Best/worst music in Aberdeen right now

[kirsten]

What's the deal with the one hand behind the back thing that all singers in bands like that do?

 

 

 

 

And on Nef C's earlier point, I'd be fine with tie-dye, kittens and inverted crucifixes, funneee spellingz and tapes disappearing from merch tables. Turn yr reverb down too, doods.

 

Yes. Fuck tapes, especially. The ever-increasing presence of hats indoors and bottles of Buckfast strategically placed in the back pockets of band members is what currently annoys me most about gigs.

[Camie]

Min Diesel, Das McManus, Carson Wells, CS Buchan, Thrashist Regime

Only worst thing I can think of is Ricky Fraser and Audiokicks. There is another but I can't remember their name. They played one of the Cool Your Jets gigs when Alright Captain played

 

I've not seen much metal bands in Aberdeen so most of them would've been included(obviousy minus Thrashist Regime)

[Lemonade]

Frosty Jack posting reminded me of The Lorelei. There's a fucking terrible band if ever I heard one.

Reason? The drummer is worse than Meg Whyte.

EDIT: I'm kidding obviously. The Lorelei are ace live. That Captain Tom's gig a while back was bloody brilliant.

This post was great up until the Edit, you fucking Underkills bender.

[Gladstone]

This post was great up until the Edit, you fucking Underkills bender.

Yeah - well, I don't like lying...

If it makes you feel better, Cobra Kai with their dwarf singer were the worst thing I've ever seen.

[scottyboy]

Don't really keep up with actual Aberdeen music much, but Oxbow Lake Band, Lockah, Kitchen Cynics and Fat-Hand are pretty cool. A lot of the bands people rave about on here, I wouldn't say are "worst" or even bad, but I don't think much of, really. Dunno about worst, probably to be found among the young, generic metal/indie/pop bands that are presumably perennial. In the interests of not being boring and naming someone, I saw the Marionettes once when they first started and they were pretty mince; wouldn't be at all surprised if they've managed to improve over several years though...

[Flights]

I hope folk come to our gig tonight so they can say we are shite tomorrow!

[Flights]

http://youtu.be/IDzMdeJtp5Y

The lefty guitar player looks like Johnny Tapia from Bad Boys 2

[Monster Zero]

Thought this was a good idea for a thread until everyone started wimping out of the bad comments. They're the only thing that stops this turning into a 'who do you like?' thread which is pretty pointless.

The rule is, you have to say the worst along with the best. But you also have to say why.

Feedback people, feedback.

 

I'm also moving it to the feedback forum...

Noone has really said anything about why they like bands either

[colb]

Bands I like:

SeasStarry

Needleman

Godzilla Blues

Talking Sideways

Min Diesel

Fathand

Everythingwesayisfact

Sidca

Cleanse the Hive

Uniform

Bands I don't really like:

Miss Lucid

Akord

Das McManus

UTN

Ok Taxi

Second Star

Gerry Jablonski

I find it difficult to describe why I like or don't like bands - except that I like or don't like the noise they make.

Of the bands I don't like, i don't think any are particularly bad or should stop doing what they do, i'm just not that keen on them.

[Frosty Jack]

Noone has really said anything about why they like bands either

Well yes, but you could say that if someone likes a band, then they don't need to change anything so don't need to know why they're liked. Or at least it's more important to find out why someone doesn't like your band, then you can think about changing that.

And I probably shouldn't have said the word 'rules' either, any comment is useful. I just think this thread could be really useful for informing bands what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong. Might just be something they haven't realised themselves, and can do something about. Then we can all be brilliant, and get rich and famous and that.

[Monster Zero]

Im all for constructive criticism, just thought a bit of balance would be good and it felt like the 'worst band' side was being pushed, bit of bear baiting but lets ask for reasoning to make it feel better. This site just tends to scream cronyism and this thread I suspect reeks of it. You see someone typically slating most things posted but then praise a band atypical to their usual tastes, just smacks of 'my mate is in this band'....

Anyway I've been woefully out of date with local music for a few years now but in an effort to participate meaningfully -

Best

Kitchen Cynics, due to the sheer volume of material produced, usually of pretty high quality. The music has a strangely comforting quality, I think it's Alan's gentle vocals and the local twang in the accent. The recent covers album is superb. He is always a complete gentleman who takes the time to chat if you bump into him. I truly believe that his CDRs will be keenly collected in future.

Min Diesel, due to having great songs and a real ramshackle charm that appeals much more to my sensibilities than any polished outfit will ever do. I havent managed to see them live for some time now and believe they have slickened up a bit, hopefully not too much. I really need to get along to a gig soon.

Seas, Starry, due in part to personal connection with the band but also I find they are evolving nicely and some of their recent stripped back gigs due to personnel unavailability have contained my favourite material.

Deadloss Superstar, similar to Min Diesel, I enjoyed the slightly shambolic nature of their stage show, still enjoy listening to their old EPs and look forward to hearing the new stuff with Fertuiee's monstrous guitar sound on it.

Bisongrass because they sound like old Seattle grunge mixed with Kyuss, which pushes all my buttons, the album is ace and they are fucking great live.

Flights because its nice relaxing guitar music.

Prelude to the Hunt, pretty slick in terms of the sound and artwork.

Dirtdrinker, I like the records, not seen them live yet though.

Palace of Swords, which although I was familiar with the name has been a relatively recent discovery due to mutual participation in the Laika CD but ticks a lot of boxes with influences and style which exists in my record collection.

His Name Is Codeine are a bit further afield but are probably my favourite recent discovery at their Laika Come Home gig last year. Mary Chain mixed with Black Angels, Velvets, great look.

I find the term 'worst' a bit extreme as its all relative to personal taste but I wasnt keen on Akord when i saw them at the Fudge Awards the other week. The music isnt really my thing and they have obvious talent but any hopes for me to enjoy it were dashed by the extreme cockiness displayed on arrival onstage and the inane gurning of the guitarist with red hair. No idea what that was about but if someone told him it was a good gimmick they were wrong, it was embarrassing to watch.

I cant actually think of anything else I dont like, theres bands like Little Kicks who do nothing for me musically but I can acknowledge the talent, just not my cup of tea.

I want to see Callahan soon, they sound like my kind of thing and I think I would give that Lenin Death Mask a go based on that first song they posted, it was nicely unhinged sounding, not listened to the other song they posted as yet.

[Flights]

Flights because its nice relaxing guitar music.

I want to see Callahan soon, they sound like my kind of thing

Thanks Martin,

We're playing tonight at downstairs if you can make it along. If you do manage I'll take one of them GB CDR's off you.

[Monster Zero]

Im playing at Cellar 35 otherwise I would have

[Flights]

Im playing at Cellar 35 otherwise I would have

Ah of course you are, kinda gutted I can't make Binary School.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

PLEASE NOTE: MY OPINIONS ARE BASED ON THE FACT THAT I HAVE HEARD THE BANDS MENTIONED IN THIS POST.

 

In my opinion, there are two bands in Aberdeen that are streets ahead of everyone else and they are Min Diesel and Carson Wells.

 

Min Diesel have progressed so much since the first time I saw them, which I think could have been at the Lemon Tree supporting Errors. Their song craft, tightness and ability to command a stage have greatly benefitted from the fact they have have been on numerous tours and seem to always be gigging. That, and I think that they've found what they are good at. Stu and Warden have come on leaps and bounds as musicians and Zippy has always been a super saucy guitarist. I am genuinely excited about what the future holds for them.

 

I find it strange that Carson Wells bascially can't get arrested in Aberdeen, knowing that they are highly regarded in the rest of the UK. A lot of quite techy bands leave me cold, but Carson Wells have remembered to actually include songs and combine it with the jagged rhythms and shouty vocals. Again, I am really excited to hear their new recorded output, as from hearing new material live, they have changed direction at little bit for a more melodic sound. To my ears at least! Maximum respect for them going out and getting it done and doing the way that they want to do it.

 

My caveat in talking about "worst bands" is that opinions are not absolute and the best example of this I can give is my view on Deportees. When they first started I remember liking the first recording but essentially hating what I saw live (I saw them a few times as well) and not really getting the hype at all. Now, I saw them late last year and was honestly blown away, fantastic band. The strange thing is that they hadn't completely changed their sound and turned into the Smashing Pumpkins, but something had changed and it all clicked. Claire and I have booked them for the next Laika Come Home gig, and as a point we only book acts we like.

 

I've been pretty fortunate not to be confronted with many BAD bands in the past few years, I mind seeing Platypus in Cellar 35 and thinking that they were fucking horrid, but they are not from Aberdeen. What usually generates a strong negative reaction from me is a band having the polar opposite attitude to the punk rock aesthetic that I have grown up with, so I can't get on with macho hardcore, cock rock or careerist acts. Bands with songs about "banging sluts" or whatever will never sit well with me.

 

Oh, and if you slag off a band I'm in on stage, right after we have played, I'll probably not like you either. Yes Milner, I am talking about Miss Lucid. Sunglasses are for outdoors.

TL; DR

[Guest E.C]

Dirtdrinker, I like the records, not seen them live yet though.

 

 

we're playing a one-off show in May when Ren is home from estonia. but shush, it hasnt been announced yet.

[Guest]

Anyone remember Toxic Distortion? What a bunch of cunts, shite music as well.

[Soda Jerk]

Oh, and if you slag off a band I'm in on stage, right after we have played, I'll probably not like you either. Yes Milner, I am talking about Miss Lucid. Sunglasses are for outdoors.

 

I'd forgotten about that. It was quite spectacular that they slated us for giving our music away for free, of all things.

 

Up the fucking punx.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

I'd forgotten about that. It was quite spectacular that they slated us for giving our music away for free, of all things.

 

Up the fucking punx.

Aye, that was the reason that One Up was closing. Then the fud went on to talk about their music, which could be bought on itunes.

[Flights]

I'd forgotten about that. It was quite spectacular that they slated us for giving our music away for free, of all things.

 

Up the fucking punx.

I'm interested in hearing the full story behind this.

[Teabags]

I'm interested in hearing the full story behind this.

Me too.

[Guest E.C]

Miss Lucid have one of the worst attitudes going.

[ca_gere]

Is this them?

 

 

They're pants

[Soda Jerk]

Why do bands insist on making music videos that are proper wank?

[girl anachronism]

I'm interested in hearing the full story behind this.

There's not much else to it really, but if you want the long version: about 4 or 5 months before 1up closed and they'd been putting on a few more shows (Music Open Day etc.) there were rough plans to put on another all-dayer gig in there that fell through. This wasn't long after DM had just finished recording our first EP, so we asked if it'd be okay for us to take that date instead, to put the EP out, the idea being that it would be free on the condition that a purchase was made from 1up. 1up stocked it on their counter.

A few weeks later, we were playing Tunnels on a bill that Miss Lucid happened to be on too. Things had been a wee bit awkward as in the run up to the gig, their guitarist had kept asking Jan if they could borrow his amp and since it's vintage and second hand and he didn't personally know them, Jan declined saying that he was okay with them using his cab, but not head. They asked again on the night as we were packing up and getting off stage.

During our set, we mentioned that our EP was available for free at 1up. During their set, ML pointed out that as they were "professionals", they charged for their EP to recoup some of the costs that went into making it and that bands that gave their music away for free were the reason that everything was "going down the tubes". Their EP could be purchased through iTunes. We laughed at that and called them out later on the sheer irony of what they'd just said, to which they got very defensive.

It's all a bit of a shame really, as generally it's nice to have a bit of camaraderie and a laugh with bands you share a bill with and thus far, they've been the only band we've not enjoyed playing with. Regardless of whether we've really enjoyed each others' music, we've always been lucky enough to play with thoroughly pleasant folk.