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!!!
Roman Is Better
Kubichek! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But aspiration's forcing me
To make something more than what you see,
But all the time reminders let me know that
It could be so much worse than,
What if all my fears were lived out
When my television broke?
If we can't be seen to work together then
I hope it's possible
That for what we want we make the effort and
Hope's impossible,
If we can't be seen to work together then
I hope it's possible
That for what we want we make the effort.
I've got nothing more than what you see.
Will aspiration ruin me?
I want nothing more than what you see,
But all the time reminders let me know that
It could be so much worse than,
What if all my fears were lived out
When my television broke?
Hope's impossible,
If we can't be seen to work together then
I hope it's possible
That for what we want we make the effort and
Hope's impossible,
If we can't be seen to work together then
I hope it's possible
That for what we want we make the effort
The lyrics of Kubichek!'s "Roman Is Better" touches upon the idea of aspiration and the fear of failure. The first stanza talks about how the singer has nothing more than what is seen, but the desire to make something more fuels the aspiration to achieve something greater. However, the reminders that things could be worse linger, like the fear of all fears being realized when the singer's television broke. The second stanza talks about the importance of collaboration towards a common goal, without which hope seems impossible.
The lyrics reveal the struggle of balancing aspirations and fears of failure. The singer wants to achieve something but is held back by the fears of things not going as planned. The television used as an example of a fear coming true seems to symbolize the mundane, our dependence on it, and how easily things can go wrong. The line about collaboration reinforces the idea that working together towards a common goal can enable the realization of dreams and aspirations. The song reminds us that fear and aspiration are two sides of the same coin but to achieve something, we must learn to manage both.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got nothing more than what you see,
I have no hidden or secret talents, abilities or possessions beyond what is obvious to everyone.
But aspiration's forcing me
However, I am driven by a strong desire and ambition to achieve something more than what is currently visible.
To make something more than what you see,
My goal is to create, build or accomplish something greater than what currently exists or is known to others.
But all the time reminders let me know that
However, there are frequent reminders that suggest otherwise and that my hopes may not be possible.
It could be so much worse than,
I am aware of the possibility that things could go wrong or that my fears could become a reality.
What if all my fears were lived out
I worry about what would happen if the worst-case scenarios I fear actually came true.
When my television broke?
Even minor setbacks, such as a broken television, can trigger my fears and make me question my aspirations.
Hope's impossible,
It feels like there is no possibility of achieving my goal or desired outcome.
If we can't be seen to work together then
If we cannot find common ground or collaborate, then the chances of success are slim or nonexistent.
I hope it's possible
Despite the challenges and obstacles, I still have a glimmer of hope and optimism for achieving my aspirations.
That for what we want we make the effort and
I believe that if we truly want something, we need to put in the necessary effort and work towards it, even if it seems impossible.
Contributed by Miles B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.