Sons of Mischief

Last night I popped down to one of my local pubs (Puzzle Hall inn) to watch a gig by a band called Sons of Mischief. They are a 3 piece made up of members of a previous band called Far From The Dance.

Many of the faces in the crowd were people who used to follow the lads as Far from. All looked eager to hear what this new guise sounded like. They did not disappoint.

New songs Tenterhooks and Pythagorus are real standouts (check out these songs on MySpace). They also did a mean cover of School by Nirvana and, for the die hard far from fans, Be ferocious, Violated and a 9 minute Province. If you have never heard of either band, I urge you to have a look at each MySpace. - Look Mum No Hands

So, as I was saying about how it’s unusual to see a band first then hear the Cd after?……………. The band, being the gents they are have kindly posted me a copy of their EP. And it was also sent by 1st Class and for once the postal service wasn’t Wank. It arrived in one piece and in a day!

The 4 tracks, It’s not your beach, Pythagoras, Lover to impress & Tenterhooks were recorded at Manchester’s Blueprint Studios, (www.blueprint-studios.com ) in Manchester, whose past clients include. Elbow, Justin Timberlake, The Ting Tings and Smokey Robinson amongst others.

Produced by Frederick Kindt ( Rihanna, James Yull, Everything Everything, Oceansize) Sons of Mischief’s EP is a class act. The drums have lots of crack, the bass is big and round and the guitars are full of character. This really is a pleasure to listen to.

Opening track ‘It’s not your beach’ which stood out live instantly.Its frantic guitar harmonics, giant bass-riffery and it’s colossal beats provide the perfect backdrop for the soaring Elbow Esque vocal hook of “Build a brick wall” that dominates the track.

It’s not your beach is probably the most kicking of the four tracks on offer here. But that said……. it’s not a bad thing.

‘Pythagoras’ highlights a more subtle dynamic to Sons of Mischief and provides a healthy contrast to the Ep’s opener.Again, the vocal hook is key and the ebb and flow in it’s construction gives it a big atmospheric feel that lends itself to summer festival vibes effortlessly.

‘Lover to impress’ swaggers in with a dark and brooding intro, that is soon left in the shadows by yet another stunning chorus. There’s not a great deal to the construction of SOM choruses. They are simple and generally repetitions of just a few words. They aren’t flowery and it works. However that is not to say that these representations aren’t well thought out arrangements. They are.

Last track ‘Tenterhooks’ veers on slightly melancholic, a slow-burner if you like! – It’s good, but just not as good as the other three.
Overall it’s a debut full of merit and charm. It’s good.

www.myspace.com/sonsofmischiefmusic
www.reverbnation.com/sonsofmischief
www.blueprint-studios.com
- 1970 Company: Posted by Ben on March 17, 2011

They say last minute decisions can sometimes turn out to be really good ones. My jaunt to Leeds on Saturday to see Huddersfield's 'Sons of Mischief' well and truly backed this up.

So...after missing the first two songs in favour of a spot of Urban, bar-based Ornithology I set up stall to catch a beady eye over the Kirklees trio.

No strangers to the road, owed partly to their time in their previous incarnation 'Far From The Dance' the three former members, Alec (Vox/Guitar), Jake (Bass/Vox) and Thom (Drums) are evidently on form. From the get-go it's pretty evident that they really do not fuck about, banging through track after track of their 30 minute set with bags of energy

From the rumbling stomp of 'It's not your beach' through to the more dynamic tracks such as 'Pythagoras', there is a definitive sound in place here and frontman Alec without question, not only has the formulae for writing great songs, but also for pulling infectious melodies straight out of the sky, that will immediately find their way inside your skull like they did into mine.

Oh......they also finished their set with a Nirvana cover. BOOM!

There's nothing better than running for the last train in the rain, missing it, feeling pissed off and wet and just when you think it's going to get better.... Your head implodes with fits and starts of some song you've heard that evening.

The melody is there, it's in your head. The only thing that ever spoils it is your own fractured interpretations of the lyrics.

"Sons of Mischief are impressive"

Check them out here:

www.myspace.com/sonsofmischiefmusic
- 1970 Company: Posted by Ben on March 17, 2011

Far From The Dance are a Huddersfield band with an impressive track record. Since exploding onto the unsigned circuit in 2004 the band has played over 600 UK gigs supporting numerous established bands.

Renowned for entertaining large and unfamiliar crowds at top music festivals such as the o2 Wireless, live performances are a treat to all who appreciate good indie music.

With their recordings capturing their tight-knit sound with explosive riffs, beautiful melodies and intriguing musical textures the band is perfect for radio play.

Far From The Dance have already been featured on Steve Lamacq’s Radio 1 show and supported artists such as MSI, Pete Doherty, The James Taylor Quartet, The Subways, The Bluetones, iForward Russia!, The Maccabees, Pure Reason Revolution, Keith, Blood Red Shoes, 65 Days of Static, Million Dead, Alabama 3 & The Open to name a few. - Tourdates.co.uk