As Manchester’s burgeoning music culture continues to thrive in a new era, a whole crop of exciting acts are emerging and forcing the UK to admit that there’s more to its second city than 24 Hour Party People’s mythical misconceptions. No longer can every review of a Manchester band written by London based journalists lazily cite New Order or Happy Mondays as an influence in some half assed stereotyping of a city, D’youknowwhatImean?
That’s because of forward-thinking contemporaries such as Milk Maid, who draw influences from further ashore. The shredded distortion of the early ’90s American alternative rockers and fuzzy elements of shoegaze combine with a carefree, lo-fi, West Coast affection for sun-drenched golden melodies. The band are quite similar to label-mates, and fellow Manchester outfit, Mazes, whom BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley described recently as a “really garagey Kinks.”
Ex Nine Black Alps bassist, Martin Cohen, is the songwriter. Everything on the group’s debut album entitled, Yucca, was recorded in his bedroom. Cohen relishes the position of songwriter for the first time, with an undeniably care-free attitude contrasting that of his previous grunge outfit.
It was actually Mazes member Jack Cooper who first picked up on Milk Maid, releasing a split single on his own Suffering Jukebox label last year. Now having signed to Fat Cat, their new single, Not Me is to come out on June 13th. It’s a track which firmly stomps into action, lending heavily from Christine by The House Of Love, and dare we say it, Mucky Fingers by Oasis, if we were going to shoot ourselves in the foot about Manchester comparisons…
Yucca‘s launch will take place at the Soup Kitchen Basement with Fear Of Men and The Kiss Off also making an appearance. Tickets are £4. If you want to see them before that though, they’re also playing a free gig at the awesomely named Mad Ferret in Preston. Below is the video for their upcoming single and a few soundcloud tracks. Let us know what you think.
Words: Simon Butcher
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv3VO48VONY
Milk Maid – That’s Not Thinking – Side B – FatCat Records – 7FAT102 by FatCat Records
Milk Maid – Do Right by FatCat Records
Milk Maid – Girl by FatCat Records
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