LIVE (Photos): REWS @ Oporto, Leeds, 15.03.18

Rock duo REWS have been long time favourites of Get In Her Ears – they’ve wowed us with their thrashing energy numerous times live, including at our own night at The Finsbury, and we cannot get enough of their glorious debut album Pyro. 

Our Jon caught some snaps of them, with support from the wonderfully riotous Weekend Recovery, live at Oporto in Leeds on Thursday.

Weekend Recovery:

REWS:

Jon Mo 
@jonmophoto

Albums Of The Year 2017

Although some might say we now live in an age dominated by single tracks – as streaming services like Spotify and Soundcloud take over our listening habits – here at Get In Her Ears we still enjoy losing ourselves in a flowing collection of songs by the same artist. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of discovering your new favourite album or EP.  

2017 has seen us spoilt for choice for great albums by great people; from St Vincent’s incredible comeback with ‘Masseduction’ to the enchanting, spine-tingling splendour of Aldous Harding’s ‘Party’; from the haunting magic of the legendary Bjork’s ‘Utopia’ to the twinkling, introspective grace of Adult Mom’s ‘Soft Spots’. There’s been some crackers.

However, as promoters of new music, we’ve decided to pick our favourite albums/EPs of the year from some of the most deserving, most amazing upcoming/DIY artists we know.

Sacred Paws – ‘Strike A Match’
I think it’s fair to say 2017 hasn’t been the best of years, but just one listen of London-Glasgow duo Sacred Paws’ Strike A Match will uplift in an instant, making everything seem just a little brighter. Fronted by the sunny charisma of Rachel Aggs, Sacred Paws have not only provided a soundtrack to our year, but have also left us grinning from cheek-to-cheek and full of joy upon seeing them live at Visions Festival in the summer.

Filled with one delectable, danceable delight after another, the Scottish Album Of The Year award winner oozes a unique jangly joy throughout. With each track offering a contagious buoyant energy as vibrant calypso-inspired melodies flow seamlessly alongside lush harmonies and thrilling, racing beats, Strike A Match is the perfect antidote to 2017’s troubles. A wonderfully musically rich collection with all the reviving spirit and colourful charm you could ever need to see you into the new year. (Mari Lane)

H1987 – ‘Dreamlike’
Mysteriously named electronic artist and producer H1987 released Dreamlike earlier this year; and it’s an ambient, fluid, ethereal offering from this prolific talent.

Whilst the record is mainly instrumental, it manages to articulate emotions and states of mind that the most poetic of lyrics would fall short of explaining. It’s a soundscape for anxiety, distance, euphoria, reassurance – and equal parts cold and comforting. Like a pebble that breaks the surface of a placid lake, each track is a ripple that widens and spreads in to the next.

If film soundtracks or unusual electronic albums are your thing, then allow yourself the luxury of listening to Dreamlike in one sitting to feel the full effect. It’s the ultimate antidote for any stressful or long commute. Put your headphones in, and disappear. (Kate Crudgington)

Dream Nails – ‘Dare To Care’
As well as providing us with some of the most liberating and exciting live performances of the year – the assertion of their ‘Girls To The Front’ ethos at their gigs providing an empowering and necessary step towards creating safe spaces for women and non-binary people at music venues – Dream Nails have also released their completely fantastic debut EP.

Packing a punch with its seething force, Dare To Care is proof of why we need Dream Nails in our lives now more than ever. From ‘Joke Choke’ – a raging, discordant offering filled with a punk-fuelled fury about people who think it’s funny to make jokes about rape – and the fist-clenching power of ‘Tourist’s message against emotionally predatory men; to the uplifting, unifying sparkle of ‘Merkury’, and the ultimate, sex-positive break-up anthem ‘Lovefuck’, this EP provides a perfect and timely voice against the patriarchy.

A group willing to combine activism and music to form a unifying force against misogyny and inequality in society, Dream Nails succeed in inspiring and motivating girls everywhere to get to the front and make our voices heard. And we cannot wait to hear what our favourite Feminist Punk Witches have in store in 2018 to follow the empowering magnificence of Dare To Care. (ML)

LOUD WOMEN – ‘Volume One’
Featuring 21 tracks from a variety of DIY female musicians – with all profits going to Women’s Aid – LOUD WOMEN’s Volume One compilation album is a vital piece of energy-giving activism. With tracks from DOLLS, GUTTFULL, Bugeye and more; this eclectic mix of punk, indie, rock & alternative is perfect listening for any feminist activist – or any fan of quality DIY music.

The chorus on Madame So’s ‘Black Is Beautiful’ filled me with tearful hope the first time I listened. Petrol Girls’ ‘Touch Me Again’ has remained my angry, life-affirming, self-autonomous anthem. Deux Furieses brief but brilliant ‘Out Of My System’ is the punk remedy to any bad day. There really is something here for everyone. (KC)

H.Grimace – ‘Self Architect’
Having wowed us with their impeccable live performances at Green Man Festival and at our very own Finsbury night, this year H.Grimace followed 2015’s ‘I Am Material’ cassette and last year’s Royal Hush EP with the release of their debut album Self Architect. 

A collection of raw post-punk scuzz, the album swirls in its stirring darkness and shoegaze-inspired haze, the likes of which I haven’t been quite as addicted to since first losing myself in Sonic Youth’s Goo.

Whilst the blunt power of ‘2.1 Woman’s commentary on patriarchal society’s expectations of women to create perfect versions of themselves may be a personal highlight of the album, this record is a pure sonic delight from start to finish. From the seething, dreamy whirr of ‘Lipsyncer’, to the twinkling hum of ‘Land/Body’ and the jangly cacophony of its title track, Self Architect flows with a soaring, bewitching majesty and gritty power.

Combine these innovative musical creations with the compelling, cool swathe and raw honesty of exceptional front woman Hannah Gledhill, and you have one of the most exciting bands of 2017. (ML)

Rews – ‘Pyro’ (KC)
Like the phoenix that rises from the ashes of its own flames, REWS take the remnants of loves old and new, and turn them in to tunes that blaze with fun and furious style. Their debut album Pyro (released via Marshall Records) brims with a simultaneously dark and delightful energy, and it set our ears alight in all the right ways.

From the glittery, gritty goodness of single ‘Shine’, to the powerhouse break-up anthem ‘Miss You In The Dark’ – Pyro proves the REWS girls take everything in their stride; and they should take great pride in a debut that perfectly showcases their musical potential.(KC)

ALBUM: REWS – ‘Pyro’

Like the phoenix that rises from the ashes of its own flames, rock duo REWS take the remnants of loves old and new and turn them into tunes that blaze with fun and furious style. Their debut album Pyro, released via Marshall Records, brims with an incredibly dark an delightful energy and it’s setting our cells alight in all the right ways.

The record opens with a rockier reversion of the joyful ‘Let It Roll’, showcasing guitarist Shauna & drummer Collette’s divine dual vocals against a backdrop if gritty guitar. It bleeds perfectly in to ‘Rip Up My Heart’, a heavy lament to the heartache caused by a failed relationship – and a musical remedy for it too.

‘Violins’ is an apathetic but energetic track with a chorus which demonstrates Shauna’s ability to hit the higher notes as well as unleashing hair-raising screams with her powerful lungs. It precedes recent single ‘Shine’, which is glittery and gloriously heavy (like the accompanying music video) and a clear highlight on the record. ‘Death Yawn’ – written about a weird guy who kept staring at Shauna at a hostel during breakfast – is a poppier offering, but it’s drenched in REWS’ trademark infectious melodies and dancing beats.

‘Miss You In The Dark’ is the anthem every girl should listen to post-breakup, with standout percussion from Collette and more of Shauna’s powerhouse vocals which dominate the record. ‘Your Tears’ is a superb follow-up, and it’s a track that refuses to acknowledge “the boy who cried wolf” with it’s swaggering guitar and thrashing drums.

‘We Explode’ leaves its mark, with it’s scorching chorus and lyrics that drip with desire, whilst penultimate track ‘Shake Shake’ will have you shimmying away the bad memories. ‘Running Up Against The Wall’ closes the record, with melodic keys and a sense of uncertainty that listeners will easily relate to. Pyro is proof that the REWS girls take everything in their stride, and they should take great pride in this record which perfectly showcases their musical potential.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Get In Her Ears w/ REWS (27.10.17)

Mari & Kate were back in the Hoxton Radio studio this week playing loads of great new tunes from women in music. They were joined by the lovely Shauna Tohill from REWS who came into the studio to talk about the band’s debut album Pyro (released on 3rd November) and to play a few tracks live on air.

Listen back to the show here:

Tracklist
Wolf Alice – Yuk Foo
Witch Fever – Carpet Asphyxiation
Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing
Adria – Gold Water
The Magnettes – Sad Girls
French For Rabbits – It Will Be Okay
Fever Ray – To The Moon and Back
I Am Harlequin – Minimal
PILLARS – Honest People
Halina Rice – Atoms
VERO – Out Of My Head
**REWS Interview & Live Session**
VUKOVI – Animal
Fever High – Good Advice
Miya Folick – Give It To Me
Cindy Wilson – Mystic
Just Because – Everything
Sextile – Ripped
Suzie Stapleton – Yesterday’s Town
David Bowie – Heroes