#292: Catching Up With...NARCS

First brought to my attention last summer, Leeds-based four-piece NARCS are a band that have gone from strength to strength over recent months. Part of the ever-brilliant Clue Records roster and, along with current Yorkshire darlings Allusondrugs and relative newcomers Forever Cult make up West Yorkshire's trinity of '90s inspired fuzz-mongery.

NARCS own personal disposition might not be the sunniest (and having personally lived in Leeds for three years, I can't blame them) but their blend of punk, indie and straightforward rock holds enough universal appeal to appease even the pickiest of music fans in one way or another.

We caught up with lead singer Wilko to discuss new single 'Coast to Coast', the pros and cons of being a band in the perpetually grey North of England and what the future holds in store for NARCS.

This feature was originally written for Shout4Music. Click here to read in full.

#291: Catching Up With...Allusondrugs

With Leeds being a city on the up, the amount of exciting talent emerging from its industrial inners is on the rise too and whilst Allusondrugs aren't technically from Leeds, they're close enough to be considered part of the ever-growing wave of acts the city has to offer.

Playing what's quickly becoming a quintessential Leeds sound and essentially having an appreciation for all things heavy, the band, whilst describing themselves as the catch-all term - alternative rock, fuse together grunge and indie in an incendiary blend of both nostalgia and the contemporary.

We caught up with guitarist Drey for a chat about their most recent single, and their plans looking towards the end of the year.

This feature was originally written for Shout4Music. Click here to read in full.

#282: Allusondrugs - Nervous (single review)

Allusondrugs

Nervous

April 28 2014 (Clue Records)

9/10

Given that they come from Leeds, it's easy to see how Allusondrugs got their name. Indeed, at times the band sound very much as their name suggests; but whilst the burgeoning student population of their hometown settles into their Saturday night mephedrone binges and Sunday morning K-holes, Allusondrugs opted instead to ply their trade and hone their sound and whilst we're almost positive there's some degree of expanded consciousness at play, their music says far more about the band than their personal choice of evening consumables.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#233: Forever Cult - Suntrap (single review)

Forever Cult

'Suntrap'

January 27, 2014 (Clue Records)

9/10

Seemingly able to bridge the gap between Seattle circa '92 and Camden circa 2012, Huddersfield-based 3-piece Forever Cult look well and truly set to make 2014 their year. Armed with a sound that's just as suited to red plaid as to trilbies and skinny jeans, their debut EP Fuxx was met with generally favourable response when they unveiled it's grungey cynicism last October. Now, a little of three months since it's release, Forever Cult are back with new single and free download, 'Suntrap', and, whilst the cynicism is still present, the music itself reveals a far more melodious, even tender side to the band's writing that comes across as the first step in a maturing process.

A hazy track that's far less frenetic than the heavier numbers on their EP, 'Suntrap' is not without it's own demons. Described as a “dark and brooding grunge confession” the track exhibits a discernible sense of introspection, with Kieran Clarke's transatlantic vocal serving to uphold a sense of universality that transcends the band's West Yorkshire roots, appealing to fans of alternative indie on both sides of the pond. Once more, not only are the band releasing 'Suntrap' as a free download, but it's release as part of this year's Independent Venue Week (an admirable venture, much like International Record Store Day on a smaller scale) means Forever Cult have been chosen as the headliners for the Leeds leg of the event, along with fellow up-and-comers allusondrugs.

Quite often, these days it seems many bands are brimming with interesting ideas, have thoughts on amalgamations of sounds or aesthetics which in turn, inevitably leads to the lines of genre becoming increasingly blurred. The problem with this experimentation, is that many of the bands are falling victim to over-ambition, running before they can walk. Thankfully, however, that isn't the case with Forever Cult, who have expertly walked a fine line on the border of indie and grunge, never once falling too heavy on either side, creating the perfect balance of the nostalgic and the contemporary and coming across all the better for it. And while the two genres have certainly met before (most recently with bands such as the ill-fated Tribes), rarely do they harbour the same cynical charm as Forever Cult. Like the twenty-somethings they probably are, poised between youthful innocence and cynical adulthood, Forever Cult, as a band, seem the embodiment of quarter-life crises, and my god, do they do it well. 

Twitter

#218: NARCS - Karaoke (single review)

NARCS

Karaoke

November 2013 (Clue Records)

8/10

Leeds isn't the first city in the North of England that you'd think of when it comes to groove laden indie-rock. It is, however, where snarling five-piece NARCS hail from, and with their most recent single 'Karaoke', a scathing examination of the X-Factor syndrome, the band are contending with some of the North's best underexposed acts, to put Leeds on the musical map permanently.

At less than three minutes long, it's a short sharp and acerbic jibe at celebrity culture. Taking no time to kick off proceedings, a chunky guitar and drumming somewhat akin to that of the first Arctic Monkeys record drive the song forward, all the while backboned by a fantastically produced bass and rhythm section.

With their previous single '19' attracting positive attention from a number of small music blogs such as this one, it's only a matter of time before NARCS gain the attention of a wider musical sphere, and make the waves they've already set in motion, even bigger.

Website
On Twitter