The Knutz (album coming soon)

..This profile was edited with SpaceCodes.com - Profile Editor MySpace HELP Profile Help!_______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ [email protected]_________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=8886557___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________w ww.fotolog.com/theknutz_____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________Review by MICK MERCER /One of the real joys for me of doing my new book is the ability in the mypace era to track bands down in countries which had previously remained something of a mystery. I can now include, quite easily, urls and points of interest for at least fifty, maybe even a hundred, Goth, Deathrock, Horror Punk and Ambient artists from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Peru….as I have always wanted to. People used to express incredulity that I thought there’d be a rich seam of bands there but any countries of a predominantly Catholic persuasion have so many death-related festival and aspects to their heavily religious ways that it’s bound to have a creative knock-on effect. I knew there’d be there and they are. I knew they’d be different and they are. Well, apart from the Black Metal bands who simply adhere to mysterious rules laid down long ago, that neither man nor goat may cross.Brazil’s The Knutz have been going since 2005 and they have self-confessed Post-Punk influences to rival their Deathrock energies, but they will also place Joy Division alongside The Clash. Punk, Post-Punk, Goth, Deathrock and…..a real lightness of touch, which is interesting.‘Targets’ throws you initially with crooning vocals blending in with attractive guitar unfurled over pretty synth, and there’s a confidence here in their almost sedate beat and brave vocal, as there is a decorative guitar break, that is not a solo, just a sweetly soaring sound. ‘Just Be You’ is all brisk, with bobbling bass, flossy synth and frothy guitar encouraging punky vocal drama, and if you need a comparison they’re link a catchy punk equivalent of Dance Chapter or Modern English.Odder guitar spills out of the crunchy ‘You Are The Wonder’, frisky sounds and jittery vocals well suited for one another, shivery Deathrock fun with shrink-wrapped atmospherics. There’s an infectious, fidgety joy to the otherwise clumping ‘Toothless’ which is a sign of how good The Knutz are. Other bands would sound hamfisted, but they exude charm. ‘Welcome To My World’ is ludicrously pretty, again with a weird balance, the drums probably squashing the vocal presence somewhat, but of course it keeps the power there, offset by twinkling keys, and that’s another sign of how different they are. T’s got a punk spine, and attitude, but with genuinely lovely synth sounds.‘Top Of Nest’ takes things on further into a perfumed tunnel, the bubbling vocals sliding sideways over rhythmically shifty music, almost invisible guitar scraping behind them. Weirdly shabby, it wobbles along, with cute piano trills. Quite brilliant. The bass mopes amid some recorded rain in ‘Where Are You Now’ but a sunny synth banishes that gloom. Pack upo all your woes people! And sing!!! It dares to be twee and is definitely soppy, and somehow they get away with it, because you’re amazed they tried it. The wheezy ‘Suicide’ spins on the spot like an early prancing punk Nirvana with skinny guitar and demented synth and then the bass goes for a stroll when starting the punk caper that is ‘Bubbles Of My Bubblegum’, optimistic guitar vaulting over the fluttering keys and the only downside here is that as with many tracks the vocals haven’t been brought forwards enough to the basic nature of the recordings, but they stamp through it in such an engaging manner I’m happy.‘Sacred Vitre’ is quite a relaxing punk ooze, but as it wobbles along it’s full of inviting snarls and dwindling steps. ‘Six Months’ rather flops around, but with cool interloping piano/guitar ‘Who Are My Friends’ is an open-ended indie sound more than anything, the energy levels lower, but with the vocals washing back in over scurvy synth, so there’s dark touches wherever you look. ‘Fishing Day’ is more gentrified grunge until the spidery guitar wanders and the drums clatter, but it’s a bit of a non-event and ‘The Grave Man’ rather lolls when it could be excitable, although the drowsy end shows they’re intentionally slowing down, gathering themselves for a bristling ‘The Night Is Still Young’ although the guitar gets me down, and the fad out is a cheap way out.The majority of the record is great but there’s a few tracks they could have dropped, which weren’t sharp enough towards the finish. They do slip on a couple of live bonuses though, ‘Where Are You Now’ politely controlled and gracefully contrite, ‘The Hanging Man’ wonderfully moody with guitar trickles and inflamed drum pushes, the vocals gloomy and desperate and very touching.A very cool band, with masses of character and potential.__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________Review by Mick Mercer: http://mickmercer.livejournal.com/825283.html_______________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___THE KNUTZ - RELEASE (PORTUGUÊS) / Influenciado pelo pós-punk e death-rock da década de 80, Knutz apresenta uma proposta objetiva, assim como seu próprio nome: basea-se em riffs simples, muitas das vezes, mas nunca deixando de lado a singela pegada do rock que, neste caso, apresenta-se de modo atmosférico e psicodélico, levando em conta efeitos distorcidos e ecoados dos mais diversos. As vozes carregadas de reverb falam sobre sentimentos do ser humano, tanto na maneira de amar quanto na de odiar e protestar mediante a solidão deste mundo individualista, sempre de forma clara e direta, acompanhadas por uma batida pulsante e viradas tensivas. Isso sem falar das agressivas linhas de baixo que agravam a depressão ou a felicidade vivida em meio a um amor alienante, duvidoso ou partido, seguidas por um clima atenuante originado por guitarras suaves, impulsionantes e objetivas, ambas banhadas de efeitos e emoções, tais como os tocantes arpejos de teclado.Formada no início de 2005 por Tiago Abud (baixo), Daniel Abud (guitarra/voz), João Artur (guitarra) e Airton Silva (bateria), a banda passou por diferentes formações devido a necessidade de sucessivas mudanças de tecladista e guitarrista em virtude de problemas pessoais e divergência de gostos musicais para com os outros membros, o que levou The Knutz à sua formação mais recente, com os mesmos integrantes do início, porém com a adição de Zero (teclado/segunda voz) e a saída de João Artur (guitarra) do grupo.Ao final de 2006, Knutz concluiu seu primeiro CD com 15 faixas de autoria própria gravadas, mixadas e masterizadas no STUDIO 1009 em Icaraí (Niterói/RJ) e registradas na UFRJ. Com base neste CD, Knutz se lança no cenário independente, sempre em busca de parcerias de bandas de estilos, ideais e propostas semelhantes, visando a concretização de uma cena para melhor divulgar e promover o crescimento e desenvolvimento das bandas ligadas a ela.Atualmente, participa de projetos independentes como Substance Records, Tributo ao Black Future e Festival WoodGothic. Produzido pela Astronauta Discos, tem previsões para lançamento do álbum oficial em 2008._______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______________________THE KNUTZ _ RELEASE (ENGLISH) /Influenced by the post punk and death-rock style from the 80’s, Knutz have an objective proposal, just like their own name: based on simple riffs, most of the times, but never forgetting of “the classic rock manner of playing” that, in this case, sounds more atmospheric and phychodelic, according to various distorted and echoed effects. The gloomy voices express feelings from the human being, not only about love but also about lonelyness on account of this individualist world, always in a very clear way, followed by pulsating and tense beats. Besides, the agressive bass aggravates all the sadness or happyness felt on an alienating, doubted or broken relationship, lead by gentle guitars, both "bathed" in effects and feelings as well as the keyboards'arrangement, so to speak.Formed at the beginning of 2005 by Tiago Abud (bass), Daniel Abud (vocal/guitar), João Artur (guitar) and Airton Silva (drums), the band faced diferents formations due to the sucessive changes of keyboard player and guitar player because of personal problems and the fact that their ideas always cotrasted with the ones of the other members. That's why today The Knutz remain with the same musicians of the beginning, however with the addiction of Zero (keyboards/backing vocal) and without João Artur (guitar) in the group.In the end of 2006, Knutz recorded, mixed and mastered their first album with 15 songs at 1009 STUDIO in Niterói / RJ- Brazil and registered on UFRJ. With this DEMO CD, the band started to get known on the Brazilian Gothic scene, always searching for new bands with similar styles and ideas so that they can make progress and grow together.Currently, take part in independent projects as Substance Records, Black Future Tribute and WoodGothic Festival. Produced by Astronauta Discos, are supposed to record the official album in 2008._______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______________________WoodGothic Festival: www.festivalwoodgothic.kit.net ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________