Them Wolves join the family with ‘German for Duke’

All may have seemed pretty quiet on the DT front of late, but don't let that fool you. Here at Distorted Tapes HQ I've been plotting our next moves towards world domination and am teaming up with the brand-spanking new It's Just Noise label to bring you two exciting releases which I personally can't wait to splatter all over your eardrums.

First up we have noise-rock trio Them Wolves' debut proper EP, German For Duke. Set for release on 24th June 2013, it'll be available as a limited edition screen-printed CD & digital download. Aaaaaand you can pre-order this bad boy here now. Go, go, go!

As a taste of what's in store they've also made a proper pop video which is full of suspense and mild terror (and can be watched in HD). Click play:

The track listing for German for Duke is as follows: 

1. The Wild Girl of Champagne
2. Folding a Napkin on Terminal Island
3. Let’s You and Him Fight
4. You’re More Like a Young Mary Bell
5. Wolf Song

And here's what some kind people said. Nice things.

“Them Wolves make us feel like we have just been fisted. In the face. Loud, brash, intimidating and a whole lot of fun.” - Pink Mist

"The bearded terrorists of unmitigated sonic domination aren't playing their songs, they're abusively detonating them at point blank range." - BrumNotes

More on the second split release soon... I'll give you chance to digest first, but let me give you a hint: TEAT LAW.

The Megaphonic Thrift at The Rainbow 13/03/2012

It's relatively quiet in The Rainbow, however whilst the crowd may be thin on the ground the same can't be said for tonight's opening act Swimming. The Nottingham 5-piece fill the stage, and the room, with their blend of electronics and reverb-soaked rock. Think of a more upbeat Twilight Sad, sans the Scottishness, and mix in a bit of The Cooper Temple Clause, and you may be somewhere close to imagining what these guys sound like. There is definitely a summery vibe to their music, which is reflected in the projections displayed behind them depicting surfers and US highways and various other Americana. On their more keyboard-led tracks they come across as a heavier Late of the Pier, and this may be no coincidence - their keyboardist Sam is/was a member of said band. Swimming have certainly mastered their craft, powerfully layering their sounds, all underpinned by their metronomic drummer who continually propels them forwards. I imagine the next time they swing through town, they'll be playing to a much larger crowd.

Next up are local lads Bad Apes, a caustic three-piece out of Walsall. Don't let their youthful looks fool you, for they know how to bring the noise at nosebleed-inducing levels. Their sound mixes punk and shoegaze in equal measures, and at times they wear their influences on their sleeves. Tonight's set opener for example sounds heavily inspired by Sonic Youth, and despite some issues with bass levels, gets the crowd in the mood for what's to come, a blistering set which takes in 'Oceans Rust' with its acidic bass riff, wavering nauseatingly throughout whilst still forming a solid bedrock upon which guitarist/vocalist Joe can build the song to its violent conclusion. However, the highlight tonight has to be new song 'What Doesn't Kill Me Only Puts Me In A Coma', which comes on like a pissed-off My Bloody Valentine. With its repetitive refrain "It's just the way we live our lives," it's as good as a statement of intent you'll get from Bad Apes. Closing with 'The Near Deaf Experience,' the audience are literally left near deaf as the band blasted the levels sub-atomic before leaving their guitars in a heap on the floor. They may not be to everyone's taste, but if you like your music loud, abrasive and unpredictable, Bad Apes may just be your new favourite band.

The Megaphonic Thrift

Headlining The Rainbow this evening are Norwegian 4-piece The Megaphonic Thrift who bring a lot more melody to proceedings - think a Scandinavian Broken Social Scene, melodic basslines, swathed in layers of reverb-drenched guitar, forming a formidable wall of sound. Similarities can be drawn with early British Sea Power, however it is the shoegaze elements that really make The Megaphonic Thrift shine: the vulnerability and fragility in bassist Linn Frokedal's voice mark a sharp contrast to the sheets of distortion, and recall all the best bits of My Blood Valentine. Not to be outdone by Bad Apes' antics, TMT end with the massive post-rock epic that is 'Queen of Noise', speeding full throttle through to a ear-shattering climax  - a climax that leaves their guitars ringing off into infinity, as well as ears buzzing well into the next day.

Kong at the Hare & Hounds 28/04/2011

It's Just Noise have put together a corking line up this evening, and one that would give environmentalists obsessed with noise pollution a fit. First up are God Damn, who treat those who have turned up early to a solid set of heavy, bluesy, stoner rock and roll. Opening with their namesake track, the manifesto of sound that is 'God Damn', it's obvious that the crowds ears are going to get a bit of a bruising before Kong even make the stage. There's something of Queens of the Stone Age in their sound, whilst the duel vocals recall the Blood Brothers - to this reviewer at least. Since the last time I saw the Wolverhampton three-piece (at a gig in their lock-up in Wolves last Oct) they've come on leaps and bounds, and despite Thom Edwards' usual antics being somewhat restricted by the tightly packed stage, the songs speak for themselves. And if the rush for free CDs the band were offering is anything to go by, it's an indication that these boys are ones-to-watch.

Next to the stage are &U&I who, for those who don't know, feature 3/4s of the legendary Blakfish. This is the second time I've caught them play since Blakfish's demise early last year. Last time was at the Off the Cuff festival last year, where they received mental support despite having only played a couple of shows with the new material. Tonight the lads are in good humour: "Good evening Birmingham, we're from Sutton Coldfield!" they joke during a pause midway through their set. Certainly the most melodic of the bands on the bill tonight, &U&I know how to write a catchy hook, with latest single 'Stalk this City' a shining example of the bands technical abilities when it comes to writing a good tune. Wary of running out of time, the band bring their set to a close with "the hit," 'Chancer's Paradise' off of last year's debut EP. I still feel it's their best song to date, and I'm pretty sure I caught a few people in the crowd singing along. They're playing the Saturday at this year's Off the Cuff festival at the Flapper, so if you're planning on going make sure you catch them.

Kong are easily the scariest band I've ever seen. Forget the masks Slipknot wear - there's nothing creepy about those rubber faced fools - Kong are the real deal, and are waaay off the chart when it comes to weirdness. Their music is difficult to describe, it's very fucking heavy (expletive necessary), but it's not just noise for noise sake; there's an inventiveness in their music, as well as a sense of humour that makes them absolutley fantastic as a live band to watch. Just like all the best horror movies, you don't want to look, but at the same time you know you need to because otherwish you'll miss guitarist Magpie flashing his arse at the crowd and calling the crowd something along the lines of "turkeyheads", or bassist Lulu's pale body scrawled over in felt-tip pen with the evening's setlist (amongst other things) gyrating at the edge of the stage. Yes, it's confrontational, it's aurally violent, but tonight Kong have the crowd eating out of their hand. Previous singles 'Leather Penny' and 'Blood of a Dove' give the crowd a good reason to (to steal from Willow Smith's vocab) whip their hair back and forth, equally as does the new material, which leaves us with the question just when will they follow up 2009s Snake Magnet?