WATCH: BCOS RSNS – ‘(First On At The) Buffalo Bar’

A catchy and absorbing debut single, ‘(First On At The) Buffalo Bar‘ by BCOS RSNS is a deceptively upbeat love letter to a precarious live music scene. A bouncy rhythm blending with cheery keys and fuzzy guitar riffs captures the liveliness and excitement of being at the kind of gig that makes it worth paying London prices for a pint.

The verses recount fond memories of the kind of weird and wonderful acts that find the space to perform in small venues willing to take a punt on something different, and anyone who knows and loves a local venue with a cramped stage and an eclectic-bordering-on-chaotic rotation of performers will recognise at least some of the images conjured in this track. The bright chorus repeats “I wanna be first on at the Buffalo Bar” with an infectious enthusiasm that makes you want to take your weird idea and go play there too. The riff beneath is an absolute earworm that will have you humming that chorus for a long time.

Regretful repeated lines come in towards the end that give the song an all too familiar sense of heartbreak; the simple change to the lyrics, with almost no shift in the music subverts the happy experiences into just memories. The sense of nostalgia is nice, but the loss of such a gem to the live music scene is tragic, and that feeling evokes the loss of many, many incredible community spaces lost to the ravages of late stage capitalism. It tinges those stories with sadness that even the most busy, vibrant cities can’t keep their best small venues afloat.

‘(First On At The) Buffalo Bar’ expertly captures the existential anxiety of seeing a scene you love to be a part of crumble away before your eyes, as a brutal economy and an increasing disregard for the arts rip holes in the fabric of the DIY community.

BCOS RSNS have chosen their debut perfectly. Given the presence the band have in the DIY scene in London, as familiar faces at all the best gigs both on stage and supporting from the crowd, this track really represents their authentic personality as well as introducing their sound to people further afield hearing them for the first time.

BCOS RSNS, the eponymous debut album from the band, is out on 22nd May, and you can celebrate the release with them live at The Cavendish Arms on 25th May.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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LISTEN: Daughter – ‘Arise, Daughters Of Marsha’

The debut release from transgender black metal project Daughter, ‘Arise, Daughters of Marsha’ is a battle cry summoning the global community to stand up for trans rights. The track begins with a scream that acts as Daughter’s mission statement, not just with this single but the full upcoming EP. Vocalist and songwriter “Deadname” aims to channel the trauma of the trans experience in contemporary society through the brutal, aching sound of black metal.

The lyrics are delivered in a guttural scream that feels like it has been ripped violently from her throat. Shrieking guitars and rapid drums echo the feeling in the vocals, without compromising on the absorbing quality of the beat or the melodic riffs. An almost military-sounding rhythm adds a looming sense of dread to the track, compounded by the ominous wailing stings.

In this song, Deadname allows herself to cast aside the composure with which she, as a trans woman, is expected to carry herself with at all times in public; to act as a representative of her community against the vitriol of transphobic commentators. Instead, this track is raw and honest and seethes with the pain and rage that come as an extremely understandable reaction to the treatment of trans people right now, as news stories of transphobic attacks are increasingly, tragically frequent.

Savage riffs and blasting beats ramp up to a churning storm of music, until it ends by sampling some massively poignant lines from Sylvia Rivera’s ‘Y’all Better Quiet Down‘ speech from 1973, in which she exposes the hypocrisy of trans-exclusionary queer people. She reminds the world how much abuse trans women have historically faced when standing up for queer liberation only to be shunned by other members of their own community. “You all treat me this way? What the fuck’s wrong with you all?” The fact that these words are still so powerfully relevant more than fifty years later, with “charities” claiming to support the queer community but explicitly and unashamedly excluding trans people, gives this track a sucker-punch finish that leaves you unable to ignore the importance of the conversation Daughter generates with this poignant and necessary debut.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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WATCH: Joanna and The Dropouts – ‘Sold Your Soul’

An homage to old school horror in both style and substance, ‘Sold Your Soul‘ gives the classic tale of a deal with the devil a distinct Joanna and The Dropouts twist. 

The track kicks off with throbbing bass and quick drums to set the mood, perfectly matching the softly lit cocktail bar where the video takes place. A catchy upbeat guitar riff and resounding keyboard hooks create the kind of spooky vibes that suggest the most glamorous vampire you’ve ever seen will loom out of the shadows and offer you something irresistible. Building with driving, urgent beats, a sense of danger is generated, hinting at the trap you’re being lured into.

The opening lines evoke the age-old tale instantly: “You sold your soul for a cheap thrill”. The verses warn of the pitfalls of such an agreement, of the curse that comes hidden with the temptation the devil offers. But the chorus inevitably circles back to “Shaking heads with the devil / Gonna get me some trouble”. The final line of the chorus hammers home the message of the song, that taking the easy option, when rewards are not earned but come at an awful price, can never match a life experienced authentically – “Really living is the steepest risk”.

‘Sold Your Soul’ plays with an iconic story, and makes a lot of stylistic choices that you’d expect to go with it. The bar bathed in red light, the decorative plants that draw attention to the thorns on beautiful roses. But Joanna and The Dropouts infuse the song with so much of their own personality that it still feels original, despite the clear nods to their influences. It is incredibly easy to be drawn into all the fun the band are evidently having with both the track and video.

Watch the spooky new video for ‘Sold Your Soul’ here, ahead of the release of Joanna and The Dropouts’ upcoming new EP:

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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WATCH: pink suits – ‘A Comprehensive Breakdown of How Trickle-Down Economics Works’

Ahead of the release of their upcoming second album, Dystopian Hellscape, on 1st April, Margate duo pink suits have shared a compelling new single. The ambitiously titled ‘A Comprehensive Breakdown Of How Trickle-down Economics Works‘ promises to condense a volatile debate that economists have examined at great length into the (impressively, impossibly brief length) of a single track.

Trickle-down economics is the idea that it is beneficial to all of society to offer tax breaks to the wealthiest individuals and businesses in the world, allowing them to keep more money in their own accounts rather than the government re-distributing it to meet the needs of wider society. The logic behind this is that the hyper-rich will use that wealth of their own volition to stimulate the economy through their own purchases as well as developing businesses that provide jobs to working class people, as well as supporting social causes out of the goodness of their own hearts.

In a world where everyone has a fixed maximum capacity on the amount of money and assets they can have, this would make some element of sense, as they would be forced to redistribute those resources somehow anyway. However, in the real world, where the wealthy are not only allowed but actively encouraged, rewarded and honoured for hoarding more resources than they could ever possibly need, this simply isn’t the case. Studies conducted over many decades show that there is no correlation between more wealth and higher economic output and that the opposite is significantly more likely as the gap between rich and poor widens at increasingly alarming rates. When poor people have money, they have no choice but to spend it on the essentials that keep them alive and stimulate the economy. When rich people have money, they are free to let it gather dust indefinitely, rendering huge amounts of global resources with zero economic value.

In writing a song that is just four seconds long, pink Suits have refused to engage with arguments from ideologues who ignore basic facts of reality. They have refused to repeat easily accessible, readily available information. They have made a statement that if you’re not prepared to do your own homework, it’s not their job to educate you. If you want to look like a clown jabbering on about something you demonstrably know nothing about, then you are more than welcome to, but you are not entitled to their time or attention and you should consider yourself grateful that they dignified your argument with these four sweet, simple seconds.

Watch the epic accompanying video and read more about what pink suits have to say about the track below:

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