MPTY ZINE (ROMANIA)
TNS bring forward the first Leagues Apart material, To Anywhere. 7 tracks which are very in a good rhythm, a melodic punk-rock which reminds us of Lawrence Arms, Dilinger4 or Hot Water Music or any punk band after 1990. This band’s project was created from members of Stand Out Riot, Kickback Uk and Frontline. The album is fresh, melodic and worth listening to and I personally give them 8.5.
favorite tracks: More potatoes, Uncle Tusky, All this talk of sinking ships is making me thirsty
ICE CREAM FOR QUO
Shouty, thrashy and rousing in a way that many rock bands fail to be.
They swear quite a bit and some of it seems to be recorded live.
ISSUE
This was a nice surprise. I'd never heard of these and was pretty bowled over by some pretty sweet pop-punk with hardcore overtones. Actually they reminded me a little of Strike Anywhere. The songs pound along very nicely delivered with passion and speed. They also include catchy sing-a-long bits and fist in the air type bits too. The song titles are bizarre but don't suffer from being so named. Highly recommend these guys and hope they come down south so I get a chance to earhole them at a show.
MILD PERIL
I was mega impressed with some early demos Bilboa sent me in 2009 so I was excited to hear they had gone into a studio to record a 7 track ep for release on the awesome TNS records. Based in manchester featuring Bilboa (from the superb and sadley missed Frontline) James Hull (acoustic guy who was in Norwich a fair bit before moving to manchester) and a couple of members from Kickback to Anywhere should really catapult LA from a band in it's early formation to a much more established and respected one cause I really do rate the tracks on here. Think of melodic hardcore similar to Lawrence Arms with a touch of Strike Anywhere's fast pace now and again. Played tight as fuck with awesome vocal harmonies going on. Fantastic stuff, I've quite happily played it 3 times in a row now and each time found the songs more catchy. Next step is to catch these guys live.
ROCK SOUND
Good, honest punk rock is sometimes a hard thing to come by these days. One can always count on the likes of The Lawrence Arms to provide sardonic, witty respite in this respect and it is a path which Leagues Apart have thankfully chosen to follow. Equal parts heart-warming, inspiring and with some hilarious song titles, 'To Anywhere' could well see this Salford four-piece break out of the great northern conurbation and win over followers far and wide. The production may be a little ropey but that is of scant relevance when measured against the quality of songwriting on display throughout.
FOR FANS OF: The Lawrence Arms, Polar Bear Club, Apologies, I Have None
INDEPENDENT
LEAGUES APART - To Anywhere: Ah cool! Here's another release from one of my favourite record labels TNS. Leagues Apart sound somewhere between the Lawrence Arms, Hot Water Music and Dillinger Four which will appeal more to the younger crowd. While there's some makings of decent songs on here the band let themselves down a little with a thin production which doesn't give you the full affect of what these songs should like! However putting that aside this seven track min I album is still worthy of a listen. For me the better numbers were 'More Potatoes, Uncle Tusky', 'Kieran Looks Like Rob Brydon' and 'Garbage Day'. There's some catchy tunes throughout so despite the not so great production this is still worthy of checking out! 7/10
LEEDS MUSIC SCENE
Leagues Apart: To Anywhere
By Jessica Thornsby
'To Anywhere' by Salford-based Leagues Apart is seven tracks of straightforward, clattering DIY punk-rock, where each song has something subtly different to offer.
Like all the best bands, you'll either love Leagues Apart or hate them, primarily because of frontman Andi Wilson, who frequently sounds like he's ripping every word from some dark, wet, slobbery place. Imagine the harshness and nastiness of your atypical hardcore vocal, but congealed with all the snot and phlegm of the punk-rock vocal. This is exactly how Wilson sounds throughout the entirety of mini album-opener 'Davey and the Slick Cigarettes.' This song takes the clattering, bristling, DIY punk-rock blueprint, and drives lines of clear, classy, hard-rock riffing through said unholy racket. This clean, decisive thrust actually has 'Davey and the Slick Cigarettes' galloping along at an even more unrelenting pace. A song with a need for speed, and a uniquely classy after-taste.
Another trick Leagues Apart have up their sleeves, is the drunken, sing-along chorus, where the band members all roar along in tuneless unison. This is what makes the jet-propelled 'More Potatoes, Uncle Tusky?' such a fun song. Guaranteed to have you lifting your pint aloft and singing along. Cram-packed with jittery chords, the shaking, slobbering 'Kieran Looks Like Rob Brydon,' follows suit, with a chorus of beer-soaked vocal revelling. It can't quite match 'More Potatoes, Uncle Tusky?' when it comes to plastering a big, silly grin across your face - but it comes in a respectable second.
But, Leagues Apart aren't out of ideas yet. 'Ivan Splits in Half,' and 'Garbage Day!' all have a bounciness that's usually found in pop-punk, and rarely in punk-rock. 'Garbage Day!' is the most successful of the two songs. The drums, guitars, main and backing vocals, all seem desperate to out race one another. A riotous scramble of discordant noise, underpinned by pogo-ing drums; this song revels in its own chaos, and its enthusiasm is infectious. Meanwhile, 'Ivan Splits in Half' is, for all intents and purposes, a pop-punk song, played by a very punk band. Wilson belts out smooth vocal rhythms, in his thick, tuneless punk tones, whilst the drums pogo away with an exuberance that verges on violence. 'Ivan Splits in Half' is one of those songs that shouldn't work, but does.
'All This Talk of Sinking Ships is Making Me Thirsty' is Leagues Apart's most traditional punk-rock song. One long, abrasive rasp, where the sandpaper riffs slide seamlessly into one another. Good luck finding the place where one riff stops, and the other begins. Meanwhile, 'Hail To The King, Baby' is League Apart's most experimental number. Wilson pushes his voice to the absolute limits on this one. It sounds as though he's causing himself some genuine damage, and it's horrifically mesmerising. After hearing Wilson apparently trying to make himself vomit against a backdrop of runaway locomotive riffs, every other punk song will sound pretty tame.
Although not as original as the majority of TNS Records' acts, Leagues Apart turn out seven solid, DIY punk-rock songs, each with its own distinctive flavour, and spearheaded by Wilson's unique, slobbery vocals. Leagues Apart remain true to their roots throughout this mini album, but aren't afraid to explore the extreme edges of their comfort zone. Bristling, snappy, galloping DIY punk, with subtle innovative touches that'll leave you intrigued as to what Leagues Apart will cook up next.