Featured
Twisted Wheel
Audio
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1. She's a Weapon
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2. Smash it Up
Downloads
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1. She's A Weapon
Biography
Led by the sharp witted song-smith Johnny Brown, Twisted Wheel have risen to prominence on the UK toilet circuit over the past twelve months and are now being hailed as the most exciting young band in Britain. Songs like 'Strife', 'You Stole the Sun' and 'Bad Candy' reveal a band that has a wide variety of influences taking in punk, Northern Soul, rock, baggy and ska.
In these times of bland indie rock, such eclectic songs have helped attract an ever burgeoning fan base full of people looking for something that is different but distinctively populist. A quick visit to the bands myspace page www.myspace.com/thetwistedwheel reveals the true extent of their increasing popularity.
To kick off 2008 the band have secured several key support dates with Reverend and the Makers culminating in a show at Camden's round house on February the 26th. This is the beginning of what will be an exciting year for the band as the look to cement their status as a special act that Columbia Records are now proud to represent.
Reviews
Making waves in Manchester, and it's not hard to hear why. 'Strife' is our pick just now. Yet another reminder that we've moved beyond the Coldplay generation of platitudinous bands; how nice it is that the words matter again (and yes, there's a whole essay to be had here on the influence of hip hop, and how Alex Turner once wanted to be a rapper and.. well, yadda yadda yadda...).
Observer Music Monthly
Brace yourselves for the next instalment of Mancunian angst that's about to come your way any minute now...
Oldham three-piece Twisted Wheel may be named after the nightspot that put the mod-fused dance craze Northern Soul on the map, but the similarities pretty much end there. Whilst no one can argue that their demeanour takes on an entirely northern perspective while songs like 'You Stole The Sun' bristle with as much soul and enthusiasm as you'd expect from a relatively youthful band just making a name for themselves on the live circuit, their music could be described as the Coral playing punk rock songs in the key of C.
Sure, there'll no doubt be the elitists crying into their real ale at the thought of another so-called "lad rock" ensemble on the block, but maybe what these people really need is a history lesson. After all, the most notorious villains on the block from the Kray twins through to Chelsea and Millwall's infamous hooligangs not to mention the rise of the national front in the late 70s via skinhead-based punk rock all originated within the confines of the capital, so any talk of northern laddishness is as incorrect as it is tiresome.
No instead, forget their roots, ignore their background and just once allow yourself to get caught up in the energy as singer Jonny Brown denounces all around him in the bittersweet 'Strife' or Adam Clarke reminds us that once upon a time back in the days of Keith Moon and John Bonham, being a drummer was actually a focal and exciting part of a band as opposed to nothing more than a paid timekeeper.
Of course Twisted Wheel are going to split opinions, but everything from lime-flavoured cola to the latest James Bond does, too. Just make sure that before you form yours, your mind hasn't already been swayed by those indier-than-thou but knowledgeable as an amoeba beforehand, as your loss will undoubtedly be many others' gain.
Dom Gourlay
Drowned in Sound