Modern Tribes - Pam Beesly

photo by

Jasmine-Harding Photography

  A couple of things I wasn't expecting when I decided to start posting my favourite songs in a blog were

1) that anyone would read it

2) anyone would send me music to listen to and review

  123,000 page views down the line and people are occasionally asking me to write about their records (which I'm always wary about as I've no pretensions to being a writer and I don't really want to post songs that I don't like). When Eric Evans from Modern Tribes sent me a link to their new ep, I knew I didn't have to worry about liking it (their previous single had featured in my best of 2015 list) but even so, I was a little surprised by how bloody great it is.

  I was also frustrated as I wanted to share it and shout out from the rooftops "listen to this, it's brilliant!!!" but as it wasn't yet out I wasn't allowed. I had to content myself by giving my thoughts to Eric (which were these few enthusiastically fan boyish lines : "right, honest opinion on first run through : you sound dated. before you get the wrong idea, i mean dated as in you're reminding me of a time when there were a few great bands playing this sort of music. bands like mcluskey and the pixies. to be honest you don't sound much like them but you have that same sort of exciting vibe, i'm never sure exactly what i'm gonna get next from you. it's good old fashioned quirky rock that isn't in the least bit old fashioned. at your best, you match those great bands which isn't something i say lightly. there's hundreds of current bands that i've put in my blog and you don't really sound like any of them, you're tweaking a classic sound and making it fresh and exciting! ).

  Happily, the video for the lead track has now been posted online so I can post it below and I can give you the link where you can pre order the limited edition ep (which has the splendid title of Everything Is Dying And I Will Probably Die Soon Too) : http://moderntribes.bigcartel.com/product/modern-tribes-everything-is-dying-and-i-will-probably-die-soon-too-ep-2016

  It's hard to believe that the band (who are from Oswestry, England) have only been together since Jan 2015, the sky is the limit for these guys. Check them out on their European tour which kicks off on April 22nd. Any queries contact them at ericevans1994@gmail.com or on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ModernTribesUK


  My favourite song of 2016 so far, this is Pam Beesly.....

Top 10 Of 2015 Chosen By Eric Evans (Modern Tribes)

  Last Christmas I posted a few top 10 of 2014 lists from a few people I thought would throw up some decent tunes, this year I'm going to do the same but I'll ask different people. Hopefully i can get a few different styles of punk out of them if i choose wisely.

  First up is a top 10 from Eric Evans. Eric's band, Modern Tribes are one of the most promising new UK bands I came across in 2015 and if you missed my post on them a few months back you can check out their music here : https://moderntribes1.bandcamp.com/releases

  They've also just released a video for the song She Said. Check it out as it's bloody good :

I'd not previously heard most of the songs on Eric's list and after playing them I've a couple of comments. Firstly, they'd make a great mix tape and secondly, the Modern Tribes song (above) certainly wouldn't be out of place if added to that tape. I guess that any new band putting out music that's as good as that of their favourite bands deserves to be congratulated.

  Thanks for the top 10 Eric.......

 1) Moose Blood - Gum

 2)  Frank Carter - Juggernaut

 3)  Front Bottoms - Wolfman

 4)  Frank Turner - The Next Storm

 5)  Metz - The Swimmer

 6)  Moose Blood - Kelly Kapowski

 7)  Modern Baseball - Revenge Of The Nameless Ranger

 8)  Milk Teeth - Brickwork

 9)  Muskets - Scranton

10)  The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - You Can't Live There Forever

Modern Tribes - When It Burns Down (You'll See Me Smile)

  Another new band today, this one from Oswestry, a market town near the border between England and Wales. Oswestry is one of the UK's oldest settlements but I'm guessing it's never been home to a band quite as good as Modern Tribes promise to be. Despite playing together for a long time it's only during the last year that they've coalesced properly as a band.

  A trio, their line up features Eric Evans (guitar/vocals), Tim Evans (bass) and Ben Jones (drums). Influenced by the person who I often give as my answer to the question "who was the first punk rocker?" (an impossible question to answer but I think my reply is as good as anyones)....... Woody Guthrie, they name the likes of The Front Bottoms, Joyce Manor, Modern Baseball, The Menzingers and Gnarwolves as current favourite bands.

  Given those favourites it's not surprising that their sound mixes punk and indie to produce something that's still easy to stick a punk tag on it but which is inventive and refuses to be tied down to just the one genre.

  They recently released their debut ep. it's called You Do Drugs and you can check it out here : https://moderntribes1.bandcamp.com/releases.

  I could have chosen any of the songs to feature but I'll go with the one I heard first, this is When It Burns Down (You'll See Me Smile).....


Well I wonder what would happen, if I crashed my car. 
Into the front of your house set the fuel tank on fire. 
Yeah I wonder what would happen if I crashed my car. 
Into the front of your house, set the fuel tank on fire. 
As it burns down, you'll see me smile 
As it burns down, you'll see me smile 
As it burns down you'll see me smile, 
As it burns down, you'll see me smile, as it burns down, as it burns down. 
And I wonder what would happen if I changed my name. 
Wonder what would happen would I still feel the same. 
Wonder what would happen if I change my name. 
Wonder what would happen, would I still feel the same? 
As it burns down, you'll see me smile 
As it burns down, you'll see me smile 
As it burns down you'll see me smile, 
As it burns down, you'll see me smile, as it burns down, as it burns down.