The Woodentops – mini tour in December, new and retrospective albums obtainable
Cult heroes, indie-dance legends, the Woodentops, in widespread with most of their mid-80’s contemporaries are ‘again’, gigging and introduced out a fantastic new album and a really cool retrospective 3 CD set this 12 months. Not that Ged Babey or anybody at LTW observed… oops, sorry Rolo.
The Woodentops was a fantastic band identify. Taken from a BBC puppet present from the mid 1950’s which gave the impression to be endlessly repeated up till the tip of the ’70’s, it was additionally a nickname given to coppers on the beat. PC Plod.
‘Sure, it got here from the puppet present but in addition means ‘fool’ as in Woodenhead, it’s additionally a people and nation time period for an acoustic guitar’. The frontman of the band informed me.
The band centred round one Rolo McGinty, named it appears, after the scrumptious chocolate sweets. However probably quick for Roland. His grandfather Patrick was a legendary determine in Irish folklore who saved aggressive livestock I’m informed. However then once more, that could possibly be utter bollocks. (There’s a level to this, consider me – on the finish of this piece)
You cheeky git. Rolo comes from my initials, ‘R.L. I used to be referred to as Rolo by all the children at college’
Historical past lesson.
The place nearly all of indie bands on the time have been guitar-led, The Woodentops’ sound was constructed on a layer of tight percussion, augmented by rising digital jiggery-pokery. Latin and African rhythms fused neatly with indie guitars to current top-class pop songs in a manner that attracted the eye of everybody from Morrissey (who chosen their debut Lots as single of the week in Melody Maker) to Lee Perry, who stumbled into their studio by mistake and determined to hold round. Elsewhere, Adrian Sherwood would usually pitch in with a remix, whereas the band anticipated the indie/ dance crossover when their extremely charged reside present stormed the burgeoning Balearic dance scene.
Jesus, it’s been ten years since LTW final featured the Woodentops and we omitted to overview their 2024 album which got here out this April! And the three CD One Little Unbiased compilation Earlier than Throughout After. It simply proves that there’s simply so-much music round and never sufficient time to cowl all of it. Hopefully this goes some approach to making amends.
Fruits Of the Deep is offered on Bandcamp and sounds incredible on first hear. Unimaginable to classify it’s received songs, grooves, melody, strangeness and selection.
They are saying:
A many years value of actual life songs and concepts starting from analogue reside recording to programmed digital and software program mutant creation, utilizing graphic to audio filtering, equivalent to a lorry load of footballs tipping out to create the thought of a big guitar chord surfacing after a deep dive has occurred, breaking the floor and effervescent as a submarine would.
The album rocks, funks, soothes, conjures up psychological pictures and goes the place no one else does. The title suggests the aquatic really feel of the gathering, water, our vastly necessary recourse, in us and round us, that’s what makes our Earth liveable.
There’s a fantastic overview at Whisperinandhollerin and Mojo gave it 4 stars, describing it as ‘frenetic, intense, musically dense’ and recognizing scrumptious Donald Fagen-style keyboards and Blurt-like sax.
Uncut mentioned they might perceive why the band gained over Lee Scratch Perry and dug the tailored ‘blissful Spiritualized krautrock’ of Too Good To Keep, awarding 8 outa 10 for his or her ‘flawless head-spinning knack for invention’.
For the bands December dates, the Woodentops have a stand-in guitarist: Who’s it Rolo?
We welcome Micko Westmoreland to the Woodentops for our kiss goodbye to 2024, a Winter Hotter run of dates in December. Tenth- Milton Keynes Crauford Arms, eleventh – Brigthon Komedia, twelfth -London 02 Academy Islington selling Fruits of The Deep, the critically acclaimed 2024 album…
He’s isn’t any stranger to LTW’s digital pages, as electronica artiste The Bowling Inexperienced or together with his guitar band the Mellotronics.
Ticket hyperlinks for the gigs are under and followers of the Woodentops or the plain curious ought to be suggested to snap ’em up.
The Woodentops. Reside December 2024 ticket hyperlinks
Dec Tenth Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms
Dec eleventh Brighton Komedia
Dec twelfth London Islington Academy 2
Purchase Fruits of the Deep on Bandcamp
Purchase 3 CD Retrospective on One Little Unbiased
Full Disclosure: I missed out on The Woodentops on the time, however flicking through their again catalogue, they’re far, way more attention-grabbing than loads of their so-called ‘indie-dance’ contemporaries. After I’d performed my analysis I noticed I may’ve requested ChatGPT (the free AI program) to put in writing this piece for me. So I did. Here’s what it got here up with:
‘The Woodentops, an indie band initially fashioned within the Nineteen Eighties, are at the moment lively and have made a big return in 2024. They lately launched a brand new album, Fruits of the Deep, their first in a decade, on April 26, 2024. The report continues their custom of mixing acoustic rhythms, energetic tempos, and experimental sounds, together with components of dub reggae and dance music . Along with releasing new music, The Woodentops have been touring, performing each basic tracks from albums like Big and Wood Foot Cops on the Freeway in addition to introducing new materials. They’ve additionally been partaking their viewers by DJ units that includes remixes, rarities, and new tracks . When you’d wish to discover their newest album or study extra about their actions, their Bandcamp and social media pages provide up to date data.’
Hmmm. Factual however boring. I feel mine’s higher, so fuck you AI! I cannot get replaced.
And now, pricey readers, you may spot the distinction.
All phrases Ged Babey with press launch content material, quotes and AI content material in italics
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