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nine black alps
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by Michaela Annot
  • Type: Single
  • Release date: 07/03/2005
  • Label: Island
Nine Black Alps are not in an envious position: seemingly they carry the hopes of the new British rock movement (I know there isn’t one – we made it up) squarely and solely on their own backs.

Signed after half a gig, lots of A&R… yadda yadda… but that gumbo is all unimportant now, and finally we get to judge them on their first widely available release (their 2004 debut ‘Cosmopolitan’ on Melodic records is going for silly sums on the Ebay thingy machine).

’Shot Down’, a sharp, thrusting punch that's brimming with anger and envy has a resolutely British feel, which is a pleasant pooh-pooh to all those who offer up words like ‘Nirvana’ and um... ‘Nirvana’. Instead, it sounds more like a brutal early Stereophonics single with a rocket up its arse.

No wait… come back… because don’t forget, the ‘phonics used to be quite good.

Anyway, it’s not quite as ace as QOTSA’s returning single, nor does it help to cover up all those great UK rock bands simmering over without big mag press, but it's better than the Glitterati and for what they do, it's a decent fistful. The story continues…

  • Nine Black Alps 7 / 10
Words: Michaela Annot

Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

Sounds a bit like Mudhoney, too, I reckon.

Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

There's a definite hint of Nirvana somewhere there. When was this fabled golden age in which the Stereophonics were good? I don't remember it.

Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

Stereophonics were good from 1997 to 1999. there were some pretty cool tunes on P & C and WGA.

My mate saw Nine black alps live last week, and said they were really bad. this songs alright, but i prefer cosmopoliatan.

Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

Arrrggghhhh! They remind me of a bad wanna be grunge six form band circa 1995. Fucking crap on record, dull as fuck live.

Island will have to write that £500 000 or whatever the fuck it was as a serious error, cos these boys are NOT gonna make the grade.

Re: Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

The amount of hype they're getting you would expect the debut to shift enough units to repay the record company. Just probably won't leave the band with much, but hey, they'll have 18-24 months of all expenses paid living...

Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

Seen them supporting 22-20s recently, thought they were good, obviously having pure fun playing and not pretending to be anything that they are particularly not.

The second b-side on this, Attraction, is miles better than the lead track by the way. Been on rotation quite a bit in the last few days.

Nine Black Alps - Shot Down

I love this record. Reminds me a bit of thisGIRL. B-sides are great too and i've seen them live twice and thought they were excellent. Bags of energy and promise in the songs and the most exciting thing is that they're still developing