Preview: Brainwash Festival III

The third installment of the oh-so-indie Brainwash Festival is almost upon us. The quaint three-day event has been a resounding success the past two years, putting on bands such as Youthmovies, O Fracas, Eugene McGuinness and Napoleon IIIrd.

It helps that the festival’s main venue is Leeds’ hub of all things musically sound - The Brudenell Social Club. The third incarnation of Brainwash promises to be the best yet.

Pulled Apart By Horses

Awesome, Radical! Yeah.. Americanisms actually quite sit quite well with Leeds outfit Pulled Apart By Horses. Isn’t it great when you find a new band, and listen to them quite late at night, only to be excited about listening to them again when you first get up? Leeds outfit ‘Pulled Apart By Horses’ conjured such feelings when this scribe first heard ‘Punched A Lion In The Throat’. It’s a shouty, yelpy track; and contains a massive riff of RATM proportions, with a beardy chap shouting ‘MAXIMUM POWER!’ over the top. Ok, ok, it sounds shite on paper, but trust us, after witnessing the band on the BBC Introducing stage at Leeds Festival this year, PABH are going to be a select treat at Brainwash Fest this year.

Punched A Lion In The Throat (live @ Reading 2008)

Maybeshewill (pictured, top)

Maybeshewill are essentially the ritalin-generations’s Mogwai, fusing the current North East of England’s fascination of Post Rock with noughties electronica; a spellbinding, saccharine mix that makes the grandiose swells of the former accessible without compromising its ferocity, drop D power chords almost as common as twinkling keyboard breaks. Expect stuff from their full-length ‘Not for Want of Trying’, hopefully including the excellent title track, which breaks up the infamous rousing speech from Network with some classic hard-rock riffs. Even if other bands have done the socially-conscious soundtracking before (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the aforementioned Mogwai) Maybeshewill are still a band brimming with ideas, and their jittery, instrumental sound will doubtlessly win them more than a few fans during their Saturday performance. [by Mark Rowden]

Not For Want Of Trying

Rolo Tomassi

Rolo Tomassi have youth on their side, and seem to be lauded and scoffed at to equal effect. They’re not the darkest or heaviest band on the planet, but they’re certainly brutal at times. Vocalist Eva Spence delivers a biting yelp not dissimilar to that of an angry puma (see: proof). If you’re after a bit of progressive metal (or whatever sub genre you want to pop them into), Rolo Tomassi, either way, are going to be demanding your attention.

Live @ Koko, London

The Old Romantic Killer Band

The Old Romantic Killer Band strip it down to the bare essentials - a trebly, twangy Telecaster and a drum kit. In this band, anything more would be a waste. It’s difficult to describe TORKB without mentioning that other blues-playing two-piece; but we’ll refrain, as frontman Harry and sticksman Greg are clearly doing their own thing. The duo are essentially a blues band, yet aren’t averse to cratfing a song around a decent pop hook either (see debut single ‘You Don’t Know How To Love’). With a fuzz pedal, an open E chord and a pounding rhythm, The Old Romantic Killer Band play no-holds barred, nothing-to-lose, scuzzy rock n’ roll. What more could you want?

You Don’t Know How To Love

Forward Russia

Is it their last ever gig? Probably not, the band aren’t even going on ‘hiatus’ - they’re just, y’know, taking it easy for a while. To us, that’s good enough reason to go and catch this band this Friday night, as the Leeds four-tet have been wowing crowds with increasingly impressive live performances for the past few years. The small confines of the Brudenell should make it an extra special appearance, and it’s a chance to get your face melted by the drop D riffage of second album barnstormer ‘Gravity & Heat’. If that isn’t one of the number one reasons to be at Brainwash this Friday night, we don’t know what is.

Gravity & Heat

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