Because the latest and third LP from Brakes (or "brakesbrakesbrakes") arrived in our wayward offices and was met with cries of rejoicing from me and me alone, I am taking it upon myself to introduce all all to this bloody good Brighton-born band.
First thing wot you should know: The band was founded by Eamon Hamilton, formerly of the great and inimitable British Sea Power, along with former Electric Soft Parade members Tom and Alex White, plus Mark Beatty of the Tenderfoot. It's a bleedin' supergroup, innit?
Next thing wot you should to know: Taking the ragged postpunk of BSP and amping up the playfulness tenfold, Brakes introduced the concept of the "super non-stop overrockin' disco party" in 2005 with debut Give Blood.
After that: Brakes hit the gas harder, turning a cold, sexy, unwashed, unshaven shoulder to those who would say Thou Shalt Not Riffeth And Be Silly, and invented a brand-new dance, "The Spring Chicken," on follow-up 2007 album Beatific Visions.
Aside: On that same album, Brakes further rebelled and fought back against those who would suppress, saying Thou Shalt Not Have An Imbecilic Boxer Fight Masked Men In Your New Video. Brakes did this with "Hold Me In the River." (When that first triumphant E-string-slide-down lick hits at the 14-second mark, damn...)
And now: With the April 21 release of Touchdown, Brakes returns, offering hope for the maltreated frosted doughnuts of the world on lead single "Hey Hey."
Epilogue: Because the sound in that doughnut video is extra-crappy, and because I really am serious about you knowing and liking this band, here is an MP3 version of that single.
Brakes, "Hey Hey" from Touchdown, out April 21 on FatCat
Wait: Why do they go by two names?
Because: I have no fucking idea.
Thoughts I had shortly after posting this: The band ain't just all rock. There are traces of folk, country and '60s-influenced powerpop on all the records. If you seriously think the Monkees had some badass songs, I bet you'll like Brakes/brakesbrakesbrakes. Touchdown contains 12 songs, but the whole thing's barely over 36 minutes long. That should tell you something.
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