All photos: Klea Scharberg

My take:

I mention something about The Rumble Strips sounding like “British indie-rock” and drummer Matthew Wheeler sticks up his nose. “I wouldn’t say that”, he protests. I throw a few more titles at him, but still, he shakes his head. “We are nothing.” (Ed note: NIHILISTS!)

Well, for the sake of description, genre seems almost imperative. The English tongue of vocalist Charlie Waller sure sounds indie-rock like that of Jon Fratelli or Alex Turner, but Wheeler’s on point- they really aren’t that one-dimensional.

The poppy lyrical melodies collide with an erratic progression that is anything but lackluster. Playing tracks from their one and only release, Girls and Weather, a theme is carried out throughout their set, but doesn’t bore. It never feels repetitive or unoriginal. The band stops, leaving wide-eyed Waller singing in between Sam Mansbridge’s bang on the orange drum. Its good clean sound is almost “simple”, with the common instrumentation of a multi-member group- drums, bass, keys…the usual. The lack of electronica, I find, is relieving in a year that loves dance and experimental noise. You can’t help but tap your feet to its undemanding sound.

It has been a long while since Mighty Mighty Bosstones have even come into my thought process, but thanks to Tom Gorbutt on the sax, it’s hard not to. “Time” was absolutely my favorite song of the night. The element of ska is just distinct enough to give The Rumble Strips that beat you can dance to. On tracks like “Oh Creole” and “Cowboy”, the Vampire Weekend soulful pop is pleasing to the ears, belting out an anthem of a broken heart, as the intensity builds and relaxes with their harmonies.

Greg’s take:

So I went into this show excited, high off the fumes of Nick Cave’s impressive stage presence and charisma.  A polished veteran character, delivering highly theatrical, yet extremely engaging rock in the grand sense of things.  To completely flip-flop, the Rumble Strips were touring on the heels of their first release, yet to be truly vetted in the Americas, yet certainly up-and-comers in the UK. Read the rest…

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MP3: The Rumble Strips – “Time”

Someone has finally been brave enough to take up the mantle of Dexys Midnight Runners. UK’s the Rumble Strips deliver uptempo, criminally joyful pop. At first listen, it is quite tempting to mistake them for a Dexys’ clone…but in fact, they share just as many similarities with those infamous Dexys’-covering third-wavers in Save Ferris.

The Rumble Strips’ sound is a frothy blend of passionate old soul, infectious and kinetic vocals in the vein of Dexys’ Kevin Rowland and the horn-blaring energy, tempos and plucky positivity of third-wave ska. It is likely one of the happiest records you’ll hear all year, grinning from ear-to-ear…we’re talking laughing to tears happy. This is both the album’s greatest strength and reflexively its greatest weakness.

Read the rest…

I’ve been combating my recent stress (and distress) with some fantastic new tracks. Thought I’d share a sampling. The first are a pair from an upbeat descendant of Dexy’s Midnight Runners. They are called the Rumble Strips and hail from the UK, and even made a bit of a remix of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black,” injecting some of their characteristic energy and throwback sound as a bubbling influence just underneath the surface.

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MP3: The Rumble Strips – Time

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MP3: Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (The Rumble Strips remix)

The last track is an electro-dance-fever inducing remix by Tepr of “A Cause Des Garçons,” a track from French superstar-to-be Yelle.

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MP3: Yelle – A Cause Des Garçons (Tepr Remix)