Friday 16 February 2018

TV ME - A Broadcast From TV ME - EP Review

A great new band for you all to watch out for! Here's my LTW piece.

TV METVME
A Broadcast From TV ME
(Self release – out now)
CD/DL
7/10
After a couple of singles the Liverpool psych folk electro pop trio are back with an EP building up to their debut album.
TV ME is broadcasting. A three piece project led by Thomas McConnell with tracks inspired by childhood, Playstations, memories of old computers and regurgitated pop culture. Their intriguing future pop is inventive and catchy. Through 2016 Thomas was known as Tom Low. He released an EP entirely recorded on a phone and toured with Mercury nominee C Duncan. After this he retreated into a period of intense composing and recording resulting in the transformation into his new project TV ME.
After joining up with Frankie Tibbles and Adam Dixon to translate the music to the stage, they released their debut single Peppercorn Boy which gained airplay from BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio 6 and more. Their second single had similar ripples and featured additional production from ex Coral guitarist, Bill Ryder-Jones.
The latest EP features 4 tracks and pushes further into the psych pop world. Stitches is pure psych folk with a clever riff running through and wobbly effects thrown in the mix. Mountain Biplane is a pop charmer along the realms of Tame Impala or Temples and could easily fit into an afternoon Glastonbury set in the afternoon sun. Third track day is an instrumental piano led break with a Twin Peaks feel sound and is the bastard son of a guitarless Mogwai due to it’s soundtrack like charms. Last track Opal Fruits goes all psych again and you can hear the influences coming from OMD written right through it. Liverpool has a long history of interesting psychedelia and this nice little band have just joined their club.
TV ME launch the EP at 81 Renshaw in Liverpool on February 16 2018.
Watch the video for Stitches from the new EP  here:

You can find TV ME Band on Facebook 
Listen to TV ME Band on Soundcloud here

Tuesday 6 February 2018

The Blinders & Strange Bones - The Deaf Institute - 3rd February

Censorship happens in the strangest places but I never thought it could happen nowadays in the world of music...


The Blinders & Strange Bones - The Deaf Institute - 3rd February.

As venues go by The Deaf Institute is perfect to see one of your favourite up and coming bands. An intimate place with great sound and a feel of community. What I couldn't fathom was the pub over the road with a hidden venue (believe me I discovered it by accident!) called the Bread Shed. I witnessed an ace heavy metal band called Pisd who got me in the mood for an amazing set by the Blackpool trio Strange Bones. Bobby enters the stage in a trenchcoat looking all of the young Josh Homme and explodes into action from the off. Their are gas masks involved, gimp masks, electrifying hooks from everywhere, their energy is exciting and they bomb the venue with their riot of sound including the gems that are We The Rats and God Save The Teen. Bobby actually uses the bar as a catwalk and is more in the audience than onstage. This band are going far if they can whip up a performance like this. They come across like a Cramps getting it on with Therapy? but in their own unique way. I actually didn't think The Blinders could top this but then again what do I know?? Thomas enters the stage with his obligatory face paint and dapper striped trousers to a warm welcome from the all knowing crowd that they are witnessing a group who will be touring the world and going for the jugular with their monstrous post punk Doors racket. They perform a sterling set as usual with the likes of Ramona Flowers, Swine, and the excellent Brave New World. This is their first big tour and they nail it from the off. This next new wave of talent is scary and The Blinders are ready to ride with the likes of Cabbage, PINs et al. The highlight for me was a monstrous Murder At The Ballet which left the people around me punched into orbit by the ferocity of the guitar skills. A great gig to witness. It will be a long time before you see a band this good playing such a small venue again!