Loud noises at Bardens Boudoir

We went to the launch for the Paradise Vendors Inc / Italian Beach Babes compilation featuring So Tough! So Cute! favourites like La La Vasquez, Plug, Graffiti Island, Male Bonding and Spectrals. Lovely artwork by Jesse Spears and a damn fine selection of songs. It's limited to 500 copies so order it at the Paradise Vendors shop.

Brightons finest La La Vasquez was the first band we caught and they keep getting better and more impressive and makes us want to start a band with every show we see them at and with every chill Freya Vasquez shouting sends down our spines. We can't wait to hear their debut 7" which will be out in March and can be ordered at the Twin Grrl records shop.Oh, if you know the name of this track let me know.

After the Fair Oh's put a smile on everyones face with their bouncy and punky set it was the Cold Pumas turn. Dressed in a white, slightly revealing, t-shirt with black dots, an impressive mustasch and hair that would make Tintin jealous the drummer came on. Then two guitarists looking slightly lost. And then. And then scRABrrRrraaNNG!!!* The loudest and most fantastic song ever! We haven't heard anything like this since we saw Napalm Death at a tiny student union in Sweden in the nineties where the sound made the windows look like bubble wrap. The band looked slightly amazed themselves that it was so loud after the song and did some fiddling with the equipment. And then they did one of the best gigs we've ever seen. Which sounded even louder. Stuck somewhere between Kid Commando and Beach Boys they delivered a stunning live show and it was hard to tell who was more astounded with the gig. The crowd who stood their mouths wide open and pogoing and dancing or the band who gave each other surprised glances and looked like they were thinking 'Oh My Fucking God I don't know what we're doing but for the love of all that is holy keep doing it and oh shit we're so loud!'. Fantastic! We bought all the records they had with them and so should you do. No idea if they're as good on record as our record player is in limbo but this is a must see live band. Simply stunning. We suggest you go see them supporting (more likely stealing the show) Times New Viking at the 20th March. Buy their 'Jela'12" here.

Spectrals, whose fine Leave Me Be 7" on Captured Tracks last year you should keep filed next to your Creating singles, finished the night with a great set. Looking like they just stepped out of the Back To The Future film they transported us to warm autumn red nights by the ocean. Filled with reverb, 'turn it all the way up', the Spectrals were a happy surprise and a perfect come down and our favourite song of theirs was the slow Everly Brothers inspired 'Keep Your Magic Out My House'. So good.





An amazing night!

* yes we're making that kind of obscure references today