LISTEN: Grandmas House – ‘Golden’

A seething criticism of capitalist greed and the chronic misuse of power, Bristol queer punk trio Grandmas House have shared their latest single ‘Golden’. Taken from their upcoming self-titled debut EP, which is set for release on 15th October via Brace Yourself Records, the track is a gritty, thundering reflection on the apathetic outlook of the organisations that profit from the suffering of others.

Formed of Yasmin Berndt (vocals, guitar), Poppy Dodgson (vocals, drums) and Zoë Zinsmeister (bass), Grandmas House formed in late 2018 and were busy cutting their teeth on the UK gig circuit before Covid-19 put an abrupt stop to live music. The trio decided to use their time in the following lockdowns constructively, quickly writing and recording new material, including their latest single ‘Golden’.

“We wrote ‘Golden’ about the government and other big powerful organizations ruling the show and getting richer from each other, whilst literally destroying the world,” the band explain. Berndt’s distinctive, raspy vocals and noisy guitar riffs rage over Dodgson’s thudding beats and Zinsmeister’s rumbling bass lines, combining to create a raucous, commanding take down of the forces that continue to oppress us.

To accompany the new single, Grandmas House have announced a string of live dates across the UK, including a headline show at The Windmill in Brixton on 3rd November. Check out their socials for the rest of their upcoming tour dates.

Listen to ‘Golden’ below.

Follow Grandmas House on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Rosie Carne

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Fears 28.07.21

Tash, Kate & Mari were back on the NYC & Culture channel on Soho Radio‘s airwaves for their third GIHE show! They played a mix of golden oldies – including a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse – and new music tunes from some of their favourite women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ artists.

Irish musician & Tulle Collective co-founder Fears aka Constance Keane also joined them to talk about the reaction to her beautiful debut album Oíche, her upcoming gig plans, and how watching Love Island and Mary Kate & Ashley’s 2002 rom-com When In Rome have helped her through periods of lockdown & Covid-induced isolation.

Listen below:

Tracklist
Amy Winehouse – Me & Mr Jones
Babeheaven – Lovefool (The Cardigans Cover)
Abra – Roses
Evil House Party – Head Held High
Maria Uzor – Innocence
Witch Prophet ft. Stas THEE Boss – MUSA (Remix)
Alewya – Sweating
Denise Chaila – 061
Seraphina Simone – Skin
PET Wife – Sword
Smoothboi Ezra – Without Me
My Idea – Stay Away Still
WILLOW ft. Travis Barker – transparentsoul
Fears – Fabric
**Interview with Fears**
Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra – I Didn’t Love You When I Said I Did and I Don’t Now
F.R.U.I.T.Y – U.P.S
Tirzah – Tectonic
Gazelle Twin – Changelings
Bad Waitress – Strawberry Milkshake
Pretty Happy – Sudocream
Catherine Moan – Drop It!
Crisp&Classy – Boom Bay
BAXTR – In Pop We Trust
Sugababes – Same Old Story (Blood Orange Remix)
Planningtorock – Gay Dreams Come True

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Pretty Happy – ‘Sudocrem’

A frantic, witty, cathartic burst of art punk noise, Cork trio Pretty Happy have shared their latest single ‘Sudocrem’. Taken from their recent EP Sluggers Bridge, released via Art For Blind Records, the track ricochets between manic vocals, spoken word verses and whirlwind guitar cacophonies to reflect the irritation of the characters the song is based around.

Formed of Abbey Blake (guitar), Arann Blake (vocals, bass) and Andy Killian (drums), Pretty Happy have been busy cutting their teeth on the DIY Irish music and arts scene over the last few years. Abbey is a founder of Angry Mom Collective, a movement set up to challenge the gender imbalance in Irish arts, whilst Arann and Andy are keenly involved in the local drama and film scenes. Together, the trio combine their talents to create their distinctive sounds and ‘Sudocrem’ is another of their riotous, tongue-in-cheek offerings.

Centered around the Cork-centric story of a girl who is suffering from alcohol poisoning in the Mercy Hospital whilst her partner sits across the road in the Franciscan Well pub, ‘Sudocrem’ kicks and screams with the kind of frustration, panic and anxiety that can’t be soothed by the childhood medicinal staple it’s named after. Speaking about their new EP which the track is lifted from, the band explain: “With Sluggers Bridge we have attempted to capture our live theatre-influenced, art-punk sound. We wanted to make this EP as interdisciplinary as possible, taking as much inspiration from the Irish stage as we do the Irish music scene. This EP is uniquely Cork, influenced greatly by the people and humour of the city.”

Listen to ‘Sudocrem’ below.

Follow Pretty Happy on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Nicholas O’Donnell

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: The C33s – ‘Benzodiac’

Named “the future” by BBC 6Music’s Chris Hawkins, The C33s are back and leave no listener’s head unturned in their latest surf-rock plea to tackle life’s harsh realities riff-first. It’s been a long roadmap, two lockdowns and one cancelled Christmas since last year’s single ‘Harpurhey Hostility‘ took a political dive into Mancunian society’s most disenfranchised, but The C33s are back with new track ‘Benzodiac’ – the newest addition to their bible of uncompromising home-truths.  

‘Benzodiac’ is the first single and the title track from the 3-piece punk outfit’s new EP and was fuelled by the band’s frustration at the closure of the live gig scene last year. For that reason, it’s production clings as close as possible to the raw live experience, taking the Californian genre to dizzy new heights before slamming you back down to a gritty-garage reality that the band have best described as “concrete surf-rock”. 

The single is explained by the band as “a frank observation of addiction, renewal and rebirth”, but prepare to be anything but sedated as an intoxicatingly slick and progressive guitar riff provided by Cav Green pulls you in, making it the perfect soundtrack for your favourite desert cult-classic film. We are thrown into epic surroundings with urgency as this track builds with Judy Jones storming in raucously on the kit whilst Ste Phillips fuels the anticipation with an exhilarating and palpitating bass line, meeting the perfect use of a tantalising reverb and echo-inducing delay during Cav’s guitar solo.

What’s exciting about this track is Cav’s move to a more spoken-word style vocal like that of The Damned’s 1977 release Damned Damned Damned, while the delivery of lyrics like “the universal will just to become” resemble the more recently fashioned passionate and punchy vocal of Idles’ frontman Joe Talbot. Not to forget Judy’s rousing dual harmonies throughout and her first-class punk yelp that creates the ideal sought after abrupt cliff-hanger ending to this single that paves the way for a future that is The C33s.

The new from The C33s, also entitled Benzodiac, is set for release in August on Rare Vitamin Records, and will available to purchase on 10” vinyl, CD and cassette.

Lauren Roberts
@robauren

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