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What an album this is thirteen songs of pure Indie rock fight pop anthems. JoFo are one of my favourite new UK bands around and their debut album doesn’t disappoint. There sound is some where close to Los Camesinos! But less twee-core and more fight pop, which is a massive relief, in-fact they can now start a fight pop axis of evil with new label mates Dananananaykroyd at Best Before. They also remind me of a warmer friendlier organic sounding Bloc Party in places. There is a bit of Sonic Youth and Fugazi in JoFo too. Their EP Arcs Across The City was sublime and some rewordings of the songs feature on Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light. The production on the album polishes the already outstanding tunes into a joyful hit ridden beast. This doesn’t take away any of their raw power or DIY style either. I love the vocals, which are much easier to hear now compared to the demos. The play off of the male and female vocalists works brilliantly and adds a real youthful energy to the songs. Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light could well be this years Indie album of choice, maybe this years Silent Alarm.
It’s been a while since I first heard this record on the leak, and it excited me very much, now I have the CD in my very hands that love comes right back at you like a sugar rush. My love for JoFo almost waived but putting Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light on again soon dispels this mental train of thought. I will get onto the tunes in just one moment but first, what about that artwork? Well I really like it, freaky ghostly cartoons loom over the Birmingham landscape. The inlay is sweet with its postcard style pictures just like the front cover but with song lyrics printed on the back. Just perfect for JoFo fan boys and girls to look over anytime they please.
Every single one of the tunes is a stand out in my opinion, the whole album oozes with fight pop brilliance, just good old loud indie rock pop tunes full of melody and guitars. Our Bipolar Friends, Eyes Wide Terrified and Salt, Peppa and Spinderella are maybe my absolute favourites. The drum machine and synth throb sets Spinderella off brilliantly before it kicks of in style. The production by American hardcore/rock/hip-hop producer Machine is really good and lets the band shine through really well, and manages to dodge all those twangy twee sounds English indie pop is so in love with right now. The lyrics are full of humour about nights out and all sorts of city living pass times. They seem to have a love hate relationship with Birmingham and I think we can all relate to that with our hometowns.
Johnny Foreigner are an adorable band go and enjoy them at their shows, buy them a some gin and sweets, say hello, then dance and smile.
Sissy Hits has been a long time coming Dananananaykroyd had some trouble getting it released because a record labels ran out of money and that sort of gubbins. Sissy Hits is well worth the wait though, it’s six tracks of pure fight pop, hardcore, punk, indie, rock action with balls of steel and a massive heart. I’m so glad it got a release on Holy Roar as its one of my favourite labels as they spit out Rolo Tomassi stuff along with others. In the pipeline is an album, which is being recorded in August this year and not my predicted 3006, they are also in talks with someone to be their label, which is ace news. Anyway for now lets talk about Sissy Hits…
Dananananaykroyd bring a sound to the table that I haven’t heard so well done in quite some time. The songs twist and turn yet in an entirely accessible way it’s the song structures that are really inventive and off the wall on Sissy Hits. It rocks hard yet also has its feet in the indie camp too, with an eye for hardcore to boot, a mishmash that works a treat. And wait for it they have two drummers yep that’s right two; I love bands with two drummers. I can’t even think of a band they sound like, although Dananananaykroyd use the traditional rock band set up well with added drum kit, they sound pretty unique. Live they are meant to be something else, as in brilliant not something else as in a hobo in leggings that would just be strange.
The Greater Than Symbol And The Hash kicks Sissy Hits off with big beats, guitar pings and claps. The sound is really punchy and everything is damn well recorded for a little band with no cash. The first section breaks out into a mad session of rocking feedback and a tempo change that will get people moving at shows for sure. Fight Pop is an ace description, and as we get drenched in feedback not unlike some kind of Sonic Youth tune and drop back into some chugging riffs you can hear where the tag came from.
One After One has a chirpy guitar riff at the beginning that gets me smiling. Dananananaykroyd drop some dirty sounds in there before popping back into chirpy mode again, and building with percussion. The vocals go from your regular indie/rock style to gruff shriek. The line, ‘We are the party’ brings us to the end of that one, and they certainly are.
Cleaning Each Other has some rumbling beats from pretty much all the drums and a swinging guitar line that plays off it. This tune has a pretty intense rock build up filled with repeated riffs until you just want it to drop.
British Knights skits along with bouncing bass lines and driving riffs, with some speedy sung moments. To be honest I’m not really sure what these songs are about just yet, I’m just in love with the sound of it all.
1993 is a cracking tune with thumping 4x4 beats at the beginning with a hot as hell guitar motif. This stuff will get you moving for sure. The lyric, ‘We will turn your hissy fits into sissy hits’ shines through, as does the screaming of, ‘1993’. This one’s a growler, yet slows to a beautiful number at the end.
Infinity Milk (Outro Version) leaves the listener gagging for more with its teasing 50 odd seconds of perfect Fight Pop that starts just as you are ready to kick off and really go for it and screams at you too, the cheeky swine’s.
Dananananaykroyd’s Sissy Hits is a triumph and I’m so glad it has reached my ears finally; I was so surprised to see it on my doormat yesterday morning. Holy Roar has another ace release under their belts. What an EP this is, from one of the most exciting new bands around right now. Don’t just take my word for it either. Go and check out the myspace here, and some random types shouting about its greatness here, oh and the 10/10 review of Sissy Hits from DiS here. Then go to the shows, buy the T-Shirts and the EP, you will soon be gagging for them to get in the studio to record an album. Viva La Fight Pop revolution!
Today I have got a bit excited about the prospect of JoFo’s album Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light being released on the 2nd June, I’m pretty sure its released then anyway. The more I hear this band the more endeared I become by them and their music. This prompted me to track down their 15-track demo, to fuel my excitement. The recordings are lo-fi as expected from a demo, but the songs are all damn excellent and shine through by miles. As roomer has it many of the tunes on the demo made it to the album proper in a better mixed state obviously. They sound like an excited guitar power pop band here, I can’t actually pick a favourite demo track they are all really cool. JoFo are a wonderful live band and great fun to see, go and buy their t-shirts, EP, new album Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light (which is an adorable title), maybe even buy them a drink as in their tour diaries they always seem skint. Just love the JoFo, go on go and do it right now.
Johnny Foreigner - Demo
P.S. A track by track description of the album has just been stuck up on DiS if your wern't already excited enough as it is. Find it here.
This is heavy stuff, verging on the metal but with a powerful pop heart. I say pop it isn’t going to prop up the charts. I mean catchy songs that are short and punchy. This could be another fight pop record for the year. Torche’s sound is detuned and brutal low slung riffs and the solos are quite low-key affairs. Its like stoner fight pop like you’ve had to many beers and got lost in a desert. Not to far away from some Queens Of The Stone Age, then I’m not a Metal aficionado so there may well be better comparisons. It’s pretty spaced out and fuzzy yet heavy and in your face all at once. The vocals are really good too, there isn’t any screaming or over the top moments that put me off a lot of metal. This is one of the best heavy albums I’ve heard in a while. Meanderthal sums up the sound pretty well a little lazy with a lot of primal energy. I love the art work too, overall Torche Meanderthal is a joyful, powerful record of the heavy persuasion.
What the hell is Fight Pop? You may well ask, and I’m not quite sure but I like the idea of it. I’m talking about two new bands that excite me this year they are Johnny Foreigner and Dananananaykroyd. The phrase was found on the latter bands myspace page to describe their sound. I’ve gone and lobbed Johnny Foreigner in with this description to, which seems fair as they have a planed tour together. The similarities don’t end there either, both write amazing, joyful, energetic, powerful and rocking Indie Pop. They are different enough however, to have a distinct sound of their own.
Dananananaykroyd are a Glasgow six piece with plenty of balls to the wall energy and inventive tunes. They have released two 7” before and both of them have sold out, unfortunately way before I had ever herd of them. I will be making up for this by buying their new EP ‘Sissy Hits’ from one of my favourite record labels Holy Roar on 9th June 2008. I’ve only herd the songs on the myspace page and they are a real treat, plus a review on Drowned in Sound was one of the most glowing I’ve read for a new band. Who could resist the excellent name Dananananaykroyd anyway?
Johnny Foreigner are, I think a three piece, yet there are two more mentioned on their myspace, from Burmingham. They released an EP called Arcs Across The City that I have previously reviewed on this blog. Their debut album will be coming very soon and goes by the name of ‘Waited Up ‘til It Was Light’, I have a feeling it will be absolutely wonderful. The songs are again full of power and passion like all good Fight Pop.
Fight Pop Forever!
What an album this is thirteen songs of pure Indie rock fight pop anthems. JoFo are one of my favourite new UK bands around and their debut album doesn’t disappoint. There sound is some where close to Los Camesinos! But less twee-core and more fight pop, which is a massive relief, in-fact they can now start a fight pop axis of evil with new label mates Dananananaykroyd at Best Before. They also remind me of a warmer friendlier organic sounding Bloc Party in places. There is a bit of Sonic Youth and Fugazi in JoFo too. Their EP Arcs Across The City was sublime and some rewordings of the songs feature on Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light. The production on the album polishes the already outstanding tunes into a joyful hit ridden beast. This doesn’t take away any of their raw power or DIY style either. I love the vocals, which are much easier to hear now compared to the demos. The play off of the male and female vocalists works brilliantly and adds a real youthful energy to the songs. Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light could well be this years Indie album of choice, maybe this years Silent Alarm.
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