British queer punk trio Daffodildos just released Not My Cup of Tea, their LONG-AWAITED debut EP. This record follows a string of in-your-face singles that started with THE highlight “No Pride” back in July and culminated in the band doing several festival appearances over the english summer.
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Fueled by an appropriate mixture of seriousness and fun in their lyrics and sound, Daffodildos named their EP after a critique the band received on one of their tracks. This comes to show the attitude that permeates the band’s overall creativity and approach, as it comes as a refusal to take themselves too seriously without letting it ever impair their important social and political commentary.
Historically, the punk scene has always been one of acceptance and confrontation towards subjects such as racism, homophobia and women’s rights – all the way from The Clash and X-Ray Spex in the 70s to the riot grrrl revampment that punk got in the 90s with Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney and Bratmobile. So, the rising of a band made up of queer and trans artists that revel in the quick-fire pacing of fast riffs and propulsive drum beats of punk comes as natural as breathing.
On Not My Cup of Tea, the band explores several topics that range from the deeply personal to the light-hearted fun – and they do both with equal amounts of precision backed by a fiery and urgent delivery. On “Never Enough”, the band takes an honest look at the damage caused by alcohol and drug addiction – something that is very near to the band.
Daffodildos are signed to British label Not Saints, the world’s first label dedicated to supporting musicians in recovery from said addictions; an admirable cause to say the least. Yet, the Daffodildos channel all their frustration and anger into “Never Enough”, a track that packs the EP’s strongest punch in just under two minutes.
Combining influences and inspirations that range from Poly Styrene to Kathleen Hanna, the power trio composed of Emily Flea (vocals/guitar), Captain Jax (bass) and Dannie Von Flange (drums) manage to carve their own distinct sound and aesthetic amongst the simplicity of punk’s core. On their debut single “No Pride”, the band came out swinging with a powerful queer anthem that questions the major corporations approach to ‘Pride Month’ protesting its profit-based commodification. It was one hell of an introduction to the band, who happily continued to grow and show different sides of themselves with each new release and found a perfect balance between a playful attitude and an enraged one.
The trio also shows an enormous amount of range on these six tracks, highlighting their anthemic qualities with ease – especially on opener “Stuck in ’77”. It’s an energetic and powerful statement about how most of the punk scene seems to be stuck in the past without looking ahead towards the future, with piercing vocals by Emily that stand somewhere between angry and frustrated. Their witty lyricism is also present on “Mirror Mirror”, possibly the most accessible song on the EP, following a melodic pop punk line with rapid-fire rhymes and interesting guitar riffs.
The ‘there is a lot of things to be angry about, but there is also fun to be had’ approach that the band takes on their songs helps to cement them as truly one of a kind. The fun angle is comes forward mostly on “Ba Ba Ba Da”, another one of the new tracks, an exploration of their melodic side filled with chanty harmonic vocals and explosive drumming. “Ba Ba Ba Da” also impresses with its consistency on the guitar riffs, leaning toward a light psychedelia previously unheard coming from them.
Not My Cup of Tea is an excellent proper introduction to a band that promenades between its important and serious political and social messages and the youthful celebration of life and being alive despite the queer hate. Daffodildos are the type of band that does not come by often, and their importance as a social force must be accounted for.
Their debut EP stands as a beacon of light and hope for any queer kid (or adult, hi!) who feels unseen on the heteronormative landscape of most of today’s punk scene. Alongside killer tracks and entertaining melodies, the band finds their voice as unapologetically queer activists bringing forth questions and discussions of utmost pertinence – and they have an absolute blast while doing it!
STREAM “NOT MY CUP OF TEA” NOW!
The ‘there is a lot of things to be angry about, but there is also fun to be had’ approach that the band takes on their songs helps to cement them as truly one of a kind.
ORDER NOW!!! On Bandcamp
"Not My Cup of Tea" by Daffodildos out via Not Saintshttps://t.co/O3mKdpkTWq pic.twitter.com/ayDlF4Q4YF
— Jpgchief (@Jpgchief) October 4, 2024
Publicado por @jpgchiefVer en Threads
@jpgchief 🚨#NewMusic🚨 🛑#ListenNow🛑 🔥#DebutEP🔥 New Music debut EP "Not My Cup of Tea" by @DaffodildosUK out via Not Saints @Jpgchief @Jpgchief @Jpgchief Alongside killer tracks and entertaining melodies, the band finds their voice as unapologetically queer activists bringing forth questions and discussions of utmost pertinence. ⭐ORDER NOW⭐ #LessThan1000Followers #SickestandDopest #AlterindieStateOfMind #OnlyPunk #LT1KF #UnknownButEssentials #BLOGLT1KF #DebutBandsOffTheRadar ♬ original sound – Jpgchief
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the center didn’t hold