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Elly Roberts reviews
For Your Dictator EP
There are two buzzwords in the music industry right now – THE MORENAS.
Their scintillating 40 minute blast at Oswestry Music Live in July was one ofthe festivals highlights. One hell of an impression.
Led by swarthy lead singer and guitarist Paulo Morena, bassist Tim Jacksonand drummer Steve Wilson, they have all the makings of a massive band: TheDarkness has serious competition.
If Justin thinks hes some kind of superstar wait till you see Paolo -a rock star in the making.
Musically, theyre full on – in-your-face old-skool rockers with a 21stcentury twist. I Wanna Be Someone is a pulsating romp with apredictable energetic pace, full of riffs to blow your head off. Itsenough to leave you shell-shocked.
Track 2, My Violent Femme, should have been the lead song. Funky bass,solid sticks and rippling lead guitar, and yes more riffs. This would comeacross brilliantly on radio one of my favourite rock songs of the year.
Leave Me Alone is a dirty guitar sizzler and wailing vocals with agroovy rhythm at yet another frenetic pace. A more temperate pace, butequally impressive sound follows on Filthy. Paolo leads all the songswith supreme edge and confidence.
I know when Ive seen a great band – The Morenas are that.
Check them out on Saturday this Saturday (12 Nov) on Channel 4s 4Music andPaolo playing the part of John Lennon in Channel 4s controversial documentary onPrincess Margaret on Saturday 26 November.
Weblink:The Morenas.co.uk
Circus Normal EP
At long last a band to be reckoned with.
There’s plenty of evidence on this debut EP to consolidate my belief thatCircus Normal have a bright future.
This exciting new Welsh band, who met at a Cardiff Bay studio which spawnedCatatonia and Super Furry Animals, are out to make their mark – and how.Delivering a killer lead track with supreme confidence and swagger,
Only Time Will Tell is an old-skool ‘wah wah’ orientated Hendrixstyle rocker. Elsewhere the EP gives a broader insight into theircapabilities which are formidable. Acoustic driven Ride shows theirdynamic talents as it gloriously rises and falls. Both lead song andScream confirm their credentials, qualified by legendary producerTony Visconti as having, “Classic rock sensibilities.”
So much so, they’ve opened for Little Richard.At every level they prove to have all the necessary elements for a longcareer.
There’s nothing quite like this on the air-waves, with its success dependenton radio playlists.
Possibly the next new sensation from Wales.
Weblink:Circus Normal.com
Page Content copyright © Elly Roberts, 2005.
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.