We’re pretty bored of all this ‘guitar bands are coming back / guitar bands aren’t coming back’ nonsense that’s been floating round the media recently, aren’t you? Although if guitar bands are coming back what we are interested in is what it means for youth market public financed radio in the UK– but we’ve already talked about that here.
So instead, right now, let’s just talk about music, irrespective of if it’s made on synths, laptops, harps, fiddle, guitars or beating the hairy arse of a monkey with a wooden spoon and introduce a new group. Good morning Night Engine.
Night Engine have spent time honing their songs and sound, getting things right before they’ve launched themselves into the world with just a handful of gigs. They’ve already picked up column inches by some of our favourite blog buddies Killing Moon, The Recommender and The Metaphorical Boat as well as being featured in the NME, The Guardian’s New Band A Day and Ones To Watch 2013 series, so certainly they’ve had good start. If you’re suspecting that this sounds like some sort of early adopter hype with such a limited number of shows under their belts, then maybe it’s time for you to rethink how bands get their music heard these days. The old fashioned method of slogging round the country playing bottom of the bill shows to one man and his dog just isn’t practical anymore unless you’re well off or are being financed by a label or a very wealthy bank of mum and dad. Do the maths. 4 band members travelling to say Manchester from London to play for less money than the cost of the petrol to get there simply isn’t sustainable. It would be a case of band or bust. Why do that when your music can be heard by several hundred people off one post from a music blog? It’s a lot cheaper and just as likely to get you noticed.
With the return of Dame David Bowie earlier this week this post feels unusually topical. It’s because Night Engine make tight, direct pop songs that smash-funk their way onto the indie dance floor like outtakes from Let’s Dance as well as Franz Ferdinand’s debut album. They combine half-sung half-chanted vocals, choppy guitar licks and weird keyboard riffs that probably don’t take a genius to play and yet sound weirdly genius. It's dirty jerky disco music that directs your hips to thrust and your legs to twitch. It’s spikey, it’s rough, it’s brazen and will probably divide opinion, but this stuff struts like a peacock on heat. It knows it’s good.
If you're in or around London you can catch Night Engine next on February 20th at The Borderline.
Night Engine - Seventeen
Night Engine - I'll Make It Worth Your While
Night Engine - Treat Me Like A Baby (Live Video)
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