Band links

Right, some links to band sites, Label sites, and whatever else. It's not the biggest list you'll ever find, there are plenty of places that do that. But for the most part, each of these are either for bands I like and respect, or zines, or venues etc, and are sites I visit or recommend. However, I can't promise they all work. When I add them I check them. After that, well, I haven't got the time.

If you think your band, venue, zine should be added, then PLEASE read the following page BEFORE you e-mail.

Nice one, cheers

Dave

Local Bands - Nottingham

So anyway, it seems as though there's actually a pretty healthy musical climate in the UK at the moment, bands springing up all over the place. Here in Nottingham there's a quite a few bands doing things. So, here's a list of local bands, some have sites, some don't. Also some venues and other zines going on in the area.

Any other bands that are playing music they think I'd be interested in, get in touch to get a link, and if you have a demo, pass it on for me to review in YAZ.

  • Earthtone 9. The new album, arc 'tan 'gent is scheduled for release late September. It's awesome - the Number of the Beast for its generation and genre. This time, take the chance. They've been receiving attention from the press for a very good reason.
  • Pitchshifter New album out now, not bad at all, the collaboration with Jello Biafra, as you might expect, is head and shoulders the best thing on here.
  • Lysis Very heavy and extreme and I believe, very split up now. Possibly. They're looking for new members. I'll post the details when I can find where I wrote them down!
  • Dai Lo They've managed to recruit a new guitarist following Russ' departure, so hopefully that'll mean things start to move forward again soon.
  • Third Stone The new split EP with Armour of God is out now on Threefold Records, and is rather tasty. Short and sweet, there's 7 tracks between them in under 5 minutes. Old school.
  • Threefold Records - New lable and distro that have put out that rather tasty Armour Of God / 3rd Stone CD.
  • Killswitch - now called Salt:Burn I believe
  • Iron Monkey - They are of course no more.
  • BlackRock Aww man I tell you, if you like "stoner" (I hate that term but whatever) music, you have to check this band out. For my money their the best at it at the moment. Anywhere.
  • Hard To Swallow. - The bastard offspring of Iron Monkey? Maybe the dead bastard offspring of Iron Monkey
  • Out For The Count - Another new Nottingham hardcore band, featuring ex members of 3rd Stone and HHH. Good live and have a 9 track demo available which isn't bad - review in YAZ 12. When it's finished.
  • Diasphere - way tooooo young. Bands shouldn't be allowed to be young. Pretty good, hope they follow their own sound.
  • Element - playing nu metal as well. With a touch of New York ;-)
  • Own Worst Enemy - kind of Sick Of It All style. Were very impressive last time I saw them.
  • Waimeashorey - Features ex 3rd Stone vocalist Mark. More based towards an emo sort of sound.
  • In-Flux. Completely different sort of music for me, but one of them works with me, so there you go. But good. Live drum'n'bass, breakbeat, phat phunk. Or something. They were good when I saw them.
  • Marksound. Your stop for info on Iron Monkey, Hard To Swallow, the UK stoner scene in general, and a load of Nottingham related gubbins. Well, it is the Monkey's sound engineer after all that does the site.
  • Rock City Not particularly in love with the venue, but they put on a lot of bands. Plus the messageboard is a laugh in the totally absurd "the shit people will write if you stick a keyboard in front of them" manner. Some people need to get a life. And if they do, could they tell me what one is like. A fine example though of a web site that only gets updated when they give it a totally new look - ie, not often enough.
  • Evo-Zine New Nottingham based Web zine dealing with Hardcore/emo/punk/metal
  • Pristine Promotions Responsible for most of the gigs at The Old Angel and for putting on that rather magnificent Mr Bungle gig at Rock City. Details of what's coming up and all that malarky.

    And I know there's a pretty healthy scene going on down in Birmingham as well, with London also being served nicely. Get behind the bands and the venues and the promoters that need the support

    UK bands

    Well, like I said, there's some good stuff in the UK at the moment. Some established, a lot upcoming. Here's a little selection. Same as before, if you reckon you know of a band, or are in a band and want a link or review, get in touch.

    Totally Live Venues. If you want a list of hundreds of live venues throughout the UK, and an idea of what gigs are going on at these places, then this is the site to check out. It'll give you contact details, and where available, details on how to get to the venue, they types of music they put on and a gig list. An invaluable resource really.

  • Milque. Currently regrouping and searching for a new vocalist and drummer.
  • Medulla Nocte - The new album. Fuck me backwards with somthing uncomfortable. Pantera = intense? Slipknot = intense? Medulla = looking down and pissing themselves laughing at the little kiddies playing. It's INTENSE. Fast, heavy, chaotic. Many will absolutely hate it. It deserves to be massive.
  • Tence. Saw them recently with the Cardiacs. Awesome. Twisted, noisy, melodic, dischordant. But with songs. The self-released CD is superb. Review in YAZ 12, expect more soon.
  • Sack Trick That wonderfully off kilter band with a great sense of humour, and some rather decent songs thrown into the bargain! The second album is due soon hopefully. Need another dose of their humour.
  • Official Cynical Smile page. which is courtesy of Brad.
  • Noisegate Birmingham based band with a page in the States! Challengers to the Machine Head and Pantera's of this world. Think they're changing their name to Bulwark. And now Split. That is the band have split, not changed their name to split.
  • Monkey Boy Great young UK band.2 bassists and a singing drummer. Yes, it is as mad as it sounds. Which is good.
  • Stampin' Ground. It has to be said, musically the new album is very Slayer like.
  • One Car Pile-Up. UK Melodic punk band
  • Vanilla Pod Another melodic punk band who I saw last night with OCPU and were truly excellent. (But the link wasn't working when I tried it!)
  • Freekspert Another UK band, pretty good as well.
  • Snub The new album is out now. Currently out touring with Misery Loves Co. A big step up from the mini-album.
  • BlowHoly Creators of the bizarre, but good, jungle meets Sabbath style music.
  • Shallow Stoke based, with an EP on Undergroove Records.
  • Dog Toffee Garage punk rock New Bomb Turks ish style stuff. EP on Aniseed at the moment. New album somewhere as well I believe, but I've not seen or heard it.
  • Cowboy Killers I don't believe it, even the bloody CKs have one now!
  • King Prawn. One of the finest "crossover" bands, who can mix all styles to great effect. And are stunning live! The new album is due imminently, and though more polished, it's still got that inimitable Prawn spirit.
  • Subvert. New band whose CD I've just received and is pretty damn good. Also running their own label, Black Canvas.
  • Sophia. Formed by ex God Machine man Robin, this band is gorgeous to listen to.
  • YoYos. Danny, ex-Wildhearts new band.
  • Breakneck One of the stars of Yazcore.
  • Paradise Lost
  • Garbage - I wasn't supposed to (something to do with credibility and all that crap), but I do actually like this band. Deal with it.
  • Iron Maiden Probably the first band to inspire me. Steve Harris is one of the greats and has influenced a whole generation of bassists and bands. Even if those bands are currently too trendy and stuck up their arse to admit it. New album. It's got it's faults, but, after a few listens, it makes an old fart like me close my fist, get a big grin on the face and shout "go on my son". You either understand, or you don't. Simple as that. And Thin Line Between Love and Hate - there's some guitar melodies towards the end that are just the best thing they've done in years.
  • Meathook Seed . An unofficial page. The new album is excellent. Recommended. Hmm, looks like you have to register though to enter the page. Sod that.
  • Interlock An interesting band managing somehow to combine almost death metal with a Portishead twist and various other things. Two vocalists. one male, one female, a host of variety and ideas. They have a 5 track CD out at the moment which really is pretty good.

    We've even got labels trying to support them.

  • Blank Canvas Cool label run by Reuben from Subvert, that puts out some good compilations featuring a host of upcoming UK bands.
  • Copro Records. Home to Snub and Earthtone 9 amongst others. Also, the mighty Medulla Nocte have now signed to them. So with that line-up, it's the UK Vs the World. And the world didn't have a prayer ;-)
  • Household Name Records
  • Positive Outlook Records - small DIY label dealing in the hardcore side of things.
  • Subjugation. Labels and distro for all sorts of Emo stuff. Put out the Spy versus Spy CD.

    Oh, and there's these two 'nall

  • RoadRunner Records
  • Earache Records
  • Century Media. Bit of a crap site to be honest - just mail order.
    Untried and untested.

    This is basically links to some of the bands that have contacted me saying, "can you link to us". For the most part, I haven't listened to them, and so they don't come recommended (or condemned!) by me. Untried and untested, you takes your chance.

  • Incision
  • Albeit
  • Zero Cipher
    New stuff that's exciting me at the moment.

    At the moment my tastes are under change again. Well fundamentally they don't change. I love "rock" music. Metal, hardcore, punk. Whatever. But every now and again, the "current" thing starts to get a little stale, and so I kind of try to find something new to excite me in addition to whatever I've been listening to. And the list below are a few of those bands that kind of fall into this "new for me" category. These aren't strictly metal, or hardcore or punk. Because it's new to me, I really can't describe them. But I do think they're all very good. Different maybe. So if you're a seasoned "rock" fan, and listen to rock, the whole rock, and nothing but the rock, then you may not like them too much. If you're happy to try some slightly different and new things, then maybe you'll like them. If I was to try and describe anything common about them, well, they're kind of broody moody pieces. Not dealing in hooklines or choruses. Quite a lot of instrumentals. Epic sort of soundscapes. Maybe in a way a move to kind of ambient style of "rock". Kind of at odds with the whole nu-metal and hardcore thing, which is what I've been listening to predominantly over the last few years I guess. Maybe a reaction to that. It's kind of how things seem to pan out with me. I listen to something for so long, and then react against it when it feels a little stale.

  • Godspeed You Black Emperor. Don't know how you'd describe this music, instrumental, dark, twisted. Not at all heavy. But very very good.
  • Billy Mahonie - instrumental as well, kind of seen them describe as "post hardcore". Nice melodies. Not hard or heavy, but not light either. Creators of one of the finest albums of '99, and is the music currently fuelling me as depression at what's going on around starts to set in.
  • Rothko. Only just started listening, expect a review in YAZ12 whenever that is. Anyway, just 3 bassists. That's it. Atmospheric soundscapes I guess. Like a bit of bass adventure, take a listen, throw in the Monkey Boy and you've got a guitarists worst nightmare, muahahaha. Sort of thing. Maybe.
  • Labradford - more of that kind of gentle, ambient soundscapes sort of stuff. Must be getting soft in me old age ;-)
  • Portishead . Been listening to them for a while. Not heavy obviously, but gorgeous music. Which is what counts at the end of the day.
    You want more stuff? OK. Some other stuff that's around at the moment.

  • Sick Of It All Best hardcore band there is in my opinion.
  • System of a Down Official Site. Set to be big big big.
  • Alternative Tentacles Record Label. You don't need me to tell you about this lot. Or you shouldn't. Home to great bands. Fighting censorship, freedom of speech. And quite often offending many people.
  • Loudside Home of pages for Korn, Far, HWP and many many more.
  • Zebrahead. The Self titled album or the Yellow album, whatever, is really good. Well recommended. So recommended, it's reviewed in YAZ 6. The debut album though was a major letdown.
  • Ultimate Deftones Page
  • PMM Jeff, Ex HWP bassist', band.
  • theSTART. The album is due soon. Changed the name to theSTART from Hero.
  • HevyDevy Records Devin Townsend's label.
  • Nuclear Rabbit. I understand they don't like the comparison, but to me, I thought kind of early Mr Bungle. All over the place, but still with their fingers on a tune. Review in issue 10 of Yaz.
  • Voivod Legends. Gods. Interview coming in YAZ 12
  • Celtic Frost. Well, if you've got the Voivod, you've got to have the Frosties as well. Combined they are essential in the education of metal. Oooh yeah baby. Sorry, the death grunt mutated a little bit!
  • Apollyon Sun.And so now, you have Apollyon Sun. Wonder what the "purists" will make of them. Takes a little while, but an album that keeps pulling you back for one more listen, don't want to really, but just one more, you know you want to, just another listen.
  • Dead KennedysYou HAVE to listen to the Dead Kennedys. Essential. Nothing more need be said.
  • Tool Well you should know Tool. If anything I guess the new sort of music I'm listening to listed above, is kind of Tool taken a step further in one particular direction. Because they build those epic songs.
  • The God Machine One of the most underrated bands that existed, and of course, exist no more.
  • A Perfect Circle - Requires Flash to access the menus.
  • 3D House of Beef
  • Scratching Post
  • Faith No More The Caca Volante site. Includes links to Bungle, Fantomas, Imperial Teen and others.
  • Neurosis What can you say? It's Neurosis. Interview in YAZ 12 as well.
  • Entombed - fan site.
  • Relapse Records Home to such extreme pleasures as Today Is The Day, Coalesce and more.
    Online Zines

  • Undergroove 'Zine. Another fine UK based zine, and label also now.
  • Intoxicated zine Loads of good stuff in that one usually.
  • WHI The online version of With Harmful Intent from Ireland.
  • Death To Dead Things Cool cos it uses the Voivod album lettering style for its logo.
  • Skratch The Surface The new Manchester based zine now has a web version up and running as well.
  • PAX Another of the new wave of zines is online.
  • Twang. Another pretty good on-line 'zine, although a bit more "Indie" than my normal tastes.
  • Zinecore. American new metal type of thing zine.
  • Smother E-Zine. Another American new metal type of zine.
  • Sliver online.
  • Meltdown
  • I.U. Deluge. New zine, which has plenty of good interviews.
  • Fracture. Established as possibly the premier UK punk / hardcore zine. Sort of Maximum Rock'n'Roll for the UK.
  • Black Velvet. Never really check it too much, more of a glam pop fest as I can tell, but anyone who has read it seems to speak highly of it. A4 and glossy.
  • Force 10

    Organ. The zine I guess that inspired me to start YAZ.

    Casaba

    Ok, ok, here's the Magazines as well. Nice and glossy

    Metal Hammer

    Terrorizer

    And no, Kerrang! doesn't have a web site. So don't keep bugging me by asking ok. Just cos you find the name of the mag on this site, doesn't mean I like it. Apparently they've got one "coming soon."

    Venues

    As important as bands. Remember to support your local venue. Support the promoters, support the bands. They need you. Most of these sites, if not all of them, have gig guides included. Places where, if there's a gig, then I may be there, looking pissed off and basically avoiding all contact with living people. Apart from TJs cos I'm hardly ever in Wales these days.

  • Victoria Inn Derby Small place, but puts on lots of great bands. One of those little venues you should check out.
  • The Loft Another Derby venue
  • Varsity In Wolves. Another pretty good small venue.
  • TJs. The LEGENDARY venue in Newport finally has a web site. Go there. And if you're ever in the area, er, go there.
  • The Foundry in Birmingham. Looks like it's back. Don't lose it again.
  • Rudgeley Red Rose. Another decent venue, in a bit of an out of the way Godforsaken place maybe, but all the more reason that the people that can go there and do go there, should support it and the bands that play there.