I just listened to the new single from the four man band
Latimer House that claims to be based in Prague.
”Interesting,” I thought, “Prague Rock.” I always like rock
and roll with a local flavor, especially an exotic flavor, and Prague,
the largest and capitol city of the Czech
Republic has the cool
Medieval history and more modern arts
scene to make any music coming from there intriguing indeed. Unfortunately
Latimer House sounds as Eastern European as Golden Earring sounds Dutch. Having
the instrumentalists playing American style rock that sounds as if it could
have been from Boston (Boston, J. Giels Band, Aerosmith) and an
American singer singing in English does not make Golden Earring a Dutch band.
Likewise, the only thing that Prague can boost
about with Latimer House is maybe hosting their live shows as the band, fronted
by guitarist (and presumably their lead singer) Joe Cook from London, England,
sounds as Czechoslovakian as Golden Earring sounds Dutch.
See how cool and psychedelic Prague can be? Imagine how this would sound?
At least on Latimer House’s new single, This Is Pop / Shake!
their sound is strictly English, Cockney vocals and all. And not just English
but “Rock of the Eighties” New Wave with the sort of bored, “too cool for
school” monotone sung/talked vocals of The Petshop Boys or Soft Cell.
Kind of a New Wave Pop Art looking cover too.
The other
members of the band are Anar Yuufov on keyboards and backing vocals who is from
Baku, wherever that is, Jiri Kominek from Toronto on drums and another American
from the great state of Virginia, Michael Jetton, on bass. So why are Latimer
House from Prague? Is it because they recorded their debut ten song CD called "All
The Rage", released on their own label, Honk Records, at Prague's Faust Studios with engineer Derek
Saxenmeyer?
They claim that “All The Rage”
would not be what it is without the mandolin and violin of Jim Thompson, who came over
from England so it must be the guitar work of Justin Lavash of Prague's blues
and jazz bars, the trumpet playing of Tommy Levvechia, and Jan Keller who also plays
fretless bass in a modern jazz quartet when not playing with the Czech
Philharmonic Orchestra that gives Latimer House their Prague cred.
With bands like fun! and Foster The People it sounds to me
like there is currently a revival of the New Wave sound of the Eighties so
maybe Latimer House is right in style rather than thirty years too late. They’re
certainly too late for me but for those who weren’t there the first time around
whatever sound is the NOW sound is the only sound that counts. I am
disappointed as what my mad little mind was conjuring up as the possible sound
of modern “Prague Rock” seemed a whole lot more interesting than a rehash of Human
League’s sound but for every old fart disappointed by today's music there are a thousand kids claiming it as their own. Make up your own mind at: http://latimerhouse.bandcamp.com
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