Welcome to the first edition of BOOT WATCH , we're playing catch up in this first edition with some of the best music released in the later stages of 2016.
HOWLAND
As the indie scene continues to grow it has brought a new lease of life to the musical culture of many cities, amongst these are southern towns such as Bristol, Swindon and home of the upcoming four piece HOWLAND, Brighton. With just two singles under their belt they have already amounted a devoted following southern following, mixing in a similar fan base to Swindon pair, MISFIRES and YVES. Their two releases manage to capture two different sides to the group, with their first single 'Hide' offering an atmospheric build up to a brilliant uplifting indie pop chourus, whereas the brand new release 'No Way' brings a moodier, less upbeat take on their sound. Their characteristic high pitched riffs blended with an undercurrent of aggression not present in 'Hide'. If they continue to develop and add a tad more of a unique element to their music they could have a big year!
BOOT RATING 7/10
THE BULLETPROOF BOMB
You might have heard of the South London quintet after they emerged in 2014 with a show-stomping debut single 'Suitcase' that grabbed the nations eye and elevated the band to be pipped as one of the best upcoming indie artists. Since then they have steadily released a selection of singles that show a clear trend. Since 2016 especially, they seem to have slowly matured musically, gaining a perhaps less catchy but certainly more distinctive sound than their initial hit. Combining seven of their 2016 singles into their 'This Aint Rebellion' EP that captures their new style, a blend of indie-pop riffs, a lyrical style containing an occasional twang reminiscent of Julian Casablancas , and their newly added social commentary. This is probably all best shown in 'Millennial Moaning - Generation Me' , beginning with the smoother side of their music, summer vibe indie-pop but then proceeded by a more atmospheric sound similar to that of Asylums. The track shares their punk riffs and cynicism towards society, listing subtle cliches of our generation towards the end. The group are clearly developing and if you are looking for something slightly different then we would recommend keeping an eye on The Bulletproof Bomb in 2017 as they could become something rather special.
BOOT RATING - 9/10
CABBAGE
And the least subtle song name of the year goes to....'Uber Capitalist Death Trade' from Cabbage. If the social commentary and cynical view of society of The Bulletproof Bomb appealed to you then we introduce you to Cabbage, who are up their with VANT as one of the most politically driven bands of last year! Although their politicism grabs the headlines more than their music at times, their aggressive post punk has also managed caught the nation's eye, producing ferocious live shows and eye-catching music videos. Recently releasing an EP with titled (with their usual humour) "Young, Dumb And Full Of..." compiling their previous singles into one release, it has become easier to catalog in one sitting. The Manchester quintet may not be to everyone's taste with their uncompromising political statements of protest but they're beliefs give them the edge over the thousands of emerging bands from 2016, and if they perhaps relied on their image just a little less they could become a real talent this year
BOOT RATING 7/10
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