Scoti*Slate - Good Fight
I’ve been aware of Scoti*Slate since old friend of the site, Derek Upton was recruited to take on drum duties with the guys a year or so ago. With an approach that sets out to offer up a change from blast beats, auto tune and screaming, Scoti*Slate instead focus on hard hitting funk based melodic hard rock – which sounds pretty damned cool to me! Now primed with their full length debut record through Bright Life Music/Universal, Good Fight offers up a hook laden aural assault, touching on subjects such as over indulgence and selfish choices, as well as ‘thinking with your dick’ (according to Aaron Scoti) amongst others – something which demonstrates the diversity of outlooks and influences within the band. Seeing as we were sent through a copy, I figured it was only right we check things out to see how they’re getting on!
Building up through the intro, Good Fight kicks things off, building up through deep and powerful acoustic lines, forging a sound that immediately lures you in, accompanying the guitar with strings to bolster the sound further, immediately hinting at the funk orientated mix we’re about to be thrown into. Kicking in fully as the track begins, the funk orientated guitar work takes the lead, all backed up by solid drumming and bass heavy rhythms, forming into a sound that’s sure to get people moving, shaking, and begging for more. Offering up a sound which comes across as akin to the likes of The Killers at times, yet holds far more power at other times, this is music which is crafted for the live scene, and it’s been done damned well. Funky guitars, roving bass lines, soaring vocals and hammering drum lines – this track has it all, kicking things off in style and suggesting that this is going to be one hell of a record.
Shifting into Do Ya the theme continues, this time opening with an almost GnR style riff section before pulling back to a far more bluesy and deep vocal, getting you reaching for that volume up button just to make sure you don’t miss a single moment. Catchy and packed with hooks, this track oozes with single potential, the sort of thing that’s going to get people singing along, moving, drinking and quite simply, enjoying every second of it. Pulling back a little for the opening moments of Sprockets there’s a brief moment when it seems we might be in for a ballad like track, but all thoughts of this soon fade out as we’re propelled into an energetic melee of hammering guitar work and rumbling bass. Deep, powerful and catchy, this track seems to showcase some of the influences of the band, managing to form a sound that’s open and accessible, yet strikingly heavy during the chorus section. It’s this ability to combine the hard and soft approach which sets Scoti*Slate apart from the crowd, and combined with the production skills of J Rumer, the album oozes with catchy hooks, rhythms, and moments that are quite simply impossible to resist.
Continuing to push their boundaries through the funky, rock orientated Brightlife, the almost 80’s stadium rock orientated Little Head Fred (just listen to the opening moments of the track to see what I mean – then check out the lyrical content!), the straight up funky and laid back G On G and the hard hitting Fanatic, each track seems to come as a little sound bite of what Scoti*Slate are al about. Differentiating their sound from track to track whilst managing to keep a sense of who we’re listening to at the forefront of it all, there’s a real sense of continuity despite these different approaches, something which once again stands them up as a band to make sure you check out.
Reaching the soft and melodic moments of What If we’re led into the ballad-esque moments of the record, slowing things down and bolstering the mix with soft guitar work, rolling drums and hauntingly beautiful vocals, once again offering a slightly different approach up for consideration. Sounding akin to the likes of Live in places, this is a catchy track that once again, seems to be perfectly crafted for the live scene, the sort of track that’ll be impossible to stand still to. Continuing this approach into the bluesy and twangy opening moments of Dirty Birdy we’re once again reminded of the funky and groove orientated melee that worked so well earlier on in the album, once again presenting us with a sound that’s going to get you moving, shaking, drinking, singing and joining in from start to finish.
Progressing ever closer to the conclusion of the album, Magic Number and Anywhere Via Nowhere both continue to push the boundaries of the record, keeping things funky but with a real blues like edge incorporated into it to make sure you’re still on board, listening and loving what you’re hearing. Reaching the conclusion in the form of Twilight Zone the album closes with a bass heavy melee of guitars, vocals and straight up funkiness. As a closing track this does what it should, leaving you quietly content at what you’ve heard but knowing that you want to hear more, need to go through it all over again, and safe in the knowledge that there is still real rock music out there.
We checked out Scoti*Slate a while back, and I’ve spoken to Joshua Rumer and Derek Upton on a few occasions since. What’s been most striking each time we’ve spoken is how dedicated they are to music, always striving to improve their ability, their sound, and their approach. With someone like Rumer on production you’re always going to end up with a good sound, but without the songs to back it up, it would be a pointless exercise – so enter Scoti*Slate, and the combination is a winner. Packed with tracks with hit potential, you’d be a fool to not check this album out, it’s that simple.
To find out more about Scoti*Slate, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Building up through the intro, Good Fight kicks things off, building up through deep and powerful acoustic lines, forging a sound that immediately lures you in, accompanying the guitar with strings to bolster the sound further, immediately hinting at the funk orientated mix we’re about to be thrown into. Kicking in fully as the track begins, the funk orientated guitar work takes the lead, all backed up by solid drumming and bass heavy rhythms, forming into a sound that’s sure to get people moving, shaking, and begging for more. Offering up a sound which comes across as akin to the likes of The Killers at times, yet holds far more power at other times, this is music which is crafted for the live scene, and it’s been done damned well. Funky guitars, roving bass lines, soaring vocals and hammering drum lines – this track has it all, kicking things off in style and suggesting that this is going to be one hell of a record.
Shifting into Do Ya the theme continues, this time opening with an almost GnR style riff section before pulling back to a far more bluesy and deep vocal, getting you reaching for that volume up button just to make sure you don’t miss a single moment. Catchy and packed with hooks, this track oozes with single potential, the sort of thing that’s going to get people singing along, moving, drinking and quite simply, enjoying every second of it. Pulling back a little for the opening moments of Sprockets there’s a brief moment when it seems we might be in for a ballad like track, but all thoughts of this soon fade out as we’re propelled into an energetic melee of hammering guitar work and rumbling bass. Deep, powerful and catchy, this track seems to showcase some of the influences of the band, managing to form a sound that’s open and accessible, yet strikingly heavy during the chorus section. It’s this ability to combine the hard and soft approach which sets Scoti*Slate apart from the crowd, and combined with the production skills of J Rumer, the album oozes with catchy hooks, rhythms, and moments that are quite simply impossible to resist.
Continuing to push their boundaries through the funky, rock orientated Brightlife, the almost 80’s stadium rock orientated Little Head Fred (just listen to the opening moments of the track to see what I mean – then check out the lyrical content!), the straight up funky and laid back G On G and the hard hitting Fanatic, each track seems to come as a little sound bite of what Scoti*Slate are al about. Differentiating their sound from track to track whilst managing to keep a sense of who we’re listening to at the forefront of it all, there’s a real sense of continuity despite these different approaches, something which once again stands them up as a band to make sure you check out.
Reaching the soft and melodic moments of What If we’re led into the ballad-esque moments of the record, slowing things down and bolstering the mix with soft guitar work, rolling drums and hauntingly beautiful vocals, once again offering a slightly different approach up for consideration. Sounding akin to the likes of Live in places, this is a catchy track that once again, seems to be perfectly crafted for the live scene, the sort of track that’ll be impossible to stand still to. Continuing this approach into the bluesy and twangy opening moments of Dirty Birdy we’re once again reminded of the funky and groove orientated melee that worked so well earlier on in the album, once again presenting us with a sound that’s going to get you moving, shaking, drinking, singing and joining in from start to finish.
Progressing ever closer to the conclusion of the album, Magic Number and Anywhere Via Nowhere both continue to push the boundaries of the record, keeping things funky but with a real blues like edge incorporated into it to make sure you’re still on board, listening and loving what you’re hearing. Reaching the conclusion in the form of Twilight Zone the album closes with a bass heavy melee of guitars, vocals and straight up funkiness. As a closing track this does what it should, leaving you quietly content at what you’ve heard but knowing that you want to hear more, need to go through it all over again, and safe in the knowledge that there is still real rock music out there.
We checked out Scoti*Slate a while back, and I’ve spoken to Joshua Rumer and Derek Upton on a few occasions since. What’s been most striking each time we’ve spoken is how dedicated they are to music, always striving to improve their ability, their sound, and their approach. With someone like Rumer on production you’re always going to end up with a good sound, but without the songs to back it up, it would be a pointless exercise – so enter Scoti*Slate, and the combination is a winner. Packed with tracks with hit potential, you’d be a fool to not check this album out, it’s that simple.
To find out more about Scoti*Slate, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Scoti*Slate
We were recently put on to Phoenix based Scoti*Slate, a band who offer up a sleek, funk rockin’ power duo focused on songwriting and musicianship and a uniquely familiar sound that is undeniably sexy and refreshingly organic – which to me sounds like something pretty damned awesome. Having just recruited a new drummer, I figured it was about time I got on and had a listen to what this alternative rock group had to offer. Produced and arranged by Josh Rumer of Invengo Productions (the same as Meekos and Me and Saints of Insanity), and mixed by Stewart Cararas (the same person who mixed Saints of Insanity), I was already looking forward to seeing what these guys had going on.
Opening the selection is Fanatic, a track which immediately demonstrates the ability of this duo to piece together a melodic yet energetic track. Opening with off clean guitars at a relatively disjointed pace, you’re soon thrown into a chorus of raw vocals and energetic guitars, all underpinned by a pounding drum beat which is sure to get live crowds moving along with the band. What’s really striking here is how they’ve put together different layers of vocals over the changing musical backing, resulting in a track which intrigues you and makes you want to hear more of what they’ve got to offer. Catchy from the outset, this track is by no means the heaviest we’ve ever featured but there’s something incredibly clever about how it’s all put together – it’s an accomplished track in the way it is written as well as the quality of the recording the guys have achieved.
Moving into Magic Number, the pace slows down and almost becomes soft and soothing – opening with what can only be described as twinkly key effects before ushering in a funky bass line. The vocals are kept clean once again and layered to emphasise them, backing up the restrained musical backing and engaging you as you listen to it. There’s something really funky about this track which demonstrates their claim of ‘sexy’ music – this is the sort of track you can imagine groups of people writhing along to. Adding in lead snippets to further accentuate the track, this is one which really makes you just sit back and listen, it’s almost chilled out whilst retaining the bands unique sound. My favourite part though has to be the guitar solo, it’s relatively simple but the tone is sublime, it just works. Dirty Birdy follows on, a track which opens with Southern Rock style acoustic guitars before kicking into a bass heavy melee of pinch harmonics and sludgy guitar licks. Opening with the line ‘you look like a bitch to me’ you’re immediately drawn in and forced to listen harder just to make sure you hear every single element which they’ve managed to incorporate into the track. What’s really striking here is that this is a duo – the sound is way beyond what you would expect from 2 people!
Anywhere Via Nowhere follows on next, a track which opens with that Southern feel once again, this time though sounding reflective as it progresses. Launching through the relatively restrained opening, the track takes the form of an almost ballad like rock track, only there’s more to it than that simple label. The way the track progresses makes you think back and reflect on everything, the music telling a story as it progresses and the vocals ranging between powerful and gravelly through to soft and soothing at the higher notes. Again on this track, the music steals the show without a doubt – as a unit creating a sound which you would expect from a much more well known band and again achieving a sound far that which you’d expect from two people. GonG (Girl On Girl) follows on, opening funky once again and building into a track which once again exemplifies that ‘sexy’ label. The guitars and bass work incredibly well together on this track and really get you moving along to the song – this is the sort of thing you want to see on the live scene. Working well with the title that the guys have given this track, there’s something really cool about the sound here, the way the guitars are on the verge of harmonics and the treble keeping them high, the bass pounding away as the vocals lead the funk driven chorus section and the drums set the pace – this track can simply be labelled a triumph in my books, and I love it.
Sprockets comes up next, a track which once again opens with off clean guitars before launching into something which I didn’t expect to be honest! Synth backed guitars soon fill your ears as the drums pound away and the faded vocals come into complete the track. There’s something about this track which sounds familiar in some way, yet the bands unique take on it gives it an edge which elevates it from something which some people could consider to be a relatively indie track to a hard hitting, funky and heavy track. Again, this is one which I think will absolutely kill on the live scene, and the more I hear the more I want to see for myself! Free is another track which follows this recipe from the band, opening funky and dirty then making you move along whether you want to or not. The vocals add a real edge to the track here as they range from restrained to powerful in the different sections of the track, matching the differing sounds from the guitars.
Good Fight closes the selection from the band on their Jango page, a track which sounds like the indie bands from the early to mid 2000’s – yet once again adding a unique sound that only these guys could create. I love how the guitars aren’t based on a simple riff just for the sake of making things easy, the band do what they want to do and end up with a track which is going to engage fans of heavy and soft alike – this is really accessible music and I’m rapidly becoming a fan.
I didn’t know what to expect from Scot*Slate when I was first put onto them, and the samples on their FB page give some but not a lot away about their music. What you’ve got here though is a band who can craft tracks which engage you and make you want to hear more whilst making sure that their sound is unique and fresh. There isn’t a single track here which sounds the same as the one before, and that’s testament to their ability to create stand alone tracks which constantly keep you listening and wondering what’s going to come next, whilst still making sure they’ve stamped their mark on things. I’m really interested to hear what comes next from Scoti*Slate as based on this, they could well be on tracks to the big time from here in.
To find out more about Scoti*Slate, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Opening the selection is Fanatic, a track which immediately demonstrates the ability of this duo to piece together a melodic yet energetic track. Opening with off clean guitars at a relatively disjointed pace, you’re soon thrown into a chorus of raw vocals and energetic guitars, all underpinned by a pounding drum beat which is sure to get live crowds moving along with the band. What’s really striking here is how they’ve put together different layers of vocals over the changing musical backing, resulting in a track which intrigues you and makes you want to hear more of what they’ve got to offer. Catchy from the outset, this track is by no means the heaviest we’ve ever featured but there’s something incredibly clever about how it’s all put together – it’s an accomplished track in the way it is written as well as the quality of the recording the guys have achieved.
Moving into Magic Number, the pace slows down and almost becomes soft and soothing – opening with what can only be described as twinkly key effects before ushering in a funky bass line. The vocals are kept clean once again and layered to emphasise them, backing up the restrained musical backing and engaging you as you listen to it. There’s something really funky about this track which demonstrates their claim of ‘sexy’ music – this is the sort of track you can imagine groups of people writhing along to. Adding in lead snippets to further accentuate the track, this is one which really makes you just sit back and listen, it’s almost chilled out whilst retaining the bands unique sound. My favourite part though has to be the guitar solo, it’s relatively simple but the tone is sublime, it just works. Dirty Birdy follows on, a track which opens with Southern Rock style acoustic guitars before kicking into a bass heavy melee of pinch harmonics and sludgy guitar licks. Opening with the line ‘you look like a bitch to me’ you’re immediately drawn in and forced to listen harder just to make sure you hear every single element which they’ve managed to incorporate into the track. What’s really striking here is that this is a duo – the sound is way beyond what you would expect from 2 people!
Anywhere Via Nowhere follows on next, a track which opens with that Southern feel once again, this time though sounding reflective as it progresses. Launching through the relatively restrained opening, the track takes the form of an almost ballad like rock track, only there’s more to it than that simple label. The way the track progresses makes you think back and reflect on everything, the music telling a story as it progresses and the vocals ranging between powerful and gravelly through to soft and soothing at the higher notes. Again on this track, the music steals the show without a doubt – as a unit creating a sound which you would expect from a much more well known band and again achieving a sound far that which you’d expect from two people. GonG (Girl On Girl) follows on, opening funky once again and building into a track which once again exemplifies that ‘sexy’ label. The guitars and bass work incredibly well together on this track and really get you moving along to the song – this is the sort of thing you want to see on the live scene. Working well with the title that the guys have given this track, there’s something really cool about the sound here, the way the guitars are on the verge of harmonics and the treble keeping them high, the bass pounding away as the vocals lead the funk driven chorus section and the drums set the pace – this track can simply be labelled a triumph in my books, and I love it.
Sprockets comes up next, a track which once again opens with off clean guitars before launching into something which I didn’t expect to be honest! Synth backed guitars soon fill your ears as the drums pound away and the faded vocals come into complete the track. There’s something about this track which sounds familiar in some way, yet the bands unique take on it gives it an edge which elevates it from something which some people could consider to be a relatively indie track to a hard hitting, funky and heavy track. Again, this is one which I think will absolutely kill on the live scene, and the more I hear the more I want to see for myself! Free is another track which follows this recipe from the band, opening funky and dirty then making you move along whether you want to or not. The vocals add a real edge to the track here as they range from restrained to powerful in the different sections of the track, matching the differing sounds from the guitars.
Good Fight closes the selection from the band on their Jango page, a track which sounds like the indie bands from the early to mid 2000’s – yet once again adding a unique sound that only these guys could create. I love how the guitars aren’t based on a simple riff just for the sake of making things easy, the band do what they want to do and end up with a track which is going to engage fans of heavy and soft alike – this is really accessible music and I’m rapidly becoming a fan.
I didn’t know what to expect from Scot*Slate when I was first put onto them, and the samples on their FB page give some but not a lot away about their music. What you’ve got here though is a band who can craft tracks which engage you and make you want to hear more whilst making sure that their sound is unique and fresh. There isn’t a single track here which sounds the same as the one before, and that’s testament to their ability to create stand alone tracks which constantly keep you listening and wondering what’s going to come next, whilst still making sure they’ve stamped their mark on things. I’m really interested to hear what comes next from Scoti*Slate as based on this, they could well be on tracks to the big time from here in.
To find out more about Scoti*Slate, check out their Facebook page HERE.
