Yes, we hear your blood thirsty cries whilst you bay from your keyboards, asking why it has taken till the end of the first week in February for us to produce a feature entitled 'new band of the month'. However as you all know, we like to do things a little differently around here, often including the occasional afternoon siesta, plus we didn't want to over indulge you with more spectacular new music straight after the last lot. That would be just plain greedy, wouldn't it?
Whilst we emerge from an afternoon snooze, here at The Funky Moped we believe that the first band to don the prestigious robes of being the 'new band of the month' have easily been worth the wait.
Although currently based in the steel city of Sheffield, 'The Castellers', a self-defined rock 'n' roll four piece, originally hail from across the Pennines in Merseyside. Formalities and band talk aside; we have a confession to make. We've only managed to get our grubby hands and ears around a couple of the band's tunes . . . but nevertheless, we've clearly been impressed.
With a passion for pretty much everything sixties, 'The Castellers' are certainly embarking upon their own journey, especially being strapped to a sound that arks back a number decades, but at the same time, keeps at least one foot in the future, with eyes fixed firmly on rock 'n' roll's next move. At best they deliver music in its most purist and simple form, albeit with a slightly more hallucinogenic sting in its tail, to which their track "Five Days Time" definitely denotes.
If you can imagine that time when you dropped acid with 'The Coral' and 'Twisted Wheel' right before you stepped on the fairground, then you've hit 'Five Days Time' square in its face. A looping Wurlitzer type vibe provides the insanely addictive backdrop, whilst a spiky and angular guitar riff punctures an expansive pathway through skeleton of the song, making it a magical masterpiece of noise.
'The Castellers - Five Days Time'
Miles and possible poles apart from the colourful "Five Days Time", "Jackson In The Barrel" is clearly its duffel coated and heavy boots cladded older brother. As a lonesome acoustic guitar eerily descends upon the song's dark jugular, nimble licks and howls are then wound into a web of noise that creates enough atmosphere and tension to throw Jackson out of the barrel and straight into overdrive. Shackled down and commanded by Healey's powerhouse vocals, it's as if the swagger of 'Oasis' has been paired up with the brutality of 'Black Rebel Motorcycle Club', to which they have then decided to wade off into the desert together.
Best confined to a late night session that consists of a bottle of bourbon within a smoky back room, we reckon "Jackson In The Barrel" is one best new tunes we've heard this year. Well it may only be February, but like the band themselves; it has legs as well as the potential to be colossal. We are proud as punch to present 'The Castellers' as our band of the month for February, let's hope they can keep this up!
'The Castellers - Jackson In The Barrel'
Keep on keepin' on,
B x
