In an age of identikit indie-bands and desperate 80s pop re-hashes (Little Boots et al,) it is always refreshing to discover something that feels authentic. Hull based four piece The Neat first came to my attention two years ago, when a friend at uni who knew them recommended I went to see their set at Leeds Festival. Duly impressed, I have followed their career ever since.
The band deliver rumbling bass lines and sardonic, literate lyrics in the vein of Mark E. Smith. Sharp riffs spike through their post-punk snarl and the energy the band creates transmits effortlessly in their lo-fi recordings. The band are clearly indebted to the more articulate, intelligent post-punk bands and recall the likes of The Fall, Gang of Four and(early) Joy Division. But they are far more than a rip-off band. The Neat create a sound that is refreshing and deliver it in a way that means something; they are also comfortably one of the best live bands I've seen in the last year.
Currently one of the hottest properties in music (how they haven't been snapped up is a mystery, but there is a harem of labels chasing them at present) the band recently recorded a live session on Radio One for Steve Lamacq, which the MP3 below was taken from, and have built up quite a following around the capital. They are also playing at Reading and Leeds Festivals this summer on the BBC Introducing stage.
The band have visited Norwich twice; to play a Milkbar night last October and to headline a gig at the Arts Centre for us in April. They're due to return this Autumn to play another Milkbar clubnight. Be sure to catch them live if you can.
The band deliver rumbling bass lines and sardonic, literate lyrics in the vein of Mark E. Smith. Sharp riffs spike through their post-punk snarl and the energy the band creates transmits effortlessly in their lo-fi recordings. The band are clearly indebted to the more articulate, intelligent post-punk bands and recall the likes of The Fall, Gang of Four and(early) Joy Division. But they are far more than a rip-off band. The Neat create a sound that is refreshing and deliver it in a way that means something; they are also comfortably one of the best live bands I've seen in the last year.
Currently one of the hottest properties in music (how they haven't been snapped up is a mystery, but there is a harem of labels chasing them at present) the band recently recorded a live session on Radio One for Steve Lamacq, which the MP3 below was taken from, and have built up quite a following around the capital. They are also playing at Reading and Leeds Festivals this summer on the BBC Introducing stage.
The band have visited Norwich twice; to play a Milkbar night last October and to headline a gig at the Arts Centre for us in April. They're due to return this Autumn to play another Milkbar clubnight. Be sure to catch them live if you can.
[mp3] The Neat - Fruits
Lewis Milkbar
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