Hello there. It’s lovely to see you again. How have you been keeping? Oh really? That’s nice. Anyway…
It’s Sound City in the greatest city in the world this weekend so we thought we’d come out of hibernation/vacation/stagnation to tell you who you absolutely MUST see.
Don’t take our word for it. Well, actually, do. Ciarán and Jake back again with a brand new mission. Mr Marley has five well thought out picks while I have picked five names from the We Close Tonight Hall of Fame (trademark pending) who stand out above the rest. Yes, there are clashes, but you’ll have to just pick your own faves from the list. K?
Right then, here we go…
Cut Glass Kings – Saturday 4.15pm – Constellations Garden
Stourbridge duo Cut Glass Kings have been under the wing of Mersey magicians Skeketon Key Records. Single ‘Here Comes The Light‘ will be buzzing round your head for weeks after whilst and the rest of last year’s Shadow Of Your Love EP is unreal. Apocalyptic, throbbing psych-rock in heavy, irresistable doses is the order of play. All fuzz killer, no filler. The Coral’s James Skelly is well into it, you will be too. JM
SPINN – Saturday 5.45pm – District
Teenage(ish) heartthrobs SPINN are in their native city where they always seem to go down a storm. Live, they’re just getting better and better and their latest EP is four track of indie pop jangles that’ll have you screaming like a teenage Beatlemania addict back in the day. Jonny and the boys have nailed their on-stage presence and you’re in for a treat with dad-dancing from someone who seems far too young… CS
Monks – Saturday 6pm – Baltic Market
Liverpool lads Monks may have only one tune online ahead of this show but that one tune is enough for me to safely tip them for your Sound City schedule come early Saturday evening. ‘Dreamboat‘ is the debut in question. Bouncing and throbbing between its heavy beat mattress, psych guitars, meandering synths and truly incredible trumpet work into a utterly killer final 90 seconds. It’s a truly fantastic debut single and a statement that says the oppurtunity to see what else they’ve got up their sleeves live this weekend should not be passed up lightly. JM
Listen to ‘Dreamboat‘ on Spotify.
Marsicans – Saturday 6.30pm – Camp & Furnace
Leeds boys Marsicans are a whole barrel of fun. Their music is pure good times and every track they’ve released to date has been a certified Michelin Star treat. In one of the best spaces Liverpool has to offer to, expect a party and be sure to bring your ‘Friends‘ because it’ll be ‘Too Good‘ to miss out – go on, ‘Wake Up Freya‘ and get her to come to. Alright, I’ll stop now. CS
Zuzu – Saturday 20.45pm – On Air
One of Liverpool’s very own, Zuzu is set to be the best thing to happen in indie. Like, seriously. New track ‘Beauty Queen‘ has just dropped but it’s the blindingly good pair of ‘What You Want‘ and ‘Get Off‘ that we’ll be listening out for and hoping that there’s a lot more raucous and rowdiness involved. Bags of potential, lets not see signing to a major be the end of that. Keep it real, Ms Z. CS
Hatchie – Saturday 9pm – District
I was made aware of Hatchie recently, an amazing artist heading over to Sound City from Brisbane. Since then her fantastic debut EP and in particular it’s Cocteau Twins esque title cut ‘Sugar & Spice’ has been on repeat. She’s been picked up by the brilliant Heavenly Recordings and is playing their tasty looking stage this weekend. Australia has provided us with some wonderful artists recently and Hatchie is primed to join that list. Don’t miss a rare chance to catch her in Liverpool, it’s gonna be a ripper. JM
False Heads – Sunday 3.45pm – Baltic Market
False Heads are bubbling nicely as summer hits. They’ve just released their biggest tune to date in wicked punk-rock bop Retina and seem to save their best for small sweaty venues on the live circuit. You won’t find many bands who put more into their live sets than these lads, every set is a memorable one and every tune hits hard. Get a piece of it. JM
Indoor Pets – Sunday 5.30pm – Blade Factory (Upstairs)
Jamie Glass is going to be in Liverpool. You’re a fool if you miss him. Oh, and the rest of Indoor Pets as they know how to turn on the energy. Prepare yourself for potential crowd-surfing and you know you just want to be a teenager again, there’s not a band in the world who can make you feel young like this lot can. Remember, it’s a Bank Holiday so you’ll have all day Monday to recover from any bruises and get your voice back to normal after relentlessly screaming your love for Jamie the band. CS
Hey Charlie – Sunday 6pm – Baltic Market
Hey Charlie are an unmissable live band. Their 90s girl power grunge meets youthful pop has been causing havoc in dingy venues and basements up and down the country for months. They’re a breath of fresh air and without a doubt one of the most exciting emerging bands around. Their Young & Lonesome EP is a sure-fire hit live, whilst punchy debut ‘Hey‘ will totally rock your socks off. JM
Gaffa Tape Sandy – Sunday 6.15pm – Constellations (Main Room)
Last, but absolutely not least, are the epic Gaffa Tape Sandy – a trio from Bury St Edmunds who are sneaking their way higher and higher up indie lineups with damn good reason. ‘Beehive‘ is an absolute stormer and there’s plenty more in their arsenal that they’re just waiting to thrill you with. Kim, Catherine and Robin give it so much energy on stage you’ll be thinking they’ve robbed a Lucozade factory. Definitely unmissable. CS
Get the low-down on the festival from the Sound City website and, for the love of all that is music, be there if there’s even the smallest chance you can.
We Close Tonight 