Another Form of Relief

I’m not usually one for this indie-dance nonsense. Not because I have anything against it. I’m just not into the whole electronic kind of sound. To me, it’s hardly dance music unless it contains handclaps, but that’s a different matter. Still, the sweet spot where indie and dance collide seems to be very “in” these days. At least that’s what I gather from “the kids”.

Every now and again, a band will come along that does it in a way I actually like. I first covered Stricken City on here a year ago when their brilliant Tak o Tak was doing the rounds. I half expected it to be a one-off though, and for the band to go on and become huge while never making much else I’d actually like. Now they’ve only gone and popped up with Pull the House Down to prove me wrong. It’s a little slower and a little looser, and with their first US release coming up, will likely get them a little closer to becoming massive.

Songs About People I Know will be released on October 12 by Pure Groove.

Great British Hopes collects the very best in unsigned acts from the UK.

Another band influenced by the mighty Life Without Buildings? They seem to be popping up everywhere these days, and if it were another band, I might be getting a little weary of it. LWB never had time to fulfill their potential, so any band attempting to pick up where they left off is welcome.

Which is a little unfair to Stricken City, who have a lot more going for them than one influence. A clean beat drives everything forwards, guitars float in and out and the vocals have just a vague sense of disconnect from everything else. Which for once, is absolutely fine. This isn’t music that’s about the specifics. It’s all about the atmosphere.

You can download the entire Tak o Tak EP for free from Stricken City’s website.