Rev78

PLease refer to link, this is a physical piece... - Bass Guitar Magazine

Tracklisting: 1. Killing Me 2. Old Fashioned 3. Could Have Been A Dancer 4. Us Against Rhem All 5. Kiss Me 6. Harrier 7. Lucy 8. Lullaby 9. Who Am I 10. Every Bone
Record Company: Independent
Release Date: Monday 2nd May 2011
Buy it now:

North London band Rev78 release their eagerly anticipated debut album Boy In The Blitz on May 2nd. Having recently announced that they've signed to Day Job Records, the band are starting to get somewhere and certainly have been busy doing gigs to drum up support for this debut album.
Supporters of the band will be happy to hear that Killing Me, their Killers-like single, has made it to the debut as has fan favourite Lullaby, still intact with those soaring highs from Teddy Quick.
What about the rest of the album I hear you say ?
The album kicks off with the aforementioned Killing Me which then makes way for the beautiful tragic ballad Old Fashioned. Shimmery guitars and Quick's most heartfelt vocals. Its one of those dark lovelorn songs that haunts the listener and gets inside your ears. Perfect soundtrack material and certainly a standout amongst the songs on this album. Could Have Been A Dancer reminds us a lot of Gin Blossoms for some reason. Teddy Quick's vocals could be compared to Jesse Valenzuela. This is another lovelorn song, a little bit middle of the road but still catchy enough to warrant a few more listens. David Gritzman's guitar work is subtle and not overpowering and really compliments Teddy Quick's voice here.
Us Against Them All has a real edgy feel to it and Quick gets to cut loose on his vocals whilst Gritzman creates some tension with his guitar lines. Its a fair song that is looking to breakout but doesn't quite do so and is missing a little something. Kiss Me on the other hand moves the band back into tender ballad territory and if its one thing these guys do really well, its write some great thought provoking ballads. Gritzman's subtle guitar lines underpin Teddy Quick's yearning voice. This is one song that leaves a footprint in your ears with an ending that has Quick soaring into the stratosphere.
As if by mental telepathy, the urge to pick up the pace and deliver something with a bit more bite comes in Harrier with some dirty, slinky guitars driving this song along with the frantic drumbeat. Its a great paced song that leads neatly into Lucy, with a great drum intro, with many fills and rolls and cymbals crashing and is brimming with tension.
Lullaby, both soaring and yearning, with that dark minor chord guitar line, is still as bittersweet as ever and certainly a real tearjerker of a song. The album closes with Who Am I, with a pulsing drumbeat but its closer Every Bone that finishes the album off in typically heart wrenching ballady fashion, which is the band's real strength.
We were hoping Supernatural might make the cut but alas it didn't and can only hope it might be a future B-Side.
This is a great debut from Rev78 and the band certainly know how to craft some great ballads that move the listener on the likes of Old Fashioned and Kiss Me. There are some great energetic songs on this album too like Lucy and Harrier. One or two songs lacked a little something to lift them up but overall we thought this debut is a competent effort and certainly a lot better than some of the stuff floating around at the moment. Teddy Quick has an amazing voice that can really soar and certainly brings a lot to these songs.
This band can only keep improving and we feel this year will be a big year for them (ok so it already is!). Give this album a listen and you won't regret it.
Catch the band at their album launch at Proud Galleries on 28th April. - Entertainment Focus

Topping the band of the week top ten chart for w/e 19th March 2011 – Rev78 from England.
- Indie Bands Blogs

Rev78 -’Boy In the Blitz.’

This album certainly grabs your attention with the opening and former single ‘Killing Me’. The sound is the Smiths meeting Idlewild with its’ chiming (and indeed charming guitars) before going straight into ‘Old Fashioned.’

This album seems to have arrived out of nowhere, almost disconcertingly assure of itself, without being cocky and mercifully, without sounding like a bunch of oasis wannabes. It’s certainly music that aims high high, wears its’ ambition confidently on its’ s;eeves, and it’s not hard to imagine this band filling arenas.

Much of this will of course depend on there being a resurgence in guitar bands in the mainstream, which is much talked about and needs bands to help achieve this (it might be the Vaccines, I sure as heck hope it’s not going to be Brother or Frankie and the Heartstrings). It will doubtless appeal to those who enjoy the post-punk back catalogue and those bands who have taken inspiration from that era (Editors, Bloc Party, Futureheads etc..)

As a debut, this has some great songs and it’s certainly not hard to think of it as being a potentialoly successful album.What will be important is the band finding a voice of their own, and developing characteristics that will make them stand out from the crowd.

***1/2

Boy In the Blitz is released on May 2nd. - 17 Seconds

Rev78 have their debut album Boy in the Blitz ricocheting around the releases in early May. Back in January I came across Rev78, via Kim Astley Cooper and for no reason I can think of, this has sat in my in-tray awaiting a review. I will get on to a full review of Rev78 in the next few weeks, for now – a look at Boy in the Blitz.

Rev78
Opening with Killing Me, I drift back to the new romantics, apparently many other reviews of Rev78 draw a link with roots based in new wave of the late ’70s with particular reference to Ian Curtis. The track resonates with clear vocal and echoed guitar. a great opener, I can hear references to Ultravox and in particular Vienna.

Old Fashioned, sees the band creating a superb track, with a sound that resonates around the head as reverbed guitars ring to a strong lyrical performance. This has depth, interest and some superb composition. This could happily be played on repeat for some considerable time.
Continuing with Could Have Been a Dancer, does have the undertones of the sharp high-notes of New Wave, off-set with a complete re-write which brings this forward 30 years to 2011. This is the hallmark of Rev78, clarity of lyric, supported by some superb guitar and drum work, which blends to generate yet another well constructed composition.
Us Against Them All, finds a snappier tempo, which the band handles with ease, as they raise a challenge to the vocal, which Teddy handles with aplomb.
In stark contrast Kiss Me, has the quartet in a far more sombre and slowed mood, with the guitars taking the heart of the track, within which the band are able to explore new space. It isn’t their natural ground, but is carried off with efficiency.
Harrier, I personally enjoy as I am dragged back to some far simpler chords and drum beats. It may not be where the band are able to do themsleves the most justice, but for my ears it sits very comfortably. This is to me music as it should be. Three minutes of pure energy and concentration, a distillation of emotions and lyric with no frills.
Lucy find the band exploring yet new space, as they demonstrate capability with anthemic sounds, which is in my view not their strong suit, though sits comfortably within the construct of Boy in the Blitz, which is essentially a showcase album for a highly capable band.
Heading back to home territory Lullaby finds Rev78, doing what they do best. Complex guitar structures supporting a clear vocal and enabling the listener to extract their own inferences.
Who am I lifts up the pace a little, again enveloped in swathes of velvety guitar….. I haven’t mentioned the drum and bass so far in this review, simply because they are a fantastic framework to the band and no matter where Rev78 turn, they handle the challenge, this track provides them with the opportunity to really take some influence on the direction, as they support a powerful vocal.
Boy in the Blitz, finishes with Every Bone, a track which is a natural conclusion, as they morph in to a stadium band – a really well delivered piece of music.
Rev78 are a band who know how to frame an album and their following releases will I am sure become stronger for this experience.
Thanks Kim for sending thorough the digital release and sorry to the guys for taking so long to get the review written.
Coming out on 8th April, this a release which will enhance a play-list on any night of the week. - Indie Bands Blogs

We missed North London band Rev78's single launch last week which was a sold out affair and we were determined not to miss them again and so it was down to Buffalo Bar where Indy record label Guided Missile were hosting a night and Rev78 were the second band on the list behind opener Tall Ships.
The venue was small but the sound was anything but as our ringing ears can attest to (they're still ringing at this moment!) Coming on just after Tall Ships, Teddy Quick and co. certainly looked like they were ready to rock. Sporting only a leather jacket and no shirt underneath, we wondered what the "?" sign painted on Quick's bare chest meant. The band played a great set of songs that included oldie Love Ain't Here Anymore and staple hit Killing Me (released last year and also appearing on the soon to be released debut album Boy In The Blitz) with its driving guitar riff from David Gritzman. Quick also took to spinning some drumsticks for added effect.
Its here that he addresses the crowd only for a woman to ask him if he's been to the gym to which he playfully suggests he'd go if she went with him. There's a little bit more interplay between the two before Quick dedicates a song to Geordies, a slow song. Ballad Lullaby is a real highlight with Quick's voice really soaring here and by now there's enough of a crowd gathered to cheer the band on.

Meanwhile drummer Tom Hargreaves is struggling slightly with his kit set up, having to adjust it constantly, adding to some of the comedy of the night. He still manages to keep a steady thumping beat to counter the guitar histrionics of Gritzman and Quick.
Penultimate song Every Bone, lifted from the debut, is one song we really loved. There's a real epic feel about it again with Quick providing some beautiful soaring vocals on this song as Gritzman lays down a shimmery guitar accompaniment that soon turns into a wailing wall of guitar noise as the song reaches its epic finale. The band finish off with one more rocky number that sees Quick collapse his mic stand to prowl about the stage.

Its a great performance from this promising North London band, and showcasing some great songs from forthcoming debut Boy In The Blitz. We were impressed with the material we heard and especially liked Lullaby and Every Bone (the former being an older song you can hear on their myspace). The band have only just announced their signing to a record label Day Job Records which can only mean bigger and brighter things for them. We'll be bringing you a review of their debut album soon and hope to catch the band again on a headline gig.
- Entertainment Focus

Just as Britpop brought us its oikish lad bands ala Oasis, fast-forward to 2011 and with Gritpop and the return of the guitar band we have the likes of Brother.

Rev 78 are kind of the anti-thesis to all that and bring back memories of Gene / Marion / Ballroom and some of the long forgotten foppish bands of the Britpop generation. It's a welcome return though as there's little in the way of intelligent but traditional guitar music around at the moment and "Boy In The Blitz" could just be the album for those bed-sit dwellers that dream of the glamour of the rock & roll.

At 10 tracks it's concise and straight to the point leaving no room for any filler. A Dark heart beating under an epic ambition it brings to mind at times The Departure or more recently the likes of Domino State, only more straight forward. From the head rush of "Killing Me" to the lush balladry of "Old Fashioned" and back again to "Could Have Been a Dancer" this is a band who have more than one gear and more importantly do both as well as each other. These are songs that had to be written and work as a classic album rather than just a collection of disparate songs that don't fit together.

Rev 78 are playing all the right places and nights in London such as The Enterprise and Feeling Gloomy and it can only be a matter of a time before the rest of the nation catches on. Impressive stuff

For more info
http://www.facebook.com/rev78
http://www.myspace.com/rev78official - Designer Magazine

Hi Guys, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. What’s the history behind Rev78? How did the band form and what’s the background of the various members?
Teddy: This story is a long one! But briefly, James met Dave when they became flatmates and started jamming together, they thought it'd be a good idea to form a band. I came to London from Norwich looking for a band to sing in, bumped into James as he was posting an ad "looking for a singer". We got talking and thought it'd be cool to have a jam. So we did, got some songs together, and decided we needed a drummer...Tom was the missing piece. He came and suddenly things just clicked!
Who were the early influences?
Dave: Mogwai
Teddy: Morrissey
Jim: Jane's Addiction
Tom: Moonie
Did you know what sort of sound Rev78 was destined to have at the start, or has it developed a lot since you began?
Teddy: I think there has always been a sense of what we're trying to create. BIG BIG BIG! We love songs, we just try and make the best noise we can. In each song we write there's development, you know? It's like time stops and we get thrown up into space searching around for noises. Or something like that...
How would you actually describe your sound?
Teddy: I know this sounds like I'm blowing trumpets here, but i truly would describe our sound as sound made for stadiums. It certainly makes us feel good. It's BIG guitars jangly, sweeping, soaring, rumbling etc (all the good stuff).
How and when did you come up with the name?
Teddy: It was written.
Has coming from a big music scene like Camden made a big difference, or has it made it more difficult to get noticed?
Teddy: The thing with Camden is, well it's not the place it was. It's like a once bohemian's utopia trying to be a bohemian's utopia. Ya'know, like the whole "indie" thing. There are shops where people can go and pick the jacket, the jeans, the t-shirt, dress like an "indie" kid. It's sad that it became that ya'know? So, what you have now is a lot of bands feigning creativity, wearing the same clothes, talking the same talk. It's a myth. The good bands just put up with it. So realistically, there aren't that many bands. Not proper bands. We actually mean it.
When did you start work on the debut album “Boy in the Blitz”, and how easily did it all come together?
Teddy: Let's just say that we have been very fortunate to work with some of the best and we're so very chuffed with the outcome. The start, the songs. That's where we have most fun. It's the beauty. The conception.
How do you typically go about writing a song? Are you a jamming band or more methodical?
Teddy: I don't want to spoil the magic. So i'm going to decline answering this one ;-)
Where do you look for your lyrical and musical writing ideas?
Teddy: Inspiration comes at all times of the day. Answering these questions will no doubt have an influence some where along the line.
Is there a story/theme running through the songs or is it more a collection of standalone moments?
Teddy: It's a mixture what's real and what's imagined. But mostly me wanting stuff i don't have. More to the point, people. Or even closer to the point, emotions I'd quite like to feel before the day I die. How melodramatic!
Do you do anything special or unusual to get your sound?
Teddy: Close our eyes and jump in.
Do you enjoy the whole studio/creative experience, or do you prefer getting up on the live stage?
Teddy: It has to be the stage.
What is a Rev78 live show like? What should fans expect from one of your performances?
Teddy: Tears and glitter.
What have been the highlights of your career so far?
Teddy: Waking up in 2011.
Where do you see yourselves in the next 5 years? Is it onwards and upwards or do you take each day as it comes?
Teddy: Oh I really think that If you spend life dwelling on such things, it begins to lose it's appeal. But I'm willing to risk it, briefly. I hope to see us revered as genius's and playing to hundreds of thousands of people. Stadium tours. Oh and groupies.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Teddy: Yes.
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Teddy: There's supposed to be a fight at the school gate in a bit, so might go up for that.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Teddy: Gilbert O'sullivan doesn't get the credit he deserves.
Thanks again to Teddy and the boys for their time. - Rock Realms

With sweat dripping from our foreheads, myself and many other revelers packed into the Enterprise ceiling to take in Camden based rock pop quartet Rev78. In an area with great musical heritage, you expect to see bands that truly excite, and this is what we got.
Kicking off with the up-lifting ‘Us Against Them All’, Rev78 soon grabbed the attention of the crowd and put paid to the nonchalance that had descended upon many during set up. It was quickly apparent the importance that front man Teddy Quick holds with his heart-wrenching vocals. His voice is both gripping and offers an unusually impressive range. He sings with a passion that electrified the crowd, particularly the somber and spine-tingling ‘Lullaby’, where he seemed to be in a trance, like he was living the song. Quick is ably assisted by guitarists David Gritzman and James Laff, and drummer Tom Hargreaves who all played an entirely flawless set. They perform as a tight unit, working well off each other and show a decent understanding, backed up by industrious use of their respective instruments.
I found myself slightly tetchy in between songs as Teddy Quick’s stage presence seemed to get left behind with the last guitar surge, leaving us wondered whether the power had cut! A band with such big songs, contagious energy and charisma, we seemed to be stuck in a void.
The six Rev 78 tracks played provided an introspective look into the front man and the band’s quest to make an impact in the music industry. The beauty of their music is its simplicity, rarely challenging the musical norms that exist today. This is both a negative and positive thing. The poppy ‘Every Bone’ is reminiscent of the grandiose choruses of Snow Patrol, and perhaps not the best way to finish the set, when stronger songs like ‘Could Have Been A Dancer’ and ‘Us Against Them All’ are musically and lyrically superior. It would be remiss not to mention the excellent cover on Billy Ocean’s ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’, plunging it from the often upbeat original to the deeply melancholic and emotional style that Rev 78 encompass.
Should Rev 78 move away from a dependence on modern musical expectations and develop a style that is readily identifiable with them, they will not be playing too many more gigs in grubby Camden attics, but rather, greater things beckon.
Words: Dean Bowyer - Oxford Music Blog

Often had I seen Rev78 on gig listings specific to the Camden hub, but being asked to review their show at The Enterprise last Friday reminded me of the first time I tried cornflakes. Rev78 are a seemingly prominent household name within the area, but with unintentional subconscious dismissal I had yet any taste to associate them with. However, unlike cornflakes, I had been advised that this four piece pop rock outfit resembled anything but bland cardboard, so back to the sweat filled attic of The Enterprise I went in the expectation that Rev78 had the potential to make the room even hotter than usual.

If the band failed to heat the room, the rather large grouping of expectant, clammy, Chalk Farm Road dwellers certainly made sure of it, but we didn’t have long to wait in limbo. As with the familiar routine of getting ready for work, the band set up with succinct auto pilot efficiency, took their places on stage with minimal fuss, and launched into their first song ‘Us Against Them All’.

The show kicks off the campaign for the band’s debut album release, ‘Boy In the Blitz’. Together guitarists David Gritzman and James Laff and drummer Tom Hargreaves create waves of tingling and destructive chaos for a sex drenched Teddy Quick to assume his fateful position as the band’s charismatic front man. What is quintessentially touching about Quick’s implementation is the assurance of his delivery, and yet the vulnerability behind the act of a man who seems ardent for acceptance. This really came across in songs ‘Lullaby’, ‘Every Bone’ and a cover of Billy Ocean’s ‘Love Really Hurts without you’.

Like the greats of the past, Jim Morrison, Ian Curtis and Morrissey, Quick wriggles, stares, pouts, twists, struts, spins, poses and generally just really gives it some. Gritzman, Laff and Hargreaves display a masterful, tight platform consisting of excellent musicianship and craft, a collaboration you can begin to imagine if a soul searching, young Manics had written ‘My Holy Bible’ or The Smiths had penned ‘Heartbreak, Here We Come’. With a quick assessment of the room, it was obvious that this intriguing band were very well received.

It is hearty to see real feelings from retro sounding indie bands like Rev78. I expect that we might see more guitar bands like this appear in 2011, and seriously, don’t be surprised if Rev78 are leading the pack.

Words: Dom Casey

TCST X.
- Camden Store

Rev78’s music is a collision between dark, clashing soundscapes, and bright, catchy melodies which seep like honey through a toxic sea. Think The Killers playing hooky three-minute versions of Godspeed You Black Emperor tracks and you’re halfway there; somewhere in that swirling maelstrom is the chemistry needed for rock ‘n roll greatness. Their music screams out for a voice truly worthy of it.
The departure six months ago of their original singer left the band somewhat cut adrift, and forced them into a seemingly fruitless search for a new frontman. Yet after a series of false starts, the band finally found their voice; his name is Ed Quick, and he just might be UK indie’s next superstar frontman.
“Without wanting to sound clichéd, I do feel at home on stage, do you know what I mean?” says the shy but engaging 21 year-old. “And every time I sing, I want to sing to the best of my abilities, and get as much emotion across as I can.”
Ed Quick’s voice is immensely powerful and utterly dynamic, with the kind of chasm-spanning range which might have Muse’s Matt Bellamy looking over his shoulder. Ed was described by a fan as “Ian Curtis and Morrissey’s bastard lovechild”, which is as close to the mark as we think we’re gonna get.
It wasn’t easy for Rev78 finding their man, however. “It was a tricky few months trying to find someone who could replace the old singer, and put a new slant on it” says guitarist Dave Gritzman. A string of nearly-men raised and dashed the band’s hopes in quick succession. “We were putting ads in giving influences like Steve Marriott, Jack White, Interpol… you know, really distinct, powerful voices” says Jimi Laffoley – bassist, founder member and, together with Dave, Rev78’s creative core. “And some of the guys who came in… “ … here Jimi trails off, and shudders. “We had one guy come in who sounded like the guy from Maroon 5.”
Then there was the guy who’d won the Israeli version of The X-Factor. “He was a fabulous singer, but he was very Pop Idol, that kinda thing” says Jimi. “And one guy who looked like Meatloaf” adds sticksman Dan, Dave’s brother. It’s fair to say that at that point, things were looking increasingly bleak for Rev78. Yet at the same time Ed, unbeknown to them, had just arrived in London from Norwich, looking for a band. So what did he think when he first heard Rev78’s music? “I just thought it was something so raw, and there was something so beautiful about it, and I thought I could at least try and really put some good lyrics to this, you know. The band I was in before, there was always this kind of punk ethic, and it was all very… it wasn’t really so much about the vocal performance. So with Rev78 I thought I can sing again, you know.”
The first gig with the new line-up was at Camden’s Purple Turtle – “That was a bit nervy” says Ed. “It’s like giving birth, isn’t it – it’s good to get your first one out of the way!”. The new band now have a handful of shows under their belt, including a gig in front of two thousand fans at the VW Van Fest, and an incendiary performance at the soon-to-be doomed Metro on Oxford Street. Things are going well; recent recording sessions with Russ Keffert, whose past collaborations include Clinic and The Rakes, have pushed the band to the next level. Of the fruit of those sessions, ‘Every Bone’ is a sky-scraping, towering ballad which literally begs for airplay, while ‘Us Against Them All’ is an acerbic, energised shot of pure rock ‘n roll adrenalin. Both songs are among the contenders for a single download release slated in for early spring.

Chris Watkeys

www.myspace.com/revolution78music

Tags: Interview, Rev78 - Music Towers

Rev78’s music is a collision between dark, clashing soundscapes, and bright, catchy melodies which seep like honey through a toxic sea. Think The Killers playing hooky three-minute versions of Godspeed You Black Emperor tracks and you’re halfway there; somewhere in that swirling maelstrom is the chemistry needed for rock ‘n roll greatness. Their music screams out for a voice truly worthy of it.
The departure six months ago of their original singer left the band somewhat cut adrift, and forced them into a seemingly fruitless search for a new frontman. Yet after a series of false starts, the band finally found their voice; his name is Ed Quick, and he just might be UK indie’s next superstar frontman.
“Without wanting to sound clichéd, I do feel at home on stage, do you know what I mean?” says the shy but engaging 21 year-old. “And every time I sing, I want to sing to the best of my abilities, and get as much emotion across as I can.”
Ed Quick’s voice is immensely powerful and utterly dynamic, with the kind of chasm-spanning range which might have Muse’s Matt Bellamy looking over his shoulder. Ed was described by a fan as “Ian Curtis and Morrissey’s bastard lovechild”, which is as close to the mark as we think we’re gonna get.
It wasn’t easy for Rev78 finding their man, however. “It was a tricky few months trying to find someone who could replace the old singer, and put a new slant on it” says guitarist Dave Gritzman. A string of nearly-men raised and dashed the band’s hopes in quick succession. “We were putting ads in giving influences like Steve Marriott, Jack White, Interpol… you know, really distinct, powerful voices” says Jimi Laffoley – bassist, founder member and, together with Dave, Rev78’s creative core. “And some of the guys who came in… “ … here Jimi trails off, and shudders. “We had one guy come in who sounded like the guy from Maroon 5.”
Then there was the guy who’d won the Israeli version of The X-Factor. “He was a fabulous singer, but he was very Pop Idol, that kinda thing” says Jimi. “And one guy who looked like Meatloaf” adds sticksman Dan, Dave’s brother. It’s fair to say that at that point, things were looking increasingly bleak for Rev78. Yet at the same time Ed, unbeknown to them, had just arrived in London from Norwich, looking for a band. So what did he think when he first heard Rev78’s music? “I just thought it was something so raw, and there was something so beautiful about it, and I thought I could at least try and really put some good lyrics to this, you know. The band I was in before, there was always this kind of punk ethic, and it was all very… it wasn’t really so much about the vocal performance. So with Rev78 I thought I can sing again, you know.”
The first gig with the new line-up was at Camden’s Purple Turtle – “That was a bit nervy” says Ed. “It’s like giving birth, isn’t it – it’s good to get your first one out of the way!”. The new band now have a handful of shows under their belt, including a gig in front of two thousand fans at the VW Van Fest, and an incendiary performance at the soon-to-be doomed Metro on Oxford Street. Things are going well; recent recording sessions with Russ Keffert, whose past collaborations include Clinic and The Rakes, have pushed the band to the next level. Of the fruit of those sessions, ‘Every Bone’ is a sky-scraping, towering ballad which literally begs for airplay, while ‘Us Against Them All’ is an acerbic, energised shot of pure rock ‘n roll adrenalin. Both songs are among the contenders for a single download release slated in for early spring.
Chris Watkeys
www.myspace.com/revolution78music - www.musictowers.co.uk