ROCK
TOMAHAWK
Garage, Glasgow, Mon 11 Mar
If you built a big old machine that could scientifically produce a supergroup of American hardcore, making sure to have plenty of big knobs and flashing lights on it, naturally it would splutter and stutter and eventually spit out Tomahawk.
Comprising of singer Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr Bungle), guitarist Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard), bassist Kevin Rutmanis (Melvins) and drummer John Stanier (Helmet), Tomahawk are a wet dream for obscure Yank rock fans everywhere, and their excellent eponymous debut album is everything you might expect from such illustrious leftfield musicians.
Describing the music as ‘hard rock with some cinematic soundscapes’, guitarist Denison
Only for the brave
quickly blows out of the water any accusations that the band have been cynically manufactured for hardcore
fans’ dollars.
‘This thing started off as a collaboration with Mike and myself,’ he says in a sloppy drawl. ‘Then we picked the two guys that we wanted to play with that we were already friends with. That’s honestly how we all came together. It wasn’t as if the record label came and said: “Hey, why dontcha get the guy from Helmet and get the guy from Melvins and we’ll sell a ton of records.”’
Denison moved to Nashville when Jesus Lizard split up three years ago, biding his time as guitarist with country punk renegade Hank Williams III. After meeting Patton and exchanging demos, the base for Tomahawk was formed, although writing and recording was a slightly odd process.
‘One by one each member came by Nashville and hung out and worked with just me,’ says Denison. ‘Then a week before we recorded the album everyone came down. That was the first time we all played together, but by then everyone was pretty familiar with the material so it came together quickly.‘
Having honed their sound since then through months of worldwide touring (despite all having various other projects on the go) Denison reckons that Tomahawk are just getting warmed up. ‘Actually we’re already working on songs for the next album and we’ve been playing them live on these tours, so that’s a nice organic
way of doing things.’
Having said that, Denison, like the others, isn’t about to give up other collaborations. So what else has he got up his sleeve? ‘Well I’ve been talking to Steven Drozd from The Flaming Lips,’ he confesses. ‘We’ve been talking about doing an ambient-country album, so we’ll see.’ (Doug Johnstone)
HIP HOP
NEW FLESH
Beat Jazz Basement, Edinburgh, Fri 8 Mar
The debate as to how UK hip hop is faring in this post-Roots Manuva world is largely irrelevant; irrelevant because UK hip hop no longer eXists. Ask Part 2 aka Keith Hopewell. New Flesh's producer and the man behind an album that is supposed to be proof that the Brits have arrived and he tells yOu. Understanding isn't a UK hip hop album. It's actually an album of British urban muSic.'
Since Big Dada released Understanding. on the back of Roots Manuva's critical success Run Come Save Me. the story you tend to read is how UK hip hop has absorbed American influences. and is now ready to stand on it's own two feet. Nice idea but it's a spin which doesn't really reflect the truth.
‘UK Garage has been just as important for us because it's a vocal scene.‘ says Part 2. ‘Kids are starting to rhyme because of UK Garage rather than US hip hop. It's got a big mainstream scene — like So Solid Crew and Pied Piper — and it's making people think that UK urban mUSIC can be strong. New Flesh and Roots Manuva are giVing it a broader spectrum.‘
Listen to the work of Nonh English trio New Flesh and it doesn't take a
44 THE LIST 28 Feb—11‘. Mar 2002
genius to work out that (iancehaz reggae. downbeat European 1-13:3"". and drum & bass are iitei‘efi.’ soii‘e ::" the more obvmus musica 'Yffli..e’;".ije’}i3. The rhyming owes more to the Carrihbean than to California.
That's not to say that hii; 'ioh ’.'.’£i_‘l.i'"7. once important to New “Resin Back. " the late 80s in York. Leeds. 53%“ e 2. Nottingham and Derby till) "9;. rim the breaking and grafting that ' ' it. was the flag that kids l'k’tt- Kt: ti‘ followed when all else s r'a.e. tii‘ m: the US. hit) hop '.‘./asn't t'te suit,- 'lit?£l"‘§ of iitusi;;al expression 0;)(3'7 to «Kit». 4i";:
it wasn't ah0ut represeitti'g .:;..v "‘;,:‘,f:.
Toastie Taylor. Juice Aieerii a'tzi Pa" turneu to rap because the, fléi’l something they actually ‘.'.’i'-.ll't(;(l '.:; m. Those who complain that UK M i. : doesn't have the comrnerr: a sat .. .i'l'l production values of a Mystika mi...»
Urban warriors
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ROCK
IKARA COLT] THE PARKINSONS/ THE EIGHTIES B- LINE MATCHBOX DISASTER
La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, Fri 8 Mar; King Tut’s Glasgow, Sat 9 Mar
Colt 45s
All we can do is stand and gape as the Strokes rock'n'roll hype steamroller trundles into town later this month but we can he safe in the knowledge that Julian and his (Z()ll‘.j.)a(erS do not have a 'l‘()lTOpO|\,' on slashing guitars. attitude and prosaic Stooges-Style punk power. Here come lkara Colt.
The London quartet. born out of an unharnessahle urge to make neise as much as a reaction to the empty macho posturing of so many US nu metal acts who currently tug up the charts. have a debut album to unleash. “We did it as Quickly and sisiipiy as possble.‘ says vocalist Paul Pesende. 'Vx’e wanted to capture the iitoii‘eiit'. And captured it they have. a heady blend of Sonic Youths dissenant aggreSSIon. twin vocal assaults and Gang Of FOur's rumbling bass pulse.
Waiting in the wings to bolster this \Gl’liable European union of scuzz rock are the Parkinsons and the Eighties B-Line Matchbox Disaster. The former are from Portugal iot' coursei and have turned heads and the occasional stomach With their impromptu nudity and naked rauco'as rock slivers and TEBLMD are an euuaily fiery garage rock ritzielsti':)ii‘. All in all a hefty lineup.
"The best thing abetit The \r‘t'ho. Pete Tot-.iiished said. was that it alxxay s felt like it COuld have lasted twenty iiiiiiutesf concludes Resende. Even if that's the case Wltli these three. it WI“ he a hell of an exening. ilvlark Rohertsoni