Kentucky AFC - Iasobe? EP Review

 

[transcript from Sound Nation magazine August 2005]

Iasobe? is the first offering from Boobytrap's Kentucky AFC since the release of their debut album. This EP features four songs plus the six-minute plus instrumental, Gizmo.

Y Salwch kicks off with good, jangly, guitars which lead into a strong, Supergrass-ish chorus, and the more rocky Y Gwan A I Flydd demonstrates great riff-writing ability. Praidd relies more upon instrumentation to drive the song but still shows the band's raucous but disciplined vocals, then fourth track Un Ffordd opens with pounding drums and a frenetic pace.

All the songs are guitar driven, and Kentucky AFC certainly prove their talents at writing catchy riffs. The production (courtesy of the band, plus Matth from The Keys and Dyl Mei at Cardiff's Music Box) is a little fuzzy but this only adds to the raw sound of the EP. This is a positive release from the band and is set to be a fan pleaser. VE

• Label: Boobytrap

• Release Date: 1 August

• Press / Plugging: Plug 2

• Distribution: Genepool / Universal

• Web: www.kentuckyafc.com

• Web: www.boobytraprecords.com

Various Artists - The North South Divine

"The North South Divine" was a compilation album released by FF Vinyl (although not on vinyl, only CD) and served as a sonic battleground and a bridge, capturing the energetic diversity of the UK's underground music at the time of its 2004 release. True to its title, the compilation aimed to highlight a musical and cultural dialogue, showcasing bands that were often divided by the media's focus on London-centric scenes versus the potent output from north of the Watford Gap.

With 12 tracks, this collection is genre-fluid journey, blending the raw post-punk edge and earnest indie-pop hooks characteristic of the era. These are not the chart-toppers, but the hard-working acts generating genuine buzz on the club and festival circuit. It functions today as an authentic time capsule, a valuable document that illustrates the geographic spread and stylistic depth of British alternative music before the internet fully flattened local music economies. For anyone interested in the bands that were on the cusp of breaking through in the mid-2000s, The North South Divine is an essential, if rare, listen.

There's no online copy available so I've linked some of the tracks I've found on YouTube.

Track	Artist	Song Title	Length
1	Kentucky AFC	"Outlaw"	3:32
2	JT Mouse	"Numb"	2:06
3	The Afternoons	"That Summer, That Sky"	3:37
4	The Crimea	"White Russian Galaxy"	3:19
5	Gabrielle 25	"Tearing Away"	3:05
6	The Peakz	"Conwy Valley Love Song"	3:24
7	Camera	"I'm Not Ready (Demo)"	3:24
8	Texas Radio Band	"Chwareon"	3:56
9	FILLMORE	"Acrobat"	3:15
10	Science	"Oh, I Hide It Well"	3:15
11	The International Karate Plus	"Nexus In A Chain Of Thought"	3:24
12	Sweet Baboo	"Do Do D Do Charlene"	2:47