This is the fourth in our series of Christmas messages from bands and artists that we have featured on With Just A Hint Of Mayhem this year. This time it is from the fabulous Pennine Suite. This band have made a number of appearances in these pages since their first in 2021. They continue to pump out some cracking tunes, and I just purchased their 4-track vinyl release which is excellent. The band have played a range of great gigs this year too. You really need to check them out if you haven’t already.
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The last time I saw the magnificent Pennine Suite play live was in June last year at the Fulford Arms. They played some new tracks that night and one of those was “Manhattan”. A song from a York band that was inspired by New York. What I said about it then was “The new track “Manhattan” is thunderously good and needs to be a single, RIGHT NOW! Harry’s guitar was magnificent on this track and the power and drive from the mighty rhythm section of Moses and Louis is a close to perfect as you could get!” Well whether they listened to me or not I really don’t know. But the song was released as a single towards the end of 2024. (Yes I am a bit late with it, but the song is too good to ignore!) It has a wonderfully crisp production with Nick’s voice oozing emotion and sounding very fresh. This is indeed a great live banger but it sure works as a great single too. The rhythm section is at beast levels, Harry’s guitar lines intertwine with some fine keys from Louise. The harmonies, hooks and riffs work with each other like a well serviced formula 1 engine. The result is a near perfect slab of first class pop rock from a band that have the potential to enter the music world’s equivalent of Formula 1 competitions and join the big league.
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Pennine Suite unleashed their latest single on the world a few weeks ago. It has a full, everything including the kitchen sink 21st Century Phil Spector wall of sound production, without the bells. I love the harmony vocals from Louise, it adds depth to the sound and complements Nick’s voice perfectly. The keys are very early 80s indie pop and at times the vocals reminded me of the Human League when they took a detour away from their trademark synth sound with tunes like “The Lebanon” from 1984. harry’s guitar performance here is top-notch. Meanwhile, Moses on bass coupled with the Malfoy metronome that is Louis creates a perfect beat that is mightier than the Hadron collider. This track makes me look forward to a Pennine Suite album even more!
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A couple of weeks back I had the pleasure of catching up with Pennine Suite front man Nick Aldous, that was on the eve of the release of the band’s rather excellent new single “Pass On You” which reached 5,000 streams in its first week in the wider world. Nick talks about band names and gigs, spills the beans on his band mates, muses about merch, T-Shirt designs (check out a rather infamous T-Shirt sported by Hugh Cornwell back in the 70s in the picture below) and chats about some of his favourite music among other things! It was great to catch up with him, click here to listen to the interview on Buzzsprout. I hope you enjoy it!
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The spanking new single from up-and-coming York band Pennine Suite hits the world on 25th March. I love its rather wonderful and almost eerie “ooh ooh” hook which stays with you long after you have listened to the song. Pennine Suite carries more depth of sound and are slightly less punky than the Receivers (who included three of the five members of Pennine Suite). “Pass On You” is reminiscent of some of the best early 80s post-punk and it epitomises pop-rock at its best. If I have any criticism it is simply that I think the track could be slightly longer than 2 minutes and 19 seconds. But as the band’s singer, Nick Aldous pointed out to me, you just need to play it twice, or more! I also think that someone with great remix skills could make a fantastic dance remix of this cracking song. I have heard the band play the song live and it comes across as a future classic. I recently interviewed Nick from the band, so look out for that appearing here sometime soon! Meanwhile, stream the hell out of “Pass On You”, don’t pass it by, pass it on! Click here to pre-save, pre-add, or pre-order and repeat play it as soon as it hits the streets!
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I am really enjoying the numerous Christmas messages that some of our favourite bands have put together for our readers. This one is from yet another great band from York, yes we are a hot bed of musical talent up here 🙂
Thanks to social distancing it is singer and guitarist Nick who is giving the message on behalf of the band, but the sentiments are shared by all the other Receivers. This band have released a couple of awesome tracks this year. You can check them out below the Christmas message. While you do click here and buy yourself some great vinyl and T-Shirt Receivers merch. Hot off the press the boys have secured a support slot with The Royston Club at the Victoria Vaults in January, click here to get yourself a ticket, this will be a sell out!
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This is the 8th time the mighty Receivers have featured in the virtual pages of With Just A Hint Of Mayhem and this time it is because they have a new single out now. Well technically to those of us who purchased their “Only Human” single on striking magenta vinyl earlier this year it is not so new, as it was the flip side of that fine 7 inch release on Vinyl Eddie Records. But now “Impatience” is available on all major channels and you can still grab a copy of the vinyl single too, just click here to grab one for yourself or as a Chrimbo pressie for your Nan.
I loved “Only Human” but also felt that an even better track lurked on the B-Side and it is great to see “Impatience” begin to get the airplay and recognition that it deserves in it’s own right. It is a psyched up slab of atomically charged garage rock. The magnificent, mesmerising and magical guitar riffs and licks from lead guitarist Alex give the song a dark edge which is supported by a megaphonic Stygian, almost shouted vocal from Nick. Meanwhile the finely tuned rhythm section of Louis and Harry drive the track like a freshly serviced Rolls Royce. I think that his is a step away from the Receivers comfort zone and personally I love a band or artist that is prepared to step over the line and out of the box. This is a stunningly catchy shadowy punk-infused, apocalyptic indie anthem bodes so very well for a Receivers album when it arrives!
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Well Covid-19 has just about fucked up everything this year hasn’t it. Record Store Day (RSD) 2020 was postponed from April to June and then when June was cancelled it was split into three ‘drops’: August 29th, September 26th and October 24th. The first of those was last Saturday and featured most of the big releases including David Bowie, Mansun, the Cure and Gene among many others. I had the honour of helping out in my fantastic local record shop, Vinyl Eddie’s on the day. My pay for that task was the sheer pleasure of doing it and the two Bowie releases!
The pandemic meant that it was a long way from a typical RSD, with only four customers allowed into the shop at any one time and persuading those customers to focus on just the RSD releases with no browsing options. I was outside managing the queue while Vinyl Eddie himself and his Dad, John made sure all the sales went without a hitch. We were also treated to a short set by ace local band the Receivers who had released their new single, “Only Human” the day before. Having expected an acoustic set I was more than pleasantly surprised to see them bring amps and the full band. They set up on the pavement with drummer Louis setting up his kit pretty much in the road! With a few plays of the new single, some other new tracks and some Receivers classics I am counting this as my first gig since March 14th. Sadly the video that I thought I had taken on my phone, didn’t work 😦
I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who turned up and bought vinyl, to the Receivers for a great set, to Richard Saker the Guardian/ Observer photographer (check the Guardian RSD piece by clicking here, I was gutted my own picture didn’t make it) and most of all to Eddie and John Parkinson for giving me the opportunity to help them out on the day! While I am looking forward to RSD 2020 part 2 and part 3 I am hoping for big things and a degree of normality for RSD 2021. Long Live Vinyl and Keep The Faith!
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Those dashing, dapper, debonair, daring, discerning, dynamic, dynamite, devil-may-care dudes the Receivers are back with a bang. Well in fact they are back with a banger in the shape of their new single “Only Human”. From the opening riffage you are lifted into the world of a band that is very much at the top of their game. This song is made for freaking out and going somewhat slightly mental to in a muddy festival field.
Probably the best vocal performance yet from lead singer and guitarist Nick. Meanwhile the rhythm section formed by Harry’s thunderous bass boom and Louis’ mountainous drumming purrs like a nicely run in Rolls Royce engine. On top of that add the sublime riffs and licks performed by lead guitarist Alex. The Receivers are coming out of the other side of COVID fully fit and ready to fight their way to the top. They might be only human but this is a single with super powers! These lads eat Kryptonite for breakfast!
You only have a couple of days to wait for “Only Human” to hit the streets, it is out on 28th August. But if you want to pre order it click here for the bands website. There is a fabulous 7 inch vinyl version from Vinyl Eddie Records available and that is the one I am hoping to get!
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Here is the second ever With Just A Hint Of Mayhem Podcast. This time it is an interview with one of York’s finest young bands, The Receivers. I hope you enjoy it. I would love to hear your comments!
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 