The Uncomfortables ‘Levi’s Genes’

Firstly, apologies to The Uncomfortables, there’s a bit of getting stuff off our chest before we get to how much like them, but it was their email that set us off. Hang in there, we will get to them, honest.

As we’ve said before, and more than once, it’s harder to be in band today that at anytime since rock and roll was invented, whenever that was. In the musical olden days, bands just did what bands are supposed to do. They wrote songs, recorded them, took drugs, played shows and chucked TVs out of hotel windows. Other people did the rest, because, well, they were good at doing the rest.

Musicians are good at making music, see. Not saying it’s wrong that today bands are expected to do all the stuff other people are better at, but it is slightly odd. And the internet on its own doesn’t help making the DIY thing any easier. Take the default music site of choice, MySpace. All it does is homogenise bands by serving up samey pages that strip away the single most important quality musicians have – identity. Personally, we love sifting MySpace, but it’s little wonder most bands sink in the goo.

Other sites have come and gone when it comes to trying to bust the MS stranglehold, but we think The Uncomfortables, and a growing band of, erm, bands, are on to something by using our new favourite site bandcamp.com. The thinking is very smart – it’s a breeze to use, crisp, clean pages, lots of ways to share, and the behind-the-scenes stats should prove very useful as should users choosing how much they want to pay for tracks. It’s very, very, smart. And best of all it’s simple.

Of course, it’s just another tool and bands need to learn how to use them much more effectively, but having something as good as bandcamp in your toolbox, it’s a start, right?

Right, feel better for that. The Uncomfortables then. Hailing somehow from Preston and Leeds, there’s more than a dash of early Pulp about this lot. There’s a real Jarvis twang about frontman Matt Gallagher and they wear the same tongue in cheek sense of fun on their sleeves – if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphor there. We can’t help hearing a little bit of The Coral in there and, as should be compulsory for a band with a bit of Leeds in them, you can hear the ghost of the almighty Cud.

What makes them stand out though is they are clearly proper musicians, who can play proper and everything. And as my old pal James T points out, you really could do with a lawnmower if you’re going to cut the grass. And if you are brilliant live and getting shows beyond the safety of your hometown mates, that’s when using online tools such as bandcamp really comes into their own.

But don’t get us started, you’ve just read what happens when someone gets us started. And if you have read this whole piece, thanks. It’s nice to know we’ve held your attention.

More hear…
- Did we mention bandcamp.com? You can find The Uncomfortables page here. Especially clap your ears round the fantastically titled ‘Portrait Of A Band In Decline’ EP.
- … but they still have a MS you’ll be pleased to hear.