2015

It takes something BIG to make me put two finger tips to computer keys nowadays.

 

It’s about two bands who have released records this year, they both have what seems to be a similar feeling regarding whether you dig them or not, whether you listen to them or not. They both give off a form of nihilism, they both reek of indifference, they both SHRUG at the listener.

I wonder if its the times we live in, there’s an agonizing cynicism to everything as we all tip-toe around trying to not say the wrong thing, to change our FB profile pic’s at the right time, to not have ambition, to take photo’s of ourselves PURELY to put them onto the internet to show how awesome we are with our families or with our bands or with our friends or cats. LOOK AT ME, DOING SOMETHING, I DON’T JUST SIT HERE WANKING.

 

Every week when Jools is on, the same people moan about what’s on it. Every year the Mercury’s get announced and people moan. Then Christmas comes around and someone puts up their decorations early so everyone moans. Then someone posts ‘the SLAYER Christmas lights’ and gets 4 ‘LIKES’. Halloween pisses people off, religion pisses people off, ATP pisses people off, there’s SO MUCH to be pissed off at…… behind a keyboard. 

 

Then of course, everyone eye’s up the next ATP (oooh….the two berth’s are all gone, we gotta find FOUR or SIX or fucking EIGHT to share with…”How are we gonna do that, darling? I HATE EVERYONE I LIKE”). Everyone watches Jools ANYWAY, puts on their Christmas jumpers, get’s MOIST at the latest reformed band. 

 

The zeitgeist is racing away, the REAL KIDS, those who are 15…not YOU….are listening to GTA5 radio, and aren’t on FB, and they don’t give two shits about vinyl or CD or cassette because they’re listening on Youtube and paying for NOTHING. 

 

These two records in particular capture the times for ME. In what is a strange time to consume music, albums are big for a week. Records are ALBUM OF THE YEAR after one listen, vinyl is perpetually delayed as the major labels clog it all up with Dire Straits reissues, advertising is still considered important yet as ever WORD OF MOUTH is still the best way.

I’ve lived with these two for 6 months in one case and 3 in the other, and they carry themselves so sweetly in attitude and bluster and pure SWING, they are ‘just’ rock albums. I think people forget about: ‘just’ rock albums. 

Being awesome with a cat:

 

Grey Hairs are a four piece from Nottingham. The album is miserably called ‘Colossal Downer’, it has a photo on the cover of a worn out and bored looking child faced with a table overflowing with classic party food. It sort of symbolizes all I’ve said so far in the one photo. We have EVERYTHING but we’re all so fucking GRUMPY. These words from their page on the Gringo website: “form a band and tour in a Transit while no one takes any notice whatsoever” are the words of the child in 20 years time, no doubt. 

 

The music harks back to a pre-internet time somehow, when you ordered your records by POST. God damn they were SLOW times, but it made you so excited to get the record. I still have a hand written letter from Dischord Records thanking me for asking for a catalogue….DIFFERENT TIMES…I bet Grey Hairs have a letter from Dischord, or maybe Sub Pop. This is music for fans of The Wipers or The Pattern or Evergreen (the Louisville Evergreen). It has a head bobbing garage punk rock grind that is timeless. It’s not of this time.It’s for all times.

 

The Workin’ Man Noise Unit record, Play Loud, has a GUSTO to it that’s pure.The tunes snap with a swagger that makes me want to start a band, they make me so happy. I get a feeling of intense potential. Like somehow things are possible. Yet, despite ME getting this, they don’t seem to have it… The sleeve, a TF classic, is of a motorbike riding man riddled with EYES and ARMS heading straight into hell. The insert, with photocopied pencil writing: “COMING TO AN EMPTY ROOM NEAR YOU SOON” and “WMNU FAN CLUB, 123 FUCK OFF STREET” doesn’t exactly spill over with Oasis style bravado….I love them for it. 

 

The music? It’s ‘noise rock’, or ‘grunge’, or ‘punx’, or ‘AM REP ROCK’. It’s nine tunes played by four people on bass/drums/guitar +vocal/skreeeee. I would say it’s ZZ Top played by characters who first learnt about decent music via Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. OR WHATEVER. It make me want to watch them in an empty room, near ME. 

 

Both WMNU, who are from Reading, and Grey Hairs, put shows on in their hometowns. They both PUT BACK. So despite the worn out world view, and cynicism, it’s clear all 8 of them are LIFERS. 

 

These are the times. There’s too much going on, we have no time for any of it. We’re impatient. Gif’s are too long. We have to do agonizingly shit jobs purely to keep us in beans and tea bags, but it’s what we do in our SPARE TIME. And in the first post on this blog for a couple of years i’m saying these two records are THEE records of the year, 2015. 

For Grey Hairs go to GRINGO

For Workin’ Man Noise Unit go to RIOT SEASON

 

Tags: Album of the year, Colossal Downer, Grey Hairs, Gringo Records, Play Loud, Riot Season, Vinyl, Workin Man Noise Unit