When The Cloud Explodes

Manchester was bathed in unseasonable sunshine yesterday, the tower in Piccadilly’s grey concrete for once backdropped by blue skies, blue skies for as far as the eye could see. Manchester three piece The Empty Page released a single yesterday. The group describe themselves as feral and frantic and both words are apt on this release. When The Cloud Explodes is a frenetic, punk repsonse to Manchester’s usual weather, pissing dark grey rain and the way it forces people to create, indoors doing things while sheltering from the weather. From the fuzzed up guitars to singer Kel’s twin vocals to the pummelling drums there’s plenty here to love. Buy it at Bandcamp.

Big Wheel

This is Manchester three piece The Empty Page, possessors of fuzzed up melodies and a certain wracked beauty, and also blessed with having something to say. Click play, listen, cough up a quid (or fifteen for a rather nice vinyl album release here.)

Guitar/drums/bass three pieces have a particular dynamic, a democratic approach to sound that twin guitar bands (either four or five pieces) don’t have. The guitarist (usually also the singer) has to cover rhythm and lead, the bass is often more prominent and important and the drums get a more equal billing, it’s like all three members have to do more but also have more significance- I’m thinking The Jam, Husker Du, Minutemen, Nirvana, The Jimi Hendrix Experience to some extent, Motorhead, 5:30 (remember them?).