Videos: King of Cats

Sometimes you have to stop and applaud raw talent. Brighton/Oxford-based Max Levy is unlikely to get playlisted on Radio 1 with his work under the King of Cats banner, but he has an undeniable gift for writing bloody excellent songs - and he seems pretty accomplished in performing them live with a certain charm going by these videos. Lyrically, musically, vocally it's entirely captivating, interesting, and - dare I say it - unique.





For his recorded stuff, check out the previous post on this blog here. You can also purchase his Reeks of Effort-released cassette, and keep an eye out for his forthcoming split with ides too.

Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter | Bandcamp

MYSTYRYS

Given their name, you'd be excused for thinking that MYSTRYS were another one of those bands going for the whole anonymity thing to create a sense of, well, mystery. They're not, as it happens, but that's not to say the internet is awash with information about the London band. Though folks like The 405 first posted about them last November - and though they have support from Soft Arrows and Rough Trade DJs at their upcoming single launch party for Normals/Shadows (released through Psychic Healing Network on 27 August) - the three-piece seem to play their cards pretty close to their chest.

Not that any of that guff really matters. What's important is, of course, their music - and it just so happens to be good. While 'Shadows' is an urgent, scuzzy, guitar-led ditty that brings to mind post-punk bands like Killing Joke and Bauhaus, 'Normals' sounds a bit more 'Tom Vek' in its slightly funky feel and unusual song structure. It's noisy, energetic, and all a little bit mucky - and I like that.







SoundCloud | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter

Black Seas

Black Seas are a London band who have been "playing around south east london for years". They have two songs on their SoundCloud page. They have no hint of a Facebook page. They have a Tumblr with just two posts - one of which is a song posted a fortnight ago, the other of which is a YouTube video 'removed by the user' posted on 1 March. They have a YouTube channel with their two songs on. They seem to have a fondness for aged pictures of naked women and skeletons. And that's pretty much all I know of them.

That's not strictly true. I also know that their songs - which they describe as "emotional and manly", and others might describe as 'doom pop' - are worth a few minutes of your time. 'Black Seas' is all whirring guitar noise, bouncing bass lines, and distant, Torches-like vocals; while earlier track 'Trembling' hears the emotive, baritone vocals brought to the front with jangling guitars gently providing the melodic backdrop. While it's still a little rough around the edges ('Black Seas' doesn't seem to have been mastered yet), it's still very much enjoyable and impressive stuff for a band that not many people seem to know too much about.





SoundCloud | Tumblr | YouTube

Yucky Slime

Most people won't like this. It's not the best way to start a blog post, but it's true. There's lo-fi, there's noisy, and then there's Yucky Slime bringing it to a whole new level. For those that can handle the fidelity (these demos were recorded in a shed...) and the feedback and the shouting, though, there's lots to love about the London band. For instance: it's fun, it's urgent, it's exciting, it's energetic, it doesn't really give a shit, it'll make you want to jump up and down and spin round round round, and - much like Jay Reatard or Wavves - below the noise you'll find some ace hooks and melodies. Plus, I can rarely resist a sing-along "wooh-ooh-ooh-ooh" (see: 'Battlegasm').

Again, most people won't like this. But then, most music is shite and this isn't, so who cares?







Facebook | SoundCloud | Bandcamp | Twitter

VVhile

Undoubtedly the best perk of writing about music is that bands send you their songs. What makes it even better is when something you have low expectations for turns out to be ace. "A 'noise pop punk' duo from Serbia? Okay..." I thought. But it turns out that VVhile are almost as good at selling themselves short (some might call it being modest) as they are making music.

Their songs are noisy, punchy, catchy, scruffy, in-your-face, care-free and, most importantly, fucking excellent. It reminds me of first album Japandroids and it makes me want to punch the air. Listen to songs below and download a free four-track EP from bandcamp. And someone, please bring them over to the UK for some shows.





Facebook | Bandcamp | SoundCloud