Those Fucking Snowflakes – By The Power Of Barnard Castle
Those Fucking Snowflakes are a punk band so good, funny and determined to stir up a reaction, that they’re bound to become a sensation on word of mouth alone. Well, I used to think that Inappropriate Erection was a group determined to stir up trouble with the brand of mouthy pop-punk. But, Those Fucking Snowflakes are even more willing to pick a fight judging by their latest single from an EP titled Everything Is Absolutely Fkkkkkkd. Even more importantly theeyțre doing it for a justified cause.
However, the group are no mere shock-merchants. Their hearts are in the right place, and their writing is equal parts party music, and protest tunes. By The Power of Barnard Castle is a song about the privileges enjoyed by the rich. Of course, these have extended even through a year dominated by issues that, one would think, affect all of us and should unite everyone. TFS are much too clever to believe the political marketing machine and, as expected, have saved up their criticism for the rich, powerful, and uncaring on either side of the political aisles.
Musically the group has lost little of its energy from their first singles and continues to bank on the enduring power of dirty garage rock. This time there’s also a hint of impenetrable post-punk melodies and of jagged rhythms. But, at the heart of it, Those Fucking Snowflakes are really the unpolite version of the news delivered by lads on a seemingly perpetual sugar rush.
King Whisker – Television
King Whisker are one of those ensembles of artists that sound like they’re a bit too clever for their own good. Based on a superficially-formed impression alone, I’d reckon this is a band that would be difficult to group with others on a festival bill unless they were headlining it. Based on the same impression, if their manager was to have them play a festival dominated by classic-rock groups, they’d stick out like a sore thumb, although they don’t seem like the kind to be upset about the audience’s abuse, but rather relish in it.
Television is the grunge anthem that Vedder and Cobain may have been a tad too depressed to get writing. The song and the accompanying music video show King Whisker for what they are, an ambitious group of smart-asses. They may be taking a piss, but they’re sure to be playing as well as they can while they do it.
While many bands plot their political statement carefully and, usually, put into it just too much thought for it to sound natural, King Whisker’s Television, quite appropriately, sounds like either a band having a meltdown or an actually funny SNL sketch. Either way, it’s one of the best things we’ve heard in a while.
