Signed to 30:30 Recordings and have previously released two singles- Taxi and their debut Nightjoy on Fantastic Plastic Records, a split single Opening Shot on Kitchenware Records as well as having their music featured of several compilation CDs. Their debut album Not Enough Night is due out in March 2007 preceded by the single Outwards in December 2006.
Creators of this year’s best indie rock debut; make no mistake, Newcastle’s Kubichek! are a devoutly special band. As incendiary as the intentionally explosive exclamation mark that doorstops their moniker, like all the best bands, they come armed with a musical manifesto – a mission statement if you will – that encompasses their lust for uncompromising DIY punk jitter, noir tinged, New Wave tainted atmos, and feedback swamped melodic sass. Said debut, ‘Not Enough Night’ is evocative of their variety in palate; a record that perfectly plots their brilliance over twelve explosive, contrasting melodic assaults, announcing their arrival to the world with aplomb. It is a stunning debut missive.
Formed from their wreckage of their former band (North East England’s much beloved Parklandsway) - and forged from a mutual love of Idlewild, Mogwai, Fugazi, At The Drive In, Primal Scream, and Sigur Ros – they’re a band for anyone who ever believed in the clang of the electric guitar, the rasp of a tattered voice, and a bellyful of bright, bold, guitar skewed pop songs. Consisting of Alan McDonald (vocals / guitar), Mark Nelson (guitar), Frog (bass) and Chris McGreevy (drums), they’ve long since won the hearts of NME (who’ve frequently juxtaposed the worlds ‘brilliant!’, ‘awesome!’ and ‘vital!’ alongside their name), while the likes of Bloc Party, Zane Lowe, The Futureheads, Steve Lamacq, Maximo Park, and Editors are all committed fans. Kubichek! are your favourite bands’, new favourite new band. It’s likely they’ll be yours too.
The vitality and zest of Kubichek!’s music can be put down to their zeal for music at large. That their very being resonates so deeply in the hearts of their fans (as a band who understand the necessity and importance of getting in van, playing, getting in van, playing some more, the Newcastle group snared the hearts of fans night after night last year), it’s testament to their adoration of sound and song that before they’re musicians - and before they’re songwriters – fitting with their keen, uncompromising, heart-on-sleeve DIY ethos – Kubichek! are fans of music.
After an unbelievably brilliant debut album & year which saw the band constantly touring the uk, finishing with slots at Reading & Leeds festivals and a hometown finale, Kubichek! headed back into the studio to create a follow up to Not-Enough-Night.
However in September 2007, original lead singer and guitarist Alan MacDonald left the band, the myspace announcement read "We're sad to say that Alan is no longer with the band. We've all been friends and band members for some time now and have had some great experiences together as a result. We wish Alan all the best for the future."
Nevertheless the band continued with occasional vocalist Frog taking up the reigns as frontman. In recent times chek! have been "doing a Klaxons" as drummer McGreevy called with Frog limiting his bass playing to the studio and Bob from Ever Since The Lake Caught Fire joining on bass for recent live performances. chek! are now in the studio creating follow up to Not-Enough-Night, for release later this year!!!
Hometown Strategies
Kubichek! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you threw it away
But you threw it away
Trying to steal your hometown strategies
Remove your hometown strategies
It's hard to see when you're on your guard
And my concern its not about you
You lack a voice you have
You have no choice
You were too clever to argue too stupid to notice
[?]
It's hard to believe that you've no time for anything
Everybody's on their own
Searching for a purpose
Everybody wants more
Everybody who
has lost something seems to long for their hometown strategies. The lyrics in Kubichek!'s "Hometown Strategies" reflect on the idea of people not realizing what they have until it's gone. The first verse could be interpreted as a conversation with someone who had many options and potential, but they chose to ignore them, ultimately choosing to close themselves off from the opportunities life has to offer. The chorus brings the focus on the concept of hometown strategies, perhaps meaning the person's comfort zone. The main point is that people should not be afraid to explore and open themselves up to change, improve, and be successful.
The second verse talks about how it is hard to see clearly when someone is being too cautious or defensive. It seems like the concern is not about the person, but more a warning to let their guard down and be more receptive to life's offerings. The message in this is clear - if people become too guarded, they risk losing their voice and having no option. Finally, the last line talks about the sad truth that people often become too complacent and lose love for their passions.
Line by Line Meaning
You could have had almost anything
You had a lot of opportunities
But you threw it away
But you wasted them
Trying to steal your hometown strategies
You were trying to copy the ways of your hometown
Remove your hometown strategies
But you need to let go of those ways
It's hard to see when you're on your guard
It's difficult to be open-minded when you're being defensive
And my concern its not about you
I am not worried about you specifically
If you believe that you're on your guard
If you think you need to be defensive
You lack a voice you have
You are silently holding yourself back
You have no choice
You feel like you have no options
You were too clever to argue too stupid to notice
You were smart enough to talk your way out of things, but not smart enough to recognize your own problems
It's hard to believe that you've no time for anything
It's surprising that you feel like you have no time for anything
Everybody's on their own
Everyone is responsible for themselves
Searching for a purpose
Looking for meaning in their lives
Everybody wants more
Everyone wants something better
Everybody who
Contributed by Sophie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.