PHIL ISTINE goes continental drifting to bring you the best underground European bands currently making a noise.
I thought we’d spread our wings across Europe this time to highlight the sounds radiating from the continental mainland. It would be impossible to do the whole mainland justice in this small space, so for now I have picked favourites from a number of countries.
The sound of acid punk in the 21st century comes from Aqua Nebula Oscillator. The four-piece were nothing short of a revelation at The Acid Gallery Summer Happening. If you dig Soft Machine, The Silver Apples, Sun Ra and Hawkwind then you won’t fail to grasp these Parisian dark cats to your bosom, and never let go. Oscillations, fuzz, delay, sitar, organ, harmonising, screams: it’s all here, and more besides. They claim “it’s not a kind of music, it’s a way of living!”, and having met them I can assure you – they mean it. In an alternative universe this band are number one in the charts, forever.
www.myspace.com/aquanebulaoscillator
Considering the size of the garage-psych scene in Italy, it is surprising how few homegrown bands it has produced. They have been around since 2002, but The Hangee V are still the best surf-garage punkers on the block. They have the hair, the clothes, the teardrop guitars and Farfisa, but most importantly these Sardinians have that special untamed spirit. Here is a band devoted to the music for nothing else but the sheer enjoyment they acquire from playing it night after night. Selvaggio!
www.myspace.com/thehangeev
In another part of southern Europe, Spain, the bands are just beginning to mine the ’60s sounds. The pick of the bunch for me has to be The Phantom Keys. The six-piece all have side-projects on the go, but none come close to the garage-R&B intensity of the main attraction. The Keys drumming especially has me going ga-ga for them. The group now contain an ex-member of Edinburgh’s The Thanes, would you believe. New limited-to-666-copies single ‘Shut Up Johnny’ (El Beasto) is a wonderfully snotty slice of blues-wailing primitive beat, so go get!
www.myspace.com/thephantomkeys
Where are we now? Germany, in the company of The Montesas. Like yours truly they have a penchant for silly surnames, but more importantly these sharp cats have the songs. They mix a garage-fratrock style with an almost-rockabilly beat, and it works flawlessly. ‘Midnight Beat’ throws in some ska rhythms too. This is without doubt partying music: be prepared to go ape on the dance floor if you ever catch them live.
www.myspace.com/themontesas
A quick skip into Austria and we greet The Subcandies. I chose this outfit partly as they are new to me, but I also could easily have chosen The Incredible Staggers (the name don’t lie). The foursome feature heavy guitar attack and organ swells in tightly structured song-bursts. They are more than capable at turning their hand to freakbeat, psych, and R&B with equal aplomb. New album Out Of The Blue (Time For Action) is available now.
www.myspace.com/subcandies
In Sweden bands are known for having lots of energy (must be because they are such a happy nation), and this is certainly the case with The Movements. Songs like ‘Cry For You’ and ‘Instead Of Catching A Disease’ come on fast and furious, and the Gothenburg group mix their garage, hard rock and power-pop in delightful proportions. Already European tour veterans, this band was made to live on the road. Campaign to have them come to your hometown now!
www.myspace.com/movementsthe
Staying in Scandinavia and heading west we meet young three-piece The Cheaters. These garage-trash upstarts can really play: the bass rumble and drum patterns on ‘Where’s Your Pride’ are superbly done, and the guitars are red raw on ‘Amsterdam’. Meanwhile vocalist Oyvind always sings in a manner suggesting he’s sending his vocal cords to an early grave. And did we mention their heartthrob status? They really should be hitting the big-time very soon. A close-to-perfection Shindig!/Acid Gallery band, and that‘s no lie.
Let’s take a moment to relax over in Finland, courtesy of Mellow Taste. They have ingested experimental-era Beatles and raga-rock to come out the other side with only love and making sweet music on their minds. Gorgeous flute passages float by over gently rocking guitars, with a liberal does of sitar and string samples in the background. The lyrics are so surreal you could hear them one thousand times and still be none the wiser. If only more people made such unselfconsciously wondrous music. Mellow Taste make bonkers pop-psych for the cognoscenti (i.e. you lot).
www.myspace.com/mellowtaste
As we march into Russia we discover Moscow’s The Cavestompers. Who would have believed the Medway garage sound had made it so far east! These rabble-rousers do the sound justice with some great crunchy guitar playing and undeniably groovy organ lines. The Youtube footage they have posted reveals them to be raw and powerful, the crowds having what looks like a communal epiphany at just how good music can be.
www.myspace.com/thecavestompers
Almost time to head home, but we got just enough energy left to stop off in Belgium to check out some new material by The Gonks. Still trading in ‘contemporary vintage floorstomping soulpop’ and still the toast of northern Europe, The Gonks know how to work an audience into a froth with their smart, sussed mod-shaped nuggets. The Small Faces, The Prisoners, and The Charlatans (baggy variety) are all responsible for their sound, and no one could fail to enjoy that mix of influences. Coming to a town somewhere near you soon, so don’t miss out.
www.myspace.com/theofficialgonkssite
Au revoir, adios, auf wiedersehen, farvel and ciao for now. |
