Glasgow

Weird Milk @ The Poetry Club // 19.11.21

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Weird Milk leaves a satisfying after taste.

Like most bands post isolation Weird Milk are touring new material from their latest EP We Were Strangers, a delightful romanticised retro, stomp through the highs and lows of romantic entanglements.

Tonight’s show at The Poetry Club is packed full – mainly with teenage girls who have no doubt came for more than the bands dulcet tones.

Opening tonight’s show is Glasgows very own Fuzzy Lop – a delightful quartet reminiscent of Nico and Cate Le Bon. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Weird Milk arrive on stage to rapturous applause from the packed out crowd.

Opening their set with ‘See You Around’ Weird Milk waste zero time getting the party started. The song is an upbeat ditty that highlights just what this band do for bread and butter – creating something that’s fun and ever so bittersweet.

This is the bands second outing to Glasgow (previously playing Broadcast pre-pandemic) and it’s clear to see that this quintet are loving every second of performing.

Next up is a self professed ‘sad song’, ‘Under the Waves’ which sees drummer, Charlie Glover Wright delivering vocals reminiscent of Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip fame.

The band rattle through a playful set full of gems that bring a slice of Beach Boys sun all the while with a 80’s synth undertone.

Lead singer Alex Griffiths vocals are akin to Alex Turner on ‘End of the World’ and ‘Lonely Boy’ has Joe Moyle shaking maracas and the whole room dancing merrily.

With lots of jovial between song banter its clear that these boys are doing what they love.

Set finale ‘Vienna’ leaves the crowd chanting for more, after a very brief interlude the group amble back on stage to play B-side ‘You’ as an encore.

The band make it clear without any pretence that they will be around for a chat and spend ages taking selfies with fans and signing records. A promising outlook for this North London outfit be sure to get down to a gig ASAP.

Pip Blom @ Stereo // 11.10.2019

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Currently touring with their first full-length album Boat, Pip Blom graced our presence in Glasgow last Friday night. Relatively new and on the up, this group has a lot of people talking with their lo-fi indie pop jams. With Rolling Stone having described their album as “an instant classic” and just about every other music publication singing their praises as well, it is no surprise that they drew in a large crowd at Stereo.

Concert-goers stood shoulder to shoulder in a packed crowd as they waited for the band to start. At times it felt a bit claustrophobic, however, any discomfort melted away as soon as the Pip Blom hit their first chord with “Tinfoil” a song punching with punk vibes. You can tell the band loves what they do as they bounced and danced on stage in-sync with the crowd never ceasing to smile. It seemed that they enjoyed the show just as much as we did and the atmosphere was simply joyous. The night was all about their music as they switched from one song to the next with barely a break between songs. The only notable chat from the band was to inform us that their mother was slinging merch at their stall and that they would be behind the stand after the gig for a meet and greet.

Although their songs are catchy and bursting with energy,.their lyrics can be thoughtfully intimate speaking about issues we all face. In “Sorry” Pip Blom talks to us about a  breakdown of a relationship where things just aren’t the same anymore singing “It’s not alright, you know you can’t deny/You find it hard to be there by my side”. The band also talks about self doubt and recovery in “Ruby” with lines like “I tried to swim but I feel so self-conscious/So I decide to go where no one watches/And, I know I shouldn’t hide” and “Worst days are over now that I feel fine/Don’t know what to do with all the time, all the time”. The downhearted themes which can be heard in their lyrics are contrasted with cheerful fuzzy indie-pop ultimately making listeners feel optimistic about the difficult feelings associated with everyday situations.

The band played a perfect mix of materials from their early days to their latest album Boat. With their upbeat pop melodies and fast paced rhythms, moshing at the front of the crowd started early and didn’t finish until the final note of the last song “Daddy Issues”. What comes next for the band is unknown, but with a strong jumping off point we are eager to hear what they come up with next.

Jacuzzi Boys with Faux Ferocious + Deathcats @ Nice N Sleazys // 25.09.2019

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Jacuzzi Boys supported by Deathcats and Faux Ferocious can only be described with one word: raucous. From start to finish last night’s gig at Nice ‘N Sleazys was high energy and every band delivered.

Local band, Deathcats, who aptly describe themselves as “surf catcore” started off the night with garage punk vibes. The lead singer was rumbustious matching the group’s rowdy music style. Playing his guitar from every angle emulating Jimi Hendrix in a showmanship-esque way, but on speed. Even though the lead singer may at times steal the stage, the bass player’s punchy bass lines and the drummer set the tempo at the core of their music which is simply fun.

Deathcats

Faux Ferocious, good ‘ol boys out of Tennessee (US),  whose style was garage rock meet jam band, was simply infectious. Most of the songs played on the night were long with minimal lyrics, but the audience couldn’t help but get lost in the music. Their constant adjustment of levels and pedals assured the audience a perfectly balanced yet psychedelically trance inducing sound. The level of musicianship of each individual member was equally as impressive as the next.

The main event of the night was Jacuzzi Boys who were wild. After all, Iggy Pop sings their praises which is no surprise given that they are the definition of rock n’ roll. From the lead singer’s raspy voice fitting a band from the late 70s/early 80s punk era, to the hooky guitar and fuzzy bass, the band seeps cool with their carefree attitudes to match the sound. Formed in 2007 in Miami, FL. and with four albums under their belts, they are no strangers to the stage and exuded confidence before, during, and after their performance. Although they haven’t released any new music since 2016, the night seemed like a compilation of their best material with them pulling tracks from all albums. Favourites such as “Glazin’”, “Double Vision”, “Sun” and “Lucky Blade” helped carry the up-beat vibe into the night which ended with most audience members either dancing, moshing, and for a few, crowd surfing.

Froth Nice & Sleazy Glasgow 10.09.19

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It would seem that after having a two year hiatus from recording and touring has allowed Froth the time and space to become accomplished musicians with enough clout to bring a pinch of L.A. sun to the dreich, gloomy confines of the basement of Nice N’ Sleazy tonight.

Having garnered much attention back in 2013 playing in the local dive bars in Southern California and releasing two acclaimed albums, Froth have went away and tinkered with their original formula to produce some beautiful, delicate yet fully subversive melody’s.

The trio are currently touring off the back of their latest release ‘Duress’ out now on Witchita Records and is the perfect slice of summer dystopia to lift the mood.

Opening track ‘Laurel’ is the perfect admission of the bands jubilant and not so serious take on writing songs – the song is about a viral video were listeners could hear either Yannel/Laurel which quickly polarised the internet’s opinion and is an ideal parody for assuming that most people only want to hear one thing over another, and admittedly a great way to set the mood and open the show.

Frontman Joo-Joo Ashworth (think Joseph Gordon Levitt but make him fashion) is the physical embodiment of the dreamy, whimsical soundscapes that the band produce, with a shy smile and plenty of ‘Thank You’s’ in-between songs it’s hard not to like them, they could be your local fanzine boys or podcasters, if the Atlantic wasn’t in our way.

The band march through a very quick set tonight, playing mostly new material from ‘Duress’ (named oddly enough after actor Bobby Duress) to the packed out crowds delight.

Stand out tracks included; ‘Lost My Mind’ a perfect slice of lo-fi, garage scuzz reminiscent of Beth Coast, ‘Department Head’ an ode to the struggle of working life sounding more akin to Protomartyr and ‘Not Myself’ which is a peppy, multi-layered effort that allowed the band to utilise the impressive array of pedals and overdubs that they had brought with them.

Closing the set with ‘Contact’ (a song that begs the question, Do aliens exist?) see’s the mosh pit gathered at the front of the stage bounce along to the energetic tempo and fully showcases how far the band have come. It’s tight, together and a fabulous slice of Slowdive-esque shoegaze. Not bad for a band that started out as a hoax.

No Vacation @ Broadcast // Glasgow

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To say No Vacation’s gig on Saturday was intimate would be an understatement. Playing for a small crowd of dedicated fans and set in the basement of Broadcast, one of the cities smaller music venues, it felt as though we’d been snuck in to see a private rehearsal than a gig. As the band urged the crowd to close the gap at the front of the stage, opting for zero space between musician and audience, they allowed their sound to envelop us completely into their hazy dream pop world rather than simply making us watch from the outside.

The band played crowd favorites “Yam Yam” and “Mind Fields”  from their last EP Intermission which was released in 2017. Throughout each the crowd sang in unison with Sab Mai (vocals + guitar) whose voice is softly spoken smoky and melodic adding to the band’s dreamy beach sound. Other songs such as “You’re Not With Me” and “Reaper” showcased their ability to commandeer the sound of their individual instruments into one cohesive sound, creating such a balanced sound so that not one element overpowers another and seamlessly blends together. Members in the audience were in awe of synth instrumentalist Nat Lee’s musicianship. Muffled comments of excitement and admiration swept through the crowd as she switched between violin, keyboards, and at one point took control of Sab Mai’s guitar.

From new band members being added, a founder leaving, to the break up of the band altogether and them getting back together to create their last EP…it is safe to say that No Vacation has been through a lot of changes since its inception as a duo. However, one can argue that these changes in the composition of the band and the personal lives of its members has helped the music evolve. Although no singles have been published from their new EP Phasing which is to be released in September, they did play a few songs and gave us a taste of what is to come. What we heard was a more mature and polished version of their truly unique and original sound. We can only hope that the band is here to stay for good and continues to evolve.

Notes: Although no official date for the new album release has been announced, their first single “Estrangers” will be released Friday, August 30th.