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Sometimes all it takes to make great pop music is three chords and a catchy melody. But that’s not the only way to do it. Some bands prefer to blend complex melodies with diverse rhythms and unusual time signatures to stimulate different parts of the listener’s brain. You would expect a band from Oxford, England, one of the world’s great bastions on knowledge and intelligence. to be this kind of band, and This Town Needs Guns doesn’t disappoint.
As is so often the case, This Town Needs Guns’ sound starts with a guitar. But unlike a lot of rock bands, it’s not a crunching, dirty guitar spewing out catchy riffs. Rather it’s a clean, crisp sound precisely forming intricate melodies and counter-melodies. Guitarist Tim Collins provides the essence of the band’s sound, allowing bassist Jamie Cooper, drummer Chris Collis, and singer Stuart Smith to wrap their parts around his weaving lines.
This Town Needs Guns was only formed in 2006, but already they’ve built a big internet presence. They released their first full-length album, Animals, in October.
“Baboon”
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With its shifting beat and changing time signatures you won’t want to dance to “Baboon”. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. All that complexity will make you want to listen to it many times over anyway.
“Pig”
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More strange beats to keep both sides of your brain happy.
Videos
“Panda”
“I’ll Forget About You”
Links
Buy Animals
MySpace
Official Site
