There’s nothing like a bit of swaggering, posturing, assured rock’n’roll and no better is that epitomised than by a new band out of New Zealand called Racing. They have just released an EP entitled “The Bass” and my attention was fully captured after seeing their new video for the song “Let It Slip”. Directed by Florence Noble and shot by Timothy Flower, the video perfectly matches the towering ambitious scope of the song itself:
With a tsunami-like chorus and singer Ed Knowles’s deep vocals, this is a cool wave of a song – The National meeting Kool and the Gang.
Racing, from Auckland, are apparently an amalgam of a number of musicians from various bands in New Zealand and confirms my view that New Zealand is one of the most musically exciting areas in the world at the moment.
This EP is a welcome blast of rock, redolent in both style and attitude of some of my favourite Scandinavian bands such as The Hives and the much lamented The Soundtrack of Our Lives, and yet it brings to the table an entirely out of left field thread of brassy Motown R&B. “Misbehaving”, for example is an all out funky rumble:
Exciting stuff indeed. You can get the album from here.
Racing are Edward Knowles, Sven Pettersen, Daniel Barrett and Izaak Houston. If you happen to be in New Zealand, they are promoting the EP at the moment – full details and tickets here.
SEP 21 THU
Re:Fuel
Dunedin, New Zealand
SEP 22 FRI
Darkroom
Christchurch, New Zealand
SEP 29 FRI
Kings Arms Tavern
Auckland, New Zealand
SEP 30 SAT
The Yot Club
Raglan, New Zealand
OCT 6 FRI
Lucky Bar
Omori, New Zealand
OCT 7 SAT
Meow
Wellington, New Zealand
