Thee MVPs

Thee MVPs

Debut album from Thee MVPs recorded themselves and released themselves on their own label it’s easy to see how this Yorkshire hot pot filled to the brim with tasty tunes were weaned on a steady diet of SST and Dischord records have dedicated their time touring the guts out of the globe (pre-Pandemic of curse) and sharpening their repertoire of noisy, tuneful banger for us the general public and being the giving types this record just keeps giving and giving. Auteurism is alive and kicking and from the off ‘Ship Episode, Planet Episode’ is a fuckin’ buzz.  Sit tight after the Dr. Who techno blip intro were off.  It’s a rapid rush of noise as the flurry of drums kick in whilst the guitars try to keep up by thrashing away with reckless abandonment. The vocals are sort of tuneful but chanted in a monotonous way as to poke the listener on the temple just to grab your attention, boy its fair to say attention grabbed!

It’s fair to say it is10-tracks of subtle yet infectious riffs – driven grooves and plenty of heavy pounding. From the off it’s obvious there is a tonne of high energy being expelled here. A cheeky tongue in cheek lyric filters through each delivered with a cheeky smirk. Call it what you like indie hardcore garage/ garage-punk/ garage rock /whatever it is they call themselves its infectious and none more so than ‘A Song For Councillor’ which has a hint of The Hives in the riff and delivery but that’s it and the chorus gang chants are infectious pop but really really good.

The band said it took them six years to get to this point and I only hope it isn’t another six to get to the next because UK music needs bands like this kicking up a storm and making records that open new doors on each play like ‘You Ain’t It’ has a filthy heavy riff and grooves like a snake in a sack. In direct contrast then you have the measured funeral march of ‘HAL (Human Alianating Lifestyle)’ that strays into Janes Addiction territory and clocking in at a progbustin’ almost six minutes is a surprising treat.

I can see why they reference the likes of Hot Snakes for the sheer alternativeness of songs like ‘Super Contactable’ with its monotonous vocal or the pure venom in that Bass throb of ‘A Pining Replicant’ as it marches through the speakers with purpose.  But wait they sign off with the epic ‘Funeral i & iii’ another six minutes – but don’t afraid kids its ok trust me. Hell, their blast off and track ten is the seven and a half minute ‘US Airway (Final Flight)’ that laid any fear I might have had festering away about a song that long.  This isn’t Iron Maiden here kids this is like a punk rock psych headfuck using blunt instruments and doing it well and to be fair you don’t notice the length at all even when the guitars are duelling for speaker space.

Thee Debut Long player from Thee MVPs is a bonafide winner and something they’ve taken time getting right and making sure its of a very high standard.  check em out ya crazy kids, you know you want to…

Buy ‘Science Fiction’ Here

Author: Dom Daley

Twelve days of Christmas – A look back at 2018 with RPM – March

Twelve days of Christmas – A look back at 2018 with RPM – March

March Madness

If you thought February was a bit full on then welcome to March.  Whilst the UK did its usual shit the bed over some snowfall the rest of the planet got on with what it had to do without much fuss. Such was the panic, Fraser had to abort his trip to Londinium to see Turbonegro unless he hired a chopper then paraglided in, he was stuffed due to the Baltic conditions and an inefficient panic-stricken country. Anyway.

RPM scribes did manage to leave the house at some point because Ben caught Ryan Hamilton & the Traitors up North whilst Dom caught the tour in Cardiff. When Ben saw the tour party it was as advertised because on the night in Cardiff the Main Grains couldn’t attend due to…Um… snow on the roof of their car! No Car couldn’t find it under snow, leaves, it had blown away or they couldn’t make it because it was waaay too far when London was next on the schedule, ticket sales weren’t exactly great or some similar excuse, oh well, it wasn’t to be so Hamilton was left to break the news of the Main Grains transport issues cough, cough. Like the trooper he is he and the Traitors played an extended set to the few hardy souls who ventured out into the great wide open to fly their freak flags and a thoroughly enjoyable evening was had. It would have been nice to have both bands but there we go.

So with most people tucked up in their castles listening to punk rock praying that those hardy postal workers managed to get into work so they could deliver a veritable avalanche of new releases, some even made it onto the death decks of future RPM scribes such as Dirt Box Disco with their ‘Immortals’ album and joining them this month would be Eureka Machines with their brand new pledge endorsed campaign ‘Victories’, which went down well (to be fair) all Eureka pledges go well as Chris Catalyst seems like a guy with a plan and knows how to execute  a well-oiled campaign always full of little extras.

 

 

There were also some notable records released in March by the likes of Christmas with their most excellent ‘Scum As You Are’, Ryan Hamilton also got recording this time with Tony Wright and their ‘Grand Ole Otley’ and showing that we’re not all about the crash, bang, wallop! Boss Caine and his album ‘Loved By Trouble, Troubled By Love‘ was also released this month.

The most hotly anticipated release of the month has to go to those speed dealers Zeke and their brutal, frantic and breakneck take on rock n roll that made ‘Hellbender’ such a success. There was also tour dates announced for a few months that would have some of the scribes at RPM all hot and bothered. Last Great Dreamers released their latest offering also through Pledge it was the most excellent ’13th Floor Renegade’ it certainly got HQ rocking and rolling.

Hot Snakes released ‘Jericho sirens’ mid-March which also bothered turntables and speakers all over our gaff. Its no secret that we love a single here at RPM and seeing as we love the little things in life who could forget some epic 7″ releases in March most notably in the shape of Fireburn and their EP ‘Shine‘ a band that will feature later in the year under more tragic circumstances. Fireburn might not have had the sheer brutality of Todd Youths Bloodclot project it certainly was pretty damn good and along with their EP something we are delighted to champion.

Finally and thankfully people managed to stay out of jail or the morgue this month which is always a good thing. Again its quality over popularity for RPM scribes and the champions of March are plenty but I’d have an inkling if we had a vote it would have to be Zeke for the ‘Hellbender’ album. 1-2-3-4 woosh!