Features

So you're new in town - you've just got off the train, you're elated by the sight of the Scarborough Hotel and mortified by Flares (70s revival!!....that's like so dated - get into the 80s!!) but what you could really do with is some good, old fashioned live music – well, maybe not old fashioned, but good – only you've got so much local talent to choose from that you don't know where to start.

Fear not, Leeds Music Scene neophyte, help is at hand… but before you get to the LS6 new bohemia and speak to the many music gurus just walking the street, here is a thoroughly uncomprehensive list of bands that you should check out, with the whys and wherefores thrown in for free. In my humble opinion.

Worriedaboutsatan

Two guys and a computer. Both have guitars. One has glasses and Napoleon Dynamite hair, the other likes to… freak it with the audience when he's making with the frets. Existing somewhere in the spaces between Joe Satriani, Orbital and Mogwai; Tom and Gavin may be small in stature, but make sounds so large that they have their own gravity wells. Great in small intimate settings without stages, but if you don't like being seduced by a little guy with a guitar, stand well back.

As individual elements, they've been around for a while (Lins was in Sky Larkin for a while, doncha know?), but MV have only existed for about a year. And what a year! They’ve supported Eagles of Death Metal, been signed to On The Bone Records and been lauded by yourcodenameis:milo. But why? Because they rock! The beats are huge, the vocals maladjusted and the guitars are tuned so low that you feel the music before you hear it. See them at a venue with a decent stage – these guys like to move, and so will you.

Immune

Originally from Scarborough and sporting two vocalists, Immune have slimmed down, gone west and got serious. Their music is at once moody, atmospheric, heavy and exciting: think Nine Inch Nails meets Massive Attack. Paul is the sole vocalist, but he boasts a frightening array of effects that make him sound like a choir of angels. Or demons. And their last album, '1F', was a minor masterpiece. Best seen in dark, subterranean settings or bars of a gothic persuasion.

Downdime

Indie pop – the craze that's sweeping the nation! Having been part of the Leeds scene for a while and benefiting (in part) from a public school education, these chaps and chapesses (is that a word?) have pared their performance down to a vivacious hotpot of seriously danceable sounds, á la St Etienne via the Pixies. Lead singer Jed loves to phase, the others love to groove; a night with Downdime will be both melodic and chaotic. Catch their act on a medium sized stage with a decent dance space.

A band with a past, present and future. Originally created as a side project to the Leeds/Hull band Bombdog by bassist Ben and drummer Gid, Hayashi have gradually moved from being Drum and Bass with heavy trip-hop overtones to full out Drum and Bass with lashings of blues. Unique in that they have three lead singers, Hayashi put out serious groves with vocal complexity and supremacy to die for and beat continuity that will keep you moving from start to finish. See them anywhere you've got room to move.   

White Boys for Gay Jesus

Controversial, clever and a surprisingly nice bunch of guys considering the sounds they make. White Boys make rhythmically intricate, post-rock influenced, avant-garde electronic speedcore. They sing about pie. Their songs are fast, furious and funny, but funny like Mr Bungle, not Russ Abbott… then again, their version of 'When Will I Be Famous' could be comparable to Bella Emberg stage diving. See them on the S&M scene, at extreme sport meets or anywhere slightly twisted. Showtime!

Her Name Is Calla

Currently residing in Leicester, these lads will be bringing their none too shabby talents to Leeds in the not too distant future and embarking on a nationwide tour with ILiKETRAiNS. Unsurprising, because to hear them play is something special: grandiose, subtle, symphonic, huge to the brink of bombast. Their latest EP, Canyon and River, released on Loom and Gizeh records (Immune’s record label) is a fifteen minute musical journey that updates and surpasses Pink Floyd and will leave you open-mouthed. Experience their majesty in a suitably majestic setting, preferably one with a decent PA and/or acoustic.

A frenetic four piece that start with a stomp and end with a bang, Wintermute have been gradually gaining quite a following on the Leeds rock scene. Looking slightly Devo, and sounding at turns like Franz Ferdinand and At The Drive In, their music is smart enough to be interesting, but dynamic enough to be enjoyable at the same time. Work best in a venue with enough room to swing a guitar and some half decent lighting, with an overcrowded dance floor.

Solus Focus

Do not be deceived by their gentle aspect, these guys break basses with complacent ease. If you’ve heard any Pelican, you will understand just how heavy prog-metal can get; Solus Focus take it there, with riffs like barbed wire whips, bass that causes structural damage and relentless, uncompromising beats. Bomber music; tank music. Go suitably prepared to any venue that can handle that sort of crushing noise; metal but not as we know it.

Paul Marshall

A one-man wonder, though he has been known to moonlight with the Folk Theatre Partisans, Paul produces acoustic music that doesn't take the obvious route. His key changes and chord structures can be unsettling in their unusualness and you will be amazed at his ability to play two melody lines while only appearing to play one. Plus, he can hold a tune rather well too. Get up close and personal with him at a nice, quiet venue, preferably with seating and Absinthe, or track down his album, 'Vultures'.

That's it for now. Watch out for more humbly plugged bands from the countries biggest service station. And if none of the above bands take your fancy, get adventurous, find your own bands. Then let us know about them. Share and enjoy, people. Share and enjoy!