woo hoos. At least 5 of the songs are instant hit single material (if hit singles are still a thing!) If there's any justice in the world, this masterpiece should now catapult these loveable slackerpopsters to serious heights. Brulliant. Bluddy brulliant.



2: The Weird And Wonderful - Marmozets
Mashing up mathcore with grungy northern pop replete with astringent, thrilling, eviscerating riffs, spikes and hooks and rhythmic fuckery, this isn't just one of my favourite albums of the year, but has carved its antisocial yet beguiling way into my all time list. So unbelievably confident and competent for a band so young. Every tune reeks of scuzzy and punishing life on the road. It stinks of sweat. Shit. Passion. Brio. Beer. Jager. And love.
So much love. Colossal sing-a-longs juxtaposed with H-bomb destructive violence and almost a simmering malevolence. You wouldn't wan't to pick a fight with this record. It'll tear your fucking face off. But might kiss it better afterwards. Wonderfully weird. And weirdly fucking wonderful.


1: Lost Forever // Lost Together - Architects
In what has been a brilliant year for quality (if not quantity) it's just so hard to pick one album as the stand out. But, for me, even though I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool metal head and I abhor so much me-too metalcore, Lost Forever // Lost Together is quite simply a classic. Aside from the laudable and searingly acidic political and edgy subject matter of much of the content, the musicality, the braveness, the technicality and the middle finger in the air attitude set this astonishingly powerful and moving album apart from the chasing pack.

Aggression, pathos, anger, bewilderment, frustration and fuck you are all delivered almost concurrently; but it stays single-mindedly sharp. Clean. Pointed. Thought-provoking. And seriously fucking heavy. The drops, the sub bass, the bleuurghs (although maybe slightly overdone), the towering guitar work and crushing drumming all support Sam Carter's amazing talent for being able to scream like a Euro Fighter in a broom cupboard, but maintain melody, nuance and versatility. A huge, unapologetic explosion of a record that puts Architects in a place of there own. Genuinely stunning. In every sense of the word.


And that's about that for the year. There were other great albums, songs, singles, soundfiles, demos and tuneage that nearly made the cut. Others that showed moments of enormous potential and promise for the future. Some that fell on stony ground. Some that ticked boxes but didn't quite break hearts. Some that were total shit. But all recorded with belief and a love for music. Overall a pretty decent year for recorded music. With this selection being at the very top of my personal tree.

Here's to more next year.

Monday 15 December 2014

Long Players of a long year. The best records of 2014

A purely personal take on the best recorded music of the last year. Not trying to be clever, trendy, outré or affected; just what I consider to be bloody good records from what's been a pretty bloody good year.




10: The Narrator - The People The Poet. 
Not totally sure this was officially released in 2014, but certainly one of my most listened to albums of the last 12 months. A truly co-created effort, taking stories from their fans and building a stunning, narrative, deeply touching and emotional anthology. 

Veering between Springsteenesque blue collar coal dust imbued grit to polished stadium-friendly bangers with beautiful and clever harmonies from the angelic Greta Isaac throughout lending the perfect counterpoint and complement to Leon Stanford's gruff, Joe Cocker like growls and deep brown soulful seductions.

Wearing a bright, unashamed cloak of multi-influences from Counting Crows, through to Coldplay and The Allman Brothers. Beautiful stories. Beautifully told.




9: Rooms Of The House - La Dispute

A wonderful, illuminating and fascinating mash up of spoken word, US post hardcore, melodic jazzy reveries infused with a punky 'couldn't give a fuck' seam. Delicious, thought-provoking, melodic, off beam and truly original. A modernist masterpiece.




8: Groovehammer - THE HELL

SARDONIC AND KNOWING FUCKED UP WRY  SHIT WITH A HUGE, HEAVY PAIR OF FURRY COMEDY BOLLOCKS. 

MUSIC BY CUNTS. FOR CUNTS.



7: Fair Youth - Maybeshewill 
As post rock goes (if it's actually a thing at all) it doesn't come any better than this. An emotionally charged tour de force of harmony, melody, texture and depth. Genuinely spine tingling at times and like a gorgeous warm hug at others. A record to get lost in. And to lose your shit to. A sublime, well-honed and hench semi-classical, moduar torso but with menacing rock gonads. A heady and intoxicating mix. Stunning.



6: Glory - Axes
A spectacular instrumental collection of futuristic, mathtacular, technically stunning, choppy, polyrhythmic ups and downs, swings and roundabouts, riffs and rants, light and shade, melody and dissonance, power and seduction. If you do nothing else next year, catch this space-aged, grinning, other-worldly quartet live. Seriously a breathtaking and life-changing experience. Glory is about as close as the mesmerising live side of the band gets on record. Amazing.


5: Old Bones - Yearbook
Ok, by today's crazy rules, not technically an album, but fuck that. It's a wonderful collection of off-kilter, off-beam and off its tits alt rock. Clever, heartfelt, beautifully and thoughtfully crafted and packed full of originality and quirkiness. Displaying a songwriting maturity that belies the bands' callow yoof. A truly superb debut effort that sets the bar ridiculously high for the subsequent bombs they're hopefully loading in their bomb bay as we speak. Delicious. 




4: Lower Than Atlantis - Lower Than Atlantis
A somewhat controversial album. But a bloody triumphant one. Selling out? Softening up? Wimping out? Nah. Just a superb collection of killer pop songs with a rock and punk skirt on. A clever shift and an opening of hearts and minds. The band claim that they just let the music they like come out, regardless of expectation or genre. Well, what did come out is a true work of poptastic genius. Hum them. Sing them. Shake your arse to them. Whatever. It's nigh impossible to get them out of your head. So good.



3: There Is Only You - The Xcerts
An absolutely astonishing 4th album from the edgy alt power pop trio. Every song has a hook like Mike Tyson. But delivered with power, passion, integrity and hearts the size of cabbages. Murray Macleod's voice has never sounded better. Or more honest. There are heart-melting moments of tenderness and frailty married with massive riffs, stadium-friendly choruses and woo hoos. At least 5 of the songs are instant hit single material (if hit singles are still a thing!) If there's any justice in the world, this masterpiece should now catapult these loveable slackerpopsters to serious heights. Brulliant. Bluddy brulliant.




2: The Weird And Wonderful - Marmozets
Mashing up mathcore with grungy northern pop replete with astringent, thrilling, eviscerating riffs, spikes and hooks and rhythmic fuckery, this isn't just one of my favourite albums of the year, but has carved its antisocial yet beguiling way into my all time list. So unbelievably confident and competent for a band so young. Every tune reeks of scuzzy and punishing life on the road. It stinks of sweat. Shit. Passion. Brio. Beer. Jager. And love.
So much love. Colossal sing-a-longs juxtaposed with H-bomb destructive violence and almost a simmering malevolence. You wouldn't wan't to pick a fight with this record. It'll tear your fucking face off. But might kiss it better afterwards. Wonderfully weird. And weirdly fucking wonderful.


1: Lost Forever // Lost Together - Architects
In what has been a brilliant year for quality (if not quantity) it's just so hard to pick one album as the stand out. But, for me, even though I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool metal head and I abhor so much me-too metalcore, Lost Forever // Lost Together is quite simply a classic. Aside from the laudable and searingly acidic political and edgy subject matter of much of the content, the musicality, the braveness, the technicality and the middle finger in the air attitude set this astonishingly powerful and moving album apart from the chasing pack.

Aggression, pathos, anger, bewilderment, frustration and fuck you are all delivered almost concurrently; but it stays single-mindedly sharp. Clean. Pointed. Thought-provoking. And seriously fucking heavy. The drops, the sub bass, the bleuurghs (although maybe slightly overdone), the towering guitar work and crushing drumming all support Sam Carter's amazing talent for being able to scream like a Euro Fighter in a broom cupboard, but maintain melody, nuance and versatility. A huge, unapologetic explosion of a record that puts Architects in a place of there own. Genuinely stunning. In every sense of the word.


And that's about that for the year. There were other great albums that nearly made the cut. Others that showed moments of enormous potential and promise for the future. Some that fell on stony ground. Some that ticked boxes but didn't quite break hearts. Some that were total shit. But all recorded with belief and a love for music. Overall a pretty decent year for recorded music. With these ten being at the very top of the tree.

Here's to more next year.

Saturday 13 December 2014

Koko pops. Live review of Lower Than Atlantis at Koko

Lower Than Atlantis ****1/2*
Lonely The Brave ***1/2**
Decade *****

Koko, Mornington Crescent, Monday 8th December 2014

It's a party. A Christmas party. Time for some pop music. 

There, I said it. Pop. You 'eard. 

Before I dive into tonight's poptastic performances, just a small rant. What's wrong with saying pop?

The Beatles were pop. The Rolling stones too. As were Abba. And so are Coldplay. U2. And so on.

The biggest selling music on the planet? Pop. Why are we so derogatory about one three letter word? Yup, we all know it's  diminutive of popular and it's a little facile to drag up that old semantic argument; but actually therein lies the crux: popular. So why has it become a dirty, cheapened word? Why do bands shy away from it? If they're after success, then surely becoming a pop band is the ultimate goal.

'Hi. I'm in an unpopular band. Playing unpopular music.' Might get you laid by some counter-culture bedroom-dwelling, black leather clad miserable goth emo groupie but it's not going to pay for the mince pies. Let alone the Champagne.

In a world obsessed with badging, naming, branding, conventions, taxonomies and labels, we often forget to move up to the broader end of the classification system. Pop covers a multitude of music. Some good. Some shit. But it's popular.

So, tonight, three popular bands are performing some popular music. Pop. 



Decade *****
First up are pop punkyesque Decade. A bit of a rum mixture. One minute pleasing pop rock with terrific harmonies and solid riffs, the next, clichéd double-time infused predictable quasi pop punk.

A seriously schizophrenic bowl of cereal. Hearty and tasty as hell in parts. Watery and whiny in others. But it's true to say that tonight's huge Christmas cake of a venue with its legendarily brilliant hi-fidelity front of house sound quality seems to suit the band's sound.

Having seen them many times in smaller sweat bunkers and bogs, they appear to be far happier in plusher, fuller surroundings. Well, who wouldn't be? Anyway, I'm led to believe that their next step on the pop journey is well underway and they are moving further away from the predictable pop punk noodlings and maturing their sound. On tonight's meaty performance, between the annoying and needless double-time reveries, there's enough evidence to suggest that they'll only move onwards and upwards if this is the case.

Pop rating: Pop corn. Generally tasty but too much unnecessary noise in and among the good stuff.

Lonely The Brave ***1/2**
Another interesting party selection on offer. Definitely well on their way up and fresh from their great joint headline tour with fellow tipped-for-the-top tyros Marmozets, this fenland five piece serve up stadium-friendly pop rock with a melancholic edge. But bizarrely seemingly without too many discernible choruses, hooks or refrains yet still capable of sending shivers and tingles down spines and up necks.

There's more than a hint of Elbow in their work, with limelight dodging David Jakes' mellifluous vocals covering the dense and rich guitar infused cake with smooth icing, but much of their oeuvre sounds too similar. 

Like a box of delicious choccy bickies that have slightly different shapes but ultimately all taste pretty much the same. Tasty alright, but a little repetitive maybe and crying out for a change of accent or flavour now and again. Nice though.

Pop rating: Pop socks. Warming, practical, functional, will be hugely popular, tantalising, but not as exciting as stockings and largely hidden from view.



Lower Than Atlantis ****1/2*
A collection of the most famous Chrimbo pop tunes get the huge sell-out crowd going in the run up to the headliner's Christmas address putting everyone in a pop party mood.

Kicking off with the insanely catchy English Kids in America from their brilliant self-titled fourth album (definitely one of the greatest albums of the year) Mr Duce and his boys tear into a set so wonderfully constructed and cleverly thought through.

Marrying huge singable refrains with butch riffs and perfect playing, this is a s good as I've ever seen LTA. And they look like they're lapping it up.

A box of goodies to truly deliver delicious taste sensation after taste sensation. Half a dozen or so taken from the newest long player are melded seamlessly into a joyous selection of feel good pop rock at its very, very finest.

Spiced up with tasty treats from earlier on their voyage with the punky vibes of FarQ, the almost post hardcore-infused Marylin's Mansion and firm face-splitting favourites like Deadliest Catch, Motor( Way of life) and Beech Like a Tree, there's not a fucking horrible coconut surprise or shitty coffee cream in sight: every one is a delicious favourite.


There's even a first ever live  outing for the novelty Christmas tune Merry Christmas (Wherever You Are)  to add to the party vibe.

The only slightly awkward moment of the evening is, because of the callow, youthful nature of a lot of the assembled throng, they have no idea what to do at the faux conclusion of the set. After the initial cheers at the end of the Christmassy 'set closer' there's an embarrassing silence. When did crowds stop shouting 'more!'. It's simple. Do the yoof of today consider it too rude, lame or uncool? Just fucking shout MORE! It says what it does on the tin. The One More Song thing that seems to have replaced it at more yooffull shows just feels too contrived. Nope, let's get folk shouting MORE again.

Anyway, the hideously embarrassing moment where Mike Duce comes out from backstage to cajole the crowd like some sort of shifty pantomime character is the only tiny downer on what is nigh on an evening of pop perfection.

The spine tingling sing-a-long of Another Sad Song kicks off the encore section with the whole glityzy chocolate box of a venue singing its very gonads off before bog rolls are thrown during Beech and finally the anthemic and driving dropped C rifftacular Here We Go 
brings the house down for one last time.

As LTA have developed, they've garnered a lot of deeply unfair criticism. Selling out? Getting softer? Even Kerrang! magazine churlishly, stupidly and unforgivably omitted the album from their top 50 of the year (guys, really?). But, you know what, if they keep producing such brilliantly crafted, considered and catchy pop as they are, then it won't just be any old Champagne with the mince pies, but a case or three of '69 Dom Perignon.

Tonight's performance has cemented LTA as true pop craftsmen. Without doubt national treasures in waiting. Without stigma. Without shame. Pop and proud,The songcraft has always been there, it's just been tightened up. The melodies and hooks better than ever. The smiles have largely replaced the scowls. Long live glorious pop and roll.

MORE!!!.

Pop rating: Pop tarts. Hot, tasty, addictive, unpretentious, fun, clever. Yum.





Rolling stoned - Live Review of Allusondrugs in Camden

Allusondrugs *****
Lyger *****
Beasts **1/2***

Our Black Heart, Camden Wednesday 3rd December 2014

December is upon us and the party season is in full swing. And what does every party have? Drugs. And tonight's party in the hands of the splendidly monikered hosts promises to be a mind altering and full on fucked-up festive freak out. Well, hopefully.




Beasts **1/2***
First out of the dealer's record bag is a mildly intoxicating grungy bong. An entry level narcotic which although there's nothing too wrong with it doesn't hit the euphoria levels needed.

Nothing new at all here. Standard grunge. Standard downtuned fug. Think early Soundgarden or maybe even Mudhoney. Well played and performed though, but lacking in highs in every sense of the word. The vocalist, while perfectly competent  has a vocal range like an idling diesel bus and is crying out for some spiky or dynamic counterpoint, but, sadly the higher range harmonies that would refresh and light up the stoner haze are absent.

A terrific bass player does his best to get heads spinning, but ultimately they merely leave a smile or two on a nodding head rather than anything mind expanding or thrilling.



Lyger *****
So, what next to tickle the cranium and stimulate the dopamine and serotonin? 

Well, our supplier has dug a bit deeper into his Alice In Wonderland back of headfucks and seems to have pulled out something all together more stimulating.

Another grungy trio, but this time infused with more relevance and contemporaneity. Altogether spikier than the bong water of Beasts, Lyger get the pulse racing with choppy, slightly off-kilter, pointy crackle cooked up and inhaled greedily.

While their tub thumper is no Adam Betts (not many get close to be honest), it feels like this burning pipe is fuelled by the drums. Not all polyrhythms and math brain melts but passionate, energetic and totally losing his shit. He definitely appears to be calling the shots as we're taken on a multi-influenced journey with wisps of The White Stripes, vapours of QOTSA and massive tokes of Dinosuar Pileup.

Heady, exciting stuff. Not a new or wholly original wonder drug, but definitely one to try again. 


Allusondrugs *****

After a new high? Look no further. Right from the off, spilling out of this tantalising wrap are equal measures of powdered semtex, stomach acid, gripper rod tacks (and we all know how sharp those bastards are!) weapons grade depleted uranium, bleach, Afghani Black, strong cider, Yorkshire tea and probably Kurt Cobain's jizz. Wow!

On record, Allusondrugs are a mixed bag. Veering from spastic pop rock, old skool grunge to incendiary alt noise rock. But nothing prepares you for the live experience.

Everything is extra heightened. Fuzzed up. Overdriven. Dynamic. Turned up to 11, nah, fuck it, 12. It's still challenging and at times a tiny bit shambolic. But in a good way. Oh yes.


Frontman Jason Moules has it all going on throughout. 

He always comes across as the coolest, most spaced out, über-cool, THC ridden rag bag of barbiturates. His banter is dryer than a nun's lady garden and more laid back than a Freak Brothers convention with 7,000 bongs being held in a Lazy Boy chair showroom. But when the music starts, he transforms into grunge's Optimus Prime. Totally losing his shit along with the rest of his fellow hairy bastards: there's more flailing hair on stage than in Teenage Bitch Fight 3 (so much better than 2).

The wall of sound is unrelenting. But not sludgy, oppressive, blurred or homogenised. It's all so clever. Brilliant harmonies and counterpoint punch holes in shoe-gazy sections, there are moments of freak out psychedelia, huge heavy passages, breakdowns, spiralling cadenzas and more riffs than on The CrowBar's jager-soused jukebox. And Moules' voice is spot on throughout.

Yes, there are inevitable derivative moments and nods to Cobain et al, (Am I Weird is possibly the best Nirvana never written), but they're at their best when they're further away from the standard grungy vibe. 

Not quite as nihilistic as the truly fucked up and as truly terrifying Baby Godzilla, but they're clearly derived and distilled from the same pharmaceutically head-fucking plant. And by the time the blistering, bewildering and ball clenching blitzkrieg of a set comes to an end with most of the band either in the crowd, lying prostrate or, (in the case of Moules) fucking about with live guitar leads and a mountain of fx pedals it's impossible not to be totally hooked. More please.