Promoting and Supporting Women in Music
The fourth in our ‘Comic Reviews’ feature – where illustrator Sally-Anne responds to a new track with her wonderfully unique drawings – we checked out the dark rock sounds of the new single from Cornish band The Eyelids.
‘You Make Me A Zombie’ is out now. Watch the brand new video here:
Sally-Anne Hickman
@sallyshinystars
Photo Credit: Shirin Hodgson-Watt
Fueled by almighty vocals, hefty guitar riffs and commanding percussion; Le Butcherettes‘ powerful sound ricocheted around the glittered walls of Moth Club last week. Celebrating the release of their fourth album bi/MENTAL, the group delivered a passionate mix of old and new material to their London fans.
Opening the night were DIY garage punks Big Joanie, who were in high spirits having just returned from playing SXSW. The trio’s understated and relatable sounds went down well with the crowd, with ‘Fall Asleep’, ‘Used To Be Friends’ and ‘Down Down’ proving to be the strongest songs in their set.
Cited as their most personal album to date, bi/MENTAL is an ode to Le Butcherettes’ frontwoman Teri Gender Bender’s Mother, and the tracks were as visceral and vulnerable performed live as they are on the record. Teri’s trademark falsetto voice was breath-taking. She flitted between screams, cries and authoritative vocals which matched her erratic but focused performance style. Her band mates – Alejandra Robles Luna (drums), Rikardo Rodríguez-López (guitars) and Marfred Rodríguez-López (bass) – performed with equal amounts of energy; switching between off-kilter sounds and infectious, rolling rhythms with enviable precision.
Teri’s howls and cries cut through the air when she broke the fourth wall and entered the centre of the crowd mid-set and laid on her back. She commanded attention wherever she stood, and spoke fluent Spanish between songs to keep listeners on their toes. As for stand out tracks, it’s difficult to pick just one – but ‘give/UP’ and ‘struggle/STRUGGLE’ stood out among the set list. Both felt like seething, buzzing explorations of grief despite their opposing tempos.
Inspired by the “the death of a living mother”, the duality of life, and the inevitable strife caused by the fluctuation of mental health; Le Butcherettes bi/MENTAL is a cathartic burst of emotive rock designed to clear the cobwebs between your ears – and the band’s live set does exactly that.
Catch Le Butcherettes on their upcoming UK live dates:
Tues 9th July – Boston Music Rooms, London
Weds 10th – Green Door Store, Brighton
Thurs 11th – 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut
Garage rockers Noise Noir have shared Jessica Jones style vigilante visuals to accompany their debut single ‘I Don’t Need You’. The footage – shot and directed by Sergio Angot – shows band members actively taking down those who think it’s okay to harass women in public or private places.
Speaking about the video, vocalist Kelly Chard explains: “I wanted the video for ‘I Don’t Need You’ to be a hyperbole of the feelings I felt when writing the song. Sexual harassment is very present in London, and I wanted to play a Jessica Jones type character in the video. So instead of feeling emotionally strong, I felt physically strong enough to fight off bad guys. Reaching equality is very close to our hearts, so I wanted to highlight sexual harassment and domestic abuse. The video is set in various locations in London throughout the day to show how harassment and violence can happen on the streets in broad daylight, behind closed doors, and in a public busy surrounding.”
Recorded by Margo Broom (Big Joanie, Yassassin), mixed by Greg Burns of Sit Down, and released through Kelly’s independent record label We Can Do It, ‘I Don’t Need You’ is a seething attempt to shout back and empower those who have felt vulnerable or victimised by street harassment. Together; Kelly, guitarist Anthony, bassist Elis & drummer Davide are here to set the record straight through vicious riffs and powerful vocals. Watch the video for ‘I Don’t Need You’ below and follow the band on Facebook for more updates.
Photo Credit: Jessie Morgan
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut
Defiant vocals and devious, fuzzy guitar riffs combine with slick style on Noise Noir‘s debut single ‘I Don’t Need You’. The London-based band have shared the track ahead of their release show at Dalston’s Rocksteady this Friday 23rd November with We Can Do It Records.
The garage rockers have been cutting their teeth on the live circuit since January, playing gigs alongside Saint Agnes, Table Scraps & Ms Mohammed, as well as performing for us at our GIHEs live night at The Finsbury Pub too. Speaking about the new single, vocalist Kelly Chard explains: “‘I Don’t Need You’ is about realizing that you’re strong enough to be on your own without a partner, and that you shouldn’t settle for anything less than amazing. As a romantic, I had always yearned for the feeling of being in love and although it’s something I really wanted, it wasn’t something I needed to be who I am and to get through the life experiences I’ve had.”
Noise Noir’s statement-making debut is made all the more biting with the help of Hermitage Works Studios Producers Margo Broom and Nathan Ridley, and the mixing & mastering skills of Sit Down’s Greg Burns. Bassist Elis Sarv, Guitarist Anthony Hill & Drummer Davide Marini provide the perfect grunge-fueled back-drop for Kelly to dismantle the crowd’s perceptions with her fiery vocals.
You can buy your copy of ‘I Don’t Need You’ (with b/side ‘Creeping’) on limited edition glitter cassette at Noise Noir’s free launch show this Friday (RSVP here). We’ll be there supporting and spinning some excellent Riot Grrrl tunes on the decks. Listen to the single below and follow Noise Noir on Facebook for more updates.
Noise Noir 2018 Live Dates
23rd November – The Rocksteady, Dalston (London)
30th November – Sticky Mikes Frog Bar (Brighton)
Photo Credit: Jessie Morgan
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut
Get In Her Ears 