The Cribs are a 3-piece indie-rock band hailing from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, made up by twins Ryan and Gary Jarman and their younger brother Ross. Their third album proper, "
Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever", was released on the 14th, and I would really recommend it to anybody who considers themselves a music fan out there. Their second album, "
The New Fellas", did fairly well, but didn't really get this talented band the publicity they deserved. The key to their songs is the visceral and raw take on rock music, and their live performances are no different: it is pretty common at The Cribs gigs for the lead singer, Ryan Jarman, to throw himself into the crowd and finally return to the stage with a broken something or other, and half of his clothes missing to show for it. The only negative thing I could say about them is that the rawness of their recorded music sometimes detracts from the fact that in actuality, they're all really good at their instruments. However, I know from people who have already got the new album that they've cleaned up their sound, for the better.
Lets just get this out of the way: these guys are
the definition of a
rock'n'roll band; at the NME awards, Ryan did a backflip off one of the tables, landing head first on the adjacent one, which just so happened to be covered with champagne bottles and crystal glasses. The aftermath included a lot of broken glass, and Ryan being forced to go to hospital for stitches. That didn't stop him from returning later on that night, though, and going AWOL, before being ferried back to the hospital as he had opened his stitches again. One of his early injuries also causes Ryan's lips to bleed if he sings too much, which can be seen clearly on the cover of Martell, their first single (see right), and something that Ryan considers 'fucking annoying' but a bit of a party trick.
I really think these guys are on the up at the moment: from what I have heard, they have toned down the distortion on their second album, and are making some really good music. I just hope this calm doesn't extend to their live performances, which I know from experience are something to behold and enjoy, if a little bit loud for some people... If you want to check out some of their music, I have included 3 of their great tracks-
click here if you want to get them all, or click the links below if you want to get each one individually. Its no coincidence that
Men's Needs, the first single of their new album, is my track of the day. Enjoy!
The Cribs- Men's NeedsThe Cribs- Hey ScenestersThe Cribs- MartellYou can buy the first album,
The New Fellas, here, and the new album,
Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, here.
So, as we all knew it would, Coldplay's new album has been leaked. And it's ace. In my honest opinion, this is their best album to date, but a comprehensive review will have to wait.
