Charles Dexter Ward and the Imagineers

Tales chattered through shattered teeth of witchcraft and necrophilia from the depths of Arkham Asylum- depicted for the first time from the last breaths of singer Aaron Malin.


On a murky murderous moor passed a poor forsaken band called Living With the Bear, crossing the haunted forest under a full moon to make their midnight appointment at the practise rooms. Determined, yet untalented they strived to learn their instruments as best they could in the hopes of only, if possible making an impression amongst their peers within the crypts of Coventry City.


Whilst crossing the forest, lain there before their pokey dilated eyes appeared a rusted tin dappled with silver fingerprints, and they opened it. In the swift flurry and a frosted haze appeared the ghost of Charles Dexter Ward himself! He consumed the members where they stood (regurgitating a fresh new member entirely), wrote all of their songs and taught them how to use their instruments so to strike discords of orchestrated brilliance into the hearts of the masses.


"I’m fed up of all these songs about being in a dole queue, eating a bag of chips bla bla bla. And all that telling you how it is on the street, I don’t want to know about that. So I started writing gothic songs, and I wrote one about the witch-hunt" explains singer Az Malin.


Charles Dexter Ward and the Imagineers have undeniable identity, and surely enough a following to go with it. The name comes from a dark story by H.P Lovecraft- a certified influence imprinted on the band’s facebook page. Their sound is decidedly blues rock psychedelia with twinges of Victoriana suave- in their music and their dress. Embellished dapperly in waistcoats, pocket watches and top hats; Az, Leigh, Chris and Ben spur furies of psychedelic memorials from the amps like possessed banshees. The likes of Tom Waits, John Lee Hooker, Kings of Leon and Kyuss drip from their sleeves as they shake rattle and groan through the microphone.


"That’s why I like recording, because the way I’m singing them no one knows what the fuck I’m saying" comments Aaron. "Image is massively important. We made up this mad story and everyone’s taken to it!"


Laughs aside, the band take themselves as seriously as any other group of musicians securing a local stance and trying to push their appeal as far as it‘ll go. But it’s about having fun with it too. Aaron admits that creation lies in "something that’s got a tune, and that’s got a groove. That’s the way we want to write songs. There’s an art in writing a good song, and having all the influences in there, but mostly having the basis of a good song".


In regards to getting signed, Az is often annoyed at people’s surprise to hear that they’re not a signed band. He laughingly demands to know just "how do you do it?!", though reassuringly admits: "we’re just trying to do something different on our own terms". Yet his tone turns understandingly a little resentful over the fact that "there are no rock bands at the minute, listen to the radio- it’s all pro tools synthetic shit. Even the rock music."


CDWATI would like nothing more than to yield depraved lunacy over the sound waves from the wrenches of their guts- and just how many bands can you name that sing about debauched gothic horror and Eskimo Escape? For instance "The Ballad of the Necrophiliac is about an ex-lover" Az explains, "and the point of the story is she’s dead and I’m going to dig her up and have my wicked way with her". And Witch Hunt is an equally delightful tale about spooning the eyes out of villagers suspected of witchcraft. Nothing you wouldn’t read about in Mary Shelley really.

Now the band plan to drag their shackles and chains through the forest of Charles Dexter Ward and onto pastures old, grey and quite possibly dilapidated- perhaps Dickensian London. "We’re waiting for the winter to come again. It’s been too sunny, and we’re not a summer band" states our host of scriptures. He leaves with one last statement to chew on; "Now with Halloween coming, we’re ready to emerge again".


Ensure to embrace the wrath of Charles Dexter Ward.

Black Carrot, For a Change

The king of obscure instruments Olly Betts, reveals the near-miss themes that the Carrot don’t quite have along with the rest of all that jazz…

The alternative art rockers are somewhat like a refresher course, whimsically feeding anyone who dares gamble a taste on the Carrot. Using a variety of unheard instruments including fender rhodes, a basshum recorder and a rhino sax- Black Carrot have become part of the jazz fusion genre, paying homage to Impulse! Records legends like John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. They’re different, to say the least.

Different yes, but not so obscure that the only appeal is a pretentious cry for help, heard only by the upper class art school elite above extended silences in some jazz impromptu playing on their European sound system, as they saunter in their Italian loafers.

Not quite a blow-off-your-head-if-you-stand-to-near-to-the-speakers band, it is in fact the sound, or the mood that is most prominent about the Carrot. Stewart Brackley’s vocals are a gibbering warble woven through an avant-garde tapestry- never quite coherent, yet always an impression. And in terms of theme, it’s fair to summate that preconceived notions are never really an important constituent for the band. "They’re not particularly about anything, there’s a bit of a war theme going on. We’ve got a single out in October, and that’s got a bit of a theme about it. But no, they’re not really about anything in particular" Olly Betts, Carrot mastermind assures me.

The first misconception about Black Carrot, is that they have Eastern European roots. Olly justly announces, "People were saying "you sound like Faust or Neu! or like all these German things of which I’ve never owned a record, before we started doing it".

In actual fact they’re signed to Coventry-based label Tin Angel Records, and have gained a mostly bohemian following within the city and across Midlands; despite dwelling mostly in home town Market Harborough. The UK may have been the feeding ground for Black Carrot- and a tour around the country is not unlikely- but they have previously stepped outside of the UK to measure the acceptance in Eastern Europe. Two trips to Poland can be sighted on their résumé- if not purely to see how a jazz fusion band might go down in the country famed for ‘disco polo’.

"We’ve got a mate over there, who organised this little thing- a tour sounds a bit grand- we just played down his local. It sounds a lot grander than it was… It was fun. The first night we played we had cleared the place, bar from one, which is quite an achievement", states Olly unassumingly. He continues on to say "The second time we toured there, we took our storyteller with us, and we even more bad press".

The fact is that the band don’t really care if you like them of not. They're respectfully of a more mature set these days, never needing to actively seek approval. They are instead applying themselves to an experiment, of a kind. Now after working away for round about 10 years, the general temperament can be summarised by; "We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. No one’s going to get us anyway, so it doesn’t really matter!"

Rousing words from the Carrot’s musical ‘let’s pick it up and see what happens’ frontrunner, who reveals no ostentatious background in sight when it comes to instrumental competence. "I’ve played woodwinds forever really, and I think keys is just something I fell in to. We haven’t been trained, Stew knows what he’s doing musically, but the rest of us- we don’t- we just sort of find it and play it". He continues to disclose that "We started off trying to be a bit of a, not a jazz band, but an out-there Sun Ra sort of jazz thing. And it gelled into what we’re doing now".

So when there is a theme? Well so far they have composed a soundtrack to works on Edgar Allan Poe, and Franz Kafka amidst others, which they recorded with temporal bard Nigel Parkin. But that’s old news, and presently fans can look forward to a new record on the horizon... "They’ll be a new album next year, possibly" Olly just barely prophesises. "Hopefully be a double one- out in the Tin Angel, at some point. We’re sort of just thinking about it at the moment".

So if you maybe, sort of, might quite like to give Black Carrot a listen, then previous albums are available at the Tin Angel or on the band’s website.

Primeline Artist to Launch EP

Up-and-coming dubstep star on first release…

Primeline: Coventry’s non-profit youth organization currently promoting hip hop, dubstep, and grime in the community. It is a record label with Coventry roots, looking to help unrepresented young artists from all walks of life.

Amec: not an American share-holding company as perhaps you first thought, but rather the next artist eagerly awaiting his launch date. But given his plan, there may be a day when you can actually invest shares in the enterprise that becomes Amec.

Within the next couple of months Amec releases his debut EP- a few tracks which represent the time and training he has received through Primeline. The artist learnt his trade at a youth centre known as the ‘Venny’, in the Henley Green area of Coventry. From this base, the organization focus their energy honing the talents of unrepresented youths looking to express themselves.

Amec began on the dubstep path out of a social inclination. He explains "I used to go out to my mate’s car and listen to drum and bass in the back". After that it wasn’t long before the team at the Venny got him into recording.

"Really it was just trial and error- just stick me on it, tell me what would break it so I know then what not to do. I got advice from my mentors there, listened to different types of music and just found my own sound from that".

Amec’s sound itself is not strictly dubstep and he ensures to involve a variety of genres into his work. "I’ll always try different things. My love will always be dubstep, drum and bass but I’ll always try to make other stuff." He adds that "I do like the Arabic sound, I like the whole snake charmer thing", and he so far he has an existing track which make use of Chinese Zen sounds.

Dubstep really emerged as a genre within the last decade but has mostly been treated as a trend on the outside of mainstream awareness. Amec recognizes that it gains most recognition in the Midlands, Shropshire, Bristol, and London music scenes, and believes strongly that "it needs to be more commercial. If they give it a chance on radio, then a lot more people will buzz in to it".

The genre becomes increasingly attractive as we plunge further into the electronic age. Traditionally music takes timely and costly means to produce to a commercial standard, yet dubstep is the bass-heavy alternative reflecting the work of good computer skills.

On his tracks, Amec says that theoretically he "can get one done in two or three hours", although he admits that "another time it can take two or three months. It’s just translating what’s in your head, to what’s on the computer".

So with all the right tools and enthusiasm provided by the producers at the Venny- who strongly emphasize passion and a love of music over the money-making machines of industry; Amec prepares to make his impression and take his art as far as he can.

"I’d love to make it some sort of full-time career, whether it’s engineering, or making music for other artists under an assumed name. Kind of like Timberland, I‘d love to be doing something like that".

Listen out for his name in the coming months.

Primeline Built on Passion

Coventry youth organization determined to succeed against all odds.

Primeline Music is a is a newly founded recorded label helping young artists to follow a passion, removed from the reins often seized by the wider music industry.

It is comprised of a team of people willing to help promote local talent- without the funding that major labels can so readily supply. The label is instead run on the belief and passion of it’s contributors, leaving monetary ambition far from priority.

Based in a youth centre known as ‘The Venny’ in the Henley Green area of Coventry, the non-profit organization boosts the productivity of youths who may not have otherwise had the chance. Removing the capital from the project leaves an enterprise solely focussed on talent, music, and education.

Carl Farquharson Primeline Coordinator, feels that "Primeline is a record label that’s about putting out great music that is new and edgy from talented young artists that would not normally get the chance to showcase their music".

Though not only focussed on helping young musicians, the label also provides the scope and voluntary employment opportunity for young up-and-coming journalists, PAs, promoters, technicians and many other roles required to produce the music and put it out onto the market.

The project is not strictly local either, and Michael Bailey (Primeline Director) can reveal that "Primeline works with talented people from all walks of life including inner city communities, some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country to develop and create new opportunities for young people to harness their music and enterprise skills".

They are currently promoting acts focussed on grime, hip hop and dubstep; but are looking for, and would encourage artists of all genres. Think of them as a local unfunded version of Island Records- bearing the same unbiased agenda as their enterprising foregoer.

The current tracks can be considered a product of technology, and Primeline provide the tools and the guidance for the youths involved to use to become competent artists.

From this point in time, Primeline look forward to nothing more than to recruit the artists that stand-out and make people react- whatever style of music that may encompass.

HotBeds Debut EP Release

If isolation and alienation are the products of living in London, then London has been the factory for HotBeds’ debut EP.

IntenseCity carries the notion of seclusion over a synthy wave, and across dance floor rhythms; sounding almost like a product of the ‘80s. It reflects the intense disaffection that can be generated when living in a big city- literally as it says on the tin. The songs are extremely lyrically focussed, and so the storytelling element confirms a genuine truth that can easily touch upon empathy and also make for sing-along material. Tracks such as Stop Forgiving and Frantic particularly epitomise life in London, and the latter could surely prove to be a club hit.

The band’s influences have often been cited as Gary Numan, Joy Division, and the Pet Shop Boys. I would add The Killers and present-day Madonna to the list, but having such a marble jar of influences will sadly always strip individuality away from composition.

The album is also tediously repetitive, and the lack of texture and refusal to alter from an incredibly monotone formula prevents HotBeds from striking out with any particular audible impact. The last official album track Christmas Started in October seems to provide the first break from continuity, but the most soul is revealed in the bonus unplugged tracks at the end.

London electro-rock duo HotBeds stand on the verge of releasing their debut album IntenseCity on September 6th, when their hybrid genre will be available on CD and download.

Resurrection Men

The local band including singer-guitarist Brendan Casey who have spent years achieving a perfect balance, though reluctantly totalitarianism has been lost somewhere along the way...

It’s almost as though Resurrection Men float on the dirtiest side of the river Styx- or at least of Coventry canal. They’re the city’s filthiest rock band who, with one EP under their belts released by the band themselves earlier this year, have much more to prove.

It all started about seven or eight years ago when musician Brendan Casey, and ‘Brother’ Parge formed a band called Tawt. This outfit ran for about three years but was all becoming a bit too much of a democracy (it seems that a fascist regime is a far better system for running a band), and so Brendan and Parge set out to start something new.

“Resurrection Men” was a name devised by the parent of an ex-girlfriend; a title which comes from a book by Ian Rankin. But the band, it seems, has little connection with the literature and instead just liked the idea behind the name. “I thought it sounded like a Christian band at first. But I’ve got over that” voices Brendan.

So then with a variety of ‘bitches’ all pinched from other bands- Brendan also being the first drummer in the Sequins, and now bassist in photographer Steve Gullick’s brainchild Tenebrous Liar- the line-up was set to thump and grind. Andy Whitehead, the band’s third guitarist, was playing mainly with local musician Wes Finch in the Dirty Band; as well as working with Tin Angel artist Devon Sproule prior to Resurrection Men- and now he gets on with all three. Then drummer Peej Treehorn is of the Treehorns and bassist ‘Majik’ Alex Miles also plays in Invitation to Love- an alternative, slightly psychedelic congregation which also features: Brendan Casey. Keeping up with the cov-cest?

Much to the Casey-Parge dictatorship’s outrage; Resurrection Men turned into yet another democracy, and they were forced to accept ideas from other members of the band which developed a somewhat avant-garde style. “Alex is young so he’s got lots of ambition. Whereas I’m a bit jaded now, a bit tired” admits Brendan.

With the settled and current line-up, the band’s sound is most noticeably akin to a fusion of Beefheart, the Meat Puppets and The Damned- but there are many many more influences coming into play the more you listen, and the longer you listen. A song called ‘Still Remains’ is glaringly Nirvana-esque, but it is ‘Hole in the Road’ and ‘Fits’ which strike out most prominently, and these two tracks admittedly touch upon the band’s identity.

Currently you can catch them almost on a weekly basis playing in and around Coventry, using the city as a sort of training ground until they release their next CD toward the end of the year. But despite feeling fairly content with sticking around to build up a local following at the moment; Brendan believes that “bands can get a bit stuck in their comfort zone”, and also that “it would do a lot of Coventry bands good by playing out more”. The Resurrection Men are taking their time to branch out in reach for their potential, and to develop their structure into something of a more diverse nature. It is Brendan’s not-so-distant dream that “after a little while longer it would be nice to challenge the people we play to a bit. Once we’ve got people that come and see us, then we can start pissing them off” – the fascist undertones remain practically undeniable...

But seriously, Brendan and the other Men love the tightness of the Coventry music scene and feel that it’s a sad state of affairs that the London media paint a negative picture of it. It’s all ‘destitute working class’ and ‘lines at the job centre’ since The Enemy broke out and told them that’s how it is here in Coventry; and Brendan personally resents the fact that the city is often labelled as “everyone being so poor they can’t afford to do anything. And everyone loves Oasis”.

Resurrection Men however, land on the other side of the horizon to Oasis. You can instead imagine a troop of marching zombies in the desert, rising out of the Wild West like alternative gypsies- riffing and licking blues-rock in the dirt. It’s far closer to the ideal.

Godiva Rocks!

So you spent your Glasto savings getting through the recession... Or perhaps they rejected your photograph because it looked like a prison mug shot. What choice does this leave? Well it may not have showcased the hottest acts you wanted to see, but at least Coventry’s Godiva Festival was a free local event. And it has proven once again to be the perfect opportunity to unite hoards of people in the name of bands in the sun- and otherwise in sweaty tents.

Taking place in the War Memorial Park from the 2nd to the 4th of July, this years’ Festival spread its appeal across Leicester and Birmingham with an array of talent from all over the Midlands.

With entry at the price of a bag and body search, it was instead the beverages which drained your bank account for a few sips of pimms out of what can best be described as a shot glass stuffed with fruit. The cider seemed to be the best option to get into the festival spirit, lowest in price and strong enough to keep the approval ratings up for the variety of performances between the tents and main stage.

Combating the uproar this year regarding the lack of Coventry bands allowed to play on the main stage; it was the Whatever Stage of the Rhythm Tent which housed most of the local talent. With thanks to Inspire Cafe Bar, bands such as The Pockets as well as local favourites the Shackletons were awarded a place in the spotlight. And then the highlight of Saturday came from experimental band Black Carrot; broadcasting from the Whatever Stage with a rhino sax and basshum recorder amongst other unheard of instruments- and vocals almost as aboriginal as a didgeridoo.

The very same tent hosted the comedy stage on Friday night, and also became a platform for folk on the Sunday afternoon. The main stage took us back to the 1980s on Friday with performances from Hazel O’Connor as well as The Christians, and then became the rock stage on Saturday for headliners including Detroit Soul Club, Badly Drawn Boy (featured on the About a Boy soundtrack), and Ash at the top of the bill. Though it was perhaps earlier bands such as The Primitives and Senser which gave the most enjoyable performances- largely due to better crowd control and lower hostility.

Then Sunday was by far the most relaxed day... A time to wind down, peruse through the stalls at ease, and sample the various cuisines on offer with less chance of a hyperactive kid trampling your selection into the field. It was a day well spent at the Millsy’s stage watching singer-songwriters such as Scott Parkes and Matt Fisher (of local prog/rock enthusiasts Haunted by Humans) along with a wider list of acoustics artists.

With so many performances to pick and choose from, a circus tent, a fair ground and a row of stalls selling hippy clothing and jewellery etc; Godiva Festival 2010 was well worth a visit. Next to look forward to in the Coventry War Memorial Park, is the Caribbean Festival on the 31st of July. So prepare for a buffet of jerk-this-and-that, goat curry, stacks of fried plantain, and outlets for West Indian inspired music and attire. Keep the culture coming I say...