NITEROOMS
This Caerphilly balladtronica trio used to be called Atterbury & Gibbz, which presumably means they’re weren’t always a trio, and have removed all their songs recorded under that name from cyberspace – leaving only Wash, their rather alluring debut as Niterooms. Super-slow codeined-out r’n’b that probably digs The xx and The Weeknd but is weirder than either, the beats patter and clack at a sloth’s pace and the autotuned vocals are barely decipherable. A bold way of introducing oneself that’s grabbed my attention. NG
THE HANGMEN
Like the dive bar that offers both kinds of music, country and western, Swansea-based mod-rock quartet The Hangmen wear both kinds of upper body outerwear in their promo photo: two anoraks and two denim jackets. What I am saying is that you should not expect much reinvention of the wheel by this group, but their latest track Strut still has some pizazz – a mid-paced garage rock rumble with ‘authentic’ valve-amped production and lyrics about a man who “knows he’s rock’n’roll”. NG
KING JUSS
“Stella marinated doom punk,” King Juss describe themselves, in full. After having swept up the last shards of my tulip glass, which I’d dropped in horror on hearing of some young people not in tune with the overpriced craft beer revolution, I found this Cardiff mob delivered enjoyable raw’n’raucous grunge across their five-song debut EP. Morose, faintly gothic vocals intone lyrics with a – presumably ironic – pro-alcoholic bent (Pissed Before Seven); lumbering meat-lump riffs are like early Soundgarden crossed with Reading goofballs Workin’ Man Noise Unit. NG