Track Of The Day: Mangö – Demons

A cathartic burst of twisted psych sound; London-based Mangö have shared their latest single ‘Demons’. Released via We Can Do It Records, the track is a dark, fuzzy take down of the inner voices that fuel our stress and anxiety.

Front woman Chloe Spence explains the track’s premise further: “Demons is a power battle song intended to portray the inner workings of one’s mind, and the mental fight we have daily to remain in a positive mindset in today’s fast paced realm of society. The demons are intended to represent negative thoughts, anxieties and emotions that people who struggle with mental health feel daily. We want to portray the demons as an infestation in one’s head, the more attention you give them, the more they thrive and take over.”

‘Demons’ came together when the band were messing around in rehearsals, when guitarist Tom experimented with his whammy pedal whilst comically playing bebop jazz lines and giggling to himself. The band have affectionately dubbed this sound as “a metallic fuzzy bebop tune”, and we think that’s an apt description for this catchy, cathartic slice of psych rock.

Listen ‘Demons’ below, and follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – ‘Helen is A Reptile’

Having captivated us with the kaleidoscopic sounds of their last EP Someone Else To Blame, as well as completely blowing us away on numerous occasions with their immense live show, Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something have now shared a magnificent new single.

Drawing on the subjects of OCD and suicidal ideation, ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ describes a human lizard hybrid realisation of dark thoughts that can creep through victims’ minds and taunt them when they’re most vulnerable. Written after Jemma had been experiencing days of insomnia, the track is propelled by a primal, whirring energy as immense swirling hooks accompany their raw, impassioned vocals.

A soaring slice of sparkling psych-rock with shades of ‘70s glam, ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ oozes all of Freeman’s trademark hypnotic majesty, creating an other-worldly sonic delight, whilst drawing attention to the extremely pressing issue of mental health.

Featuring Wendy Rae Fowler and Martina Ziewe, and directed by Black Triangle, you can watch the new video for ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ here:

Buy ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ for what you can afford on Bandcamp now. And catch Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something live for the single launch, along with GIHE faves Scrounge and Eyesore and The Jinx, tomorrow 2nd May at The Windmill Brixton.

And, not only is ‘Helen Is A Reptile’ a treat for the ears, but it’s accompanied by an utterly unique, handmade lathe cut vinyl. There are only 55 copies of the vinyl and each one has been individually hand cut by 345 vinyl in Brighton. The covers are all unique and each have a piece of lino flooring from the video set attached. On the other side, there is a unique lino print designed and printed by Jem and numbered by hand in their South London home. They will be available only at the launch party and 10 will be held back for a special silent auction online, the winners to be announced on Friday 3rd May, all proceeds will go to charity Music Support UK – a charity supporting those in any area of the UK music industry suffering from addiction, emotional and mental health issues. All details of how to get involved in the auction below:

  • There are ten 7” singles available to buy online via this blind auction.
  • The ten largest bids submitted to the auction will be the winners.
  • You can only bid once in this auction, but if you’re interested in buying multiple copies please  also say how many you’d like to buy at the price you bid. If your bid ends up in the top 10 we’ll try to accommodate your request for multiple copies, subject to availability.
  • Auction begins at midnight on 2nd May and ends at 23:59 (UK time) the same day. Bids received outside of these times will not be entered into the auction.
  • Send your bid to us in a private message via the JF&TCS Facebook page. All bids received via other means (public comments on fb posts, email, other social media, carrier pigeon) will not be entered into the auction.
  • Bids must be placed in £GBP.
  • JF&TCS will keep the retail price of the single to cover manufacturing costs (£10), plus P&P expenses from each winning bid. The rest of the money bid will be donated to Music Support UK. 
  • All bids placed are binding commitments to pay the price bid for one copy of the 7” single. Please don’t bid more than you’re prepared to pay.
  • Winners will be notified as soon as possible via email after the auction ends. We’ll also send you a PayPal invoice for the amount bid so you can pay for your 7”.
  • The names of the winners will be published by JF&TCS in a FB post as soon as possible after the auction ends, once sales have been finalised (unless you prefer to remain anonymous – please let us know if so). 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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LIVE: Le Butcherettes (w/ Big Joanie) – Moth Club, Hackney 02.03.19

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

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