4.52am Issue: 033 11th May 2017 The And The Hangnails Issue

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Welcome
Welcome to Issue 033
This week we are proud to have And The
Hangnails as our cover stars, and there is
a great interview with them too. Not bad.
Things are finally moving with some of our
DIY projects, and the resurrecton of the
Purple Jr moves on thanks to the arrival of
a quite beautiful Mojo Pickups Gold Foil
Soapbar.
We have a look at some copper
scratchplates with Glen from Axion Custom
Works, and then Susie Blue and so many
more bands provide the music.
As for La Contessa…
Have a fine week..
All at 4.52am

Contents
AND THE HANGNAILS
SUSIE BLUE
DIY: AXION CUSTOM WORKS
BURNT TAPES
TAPED: 1988 THE WONDERSTUFF
DIY: PURPLE & GOLD
ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY
PATRONS
QUEEN ZEE & THE SASSTONES
OUT OF MY HEAD: WOZNIAK
LA CONTESSA D’JOOK

FEATURES

AND THE HANGNAILS
DOG
A few weeks ago, we somewhat went on
a mad one for And The Hangnails, and
talked about how their new album (‘Dog’
which is released this week,) was
basically something truly special.
Today, blasting it at high volume, we
certainly haven’t changed our mind – this
is quite simply already a leading
contender for this year’s album of the
year – and so we were all kind of chuffed
to be able to catch-up with the chaps and
ask them a few questions.
Here is what they had to say for
themselves,
Hello, and how did you get
together?
“Steve and I first got together when I
decided I wanted to try writing music for
purely guitar and drums duo. I wanted to
see how I got on without any other
instruments other than percussion and
maybe a bit of backing vocals. I was
feeling a little held back by how long it
can take to get things done with more
people involved, especially in regards to
writing new music. I was in another band,
and was writing a lot with them, but felt
somewhat dissatisfied with how quickly
our idea were coming to fruition, so I
wanted a side project to satisfy that.
I emailed Steve asking if he'd be up for
jamming. He said yes. We sent a few
tracks back and forth. Stuff we'd both
been listening to recently. We went into
this rehearsal space in York and came
up with seven songs in the first 3 hours.
Recorded them all on a Dictaphone and
booked another two sessions.
In those sessions we wrote and
recorded another four in day two, and
three on day three (whilst also honing
ideas a little bit each session). We then
decided to release those distorted
Dictaphone recordings online as our
first album, calling it 'No Time For
Naysayers.'”
That is pretty prolific – what came
next?
“We then kept on writing a lot and
experimenting with different
approaches to lo-fi recording
techniques as well as blagging free
studio time where possible. This was
how we recorded the next two records.
This most recent album is the first full
studio.”

So who are you?
“I'm Martyn. I'm the singer and guitarist.
I've been playing for about 17 years
now. Ever since choosing to build a
guitar whilst at school for design
technology project I've been into
modding out and building my own
guitars.
Steve is the drummer and also sings a
bit. We're both from the York/Selby
area, though I've been living in London
recently, we've both been travelling a lot
for gigs and recording etc.”
When and where did you meet?
“We originally met through other bands,
playing in different bands on the
independent music / toilet scene in
Yorkshire. I thought he was a great
drummer, but seemed to like much more
indie/post-punk bands than the bands
I'd seen him playing with, so thought he
might fancy it.”
You share influences then, how
does that work with the band then?
“Originally I was inspired by the likes of
the Black Keys, White Stripes and Death
from Above 1979, to try out playing with
just guitar and drums. But there were a
huge number of bands that we were
inspired by. We wanted to try the two
piece approach, to streamline the
writing, recording and administrative
(political) aspects that are ubiquitous
with being in an independent band.”
How would you describe your
sound?
“I suppose you'd describe it as
Indie/Punk. I like fuzzy guitars and old
amps. I originally come from a bit of a
blues background, musically, but Punk
was what first caught my ear as kid and
has always stuck with me. I suppose a lot
of what we do is more anthemic than it is
bluesy though. A lot of energy, fast noise
pop songwriting. We always put the song
above anything else but we write some
stuff that's a lot trickier to play than it
sounds.”
Who is listening to you, buying the
records, coming to the gigs?
“Our fans range quite drastically in
regards to demographics. One of my
favorite things about playing gigs is
looking out and seeing in one bit of the
crowd some punk blokes getting rowdy
and pushing each other about a bit, then
on the other side there'll be a couple of
teenagers dancing and having fun, then
there'll be some serious muso guys arms
crossed, looking very focused and
nodding slightly. It's like everyone is
attending a different gig, or listening to a
different band. And then there's usually
one or two members of staff on the bar
who are paying attention intermittently.
We often get a few surprised "that
actually wasn't shit" kinda comments
from a lot of bored / overstimulated
venue staff. Haha.”

When did you start gigging - what
was your first gig like?
“My first ever gig was one I organised
with school friends at a Youth club in
order to raise money for a skateboarding
/ BMX tour to visit different skate parks
around the UK.
Our first gig as Hangnails was supporting
a band called the Computers at The
Duchess, in York. This was a couple of
weeks after we'd put 'No Time For
Naysayers' online. We put this full
"album" out online before playing live,
but we ended up getting a few gigs and
reviews off the back of its release which
got us off to a decent start.”
What are the biggest gigs you’ve
played so far?
“Playing with the Damned was good.
They are such cool people. Really great
to talk to them after, they were really
supportive of us and liked what we're
doing. I think that was our first proper
theatre-esq dressing room experience as
well.
When we played with the Stranglers they
had so much equipment we couldn't fit
any of our amps/drumkit on stage. I
think the only reason we got the gig was
cos we're a two piece and they knew it
was gonna be a busy stage. When they
realised there was no space I think we
nearly got taken off the bill, but the guy
from the venue who'd booked the show
really fought our corner, so we ended up
having to play in the venue next door!
Which was nuts! At first I was worried
that nobody would bother coming
through to see the support act in another
room, but being on stage watching like
two or three hundred people trying to
cram into a tiny room actually made for a
pretty amazing vibe.
I have a few memories of outdoor
festivals looking out over beautiful
skylines, fields and sunsets but in regards
to shows that really stick in my mind its
often the smaller, weirder, more rowdy
ones that really stand out. We had a few
shows in house parties in Leeds (one of
which we filmed for the You & I video)
and Newcastle, and we recently ran a
secret event where everyone wore the
paper DOG heads from the forthcoming
album cover. Which was SO surreal to
play. We often run our own shows. We
like being able to run things the way we
like, where we like and to book the bands
we like as well.”
What was the first thing you’d
recorded?
“The first demo tape I ever recorded was
at secondary school. It was so that we
could try and get a gig. I used to rehearse
with my first band on a lunch time in the
music class rooms. I was in year eight or
nine. We were given a tape each by our
school music teachers so we could hand
in recordings of our
compositions/homework each week. It
was a Coomber tape player/recorder - so
essentially, a single room mic tape
recording. I used that tape to record this

live session for my band at the time. We
recorded a full live set of originals and
covers. I was about fourteen and I took
this tape in to the manager at Fibbers
(the infamous local music venue) with
my contact details so as to ask for a gig.
After a week, when I didn't get a call or
email back, I went back in and asked to
see the manager again. We ended up
booking our first proper gig there on a
matinee show off the back of that.”
Was it always the guitar you
wanted to play?
“I remember giving up playing Cornet
when I started secondary school cos I
didn't want to have to carry it all the way
to school every day. Then when I started
playing guitar I would bring a guitar and
an amplifier with me. Haha. I've always
been a very chilled out person. I think
how much effort I was willing to put in
at that age shows how much cooler
guitars are than brass instruments in the
eyes of a 14yo me.”
How did the recording go?
“The recording took exactly as long as it
did to play. There was no producer. It
was exactly what I was expecting at the
time, and I think it really set me up for
preferring live takes all the way up until
now. I've done a fair bit of studio
recording now, and the closer I can get
it to being live the better IMO.”
What gear was being used?
“At that point we were using a Peavey
keyboard amp for both the bass guitarist
and the vocal mic and a Peavey bandit for
the guitar. I was playing a Fender
Stratocaster that my brother had found in
a cupboard upon moving into a new flat.
The previous owners knew nothing of it
when he asked them about it and since
he didn't play guitar he gave it to me. It's
still one of my favorite guitars for writing.
I've not had the heart to butcher it with
modifications like I do with most of my
live guitars quite yet, but I still might one
day. Haha.”
So what was your first guitar?
“It was my dads, and still is. I suppose I
was just borrowing it. After that, the Strat
I mentioned before, officially speaking, is
my brother's I suppose, but I it's mine
really. Squatter's rights.”
How about influences when you
were starting?
“Starting out my older brother had a tape
recording of a band that played a battle
of the bands at his school that I used to
listen to. The fact that this band was at
school and were playing a gig was a big
inspiration. Music definitely felt like
something that you just do for yourself.
Anyone can do it you have to want to.”

Are there any heroes left - who do
you really rate now?
“I'm not a big hero worshiper. I really
like the idea of doing what you want.
Like, what do you like? Do that. Nothing
is ever perfect, and there are so many
hidden gems of music coming from
unknown bands. I love a band called
"Bull" from York. Incredible song writing
and so believable and natural.”
So what next?
“The album comes out on CD and Vinyl,
on May 12th. We have a UK tour through
May and June, and will be gigging a lot
through July and August as well. Then,
as we've always been about writing,
we'll be looking to record more in the
summer as well.”
Thinking about your approach to
songwriting - what comes first -
words or music?
“Often a bit of both. We usually write
guitars vocals and drums all at the same
time, full volume. I'll often come up with
a vocal melody and a few words, which
then forms the basis for the rest of the
lyrics. So I usually finish off all the finer
details regarding lyrics later, but some of
the words and all the melodies and
chords and riff all come at the same
time. I think by doing it all at the same
time means that your brain just sort of
switches into subconscious mode, and
you become a bit less inhibited by
yourself. When you have time to
overthink, you restrict yourself. Which is
what ‘No Time For Naysayers’ meant. We
were the naysayers.”
How did you learn to write a song?
“I just tried. I put together some chords
and added words.”
Which one are you proudest of?
“I think ‘Fear Only Fear’ is still one of my
favourites cos it's just nasty. Lyrically it's
very simple, but bold. It also has a lot of
space for us to play it differently each
time depending on our mood.
Also, ‘Meet Me By The River’ is probably
the best bit of "song writing" in a more
traditional sense. But as soon as I played
it on piano instead of full band we
stopped playing it live at Hangnails gigs.
It suits the piano so much better. Perhaps
in time we might start adding it back in to
the set list. Other than that, it's always
whatever I've written most recently. I'm
always most excited about what newest.”
These days you can record a song at
home and have it distributed and
heard around the world in no time at
all - what do you think are the good
and bad parts of the ways things
have changed?
“Good thing is that you can do it yourself.
It just takes nouse and drive. It fits so
well with the punk aesthetic. The fact that
recording has become so easy to make
things sound perfect - like,
mathematically correct - lends itself to
more electronic, and less natural or
human sounds, which could be somewhat

influential in regards to a lot of new
music going in more electronic
directions.
Also, the fact that anyone can record
and self distribute means that there is
more music than ever. There is literally
more recorded music uploaded every
day than any one person could ever
listen to. So music has become more
disposable. There's so much, and it's all
so instantly accessible, the value in
recorded music has changed. I think
that's why live events cost more now
than they used to. But you can't capture
a live event. So, I think it's worth more
money. The recordings are always
gonna be a representation of the live
experience, but nowhere near the actual
experience of it. Where, when, who
with, how you got there - none of this
can be replicated in a recording.”
Are collaborations something that
appeal to you?
“We have done one. With Wolf Solent.
He added loads of ambient guitar sounds
to one of our songs "Bleeding nose"
Which I think really turned that song
around. It also allowed me a bit of space
to play a solo, which I can rarely do,
being the only guitarist.”
What gear are you using now?
“Nowadays I'm using quite a few
different guitars. I've got a white SG
(which is my main one really), a Tokai
335 copy, a cheap Tele copy that plays
like a dream and old Jedson tele copy
that play terribly but sounds fantastic. I'm
also playing a guitar I made out of an old
skateboard a lot recently, which sounds
brutal, but I really like it. It has so much
character, visually, and tonally. I rewire
and personalize them all though. I came
up with an idea whereby I coil tap the
neck humbucker and separate the
outputs coming from it. I send one signal
to the bridge pickup circuit, and the other
to a separate output, but with the pole
pieces removed from the E B G and D
string positions. This means I can get a
really clear bass response from the low E
and A strings, which I can then mess
about with octaves and bassy distortions.
This goes through a bass amp, and
means that the octave pedal doesn't
freak out when I play lead on the higher
strings whilst also playing bass lines or
chords on the lower ones. Since I started
using this mod I a couple of similar pickup
designs have come onto the market, like
the Submarine and the Little Thunder
pickups. But they don't quite do it like my
set up and I'm not really a fan of batteries
and/or active pickups. And to be honest I
quite like it being a bit more personal.
Amp wise I'm using a Blackstar Artisan
30, from when they first released them.
It's looking pretty beaten up nowadays.
It needs a little TLC. I also run a Peavey
Classic 50 4x10 along side it as it reacts
differently to volume boosts and different
distortions and overdrives.
Having two different guitar amps also fills
out the sound/tone quite nicely, making

it sound even more like there's more
than one of me. Also, I've been using a
solid state H/H bass baby bass amplifier
for the bass signal from my guitar(s). It's
a little thing but its naaaasty and loud
and warm. And it has no qualms with the
amount of signal and distorted guitar
noise I put through it.”
Any dream guitars or gear?
“I'm quite a big fan of scruffy, wonky
guitars. So, I'm loving my own designs
at the moment, but for a little while now
I've had my eye on those Fender Custom
FSR telecasters with P90s and the
transparent orange finish. Oof. I'm
looking at some of the ZVEX Fat Fuzz
Factory pedals at the moment too.
Also, I originally wanted the Peavey Delta
Blues amplifier when I bought my Classic
50, but I couldn't get hold of one, so I
thought I'd try the Classic. I might trade
the Classic for the Delta at some point if
I get round to it too. Also, a friend of mine
has an old Fender Bassman that sounds
amazing.”
‘DOG’ is out on the 12 th May and you
really, really need to check it out.
You can find out ore HERE, THERE and
even buy something over THERE too.

SUSIE BLUE
Glastonbury
As the regular reader will realise, we are
all very-much-in-love with the rather cool
Susie Blue here in the 4.52am Shelter,
and it is great to see things continuing to
grow so well for them. Hailing from
Northern Ireland, it is only recently that
they played their first gig in London, and
amazing, when you come to think of it,
that that has so quickly led to them being
signed-up for this Summer’s Glastonbury
Festival, with them scheduled to play the
Bread and Roses stage
All of which would be brilliant and quite
enough for most bands, but the news
coincides with Susie Blue’s release of ‘Be
A Lady’ which is never far from our Ye
Olde CD player at the moment, along
with a brilliant video that the band
recorded recently, as singer, Susan
Donaghy explains,
"I love the innocence kids have and that
most of the time they just be who they
are without thinking about, I want us to
take some lessons from them and that's
what I wanted to show with this video.”
The song explores gender stereotypes
and lyrically, Donaghy never shies away
from the difficult subjects, with the bands
previous single, ‘People like Us’
confronting homophobia in the best of
ways.
I keep saying that Susie Blue are a
band that are seriously going places
and well worth checking out and I am
going to keep on saying it too.
You can find out more HERE and if you
are going to Glasters, don’t miss them
as no doubt it will be the Pyramid in a
few years time.

DIY CORNER: PAISLEY JR
Axion Custom Works Copper Scratchplate
Well our paisley Telemaster Jr is finally
coming together, and the finishing touch
is going to be coming from Glen Havelock
of Axion Custom Works, who is handcarving
a scratchplate from copper sheet
and then distressing it with, I’m guessing
here, some sort of blowtorch.
That will follow in a couple of weeks, but
I thought I’d share some pretty pictures
of a couple Glen has done for other
projects, to show where we are going
with this.
Having tried something similar in the
past, I have to say I have a lot of respect
for the results Glen is getting with the his
approach to the distressing of the
scratchplate, and the result can be
beautifully iridescent, even if it is a bit of
a ‘voyage of discovery’ at the moment, as
Glen explains,
“Since we last spoke I had an order for
another copper guard, so I tried out my
"health and safety gone mad" ideas, and
everything worked out really well. I
actually started with a tele guard but the
order was for something Jazzmaster
sized. Basically, I can say I feel much
more comfortable making them now,
even though they still make a very nasty
mess of copper glitter over everything
within 10 yards radius. The other thing is
the flame distressing, I am learning
that it is an art in itself (and I was
always crap at art!)”
I really can’t wait to see what he does
for the Paisley guitar, and looking at
these I think the whole thing is going
to be quite special.
You can see some of the other custom
work Glen has done at his web site
HERE and as mentioned before, if you
have treated yourself to a Bass VI and
are fed-up of the awful strings, you
need to have a look at the ones Axion
have created too.

BURNT TAPES
Oh Marie
As you may have noticed, we are more
than partial to a little Punk in this neck of
the woods, and one of the bands that
really get the pulse bip-bipping is the
rather brilliant Burnt Tapes. Having left
their native Greece and moved to London
(and I have to say I love the fact it is to
avoid conscription – if only Elvis had done
that he may not have made all those crap
films) they have managed to carve out a
space for themselves with a series of top
quality support slots and a couple of
previous E.Ps that well and truly put them
on the map. With ‘Alterations’ their new
E.P which launches on June 2 nd , you feel
that this is really their moment to take
that next step up and really open some
eyes. The first song to be released from
the E.P, ‘Oh Marie’ does exactly that and
is one of the most powerful, raw songs
I’ve heard in ages – really something
quite special and one that can travel a lot
further than the usual Punk market as the
band have the ability to write proper
songs with more light and shade than you
would expect. In a way they remind me
of New Model Army, which from me is
quite the compliment.
As vocalist/bassist, Tone Apostolopoulos
explains,
“The title of the EP ‘Alterations’ is
inspired by the changes that occur in
your life as you start to approach the
end of your 20s, and how you begin to
lose people, either physically or
through disconnection. Phil
(vocals/guitar) lost his grandma a
month before recording and the track
is dedicated to her”.
You can find out more HERE and the
chaps are supporting the E.P with some
lives dates:
1st June - Wedgewood Rooms,
Portsmouth
2nd June - Sanctuary, Basingstoke
3rd June - Urban Bar, London

TAPED: 1988 THE WONDERSTUFF
The Eight Legged Groove Machine
This week’s Tape-inspired blast from the
past, is prompted by a time-faded copy of
the Wonderstuff’s wonderful debut
album, ‘The Eight Legged Groove
Machine’ from all the way back in 1988.
Now, growing up in Brum we’d seen a lot
of the Wonderstuff back when places like
the Hare and Hounds were still pubs with
‘a band on’ upstairs rather than ‘Premier
Music Venues’ and Miles Hunt’s snarling
face was plastered on the door and
window of every bankrupt shop in
Moseley and Digbeth, Stirchley and so
many other places.
Because of course, in the shape of Mr
Hunt we knew that we had the wittiest,
sark-meister since John Lydon, with a
turn of phrase that never left you
anything other than laughing and lyrics
that alternated between being in your
face and wrapping their hands around
your throat. He wrote brilliant songs, had
a voice you could spot from the other side
of Aston and was definitely a pukka pop
star in waiting.
‘It’s Your Money I’m After Baby’ and
‘Give, Give, Give Me, More, More, More’
told the tale perfectly, but there was
always a glint of humour in the eye that
hinted at self-awareness, invited you in
so that you could share the joke.
And that was the key to it all, the
Wonderstuff were a fun band, a great
band that grew from this point into
something really special, but butterfly
different, and that is why listening to
this album is special too. The tragically
lost Rob ‘The Bass Thing’ Jones may
not have been the world’s best bass
player and as personnel changed,
musically the band got better and
better, but the simplicity of the first
album gave us something special all by
itself that takes you back to the pub
gigs, way before Miles started to take
fashion tips from Noddy Holder and
joined Vic and Bob on Top of the Pops.
‘The Eight Legged Groove Machine’
was a quite brilliant debut, a real
marker that it didn’t take a genius to
see that what would come next with
‘Hup’ and then beyond would be
special.
Go find out more HERE, they can still
make you Grin

DIY: PURPLE & GOLD
Mojo Pickups Gold Foil P90 Soapbar
Well, our resurrection (baby!) of the
Sparkly Purple Les Paul Jr edges closer to
completion, as this week Marc Ransley of
Mojo Pickups fame especially wound us
one of his quite beautiful Gold Foil
Pickups. I talked about the whys before,
but we needed something that was
shaped like a P90 Soapbar, and that is
what we got, and I really couldn’t wait to
get it put in the guitar.
Suffering from wobbly hands these days,
it was also no hardship to have Marc wire
us a loom/harness to go along with the
pickup (mine would never look like this
anyway – Mr Ransley is an artist when it
comes to these things), so even for the
technically challenged, it was no problem
at all to connect the pickup to the loom
and then the earth wire to the bridge stud
and we were away.
Of course, there are a few things left to
do on the guitar, not least that the neck
angle means that we have an issue
getting a low action, so there is more to
come, but the pickup sounds beautiful.
I’ve used one of Marc’s Gold Foils in a
Single Cut Junior before and it worked
well, but this double-cut is lighter and it
really seems to ring the notes out when
they are clean. Probably sounds daft
but there is almost a Rickenbacker vibe
to the tone, certainly a bit of Byrds
sounds authentic, and first album
Stone Roses are nailed on as are
Johnny Marr style arpeggios.
Adding dirt is where these take off
though, giving you a more bell-like P90
tone and then something extra on top
too. I used to be a P90 junky (still am)
but Mojo’s Gold Foils add a certain
something else on top that you just
don’t get elsewhere (and I’ve tried
some of the competition out there –
and they are pale by comparison.)
So a big step forward, and hopefully
with some frettling and a bit of cover
stick on the chipped paintwork we may
be back in business.
You can find out more about Mojo
Pickups HERE but be prepared to spend
some pennies, it is truly told, the Palace
of Glittering Shiny Things

ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY
Museum of Walking
Any band that can have a single out
called ‘You Eat Houmous, Of Course You
Listen to Genesis’ is OK as far as I am
concerned, and listening to Alpha Male
Tea Parties new single, ‘Museum of
Walking’ only makes the grin on my face
get wider.
Heralding a new album, ‘Health’ which is
to be released on the 23 rd of June,
‘Museum of Walking’ is a quite brilliant
instrumental track that is totally
captivating and stretches your
understanding of what can be jammed
into a few minutes of music.
In a lot of ways the changes in tempo and
effect remind me of Rush – in fact if they
had been created in the 21 st Century and
lost the whiny vocals, we’d be about
there, but the seamless movement
between different rhythms and sounds is
beautifully done.
A recurring theme is the African-tinged
guitar, a la Chikapa "Ray" Phiri, best
know for his work on Paul Simon’s
‘Graceland’ although clearly in a heavier
setting.
Commenting on the new track, bass
player Ben Griffiths said: “I'm utterly
hopeless with words, which is one of the
many, many reasons we're an
instrumental band. However, a good
friend of mine told me the other day
that this sounds like AMTP does
"Graceland", which was never the
intention, but is absolutely the
outcome.” And he is totally right.
You can find out more about this
fascinating band HERE and listen to
‘Museum of Walking’ THERE.
If you get the chance, please check
them out live over the coming weeks,
June 29th - The Fox & Newt, Leeds
June 30th - JT Soar, Nottingham
July 1st - Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
July 2nd - Opium, Edinburgh
July 23rd - Truck Festival, Oxford
July 29th - Cloudspotting Festival,
Clitheroe
August 18th - ArcTanGent Festival,
Bristol

PATRONS
Listen
Here at 4.52am we have very few rules
and a lot less in the way of regulation, but
when Patrons have something new out
and about, we definitely will be copping a
listen as without getting all melodramatic
about it, they are one of the best bands
out there right now and the world is a far
better place for just a few of their tunes.
The new single ‘Listen’ is another from
their brilliant album, ‘As Above, So Below’
which we talked about a few weeks ago,
and showcases just how good the band’s
songs really are.
The video is quite a departure for the
band too, as bass player Olly Reed
explains,
"We wanted to show a side of the band
that we've not shown before. It's a
completely different video than the first
two from the album. We wanted to give
the song room to breathe with interesting
and beautiful visuals to help. The LifeisArt
Visuals guys have done a great job
again."
Awesome band, brilliant new music.
You can find out more and order a quite
beautiful looking vinyl copy of the chaps’
album HERE

QUEEN ZEE & THE SASSTONES
Sissy Fists
Like Little Triggers, if completely
different, I love the fact that Queen Zee
& The Sasstones aren’t going to be hiding
behind anybody’s fringe any time soon,
and that they are out there and ready to
put on a show. There are far too many
b(l)ands out there who forget that music
can be a spectator sport, or as the band
themselves put it,
“We've got no time for music, art or
politics that are bland, bands that sing
songs about nothing, that aren't
musically adventurous; art that is just a
heap of clay with no purpose except for
Facebook likes and Instagram followers.”
We couldn’t agree more.
And bland is something you can’t think
aout breathing in the same hemisphere
as the band’s debut single, ‘Sissy Fists’,
which was released by Nice Swan records
last week and which hopefully will herald
an album in the very near future.
The band are political, direct, articulate
and most important of all, bleeding good,
and it is the latter fact that really matters,
“You don't have to have a message,” they
say “Sometimes bands should stick to
making great music, and sometimes you
have to remember you're in a band and
not writing an essay, but I think if you
don't have something to say in the
current climate then you've been living
under a rock. You're forced into being
political when it feels like everyone's
out for your head. We don't really have
a manifesto, it's kind of anarchic in that
way. We don't have a single cause or
message. We're a band and we're here
to make the best music we can.”
And if you like agitpunk, with a
message, explosive energy and a
definite in-your-face attitude, you
really have to check them out as this is
seriously cool work. Queen Zee & The
Sasstones are going places, have no
doubt about that, in fact saying that will
seem trite in the weeks ahead, but wtf
I can state the obvious as well as the
next chap. Go check them out HERE
and THERE
See them Live, There:
05.05.17 – Nottingham – JT Soar
06.05.17 – Bradford – 1 in 12 Club
27.05.17 – Liverpool – SoundCity
Festival
28.05.17 – London – Bent Fest

OUT OF MY HEAD
Wozniak
Like the Future Islands last week, this
week I just can’t seem to get another of
our cover stars, Wozniak, and their rather
brilliant debut album out of my head at
the moment, and wonderfilled such an
issue is to have, it does make it tricky to
listen to all the new things popping
through my imaginary letterbox when I
am constantly switching back to
‘Ghosting’ or ‘Death Suit’ never mind the
incredible ‘Super Panther’ and ’Shader’.
In fact all of them are constantly going
around and around in my head in a
trippy daze that is just merging into
one.
Still, to be fair it could be a hell of a lot
worse.
Anyway, the wonderful ‘Courage Reels’
has now been launched and it is yours
to buy and treasure HERE, whilst you
can follow this quite stunning band
THERE on all of their many adventures.

SKUNK ANANSIE
Hedonism
Well, this week La Contessa D’Jook is
turning to the ‘90s and then what
happened next, with one of the most
talented, yet somehow underrated bands
of any time, the crazy cool Skunk
Anansie. And as I know that a certain Mr
Weller’s ‘You Do Something To Me’ is one
of her favourite songs of all time,
including a cover of that here is high
praise indeed.
‘Hedonism’ is the lead track and
lyrically, I think most of us have ‘been
there’ at one time or another, and
Skin’s voice is never less than real as
she takes us through her stories.
Musically too, it is easy to forget just
how good they are as a band and
looking at the guitar work (as I am
prone to do) Ace is a virtuoso, it is as
simple as that.
Glory be.