Yesterday’s Advent Calendar treat was Jean Genie’s Massive Hugs’ so-timely-you-can’t-believe-it-was-written-years-ago track ‘Vaccine’, you can still download it here. Today we’ve got a trio of tracks from three bands with plenty of previous on Joyzine.
As always, the tracks are completely free to to download and there’s no need to sign up to any mailing lists to access the tracks (though if you’d like to you can join ours here), but with the UK’s independent music venues in peril following almost a year of covid restrictions, we’d love you to make a donation to the Music Venue Trust‘s #saveourvenues campaign if you enjoy these tracks. You can make a donation to the fund, or to a specific venue of your choice here.
The Fades – Why Do You Do
I’ve never gone back through the Joyzine archives to count the number of column inches devoted to each band we’ve ever written about, but if I did, South-West London indie punks The Fades would be somewhere near the top of the pile. Not many bands that we reported on in the early years are still standing, and fewer still are releasing music that kicks arse just as hard as it did more than 15 years ago.
Today, following the vinyl re-issue of their Ragnarok album (the final 6 copies of which are available on Bandcamp), they’re also re-releasing their 2010 cover version of The New Seekers’ ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing’ (as endorsed by the original band, who even performed it in The Fades’ style themselves!).
Today’s track ‘Why Do You Do’, a ‘lost’ track recently re-discovered by the band, is the b-side and sees the band experimenting with stop-start rhythms and an elastic punk-funk bassline in an intriguing tune that you could easily imagine packing out noughties indie disco dancefloors with people in tight trousers throwing angular shapes.
Download ‘Why Do You Do’
If you enjoy this track please consider making a donation to the #saveourvenues campaign
Keep up to date with The Fades on their Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp
Lark – Be Still
Following not too far behind The Fades in the column inches stakes, Lark, the musical project of artist Karl Bielik, has been a regular on The Advent Calendar for many a year now, adding a dark and minimal chill amongst the festive glow of our more seasonal content.
‘Be Still’, a new track taken from Lark’s forthcoming album The Hill (due for release in April), is a perfect distilation of what we’ve loved about their previous entries. A heartbeat pulse of drums, a sparse keyboard refrain glinting like icicles, and Bielik’s eerie vocal combining to wintry effect.
As well as a download of the album, we also have a first look at the track’s video for you today:
Download ‘Be Still’
If you enjoy this track please consider making a donation to the #saveourvenues campaign
Keep up to date with Lark on their Website / Bandcamp
The Reverse – First Christmas
Not quite so established within these pages yet, but coming up quickly from behind with features this year including a Live In Lockdown session and a track by track interview on new LP Which Way Out, North London indie-rock quartet The Reverse round off today’s triptych with a remastered version of their own festive original, ‘First Christmas’.
Speaking of the track, the band said:
“As a small thank you for your support over the last year, you can now download our rare Christmas song, ‘First Christmas’ for free.
Recorded a few years ago, before Teresa joined the band, it was never officially released but as with most Christmas songs inevitably re-emerges like a drunken friend during the festive period! We’ve given it a bit of a polish with a touch of mastering and some new artwork.“
Download ‘First Christmas’
If you enjoy this track please consider making a donation to the #saveourvenues campaign
Keep up to date with The Reverse on their Website / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp
Come back tomorrow for more exclusive tracks + check out the tracks from previous windows, all of which are still available to download:
Day 1: Piney Gir ft. Roxys + MJ Hibbett
Day 2: Brixton Hill Studio Band + Friends
Day 3: Oh!Gunquit + The Kecks
Day 4: Salt The Snail + Dead Horse
Day 5: The Awkward Silences
Day 6: AKDK
Day 7: Lost Map Records – Friends of The Guinness
Day 8: Mister Solo + Fightmilk
Day 9: The Indelicates + Dexy
Day 10: The Burning Hell + Velvet Starlings
Day 11: Granfalloon + elkyn
Day 12: LOUD WOMEN FEST – I, Doris, Genn + Breakup Haircut
Day 13: PaulFCook + West Midlands
Day 14: The Long Blondes + Michael M
Day 15: Hot Sauce Pony
Day 16: Hey You Guys, Peter With Rosie, AWWBLOT + Peter Richard Adams
Day 17: Jean Genie’s Massive Hugs
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