Alan Edge - Vocal and Brassy noises; Tommy Anderson - Electronic and Percussive noises; John Ayers - Electronic and Woodwind noises.
Influences
Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Squarepusher, Sun Ra, Add N to (X), Homelife, The Residents, Prince, Slick Rick, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Charles Mingus, Gwilly Edmondez, John Cage, They Might Be Giants, Scott Walker, The bulBS, The Fall, Tim 'Love' Lee, Old Skool Jungle, Ornette Coleman, MushiMushi, Super_Collider, Fog, Coldcut, Funkadelic, Os Mutantes, B52s, Roland Kirk, Super Furry Animals, Albert Ayler, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Herbert, Mugison, Matmos, Stereolab, Black Dice, Animal Collective, Anti Pop Consortium, Kool Keith, Beck, Miles Davis, Sly & the Family Stone, Boredoms, Cornelius, The Big Bopper, you know the usual stuff...
What we have been listening to this week:
Sounds Like
"this is a band primarily about texture and swing, and to say that they’re influenced by old-school R&B means they draw energy not from Curtis, Isaac, and Marvin, but from Muddy, Wolf, and Guitar Slim. The monstrous grooves that power tracks like Animal Man Robot, Molder, and Troglodyte, electronic as they may be in nature, are pure booze-soaked, sin-and-grin handclappin’ fare from the days when the blues plugged in and moved north, and it’s to The Guessmen’s great credit that these rhythms’ immersion in hi-tech sampling sonics doesn’t feel forced or gimmicky. Edge, Anderson, and Ayers use electronic processing to sully and crack their sound sources, making something grimy, alien, and new from them in a manner that recalls, again, RZA’s application of out-of-tune pianos and dramatic kung-fu strings to sewer-dwelling, frightening ends on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). This is high praise in an era when slapping together a hook from one song with a hook from another can make anyone on Earth the next MySpace mashup king, when more than ever the trend of recognizable, boring sampling (rather than the sort of inventive mutation practiced by the afore-praised) is easy and en vogue."Twisted Ear.com
"If you like your music odd, you will appreciate this record. BFTB is slightly traumatic at times, but that is what makes it great. Music is a psychological experience. It SHOULD be fun, strange, dark and malevolent. Like a homicidal Hot Chip, The Guessmen will fuck you up! On the dancefloor! Aeow!"Subba-Cultcha.com
"absolutely wild!... passionate, energetic, gifted, committed, dangerous and full of life. You cant ask for more than that" Tom Robinson, BBC 6Music
"This Newcastle trio have a kind of old school approach... hauled in to the 21st Century on rollerskates. At times they almost resemble the Residents at their danciest" The Wire Magazine
“Guessmen nail fat pop choruses to rowdy dancefloor organic/digital hybridised belters, cementing them into their weird rag and bone musical world. With an alleyway lyrical eye for demented characters this trio pilot the line between cartoon, narratives and character pieces. Helmed by characters with sharp collars and bloody knuckles, their chip-and-pin medicine show molarises genres till only the vitals remain.
"Guessmen are exuding a joy through this album despite its noir threads. With the continual shitstorm of disposable pop music continuously restarting itself, instead of remonstrating with it or taking shelter, Guessmen are punching their weight in tunes.”brainwashed.com
"Delightfully woozy"Gideon Coe, BBC 6Music
"there is a whole lot of electro-psychedelic and jazz infused madness that give substance to the pop hooks and riffs that makes this record instantaneously catchy"allgigs.co.uk
"They certainly can’t be compared to any other bands as there is simply nothing to compare. They are unbelievably original and construct each track delicately but with such ease you know that they are professionals at what they do" themusicmagazine.co.uk
"The trio keep things from getting predictable whilst simultaneously deploying the secret pop hooks that may just be the key to their whole sound. Nothing is ever the same twice, but BFTB still manages to hang together with enough identifiable cohesion to keep things from being on the wrong side of random. Neat trick, that." Rock-a-Rolla Magazine
"It’s as if Guessmen have tried to stick as many sounds as possible on every song... why this band aren’t as big as, say Klaxons, is genuinely beyond me" Sunday Sun
"If you haven’t seen or heard Guessmen before, here’s a quick lesson. Distorted beats, fat bass-notes rumbling your guts, blasts of trumpet and bassoon, songs about mermaids and all-day breakfasts and one of the bestest frontmen that you’ll ever see." NARC Mgazine
"Somehow, Guessmen merge Aphex-mangled mechanics, Herbet-like saxophone swells and Beefheart-y word weirdness into a storm that goes bump, blip and bang on the night." PLAN B magazine
"they ably prove that they bang like the highest heeled unshaven Warp signed glam band ever"brainwashed.com
"a worthwhile ramshakle blend of electro blues and fuzzy junk yard funk"DJ magazine
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My left eye opened first, the right was going nowhere fast. I realised I was still suspended and the candles were dying and desperately holding on for one last mambo.
I could taste the batteries and smell the tin, the new skin was healing well and the new hair was growing back much thicker than before.
“It’s a flash of colour in an otherwise grey world”, a voice said from outside.
“We’ve all been there, and if we haven’t, we should.” Said another.
The dust had settled hard in its own peculiar way and the crows were now making themselves known. Wagons roared through the wilderness, wasting no time.
There were no footsteps, chains or puddles to remember, just the fading light and me. A warm wind introduced itself to my neck followed by what sounded like a three part whistled harmony that calmly screamed “We Are Guessmen, You Are Safe With Us.”
New Album, Back From The Bins available Now! On vinyl or CD. Buy CD:
Buy Vinyl:
Download:
Purveyors of Post-Everything Nonsense Funk
With their pop game sharpened to a fine point, Guessmen are exploring the noir-cartoon world of vocalist Alan Edge's head making them an appealingly dark-and-day-glo experience. The music forms like a murder of clouds stamped with an indelible paperclip-and-biro tattooed hooks, the thick synth melodies coming on like tar flavoured honey.
Discography: 2003 Animals in Suits 12 Track CD Album (GM)
2004 Spaceship 12 (Tummy Touch) Touch Tones Vol. 2 CD Compilation (Tummy Touch) No Thunder No Rain, No Rain, No Sun EP (GM) Diesel U Music CD Compilation (Stefano Checchi Records)
2008 Back From The Bins 13 Track Vinyl/CD/Download Album on Co.Lab ..
Black Balloons/Death By A Thousand Lashes Ltd Editition Heavyweight 7" Single (coming February 08) on Co.Lab
Hello Guessmen. Here's what's happening on Saturday 25th July at The Red Rooms...
£4/£3NUS 8pm - 11pm
FOLLOWED BY...
This SATURDAY at Newcastles best Back Alley ClubNight!
Expect to hear a charmingly random selection, including the likes of the following.
MGMT, The Specials, Prince, The Kinks, Crystal Castles, David Bowie, Prodigy, Blur, Hot Chip, The Smiths, Daft Punk, The Cure, Friendly Fires, The Beatles, Human League, Led Zep, The Clash, Oasis, Depeche Mode, The Streets, Stevie Wonder, Kasabian, Sister Sledge, CSS, Beastie Boys, Kings Of Leon, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Calvin Harris, The Stone Roses, Green Day, Jay Z, Duran Duran, T Rex, Detroit Social Club, James Brown, AC/DC, Shiny Toy Guns, The Who, The Chemical Bros., Maximo Park, ABC, Chic, Roxy Music, Blondie, Supergrass, Adam & The Ants, Queen, The Coral, Bloc Party, Justice, Tom Jones, Mystery Jets, Pulp, MIA, The Libertines, De La Soul, The Cribs, Erasure, Primal Scream, Curtis Mayfield, Snoop Dogg, Girls Aloud, Jimi Hendrix, Gossip, Verve, Joy Division, The Jam, The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Pink Floyd, Kanye West, The Charlatans, The Supremes, Kraftwerk, Talking Heads...
PLEASE NOTE NEW REVENGE PRICES: £3 b4 11.30 £5 after £4 NUS/Guestlist
Drinks from £2.00
REDROOMS is situated above The Blackett Arms, near Grainger Market, Monument.
On 24th July, krautophonic blizzard-wave duo WARM DIGITS unveil a full AV set as part of a one-night only double header with amazing Leeds trio QUACK QUACK. Like the great rhythm sections of James Brown, Africa 70, Can and Led Zeppelin, Quack Quack operate right next to your heartbeat and your footsteps. They understand the importance of rhythm and use it to get the good chemicals flowing. This is music for dancing and smiling. With sterling support from the new vocal project from Chippewa Falls' RACHEL LANCASTER and the DISTRACTION SOUND SYSTEM. Newcastle Cumberland Arms 8pm - Three Quid - hope you can come.
Hey whats up its your boys from EdstanleY we need your help were trying to get our song "Drop your weapons" played on UCLA RADIO we need you to call in tonight (Between 8 and 8:30 Pacific time) and request it for us the number is 310-825-9999 and listen in at www.uclaradio.com we would appreciate it if you could thanks
what are you doing thurs july 9th If your 21 you and your friends should come check out EdstanleY they have a show at the Blue Cafe in Huntington Beach Ca They're a 3 piece band Scott Gripe does guitar/vocals Justin Brescia is on drums and Dave Reese is on bass you would love the show it will be a blast , If you choose to come, email me your guestlist @ jvarnado@tmo.blackberry.n et so i can put you and your friends on the list, hope to hear from you
The address is 17208 Pacific Coast Hwy Huntington Beach, California 92649
THEY GO ON AT 10PM !!! SHOULD ARRIVE AT 9PM please mention EdstanleY at the door myspace.com/edstanleypromo
Heyhey Lads... just passing to say hello hello and to let you know we tweeted your myspace profile... cheers and hope your summer is full of festivals!
I'm happy to announce that my new album "Songs From The Films Of David Lynch" is out now.
"Truly unsettling and perplexingly brilliant... testament to both the quality of Lynch’s soundtracks and Truax’s talents" - The Skinny
"Truax is paying homage to a kindred spirit with this album. It's the best kind of tribute – affectionate and respectful, but with its own quirks and imaginative leaps and its own distinct identity." -The Scotsman
Get Net Friends Be one of the very first thousand to create a profile on what will be one of the most popular social networking sites ever. The first thousand profiles will be featured forever on the wall of fame. Space is limited. Thanks and "Can't we all just be friends?"
Get Net Friends Be one of the very first thousand to create a profile on what will be one of the most popular social networking sites ever. The first thousand profiles will be featured forever on the wall of fame. Space is limited. Thanks and "Can't we all just be friends?"
KEVIN BLECHDOM - NEW ALBUM !!! OUT NOW !!!! OMG !!!
GENTLEMANIA!! GENTLEMANIA!! GENTLEMANIA!! GENTLEMANIA!!
An acoustic album chock full of palpitating love songs.
Kevin Blechdom plays piano and sings.
Available NOW on Sonig and on iTunes.
www.itunes.com/kevinblechdom/gentlemania
Online Now!
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