Yet another review, I'm terribly behind on, shit this one hit my hard drive on February 25th. Debating the idea of giving up on reviews or just denying all but a few of the very best ones (this is one of those best ones). It's just downright unprofessional, but then again, as I tell the bands, this is just a Mom and Pop (there is no Mom) operation, this ain't no Decibel or the like, those guys do it for a living, I do it for the love of music. Anyway...
First off, if you want a lesson in how to pick out a cover for your album, this is a prime example. Absolutely stunning artwork, that sets the stage for your own creativity. Your album will always be remembered for the graphics...good or bad. Animal Hands does more than live up to that artwork. My initial response was "You all have a hell of a good thing going on, pretty amazing, the music, the vids, the website, wow!" Here's the deal they sent me as a way of introduction...
"Animal hands are a four piece independent rock band that was formed by singer song writer Danielle Whalebone in 2011. The band celebrated the release of their debut EP at the Cherry situated on AC/DC lane in Melbourne in April this year. Animal Hands have received a resplendent response to their EP produced by Lindsay Gravina (Magic Dirt, Rowland S.Howard, Living End). Their EP has gained airplay internationally. Allie Speers writer for Tone Deaf has described "The self-titled EP of Melbourne based Animal Hands as pleasing to the ear. The garagey, grunge sounds in juxtaposition to front woman Danielle Whalebone’s crooning vocals is a great combination. ‘Defiance’, the inaugural track has a great introduction, just a simple guitar riff that leads into a really neat track. It’s a clever start to the EP, you can really feel what the band are trying to achieve." Since the formation of the band Animal Hands have maintained the D.I.Y ethic all the bands multimedia and producing three film clips . The band have worked to maintain a strong web presence and have been tearing up stages with guitar splintering performances since the release of their debut EP. Machine Steve writer for UK magazine The Black Flag has described Animal Hands as “pure grunge, with it’s slow cumbersome riffs and weary vocals beautifully stitched together to create an ambience that, in my humble opinion, has been missing from the music scene for well over a decade.”It seems Animal Hands is apart of the reemergence of a sound that defined a generation in the 90‘s Erin Lawler writer for ‘The Dwarf’ reminisces "Australian grunge in the ‘90s was a precious thing. But its absence has been felt by many in the Australian music scene while indie-pop becomes less catchy and more repetitive. Animal Hands is a band that has enough balls to bring back the grunge, fronted by Danielle Whalebone, a woman with all the strength and grace of Adalita Srsen of Magic Dirt. All of the songs on their self-titled EP sound like they belong on the soundtrack to Secret Life of Us, which I hope you know is a good thing. Those were the days." The band looking forward to a busy schedule before returning to Birdland Studios to record soon."
I'm sure by now the band has already made it back into the studio, hahaha. "Grunge" seems to be the word of day for reviewers of Animal Hands, but I have to admit that was not the first word I would have used to describe the band. Then again I was not a fan of Grunge when it first broke onto the scene circa 1990, my head was in a totally different space. Part of it was how it became so immediately popular on the college scene and that, to me, it seemed so tame. Here 25 years later, I've grown up quite a bit, and I realize that just because a band doesn't immediately bash you in the face, doesn't make them tame. Animal Hands, is not tame. It's more subtle, if Animal Hands was a murderer, they wouldn't kill you with an axe, it would be more like a slow acting, deadly poison. As I said, I didn't think Grunge, my first thought was Siouxsie meets the Pixies (and heavy on the Pixies). I use Siouxsie a lot to describe female fronted bands, but if a fella knew how much I am totally in love with her, they would know that was the hugest of compliments. Their music is easy to listen to, but it's far from easy listening. In fact lyrically, this is some pretty heavy stuff, poetry really. Absolutely stunning vocals backed up by a very polished band (they have the perfect sounding guitar). You get these lengthy bio thing from some bands, but I wanted something a little more specific, so I asked them what made them tick,
"I was thinking about your question and it would definitely be “The boundary between Human and Animal is narrow” I guess art is a complex way in which to communicate our feelings... send our story into space with the hope that it just doesn’t just disappear like our mortal bodies are bound to do...that some how there will be a reply ..some reflected light... something... I suppose In hope that we are not alone ..Its the burden of our conciseness the fear of being trapped inside our own minds.. on a planet in space.. humans have created all these incredible ways to communicate and rebel against our mortality and isolation... we know the natural world strives to survive so really there is nothing that we do as humans that isn’t just following the law of nature to survive and create… Animal Hands simply wants to survive and create..Cheers Danielle."
Even in just a response to a simple question there is poetry. At this point in time you can find Animal Hands on the continent of Australia, but if there is any justice in the musical world this band will "survive and create" globally. They are well represented with their Animal Hands page, a Facebook, Twitter, Youtube vids and a
Spotify, so it shouldn't be difficult to drink deep from their stream. This here is one of my favorite tunes of theirs...follow along with the lyrics, one of the things that sets this band apart...
"Bed of Dolls"
[audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/4-Bed-of-Dolls.mp3"][/audio] Secret address walk through the door here's Jonny screaming from the wall float on by fall through the floor Baby sweet your so cold I touch your eyes and they wont close lovely in lace the eternal rose Baby sleep in a bed of dolls Girl with the mantis arms fits the bill I'm becoming numb The jewels are set in the foxes head heart beats so low I can speak to the dead The death collectors and their killing jar my knees are week and my mind is scarred Scorpion and human skull rest upon their mantel Mamma she don't want me I'll sleep like a baby Papa he don't want me I'll sleep like a baby In a room filled with dolls they lay me down as I grow cold pretty forever never to be old I will become one of their dolls.
Here's their latest vid to yet another stunning song... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOTGDTNvp8I?list=PL1owVLE-nzNsjmgLNQbJaoRRXb_S18JBL]
No comments:
Post a Comment