Awesome is a word that's banded around a fair bit these days. Back in olden times it would primarily be used by chaps akin to this fellow.

It's defined by a very quick google search as "amazing: inspiring awe or admiration or wonder;" or by urban dictionary as "Something Americans use to describe everything." So to this extent the word has lost it's definition amid a sea of sub-par association. After a quick scroll through the google results, there are no results describing the awesome as a genre of music.

Enter Fang Island. Awesome is one of only a few words I feel that can surmise their music, the others being "bitchin'" and "KAPOW". Listening to their self titled debut album earns it this tag, it is however not one of praise or admiration, it is simply an adjective to suitably describe their sound. The five piece start their album with rising vocals and hazy electronica before (literally) slamming into the amazing "careful crossers" and from then on out the awesometer needle stays atop the gauge, persistently trying to break out of its tinted glass case and perform the world's best air guitar solo. Triumphant cries and harmonies over constantly and rapidly changing riffs and solos that are easily interchangeable with those found in hair metal (or any kind of metal for that matter) are blasted out leaving the listener ready to take on the world. This is perfect for that time when you need that extra push to get something done, be it a driving test, a board meeting or a diving competition. You don't need drinks pumped with tourene and god knows what else, you just need a shot of pure, unhinged awesome.

Fang Island themselves have described the music they make as "everyone high-fiving everyone." Which it is. What we behold is a truly unique and awesome vision of people of every colour and creed coming together and validating the fact that they are alive and united; if only for that split second under the banner of FANG ISLAND. This sounds absurd, but listening to the album as I write this, I have performed 3 individual guitar solos and fist bumped my own father as an explosion went off in the background. Just listen to "sideswiper" and get ready to win, this stuff is the "Lynx effect" in audio form.

KAPOW

David

Fang Island Myspace

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It’s been over two years since Good Shoes released their debut album, Think before You Speak, and 3 years since they’re early demos dominated British music website discussion boards. For a band who have been extremely quiet throughout most of 2008 and 2009 tonight’s turn out is testament to their sound, especially in the stronghold for lad-rock that is Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. This considered the current tour is quite a change for a band that, in 2007, headlined the 2,000 capacity Astoria. It’s an opportunity for the band to almost start from scratch and play those kind of back of pub venues full of sweaty teens that their music led’s itself to.

Lead singer Rhys Jones fully embraces the intimate setting throughout the set, warning me in the interview prior to the gig that he’s prepared to join the crowd as many times as it takes to get them animated and rowdy. Despite the stagnant crowd’s best efforts the band remains upbeat and uses the opportunity to play a selection of tracks off the impending 2nd album ‘No Hope, No Future’. It’s difficult to judge them after one listen, and with the new wave of tracks ‘The Way My Heart Beats’ already seems like a classic. ‘Under Control’ has quickly found itself a crowd favourite and a couple of new tracks show the band perhaps going for a more angular, distorted sound with this follow up.

In with the new tracks were the expected, established hits from the debut album, Ice Age, Small Town Girl and Morden all sounding sharper and speeder than ever. An exuberant, enthusiastic gig marks the return of Good Shoes and on tonight’s evidence the band’s brand of jaunty indie pop look set to find it’s home once again on national radio playlists and in larger venues across the U.K.


Good Shoes Myspace

Good Shoes Interview Edit by nsrstationmanager


Christian!

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