Maximum garage-R'nR with a shot 'o blues.
The BRANDED - LP REVIEW
There's a certain satisfaction that you can only get from three drunken oafs hammerin' out crude chords at ear-splittin' volume. Wailin' and vein-bustin', The Branded demand you do "The Thang all day, all night!", and man, I don't even know what the 'thang' is. but that don't matter none because, if I don't, I'm sure to get a kickin' from these sonic hooligans.
.at any rate it kinda sounds cool.
So whut kinda cool? Well, it sounds like the middleground between 13th Floor Elevators and The Who when they were still playin' in function rooms above pubs.
Man, this is Maximum R&Beer!
Featured on this cracking roundheaded rock 'n' drool is one of this writer's fave single this year, 'You Got The Hurt'. and to be honest, if you dig that, you're sure as hell gon' dig this long-playin' rakkit. To try and pick apart each beautiful orchestration, each pitch-perfect French Horn, each intricate folk picking that interweves with the deft harpsicord. would be pointless because this is the in-sound from the spare bedroom. It's drums, bass, geetar and a buncha people seeing who can sound the meanest, the most dejected. They do a sterling job of it too. maybe these cats are dejected. and as such, have grown mean-eyed with hardened finger-tips from abusing their geetars too much. Whatever, The Branded are just alright with me.
Stand-out rockers, single aside, is the slow stagger of 'I'm a Mean Tomcat' and overdriven insane tribute to poppers, 'Black Gold'. Thinkin' 'bout that, poppers is a true garage drug. It's part substance abuse, marginally better than glue and kicks for 2-and-a-half-minutes that makes your head pound. In saying that, I've got no idea whether this track is really about 'Room Odorizers'. it's probably not because I've jus' realised that I was talkin' 'bout 'Liquid Gold'. still, a good point was made in there somewhere.
Anyway. back to the sound.
If you're one of those readers who needs a real and direct checkpoint before buying an album and are too lazy to find a Myspace site without a link being provided by us, then there's two things you need to know about this Branded LP. Firs', each track is driven by the kind of pounding R&B found in Dave Berry's 'Don't Give Me No Lip Child'. Knowwharramean? There's something unashamedly European about it. in a good way. It's tight 'n' loud as you like. It's a rekkid that demands you play it loud. Second thing you need to know is that this is a band who ain't afraid of havin' some fun. and you deserve a slice o'this fun-pie too. sauce runnin' down yer chin. hammered on ale. grinning at passers-by and gettin' funny looks and it's not even 7pm yet.
Bleary-eyed and brilliant!!!!
Mof Gimmers, Electric Roulette.
INTRO.
"THE BRANDED
Hailing from Malm� in southern Sweden they are fronted by English man Lee Tea (formerly bassist with Thee Exciters) who is responsible for the raw vocal and guitar sounds while John Krantz on bass and Anders Hansson make up the driving rhythm section. The Branded have taken their interpretation of the sixties garage band rockin' rhythm'n'blues sound around half of Europe already and they've only been together for just over a year. The band has already released one single, "She's My Woman", which sold out within a few weeks. The stomping future classic, "You Got The Hurt" (on Dirty Water Records), is their second release, to be followed by an LP - out now on Dirty Water records"
Dirty Water records, London.
LATEST NEWS.
After the runnaway sucess of their first LP, simply entitiled 'Branded' the band have released their second LP on Dirty Water records called 'Shout & Holler'. The first LP sold so quick there was re-press within a few months, and the record label asked for a new LP right away. The new LP is wilder, rawer, and has got a lot more fuzz. Also a new 45 was also released earlier this year, a re-release of the first 45 with a stomping version of Justine on the B-side. All the Branded's records are available from Dirty Water records on Vinyl/CD and download, also all records are available from good distributors like Cargo, UK, Soundflat records, Germany, Get Hip & Bomp, USA, Hot Stuff, Sweden and many, many more, the list is growing
TOUR BOOKING.
Westpol Productions are now booking The Branded shows/tours in Germany/Switzerland/Poland, and Segnali2006 are booking shows in Italy.
Contact Westpol Productions: hanno@westpol.org
We are looking for tour promoters in Holland, France, Spain and Portugal and eastern Europe please conatct us. You can contact us here on Mayspace or brandemail@aim.com
RECORDS.
7" Single - 'She's my woman' b/w 'I'm Branded'
Ravens End Records 2007, Ltd edition 100 copies only
Released July 2007
NOW SOLD OUT!
7" Single - 'You got the Hurt' b/w 'I cant stand it!'
Dirty Water Records 2007
Release date: December 2007
BUY NOW Click Here.
Branded LP/CD/Download
Dirty Water Records 2008
Release date: September 2008
BUY NOW! Click Here.
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD Amazon MP3.
7" single - She's my woman' b/w 'Justine'Dirty Water Records 2009
Release date: June 2009
BUY NOW Click Here!
LP/CD/Download - 'Shout & Holler' Dirty Water Records 2009Release date: July 2009
BUY NOW Click Here!
NEXT SHOW
Back to Beat Festival, Bergen - April 2011
