The Words - 'FAG'

Band:  The Words
CD:     Single - 'FAG'
Date:    Feb 2010

I first heard of ‘The Words’ when they joined wohomusic and as soon as I listened to ‘My Silver Line’ I was hooked and have been a fan of theirs ever since. Following my interview with them I took a listen to their official Single - ‘FAG’ with the supporting track ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ and I can categorically say that my opinion hasn’t wavered.

If you’re into your British Indie bands and love hearing a thick Northern accent in the lyrics of a song then you will love this single – it’s definitely got guts, from the meaty guitar intro and sporadic solos throughout, then the catchy chorus and thundering percussion, right up until the heart wrenching point 3.2 minutes later where the track comes to an end and you’re left gagging for more. To soften the blow though you’re kindly led to the next track ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ which will completely get your backside out of the chair if you’re not already in mid air and by then the adrenalin has totally kicked in, so guess what? You stick it on repeat of course! Give it an hour and you’ll know the lyrics off by heart . . .

These boys produce music to an incredible quality and without fail each time I listen to one of their tracks I just wanna dance!! It’s true, it does exactly what it says on the tin so if you haven’t already come across this great Indie band make sure you check them out and for a quick fix buy ‘FAG’ as soon as you get a spare second – you won’t regret it, believe me!

The Ryots - CD Review

Band: The Ryots
CD:   demo CD review
Date:  Feb 2010

The Ryots were the winner of our January Track of The Month competition with ‘Rita’ and being the first song on their CD it was a familiar and pleasing start for me, having listened to the track repeatedly throughout January. They were certainly deserved winners with ‘Rita’ as it’s a cracking tune and with their Northern Soul and clear Ska style in this and the other three tra cks I felt like I’d taken a trip with Marty Mcfly back to the 60’s, which in my opinion was a worthy experience as I’m an enormous fan of the music produced back then. This takes nothing away from the fact that they are creating modern music at all, it’s just they create a similar feel to the music produced by the likes of The Kinks and The Clash. Being a fan of both of these bands evidently I’m going to be into what I hear from The Ryots, big time! To offer a modern example of who the band are comparable to I’d definitely agree with what the guys themselves say, in that they are influenced by The Libertines and The Strokes, as these sounds are pretty evident in their style.

The best attribute to this CD is that each song is as compelling as the last and I can honestly say that having listened to them all over and over again for the last few days I cannot choose a favourite. There is serious passion in the music these boys create and it comes across on all of the recordings so I’d imagine to see them at a gig would be a lively experience, especially taking into account that ‘Rita’, ‘Tied Up With Wrongs’ and ‘Cherry Glasgow’ are all particularly upbeat in terms of the fast paced rhythm that they each carry. This leaves the fourth and final track ‘There’s Only Now’ which starts off a little slower than the rest and teased me into thinking I was going to hear The Ryots producing a ballad. Don’t fear though as although it’s chilled in parts this is short lived and mixed in with their usual upbeat and fast paced instrumental fashion it’s a way off being a soppy number and it’s absolutely an impressive and unique tune to have thrown into the mix, bringing the CD to a fulfilling close.

The Ryots are currently recording more music and I have to say I’m chomping at the bit to hear what they’ve got up their sleeve next!