The Capes
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The Capes

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This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"The Capes Live"

As every passing week sees the US invasion getting hairier, the capital's urchin rock retaliation gets spikier by the second. With The Libertines on half-power and the likes of Razorlight and Neil's Children poised in the wings, tonight sees south London's The Capes emerge from their self-imposed cloak of anonymity to stake their bedraggled claim. They rattle through a set of amphetamine F-11 rock mini-classics with a gusto unimaginable a year ago. Singer Kris Barratt, lurking beneath a golden fringe, sings with the urgency of someone who knows his train is about to leave without him. New single 'Regional Heats' gets tossed away early, but when it's followed by 'I Write The Wrongs', mournful ballad 'In The Morning' ("love's not a serial that runs and runs") and Beach-Boys-gone-bad stomp 'Juvenile', you know The Capes have everything The Thrills saccharine pop lacks: hurt, betrayal and desire. Their crusade starts here. (Paul Moody)
- NME


"Regional Heats Single Review"

Don't be put off by that underachieving title ('Regional Heats'? Why not call the album 'Special Olympics' and be done with it?): London's Capes do a pretty neat impersonation of Brian Wilson going postal in a Toys R Us megastore. It's all Elephant 6 parping, honeyed harmonies, Fisher Price keyboards and noises that sound like slinkys being unravelled. Lavely. (Pat Long)
- NME


"Single Of The Week"

This commendable debut EP from the Brixton outfit offers up a crafty combination of lo-fi-krautrock, Americana and grungy garage punk. There's some splendid songwriting here, too, in both off-kilter pop "I Write the Wrongs" and the frenzied "First Base".
- The Independent Newspaper


"Regional Heats Single Review"

There's something maddeningly addictive about The Capes, something that is impossible to put your finger on, until you realise (halfway through playing 'Regional Heats' for the first time) that you know EXACTLY where the melody is going, and that your fingers fly to the right chord on your air guitar every time the key changes, even though you've never heard it before. It's this simplicity that made the pop work of The Beatles and The Beach Boys untouchable, or rather, it's this deceptoive simplicity that made it untouchable. These South Londoners like to label themselves 'lo-fi pop', which is actually a roundabout way of saying that their's is a brand of pop that would have been at home in the true era of lo-fi; think what Super Furry Animals might have created under George Martin's guidance in Abbey Road. It's not retro, it's timeless; and The Capes are now, officially, my new favourite band.
- Logo Magazine


"The Capes Live"

Much more fun are ace Sarff Londoners The Capes, whose Elephant 6 influenced, harmony-drenched rock racket is hugely enjoyable. With singer Kris Barratt coming off like a 'Bandwagonesque'-era Norman Blake and the rest of the band alternating between Grandaddy and Weezer chic, they're somewhat of an enigma. But don't be confused by their appearance, they've got tunes aplenty and no qualms about using 'em.
- Drowned In Sound


Discography

2002: I Write The Wrongs EP (Outafocus Recordings)
2003: Regional Heats (Outafocus Recordings)

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

The Capes, those westcoastelectropunkpoppers from South London, emerge at last from some dusty old studio sessions with a batch of fantastic new recordings in their grubby little hands.

Already receiving accolades from the UK tastemakers NME and Steve Lamacq (Radio 1) amongst others for their debut EP "I Write The Wrongs" and their blissed out second single "Regional Heats" on London independent Outafocus Recordings (Medium 21, Jim Reid’s Freeheat) the bands sound echoes influences from artists as diverse as The Super Furry Animals, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Beach Boys and XTC, some of which they have already been favourably compared.

They like to describe themselves though as "lo-fi pop" which is just a handy catch-all way of saying they like buzzsaw guitars, squelchy old analogue synths, and lovely West Coast harmonies.

The first two releases were recorded by respected producer Brian O’Shaughnessy (My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Denim) at his Bark Studios and at the bands’ own studio space in Camberwell.

The band are currently working on new material with producer Lenny Franchi who has worked with artists such as Bjork, The Music, British Sea Power, the fruits of which are already impressive listening.

PRAISE FOR THE CAPES

"I Write The Wrongs" EP

"A crafty combination of lo-fi krautrock, Americana and grungy garage punk. There’s some splendid songwriting here…" Single of the Week, The Independent

"This power pop funfest is sharp-sounding and sexy, full of exuberance and a tune to die for…Hats in the air and cigars all round fellas…" Gary Crowley BBC London 94.9FM

"With sweet harmonies and a quirky melodic touch, The Capes are a small ray of sunshine. As the title track proves, writing decent pop tunes is something that these Londoners are speedily learning to do" Rock Sound Dec 2002

"..one of the finest Eps I have heard for a long, long time" Drownedinsound.com review

"Regional Heats" single

"…Brian Wilson going postal in a Toys R Us megastar…honeyed harmonies, Fisher Price keyboards and noises that sound like slinkys being unraveled. Laavely"
NME Single Review Aug 2003

"…a brand of pop that would have been at home in the true era of lo-fi; think what Super Furry Animals might have created under George Martin’s guidance in Abbey Road. It’s not retro, it’s timeless…" Logo Magazine Aug 2003

Featured on Steve Lamacq’s ‘New Favourite Band Slot’

The Capes rattle through a set of amphetamine F-11 rock mini classics…
….you know the Capes have everything….hurt, betrayal and desire. Their crusade starts here."
Paul Moody, NME Live review 23 Aug 2003