Joanna Gruesome---Noisepop Mashup from Cardiff!!--Weird Sister

Maybe it all started with Psychocandy back in the 1980's. When Jesus and Mary Chains 1st album came out. I still recall what a huge reaction it made. That combination of pop and guitar noise. To may ears, it sounded like they recorded an electric razor and turned it up high in the mix. The concept has had a pretty good run since then.

So here in 2014, I'm listening to a stellar album by Joanna Gruesome, which came out in 2013. And it definitely is melodic and damn noisy. The album is Weird Sister, released on Slumberland Records, a label with its fair share of interesting bands. They must have some good scouts.

It seems as though this album has got a fair share of critical attention already. So I don't know if they are truly underappreciated, as the story goes.

But I really like this one, so a little more attention can't hurt. Another great band from Wales, namely Cardiff.

Slumberland describes the band's sound as Noisepop, which pretty much nails their musical style succinctly. The phrase "twee" is thrown about a lot, but I don't really see it. The songs do not have that sort of preciousness to them. But certainly the rriot girl comparisons have some truth to them. The music sometimes sounds like two songs going on at the same time, like a super hook laden pop melody by The Primitives with a Sonic Youth, Pixies or Shoegaze track blended in. At other times you have a pop song that segues into sonic whiteout. For all the jangle there are heavy rock riffs too. And for all the dissonance to the songs, the music is still pretty upbeat and energetic, though honestly I have a lot of difficulty understanding what they are singing about.

Here is a fine example of their craft:



Alanna McArdle:Vocals
Owen Williams: Guitar, Vocals
George Nicholls: Guitar
Max Warren: Bass
David Sandford: Drums

So check these guys out, if you haven't already. I think you will be impressed. Hopefully this is just a really great beginning.

or just substitute the last name with Gruesome, a la The Ramones.

For some reason I'm reminded a little of the early Pooh Sticks, a pretty sublime Welsh band from the 1990s. Particularly the early stuff. The bands don't really sound the same at all, but there is a great pop sense working with Joanna Gruesome behind the veil of fuzz. Perhaps many people don't know about the Pooh Sticks (actually were signed to a big label but now unjustly overlooked), but I am paying a high compliment. And don't misunderstand what I am saying. I don't mean that the band only needs sweetening up to get on track. I say give me noise! Often you see a progression toward pop (to attract a wider demographic of consumers) with bands, and while it isn't always a bad thing, it often makes for a bland evolution. Change is good--creative bands do that, but let's hope Joanna Gruesome stay as edgy sounding as they are today!