New bands: The Beep Seals

Time for something a bit different here on Modculture. With summer threatening to rear its head at any moment, it's time to enjoy some laid back, good time harmony pop-psych. For this, we look to Manchester's The Beep Seals.

It is an enticing prospect, for here is a band whose eclectic influences recall recent chart botherers The Bees as well as alt-rock heroes Super Furry Animals and Pavement. Since forming a couple of years back the band have built up a steady fanbase and are ready to unleash their debut album 'Things That Roar'. The album was recorded in the bands' native Chorlton over ten days in February with Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub and Tom Knott from fellow Mancunians The Earlies. It contains both the fuzz of heavy psych rock alongside the soft mellow touch of pop-psych nuggets you would expect to hear on an old Rubble compilation. Often within the same song, such as the brilliant pastoral  'Biting Glass' and the Teenage Fanclub love letter 'Use Your Other Head'. Listen closely to the lyrics too, and you'll discover some biting wit and dry humour in there too.

You can hear The Beep Seals on their Myspace page here, or visit their official site here. Things That Roar is out on the 23rd of June and is available to order from the Heron Recordings website here. The band are on tour promoting the album throughout the summer. Go see if you can.