PR:
TV & Radio Emily @ Scruffy Bird - emily@scruffybird.com - 020 7650 7840
Press Alice @ Scruffy Bird - alice@scruffybird.com - 020 7650 7840
Press Laura @ Scruffy Bird - laura@scruffybird.com - 020 7650 7840
Online: Paul @ LaDIGIT- info@ladigit.co.uk - 020 8563 7788
Regional Press: Mike Gourlay @ INFECTED- mike.infected000@btclick.com - 0207 272 9620
Street Team: Phil Pethybridge @ Neon Street Teams- phil@neonstreet.co.uk
Influences
Too many to mention
Sounds Like
"...Bloody marvellous..."
Mark Radcliffe's first impression of Grow Fins
...A terrific gig... a really thrilling set at The Dublin Castle... it's not rockabilly, it's not alt. country, it's not new wave, it's not the blues but there's elements of all of them in their sound...
Steve Lamacq BBC6 Music review of Dublin Castle Gig 06/05/08
The Brute Chorus fair blow the roof off with a storming set of frazzled country blues, wry asides, impassioned chanting and the impressive moustache of lead rabble-rouser James Steel.
The Fly - Camden Crawl Review
An impressive foray into dirty, downtrodden blues. 8/10.
Drowned In Sound
Like being whipped with barbed bass strings and having the wounds rubbed laudanum laden goose fat. The Brute Chorus are one of those extremely rare outfits that stir the loins as much as the synapses. Children in the tinny grip of sherbet shock will explode in delight as the Brute Chorus pop-flak slice n dices them, while chin-stroking forty-something mores will make convincing cases for the immobilized hipsters. Why? This is class, that’s it.
Unpeeled
East London's The Brute Chorus make the kind of music that's a bit mardy but ostentatiously bombast in places. Songs about innocent boys and whiley[sic] women seem to be the Brute's schtick and very catchy they are too. Fans of Rumble Strips, The Zutons and Hot Hot Heat could do worse than give this lot a go. The Stool Pigeon
Having convened as a four-piece in Greenwich from the far reaches of the West Country The Brute Chorus are nothing if not a mutant bunch playing bastardised indie rock. Originally Beefheart but most recently it's probably The Boggs who gave bands the credence to lift from folk and blues and to mangle into something altogether more aggressive and contemporary. In London The Mules have made a start and now, with their debut single 'Chateau' / 'The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart' The Brute Chorus have radicalised genres. Offering a psyched-out garage-folk of dirty, scuzzy guitar licks and a mixed bag of accompanying instruments and a scatology of Biblical stories, nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Perhaps for those of you with memories of the great Violent Femmes.
Artrocker
With the unabated drive of the white stripes The Brute Chorus are conduits of pure folk energy. Singer James produces vocals as intimate as a whisper, set against the tick of the cymbal, the pulse of the bass. At the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, he is able to flip effortlessly into climaxes both raw and unrestrained.
BBC London
One of our biggest tips for 2008 are The Brute Chorus.......
The Brute Chorus rock. Essentially, that’s it. Lots of journalist have tied themselves into linguistic knots trying to describe what the music sounds like, but in this case it’s actually so difficult to pin it down that I’m not even going to try. There’s a myspace link at the bottom of the page (the wonders of the internet, eh), so bloody pull your finger out and click on it – it’s not difficult, and gives you way more of an idea than I ever could. I will say that they are luminescently brilliant live, belting out their songs with soul and enthusiasm, and often thrashing around on the floor in comedy rock fashion, so if you like the music get in to the gigs now while they’re still playing small venues and you run the risk of being hit by flying guitars. The other thing I’ll say is that I believe James Steel’s moustache style to be a cross between a Fu Manchu (1960’s Chinese evil genius and appalling stereotype), and a Soul Patch (popular with blues and soul artists of the 50’s and 60’s), and I think that that sums up their music style as effectively as any comparison with other artists. Listen to them! Now!
Culturedeluxe.com
Despite being rammed into a corner the Brute Chorus' sparkling and intelligent tunes get the crowds crushed up to the front with songs about Babylonian Kings, odd choice of subject matter, memorable and sing-along chorus.
Cakespank
Subba picks of ‘08 TBC deliver an infectious slice of blues, stomping with the banshee-like howl of Robert Smith & the pixie like otherworldliness of T-Rex-superb!
subba-culture.com
Referencing biblical mythology and dark fairytales, their lyrics happily shun the trend for singing about going to the shops. It’s worth getting drawn into their raucous, dirty musical party.
Music Week - 26th August
‘Chateau’ is a dark and funny version of Little Red Riding Hood fairytale, which lead singer James Steel slowly builds up with his wailing, edgy voice. The sound is stripped down, with scratchy guitar and clucky cello. Think White Stripes but with a healthy dose of humour. ‘The Cuckoo & the Stolen Heart’ offers a thigh slapping, hoe-down style ballad where girl and guy singers take it in turns to tell a story of love, revenge and murder. Sounds a lot like Nick Cave and the Bad Seed’s ‘Murder Ballads’, with banjos but thankfully no George Formbie.
Young Scot
Sounding like a curious hybrid of The Zutons, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa The Brute Chorus' debut single is in a genre of it's own. With it's intelligent lyrics, a stomping tune that sounds like it's been dragged from Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp all topped of with the weather beaten Nick Cave like growl of James Steel , ‘Chateau’ is a scary little ditty kinda like Little Red Riding Hood written by Wes Craven and is the freshest, most exciting debut since The Coral 'Skeleton Key'.
The Devil Has The Best Tuna Blogspot
The Brute Chorus are reminiscent of The Zutons before they went a bit wrong - minus the out of tune sax, the Scouse growl and the obligatory yet useless pretty person. Plus unimaginably correct and wowza! toooons, stomping bass, bangos, wise decisions and fun times for all. Precisely what we're all after, yes?
Drunken Werewolf
Late last year, our pals The Brute Chorus put out their debut single Chateau on Bumpman Records, the label started by every starfucker's favourite Camden pub, The Hawley Arms. We neglected to mention it then (because we're slack), but today is Nick Brute Chorus's birthday, so here is the barnstorming b-side.
Pinglewood.com
'The definition of a musical grower, with a certain intoxicating groove that is hard to place' Clash Magazine
With luck I've dropped on the next Arctic Monkeys. The Brute Chorus are amazing and this track The Cuckoo and the Stolen Heart is awesome.
They're going to be massive
Michies Blog
About The Brute Chorus - Grow Fins out on iTunes now!
Our next single is Grow Fins b/w Nebuchadnezzar and will be available on Download from July 6th, distributed by PIAS/VITAL and on Ltd edition Vinyl from Bumpman Records from July 14th.
Here's the video for 'Grow Fins' made by our friends Blackhurst Beech:
We are The Brute Chorus. We live together in a block of flats in East London affectionately nick-named Murder Court with the ghosts of The Chapman Brothers and Bow Wow Wow. Here we survive on on £1.50 Kebab rolls and Baked Beans (Heinz - of course, two cans for a pound) and the all-night offy on the corner. Our biggest fan lives downstairs at No. 4. She turned 90 this year.
We got together in March last year and performed a monthly residency at The Hawley Arms in Camden throughout the summer and into the autumn. Before the end of the year The Hawley had decided to put out our debut single Chateau/The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart on their brand new label Bumpman Originals. January this year found us as Myspace Featured Artists, shortly after we won Steve Lamacq's Rebel Playlist on BBC6 Music, then we won Zane Lowe's Fresh Meat on BBC Radio1! We got playlisted by 6 Music and Lamacq invited us on to his show to talk about ourselves. All this and a mini tour in support of the single had happened by the end of the first month; February 3rd our single was released on download and we haven't looked back since!
The other music on our page was recorded at different points over the last year. Last summer we recorded our 1st single at Escapade Studios in Greenwich along with our friends Tigs (The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart) and Mat Martin (blistering banjo on The Cuckoo...).
It is currently available on Ltd Edition 7" Vinyl and download, distributed by PIAS/VITAL.The Ransome, Birdman and Send Me A Message were both recorded in one long day at the extremely cool Air Studios once owned by Sir George Martin!
The Brute future is looking bright right now with a tour with Vincent Vincent & The Villains under our belts and then various festivals and a tour throughout the summer.
Weheeey! The Brutus Maximus! Wicked time with you lot at Glastonbury, Im glad we got to show you round a little. Lets hook up soon, yes? Lots of Love to you all, Isabel Puma x Long Live Us
shame I missed you guys at glasto - why on earth they don't put BBC introducing in the booklet is beyond me. I heard you guys from my tent, rallied up the troops and braved the guy ropes and then you'd finished!
