The Lines

Wolverhampton’s finest, The Lines, kicked off tonight in style with their heavy rhythms and soaring vocals. They perform tracks from their debut album including ‘Circle’, ‘Glorious Aftermath’ and ‘El Matador’, which goes down particularly well with the crowd. The band has a solid fan base, who sing word-for-word with lead singer Alex Ohm.
The infectious ‘Domino Effect’, sees Ohm and Dean Bate (Lead guitar) playing off each other and spreading themselves across the stage, really getting the crowd going. This seems to firmly win them over. The track well deservingly reached number 10 in the UK charts back in 2008.
As the band finish up, Ohm leaps on to the drum set clashing them whole heart before returning to the mic to say their goodbyes.

After a short break, Ocean Colour Scene take to the stage at 9pm sharp. They receive a warm reception, and as the first few chords of ‘ The Riverboat’ are played, the venue erupts. The fan favourite is followed up by the equally huge hit ‘The Day We Caught the Train’. After the epic opening songs, Simon Fowler jokes “Right you might as well go now”.

The band play their renowned second album Moseley Shoals in order. The melancholy ‘Lining Your Pockets’ and ‘The Downstream’ exposes Fowler and showcases his song writing at its best. The melodic ’40 Past Midnight’ has everyone dancing and singing along avidly.

After the band perform ‘Get Away’, they take a short break before returning to play ‘Magic Carpet Days’, then ‘Saturday’ from their latest studio album of the same title. They both go down well but the real cheers are for ‘Travellers Tune’. During the encore Fowler is hit by an incoming pint and throws a hissy fit calling the perpetrator a “Prat” and warned they’d go off it happened again. Thankfully he stayed dry enough to play a second encore of ‘Robin Hood’ and The Beatles ‘Day-Tripper’, much to the audiences delight. - http://www.gigjunkie.net

The Lines are electric live, they grab your attention and don't let go till the very end and have great stage presence. They hail from Wolverhampton and have played alongside fellow West Midlands bands such as The Editors and The Twang. Their style is combination of rock/indie/almost funk that melds into this intense amalgamation of sounds and can be compared to the likes of The Verve. There's a number of parts from drum kits on the stage for the members to bang in sync, melodicas, keyboards and of course the singer who isn't afraid to come into the audience and say hello or even jump up onto the speakers to get a better view.
It was the usual stage set up for the gig with there being no barriers between the stage and crowd which adds that intimacy with the band, it makes room for more interaction and you can get right up into the show. They created an atmosphere that made the night seem like it was the only place to be.
It really was a flawless performance from The Lines.

The Lines Facebook Page
http://wearethelines.com/ - wearethesoundla.blogspot.com

After a hard day’s grind, I finally roll up at The Sugarmill to find myself presented with local band: ‘The Fears’, ready on stage to perform as support for tonight’s main act: ‘The Lines’. What I find is a group of lads with exactly the right idea. They’re tight, with spot-on sound quality, quality tunes, and quality vocals, delivering all you could ever want from a local gig. Their opening track was blinding – ‘Whispers’ is a killer track, so much so it’s practically sanctimonious, indulging in Editors/Vines undertones, they must, must, MUST headline again soon! Their live act, in fact sounded more new and alive than the likes of Editors (which by my standards is saying a lot), and you could embrace their beautiful dark quality, with vocals that reminded me of Robert Harvey (The Music), with lyrics so luscious you could swim in them.

It was a tall order for The Lines to follow, but of course these talented guys would pull it out of the bag. After being blown away by them on our Stoke Sounds radio show (on April 25th) performing their acoustic set, which pretty much left the people in the studio speechless at just how good they were, I didn’t actually think it possible they could top it. But, here they were, electrifying;show stopping, and performing each note like it was new, with such beauty, integrity, and aplomb. The voice that comes out of Alex Ohm is purely remarkable and holds so much conviction that it perfectly synchronizes to their unique and compelling sound.

‘Circles’ is a winner – lyrics of aptitude (‘what a beautiful state we’re in’ which could be used to describe themselves), and music so elaborate it perfectly carries the song which sees glimpses of a young Richard Ashcroft (‘heard these words from these brothers and sisters’. I’ll not forget to mention their drumming crescendo of a finale, seeing the vocalist pound put some smoking beats to put all that more heart and passion into what they’re trying to achieve, only seen once before by The Temper Trap in Manchester which was also a phenomenal spectacle.

I only wish that their set was just that tiny bit longer. They are magnificent to watch and are so unlike all the indie drab these days that it really sets them apart, and for saying they’re from only down the road in Wolves, The Lines are pretty much waving the flag in The Midlands for music’s future, and I’m all for that. Please, please see these guys!
(www.myspace.com/wearethelines) - www.stokesounds.blogspot.com

Spread over six Manchester venues and with over 40 acts on the bill there’s certainly a lot to choose from at Dot to Dot 2011.
Before the big headliners later in the evening there’s plenty of new music to be discovered. There’s so much going on at Dot to Dot it’s impossible to mention everything but we’ll do our best to cover the standout performances.
Academy 3 plays host to Wolverhampton indie quartet The Lines as they turn the rather unappealing 5.30 Monday afternoon slot into a hell of a rock show. Loud is an understatement. It’s like they brought along the sound system for Wembley stadium and crammed it into the slightly less than stadium sized Academy 3. Energetic and full of enthusiasm, The Lines are certainly ones to watch for the future. - www.glasswerk.co.uk

A band who I sensed slowly rising were Wolverhampton's quartet named The Lines. A four-piece who had live sets deemed raucous, been support acts for some notable others, and had also played South by Southwest.

My anticipation of The Fleece as a venue was furthered by shared thoughts of its system. From a person who advised he'd once played there, he believed the PA was the finest in Bristol. Making it a point I was keen to just build on.

But as The Lines approached to open their showcase, what was heard did seem louder than needed. Though, I still sensed the distinct riffs used in 'Tracey'. A continuation that was followed in 'Circles', which saw Alex Ohm's '- thank you Dot To Dot' embedded in vocals.


From then on, the energy between the bandmates was clear from their projection of play. Ohm's occasional addition of sticks work to his emphatic display on guitar, to Dean Bate's erratic tambourine hits from his regular lead on the strings.

(2) The Lines 5.JPG

The consistency in thanks to the crowd and awareness of some notable watchers was a base that worked well in their set piece though the sound was a point I thought differed. With the PA being noted quite highly, what I did sense was a lesser opinion. As a result of it lacking full clarity, it was made difficult to decipher set lyrics. Though a point that did seem to be clearer was how the band managed to capture those watching. - www.gigjunkie.net

Festival Review: Dot To Dot
Monday 30th May 2011, Manchester
Festival Review: Dot To Dot

What better way to spend a wet bank holiday Monday than at a music festival, especially when this one is indoors and treats you to a crop of less well-known and up-and-coming bands? This was the final day of the festival, which had also taken place in Bristol and Nottingham, with almost identical line-ups.

The first band I wanted to see was Swimming, but their set had been cancelled for some reason, and so the first group I actually caught was The Lines, who played with an energy befitting their youth. This four-piece played really well together and were well-received in Academy 3. Their final song was a really energetic, drum-heavy piece which reminded me somewhat of Doves’

There Goes The Fear and that’s a compliment in my book! My only disappointment was that I’d missed the first half of their set. Definitely a band I’d see again.

Next up was Benjamin Francis Leftwich, who I was keen to see having read a couple of decent reviews myself. I often like singer-songwriters with a folk element, but his songs were quite repetitive and his gentle voice was soothing, but in a sleep-inducing way. Unfortunately, this was not what I was looking for in the early evening and so headed for something a bit more upbeat. This was the second disappointment of the evening, when we couldn’t get in to see Wolf Gang because the queue was so big. Maybe this speaks volumes for Wolf Gang, but I’ll have to reserve judgement!

The Naked and Famous was the first band we saw in the largest venue of the day, Academy 1. The band from New Zealand had been tipped for success in 2011 and after this set, I can see why. The crowd loved the energy of the performance and I was impressed by how well the male and female singers harmonised.

I’d seen Darwin Deez before and liked their lo-fi sound so made sure I caught them play. Songs such as Constellations prompted much singing and dancing, and the dance routines that interspersed each song were entertaining and got the crowd on side, definitely converting newcomers. Having seen it before though, for me it now feels a bit gimmicky. We only saw half of their set because of clashes, but in some ways that’s the beauty of festivals: the chance to hear as much music as possible.

I went to see Joy Formidable on the basis of a couple of recommendations and wasn’t disappointed. This was probably my favourite band of the night. It was a bold performance and the lead singer, Ritzy Bryan, epitomised this, reminding me somewhat of a young Debbie Harry in the way she commanded the stage. This is a band I’d see again.

Synthpop duo Hurts headlined the Academy 1 venue. Theo Hutchcraft is an excellent vocalist, one of the rare singers whose voice sounds as consistently good live as it does on the CD. As well as their hits, such as Wonderful Life, they built up the set by including a cover of Kylie’s Confide In Me. Despite headlining, the venue was half-empty, since a lot of people had moved to Academy 2 to see the final act playing there. By the time we joined the exodus, Academy 2 was indeed packed for We Are Scientists. There was a lot of energy on stage but for me, the banter between the band members actually detracted from the performance.

Fyfe Dangerfield, lead singer of the Guillemots, welcomed us to the “witching hour”, as his band closed the festival. They played at the Deaf Institute, a gorgeous venue that holds just a couple of hundred people, leaving a lot of music fans disappointed. By the time I got in, it was one in, one out! The Guillemots’ show was unfortunately beset with sound problems, but the band still managed a decent set, including the range of instruments – from double bass to ukulele – which typifies their sound. Having seen them before, I was struck by how much this set felt like it was Fyfe’s band, but maybe this confidence has come from touring his solo album. There was quite a lot of new material and so it was the older singles, such as Trains to Brazil, which inevitably drew the biggest cheers and sing-alongs, before they ended the festival with the beautifully melodic Sao Paulo.

01/06/2011 - Rosie - www.poppedmusic.co.uk

When the first quote you read about a group is Robert Plant calling them a “great band,” the notice is served. The Lines, a four piece indie rock band from Wolverhampton, England went through a few lineup changes from 2007-2009 as they honed their sound and played supporting shows for fellow English band-mates like The Editors, and Little Man Tate. Their debut single, “Domino Effect” reached number ten in the UK charts. With their lineup solidified by 2010 they signed to Independent records and released their debut self titled album late that same year. Raving reviews for their raucous live shows continue to pour in as their up-tempo grooves have more of an “Arctic Monkeys” feel then the traditional comparisons to “The Verve” they have received. The Lines self titled album is full of infectious riffs and soaring heartfelt melodies, let's delve into the tracks.

The opening track, “Tracey” begins with a steady pounding by Dave O'Connor and a rolling guitar riff by Dean Bates. As Alex Ohm ends each verse with “Sweet little lies, sweet little lies,” the drums pound and the riff blasts back into the listener's ear while the continuous groove ripples like a sonic wave vibrating through your stereo.

“Glorious Aftermath”, the bands first single off the album kicks in at a fast pace as the guitars chop their way, leading the listener to the rest of the song. The song changes its pace very few times as the steady jam and light guitar picking during the verses let Alex Ohm's voice ring loud and clear over the other instruments. During the instrumentals both Alex and Dean's lead and rhythm guitars are heard soaring over the steady bass provided by Danny Pease.

“These cheap thrills and these steep hills will climb or let you come down,” Ohm begins over a light clean guitar picking and a slower paced steady beat; fittingly titled “Slow it down,” poignant, after the first two tracks of up-tempo ear catchers. The groove picks up slightly for the breakdown between verse parts. The double kick beat by O'Connor provides a nice change between the smooth overlay of the verses. The lightly picked guitars poke through the stereo as the breakdown with Ohm sing “I’m on fire, you watch the flames burn out... We burn out,” with backing vocals by the rest of the band. The beat then kicks back in for an instrumental crescendo that ends this slightly slower paced track nicely.

“How it should be” begins like something straight out of the Arctic Monkeys catalog. With a pounding rhythm and chainsaw chopping guitars searing their way to the forefront, catching the listener up in its infectious groove. “We used to dance with two left feet, stumble over words every-time we meet” is sung by Ohm as the hook to this short but "dancy" groove track that will leave the listener definitely wishing there was more.

The band seems to lose itself within “Crystal Clear” as the sound has no clear direction or hook to reel the listener in. A bit on the slower side, this plays as what seems to be a filler song, even the band seems to be bored trouncing through this melody, adding hand clapping in the background to go along with the lazy feel. Some of the slower indie fans may point to the songs feel as a positive but this definitely doesn’t play towards the strong points “The Lines” have as a band.

Picking up the pace a little, “The Lines” find themselves in a tempo set between “Crystal Clear” and “How it should be.” More like a cruise control tempo “let it go” starts off steady and breaks off into just bass and drums for part of the verses. About a third of the way through the song the guitars pick up and blast through to the forefront of the song turning the last crescendo into a controlled groove that invites the listener to stomp their foot while Ohm croons, “Let it go, let it go,” allowing the song to fade out at what seems a long two and a half minutes.

“Domino Effect,” which was released as a single long before the band put out this full length album, gained success in the UK chart is none-the-less still holds its weight among the rest of the songs on their debut album. Familiar guitar picking pepper the track, along with the soaring voice and self questioning lyrics of Alex Ohm, which prick at the listener's ears like a soft spoken question for them to answer within themselves. Their confidence is clear as Ohm proclaims their goal to “burn this town like no one else can.” This track gets right to the point while seeming to favor showcasing Ohm's voice and lyrics over the grooves that are conjured up in there other works on this album.

Switching to a folkish acoustic driven sound which then kicks into to a chord progression sounding similar to Coldplay's “yellow,” “Over and Out” is another slow track that could read like a filler song except for the profound sincerity of Ohm's voice. His soft conversational croon grabs the listener from the very first words of “Don't say this is it... This is now.” As the song proceeds, the pace takes a backseat to Ohm's clear ringing and pleading over self reflection and realization. The acoustic guitar adds a nice backdrop to bring the rest of the groove back in over top. Each verse builds as it reaches its zenith point, with the end perfectly set up as justification for all the sounds used throughout. Fast picking solo's sliding up and down while violins and acoustic guitars stir the listener's soul while following the thoughts of Ohm as he searches for a balance between “something” and “nothing.”

“Half Dreams” seems to pick up where “Over and Out” left off. A quick roll leads right into a slower tempo groove that the listener may think this is the second part of the previous song. Though not as poignant as “Over and Out” “Half Dreams” leads a slow path to nowhere in particular. Where the high points soared on the previous track, none of the points are repeated or built upon here. All the makings of a filler song. Again fans of the slower love pop songs and styles may appreciate this attempt by the lines, but by this point in the album it is clear what works and what is an attempt to break off. “Half Dreams” will become a common skipper track for those listening to what “The Lines” really have to offer.

“El Matador” quickly reels the listener back in to the head nodding zombie state that is found on the other up-tempo quick-hitting, guitar riff laden songs on the album. The steady heartbeat pounding by O'Connor paves the way for the jump around groove that follows. Pulsating through the headphones, the groove resonates back and forth as Ohm sings, “I’ve made mistakes, I’ve made mistakes”. Breaking completely into a jam, then steadily sliding back into the cruising pace, allowing Ohm to belt his self comparisons to a certain charging animal. This could easily be most fun song to listen to on the album and for those feeling around the harder rocking grooves, this is your bread and butter song, containing everything a band needs to have a hit with a little edge to it while showcasing all their strong points.

As the Album approaches its close The Lines seem to pick up the pace consistently, charging right from “El Matador” into “Circles,” another quick streaming groove. One thing that is noticeable about the intelligence of sound is the guitar playing of Dean Bate. His awareness of crafting grooves around knowing when to hold back and then bring it makes for a perfected balance of clean and slightly distorted. Bate Falls in line during the verses, letting the bass and drums vibrate out the wave that the rest of the band then rides; but when the need is there to turn up the volume knob, his machine gunning rifts hypnotize the listener driving their foot stomping through songs like “Circles.”

Loudmouth explodes at the listener with heavy bass and drums as Ohm chimes in with “She's in denial, she's in denial, telling her lover it's alright, he runs for cover, he runs for cover, all day long...” with Bates bombarding the track with quick bursting riffs, going back and forth with Ohn's lyrics. Loudmouth is a fitting fast past closer that ends the album justly. O'Connor and Pease each get to showcase their skills throughout the middle of track as the tempo never lets up or slows down. Although some prefer a long drawn out ending song, The Lines stay within their familiar spot of quick hitting, catching the listener by surprise, quickly ending the song as if it was sandwiched in the middle of the whole album.

The Lines definitely have found their groove on this self titled debut album. Their at their best when Ohm's voice is soaring over fast-paced foot stomping rhythm's and slightly distorted buzz-saw guitars. The opening songs of the album and the closing few hit rock nail right on the head. The album's pace slows slightly in its middle section, which might lull or discourage some listeners, but those indie rockers who enjoy the folkish slow style may gravitate towards those songs in particular, but for those who are encouraged by the “Arctic Monkeys” comparison or “The verve” be sure to stay with the album for the closing songs as they best showcase the blazing promise that so many listeners have already bestowed upon this band.
- onlinerock.com

Dot to Dot 2011

The best way to kick off festival season returns once more, bigger and better than ever.

If this is your first Dot to Dot you won’t have experienced just how good a night’s sleep you get after it. Euphoric from amazing music, exhausted from the estimated 15,000 steps you take that day. It’s not a bad time to start as the line up, as ever is amazing.

In terms of up and coming artists the potential on show is incredible and when you include the heavyweights also on the bill and the usually splendid weather you have all the ingredients for a perfect weekend. Where to start?

Well firstly, there are still some tickets left so cancel all plans, book the time off work and get yours- Bristol, Nottingham, Manchester. I’d love to do a couple or maybe all three one day but i’ve only just started back at the gym, maybe next year- don’t let that stop you though! See it as the ultimate musical marathon.

Before I get started, go download the Outr0version Dot to Dot 2011 Collection, a whole load of mp3s to help get you introduced to all the artists that will be blowing your mind that weekend.

Over to the music...

Firstly- On the way up…

Ed Sheeran

Catching Ed Sheeran this summer is like seeing Kate Nash before “Foundations” or more sexually appopriate- Jack Penate before Glastonbury. I don’t want to encourage you to see him too much as I already fear the room will be packed with those ahead of the game and I want to be able to see! Make no mistake, this highly talented wordsmith should be one of the first names circled on your schedule, the phrase “I was in the same town as him before plus…” doesn’t have the same ring… (“+” is released in September)

Stagecoach

Chances are you’ve heard some pretty chill people talking about Stagecoach but haven’t checked them out for yourself, I only assume this to be the case as they should be a lot more well known than they are. Definite but not obvious similarities to Los Campesinos! and more noticeably- Johnny Foreigner, a cover of theirs the London five piece have recorded below. They were selected by Huw Stevens of BBC radio one as one of the “introducing” highlights of last year and they’ve got a packed summer ahead of them, it’ll be hard not to leave dancing after they target you with their feel good hits of the spring.

The Lines

These typically English boys with typically English names (Dave, Dean, Danny and lead singer- Alex) are from a typically English City. Wolverhampton, a city that might be relegated from the premiership the weekend before they play so they might need you there to cheer them up…

Quirky intro aside, I really like them. Their sound harks back to early Verve, before all the orchestras. I only heard them after I put up the mixtape so here’s three tracks to get into-

The Naked and Famous

New Zealand Five Piece Naked and Famous are on somewhat of an ascent, one might say. The likelihood of someone coming out with something as pretentious as that was made all the more likely by them being voted NME‘s breakthrough act or best new band at their awards ceremony that includes categories such as best dressed and best blog. So excuse me if I’m a little peccimistic of praise from that quarter.

Fortunately, having a mind of my own I listened to them to make sure I wasn’t going to be missing out. Turns out they’re fantastic. They are what Chew Lips so nearly were, what I wish The Pains of Being Pure of Heart were. I don’t usually like synth but they pour it over melodies so sweet you might end up with diabetes after 5 minutes alone with their music.

The track i’ve included here, Young Blood is humungous. It couldn’t BE any bigger. They’re already playing two events I’m at this summer and I am all about this! Loads more tracks available on their site. Oh and a couple more on the dot to dot preview ;)

Nikki and the Dove

I advise you to see Nikki and the Dove if you want to see an artist that a lot of people are really excited about but that you might not get. It’s the kind of style that is usually described using adjectives such as “soaring” and “euphoric”, essentially meanlingless terms when you could just say if you like Pains of being pure at heart and Bats for Lashes then you’ll absolutely LOVE this. But if you didn’t then it really is a judgement call, what you’re in the mood for at that time on the day for example. Last year we missed a band because I was in the mood to drink 4 litres of pepsi… You know, just take it as it comes (: - outroversion.wordpress.com

The Lines
Polock
Ravens & Chimes
Pianos
3/22/11

SXSW always proves to be a great time of year, regardless if you actually make it to Austin and provided you live in NYC. Most the bands will make an appearance here at some point either on the way home or before. Not bad.

The Lines from Wolverhampton, Midlands, should be all over NME and the UK press. Its a bit crazy that they didnt explode in the likes of The Arctic Monkeys. Perhaps its better so that most of us will get to see them in a small club. The Lines are reminiscent of all things 90s. They have the power of the Stone Roses and at times have an Oasis vibe. Haircuts could have been seen on Tim Burgess. Alex Ohm’s soaring vocals at times are spot on for Bono. And some of the intros with the heavy guitars could have been heard on a Ride album. Its not a bad mish-mash of bands to be compared to. The Lines played for a crowd of maybe 30 people and you would have never guessed it. Alex was all over the stage working it as if it were a big club. He commented on the (small) stage and how there was nowhere for him to move with all the wires.

The band sounded incredibly tight. The band members have unbelievable chemistry. It was a great way to end the set with Alex in the audience and 2 drums waiting for him to play. He was able to move around like no tomorrow and really put an end to the show. When they come around next time, do not miss them! Their songs on album do not do them justice for what they do live!

Following The Lines, came the Strokes-esque Polock. Hailing from Valencia, Spain, the boys announced it was their first time in NYC. They seemed quite excited to be here, if not a wee bit tired. Their manager was as excited as they were and took a bunch of photos of her drinking as Polock played.

Polock has the same sorta vibe and at times sounds like The Strokes, but they’re probably closer sounding to Phoenix. The lead singer could easily be mistaken (vocals-wise) for Thomas Mars. Their pop sensibilities give them that same fun sound, that has everyone dancing and singing along. The guys have great harmonies and complement each other well.

They finished the set with their single ‘Fireworks’ which might be one of the catchiest new songs Ive heard in a long time. After a listen or two, you feel like you know the song and are singing along with them. They were definitely a great way to end the night.

The first band on the set was locals Ravens & Chimes. At this time there were maybe 20 of us (if we’re lucky) there to see the band. Considering that most everyone was in the other bands – it was basically a show for me and 3 friends. Its hard to complain about that.

The band seemed a bit lackluster and you could tell SXSW had hit them hard. They had just gotten back and will actually be headed out on tour straight-away. They were pretty subdued on stage with very little banter. It seemed the keyboardist didnt even want to be there, but they did their best to get through their set. At best their boy/girl harmonies could be likened to the playfulness of Stars. And those were great pop songs. Their real problem is their music is all over the place. It feels like they hadnt yet figured out which direction they will be going in, and their music reflects that.

Some really great songs, mixed in with some not-so-great songs made their show hit-or-miss. They wouldnt be a bad opener per se, but Id probably not go to a show *just* to see them. BUT, the lead singer was very cool and came up to me and started talking to me right away. Perhaps it was me taking photos of him, or maybe I looked like a nice face. He was friendly, told me about their upcoming tour and SXSW. Which means, I definitely wouldnt miss them if they were opening for another band I was seeing!
- xneverwherex.com

The Lines
El Matador

The Lines are in that enviable position as far as their contemporaries concerned in that they produce a quality sound whilst creating catchy lyrics, a talent which seems to eschew many. This is especially true of late 2010 release ‘El Matador’, in which good lyrics get couple with an upbeat, lively tempo. This is nicely contrasted with promo b-side ‘Awake’, the smooth sound and accessible vocals creating a far more chill-out vibe. The boys from Wolverhampton certainly have a bright future. - www.itsallhappening.co.uk

The flame first ignited by industrial, working-class artists such as The Jam and The Undertones all those years ago still burns strongly in the heart of Wolverhampton, hometown of The Lines, whose infectious brand of indie pop leaves a lingering flavour of those dearly beloved, iconic bands of the 70s mixed with their determined attitude, hinting that there is much bigger things to come for these four likely lads.
The Lines
First of all, congratulations on a cracking debut album, a testament to the hard work and care you’ve obviously put into making it; was it a difficult album to create?

Difficult isn’t the right word, it’s been a fun album to create. We’ve taken our time over the songs when writing them, and they’ve evolved over time to what they are now. We’re all really open to new ideas, so even now we still try to improve on the songs if we get any new ideas for them. The album is was the culmination of that, and we’re really happy with how it turned out, and it’s really nice that people like yourself appreciate it as much as we do.

How did you first manage to break in to the competitive music scene? Did you get any significant help distinguishing the band?

The thing we pride ourselves on most is our live performance and as a result we’ve gained a lot of respect from people within the industry for that and gained a loyal following along the way, this honest approach to it has stood us well. In all honesty we’re just four lads playing really good music and can cut it live, and that’s how we’ve got to where we are. The one piece of advice we’d offer to anyone is to make sure you can cut it live as if you can’t, you get found out rather quickly.

Could you tell us a bit about yourselves? Where are you all from and how did you meet?

In all honesty, there’s not much to tell about ourselves. Al and Dean grew up around the corner from each other, but we’ve all known each other for a while through gigging in different bands together. We’re just four lads who enjoy hanging out together, listening, making music and having a laugh.

Your music sounds like a proper mish-mash of several artists like The Courteeners, The Bravery, I think I can even hear the ghost of the Stone Roses buried in there somewhere, is there any particular bands that you’d credit as having a major influence on your sound?

We don’t have one, two, or even ten particular influences. The fact that no one can pin us down to one particular band we sound like is testament to this. We’re all really into a wide variety of music, whether it be the stone roses, the Beatles, doves, or even more leftfield stuff for an ‘indie’ band like house music, hip-hop, punk, northern soul, whatever. We just like music that grabs our attention, and that shows because we’ve taken a wide variety of sounds and created our own sound and by that we don’t mean we’ve just taken brit-pop and given it our own new name…

What is the thought process you go through when you’re writing songs?

The song-writing thing comes in a variety of ways. Sometimes Al will come with a demo of a song he’s written and we’ll take it from there. Sometimes Danny will have a demo that he brings into the studio and we’ll run with that. Another way we come up with songs is that we just start jamming stuff out and see where it goes. If we like something then we run with it, and if it’s not working we leave it. If you force it, it doesn’t work. But just because it’s not working then doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. We’ve come back to idea’s we had months ago and found it’s suddenly started to work, it’s just one of those things. We all chip in with ideas for each other as well; it’s really good for the band that we all are confident enough to come up with ideas for the parts that we’re not even playing. And all the while that we’re jamming Al will be trying different lyrics out, and over time the song starts to take more and more shape. It’s really fun when it all eventually comes together. It a really productive time at the moment, we’ve got ideas pouring out our minds and we’re looking forward to getting them down and playing them live.

What do you do to help get the creative juices flowing?

Because we’re all always listening to different music we don’t really need to do anything to get the creative juices flowing as such. As soon as we start jamming something we get different ideas from different songs. We do often sit down and listen to a few different songs to see where the song might go, but yeah, just listening to loads of different music is all we need to do.

You’ve had a fair bit of exposure recently, supporting big name acts such as The Editors and Ocean Colour Scene, have these experiences brought about any influential changes in your personal lives?

The only change we’ve had since we’ve supported people like Ocean Colour Scene, Ian Brown and everyone else is that it’s proven to us that we can hold our own when playing these bigger gigs supporting people like that. To get people coming up to you after the gig saying they’ve never seen a support band that have impressed them so much means a lot. As the support band it’s really easy to get ignored by the crowd who’ve paid to go and watch bands like that, so we always make sure we play as well as we can to grab the attention of anyone who’s never seen us before.

You’ve even had rock royalty singing your praises in the form of Robert Plant who said “There aren’t really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”. Do you agree with this statement?

The music scene in Wolverhampton, and the West Midlands in general is really strong in all honesty with quite a few decent bands, but when a legend like Robert Plant says that you’re “great” you can’t really disagree can you? haha

You were at SXSW this year, did you enjoy yourselves and did you manage to catch any of the Scottish talent that was showcased there?

SXSW was amazing, we did 9 or 10 gigs over the course of 5 days, so we kept ourselves really busy, but the only problem with that is that the only band that we got to see who we weren’t gigging with was the Wu-Tang Clan! If we’d of had the chance we’d have definitely gone to watch Steve Mason as the Beta Band were mint!

Have you played any gigs that you thought were really special?

I think we all have gigs that will be special to us for different reasons, but the two main ones that stick out were supporting Ian Brown in Amsterdam at the start of last year as obviously he’s a massive icon and also as it was at a venue called The Paradiso which is a truly magical place and we cannot recommend highly enough to anyone that they should try to go to a gig there at some point in there life. But the main one that stands out at the moment would be the last time we played our hometown of Wolverhampton as we played at the Wulfrun Halls, which holds just over 1,100 people, and we sold it out. To have people you know turned away from a gig is always a bit shit, but when it’s such a big gig in such a big venue it is secretly really good for you ego!

You’re playing one of Scotland’s finest music venues King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on May 4th, are you looking forward to taking on the Scottish crowd? We promise to make it an unforgettable night!

The last time we played in Scotland was actually in Glasgow supporting Ocean Colour Scene at the Barrowlands, which is obviously a big deal as it’s a legendary venue. We’d been told to expect a boisterous crowd, but we buzz off the energy of the crowd, so we always love it whenever we venture north of the border as the crowds up here are always up for it. To start the tour in a venue like King Tut’s, which has such history, and with a Glaswegian crowd, we couldn’t ask for more. We literally cannot wait.

What advice would you give to any up and coming musicians?

The main advice we’d give to bands goes back to what we’ve said before, listen to as much music as you can so you can take inspiration from as many people as possible. And you should genuinely enjoy the music you’re playing, don’t try to write songs because you think it’s what you think other people want to hear. Oh, and don’t think it’s going to happen in a day.

http://www.myspace.com/wearethelines - www.isthismusic.com

The flame first ignited by industrial, working-class artists such as The Jam and The Undertones all those years ago still burns strongly in the heart of Wolverhampton, hometown of The Lines, whose infectious brand of indie pop leaves a lingering flavour of those dearly beloved, iconic bands of the 70s mixed with their determined attitude, hinting that there is much bigger things to come for these four likely lads.

GetToTheFront: First of all, congratulations on a cracking debut album, a testament to the hard work and care you’ve obviously put into making it; was it a difficult album to create?

The Lines: Difficult isn’t the right word, it’s been a fun album to create. We’ve taken our time over the songs when writing them, and they’ve evolved over time to what they are now. We’re all really open to new ideas, so even now we still try to improve on the songs if we get any new ideas for them. The album is was the culmination of that, and we’re really happy with how it turned out, and it’s really nice that people like yourself appreciate it as much as we do.

GetToTheFront: How did you first manage to break in to the competitive music scene? Did you get any significant help distinguishing the band?

The Lines: The thing we pride ourselves on most is our live performance and as a result we’ve gained a lot of respect from people within the industry for that and gained a loyal following along the way, this honest approach to it has stood us well. In all honesty we’re just four lads playing really good music and can cut it live, and that’s how we’ve got to where we are. The one piece of advice we’d offer to anyone is to make sure you can cut it live as if you can’t, you get found out rather quickly.

GetToTheFront: Could you tell us a bit about yourselves? Where are you all from and how did you meet?

The Lines: In all honesty, there’s not much to tell about ourselves. Al and Dean grew up around the corner from each other, but we’ve all known each other for a while through gigging in different bands together. We’re just four lads who enjoy hanging out together, listening, making music and having a laugh.

GetToTheFront: Your music sounds like a proper mish-mash of several artists like The Courteeners, The Bravery, I think I can even hear the ghost of the Stone Roses buried in there somewhere, is there any particular bands that you’d credit as having a major influence on your sound?

The Lines: We don’t have one, two, or even ten particular influences. The fact that no one can pin us down to one particular band we sound like is testament to this. We’re all really into a wide variety of music, whether it be the stone roses, the Beatles, doves, or even more leftfield stuff for an ‘indie’ band like house music, hip-hop, punk, northern soul, whatever. We just like music that grabs our attention, and that shows because we’ve taken a wide variety of sounds and created our own sound and by that we don’t mean we’ve just taken brit-pop and given it our own new name…

GetToTheFront: What is the thought process you go through when you’re writing songs?

The Lines: The song-writing thing comes in a variety of ways. Sometimes Al will come with a demo of a song he’s written and we’ll take it from there. Sometimes Danny will have a demo that he brings into the studio and we’ll run with that. Another way we come up with songs is that we just start jamming stuff out and see where it goes. If we like something then we run with it, and if it’s not working we leave it. If you force it, it doesn’t work. But just because it’s not working then doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. We’ve come back to idea’s we had months ago and found it’s suddenly started to work, it’s just one of those things. We all chip in with ideas for each other as well; it’s really good for the band that we all are confident enough to come up with ideas for the parts that we’re not even playing. And all the while that we’re jamming Al will be trying different lyrics out, and over time the song starts to take more and more shape. It’s really fun when it all eventually comes together. It a really productive time at the moment, we’ve got ideas pouring out our minds and we’re looking forward to getting them down and playing them live.

GetToTheFront: What do you do to help get the creative juices flowing?

The Lines: Because we’re all always listening to different music we don’t really need to do anything to get the creative juices flowing as such. As soon as we start jamming something we get different ideas from different songs. We do often sit down and listen to a few different songs to see where the song might go, but yeah, just listening to loads of different music is all we need to do.

GetToTheFront: You’ve had a fair bit of exposure recently, supporting big name acts such as The Editors and Ocean Colour Scene, have these experiences brought about any influential changes in your personal lives?

The Lines: The only change we’ve had since we’ve supported people like Ocean Colour Scene, Ian Brown and everyone else is that it’s proven to us that we can hold our own when playing these bigger gigs supporting people like that. To get people coming up to you after the gig saying they’ve never seen a support band that have impressed them so much means a lot. As the support band it’s really easy to get ignored by the crowd who’ve paid to go and watch bands like that, so we always make sure we play as well as we can to grab the attention of anyone who’s never seen us before.

GetToTheFront: You’ve even had rock royalty singing your praises in the form of Robert Plant who said “There aren’t really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”. Do you agree with this statement?

The Lines: The music scene in Wolverhampton, and the West Midlands in general is really strong in all honesty with quite a few decent bands, but when a legend like Robert Plant says that you’re “great” you can’t really disagree can you? haha

GetToTheFront: You were at SXSW this year, did you enjoy yourselves and did you manage to catch any of the Scottish talent that was showcased there?

The Lines: SXSW was amazing, we did 9 or 10 gigs over the course of 5 days, so we kept ourselves really busy, but the only problem with that is that the only band that we got to see who we weren’t gigging with was the Wu-Tang Clan! If we’d of had the chance we’d of definitely gone to watch Steve Mason as the Beta Band were mint!

GetToTheFront: Have you played any gigs that you thought were really special?

The Lines: I think we all have gigs that will be special to us for different reasons, but the two main ones that stick out were supporting Ian Brown in Amsterdam at the start of last year as obviously he’s a massive icon and also as it was at a venue called The Paradiso which is a truly magical place and we cannot recommend highly enough to anyone that they should try to go to a gig there at some point in there life. But the main one that stands out at the moment would be the last time we played our hometown of Wolverhampton as we played at the Wulfrun Halls, which holds just over 1,100 people, and we sold it out. To have people you know turned away from a gig is always a bit shit, but when it’s such a big gig in such a big venue it is secretly really good for you ego!

GetToTheFront: You’re playing one of Scotland’s finest music venues King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on May 4th, are you looking forward to taking on the Scottish crowd? We promise to make it an unforgettable night!

The Lines: The last time we played in Scotland was actually in Glasgow supporting Ocean Colour Scene at the Barrowlands, which is obviously a big deal as it’s a legendary venue. We’d been told to expect a boisterous crowd, but we buzz off the energy of the crowd, so we always love it whenever we venture north of the border as the crowds up here are always up for it. To start the tour in a venue like King Tut’s, which has such history, and with a Glaswegian crowd, we couldn’t ask for more. We literally cannot wait.

GetToTheFront: What advice would you give to any up and coming musicians?

The Lines: The main advice we’d give to bands goes back to what we’ve said before, listen to as much music as you can so you can take inspiration from as many people as possible. And you should genuinely enjoy the music you’re playing, don’t try to write songs because you think it’s what you think other people want to hear. Oh, and don’t think it’s going to happen in a day.

Listen to more from The Lines at Myspace

The Band are to embark on a UK tour this month (May), tickets onsale over at Ticketmaster - www.gettothefront.com

Wolverhampton band 'The Lines' joined James Carpenter in the Beacon Sessions Room for a chat and to perform in session. Robert Plant loves them, they've recently supported Ocean Colour Scene and have just come back from the US. - http://www.beaconradio.co.uk/videos/

The Stoke sounds show on 6 towns radio interviewed Wolverhampton band The Lines. They played their song Circles live acoustically in the studio. Tune in every Monday 7-9 pm for the best in local music with bamf and boog.


The Lines Appear On 6 Towns Radio Stoke Sounds Show 25.04.11 by 6townsdowney on Mixcloud - www.6towns.co.uk

During March team Fused headed out to our 4th SXSW event in Austin, Texas and a mighty fine time we had too. Take a look at the video that tells you more than our words could… - www.fusedmagazine.com

Wolverhampton, UK rock quartet The Lines made their first foray into Canada at CMW 2011; needless to say we were ecstatic that they trekked that far across The Atlantic to show us how they do that whole “rock” thing over in England.

Check out “Tracey” and “Circles” in the embed below – be sure to hit up their website for plenty more awesome rock from THE band Robert Plant (yes… THAT Robert Plant) suggests you watch from his neck of England. - www.theindiemachine.com

After a week filled with lackluster 'overly pitchy, not feeling it' performances on Amercian Idol and a really heinous song making the YouTube rounds a miilion times over...(FYI: I will unfriend and unfollow anyone who buys this song on iTunes...cross my heart).

(Note to Jon Bon Jovi....Steve Jobs isn't killing the music industry, the Rebecca Black's of the world are. But on that note I did have a dream last night that Eminem and Dr Dre went on the Jimmy Fallon show and covered 'Friday' and it was as the kids say today, an 'epic' performance. So now I think it should totally happen. Are you listening to me Jimmy?)

I figured that some good music should be heard to stop our ears from bleeding. It's my good deed for the day. You're welcome.

The Lines...from across the pond, UK indie rockers who are just fabulously brilliant. - yummymummyclub.ca

DMPulse Top 30 - Week of March 28, 2011
TW LW Artist Title Album Plays
1 11 The Naked & Famous Punching in a Dream Passive Me, Aggressive You 27
2 2 Fitz & the Tantrums MoneyGrabber Pickin' Up The Pieces 26
3 12 Jukebox the Ghost Schizophrenia Everything Under the Sun 26
4 8 Parlours I Dream of Chicago Parlours EP 26
5 5 Rural Alberta Advantage Stamp Departing 26
6 7 Klaxons Echoes Surfing the Void 26
7 13 The Lines El Matador The Lines 26
8 24 Fourth of July Tan Lines Before Our Hearts Explode 24
9 25 The Strokes Under Cover of Darkness Angles 24
10 -- The Decemberists January Hymn The King is Dead 24
11 -- The Naked & Famous Frayed Passive Me, Aggressive You 24
12 -- Young Galaxy Cover Your Tracks Shapeshifting 23
13 1 Arcade Fire Half Light II (No Celebration) The Suburbs 13
14 6 Versus Gone to Earth On the Ones and Threes 13
15 9 Adele Rolling in the Deep 21 12
16 10 Dead Confederate Run From the Gun Sugar 12
17 28 Lykke Li I Follow Rivers Wounded Rhymes 12
18 19 The Heligoats A Word From Our Sponsor Live Free & Let Loose 12
19 16 Crystal Castles Not In Love Not In Love 11
20 23 Common Loon Dinosaur vs. Early Man The Long Dream of Birds 11
21 21 The Decemberists This Is Why We Fight January Hymn 11
22 27 TV on the Radio Will Do Nine Kinds of Light 11
23 26 Radiohead Lotus Flower The King of Limbs 10
24 29 Grouplove Colours Grouplove EP 10
25 -- Parlours I Think I'll Call You Mine Parlours EP 10
26 -- Cage the Elephant Shake Me Down Thank You, Happy Birthday 10
27 -- Architecture In Helsinki Contact High Moment Bends 10
28 -- Broken Bells Heartless Empire Meyrin Fields EP 9
29 -- Grouplove Naked Kids Grouplove EP 9
30 -- The Strokes You're So Right Angles 9 - http://dmpulse.blogspot.com/

The Lines "Glorious Aftermath" - www.cbsradio.com

It’s day three and on hearing that Anna Calvi has cancelled her North American tour we take another look at the schedule for tonight and decide to kick off at the Bovine Sex Club. And if you think that’s a cool name you should check out the venue! We weren’t sure where exactly the Bovine Sex Club was but when we saw a small building with twisted and rusted metal and multi coloured fairy lights stuck to the walls we felt confident we had found it. Inside it was much the same, albeit with a plethora of other things, including childrens’s dolls, also stuck to the wall.


The place is small and already rammed as first band Molten Lava take the stage. A duo consisting of a drummer and a bass guitarist, you only need to look at the drummer’s reversed baseball cap, sleeveless Molten lava t-shirt and mullet to know these guys like to rock. And boy do they rock! They may not play the smartest music in town but if you want balls out, adrenalin fuelled, loud as hell rock music, tonight Bovine Sex Club is the only place to be! The guys have a lot of charisma and with songs about hating the ‘Black Eyed Peas’ and announcements from the drummer like ‘this is a love song bitches’ there’s a lot of love from the crowd.


We hang around for the next band, Canadian punk band The Pack AD. Another duo, this time featuring Pack AD electric guitar and drums they have a hard act to follow and sadly they can’t pull it off. The duo play loose garage rock and while the singer/guitarist plays pretty well, has a bit of attitude and looks pretty good, the drummer lacks finsesse as she bashes away at the drums without much care for a tune. Maybe on another night they’ll sound better but tonight it’s not really working, so we finish our beer and head on to The Wrongbar.


We’ve come to the Wrongbar to see British shoegazers Esben and The Witch but as we left the last gig early we catch the end of the previous act, a French Canadian band called Karkwa. Last year they were the first band to win the Polaris Prize (the equivalent to our Mercury Music Prize) with an album performed in French, and from what we hear to it is was well deserved. From the confidence and skill with which they play it’s obvious they’ve been around for a while but whilst they are technically very good. They remind me of Radiohead and I’m sure on record they sound great, but in a live situation they’re not lighting my fire. Maybe if I were more familiar with their music it would be a different story.


After a quick break Esben and the Witch come on to beguile us with their doom-laden gothic shoegaze. What really stands out is the strentgth of Rachel’s voice live – it’s every bit as powerful, haunting and Esben & The Witch ethereal as on record and holds its own against the thrashing guitars and bombastic drumming. Speaking of the drums, rather than a whole kit Rachel plays a single tom tom drum, occasionally joined by both of her band mates, and she bangs at such speed that viewed with the strobe lighting effects her drumsticks actually appear to bend. Meanwhile lead guitarist Darren goes off in his own world, his feet shoeless and his legs bending in ways that should not be possible. Looking round the audience appear are totally enthralled as they stand in a stunned silence both engulfed and enthralled by this magnificent huge sound. In front of stage are photographers apparently unfamiliar with the band who look increasingly frustrated as they fail to grab any images of Darren without his hair obscuring his face. It’s a fantastic performance from the Brighton based trio, but the highlight is saved for the end. Darren takes the drum, with mic, to the back of the audience to play which gives an amazing effect of being able to hear the same beats from the front and back at the same time.


The last band of the night for us are Wolverhampton’s big new hope The Lines. Tonight they’re playing at a venue called the Hideout which, though it has a stage, seems to be full of clubbers (it’s now 2am) The Lines
rather than rock fans. Nonetheless we grab another beer and hang around near the front of the stage for the Lines to begin. The Lines haven’t been together for very long but from the way they play tonight you would never know it: they are exceptionally tight. They play guitar based indie rock with powerful, soaring vocals underpinned by some magnificent drumming. Tracks like ‘How It Should Be’ and ‘Loudmouth’ have an element of funk that makes their music eminently danceable, even it is lost on some of tonight’s audience. I’d not heard these guys before and though it’s getting late both the music and the band have enough energy to keep me going. Another album added to my shopping list! - www.punkrockistnichttot.com

Tonight kicks off at the Bovine Sex Club - and if you think that’s a cool name you should check out the venue: on the outside you get multi-coloured fairy lights stuck between the twisted and rusted metal walls, while once inside you notice the ominous sight of childrens dolls, protruding menacingly from the walls.

The place is small and already rammed as first band Molten Lava take the stage. A duo consisting of a drummer and a bass guitarist, you only need to look at the drummer’s reversed baseball cap, sleeveless t-shirt and mullet to know these guys like to rock. And boy do they rock! They may not play the smartest music in town but if you want balls out, adrenalin fuelled, loud as hell rock music, the Bovine Sex Club is the only place to be!

Canadian punk rockers The Pack AD have a hard act to follow and sadly can’t pull it off. The duo play loose garage rock and while the singer/guitarist plays pretty well, has a bit of attitude and looks pretty good, the drummer lacks finsesse as she bashes away at the drums without much care for a tune. Maybe on another night they’ll sound better but tonight it’s not really working, so we finish our beer and head on to The Wrongbar.

image
THE PACK AD


French Canadian band Karkwa were, in 2010, the first band to win the Polaris Prize (the equivalent to our Mercury Music Prize). From the confidence and skill with which they play it’s obvious they’ve been around for a while: they remind me of Radiohead too, but while I’m sure on record they sound great, in a live situation they’re not lighting my fire.

After a quick break Esben and the Witch come on to beguile us with their doom-laden gothic shoegaze. What really stands out is the strength of Rachel’s voice live – it’s every bit as powerful, haunting and ethereal as on record and holds its own against the thrashing guitars and bombastic drumming.

Looking round the audience appear totally enthralled as they stand in a stunned silence, engulfed by this magnificent huge sound. In front of stage are photographers apparently unfamiliar with the band who look increasingly frustrated as they fail to grab any images of Darren without his hair obscuring his face.

image
ESBEN AND THE WITCH


The last band of the night for us are Wolverhampton’s big new hope The Lines. Despite having note been together very long, they are exceptionally tight. They play guitar based indie rock with powerful, soaring vocals underpinned by some magnificent drumming.

Tracks like ‘How It Should Be’ and ‘Loudmouth’ have an element of funk that makes their music eminently danceable, even it is lost on some of tonight’s audience. I’d not heard these guys before and though it’s getting late both the music and the band have enough energy to keep me going. Another album added to my shopping list! - www.artrocker.tv

Video: The Lines – Do512 Lounge Session

the linesFor today’s video we have a live session from Wolverhampton’s the Lines. Filmed for Austin, Texas based entertainment directory Do512, the band recorded two songs, ‘El Matador’ & ‘Loud Mouth’ for the site’s Lounge Sessions – enjoy! - www.punkrockistnichttot.com

The Lines - BTR Live @ Pianos NYC


00:00 Jezz Harkin Intro
00:12 Tracey - The Lines
02:39 Circles - The Lines
06:12 Slow It Up - The Lines
11:31 Glorious Aftermath - The Lines
15:16 Lunatic - The Lines
20:33 Elmatador - The Lines
23:51 Loudmouth - The Lines
29:57 Finish









All photos by Jezz Harkin

The Lines
Apr 30 @ The Well - Leeds, England
May 01 @ The Gaymers Camden Crawl 2011 - London, England
May 04 @ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow, Scotland
May 05 @ The Sugarmill - Stoke - on - Trent, England
May 06 @ HMV Institute - Birmingham, England
May 07 @ Sumo - Leicester, England - BreakThru Radio

WOW. We managed to get UK buzz band The Lines in studio on their way to the airport, just in the nick of time! They are definitely ones to watch. Seriously their live show is INSANE and their album matches that sort of energy. Give a listen to the interview and show ‘em some stateside love by hopping on over to their official website for a free download of their new song Circles (3 chords and the truth). Let’s get them back to the US as soon as possible! - Virgin Mobile Live

This year's SXSW festival is a month away and some of you may be sick of hearing about it already. Especially if you're not going. One nice thing about New York is a lot of the international acts play here either on their way to or from Austin, and usually doing longer sets than you'd get at the fest.

In that spirit, like last year, we're gonna bring a little of the SXSW spirit to Brooklyn -- minus the inability to find a cab at midnight. The BrooklynVegan & Tiger Mountain pre-SXSW Party will be at The Rock Shop on Monday, March 14 with Bloodgroup, The Megaphonic Thrift and The Lines. Tickets are only $8 and on sale now.

Bloodgroup
Bloodgroup

Iceland synth pop collective Bloodgroup headline the night. Maybe you saw them at CMJ last year. The band's 2009 LP, the slinky, seductive Dry Land, drew favorable comparisons to The Knife. KEXP's blog wrote of their 2010 CMJ performance, "Bloodgroup could be this year's The xx, if enough people take the time to stop and listen." Stop and listen to Bloodgroup's single "My Arms" at the top of this post.

The Megaphonic Thrift (who share members with Casiokids and The Low Frequency in Stereo) played in NYC last March on their way to SXSW as their new album, Decay Destroy, had just come out in their home country of Norway. It's taken a year for the album to get an American release -- out next month on Sonic Union -- but it's probably good timing as their sound fits in well with the '90s indie rock resurgence we're experiencing right now.

Check out the "Candy Sin" -- part Sonic Youth, part Swervedriver -- at the top of this post. I've seen them a couple times. If you dig loud, shoegazy rock The Megaphonic Thrift do it very well. If you can't make the Rock Shop show, the band plays the night before (3/13) at Mercury Lounge where they'll play with Endless Boogie and Arboretum.

The Lines
The Lines

Openers are The Lines who hail from Wolverhampton, UK (home of Slade, Goldie and Ned's Atomic Dustbin) and, like Bloodgroup, were here last in October for CMJ. Check out their single "El Matador" at the top of this post which should appeal to fans of Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party, and other danceable UK indie.

Should be a fun night, especially because we're giving away Strongbow Cider to those who get there early (while it lasts). Videos and all tour dates for all three bands, below...

--
flyer

Bloodgroup - Overload

The Megaphonic Thrift - Acid Blues

Megaphonic Thrift - 2011 Tour Dates
3/13 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge w/Arbouretum and more
3/14 Brooklyn, NY - The Rock Shop, Brooklyn Vegan SXSW-send off party
3/16 SXSW - Flavorpill/Musebox/I Rock I Roll/Bellhouse NY Day Party
3/19 SXSW - American Art Authority Day Party (4PM)
3/19 SXSW - Main showcase at Speakeasy (8PM)

The Lines - Circles

The Lines - 2011 Tour Dates
Feb 25th - Glasgow Barrowlands, Scotland w/ Ocean Colour Scene
Feb 26th - Birmingham O2 Academy, England w/ Ocean Colour Scene
March 8th - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern @ 9pm
March 9th - Toronto, ON - Canadian Music Week
March 10th - Toronto, ON - Canadian Music Week
March 11th - Toronto, ON - Sonic Boom in-store
March 12th - Toronto, ON - Canadian Music Week
March 14th - Brooklyn, NY - The Rock Shop w/ The Megaphonic Thrift
March 16th - Austin, TX - SXSW
March 17th - Austin, TX - SXSW
March 18th - Austin, TX - SXSW
March 19th - Austin, TX - SXSW
March 22nd - New York, NY - Pianos @ 9pm
April 30th - Leeds, UK - Live at Leeds
- www.brooklynvegan.com

When Robert Plant describes a band by saying, “There aren’t really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines” you know their music is going to be kick-ass. “El Matador” is the first single to be released off of their self-titled LP. The toe-tapping song makes you want to get out of your chair and dance, with its synthesized electronic beats, echoing vocals, and siren-like guitar riffs.

“El Matador” is an addictive song that makes you wanting more of the Lines. Their wild rhythms and impulsive spoken vocals make this song animalistic and exciting. They’ve already reached the Top 10 on the Indie Charts and are scheduled to perform at SXSW this year.

Link: http://www.wearethelines.com/ - www.zaptownmag.com

The Lines hail from Wolverhampton in the UK. These Indie Rockers are coming to North America for Canadian Music Week and SXSW.
They have recently released their debut self-titled LP and have toured with Babyshambles, Supergrass, and Editors. You have to give them a listen, they are the real thing. If you don't believe me, maybe this guy can convince you.

‘There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines’– Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin


With a pinch of heavy synths, buzzsaw guitars, and an overall rambunctious pace, ‘El Matador’ is an anthemic treasure from this amazing band from Wolverhampton. These guys kick butt. - bearlyrambling.blogspot.com

The second band, The Lines, were very very fun. A few of their friends were in the crowd and they really got the crowd going. The band had a great vibe and their mates are hilarious. Their friends were all dancing like mad in the middle and then dragged Susie and I into the middle with them and started dancing with us. At one point, he even picked up Susie and carried her upside down. You should have seen her face: classic! The guy was a great laugh and we danced through the whole set. - www.thehifashionsite.com

Obituaries are being written for guitar bands but maybe there’s life in the old Fenders and Gibsons yet, if you believe this recommendation from Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant: "There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called The Lines".

It must take a lot for a West Bromwich boy like Percy to praise a neighbouring West Midlands band but he does it for this group of “Wulfrunians” (people from Wolves, like Slade, Cornershop and Babylon Zoo before them). They’re off to play Canadian Music Week in Toronto, New York shows and SXSW before returning to the UK:

February 13: Barfly, London, HMV Next Big Thing Festival (w/Funeral Party)
February 25: Barrowlands, Glasgow (w/Ocean Colour Scene)
February 26: O2 Academy, Birmingham (w/Ocean Colour Scene)
March 8: Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 9-12: Canadian Music Week, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 14: The Rock Shop, Brooklyn, New York (w/The Megaphonic Thrift)
March 16-19: SXSW Music Festival, Austin, Texas
March 22: Pianos, Lower East Side, New York (w/Ravens & Chimes)
May 4: King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
May 5: Sugarmill, Stoke
May 6: HMV Institute – Library, Birmingham
May 7: Sumo, Leicester
May 17: Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, London

There’s a link to a free download here: Lines track - www.soundsxp.com

After completing their UK tour and going down a storm across the pond at CMJ, the Lines are back, and are releasing a new single, Glorious Aftermath from their self titled debut album.

With a hectic live schedule ahead, including the HMV Next Big Thing festival and supporting britpop legends Ocean Colour Scene on their Moseley Shoals tour, the band are set to head out to North America for Canadian Music Week, SXSW and some additional New York dates, before their own headline UK tour in May. Wolverhampton’s finest are set for a busy 2011.

Rock is dead…? Brit rock has received a few thousand volts, a shot of adrenaline, and is coming back better than ever, alongside this realisation, the rest of the UK is starting to notice what the city of Wolverhampton has known for a while, the brightest young stars riding this wave are the Lines. The band comes with the Robert Plan seal of approval as the Led Zeppelin legend states “There are not many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”.

Glorious Aftermath is another anthemic offering from the west midlands 4 piece, combining intricate melodies with velcro hooks, soaring riffs and infectious style, alongside their epic live shows, they are fast becoming known for.

On returning from the US, the Lines are embarking on a May headline tour of prestigious venues up and down the country. As the word is spreading outside the core “Lines army” fanbase the dates are selling fast.

Upcoming live Dates:

Feb 13 HMV Next Big Thing Festival Camden Barfly
Feb 25 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals Barrowlands – Glasgow
Feb 26 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals O2 Academy - Birmingham
March 8 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 9 -12 Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 16-19 SXSW Music Festival Austin, Texas, USA
March 22 Pianos, Lower East Side New York, New York, USA.
May 4 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Glasgow
May 5 Sugarmill Stoke
May 6 HMV Institute – Library Birmingham
May 7 Sumo Leicester
May 17 Hoxton Bar and Kitchen London - http://uk.ihouseu.com/

After completing their UK tour and going down a storm across the pond at CMJ, the Lines are back, and are releasing a new single, Glorious Aftermath from their self titled debut album.

With a hectic live schedule ahead, including the HMV Next Big Thing festival and supporting britpop legends Ocean Colour Scene on their Moseley Shoals tour, the band are set to head out to North America for Canadian Music Week, SXSW and some additional New York dates, before their own headline UK tour in May. Wolverhampton’s finest are set for a busy 2011.

Rock is dead…? Brit rock has received a few thousand volts, a shot of adrenaline, and is coming back better than ever, alongside this realisation, the rest of the UK is starting to notice what the city of Wolverhampton has known for a while, the brightest young stars riding this wave are the Lines. The band comes with the Robert Plan seal of approval as the Led Zeppelin legend states “There are not many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”.

Glorious Aftermath is another anthemic offering from the west midlands 4 piece, combining intricate melodies with velcro hooks, soaring riffs and infectious style, alongside their epic live shows, they are fast becoming known for.

On returning from the US, the Lines are embarking on a May headline tour of prestigious venues up and down the country. As the word is spreading outside the core “Lines army” fanbase the dates are selling fast.

Upcoming live Dates:
Feb 13 HMV Next Big Thing Festival Camden Barfly
Feb 25 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals Barrowlands – Glasgow
Feb 26 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals O2 Academy – Birmingham
March 8 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 9 -12 Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 16-19 SXSW Music Festival Austin, Texas, USA
March 22 Pianos, Lower East Side New York, New York, USA.
May 4 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Glasgow
May 5 Sugarmill Stoke
May 6 HMV Institute – Library Birmingham
May 7 Sumo Leicester
May 17 Hoxton Bar and Kitchen London - http://www.redhotvelvet.co.uk/

After completing their UK tour and going down a storm across the pond at CMJ, the Lines are back, and are releasing a new single, Glorious Aftermath from their self titled debut album.

With a hectic live schedule ahead, including the HMV Next Big Thing festival and supporting britpop legends Ocean Colour Scene on their Moseley Shoals tour, the band are set to head out to North America for Canadian Music Week, SXSW and some additional New York dates, before their own headline UK tour in May. Wolverhampton’s finest are set for a busy 2011.

Rock is dead…? Brit rock has received a few thousand volts, a shot of adrenaline, and is coming back better than ever, alongside this realisation, the rest of the UK is starting to notice what the city of Wolverhampton has known for a while, the brightest young stars riding this wave are the Lines. The band comes with the Robert Plan seal of approval as the Led Zeppelin legend states“There are not many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”.

Glorious Aftermath is another anthemic offering from the west midlands 4 piece, combining intricate melodies with velcro hooks, soaring riffs and infectious style, alongside their epic live shows, they are fast becoming known for.

On returning from the US, the Lines are embarking on a May headline tour of prestigious venues up and down the country. As the word is spreading outside the core “Lines army” fanbase the dates are selling fast.

Upcoming live Dates:

Feb 13 HMV Next Big Thing Festival Camden Barfly
Feb 25 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals Barrowlands – Glasgow
Feb 26 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals O2 Academy – Birmingham
March 8 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 9 -12 Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 16-19 SXSW Music Festival Austin, Texas, USA
March 22 Pianos, Lower East Side New York, New York, USA.
May 4 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Glasgow
May 5 Sugarmill Stoke
May 6 HMV Institute – Library Birmingham
May 7 Sumo Leicester
May 17 Hoxton Bar and Kitchen London - www.aaamusic.co.uk

After completing their UK tour and going down a storm across the pond at CMJ, the Lines are back, and are releasing a new single, Glorious Aftermath from their self titled debut album.

With a hectic live schedule ahead, including the HMV Next Big Thing festival and supporting britpop legends Ocean Colour Scene on their Moseley Shoals tour, the band are set to head out to North America for Canadian Music Week, SXSW and some additional New York dates, before their own headline UK tour in May. Wolverhampton’s finest are set for a busy 2011.

Rock is dead…? Brit rock has received a few thousand volts, a shot of adrenaline, and is coming back better than ever, alongside this realisation, the rest of the UK is starting to notice what the city of Wolverhampton has known for a while, the brightest young stars riding this wave are the Lines. The band comes with the Robert Plan seal of approval as the Led Zeppelin legend states “There are not many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”.

Glorious Aftermath is another anthemic offering from the west midlands 4 piece, combining intricate melodies with velcro hooks, soaring riffs and infectious style, alongside their epic live shows, they are fast becoming known for.

On returning from the US, the Lines are embarking on a May headline tour of prestigious venues up and down the country. As the word is spreading outside the core “Lines army” fanbase the dates are selling fast.
Upcoming live Dates:

Feb 13 HMV Next Big Thing Festival Camden Barfly
Feb 25 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals Barrowlands – Glasgow
Feb 26 Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals O2 Academy - Birmingham
March 8 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 9 -12 Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 16-19 SXSW Music Festival Austin, Texas, USA
March 22 Pianos, Lower East Side New York, New York, USA.
May 4 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Glasgow
May 5 Sugarmill Stoke
May 6 HMV Institute – Library Birmingham
May 7 Sumo Leicester
May 17 Hoxton Bar and Kitchen London - www.glasswerk.co.uk

After completing their UK tour and going down a storm across the pond at CMJ, the Lines are back, and are releasing a new single, 'Glorious Aftermath' from their self titled debut album.

With a hectic live schedule ahead, including the HMV Next Big Thing festival and supporting britpop legends Ocean Colour Scene on their Moseley Shoals tour, the band are set to head out to North America for Canadian Music Week, SXSW and some additional New York dates, before their own headline UK tour in May. Wolverhampton’s finest are set for a busy 2011.

Rock is dead…? Brit rock has received a few thousand volts, a shot of adrenaline, and is coming back better than ever, alongside this realisation, the rest of the UK is starting to notice what the city of Wolverhampton has known for a while, the brightest young stars riding this wave are the Lines. The band comes with the Robert Plant seal of approval as the Led Zeppelin legend states “There are not many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines”.

'Glorious Aftermath' is another anthemic offering from the west midlands 4 piece, combining intricate melodies with velcro hooks, soaring riffs and infectious style, alongside their epic live shows, they are fast becoming known for.

On returning from the US, the Lines are embarking on a May headline tour of prestigious venues up and down the country. As the word is spreading outside the core “Lines army” fanbase the dates are selling fast.

Upcoming live Dates:

Feb 13 - HMV Next Big Thing Festival, Camden Barfly
Feb 25 - (Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals) Barrowlands, Glasgow
Feb 26 - (Ocean Colour Scene Moseley Shoals) O2 Academy, Birmingham

March 8 - Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 9 - 12 Canadian Music Week Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 16 - 19 SXSW Music Festival Austin, Texas, USA
March 22 - Pianos, Lower East Side New York, New York, USA.

May 4 - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
May 5 - Sugarmill, Stoke
May 6 - HMV Institute, Library Birmingham
May 7 - Sumo, Leicester
May 17 - Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, London - www.stereoboard.com

The Lines

From England, The Lines have been steadily building a strong fanbase, after touring the UK heavily through 2010. They have also supported some household name bands of late, including Ash and Ocean Colour Scene. They represent a contemporary incarnation of the quintessential great British guitar band. Their website, wearethelines.com offers a free download of the track, "circles". Thier music has recently been used by the UK high street clothes shop, River Island, a shop that is known for playing newer, hotly tipped indie bands. Also check out the band´s MySpace page, where listeners can hear some of their best songs, including "Domino Effect" and "El Matador".

Read more at Suite101: Listen to the Best New Indie Bands Tipped in 2011- Music Releases http://www.suite101.com/content/listen-to-the-best-new-indie-bands-tipped-in-2011--music-releases-a340009#ixzz1Cf8VwsM3
- suite101.com

British rockers fall between the cool of “First Impressions of Earth”-era Strokes and the riff-tastic rock of Queens of the Stone Age. Cowbell! - Oklahoma Gazette

After a thunderous series of shows at CMJ in NYC last October, The Lines reveal their plans to return to the North American festival circuit with appearances at Canadian Music Week (Mar. 9th-13th) and SXSW (Mar. 16th-20th). Fully equipped with their debut self-titled LP, a robust 2nd single “El Matador”, and the full touting support from none other than Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, The Lines are sure to raise some eyebrows and knock some socks off.

So far, The Lines have created a community that verges on the fanatical. During CMJ 2010, over two dozen of the band’s most fervent UK fans flew over with the band to New York City to catch every show of their Stateside debut. This time, The Lines are crossing the Atlantic again in support of their 2nd single “El Matador” and previewing tracks from their debut, eponymous album. With a pinch of heavy synths, buzzsaw guitars, and an overall rambunctious pace, ‘El Matador’ is another anthemic treasure from the Wolverhampton lads that’s sure to light up dance floors.

Download “El Matador”

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, The Lines are poised to make waves in the North American music scene upon their exciting return in March.

What Others Have To Say:
‘There aren’t really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines’ – Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

‘The fever has only just started’ – The Fly

‘Making big noises in more ways than one, blasting out of Wolverhampton’
– Steve Lamacq – Radio One Top5

‘The Lines are a band to watch, you’ll miss out if you don’t keep an eye on them’
– Artrocker

Show Dates:
March 8th – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
March 9th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 10th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 11th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 12th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 16th – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 17th – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 18th – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 19th – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 22nd – New York


- Audioperv

After a thunderous series of shows at CMJ in NYC last October, The Lines reveal their plans to return to the North American festival circuit with appearances at Canadian Music Week (Mar. 9th-13th) and SXSW (Mar. 16th-20th). Fully equipped with their debut self-titled LP, a robust 2nd single “El Matador”, and the full touting support from none other than Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, The Lines are sure to raise some eyebrows and knock some socks off.

So far, The Lines have created a community that verges on the fanatical. During CMJ 2010, over two dozen of the band’s most fervent UK fans flew over with the band to New York City to catch every show of their Stateside debut. This time, The Lines are crossing the Atlantic again in support of their 2nd single “El Matador” and previewing tracks from their debut, eponymous album. With a pinch of heavy synths, buzzsaw guitars, and an overall rambunctious pace, ‘El Matador’ is another anthemic treasure from the Wolverhampton lads that’s sure to light up dance floors.

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, The Lines are poised to make waves in the North American music scene upon their exciting return in March.

Show Dates:
March 8th – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
March 9th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 10th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 11th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 12th – Toronto, ON – Canadian Music Week
March 16th – Austin, TX - SXSW
March 17th – Austin, TX - SXSW
March 18th – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 19th – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 22nd – New York

- Altsounds

After a thunderous series of shows at CMJ in NYC last October, The Lines reveal their plans to return to the North American festival circuit.

They will appear at Canadian Music Week (Mar. 9th-13th) and SXSW (Mar. 16th-20th).

Fully equipped with their debut self-titled LP, a robust 2ndsingle “El Matador”, and the full touting support from none other than Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, The Lines are sure to raise some eyebrows and knock some socks off.

So far, The Lines have created a community that verges on the fanatical. During CMJ 2010, over two dozen of the band’s most fervent UK fans flew over with the band to New York City to catch every show of their Stateside debut.

This time, The Lines are crossing the Atlantic again in support of their 2nd single “El Matador” and previewing tracks from their debut, eponymous album.


With a pinch of heavy synths, buzzsaw guitars, and an overall rambunctious pace, ‘El Matador’ is another anthemic treasure from the Wolverhampton lads that’s sure to light up dance floors.

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in theIndie Charts, The Lines are poised to make waves in the North American music scene upon their exciting return in March
- PCM

On the surface, Wolverhampton in the West Midlands seems like any other post industrial town. With the shadow of neighbouring Birmingham looming large, it takes a special band to rise above the nothingness and shine through the haze. The Lines are that band.

‘Domino Effect’, was the debut single from the four-piece on Weekender records, it combined the soaring heartfelt vocals of lead singer Alex Ohms with Dean Bate’s punch-the-air guitar melodies. The driving rhythm section of Danny Pease on bass and Dave O’Connor on drums provides a rigid backbone to their well-crafted songs.

Incredible focus and infectious self-belief elevate their music to a different level – the Lines are here to put Wolverhampton firmly on the musical map. “We’ll burn this town down like nobody else can” sings Alex on their debut. It’s hard to disagree. These qualities, along with sell out gigs showcasing a powerful set of similarly interstellar tunes, forced music promoters up and down the country to sit up and take notice.

Invitations to support fellow Midlanders the Twang and Editors came rolling in thick and fast. These were then followed by unforgettable gigs with Jack Penate, the Holloways, Little Man Tate, the Maccabees, Babyshambles, Supergrass and The Charlatans.

The boys have played at Austrias biggest Outdoor Music festival, Frequency and were the first band ever invited to play ‘Blast Off’, Wolverhamptons longest running and most successful indie club night, and lets not forget their invitation to perform in Russia.

Domino Effect reached the Indie chart top 10, filling the airwaves on XFM’s Evening Playlist (Manchester / Wales / Scotland), Xposure London and Steve Lamacq’s Top 5. With radio stations and artists beating a path to their door, it won’t be long before the Lines are massive.

Influences range from the Verve through to Radiohead and the Rapture, but the music these boys make is truly their own. Catch one of their explosive live shows soon and make it yours too
- Different Kitchen

Sounding something like Hard Fi in a head on collision with The Enemy and perhaps the Arctic Monkeys, The Lines have been making quite a ruckus in their native Wolverhampton.

Making giant strides and getting the heck out of their hometown has been a major goal for this band and judging by what they've released so far they've done just that. From their debut single Domino Effect to their latest El Matador it's easy to see why these guys are clearly on to something.


With an incessant groove and a hook bigger than Wolverhampton and it's big city cousin Birmingham, El Matador is the sort of tune that you'll have a hard time clawing out of your brain.

The guys are preparing a full on SXSW assault this Spring and until then enjoy the matador - the POP Stereo

UK Indie Rockers THE LINES Return to North America to Conquer Canadian Music Week & SXSW

** Embarking on Atlantic Excursions with Acclaimed Self-Titled Debut Album and 2nd single “El Matador **

After a thunderous series of shows at CMJ in NYC last October, The Lines reveal their plans to return to the North American festival circuit with appearances at Canadian Music Week (Mar. 9th-13th) and SXSW (Mar. 16th-20th). Fully equipped with their debut self-titled LP, a robust 2nd single “El Matador”, and the full touting support from none other than Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, The Lines are sure to raise some eyebrows and knock some socks off.

So far, The Lines have created a community that verges on the fanatical. During CMJ 2010, over two dozen of the band’s most fervent UK fans flew over with the band to New York City to catch every show of their Stateside debut. This time, The Lines are crossing the Atlantic again in support of their 2nd single “El Matador” and previewing tracks from their debut, eponymous album. With a pinch of heavy synths, buzzsaw guitars, and an overall rambunctious pace, ‘El Matador’ is another anthemic treasure from the Wolverhampton lads that’s sure to light up dance floors.

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, The Lines are poised to make waves in the North American music scene upon their exciting return in March
- MV Remix and Rock

After a thunderous series of shows at CMJ in NYC last October, The Lines reveal their plans to return to the North American festival circuit with appearances at Canadian Music Week (Mar. 9th-13th) and SXSW (Mar. 16th-20th). Fully equipped with their debut self-titled LP, a robust 2nd single “El Matador”, and the full touting support from none other than Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, The Lines are sure to raise some eyebrows and knock some socks off.

So far, The Lines have created a community that verges on the fanatical. During CMJ 2010, over two dozen of the band’s most fervent UK fans flew over with the band to New York City to catch every show of their Stateside debut. This time, The Lines are crossing the Atlantic again in support of their 2nd single “El Matador” and previewing tracks from their debut, eponymous album. With a pinch of heavy synths, buzzsaw guitars, and an overall rambunctious pace, ‘El Matador’ is another anthemic treasure from the Wolverhampton lads that’s sure to light up dance floors.

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, The Lines are poised to make waves in the North American music scene upon their exciting return in March

Read more on www.scrink.com: UK Indie Rockers ‘The Lines’ Return to rock North America - Bring Me Up

BANDS TO FOLLOW
Great bands/artists with promising careers.

THE LINES
United Kingdom
www.wearethelines.com - http://indscene.wordpress.com

Genero : Indie / Rock
Origen : Dudley Wolverhampton Midlands Reino Unido

" En relidad no hay muchas bandas buenas que hayan salido de Wolverhampton, solo una gran banda llamada The Lines... "
Esto dijo Robert Plant en referencia a estos sorprendentes Brit Rockers , que lanzaron su album debut homonimo el pasado 11 de Octubre a traves de Amboy Road Records .
Danny Pease en bajo, Dean Bate en guitarra, Alex Ohms en la voz y Dave ´Paddy ´ O´Connor en la bateria se transforman en el orgullo de Wolverhampton , ciudad industrial vecina a Birmingham , con este registro que encapsula en 12 canciones las mejores influencias de gutarras britanicas que los convierte al menos para mi quizas en el mejor debut Brit Rock de este año. Disfrutenlo...

THE LINES - THE LINES
2010

Tracklist

1.Tracey 3:09
2.Glorious Aftermath 3:18
3.Slow It Up 4:12
4.How It Should Be 2:40
5.Crystal Clear 2:50
6.Let It Go 2:31
7.Domino Effect 3:49
8.Over And Out 5:28
9.Half Dreams 3:06
10.El Matador 3:29
11.Circles 3:08
12.Loudmouth 3:36 - http://wearethelasbeatniks.blogspot.com

After touring Britain with their first album packed full of indie-rock classics in the making, The Lines decided to take on the rest of the world, starting with a week long stay in New York.

Lead singer Alex Ohm, guitarist Dean Bate, bassist Danny Pease and drummer Dave ‘Paddy’ O’Connor had recently enjoyed their first headline UK Tour, which had been a case of ups and downs. Their biggest gig to date, at The Wulfrun in their hometown of Wolverhampton, saw them mesmerize the 1200-strong crowd with an epic light show to accompany the belting tunes they possess.

However, the tour was cut short as they crashed en route to the final gig in Leeds. “We were brought back down to earth after a great night in Edinburgh, but there was nothing we could do” said Alex. “We were looking forward to finishing our tour in Leeds as it was looking like a busy one. We’re trying to sort out something up there soon.”

Looking around the room it appeared that no one could take their eyes off what was happening on stage.

Their first gig on the other side of the pond, at the Bell House in Brooklyn, could’ve started off better. The band and their management spent most of the first day trying to find better adapters for their pedals. As the plugs in America are different, the low amp plugs were causing havoc with the amount of effect the pedals have. Before the gig, the band were worried about how they would sound on their maiden American show. The one thing that rung true throughout the voyage to The Big Apple is that no matter what conditions The Lines are in, they put their heart and soul into the gig, which is focussed on crowd enjoyment. The expression on the faces of the band before the gig was that of stress. The flight and the long day had obviously taken its toll.

However, as soon as they were on stage, everything changed. Suddenly the energy was back. In a room with no more than 15 people in it, The Lines were epic. Ripping through classics such as ‘Tracey’ and ‘Domino Effect,’ and giving everything throughout ‘El Matador’ and final song ‘Loudmouth,’ The Lines were back in business. The 30 minute set lasted longer but still went too quick. In the bar after the gig, chatting to the fans that flew over from England, The Lines are still in gig mode. The strive for perfection is etched across their faces. Dean admitted “It sounded awful on stage, but we’re glad everyone enjoyed it.” That epitomizes The Lines, always looking for ways to better themselves, while being grateful for what they give to people.

The next day was important for the band. The CMJ Showcase at The Living Room in the East Village was a chance for them to put themselves out there into the New York music scene, with lots of press and A&R there. The Living Room is quite a small, but very good venue in the heart of New York’s liveliest district. Again, the band seemed to be having troubles with getting the sound quite right. However, this time, while the rest of the band were setting up their equipment, Alex was clearing a space at the front of the venue, which was littered with tables and chairs. This will all become clear later. This time, when the band went into ‘Tracey’ it was clear to see how easily they can slip into performing perfect live music. The set up sounded messy and novice, the set sounded slick and well oiled. This is when the clear space became obvious. The Lines normally carry an army of dedicated fans around with them, and New York was no exception. However, this time, there was only six, and that space was cleared for them to sing, chant, dance and clap their way through the whole set. According to the bands management, this is very rarely seen in America, especially New York, and the dancing is a unique selling point to record labels and press. The venue was again barely full as the band went into ‘Circles,’ but tantamount to their pulling power, by the time they played their first single ‘Glorious Aftermath,’ the venue had transformed into a hive of activity. The English had taken up the dancing space and the Americans seemed one part bemused, two parts impressed. It was only two days into the tour but you could see they loved every second. Paddy later said of the gig “We didn’t realise how much press and industry people were there at the time. It was so strange having everyone know our name. They all took to us just like people do at home. Its nice to see that even in different cultures, the music translates well.” Danny adds “The Americans seemed to really like us, they obviously had good taste.”

Wednesday and Thursday were ‘days off’ for The Lines, but they still had a huge press schedule to be getting stuck into. Alex said of the busy days “It was a good test as we’ve never done anything as intense as that. It was almost like starting from scratch and trying to build up a following again, which was a nice task.” Paddy seemed rather quiet during the trip, and when asked about it he said “I think we still can’t believe it. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. All the press and promotional work we’ve been doing has been unbelievable. I’d have loved to got out to see the sights but I never got the chance.” Danny chips in that his favourite part of the week was when a woman called Dean a ‘schmuck’ for not taking a leaflet from her. “It doesn’t get more American than that!”



A true testament to how The Lines are as a band comes more offstage than on it. They’re constantly meeting new people and welcoming them into their family, tirelessly keeping in touch with their hoards of fans in England and working incredibly hard to bring something new and fresh to the music scene. This was personified in a small Irish bar just off Times Square. The band and their management had met up with their travelling fans to release steam with a few drinks before another busy day ahead of them tomorrow. Behind them, a man with interchangeable American and Irish accents was knocking out a few old songs, and it wasn’t long until the group had convinced Alex to get up and play some songs off the album. A beautiful version of HMV bonus track “We’ve All Been Here” and “Glorious Aftermath” ensued. While they headed off early in search of some well deserved sleep, they left their fans, some of which they had gained there and then, with something to remember and cherish for the rest of their lives.

Sunday was the busiest of all days for The Lines, mainly as they had three gigs, and then a flight to catch home the next day. They were back at The Living Room in the early hours of Sunday morning for something that was truly worth staying up for. This time, the room was bursting from the seams before they lay a foot onstage, and their fans were busy clearing a dancing space so Alex didn’t have to. Alex, Dean, Danny and Paddy all rose to the occasion and played one of the most electrifying gigs I’ve witnessed. The locals got out of their seats to dance with the English and complete strangers were hugging and dancing to the songs. When Alex stepped into the clearing to dance while singing ‘Let It Go,’ there were a lot more than just six people joining in. ‘Circles,’ ‘Slow It Up’ and ‘El Matador’ all had an extra edge, ‘Domino Effect’ sounded more anthemic and warm then ever, while ‘Loudmouth’ sent the place absolutely wild. Dean and Danny threw their tambourines into the crowd so they could involve themselves into the song. Looking around the room it appeared that no one could take their eyes off what was happening on stage. Later on we discovered that people getting out of their seats to dance along to the music had never happened there before. It’s strange that something we take for granted in Birmingham is so unreal in New York. The management and the band alike gleamed after the show. “That gig had the best vibe. When the chairs were moved out of the way, it was amazing to see people getting up and dancing who had never heard The Lines before. All of the gigs seemed to go down well with the Americans, who said it was a fresh sound and something new, which is a sweet compliment. We’re in talks to go back over there soon so we’re crossing our fingers.”

With that sort of an imprint left on one of the greatest cities in the world, it can’t be too long until they head stateside again, but we can look forward to The Lines being the Midlands own for a while yet. Alex concluded “It’s quite an exciting time because we’ve got a lot going on at the moment so we’re looking forward to seeing what happens. Until then, we’re going to start work on some new tunes now, and maybe even revisit some old ones.” - www.altsounds.com

Kicking things off with the vim and
vigour of Tracey', The Lines set a
good precedent for what's turns out
to be a tight and anthemic pop-rock
album - not too dissimilar from
early The Enemy, but also not as offputting
as that might sound.
Recent single 'Glorious Aftermath'
keeps up both the pace and the
melodic hooks, before the aptly titled
'Slow It Up' slows things down - for
a Floydian breather. And then? Then
we're off again, with the driving
beat-pop of 'How It Should Be'- a
great song full of call and response
vocals and infectious guitar lines.
The Lines can occasionally
take things to a deeper and more
melancholy level (such as on the
rainy day tone of 'Over and Out'),
but they know they're best at
delivering fast highs and energetic
stunts - this record's full of 'em.
4 out of 5
Emily Warner
Out Now - Artrocker

The Lines a band from the UK kicked off the night and they were just amazing. The lead singer showed off some sweet little dance moves while they were on. The songs were definitely upbeat and something you could dance too, no doubt. I even found myself swing dancing with this stranger in the crowd. It was too much fun.

Straight from England, The Lines were absolutely fantastic. My only regret was that they played first, which kicked total ass but there wasn’t an entirely FULL crowd to see them play beautifully. Absolutely fell in love with their music, I’m pro English anything quite frankly. But it’s not just all about that, there was something about them that kept you positioned. Kept you perplexed into this room that was suddenly spinning out of proportion. Definitely a great band live, and a must see. I’m looking forward to doing a bit more research on them, all the songs resounded with a powerful thud. Loved it.
- Weakend Warriors

It was a busy evening at the Wulfrun Hall, with four bands on the agenda. However, the big event was the triumphant return to Wolverhampton of headliners, The Lines, for their hometown gig and the launch of their new debut album.

I arrived a bit late for the 7.30 start just in time to catch opening act, The Limelight. Getting to the stage I was a bit shocked to find the highly professional rocks sounds were coming from four young guys from Wolverhampton aged between 12 and 15! It was a shame that the hall was still fairly empty at that stage and so many people missed-out on seeing them. On their website it says bass player, Alex, would like to own an ice cream van, but maybe they can look forward to a musical career!

Next up, to an opening wall of feedback, were Guile, from Cannock. I really enjoyed their set. The style was a mixture, with bits of blues, psychedelia, grunge, with strong vocals (sounding Nirvana-ish at times – no bad thing!) and the sound had a real groove to it. There was some great slide guitar playing rather reminiscent of ‘Let it Bleed’ era Rolling Stones, some good clunky bass and a driving rhythm. An interesting combination of sound
At least there is no waiting around with four bands on and next up were Bicycle Thieves from Liverpool, featuring no less than three guitars. The heavy indie sound went down well with the audience, many of whom were vigorously rocking by the end and beer and plastic glasses were flying through the air! A strong performance, especially when they made use of the interacting sounds from the three guitars, but a lot of the time they didn’t seem to exploit the multi-guitar potential.

Finally we get to the headliners who everyone has been waiting for. The Lines are here to play their hometown and launch their new album and they come on to a very enthusiastic audience. This indie rock band has received a lot of praise in advance of their album, largely on the strength of their gigs, including from Robert Plant who feels they are something special. After the really standard lighting given to the previous bands we get a really professional light show and backdrop. The performance is really polished too, with great stage presence (particularly from frontman / singer / guitarist Alex Ohm) and well crafted songs and musicianship. At one stage we also have a female string section to accompany the band. The band has already released a number of anthemic singles, which have been very well received and these are played tonight, along with tracks from their new album, just released.

The band makes the gig very special for their home audience and there is the feeling that

this isn’t just any old gig. Alex puts his guitar down at one point and goes down to greet the audience in the mosh-pit. A real groove is laid down towards the end, including the guitarists banging drums set-up on the front of the stage. A night to remember! - Midlands Rocks

"I'm a raging bull, El Matador!" Bellows Alex Ohm; chest out with pride at the front of The Wulfrun Hall stage, a stage (lit with so many lights and lasers you'd think you were watching Muse at Wembley) from where the Lines look down upon more than 1,000 fans. Seemingly, they aren't doing badly at all, these boys.
Coupled with an album release, the Wulfrun Hall gig serves as a homecoming for the Midlands four piece before they jet off to tour New York. Tonight they showcase punchy singles, Domino Effect, El Matador and Glorious Aftermath, while teasing the majority with first time listens of instant sing-a-longs such as Circles and Over and Out. Everything is here; melodic riffs, driving riffs, euphoric choruses - and the band know how to put on a show. The aforementioned lights and lasers back up the foot-stomping and crowd-baiting that the four piece produce, with the crowd gleefully responding with additional vocals on the singles.
After a mini-festival of three supports bands, The Lines strutted out to an introduction that is borderline dance music, showing confidence, bravado, and - most of all - something different. This is a band that knows their sound, they know who they are, and they know where they want to be. Don't miss them next time they come home. - Brum Notes

We here at the Beehive love a bit of hype for British bands in the USA so here's some for The Lines !!

‘There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines’ – Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

‘The fever has only just started’ – The Fly

‘Making big noises in more ways than one, blasting out of Wolverhampton’ – Steve Lamacq - Radio One Top5

They’re infectious, loved by Led Zeppelin, unabated Rock n Roll and hitting the USA with their throngs of British fans literally flying over to witness the buzz for their debut US Tour. These boys are going to be big.

Coming straight off their storming UK tour releasing their stellar self-titled album and selling out 1200 capacity venues, as well as all copies of the album on the release date at HMV, The Lines are definitely an international act to keep your eye on. Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with EP track ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, it’s not hard to believe the fever is going to hit America hard when these boys rock out New York.

A couple of gigs still to go, so check them out if you are local.

23 Oct - THE LIVING ROOM - 1am
w. Paul and the Patients, SoKo, Kris Gruen and Ferraby Lionheart

24 Oct - ARLENE’S GROCERY - 11pm
w. Smile Smile, The Nifty Shrimp, Red River and Dan Maxwell and the Turnpike Sailors

Featured Track: Tracey.
Website: Official. - www.beehivecandy.com

If you're in New York City this week for the CMJ Music Marathon (Tuesday through Saturday) check out The Lines. Yeah, music critics are calling these guys the next greatest band to come out of the UK. Yeah, they said that a few years ago about The View (Dundee, Scotland fivesome who really aren't that great). But you know these guys gotta be decent if Robert Plant praises them, saying "There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines." The Lines are legit.
Check em out 19 Oct - THE BELL HOUSE - 9 p.m., w/Painting, The Dewars, Crowns, & R. Stevie Moore
20 Oct – THE LIVING ROOM Showcase - 4 p.m. w/Martina Topley Bird, Leeroy Stagger, Gringo Star and Good Luck Mountain
23 Oct - THE LIVING ROOM - 1 a.m. w/Paul and the Patients, SoKo, Kris Gruen and Ferraby Lionheart
24 Oct - ARLENE’S GROCERY - 11 p.m. w/Smile Smile, The Nifty Shrimp, Red River and Dan Maxwell and the Turnpike Sailors - www.thetranzmission.com

‘There aren’t really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines’ – Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

‘The fever has only just started’ – The Fly

‘Making big noises in more ways than one, blasting out of Wolverhampton’
– Steve Lamacq – Radio One Top5

They’re infectious, loved by Led Zeppelin, unabatedly Rock n Roll and hitting our shores with their throngs of British fans literally flying over to witness the buzz for their debut US Tour. These boys are going to be big.

Coming straight off their storming UK tour releasing their stellar self-titled album and selling out 1200 capacity venues, as well as all copies of the album on the release date at HMV, THE LINES are definitely an international act to keep your eye on.

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with EP track ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, it’s not hard to believe the fever is going to hit America hard when these boys rock out New York.

Download the new single ‘Tracey’, and check out the album ‘The Lines’ here

CMJ SHOW DATES:

19 Oct – THE BELL HOUSE – 9pm
w. Painting, The Dewars, Crowns, and R. Stevie Moore

20 Oct – THE LIVING ROOM Showcase – 4pm
w. Martina Topley Bird, Leeroy Stagger, Gringo Star and Good Luck Mountain

23 Oct – THE LIVING ROOM – 1am
w. Paul and the Patients, SoKo, Kris Gruen and Ferraby Lionheart

24 Oct – ARLENE’S GROCERY – 11pm
w. Smile Smile, The Nifty Shrimp, Red River and Dan Maxwell and the Turnpike Sailors


Read more: http://theaudioperv.com/2010/10/17/cmj-spotlight-the-lines/#ixzz12eidamss
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution - theaudioperv.com

The Lines follow Xfm approved single, 'Glorious Aftermath' and forthcoming follow up 'El Matador' with the release of their debut album on 11th October. Produced and engineered by Alan Smyth at Sheffield's 2 Fly Studios with additional production from Gavin Monaghan at their home town Magic Garden Recordings in Wolverhampton, the album offers the first chapter of a story familiar to those in the Midlands, where the band have been a best kept secret for much of the past twelve months.

The Lines draw on a rich vein of British guitar pop to create a world of massive hooks, huge choruses and forthright melodies that continue a line from the beat groups of the 60's through the big music of Echo And The Bunnymen and The Verve to the contemporary likes of Kasabian. With a formidable live reputation and an ability to sell out the likes of their hometown's 1200 capacity Wulfrun Hall with ease, The Lines are set to be a further entry in the list of bands that have surprised the London media with their seemingly sudden ascent to prominence. Gigs as far afield as Amsterdam (where they supported Ian Brown) have seen coach loads decamp from the Midlands in their hundreds, creating a special bond between the band and their increasingly fervent fans.

The album highlights the storm that has been brewing away from the media gaze perfectly. The adrenaline rush of the likes of album opener 'Tracey', 'Glorious Aftermath' and 'El Matador', the anthemic debut single 'Domino Effect', the delicate lament of 'Half Dreams' or the pounding closer 'Loudmouth' demonstrate a band that encapsulate the very feeling of being in a small satellite town with music as your only literal and metaphoric escape. This band could only come from the UK and speak to those across the country in similar towns and cities.

The Lines tour throughout October in support of their debut, full details are at www.wearethelines.com. Expect the usual frenetic scenes as their fanbase follow them from town to town. They play a very special show at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall on 8th October as part of the dates.

www.wearethelines.com

To win 1 of 5 copies just enter here. Winners will be notified by email. - www.music-news.com

The Lines - ‘El Matador’ (Amboy Road Records)

Unfortunately The Lines will insist on using the exact kind of ANFEMICK indie drumming I cannot abide. It has huge dollops of bloodless hi-hat, so all I can hear when I listen to ‘El Matador’ is dumTISSdumTISSdumTISSdumTISSdumTISSdumTISSdumTISSdumTISS even though they use loads of other drums, because they are 'lads', it says so on the press release, which is not The Lines' fault. The other thing I can hear more faintly is another voice, it is quietly soothing. And it is saying ‘What about putting that nice lady on, the one who plays Elgar. You know, on Radio 3, in the morning?’ So I did as I was told. Mmn, Elgar. Lovely. - www.drownedinsound.com

Two years on from debut single The Domino Effect, Wolverhampton’s THE LINES are suddenly being hailed as ones to watch who’ve crept up unawares. Well, I’d hardly call a swathe of support slots to major names, having Little Man Tate admit they blew them offstage and Robert Plant singing their praises ‘creeping up’, but they’ve yet to really get the national attention they deserve. Now signed to London independent Amboy Road, the October 11 release of their debut album (launched at the Wulfrun Oct 8) should change that. For a taste of what’s in store, they’re giving away a free download of Circles, a track that breaks away from earlier Verve comparisons for a driving slice of guitar slinging, keyboard surging indie rock with clarion call riffs, on their new website, www.wearethelines.com - www.roots-and-branches.com

The Lines – El Matador (Amboy Road)

Is that a little touch of The Rapture I can feel sneaking in here via the West Midland’s The Lines? Nice choppy guitar hooks and a lot of high hat action complete the image. But it is a nice little tune so I’ll be keeping tabs on these blighters. 8/10
www.wearethelines.com

SB - www.tastyfanzine.org.uk

Headliners Wolverhampton wanderers The Lines make frequent visits to Sheffield and have build a big reputation here with some barnstorming gigs and they certainly didn’t disappoint tonight. With Alex Ohm leading from the front with his emotive vocals and Dean Bale blasting some hypnotic riffs on lead guitar, the fans were treated to some banging new songs including a first ever outing for Lunatic Fringe. Old faves like opener Tracey and my wife’s favourite Let It Go tee the crowd up for a grandstanding performance including Over And Out which boasts three of the quartet beating drums, followed by the mesmeric debut single Domino Effect and Glorious Aftermath, before closing with cracking new single El Matador and Loud Mouth.

It beggars belief that a band as talented as The Lines, with an amazing sound very much their own, aren’t a household name. Time is on their side though and with their eponymous debut album out this month expect to hear much more from these guys.
- www.counterfeitmag.co.uk

LATEST UK EXPORT: BRIT ROCKERS THE LINES HIT NYC WITH DEBUT TOUR & ALBUM RELEASE
** Debut US Tour 19-24 Oct CMJ Dates**

‘There aren’t really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines’ – Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

‘The fever has only just started’ – The Fly

‘Making big noises in more ways than one, blasting out of Wolverhampton’
– Steve Lamacq – Radio One Top5

They’re infectious, loved by Led Zeppelin, unabatedly Rock n Roll and hitting our shores with their throngs of British fans literally flying over to witness the buzz for their debut US Tour. These boys are going to be big.

Coming straight off their storming UK tour releasing their stellar self-titled album and selling out 1200 capacity venues, as well as all copies of the album on the release date at HMV, THE LINES are definitely an international act to keep your eye on.

Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with EP track ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, it’s not hard to believe the fever is going to hit America hard when these boys rock out New York.

Download the new single ‘Tracey’, and check out the album ‘The Lines’ here

SHOW DATES:

19 Oct – THE BELL HOUSE – 9pm
w. Painting, The Dewars, Crowns, and R. Stevie Moore

20 Oct – THE LIVING ROOM Showcase – 4pm
w. Martina Topley Bird, Leeroy Stagger, Gringo Star and Good Luck Mountain

23 Oct – THE LIVING ROOM – 1am
w. Paul and the Patients, SoKo, Kris Gruen and Ferraby Lionheart

24 Oct – ARLENE’S GROCERY – 11pm
w. Smile Smile, The Nifty Shrimp, Red River and Dan Maxwell and the Turnpike Sailors - http://mvremix.com

THE Lines readily admit that their music draws on a rich vein of British guitar pop to create a world of massive hooks, huge choruses and forthright melodies.

Hence, debut album The Lines can easily be said to draw upon everyone from the beat groups of the ’60s through the big music of Echo And The Bunnymen and The Verve to the contemporary likes of Kasabian. It’s a brisk, accomplished listen that sews some promising seeds for the future without ever really coming close to grabbing you by the balls and making you sit up and pay attention (like debut LPs from the likes of Kasabian or Oasis).

That said, the big hooks, easygoing choruses and finely tuned melodies are readily apparent and there’s plenty to enjoy for an effortlessly engaging listen.

How It Should Be, for instance, adds some punky riffs and a nice chant-along “hey” vibe, before settling into a really nicely delivered indie-pop romp. Lyrics like “a crazy girl like a warm summer’s day” or “we used to dance with two left feet” also endear them, as does the anthemic chorus of “this is how it should be” – one can well imagine the live fraternity embracing this, arms in the air.

There’s a great guitar spot on Crystal Clear, too, which is utterly addictive… tapping into a summery vibe that should warm the cockles through the winter. It’s one of our picks and even has a Kooks-style breeziness.

Another part of The Lines‘ appeal, though, stems from their ability to keep things varied. Hence, Let It Go hits you with more of a busy vibe, complete with zippy guitar hooks and a slightly more ragged vocal delivery.

There’s a horn-like backing guitar to offset the more indie-pop elements of Domino Effect, which echoes the start of album opener Tracey and even Glorious Aftermath and is, having praised them for versatility, something they have to watch. Glorious Aftermath, in particular, is the type of rapidly delivered indie anthem that seems two a penny on XFM nowadays and all three of these tracks impede the album’s overall likeability.

That said, there are more than enough strong moments to place it well above average for a debut and further evidence of this comes from the epic Over & Out, which opens with some engaging acoustic strumming before hitting you with some skyscraping guitar riffs and a Feeder style vibe. It’s another highlight.

Half Dreams, likewise, benefits from a more sedate pace and a haunted delivery, while former single El Matador comes alive with another compelling central riff and an electronic pulse. It carries a Kasabian vibe.

Sadly, the album gets a little lost in mediocrity during the final two tracks, but by then The Lines have done enough to justify the assumption that they’re one of the Midlands’ most promising and likeable new acts.

There is, of course, work to be done, but as a starter this delivers some genuine highs.

Download picks: How It Should Be, Crystal Clear, Over & Out, Half Dreams, El Matador

Track listing:

1. Tracey
2. Glorious Aftermath
3. Slow It Up
4. How It Should Be
5. Crystal Clear
6. Let It Go
7. Domino Effect
8. Over & Out
9. Half Dreams
10. El Matador
11. Circles
12. Loudmouth

Review by Jack Foley

product

IndieLondon Rating: 3 out of 5 - www.indielondon.co.uk/

Following the storming Skids-like Glorious Aftermath with its clarion cry guitars and new snarl n soar single El Matador with its hints of early U2 and funky midsection, the Wolverhampton outfit return home to launch their self-titled debut album (Amboy Road). Featuring both singles and the debut Domino Effect, it tends to over rely on a similar approach in places, the opener Tracey, for example does the Verve meets Oasis bit they’ve got down to a fine art while, for all the guitar fx pedal break of Slow It Up, it’s hard not equally think of Messrs Ashcroft and Gallagher.
There are, however, other colours to the mix. How It Should Be is choppy funk guitar with hints of The Smiths, shouts of ‘hey’ and an 80s indie pop sensibility, Crystal Clear does tumbling melodies, ringing Mediterranean guitar circles and displays show closing anthemic potential.
The five and half minute Over & Out pulls out their mid-tempo side with fluttering guitars and a big build instrumental midsection that again conjures images of Hellenic hills and beaches while, arguably the album standout, Half Dreams finds singer Alex Ohms in tender heartfelt form as the melody line undulates beneath him and bruised Radiohead ballads swoon in admiration. The album should have closed with that rather than the messy thrash of Loudmouth, but otherwise it’s an auspicious debut. “We’re not rich, we’re not famous”, laments Ohms. Give it time, lad, give it time. 7.30pm. £12.50. Wulfrun Hall
- www.birmingham101.com

Venue
Wulfrun Hall (Wolverhampton)

Wolverhampton
West Midlands
WV1 1RQ
Website Tel: Midland Box Office: 01902 552121 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01902 552121 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Email The Venue Email Wulfrun Hall (Wolverhampton)

All Fields Are Required
Name:
Email:
Message:

Captcha:
Website Website: http://www.wolvescivic.co.uk
Map MarkerLocation Map
Band Info
The Lines

The Lines are a four-piece anthemic indie rock band from Wolverhampton, England. The band members are Dean Bate (Lead Guitar), Dave “Paddy” O'Connor (Drums and Samples), Alex Ohm (Vocals and Guitar) and Danny Pease (Bass Guitar).

The Lines formed in 2005 with life time school friends Dean Bate and Alex Ohm. Following early line-up changes, Paddy and Danny completed the quartet.

Various support slots have included The Killers, Editors, The Maccabees, The Twang, The Charlatans, Babyshambles, Jack Peñate, Athlete, Supergrass, Spiritualized and Good Shoes.

During early 2008, the Lines toured the UK in support of Little Man Tate who claimed The Lines blew them off the stage every night, and were the best band in the UK right now. A more legendary fan comes in the form of Robert Plant, who said that ‘There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called The Lines’.

Momentum seemed to be on their side, with a single that made the top 10 of the indie charts, headlining Birmingham ArtsFest, the Bang Music Festival at Donington Park in front of 80,000 people and well as a halftime show at a Wolverhampton Wanderers match to more than 25,000. The Lines staged concerts of their own, including sell-out shows at local Wolverhampton venues Little Civic, Civic Bar and the 1,200 capacity Wulfrun Hall.

This momentum halted with the collapse of the record label that were set to put out their debut album but with an infectious energy driven live performance style, The Lines sold out the Wulfrun Hall again without a release to back it up and played in places as far flung as Austria and Moscow.

Amboy Road Records are now their home and the band are putting the finishing touches to their debut album, set for release in October in a year that has already seen them support Ian Brown in Amsterdam and take several hundred fans with them.
Creating converts wherever they perform, that large local following looks set to grow and grow. This is evidenced by their imminent headline show at the 3,000 capacity Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Official site: http://www.wearethelines.net
Genres: Rock Indie
Gig Info
Tickets priced £12.50 are available from Midland Box Office: 0870 320 7000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0870 320 7000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or online at www.wolvescivic.co.uk
Wulfrun Hall (Wolverhampton) Gigs
Gig Info Fri, 08 October 2010: The Lines (with The Limelight)
- www.surgemusic.com

Hotly tipped Wolverhampton indie rockers The Lines have just embarked on a tour in promotion of their debut album which is set to hit the stores on October 11th. To celebrate the band’s rise to prominence, Sport.co.uk caught up with lead singer Alex to discuss his beloved Aston Villa, the sneaky origin of the group’s name and a ringing endorsement from none other than Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant…

Are you happy with the choice of Gerard Houllier as Martin O’Neill’s successor?

I was a bit wary at first. O’Neill going was a massive shock and I was a bit gutted about that because I was quite happy with him. It seemed like they were clutching at straws with Houllier but he’s got two wins – and I don’t know what he’s done to Heskey but he’s started putting them in the back of the net! So it seems ok.

Do you think you got a fair deal for James Milner?

I think we could have got a bit more for both him and Gareth Barry. They’re both great players.

Are you happy with your start to the season?

To be honest, I think we’ve thrown some points away in a few games. We should have got all three points against Bolton. Kevin McDonald did ok but the start to the season’s been a bit rocky, although we seem to be levelling out a bit now. I don’t know. Let’s see how it goes because we always seem to tail off at the end of the season. The squad’s not big enough.

Which areas in particular do you think need strengthening?

We could definitely use another striker up there. Watching the Wolves match, the defence still seemed a bit shoddy so we might need something there. I’m quite pleased with Marc Albrighton’s start to the season – he’s been working his socks off.

Do you think Nigel Reo-Coker’s return to regular first team football is looking convincing?

He’s looking okay. He has his days and when he’s on form he’s pretty good, but it’s hit and miss. It is nice to see them bringing players back into the team and giving them a chance and moving things around a bit.

Stewart Downing has started sticking a few away. What do you make of his all-round contribution?

He’s looking alright. But I think they’re all trying to find their feet after such an unsettled start to the season.

Onto the band. So why are you called The Lines?

It’s a name that’s stuck with us. Basically how it first came about is we went to an open mic night and we thought we’d got the ok to play beforehand. We got down there and they said we weren’t registered but there was an act called The Lines that was down to play. So when they called out “The Lines”, we started setting up and this other band came up to us and said, “We’re on next – we’re The Lines.” We basically said, “No, we’re The Lines.” They said, “Oh really, how long have you had the name for?” We said, “Oh, a few months now.” And they said, “Oh ok, fair enough.” We always said we’d never be called ‘The (something)’ but I quite like it now. It’s like The Smiths – the name’s not important!

Any idea how Robert Plant came about to hearing you guys? Having him endorse you must be quite a thrill…

It’s a really good quote to have on your shield. The first single we ever released was for a college label endorsed by Robert Plant so I think he heard us through that. It’s amazing for him to say because he’s influenced so many people.

What are you listening to at the moment?

A bit of all sorts. I’ve been listening to The National and the Archie Bronson Outfit, but everybody in the band is different and we listen to all sorts of stuff. I’m still listening to Kasabian’s album from last year. Just trying to get the influences together for the next album because we’ve got the first one coming out on the 11th that we’ll be touring for over the next few weeks. I’ve been listening to The Charlatans - their drummer Jon Brookes hasn’t been too well recently so it’s been nice to listen back to their stuff and reminisce about what he’s done. That was quite shocking news. I read his blog last night and it was quite moving. (Fortunately, a recovery seems to be on the cards). I’ve also been listening to Chapel Club and Darker My Love.

Finally, would you be able to name your top three albums of all time?

One of them is definitely Badly Drawn Boy – Hour of Bewilderbeast. Then it gets a bit harder. Maybe The Verve – Storm in Heaven, not so much for standout tracks but because it captured a time of my life. Last one…I’d say Arcade Fire – Funeral.

The Lines’ debut album is released on October 11th on Amboy Road Records. For more information, please visit myspace.com/wearethelines - www.sport.co.uk

Super shiny new clip from the Wolverhampton quartet. - XFM

Black Country band The Lines are heading for the big time – and today they are tuning up to play a headline show in Wolverhampton.

Having supported a string of big names in the past, the fourpiece will now be the main attraction at the city’s Wulfrun Hall tomorrow.

It will be a double celebration for the indie rock n’ rollers who will also be launching their debut self-titled album.

The Lines are made up of lead singer and guitarist Alex Ohn, aged 25, guitarist Dean Bate, 23, bass player Danny Pease, 23, all of Gornal and drummer Paddy O’Connor, aged 23, of Stafford.

Tickets to see the band at Wulfrun Hall cost £12.50 and are available by calling Midland Box Office on 0870 320 7000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0870 320 7000


Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/10/07/the-lines-prepare-for-big-wolverhampton-gig/#ixzz11yqBsOy4 - Express and Star Newspaper

The Lines follow Xfm approved single, “Glorious Aftermath” and forthcoming follow up ‘El Matador’ with the release of their debut album on 11 October. Produced and engineered by Alan Smyth at Sheffield’s 2 Fly Studios with additional production from Gavin Monaghan at their home town Magic Garden Recordings in Wolverhampton, the album offers the first chapter of a story familiar to those in the Midlands, where the band have been a best kept secret for much of the past twelve months.

The Lines draw on a rich vein of British guitar pop to create a world of massive hooks, huge choruses and forthright melodies that continue a line from the beat groups of the 60's through the big music of Echo And The Bunnymen and The Verve to the contemporary likes of Kasabian. With a formidable live reputation and an ability to sell out the likes of their hometown’s 1200 capacity Wulfrun Hall with ease, The Lines are set to be a further entry in the list of bands that have surprised the London media with their seemingly sudden ascent to prominence. Gigs as far afield as Amsterdam (where they supported Ian Brown) have seen coach loads decamp from the Midlands in their hundreds, creating a special bond between the band and their increasingly fervent fans.

The album highlights the storm that has been brewing away from the media gaze perfectly. The adrenaline rush of the likes of album opener “Tracey”, “Glorious Aftermath” and “El Matador”, the anthemic debut single “Domino Effect”, the delicate lament of “Half Dreams” or the pounding closer “Loudmouth” demonstrate a band that encapsulate the very feeling of being in a small satellite town with music as your only literal and metaphoric escape. This band could only come from the UK and speak to those across the country in similar towns and cities.

The Lines tour throughout October in support of their debut, full details are at www.wearethelines.com. Expect the usual frenetic scenes as their fanbase follow them from town to town. They play a very special show at Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun Hall on 8 October as part of the dates.
- Clink Music Magazine

The Lines follow the Xfm approved 'Glorious Aftermath' with a further single from their forthcoming debut album on 4th October. 'El Matador' is another anthemic treasure from the Wolverhampton lads sure to light up dancefloors across the UK and always guaranteed a big response at their increasingly frenetic and celebratory shows.

Having spent the last twelve months playing solidly across the North and Midlands, purposefully avoiding the eyes and ears of the media and the capital, The Lines have created a community that verges on the fanatical. Wherever the band play coaches follow, whether their recent sell out show at London's Lexington or their support to Ian Brown in Amsterdam, The Lines travelling army will be there, new members added at every turn.

Announcement of their impending US debut has led to the development of the traditional coach trip into cross Atlantic excursions, with fans already booking flights and accommodation to co-incide with the bands arrival in New York, strong interest from North American agents and a return for a full tour in 2011 already being planned.

Before we lose them to the US, The band head out on an extensive UK tour in support of the single and their debut, eponymous album, released on 11th October. With standard versions being available in-store and online, as well as a limited edition version with exclusive tracks recorded for and marketed purely by HMV, relatively unheard of for a band's debut. - Glasswerk

I've been looking for something for quite a while now. I know it's somewhere in my house, it's not that urgent, but anytime I think about it, it just sorta does my head in, wondering....

...why am I sharing such mundanity with you, you may ask? Well cos it kinda rings through with bands around at the minute. There just seems to be something missing. It's not hugely important, I mean there are still decent bands around, but their are no real A star gem bands knocking around that I could say with any conviction will be remembered in the next 50 years. Even the most successful bands of the minute, namely Kings Of Leon and Kasabian, well their not uprooting and sonical trees, and to be honest, I just don't really get the appeal.

Anyway The Lines aren't the next Kings Of Kasabian, I'd just like to make that clear, however watching them at The Borderline on Thursday night got me thinking about new bands coming through, and the key ingredients I'd look for in a great new band. First and foremost it'd be the songs. If they can't get that right, they may as well be standing at a bus-stop, instead of standing on stage.

The next thing you'd probably look for in a live show would be stage-craft. A band that is at least conscious of the fact that they are performing in front of people, because other wise they are merely waiting for a bus with instruments. Maybe after band practice? The last thing that I'd maybe look for would be that the aforementioned songs pushed the boundaries. I mean, I'm not talking 2 hours of free form jazz, but as a standard 4-piece if you at least do something a bit more that Verse Chorus Verse Chorus etc. well then you'll at least pique ones interests.

So yeah I guess what I'm trying to say is that The Lines tick all of the above boxes. They may not go on to be headlining festivals, but at least they give a decent effort at standing out from the crowd. Their set takes a little bit to start off, Glorious Aftermath is an obvious single, however in comparison to the songs that follow, like Domino Effect & Matador, it's a little bit tame, while set closer Loud Mouth descends into a 4-part cacophony of tom drums and effects. I was particularly impressed by their drummer, parts Moon, parts Bonham, parts metronome.

After a bit of post-gig investigation I found out that the Wolverhampton 4-piece are playing Wulfren Hall, which is about 500 people venue, I fink. And that got me thinking about regional bands breaking through and building a local following.....but I think this is a conversation for another day. Mostly because I want to watch this Mad Men thing, see what all the fuss is about.

Anyway if you wanna check them out again, they are in Londinium on the 12th of October. Check out www.wearethelines.com for more details. - And Everyone's a DJ

The Lines are a Wolverhampton-based band with an ever-growing fanbase, their ongoing quest to progress to bigger shows and larger venues steadily paying off. This date of their tour saw them supporting newbie indie upstarts The Maccabees. Unfortunately, due to something resembling sunstroke (poor me), I didn't stick around to catch the main act. No matter, though, for The Lines' five-song set was worth putting up with the unbearable heat of the Little Civic venue.

The four-piece opened with Tracey, the song's meaty guitars providing a backdrop for frontman Alex Ohm's snarl of 'Sweet little lies'. Sounding like Richard Ashcroft fronting a Kasabian tune, it is a song that encapsulates the band's ambition to create rockers that can get the indie punters dancing rather than just nodding their heads. Closing number No More, No Less follows in the same vein but, along the way, the audience were also treated to a new untitled song and the slow-burning but ultimately anthemic Slow It Up. The highlight of the set for me was Loudmouth where pounding drums and dirty bass give way to an escalating funk-rocker that rivals the The Rapture in the indie/dance crossover stakes. When Alex sings the refrain 'Don't speak so loud', you only want him to sing louder.

Unfortunately, due to the band not being top of the bill, the set is done and dusted in just over twenty minutes. However, the performance was tight and the lads were as impressive a support band as I've seen all year. If you get the chance to catch them, whether in a supporting capacity or at one of their headline shows, don't hesitate. With any luck, they will be signed and making waves nationwide by the end of the year. - The Music Fix

A refreshingly good early crowd welcome local indie rockers Risky Heroes, who launch into a high energy set driven by shaven headed front man Aiden. Although at times not as tight as they'd like, they have lots of fire and 'Ordinary' is their most well received track. Next up are the busy Barnsley 5 piece The Paradigms, who raise the bar with their own brand of indie. Another livewire frontman in the form of Gary Hamer, his raw vocals duel with an excellent lead guitar in a very tight and at times inspirational set. Their excellent closer 'Coming Up' worth the entry fee on its own.

The brave decision to use two quality bands from further a field paid off with a packed venue ready and eager for Little Comets. From Newcastle, but frequent visitors to Sheffield along with headliners The Lines, they open with 'One Night In October' to a great ovation. They too play indie but with more than a touch of ska using short sharp off beat guitar riffs to great effect. They generate a buzz immediately and ride the waves of crowd adulation with some top original sounding tracks, not too often that can said these days, and they get a deservingly raucous send off.

Enter the Wolverhampton wanderers, The Lines, who after some impressive support slots with Charlatans, Editors, The Twang etc are set to tour with management stable-mates Little Man Tate. They have a tough act to follow but set about it manfully playing some extraordinary tracks of their own, not least the show stopping classic 'Domino Effect' and the wonderful 'Let It Go'. In Alex Ohm they have a charismatic singer with an impressive vocal range and a perfect foil for Dean's atmospheric lead guitar. They close a great night of quality music, a band on the edge of greater things. - Sandman Magazine

MIDLAND rockers The Lines scored a winner when they launched their new single during a Wolverhampton Wanderers' home match.

Singer Alex Ohm was invited to perform an acoustic version of Domino Effect on the Molineux pitch at half time when Wolves played Stoke.

"It was a great experience, now I know how Bon Jovi felt when they played at the ground," says 25-year-old Alex, adding that he had feared he would be 'bottled off' by the fans. "I thought I might have a pie sliding down my face at the end but I was received well," he laughs. "I think it helped that we're all Wolves fans, our bass player Chris is a season ticket holder. If we'd have been Baggies fans I'm sure we'd have got a different reception!"

The quartet of Alex, from Gornal, bassist Chris Titley, aged 25, from Sedgley, 22-year-old drummer Ryan Edwards from Stourbridge and guitarist Dean Bate, aged 23, from Gornal, are already well known on the Black Country music scene.

They've sold out the 350 capacity Wolverhampton Civic Bar and tomorrow play the Wulfrun Hall which holds 1,200 - and they have not yet had a CD released.

Debut single Domino Effect is in the shops on Monday.

"Last year was brilliant, the support we've received from the people of Wolverhampton and Dudley has been great," says Alex. "Nearly all our gigs have had good turn outs and that's now spreading to other parts of the country. Shows in Sheffield and Norwich attracted a big local audience. In Norwich we sold around 230 tickets for a 250 capacity venue."

The Lines have been going for several years but the present line-up has been together for just 12 months. Drummer Ryan joined last February.

In their early days the group were in illustrious company.

Reveals Alex: "The second gig we ever played was at the Flapper & Firkin and a band called Snowfield was the support. They later changed their name to Editors. Their overall sound also changed but they had a massive sound even then.

"We also played with The Twang when they were Neon Twang.

"We enjoy what we do, especially now things are starting to pick up, but we're thinking, if they can make it big why can't we?" If stardom becomes a reality the lads will have to give up their day jobs - and Chris has made the first move by quitting his job at a pupil referral unit which deals with children excluded from school.

Dean is a factory worker and Ryan works at PC World.

Alex's job is in learning support at Halesowen's Earls High School, dealing with students with learning difficulties.

"I've worked there for four years and they've been very good about giving me time off but it's getting harder to fit everything in," he says - Birmingham Mail

The Lines are on the road to success after performing to a sell-out crowd in their home town.

Having returned from Amsterdam, the four-piece wanted to kickstart the new year in front of home fans at the city’s newest venue, The Little Civic Slade Rooms.

The audience went wild thanks to their infectious delivery, with vocalist Alex Ohm striking a particular chord with the fans. The crowd clearly related to the chemistry generated by the band and the well-crafted material which is truly their own.

Having been unable to slot the home venue into their busy European schedule for more than a year, the group was overwhelmed by ticket sales for last night’s concert.

Five hundred fans of all ages packed out the venue to hear the upcoming local band play popular numbers Tracey and The Lines’ debut single, Domino Effect, which reached the Indie Chart top 10.

Loyal fans were left buzzing from the energetic atmosphere generated from this versatile Indie band.

- Express and Star

Wolverhampton band The Lines will be making a triumphant return to their home city this month following a brief stint supporting indie legend Ian Brown overseas.

The hotly tipped four piece were due to perform two dates in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam on January 30th and 31, including a spot at Paradiso as part of a show headlined by the former stone roses singer.

Hailed by Led Zepplin singer Robert Plant as one of the best bands to come out of the Black country in recent times, The Lines will perform a headline show at the Slade Rooms on February 12th. - Brumnotes Magazine

PLAYING ASTERDAM WITH IAN BROWN! ::::: The Lines + Cajole Cajole + Loutish Lover - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton: Friday 12th February 2010

Local Wolverhampton legends The Lines are moving up in the world!


The band have announced that they are traveling to Amsterdam at the end of this month to support ex-Stone Roses front man and highly successful solo artist Ian Brown at the legendary Paradiso Club in the build up to their local show in Wolverhampton’s newest venue, The Slade Rooms!

The Lines + Cajole Cajole + Loutish Lover - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton: Friday 12th February 2010


On the surface, Wolverhampton in the West Midlands seems like any other post industrial town. it takes a special band to rise above and shine through the haze.

The Lines are that band. The four-piece on combine the soaring heartfelt vocals of lead singer Alex Ohms with Dean Bate’s epic guitar melodies. The driving rhythm section of Chris Titley on bass and Dave O'Connor on drums provides a rigid backbone to their well-crafted songs.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/wearethelines

Tickets priced £5.00 are available from Midland Box Office: 0870 320 7000 or online at http://www.wolvescivic.co.uk/

Biography of The Lines


"There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines"

Robert Plant - Led Zeppelin

On the surface, Wolverhampton in the West Midlands seems like any other post industrial town. it takes a special band to rise above and shine through the haze.

The Lines are that band. The four-piece on combine the soaring heartfelt vocals of lead singer Alex Ohms with Dean Bate’s epic guitar melodies. The driving rhythm section of Chris Titley on bass and Dave O'Connor on drums provides a rigid backbone to their well-crafted songs.

“We’ll burn this town down like nobody else can” sings Alex on their debut. After listening to their new single ‘Half Dreams’, you’ll find it difficult to disagree.

This beautiful brooding song recalls classic Radiohead and Verve epics. Topped with Alex’s heart wrenching vocals and Dean’s lush guitar, it’s set to soundtrack many a blustery night this Christmas.

They have just recorded their debut album with Alan Smyth, who’s previous bands include Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, The Long Blondes and a horde of others. It’ll be hitting the shops during 2010

Previous single Domino Effect reached the Indie chart top 10, filling the airwaves on XFM’s Evening Playlist (Manchester / Wales / Scotland), Xposure London and Steve Lamacq’s Top 5.

Invitations to support fellow Midlanders the Twang and Editors came rolling in thick and fast. These were then followed by unforgettable gigs with Jack Penate, the Holloways, Little Man Tate, the Maccabees, Babyshambles, Supergrass and The Charlatans.

Having blown away Frequency Festival in Austria last summer and having played as far afield as Moscow(!) these chaps are sure to awaken the UK to their unique sound before long.

The Lines Quotes

Steve Lamacq - Radio One top5

"Making big noises in more ways than one, blasting out of Wolverhampton"

The Fly

"The fever has only just started"

Emma Scott - Kerrang Radio

"I loved Domino Effect, but it wasn't until I saw them live that i realised just how good The Lines really are. Powerful and massive sound, this band will be big!"

Loz Guest - Head of Music Kerrang Radio

"Another kerrang unsigned success story"

Denzil Watson - BBC Raw Talent

"With the band chemistry of The Libertines and the grove of The Stone Roses, the future looks bright for this Wolverhampton four-piece"

Shamir Masri - BBC Look North

"After seeing The Lines live I was hooked, a big band for the future"

Bob Fisher - Gobstopper BBC Tees/Cleveland

"The Lines have some great promise."

Sandman Magazine

"The Lines, have the music, Image and style and are destined for big things"

BBC Chart Blog

"They are Ace !"

BBC Humberside Raw Talent Katy Noone

"Listen to the Lines with your eyes shut and you get the listening equivalent of a massage. The purity of their harmony-driven pop is sheer heaven"
Posted by The Editor at Monday, January 18, 2010
- Spaghetti Gazetti

The Lines hope for singular success
11:25am Wednesday 27th February 2008



BLACK Country rockers The Lines are hoping their debut single will strike a chord with fans after a series of sold-out shows.
The indie band are on a high after packing Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall with 1,200 supporters for a major headline show and getting Radio One airplay after attracting the attention of DJ Steve Lamacq.
The group, which features singer Alex Ohm, guitarist Dean Bate, Chris Titley on bass and Stourbridge drummer Ryan Edwards, have a busy month ahead touring the UK.
Shows in towns as far apart as Newcastle and London will be followed by a nationwide tour throughout March supporting Sheffield's latest indie popsters Little Man Tate.
The Lines' live sound and melodies have caused comparisons with top acts including The Verve although with influences including Radiohead and The Rapture they say their mix stands alone.
Their new single, Domino Effect' was released on Weekender Records on February 25.
For more information visit www.myspace.com/wearethelines
- Stourbridge News

Wolvo band on the right lines for fame
10:39am Thursday 11th December 2008

The Lines are tipped for big things in 2009

WOLVERHAMPTON rockers The Lines seem to be on the way to big things in 2009 - if the tipsters are correct.
Pundits have been falling over themselves to say the band, who have been compared to Radiohead and The Verve, are set for success.
The Midlands four-piece are marking the end of their best year so far with a limited edition CD single called Half Dreams.
Just 100 copies of Half Dreams will be available at The Lines’ Wulfrun Hall show in Wolverhampton on Saturday December 20.
The song will become available to download from the day after the gig.
- Stourbridge News