Introducing... Dark Actors.

Place yourself on a long railroad, in a steam train, travelling with the wind, against the grain, through the blue grasses, from Virginia to Oregon through Kentucky. Let’s say there’s a twinge of Americana in the Dark Actors’ business. But if the stage has been the steady platform for a constant and interchangeable cast - then Dark Actors are the shadows which linger and remain.

For years these majestic men have been creating and producing music in array of guises, becoming recognised by the outfits they have worn side by side amidst others. Now the skin-tight partnerships and the solo flyers have united - apparently able to talk in the same tongue and to take to their stage in a concordant collection of floral shirts, tweed jackets and neckerchiefs.

Singer Andy Beglin’s name is tagged most notably to DBMA (Death By Misadventure) and to Reubens Cane - which also included Dark Actors‘ bassist Rich Heneghan and drummer Nick Jones. Guitarists Dave Needle and Chris Dickson have been a long-term writing duo, having previously played together in the Rogue States. 

Now that the associates have finally collaborated, there must have been a case of knowing where each of their own strengths lie, and in which direction they would like to push the music forward. To their further credit Chris also records and produces the music, with tracks ‘Whistles Calling’ and ‘Phantom of the South’ currently awaiting a listen on SoundCloud.

The music itself is a rich tapestry of cordial components, and bears a nostalgic flare with plenty of harmonies. It would do very well to be played out of the stereo of a Chevrolet Caprice Convertible - preferably down the open road of states which are indeed; rogue. Neil Young casts a hand of grace suggesting a guiding reference amidst Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, and Creedence Clearwater Revival; driving these minstrels as path-finders in their field.

The railroad may be rickety, the steam train rocky, the wind knocking seven bells out of the carriages, and the grains like razor blades to the cheeks; but somehow you get the sense there’s light a the end of the tunnel. The Dark Actors play vibrantly to invigorate, and refrain from dropping so easily down to throwaway. They’re always listening for the changes and play with the sense of finesse that carries you along the journey too. Sandwich The Coral’s Put The Sun Back, with The Shadows‘ Riders In The Sky to get a taste of Dark Actors - but remember that these guys are somewhat meatier and there’s way more to chew… 

Joanne Ostrowska.

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.

Long Road to Success?

Coventry four-piece Long Road Ghosts bring about the Return of the Underdogs…

There are probably many impressions, thoughts, or memories which come to mind about the historic city of Coventry. Though long gone are the days of plucky women riding naked on horseback, or wartime bombings and Cathedral ruins- or that curious ring road running through the centre. Actually the last part remains there still and rarely fails to anger a large number of out-of-towners. Yet Coventry itself has been standing peacefully for many years without disruption. So now during a serge and uprising of musical talent, can it all be rumbled again?

From the grey skies overhead, disturbed only by the three spires impaling from below; the Long Road Ghosts drop like tiny grunge bombs bearing nothing but an LP and a single promise.

It is in fact their debut album Return of the Underdogs that they not-so-modestly bear; and indeed a promise to smash to the forefront of all Coventry talent in a year that is set for the "Shackletons, Echo Empire and Long Road Ghosts to blast it" informs guitarist Peter Dowsett. And when is an underdog ever wrong? However, in this case it may all be a little less than accurate…

The album starts with a very Pistols-esque guitar riff over marching drums on Everything Good Goes Bad in the End, and although fairly striking; the track mainly sets the wheels rolling for the in-your-face monotony that you can expect to follow. Then Book of Matches as well as Workin’ 4 Nothin’ feel a bit as though they’re riding on that ‘indie band’ sound wagon which has long been worn out and stamped ‘generic’. Though the songs don’t deserve to be tarred with the same tired brush as perceivably ‘generic indie’; as they’re actually have a bit deeper than that. You can hear the tints of Oasis, Kasabian and 80s thrash metal bands such as Anthrax and Megadeth all woven- at times quite intricately- into the quick-fire pace.

And unfortunately, quick-fire pace is mostly what the band have to offer; a lot of the structure seems overly contrived and perhaps in places a little bit too over-thought. The emotion that the ‘Ghosts convey feels incredibly linear; and heart and soul is too often exchanged for anger and bitterness. For this reason it’s hard to feel connected with the songs, so until For the Million Times (You Say That You‘re Sorry) pipes in at track eight; you’d be hard-pushed to find any warmth. Yet this track is one of the most passionate of the entire album, and ska undercurrents do their best to force out the soft emotion beneath vocals which fail to shift from angry bursts. Actually a lot of the vocals, provided by singer Andy Kennel sound incredibly Cribs-like, especially in tracks 2 Steps and Collaborator; where it becomes quite imaginable that a Jarman was roped into production at some point.

Taking aboard all the grunge acts to precede them, the title track Return of the Underdogs is quite early-on My Chemical Romance- who also crafted their sound from the punk and grunge movements to come before. Plastic Gun is one of the more immediately stronger tracks of the album; and perhaps it’s prominence relates to how emotionally in-tune it seems after an amalgamation of mostly harsh thrashing. Then final track Couldn’t Sleep For the First Time is arguably the best, most catchy, vocally softer, and the baseline’s time to shine with a bouncy riff. The line "Another reason for a drink, or maybe 6. Been hanging over for years" stands out nicely as one of the most prominent and well-put lines to be found on Return of the Underdogs.

The Long Road Ghosts never falter to prove themselves as talented musicians; it’s just that they’re been thrown into a can of 80’s thrash metal and shaken about to disorientation; having had their souls ejected at some point along the way. They’ve emerged riled and ruffled, willing to overcompensate for the loss of natural direction by tweaking and primping each song to an almost prescribed format. They are still very much worth a listen- especially if your volume’s not turned up too high.

We Are the Dead

The lively band with that bit of dark...

Given the name, We Are The Dead seem to be ironically one of Coventry’s most energetic and enthralling contenders on the music scene. With a colourful and interesting array of musical influences, they have a small and proud catalogue that wouldn’t seem out of place in a Ziggy Stardust make-believe record collection. Aside from a Bowie-driven stream of influence behind the band, Iggy and the Stooges can’t pass by without venting wind under the sails of the good ship Dead. First impressions of We Are The Dead presents a mysteriously dark and intriguing persona; yet somehow with that small and delicate pinch of sparkle. Singer Tom Simkins feels that the band should "present more than just music", and that "art and visuals should be a big part of live performance in particular".

Songs like ‘She Put My Heart in a Cage’ can best be described as getting thrown through the motions back and forth on some volatile fairground ride… but none-the-less a comfortable one. Whereas the steadier ‘Slow Burn’ remains vivid, yet creeps into your imagination with clear-cut lyrics and moderate drums lain under the temperate guitar. We Are The Dead songs don’t go without a touch of Suede, and ‘So Damn Pretty’ replenishes the kind of 90’s tunes missed from when bands like Pulp and Blur were in their heyday. Then their grungier number ‘I’ll Be Your World’ starts with a thrash reminiscent of a dingy CBGB’s stage featuring Iggy Pop (the former version of today’s sinewy figure we can’t avoid on daytime TV insurance adverts), before becoming increasingly synthy.

As for the live shows; jumping and crawling are not qualities to be unexpected, and singer Tom Simkins makes sure to keep his showmanship interesting. He certainly looks the part wearing trilby hats, waistcoats, and a splash of purple involved somewhere. Want to know where you can catch them next? Find them at www.myspace.com/wearethedeadspace and make sure to give them a listen.

The Sequins: The Risky Woods Review

By Joanne Ostrowska

Proving that there’s still a heart in a genre thought to be selling its soul; The Sequins bring a sweet pinch of sentimental dazzle to indie pop. With their EP entitled The Risky Woods, it seems more likely you would encounter Lorraine Kelly rather than any goblins or trolls out in rural fantasia; despite what the front cover may convey.

They "make pop songs with guitars" admittedly; and the result is somewhat like combining Roy Orbison with the Maccabees on the edge of Dr. Parnassus’s Imaginarium. Yet in a land far far away from fairytale make-believe; The Sequins can currently be found gigging around the venues of Coventry- the city of three spires and almost no obvious woodland. They play in a sea of gritty rock n’ roll and blues; combating the most dominant themes piping from their hometown with an enchanting quality- which is at times, haunting. Perhaps it is best to describe their songs as downright jaunty, yet coming from a contrastingly sorrowful place. Vocalist Hywel Roberts sings with dainty charm; almost as though a voice could walk over eggshells. And guitar provided by Justin Hui is succinctly plucked and fired up alternately; a good concentration of the bands outright energy. The band’s EP sounds a bit like stop-motion animation.

All That We Know is wistfully vibrant; the instrumentals thoroughly rev up momentum where it’s needed in a Queen-esque fashion, and the vocals pepper the down-time with a blissfully melancholic warble. Space Travel in Your Blood has the makings of a jazz number with salsa undertones, and delicate psychedelic touches. Then The Chiming Bells contains shades of both light and dark; it takes you from the yellow brick road to the backstreets of Oz faster than a Munchkin. Angeline is almost like a journey; perhaps on an aeroplane, maybe as part of an escape adventure- but most likely because Freddie Mercury wants his riffs back. Finally Offside & Beautiful finishes the EP off on a classical, more romantic note; imaginably like dancing a waltz under the glare of frosty pale moonlight. The song naturally leads to a peppier crescendo, but otherwise the vocals in particular are floating down like feathers.

If The Sequins was a place, it would surely be a land of magical enterprises; a spell-binding flurry of sparkle- located somewhere near to Narnia. A trip to The Risky Woods for some indie tunes or turkish delight anyone? Find out more at www.myspace.com/thesequinsspace

Shackletons: Album Review

Shackletons
Life’s Losing Love

By Joanne Ostrowska

Monopolizing Coventry’s rising and thriving musical serge, the Shackletons have finally released their long-awaited debut album. Life’s losing Love is the homegrown and tenderly nurtured product years in the making, as the band took time to carefully craft their catalogue and alter their line-up. It’s just as well too, as latest addition and bassist Paul Hartry finally sent the album through production in his home studio. The result is a fresh sounding pop record with nostalgic qualities drawn from influences including Neil Young, Frank Zappa and The Faces.

Firing off with the short and snappy ‘Deal or New Deal’, the Midlands five-piece spend only one and a half minutes to sing of job centre queues and the perks of unemployment; all held together with a few rounds of sha la la la la las. The next track ‘Nobody Cares if You’re Dead’ exemplifies perfectly some of the best use of harmonica and slide guitar which continues throughout the next 10 tracks. Some of the more softer and mellow numbers such as ‘Too grown up’ sound like the possible product of an angsty teenager; but the lyrics go beyond petty adolescent insecurities. And so burns the soft and smouldering embers which crackle beneath the subsequent fire and ardency fuelling the band’s objectives.

Written in homage to singer Reid Currie’s dad, ‘Hold On’ opens with beautiful vocal harmonies from guitarist Ryan Every; and the entirety wastes no spillages in oozing sweet sentiment. However, the line "all you need is a hat to tip and a hole to take a shit" seems to emerge uncomfortably in an otherwise placidly-flowing tune. Working their bluegrass side, the revved up ‘Train Keeps Rollin’’ shows the band’s country western roots before feeding into the breezy ‘No Expectations’. Then songs don’t come more heartfelt than ‘Love Lets You Down’; the eighth track on the album is one of those spine-tingling numbers which you solely repeat for the first few plays of the album. The vocal harmonies, almost ska-like rhythm, and slide guitar solos flow directly through your ear drums and pull on your heart strings.

As a front-man, Reid aptly switches between a Dylan-esque enthusiast and Faces’ style Rod Stewart; yet not without a strong sense of individuality, and never failing to nail personal expression and emotion. Toward the end of the album comes a Zappa moment when the introduction of ‘When the Rain Comes’ pays tribute to one of the bands’ shared influences… "This is a message…" is therefore voiced over Ryan and Paul harmonizing the word "rain" repeatedly. Then ‘Time Goes By’ is another good example of slide guitar; played behind a set of contemplative lyrics, before the harmonica flares back up again in the final song of the record. ‘Wait Until the Morning Comes’ is almost like a mellowed down version of the first Faces’ hit ‘Stay With Me’, and a perfect way to round off the unruffled temperament of the entire album.

Life’s Losing Love is a 12 track search for meaning, and the bigger implications of life. If slow and steady wins the race, then the Shackletons should be careful not to sacrifice their prize for a potentially botched follow-up; as apparently their next album is already in the pipe-line. However, I get the feeling they’ll be no rushed catastrophes from this group of ardent devotees, and you’ll be doing nothing but holding on for another cracker!