#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.

#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.

#280: Apollo Junction - If I Fell (single review)

Born in the '80s, influenced by the '90s and bored by the '00s, Leeds-based electro-indie outfit Apollo Junction have found their popularity rising over recent months, and it's easy to why. Their infectious blend of anthemic song-writing and polished pop musicality has already won over fans at both XFM and the BBC, the latter of which debuting the band's first single 'Begin' on the Graham Norton show. As such, it seems unquestionable that the band are going anywhere but up, and if their recent release 'If I Fell' is anything to go by, it won't be long before they're a household name.

As far as Apollo Junction go, 'If I Fell' is them not straying, but waltzing into true ballad territory. Gone are the pulsing disco beats of previous releases such as 'Daylight', in their stead, stadium-sized production on the drums, occasional string trills and a brilliantly effective piano line. Lyricism has never been the band's strong point; never bad but hardly poetic. It seems here, however, that there's been a distinct maturing between singles and 'If I Fell' comes off all the better for it. Having eschewed the traditional 'party' vibe of their past output, Apollo Junction exhibit here a never before seen Everyman candour. Like the best song The Twang never wrote it's also easily the band's strongest to date.

In terms of slow and heartfelt indie anthems, it's hardly a barren wasteland should one choose to indulge themselves. But more often than not it seems, at least these days, that said anthems are more the bands ticking boxes on the Make-An-Album worksheet as opposed to wanting to create something special. Indeed it's easier to envision a polo-nosed Fray, Turner or Gallagher counting out cash rather than pining over a relationship. Not so the case with Apollo Junction. They're singing about personal situations and making them universal to the listener, but it could quite easily be the other way round, making universal situations personal. Either way the band have come on leaps and bounds over the year or so they've been on my radar, with each single more impressive than the last. With 'If I Fell' however, it seems these five lads from Leeds have cracked it, and it could very well go to be their breakthrough.

#274: NARCS - Coast to Coast (single review)

Having impressed tastemakers last year with their debut album ‘Two Birds, One Stone Later’ and its resulting launch show, Leeds-based four-piece NARCS have just released ‘Coast To Coast’, the final single to be taken from ‘Two Birds…’. Described as “the swansong of an old couple who refuse to face  modern reality”, ‘Coast To Coast’ is one of the band’s strongest singles to date, the crisp production complimenting the candour of the lyricism fantastically.

This review was originally written for Hooting & Howling. Click here to read in full.

#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.

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#175: The Barmines - There's Never Any Romance (EP review)

In a city musically overshadowed by northern contemporaries such as Manchester and Liverpool, Leeds-based four-piece The Barmines are stirring things up by brandishing their no-nonsense blend of garage rock and rousing indie with a wild and reckless abandon. After a couple of years honing their sound, the quartet, comprised of two sets of brothers (Rob & Liam, Liam & Andy) are set to unleash their début EP There's Never Any Romance on the world.

northern contemporaries such as Manchester and Liverpool, Leeds-based four-piece

At a little under ten minutes long, the four tracks featured are a short, sharp, shock to the senses, and introduces their no frills attitude brilliantly. Kicking off proceedings is 'Feel Good' a scuzzy, gritty track in which guitars wail with a corrosive fuzz amidst singer Rob Burton's signature snarl. It's straight to the point, and grabs listeners instantly, effortlessly drawing one in to the rest of the EP.

Perhaps the most stand out track on There's Never Any Romance comes in the form of third track 'Hey Runner'. Equal parts punk and indie, the track, like the record it's taken from, is brief, yet still manages to pack a significant amount of punch as a buzz saw rhythm guitars form an abrasive and distorted back drop whilst Rob Burton's trademark vocal is effortlessly draped over it. It's straight up dirty rock 'n' roll, and it's appeal lies in it's simplicity. This isn't music that's going to break boundaries, but when it's as honest and as down to earth as this, it really doesn't need to.

Lyrically The Barmines are fairly straightforward too; there's no Shakespearian-esque wordsmithery at play, but that only serves to add to their chosen aesthetic. It's straightforward guttural indie that's made for filling venues with heaving masses of dancing bodies, something The Barmines will undoubtedly achieve with There's Never Any Romance and while some listeners will understandably comment that they've “heard it all before” the fact of the matter is that rarely will they have heard it done to this standard. Each track hits home and hits hard, pummelling listeners with 2 minutes of raw abrasion before moving on to the next slice of distorted and danceable indie, begging the question why haven't this four-piece from Leeds joined the likes of Kasabian or the Arctic Monkeys in the hallowed halls of indie royalty.
 

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