Fistymuffs – About Time

Launched on the 28th of July at the Leith Depot, About Time is the debut four track EP from Edinburgh Punk trio, Fistymuffs.  It’s an utterly compelling collection of songs which screams out to be heard from start to finish.

Opening track Innocent Contact begins with a spoken word monologue, the powerful yet controlled anger demanding your attention.  As the band kicks in the raw energy is cranked up to the max as the gropers and uninvited personal space dwelling men are left in no doubt that their actions are anything but innocent.

Coercive Control deals with destructive mental abuse. The grungy riff underpinning the track serves as a perfect backdrop to the dark subject matter.  The smart lyrics are deployed like a scalpel.  ‘Show me the scars, this isn’t abuse’ skillfully lays bare the self-serving excuses of the abuser in just two short lines.

Time tells the story of an escape from an abusive relationship.  The staccato guitar playing and slightly trippy bass throughout the verses creates a claustrophobic atmosphere which only begins to disperse as the moment of escape approaches.  It’s an intense few minutes and may well be the pick of the tracks here.

The final track, Fistymuffs Anthem is classic pop punk, the singalong choruses proving hard to resist as the band lay out exactly what they are all about.  By the end of it you are left in no doubt that this band are more than a group, they’re a gang.

You certainly won’t be filing About Time under easy listening but the raw emotion and urgency throughout deserves to see it filed under essential listening.  If this is the starting point then following Fistymuffs over the next few years should be quite a journey.

Fistymuffs are Patty Vea on Bass and lead vocals, Suky Goodfellow on Guitar and Vocals and Nikki Foxx on drums.

You can purchase About Time by heading over to Bandcamp.  Just click here. 

Find out more by following Fistymuffs on Twitter.

Vistas – Tigerblood

It’s been around since the end of May but if you still haven’t heard Tigerblood, the latest single form Edinburgh band Vistas then trust me,  it’s about time you did,

The band have been producing wonderfully infectious chorus driven indie tunes for a couple of years now.  Tracks such as Calm and Retrospect were clear statements of intent, the melodic singalong choruses designed to be real crowd pleasers.

Tigerblood takes that to the next level, It is just impossible to stay still whilst listening to it. Be careful though.  It’s one of those tracks that somehow induces a heavy right foot if played in the car. You may be driving sedately as it kicks off.  As it ends don’t be surprised to see flashing blue lights in the rear view mirror as you subconsciously press harder on the gas pedal in an attempt to keep up with the sonic storm blasting out of the speakers.

This is a band that demands to be seen live.  For details of where they are playing in the coming months check out their website.

They’re also on Twitter and Facebook .