It's been a good year for guitar pop bands and a good year for the folk and anti-folk scenes. So how did the Londonist music dungeon find itself rediscovering the joys of good heavy thrashing noise somewhere between Maximo Park and Sufjan Stevens? No idea, but it's been fun being pumelled by the likes of TODD, Part Chimp, Motorhead and Dinosaur Jr this year. One band we haven't managed to catch up with yet are Pungza but we did enjoy their self titled EP enough to ask them to pen a few answers for us.
We liked their description of themselves as
4 ordinary men with a distaste for most things, a distrust of everything but a special place in their hearts for all things obese.
We liked the Frank Miller-esque images they use instead of photographs, and we liked the dark brooding menace that underpins a blend of hardcore and industrial that plays as much with atmosphere as it does with dark growls and gut crunching riffs. If we ever get attacked by Romero's zombies we'd be more than happy to have Cove as the soundtrack to our eventual disembowelment by the overwhelming, shuffling, hordes of the undead. The circling dischordant melodies and scratched guitar strings cast a gentle nod to the urban dislocation of Massive Attack's Mezanine as much as they do to Rammstein or a Resident Evil style apocalypse that elevates them from a potentially disastrous descent into becoming schlock-jocks.
So more 28 Days Later than House Of The Dead, we have a copy of Cove for you to listen to ahead of tomorrow's Water Rats show or there's more audio and video over on the band's site. A few words with the guys follow on the other side.
Who's In The Band? 4 ordinary men with a distaste for most things, a distrust of everything but a special place in their hearts for all things obese.
What Do You Do In The Real World? Well Al And James both work in a studio mixing and editing. Timmy works on web design and Pete is a musician who teaches and plays wherever he can.
Describe Your Sound To Us: An aggressive barrage of sound, seeped in distortion and screams but hailing to reveal a melodic core.
How Did You All Get Together? Speed dating.
Who Are Your Influences? A crossover of wizards brew and Nailgun Nancy with an infection of MojoRat.
What's The State Of Play With The Band At The Moment? We are playing regular gigs in London, writing new material, collaborating with video artists to produce a cutting edge promo… and just trying to progress musically.
Where Can We Hear / See You Next? We’re playing at the Water Rats in Kings Cross on 8.12.05.
What's The Big Game Plan For The Band? To find a like minded label who’ll support us and believe in us.
Who Would You Most Like To Support? Nine Inch Nails… or maybe Madonna
What's Your Ultimate Label To Be On? Ipecac
What's the best gig you've ever been to? Dillinger Escape Plan downstairs at the Garage
Have You Ever Thrown A TV Out Of A Hotel Window? I have lost count of the amount of televisions we have destroyed.
Would You Like To? … wouldn’t you?
Any Great Stories From The Road? Not apart from all the broken televisions, run inns with the police, and Timmy catching Mumps. We are PROPER CRAZY!!!!
Recommend One Album To Our Readers You Don't Think They Will Have Discovered. Hella – The Devil Isn’t Red
Why Should Londonist Readers Go And See You? Because we will reveal the secrets of levitation. And we have a Jawa Lord in the band!
What's Your Favourite:
Venue To Play In London? Downstairs at the Garage
Venue To Go To In London? The Mean Fiddler
Record Store? iTunes & FOPP
Shop (non-music)? Apple Store, Proper expensive I tell thee!!!
Market? Shepherds Bush, proper cheap I tell thee!!!!
Place To People-watch? Camden, many weird and wonderful Goths.
Place To Chill-out? In “Whales” innit.
Place To Get Lashed? The Salisbury, Green Lanes
Place For A Post-gig Kebab? Mangal, the one in Stoke Newington – the best kebab in London (Arcola street)
View In London? Alexandra Palace
Form Of Public Transport? Riverboat
What Advice Would You Give Ken Livingstone? Come to a Pungza gig, and get bulky in the circle pit!!! We are not really a political band, you may have guessed this.
What London Place Or Thing Would You Declare A Landmark? Wood Green Shopping centre, just as example of everything that is wrong in the world.
The World Is Ending In 24 hours. How Would You Spend Your Last Day In London? Get all our friends together, get hideously drunk on Guinness, and eat lots…. and maybe do a bit of speed dating.
Have You Ever Been Sick On The Tube? No.
If You Could Sink One Part Of London Into The Sea, Which Bit Would It Be? The South, it’s really is rubbish South of the river, Have you ever been there?
Greatest Thing Ever To Come Out Of London? Oyster cards
What Advice Would You Give To Someone New To London Getting On A Night Bus For The First Time? Prepare to take at least three times longer than you want to get anywhere. And avoid the really drunk looking bloke, who has the stench and the skin tone of Cheezzy Peeezz.
If You Could Write A Song About London What Would It Be Called And What Kind Of Song Would It Be? Emptying The Dropping Tray
and finally
Sum Up London In A Word ...Diverse
