Various - Howlback Hum: We're From Norwich Vol#1

  by Anthony Dhanendran

published: 25 / 1 / 2005

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A compilation of Norwich bands. Not a sentence likely to set hearts a-flutter, but it’s worth persevering, because there are some choice finds hidden here. It starts off well, with the punky electro-indie of ‘Ubahn’ by Teknikov – Norfolk’s answer to Le Tigre, by the sounds of this track. Postalowa’s ‘Okin’ is spaced-out electronic post-rock, while ‘Kiki Keep Me Company’ by Bearsuit is a more familiar-sounding thrashy indie number. Rocknrollband live up to their name, delivering a drunken slice of Rolling Stones funky rock. The Rebeccas are a laid back affair, ‘Dark Blue Paintings’ being a pretty, haunting analysis of a relationship, delivered with crystalline clarity by a two-part female harmony. ‘Tamlyn End’ by Horses Brawl ploughs a similar furrow but is a wordless, strings-led affair. Olinski offer up a quirky song made from what sounds like the Japanese versions of the indie-market hawkers to be found outside most gigs. More usual pickings can be had from the male-female dual vocals at the centre of Le Tetsuo’s ‘Nickers’, an indie-rock workout of sorts. Hyper Kinako’s track ‘Biker Liker’ is a bizarre conconction of what sounds like mid-European vocals, Casio keyboard tones and the sound of a car crash outside. Monooo n Mono provide a track titled, enticingly, ‘Live at the Trowel and Hammer’, which turns out to be a long (for this album, anyway), slow, trance-like post-rock workout. It comes across as somewhere in the middle of Spiritualized, Mogwai and Eno. Magoo, on the other hand – favourites of the late John Peel – deliver a disturbingly jaunty lo-fi number with a likewise disturbing Vincent Price voiceover. ‘Conch Rock’ by Tonkyl is pleasant enough laid-back bleepy guitar music, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Finally, ‘Diabolique’ by the Gore Vidals has echoes of Chris T-T crossed with a slowed-down Fall, almost. Like all compilations trying to make sense of local scenes, this isn’t a coherent, or consistent, record. But it is vibrant and fun, and it hammers home the point that, musically at least, there is life outside the M25.

Track Listing:-

1 Teknikov- Ü-bahn
2 PostaLowa- Okin
3 Bearsuit- Kiki Keep Me Company (‘Lisa’s Special’ Mix)
4 Sunday Music- Live At The Playhouse Bar 21/12/03
5 Rocknrollband- I Want U, Baby
6 The Rebeccas- Dark Blue Paintings
7 Elsub- Handyman
8 Horses Brawl- Tamlyn End
9 Olinski, Toko- 7” T Shirt
10 Le Tetsuo- Nickers
11 Hyper Kinako- Bika Lika
12 Mono On Mono- Live At The Trowel And Hammer 15 Sept 2002
13 Magoo- Banana Custard
14 Tonkl- Conch Rock
15 The Gore Vidals- Diabolique

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Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg