Picture this: it’s September 30th, and you’ve just been blasted in the ear-hole by some guitar-riffing, rhythm-pulsating, upbeat rock and roll peppered with a dash of “mildly sarcastic” lyricism. Would you know what time it is? I know you know…of course you do. That’s right, it’s 9 O’Clock Nasty!
The lads (Pete, Ted, And Sydd) from Leicester are back and dropped a rocker of an album on us titled, “Culture War 23” on said aforementioned date. Not so hypothetical now, is it? Never was meant to be. You might say I was just figuratively posing the question, “asking for a friend,” if you will, about something that was actually happening to me in real-time. Sometimes I’m sneaky like that.
The album is an interesting fusion of Brit-Punk grit/attitude, Classic Rock experimentation/melodics, and anthemic Beastie Boys cadence in delivery. It’s a thirteen-track, full-length audible journey across these spectrums. One thing that strikes me in particular about the band’s sound is their unapologetic approach to thought-provoking, societal, some might say controversial, topics and yet at the very same time being musically upbeat and driving. Fit for listing to in a “party” setting or on a road trip. All bases covered. Or as the band puts it:
“Sometimes you need to hug. Sometimes you need to punch. Sometimes dance. Sometimes fall.”
9 o’clock Nasty
“Culture War 23” is currently streaming everywhere. Most importantly, and you are familiar with my ramblings then you know where I’m going with this, it’s time to once again ring that bell and issue a #Bandcamper alert! You can also buy this album on CD or Vinyl, along with a neat accompanying customized booklet/magazine all on Bandcamp! The coffee table-style booklet includes backstory information, anecdotal musings, and custom artwork for each track featured on the album.
ORDER “CULTURE WAR 23” ON BANDCAMP NOW!
The music on the album, as well as corresponding artwork, possesses an underlying theme in the realm of societal culture/behavior. Hence, the name of the album. Whether it’s artwork for a particular track that antagonistically (but mildly) “defames” some sort of cultural icon (the album cover in case you didn’t notice is a “Nasty’d” version of Che Guevara), or the societal alienation conveyed in “Too Cool,” or the challenging of our ideas on what I refer to as “hero worship” (pertaining to how we prop up and idolize certain iconic figures).
For example in “Low Fat Jesus,” the band tackles a number of topics from several different angles throughout the album. In fact, the lyrical concept of “Low Fat Jesus” finds itself recurring in more than just one spot on the album. So, aside from a calorie-conscious messiah, what else ties it all together and why is it called “Culture War 23?” Well, I’d have to defer to the band, I think they put it best:
“Well, look around. The globe is engulfed in a war that began two thousand years ago (or more) and is still raging. The limits of humanity, our soul, are being fought over. We know which side we’re on. Freedom to live, autonomy, justice, fairness. We wrote songs about it. We tried to make richer, more complex and more satisfying music. You can be the judge of whether we succeeded.”
9 o’clock Nasty
STREAM “CULTURE WAR 23” ON SPOTIFY NOW!
LT1KF has been covering many of the songs that have been waterfalling into this new release by the band. With the new album you’ll be getting three previously unreleased new tracks: “Make Your Ghost,” (currently spinning AMS Radio during the weekend rotation on the LT1KF Indie Hour) “Idiot Skin,” and “Foxhole.” While I am a fan of all the singles leading up to this release, I am indeed most excited to hear these fresh new takes.
“Make Your Ghost” is one of the tracks that upon listening struck that Classic Rock vibe in me that I described earlier. It’s a working-class song about our societal contract to labor for a living whilst having a feeling less like “a living” and more like a “lifetime in debt.” With “Idiot Skin,” you get some quirky synth lines alongside a cool new-wave-sounding guitar tone. Giving off an Alternative vibe similar to Beck, in my opinion. Lyrically, the song challenges the embedded cultural stigma rooted in superficiality, as it pertains to the realities of our sexual prowess. To quote the band:
“We’ve all got it. Spotty, wrinkly, sweaty, it’s amazing stuff. Keeps the outside out and the inside in. We know what the real thing looks like. We know what real people look like. Feel like. Taste like. It’s good.”
9 o’clock Nasty
“Foxhole” is certainly an interesting track as well. Musically, I can hear that underlying Beastie Boys influence they were telling me about (more on that later); the track sounds like it takes influence in that old-school hip-hop vibe, rhythm, and beat wise. This might be the mental bridge I’m crossing where I am reminded of Beck at times. Vocally and melodically, much more contemporary.
The lyrics are a bit cryptic, or mysterious to me, as Ted and Pete sing “my soul, my soul, like a fox in a hole” during the choruses preceded by a hook drop of “my shoes make me walk to the night, partly for you but mostly for me” kind of implying a double meaning it seems. Or at least that’s how I heard it. The tone of the song implies or alludes to a somberness, but even more mysteriously, the band describes it as a Christmas song.
Remember how I was writing that the band told me about their affinity for Beastie Boys? Left you on that “more on that later” cliffhanger? Well, that is because I had the fantastic opportunity to sit with the guys and chat a bit about the new album, industry gossip, and musical philosophy for an upcoming episode of my Podcast “Sound Perspectives” (broadcasting in real time on NAS Radio Fridays at 5am & 4pm EST)!
Suffice it to say, just given the artwork and listening experience thus far, it assuredly was a lively conversation. These guys are a hoot. And I’m not kidding when I say you might get a taste or two of some acapella during the episode LOL. Timeline-wise, the episodes thus far have been stacked for the show! Hashtag good problems to have. Be on the lookout for this episode to air/publish sometime in December. And thanks again guys for the great conversation and for sharing your perspectives as artists!
Don’t forget to support the Nasty by following 9 o’clock Nasty on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. You can also check out their official website.
If you enjoy their music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Female Rising Stars, 12 New Songs This Week, Sickest & Dopest, and Unknown But Essentials!
Remember that you can always find me here AMS Radio for all my social media and collaborations.
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This coverage was created via MusoSoup #Sustainablecurator
https://www.musosoup.com/sustainable-curator
