Girl Band
We were recently put onto Girl Band, a four piece noise-rock band from Dublin, who are due to release their EP, France 98 on the 4th of February. Having formed in 2011, this is their second release which continues to push their sound which is described as Bleach era Nirvana meets Jesus Lizard meets Idlewild – which sounds damned interesting to me. Due to be released on a limited run of 300 12” handstamped, numbered records (I want me one of those I tells ya!), this EP is designed to push Girl Band out there, get their sound known, and hook you in – so I figured I’d have a listen first just to see what was going on!
As You’re A Dog gets things going it’s immediately clear that this is going to be a noisy record, the sort of thing which doesn’t pull any punches and instead, kicks you in the head and leaves you asking for more. Throwing us straight into a melee of hammering guitar lines, pounding drums and echoey vocals, the bass heavy mix immediately grabs your attention and lures you in to listen to more. There’s an ‘out there’ quality to things here, almost offering up an atmospheric approach to heavy rock and grunge, yet at the same time allowing you the opportunity to take in what you’re hearing, showing us who they are and setting things in motion very nicely indeed. Busy At Maths on the other hand does away with the heavy and in your face openings, instead opting to open with a soft and soothing guitar line before once again hammering onwards into the track. Once again managing to combine their heavy approach with a hint of accessibility to ensure you’re still there and listening, this second track continues the theme of the EP, continuing to push the boundaries of their sound and keep you involved in what’s going on. Personally, the second track here is one of my favourites from the EP, it’s the sort of thing that live is going to get you drinking beer, chanting along and begging for more.
That Snake Conor Cusack shifts direction slightly, this time incorporating a sense of catchiness into the mix whilst still retaining their sense of power. There’s something about this track which harks back to the brit-rock era of the mid 90’s, almost sounding vintage in some aspects whilst still somehow managing to keep the sense of freshness flowing through things. Another serious high point on the EP, this is the track that I can see pushing these guys into the limelight, the sort of thing which will get a hell of a lot of people onto them. Title track France 98 follows on and once again, manages to change the direction of things slightly. Once again returning to the heavier side of things to make sure you haven’t forgotten who it is you’re listening to, this track holds all of the power you’d expect from the band whilst pushing the boundaries of what you expect to hear. Imagine Amen crossed with Nirvana and you’re getting somewhere close to where this is, it’s a heavy mix of different elements which is sure to wean out the scene kids. This is a track which is designed for the true fans of the band, and one which I think is going to work amazingly well on the live scene.
Second One comes as somewhat of a shock then as it begins, pulling back from the heavy approach of the previous track and instead, moving us back into a more melodic and soft sound. Throughout the EP so far it’s been striking how the band have managed to diversify their style, shifting from one approach to another with aplomb and without missing a beat – something which will attract a lot of people on to them I think. As such, this track manages to fit into the EP and work, offering up a differentiated approach whilst still keeping the sense of continuity flowing, clever stuff. It’s only then left for Handswaps to close the EP, finishing with a final hurrah packed with intricate guitar lines, atmospheric vocals and powerful rhythms. The closing moments here seem to sum up the EP, offering a pained approach to close things, packed with bass heavy rhythms and a real sense of darkness. Based on the final track I’ll be interested to see what comes next, as the final moments here certainly close on a high point, summing up everything before it and leaving you gasping for another taste of what’s on offer.
Girl Band are one of those bands who won’t appeal to everyone, but will attract a loyal following who will worship the music they produce. Throughout the tracks here there’s a sense of power, a sense of darkness, and a real sense that they know what they’re doing with every step. Out there, powerful and well put together from start to finish, I’ll look forward to hearing more from these guys for sure.
To find out more about Girl Band, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
As You’re A Dog gets things going it’s immediately clear that this is going to be a noisy record, the sort of thing which doesn’t pull any punches and instead, kicks you in the head and leaves you asking for more. Throwing us straight into a melee of hammering guitar lines, pounding drums and echoey vocals, the bass heavy mix immediately grabs your attention and lures you in to listen to more. There’s an ‘out there’ quality to things here, almost offering up an atmospheric approach to heavy rock and grunge, yet at the same time allowing you the opportunity to take in what you’re hearing, showing us who they are and setting things in motion very nicely indeed. Busy At Maths on the other hand does away with the heavy and in your face openings, instead opting to open with a soft and soothing guitar line before once again hammering onwards into the track. Once again managing to combine their heavy approach with a hint of accessibility to ensure you’re still there and listening, this second track continues the theme of the EP, continuing to push the boundaries of their sound and keep you involved in what’s going on. Personally, the second track here is one of my favourites from the EP, it’s the sort of thing that live is going to get you drinking beer, chanting along and begging for more.
That Snake Conor Cusack shifts direction slightly, this time incorporating a sense of catchiness into the mix whilst still retaining their sense of power. There’s something about this track which harks back to the brit-rock era of the mid 90’s, almost sounding vintage in some aspects whilst still somehow managing to keep the sense of freshness flowing through things. Another serious high point on the EP, this is the track that I can see pushing these guys into the limelight, the sort of thing which will get a hell of a lot of people onto them. Title track France 98 follows on and once again, manages to change the direction of things slightly. Once again returning to the heavier side of things to make sure you haven’t forgotten who it is you’re listening to, this track holds all of the power you’d expect from the band whilst pushing the boundaries of what you expect to hear. Imagine Amen crossed with Nirvana and you’re getting somewhere close to where this is, it’s a heavy mix of different elements which is sure to wean out the scene kids. This is a track which is designed for the true fans of the band, and one which I think is going to work amazingly well on the live scene.
Second One comes as somewhat of a shock then as it begins, pulling back from the heavy approach of the previous track and instead, moving us back into a more melodic and soft sound. Throughout the EP so far it’s been striking how the band have managed to diversify their style, shifting from one approach to another with aplomb and without missing a beat – something which will attract a lot of people on to them I think. As such, this track manages to fit into the EP and work, offering up a differentiated approach whilst still keeping the sense of continuity flowing, clever stuff. It’s only then left for Handswaps to close the EP, finishing with a final hurrah packed with intricate guitar lines, atmospheric vocals and powerful rhythms. The closing moments here seem to sum up the EP, offering a pained approach to close things, packed with bass heavy rhythms and a real sense of darkness. Based on the final track I’ll be interested to see what comes next, as the final moments here certainly close on a high point, summing up everything before it and leaving you gasping for another taste of what’s on offer.
Girl Band are one of those bands who won’t appeal to everyone, but will attract a loyal following who will worship the music they produce. Throughout the tracks here there’s a sense of power, a sense of darkness, and a real sense that they know what they’re doing with every step. Out there, powerful and well put together from start to finish, I’ll look forward to hearing more from these guys for sure.
To find out more about Girl Band, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls