WATCH: Barbarella’s Bang Bang – ‘Cowboy Job’

Dust off your stetsons and straw bales, because Barbarella’s Bang Bang have shared visuals for their latest single ‘Cowboy Job’, and it’s a rockabilly rodeo you don’t want to miss out on. Released via their own label Barbarella Records, the song is a twisted ode to a past relationship.

Fronted by Barbara Pugliese, Barbarella’s Bang Bang are comprised of members originating from Italy, Latvia and London – so their garage-rock sound is infused with influences from classical to punk rock. The ironically titled ‘Cowboy Job’ takes a story of heartbreak and reforms it into one of empowerment.

“This is the first time that I’ve written about something that gave me a lot of grief, with groove”, Barbara explains. “In regards to the satire within the lyrics, I must say, it’s been a very efficient healing method. With humour, the weight of something heavy gets lighter and we can get over things a bit easier. I’m actually grateful for having encountered this in my life, I was inspired a lot artistically. Let’s say that there’s sometimes a pearl to be found in the trash!”

Regarding the video, the band added, “The concept of the video of ‘Cowboy Job’ was to create wonky western Arizona scenery made out of cardboard that would visually reflect a ‘cowboy job style’. We tried our best to come out with some acting episodes that would portray the anger, laughter, humour, charm, and deception conveyed from the narrative of the song…and we did a pretty good job! The team involved in the making of the video were all close mates who are amazingly talented artists and helped efficiently within the process of filming the video… it’s all about the collective spirit and DIY!”

We’re fans of BBB’s DIY endeavours! Watch the video for ‘Cowboy Job’ below and follow Barbarella’s Bang Bang on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Lou Smith

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: Host – ‘b4me’

“Cut your hair but not your ties” advises Host as she faces down multiple camera lens’ in her new video for single ‘b4me’. It’s an infectious slice of electro-pop from the Irish newcomer, which navigates the tricky territory between being in love with the idea of being loved, and not being able to reciprocate that desire.

Following on from her debut single ‘Goodbye’, Host has spent most of her year writing, recording and producing music alone. ‘b4me’ is another sharply produced offering from the newcomer, who had this to say about her new track: “Usually, like many other artists, I write my songs based off an exaggerated version of the truth; but ‘b4me’ is far from fiction. I produced the song fully before adding a lyrical element to the music and for me, that alone spoke volumes, but sometimes you just have to speak your thoughts aloud to make them fully register”.

Fact or Fiction: we’re happy to dance along to Host’s upbeat tunes. Watch the video for ‘b4me’ below, and follow her on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Dish Pit – ‘Family Man’

“Do as I say, not as I do – I’m three times bigger than you” sneers Dish Pit‘s front-woman Nora on new track ‘Family Man’ – written from the perspective of a stereotypical “bully father”. The Montreal trio combine distorted guitars and aggressive drums to undermine the image of the seemingly perfect ‘Family Man’.

The new track is their first release since wowing crowds on their extensive summer UK tour, and the band are now set to return to the studio to record their debut album with the help of established producers Gordon Raphael (Strokes, Damon Albarn) and Steve Albini (Nirvana, Breeders).

Listen to ‘Family Man’ below and follow Dish Pit on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: John Johnson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Gazelle Twin – ‘Pastoral’

A unique artist with razor sharp vision and uncompromising creativity, Gazelle Twin (aka Elizabeth Bernholz) combines glitchy beats, menacing samples and an uncanny new costume on her forthcoming album, Pastoral. Set to be released via her own label Anti-Ghost Moon Ray on 21st September, the record marks another transformation for the performer, this time she’s exhuming England’s “rotten past” and questioning its uncertain future.

Bernholz has been honing her own unique vision since the release of her debut album, The Entire City, in 2011. She released her seond record Unflesh in 2014 to critical acclaim, and between motherhood and curating another two atmospheric records (2016’s Out Of Body & 2017’s audio/visual project Kingdom Come), she’s now released Pastoral – and it’s been worth the wait.

“What species is this? What century is this?” she questions on opener ‘Folly’ in a vocal pitch so high it practically curdles the blood. It sets the precedent for the rest of the album – electronic soundscapes that form a permanent sense of unease. Nervous, persistent percussion and repeated lyrics on ‘Better In My Day’ act as an apt parody of the clichéd phrase the track takes its title from. Bernholz’s warped vocals drip with apathy on ‘Little Lambs’, alongside twitchy synth samples and pulverizing drums. It seamlessly transitions in to ‘Old Thorn’, which recycles the same synth sequences, but they ring out with a different kind of intensity.

Gazelle Twin’s dystopian carousel of sound continues on following track ‘Dieu Et Mon Droit’, which translates as “God and my right”. The phrase is a motto associated with the British Monarchy and Bernholz’s lyric “Dripping down like shit in to the sewer” feels like a repulsive but brilliant analogy to the Monarch’s inheritance to divine rights. It’s followed by ‘Throne’, a brief but intriguing interlude of echoes and slowly spoken words about power and the wounds it inflicts. When these tracks are performed live, one can imagine Bernholz’s jester-like, red and white costume acting as a powerful vitriolic visual aid here.

Midway through the record we arrive at ‘Mongrel’, with its lyrics – “what species is this? What century is this?” – shadowing opening track ‘Folly’. Her motif provides an insight in to the exhaustion her exploration of these themes can bring. The line “I’m too tired to protest / but I’m too worried I’ll regret this / I’m not ready to accept this” feels particularly poignant in the current Brexit-obsessed political climate. The remarkable ‘Glory’ follows, with its slow-building, beguiling vocals and steady, deep drums that spread out across ominous synths.

The daintily named ‘Tea Rooms’ describes the unease of “living in a pastoral picture”, highlighting the uncomfortable reality lurking behind England’s quaint postcard image. The atmospheric ‘Jerusalem’ follows, before the marching beats and seething spoken-word lyrics of ‘Dance Of The Peddlers’ kicks in. It’s less of a dance, more a defiant attack on the Peddlers she speaks of. It transitions seamlessly in to the heart-palpitating ‘Hobby Horse’, which acts like a warning to said Peddlers to “get on your hobby horse and get out of here”. With her humble recorder, bared teeth and samples of football hooligan chants, Bernholz creates a claustrophobic, charged gallop of anarchy.

Gazelle Twin delivers her Pastoral vision through grinning but gritted teeth. Her altruistic style is one that can’t be mimicked, even though she is a master at adopting the traits of others and transforming herself into a new species of performer who offers brutality and intrigue in equal measure.

Pastoral is released on 21 September 2018 via Anti-Ghost Moon Ray. Pre-order here.
Follow Gazelle Twin on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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