The return of Tom Vek this week reminded me of all those bands I loved back in the mid-noughties. ¡Forward, Russia! were definitely up there. Sadly they disbanded long ago. But with former guitarist Whiskas (otherwise known as Sam Nicholls) playing his first gig of 2011 tomorrow in London, it seems like an appropriate time to finally post about his melancholic soundscapes.
Whiskas has made an prominent appearance of his own on this blog already, when he wrote a bit about his three favourite British albums of the last decade at the end of 2009. I mentioned Honour Before Glory at the time but this is the first dedicated post to his new sounds.
The atmospheric meanderings of Honour Before Glory mix shoegaze and electronica before emerging somewhere approaching the brilliance of TV On The Radio*. The newest offering, 'Maison' is particularly arresting in its serenity - an optimistic sign for future material, which I hope will continue on this path.
Listen to a couple of tracks embedded below and on Bandcamp, where you can also download a track called 'Lions' for free. Honour Before Glory play Steve Lamacq's clubnight Going Deaf For A Living tomorrow evening (21st) at the Bull & Gate in London.
Maison by Honour Before Glory
Breaker by Honour Before Glory
* - TVOTR bassist Gerard Smith passed away today and we offer our condolences to his family and band. Thanks for the music, Gerard - you'll be missed.
For more information, head over to HonourBeforeGlory.com.
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