24 Apr 2024
Coast Arcade - Single Review: Tattoo
16 Jun 2022 // A review by Kev Rowland
I don’t know how old these guys
are, but given they formed in High School towards the beginning of last year I
am guessing not that old, especially as they have been playing mostly all-ages
gigs, although they did also open for The Beths in Auckland earlier this year
and would have also opened for Clap Clap Riot if the tour hadn’t been
cancelled due to Covid. Bella Bavin is the lead singer and lead guitarist, and
here she sings about wanting to tattoo a girl on her neck. With drummer Thom
Boynton, and brothers Chris and Nate Tims on rhythm guitar and bass
respectively, Coast Arcade have created a perfect Summer single which is jangly
and has one of those hooks which sticks in the head and refuses to go away.
When they repeat the chorus a few times Bella puts just a little growl into her vocals and it totally changes the perspective, and while it starts and ends gently enough with just Bella and her guitar, throughout the rest there is a driving pulse from the drums, apart from when they throw in a neat acapella break. There is a huge amount of confidence here, and one can see why they have been gaining so much attention as while at its heart this is commercial indie alternative rock, it is steeped in Kiwi music from the 90’s and is just so much damn fun. Coast Arcade are a name to keep an eye on, as if the debut single is like this, what is next?
Rating:
( 4 / 5 )
About Coast Arcade
Since their formation in 2021, Coast Arcade have been steadily making waves in the Aotearoa scene. They’ve played with Aussie legends Bootleg Rascal, Teenage Dads, The Grogans and completed a New Zealand tour with The Terry’s and they’ve played with Kiwi icons The Beths and Princess Chelsea. They’ve also hit the festival scene hard, playing at Spring City Festival (alongside Groove Armada, Zane Lowe and Ladyhawke), White Out Festival (alongside Homebrew, Shapeshifter and Odd Mob) and New Zealand biggest festival, Rhythm and Vines. Their debut EP, Next To Me, was released in May, drawing attention from both local and international audiences. The EP showcases their versatile songwriting abilities with singles: fast-paced Highest Heights (#2 Hot NZ 20 Singles Chart), Surf Club (#20 Hot NZ 20 Singles Chart), and infectious debut Tattoo (#11 Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart).
Coast Arcade remains dedicated to pushing boundaries and embracing authenticity. With their infectious energy, powerful melodies, and insightful lyricism, this captivating band is poised to leave a mark on the music scene both in New Zealand and beyond.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Coast Arcade
Releases
Other Reviews By Kev Rowland
Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland - 07/07/2023
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
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07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
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15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
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Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
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Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
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Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
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Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
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This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
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Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
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