The Young Knives
Three-vox trio The Young Knives are your choice henchman of gritty pop disorder. Clad in tweed suits, boasting a band-member christened The House Of Lords and writing the finest punk-art-pop-eccentro anthems you’ve yet to register amidst your psyche, they’re 2005’s latest, hankering obsession-to-be.
Hailing from Oxfordshire and featuring brothers Henry (lead-guitar) and The Lords (bass), plus Skewie (drums), the band have carved local and minor national ripples over the past few years for a small succession of handsomely penned EPs and mini-releases, yet are now going at it all-guns-a-blazin’.
Being produced by Gang Of Four’s Andy Gill (also the production-head behind Killing Joke, The Futureheads and early Chili Peppers) helps, as does a diary packed with imminent (and recently aired) performances alongside fellow upstart hopes for the year impending – namely, Maximo Park, The Immediate, Tom Vek, Editors and Youth Movie Soundtrack Strategies. And then there’s the tunes. Of which, ‘Weekdays & Bleakdays’ has already become a cult web-hit, after having been included on the recent Queens Of Noize ‘Best of 2005’ iTunes release. Not so much ‘nifty’ as ‘revelatory’. Would we lie to you?
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Yet to be finished, you can – for the meantime – converse with fellow Young Knives aficionado on a sultry forum.
SHIFTY DISCO: Track the band’s earliest releases via their cult and hometown label-institution, Shifty Disco.
XMAS PARTY REPORT 2004: alongside fellow fast-rising scamps Editors and Tom Vek, in association with Queens Of Noize, we put on an early appearance from the revitalised Young Knives, and felt suitably inspired by the ensuing efforts.
‘WEEKENDS & BLEAKDAYS’ DOWNLOAD: suck it ‘n’ see; download this fine demo (surely a future hit?) from the band and feel thankful.