hes too kind...

http://www.deadearnest.btinternet.co...

This was the first time I'd seen Dundee's Native Alien. I'd reviewed thier new CD-EP a couple of weeks before so I thought I knew what to expect - which is how I nearly didn't do this review. You see, normally I'll hear a set and decide on an enjoyment factor of 1-10, whether or not to commit it to website, depending on how much of an impression it had made on me. The thing here was that the band turned in this gem of an opening track that I was so busy enjoying, it wasn't until they started on an even better second track, that I thought "I'm gonna have to review this gig in detail - I think it's gonna be superb" - and raced to the Doghouse bar to grab a pen so I could get something down in case I was right - and, guess what? Yep - I was right!!
By the second track the band were already turning in this mix of driving indie rock mixed with quality arranging, great guitar work and a singer who is just superb. That this second track came across as mix of Perth's Defended and the more dynamic parts of Dundee's Limber, infused with a stunner of a hok, solid harmonies and some red hot and meaty guitar work plus one seriously beefy beats, is a mark of just how good it was. BUt things kept getting better - traqck 3 started slower only somehow more powerful with huge slabs of electric guitar work, the vocalist proving just what a strong voice he has, again accompanied by some excellent vocal harmonies. Underpinned by solid work from the rhythm section with pounding bass and lurching drums, the sdong flows with force and majesty, really anthemic and uplifting as the rhythms prove seriously addictive, the arrangement structured but alive with some searing lead guitar as the icing on the cake - but that vocalist - welll.....just stunning.
The 4th track featured some powerful rhythm guitar work and a strong riffing undercurrent, propelled by more mid-paced but still strong rhythms, while the song itself is very hypnotic, as once again, the vocals lift it all off the ground as the harmonies and choruses make the song simply superb, a great song on the CD but so much stronger in a live setting. As a pure anthem the song twists an turns but never loses any of its direction, cohesion and conviction. For track 5, a psychedelic guitar lead introduces things as it leads into this big, stomping rhythm, the impassioned lead vocal soaring away on top. You might expect the song to erupt, but instead it stays within its structured arrangement, building into this faster beat which reminded me very much of the best Draymin material, with a huge expansive sound and even bigger choruses. It's a really solid, surging slice of indie-rock, featuring plenty of that red hot lead guitar work touched by a psychedelic edge, and just a stunner of a song.
Track 6 is faster paced and it just all copmes together so seemingly effortlessly and so well. A great song once again, another urgent delivery with hooks, verses and choruses sung to perfection, as the song and its arrangement prove utterly irresistible and totally addictive. Then they left - that they left you wanting more, a mark of just how hot a performance t5his had been. It's not doing the band down in any way to say that they're Dundee's answer to The Draymin and every bit as good as that comparison might suggest, and you really need to get out and see this band live in concert - you won't regret it!!

Hey peeps just up after last nights gig at Doghouse where Kobai were their usual absolute awesome! Was speaking to Andy G (local music reviewer for those of you who dont know) and he seemed to enjoy our gig so hopeully he will write a wee review of it soon. He told me he had reviewed our wee demo disc we hand out and i found it this morning so here it is!

http://www.deadearnest.btinternet.co...

NATIVE ALIEN - Dead Skin CD-EP

Despite the fact that this is absolutely impossible to categorise, there's an hypnotic quality to the writing and playing throughout, which means that you're hooked from the start. If anything, you could bracket the first two tracks as “Dundee's answer to Crosby, Stills and Nash” only with more teeth. In keeping with that analogy, the title track delivers sublime vocal harmonies, Americana lead vocals, chunky bass, delicate percussion, strummed acoustic guitars and a song that simply flies into your head and heart, occupying a place marked “repeat plays, please” as its addictive hooks and insistent rhythms provide a mix of lightness and strength that separates itself from any other band on the Dundee scene. But if you thought that was good, “Invisible Sun” is even better. With added electric guitar to give it more bite and purpose, stronger rhythms, a sense of psychedelia in its arrangement, as the flowing lead vocals soar into some high-flying, addictive harmonies that just hit the right spot, time after time after time. It's like a cross between The Police and Crosby, Stills & Nash with touches of Flamin' Groovies chucked in for good measure, a bizarre comparison perhaps, but the result is a track that's got real heart as well as a commercial awareness that makes it instant and yet long-lasting enjoyment. “Still Love You” is more of a ballad, with lilting piano, deep bass undercurrents, impassioned vocals, more sublime harmonies, and another song that is simply gorgeous yet in no way vacuous or overtly “fluffy”. This band know how to deliver a harmony-laden slice of Americana with an identity of their own making running through its centre. Finally, “Subtle Panic” surges into life and completely confuses you, with its rough-edged rockier delivery, wickedly funky bass, more aggressive vocals, surging keyboards, riffing electric guitar and shuffling drums. Yet, quite unexpectedly, it fits – after the warm California sun we have the wild western winds, as the strident offering races ahead in a hail of electric guitar work and impassioned, hard-edged lead vocals, hardly a harmony in sight, and yet they do it so uniquely and so well. Overall, this is a treat, and yet another new and unique talent on the scene.

Hey guys we at ze Dog on Friday with Kobai who will be the next big band to come out of scotland. Check them out at

www.myspace.com/kobai

We will also be playing new song Conflicts!

See you there!

Mitch